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The Genesis Fleet #2
Ascendant
Père de bientôt deux enfants, il va pourtant falloir que le lieutenant Rob Geary reprenne du service actif, de même que la fusilière Mele Darcy. À bord du Sabre, le dernier survivant de la flotte de Glenlyon.
Car dans les colonies lointaines, que la Terre ne protège plus de son aile, la situation s’est encore aggravée. Blocus, interventions armées et guerres d’annexion sous couvert d’opérations « humanitaires », la conquérante Scatha et ses complices sont à la manœuvre. Comment leur résister avec si peu ? Le désastre est écrit d’avance.
Sauf… si les systèmes stellaires agressés réussissaient à nouer des alliances, ce qui exigerait un altruisme fructueux. Faudrait-il encore faire le premier pas.
Trois ans après les événements d’Avant-garde, Ascendant développe les tribulations des colonies nouvelles de l’humanité ; Jack Campbell nous y plonge dans des batailles spatiales d’une exceptionnelle qualité.
Car dans les colonies lointaines, que la Terre ne protège plus de son aile, la situation s’est encore aggravée. Blocus, interventions armées et guerres d’annexion sous couvert d’opérations « humanitaires », la conquérante Scatha et ses complices sont à la manœuvre. Comment leur résister avec si peu ? Le désastre est écrit d’avance.
Sauf… si les systèmes stellaires agressés réussissaient à nouer des alliances, ce qui exigerait un altruisme fructueux. Faudrait-il encore faire le premier pas.
Trois ans après les événements d’Avant-garde, Ascendant développe les tribulations des colonies nouvelles de l’humanité ; Jack Campbell nous y plonge dans des batailles spatiales d’une exceptionnelle qualité.
10 pages, Audiobook
First published May 15, 2018
196 people are currently reading
1337 people want to read
About the author
Jack Campbell
115 books3,031 followersJack Campbell is a pseudonym for American science fiction author John G. Hemry.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
John G. Hemry is an American author of military science fiction novels. Drawing on his experience as a retired United States Navy officer, he has written the Stark's War and Paul Sinclair series. Under the name Jack Campbell, he has written four volumes of the Lost Fleet series, and on his website names two more forthcoming volumes. He has also written over a dozen short stories, many published in Analog magazine, and a number of non-fiction works.
John G Hemry is a retired United States Navy officer. His father, Jack M. Hemry, also served in the navy and as John points out was a mustang. John grew up living in several places including Pensacola, San Diego, and Midway Island.
John graduated from Lyons High School in Lyons in 1974 then attended the US Naval Academy (Class of '78) where he was labeled 'the un-midshipman' by his roommates.
He lives in Maryland with his wife and three kids. His two eldest children are diagnosed as autistic and suffer from Neuro immune dysfunction syndrome (NIDS), an auto-immune ailment which causes their illness, but are progressing under treatment.
John is a member of the SFWA Musketeers whose motto reads: 'The Pen is Mightier Than the Sword, but the Wise Person Carries Both'.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
John G. Hemry is an American author of military science fiction novels. Drawing on his experience as a retired United States Navy officer, he has written the Stark's War and Paul Sinclair series. Under the name Jack Campbell, he has written four volumes of the Lost Fleet series, and on his website names two more forthcoming volumes. He has also written over a dozen short stories, many published in Analog magazine, and a number of non-fiction works.
John G Hemry is a retired United States Navy officer. His father, Jack M. Hemry, also served in the navy and as John points out was a mustang. John grew up living in several places including Pensacola, San Diego, and Midway Island.
John graduated from Lyons High School in Lyons in 1974 then attended the US Naval Academy (Class of '78) where he was labeled 'the un-midshipman' by his roommates.
He lives in Maryland with his wife and three kids. His two eldest children are diagnosed as autistic and suffer from Neuro immune dysfunction syndrome (NIDS), an auto-immune ailment which causes their illness, but are progressing under treatment.
John is a member of the SFWA Musketeers whose motto reads: 'The Pen is Mightier Than the Sword, but the Wise Person Carries Both'.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 162 reviews
May 17, 2018
Ascendant is the second book in Jack Campbell’s Genesis Fleet series, a prequel series to his beloved Lost Fleet books. I enjoyed Vanguard, the first book in the series, even if I found it a little slow-going. So much of its word count was tied up in laying the groundwork for the series that there was less space available for the kind of tight, suspenseful action that Campbell excels at. The scales have tipped back in that direction for Ascendant, and it’s a slightly more satisfying experience because of it.
Campbell’s plots tend to be straightforward and uncomplicated, and Ascendant is no exception. Rob Geary and Mele Darcy, the heroes who helped affirm Glenlyon’s independence from the imperialist ambitions of the Scatha star system in Vanguard, are called back into action when the destroyer Claymore is destroyed in an attempt by Scatha to cut off Glenlyon’s trade routes. Geary takes the warship Saber to the Scatha-occupied system of Jatayu to investigate, and possibly avenge, the attack on Claymore, and in the process discovers that Scatha has sent an invasion force to the Glenlyon-allied system of Kosatka and leads the Saber there to help them defend their home.
The bulk of Ascendant’s page count finds Geary’s “space squids” and Darcy’s Marines hanging on by a thread as they try to outpunch, outshoot, and outstrategize the Scathan attackers, and this is for the best. I love Campbell’s massive space battle sequences, where precision matters most – one slight miscalculation can lead to total disaster, and the loss of even one ship can erase any chance of victory. Campbell’s characterizations and plotting are merely adequate to the task, but he really knows how to keep a reader gripped by his action scenes. Ascendant is like a good summer action flick – efficiently entertaining and smart enough to satisfy its target audience, though hardly anything to keep your brain cells churning once its over.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Ace books for the opportunity to read this ARC.
Campbell’s plots tend to be straightforward and uncomplicated, and Ascendant is no exception. Rob Geary and Mele Darcy, the heroes who helped affirm Glenlyon’s independence from the imperialist ambitions of the Scatha star system in Vanguard, are called back into action when the destroyer Claymore is destroyed in an attempt by Scatha to cut off Glenlyon’s trade routes. Geary takes the warship Saber to the Scatha-occupied system of Jatayu to investigate, and possibly avenge, the attack on Claymore, and in the process discovers that Scatha has sent an invasion force to the Glenlyon-allied system of Kosatka and leads the Saber there to help them defend their home.
The bulk of Ascendant’s page count finds Geary’s “space squids” and Darcy’s Marines hanging on by a thread as they try to outpunch, outshoot, and outstrategize the Scathan attackers, and this is for the best. I love Campbell’s massive space battle sequences, where precision matters most – one slight miscalculation can lead to total disaster, and the loss of even one ship can erase any chance of victory. Campbell’s characterizations and plotting are merely adequate to the task, but he really knows how to keep a reader gripped by his action scenes. Ascendant is like a good summer action flick – efficiently entertaining and smart enough to satisfy its target audience, though hardly anything to keep your brain cells churning once its over.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Ace books for the opportunity to read this ARC.
June 25, 2018
This is book two of the Genesis Fleet Series. It is a prequel to the Lost Fleet Series. Campbell is a master storyteller. The book is well written and has the most interesting characters. The book contains lots of action and a great space battle. I have become a big fan of Campbell and cannot wait for his next book.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is ten hours. Christian Rummel does any excellent job narrating the series. Rummel is an actor and voice-over artist as well as an award-winning audiobook narrator.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is ten hours. Christian Rummel does any excellent job narrating the series. Rummel is an actor and voice-over artist as well as an award-winning audiobook narrator.
December 7, 2019
Although Rob Geary is retired he is pulled back into service when the planet he has retired to is threatened by another world. That world is trying to create it's own "kingdom" in space.
Great militray scoence fiction adventures in space and ob various planets.
Jack Campbell as cemented his role as a master of military science fiction.
HIGHLY recommended series - both Lost Fleet and Genesis Fleet - and Author
Great militray scoence fiction adventures in space and ob various planets.
Jack Campbell as cemented his role as a master of military science fiction.
HIGHLY recommended series - both Lost Fleet and Genesis Fleet - and Author
April 27, 2019
Me lo he pasado muy bien con esta novela, la he leído de un tirón en apenas tres días y con auténtica ansiedad cada vez que tenía que dejar el libro para hacer otras cosas no tan importantes (dormir, trabajar....).
Es imprescindible leer la novela anterior de la serie antes en hincarle el diente a "Ascendant", porque tanto la trama como los personajes retoman el punto en el que finalizó la primera. Con toda seguridad tendremos una serie de seis o siete libros antes de que se cierre la saga.
En cuanto al argumento, bueno, lo de siempre en space opera militar: naves que estallan más allá de Orión, combates entre marines malhablados pero de buen fondo, políticos incompetentes...Pero muy bien atado.
Es imprescindible leer la novela anterior de la serie antes en hincarle el diente a "Ascendant", porque tanto la trama como los personajes retoman el punto en el que finalizó la primera. Con toda seguridad tendremos una serie de seis o siete libros antes de que se cierre la saga.
En cuanto al argumento, bueno, lo de siempre en space opera militar: naves que estallan más allá de Orión, combates entre marines malhablados pero de buen fondo, políticos incompetentes...Pero muy bien atado.
March 1, 2022
„Przewaga” do drugi tom z cyklu „Flota geneza” i jest to militarnym sci-fi z elementami opery kosmicznej. Uwierzcie mi, że w książkach z tego gatunku nie znajdziemy tylko opisów walki i strategii wojennych, ma dużo innych zalet. Flota wyróżnia się ciekawym i rozbudowanym światem, a przede wszystkim mądrymi, charakternymi i odważnymi bohaterami, którzy szybko zaskarbili sobie moją sympatię. Choć pierwszy tom czytałam już dość dawno, to nadal o nich doskonale pamiętam.
Geary, Mel, Carmen i Lochan to bohaterowie którzy wpadają do głowy na długo. Żyją oni w ciężkich czasach, kiedy to Scathanie wróg numer jeden, robi wszystko aby uprzykrzyć im życie, a jego celem jest dominacja i władza. Jeśli ktoś czytał pierwszy tom to wie jak zakończyło się pierwsze starcie dla Scathian….Teraz, po 3 latach wróg ponawia atak, ale kosmiczne kolonie nie poddają się, walczą i bronią swego. Nie można liczyć na Starą Ziemię, bo już dawno straciła swoje zasoby. Nie ma ani ludzi, ani jakiejkolwiek kontroli. Trzeba radzić sobie w inny sposób.
Robert Geary wraz z Mele Darcy powracają na służbę. Odzyskują stanowiska, które utracili podczas ostatniego starcia z wrogiem. Inwazja wisi w powietrzu…Przeciwnik wydaje się być silniejszy niż poprzednim razem. Geary i Mel mogą liczyć na swoich sojuszników, ale czy to wystarczy? Kto zdobędzie przewagę we Wszechświecie?
Książka trzyma w napięciu, ale z drugiej strony miałam z tyłu głowy tylko jedno rozwiązanie akcji. Czyta się lekko, momentami zapominałam, ze to sci-fi. Jak już wiele osób zauważyło ta seria świetnie nadaje się dla osób, które chciałyby rozpocząć przygodę z tym gatunkiem.
Geary, Mel, Carmen i Lochan to bohaterowie którzy wpadają do głowy na długo. Żyją oni w ciężkich czasach, kiedy to Scathanie wróg numer jeden, robi wszystko aby uprzykrzyć im życie, a jego celem jest dominacja i władza. Jeśli ktoś czytał pierwszy tom to wie jak zakończyło się pierwsze starcie dla Scathian….Teraz, po 3 latach wróg ponawia atak, ale kosmiczne kolonie nie poddają się, walczą i bronią swego. Nie można liczyć na Starą Ziemię, bo już dawno straciła swoje zasoby. Nie ma ani ludzi, ani jakiejkolwiek kontroli. Trzeba radzić sobie w inny sposób.
Robert Geary wraz z Mele Darcy powracają na służbę. Odzyskują stanowiska, które utracili podczas ostatniego starcia z wrogiem. Inwazja wisi w powietrzu…Przeciwnik wydaje się być silniejszy niż poprzednim razem. Geary i Mel mogą liczyć na swoich sojuszników, ale czy to wystarczy? Kto zdobędzie przewagę we Wszechświecie?
Książka trzyma w napięciu, ale z drugiej strony miałam z tyłu głowy tylko jedno rozwiązanie akcji. Czyta się lekko, momentami zapominałam, ze to sci-fi. Jak już wiele osób zauważyło ta seria świetnie nadaje się dla osób, które chciałyby rozpocząć przygodę z tym gatunkiem.
April 9, 2019
This is the second book in the Genesis Fleet series by Jack Campbell a.k.a. John G. Hemry. This one is set in the universe of the “Lost Fleet” and “Lost Stars” series, but several hundred years earlier. Mankind has several colonies that were founded using sublight starflight and taking many years to get to them. Mankind has now discovered the jump drive and has started fanning out to even further stars, starting settlements on habitable worlds. The original colonies are now known as the "Old Colonies" and many people are leaving them for much the same reasons that they left Earth. But as you’d expect, knowing human nature, some colonists decide it would be easier to concentrate on building fighting ships and raiding other planets than to build up a strong local economy. Robert Geary finds himself on one of the new colonies that has come under attack. Because of his Space Navy background he is asked to find a way to defend his new home. With the help of some new friends he tries to do just that. In this one the planet Glenlyon decides to send for help in defending itself from another attack. Rob Geary and his Space Marine friend Mele Darcy are tasked with escorting the ship sent on this mission to the local jump point. Rob decides to wait a few hours and then follow the ship to see if it is attacked. When his ship comes out of jump space he does in fact find it under attack. He defeats the attackers and decides to continue on to the Kosatka Star system. There he finds the planet under attack and decides to help them defend it. Meanwhile his friends Carmen Ochoa and Lochan Nakamura are also defending their world. Carmen by fighting on the surface and Lochan by embarking on a dangerous journey to find more help from nearby star systems. This book is a great addition to this series and I recommend it to fans of Military Science Fiction and fans of Jack Campbell a.k.a. John G. Hemry.
May 24, 2021
Ascendant maintains the action and creativity found in the preceding installment of the series (Vanguard). The narrative is so immersive and suspenseful that it becomes very difficult to set the book down before the last page is turned.
September 27, 2023
Pirms Džona ‘’Melnā Džeka’’ Gerija spožās karjeras un viņa (pa)zudušās flotes sērijām, bija senči, no kura laika arī nāk viņu atvadīšanās frāze par iepriekšējām paaudzēm un fascinācija par tām, Džona paša attālā radinieka Roberta Gerija vai vienkārši Roba veidolā. Viņa The Genesis Fleet, kā jau sērijas nosaukums saka priekšā vēsta par laiku, kad tāda starpzvaigžņu sistēmu flote, kāda eksistē Melnā Džeka laikā, ir vien savas attīstības pirmsākumos, kad jump-drive tehnoloģija ir vien dažas desmitgades veca un jaunās kolonizētās planētas pie kāda cita negaidītas agresivitātes vēl paļaujas uz cilvēces dzimtās planētas aizsardzību kaut arī distances tagad ir krietni lielākas, kā pirms tam.
https://poseidons99.wordpress.com/202...
https://poseidons99.wordpress.com/202...
January 13, 2019
Just a tad repetitive - which is admittedly hard to avoid after so many volumes - but it does add a certain deja vu to the read that is unwelcome and unsettling.
May 15, 2018
This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
If you have enjoyed Jack Campbell's other series, Lost Fleet and Beyond the Frontier , and Lost Stars , Genesis Fleet series will feel familiar. The writing style, space opera and military strategy are all here. It is a prequel series. Ascendant is the second book, following Vanguard by three years.
The series could be read by those not having read the other series. It is rather fun and comforting to be with characters having the last names of those to follow 100 years later. And I like the style so I have read them all. I liked the audio as well and have bought some of them.
In these new frontiers, the governments and businesses are new; nothing is quite setup or established. Well, the spacecraft may follow old Earth checklists a bit too rigidly. Overall, people need to make decisions about who they will be and how they will live. The Genesis Fleet series is most like the Lost Stars series because of the new governments being created. At the very beginning, it felt slow only because it is so similar but it got interesting quickly as the world and characters, plus space battles, charged into action.
The stories are Jack Campbell classics of people with character strength and compassion and intelligence. The characters are exceptional; people you would want to know, at least, the good guys. The bad guys are not well developed. I do love the space battles and the ground battles. The technology discussions around repairs and battles are also fascinating to me. There is even some humor! I love these stories.
The publisher was kind enough to send me a hardcover copy of this book. Since I collect digital now for convenience when moving and traveling, I am giving this away. Enter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
If you have enjoyed Jack Campbell's other series, Lost Fleet and Beyond the Frontier , and Lost Stars , Genesis Fleet series will feel familiar. The writing style, space opera and military strategy are all here. It is a prequel series. Ascendant is the second book, following Vanguard by three years.
The series could be read by those not having read the other series. It is rather fun and comforting to be with characters having the last names of those to follow 100 years later. And I like the style so I have read them all. I liked the audio as well and have bought some of them.
In these new frontiers, the governments and businesses are new; nothing is quite setup or established. Well, the spacecraft may follow old Earth checklists a bit too rigidly. Overall, people need to make decisions about who they will be and how they will live. The Genesis Fleet series is most like the Lost Stars series because of the new governments being created. At the very beginning, it felt slow only because it is so similar but it got interesting quickly as the world and characters, plus space battles, charged into action.
The stories are Jack Campbell classics of people with character strength and compassion and intelligence. The characters are exceptional; people you would want to know, at least, the good guys. The bad guys are not well developed. I do love the space battles and the ground battles. The technology discussions around repairs and battles are also fascinating to me. There is even some humor! I love these stories.
"We could use some beer. And we're a little low on ammo and other supplies. But there's no beer at all."
The publisher was kind enough to send me a hardcover copy of this book. Since I collect digital now for convenience when moving and traveling, I am giving this away. Enter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
March 28, 2022
"(...) to, czego dokonamy tutaj, będzie miało znaczenie. Na tym, co zrobimy będą budować inni, nawet jeśli nie będą pamiętać, kto to zapoczątkował."
"Przewaga" to drugi tom nowej serii Jacka Campbella, znanego z tworzenia powieści militarnych, których akcja rozgrywa się w kosmosie. Seria "Narodziny floty" stanowi prequel bestsellerowej "Zaginionej floty" i opowiada o tym, jak Rob Geary, Mele Darcy i sojusznicy podejmują próbę ocalenia kolonii na dalekich planetach przed wrogimi siłami. Choć wydarzenia dzieją się w odległej przyszłości i z dala od Ziemi, wszędzie, gdzie pojawią się ludzie wybuchają stare konflikty: koloniści, którzy chcą żyć w spokoju i stworzyć własny ład muszą mierzyć się z tymi, którzy kierując się chciwością znają jedynie język siły. Osamotnione kolonie są słabe militarnie - bo nie na tym im zależało - a decyzje polityczne skupiają się na obronie niezależności. Wrogie planety z kolei są sprzymierzone, a piracka działalność zapewnia im środki do walki i ekspansji - w tym niewolników. Jack Campbell w swojej serii eksploruje motyw współpracy sojuszniczej - pozornie słabe planety, które łączą wartości będą mogły się przeciwstawić wrogim siłom jedynie wspólnie. Da się w tej serii wyczuć ten amerykański duch wojskowy i jednoczącą siłę wartości demokratycznych - co nie dziwi, biorąc pod uwagę, że sam autor służył przez lata w marynarce wojennej. "Narodziny floty" to porządne militarne science-fiction - i... nic poza tym. To seria, która w żaden sposób się nie wyróżnia, ale fanom gatunku dostarczy spodziewanej rozrywki.
"Czasami zwycięstwo smakowało niewiele mniej gorzko od porażki."
"Przewaga" utrzymuje poziom tomu pierwszego ("Awangardy") - znów historia podzielona jest na kilka wątków zbudowanych wokół bohaterów, których łączy chęć ocalenia ich planet. Tempo znów jest raczej wolne - starcia poprzedzone są planowaniem strategii, która następnie jest wdrażana i w miarę potrzeby korygowana. Choć bohaterowie walczą na "różnych frontach" to z reguły udaje im się utrzymywać łączność - i informują się nawzajem o przebiegu starć. Choć jest to z pewnością dobre odwzorowanie realiów walki - która wbrew temu co prezentuje Hollywood nie opiera się wyłącznie na ciągłych wybuchach - to dla takiej czytelniczki jak ja (nie będącej fanką militariów i taktyki) jest to zwyczajnie nużący schemat. Czytam o jednych wydarzeniach, by za chwilę za pomocą dialogów poznać ich streszczoną wersję przekazaną dowódcy. Do tego całość - choć dobrze napisana! - sprawia wrażenie powtarzalnej. Gdzieś to już było. Porównałabym czytanie tej serii do oglądania serialu na Netflix - dostarcza rozrywki, ale bez rozmachu kina wysokobudżetowego, a w trakcie spokojnie można wyskoczyć po popcorn i za wiele się nie straci. Nie znaczy to wcale, że bawiłam się źle! Czasem człowiek potrzebuje właśnie tego typu rozrywki.
Autor świetnie "czuje" gatunek militarnego sci-fi - opisy kosmicznych starć są interesujące, a wątki polityczne do nich pasują. Nieco gorzej wypada rozbicie na kilku bohaterów - poza Robem Geary i Mele Darcy pozostałym poświęcone jest za mało miejsca, aby naprawdę się z nimi zżyć i wydarzenia z ich życia prywatnego są mniej interesujące niż ich działania na polu walki. Na tym polu dużo lepiej wypada Marko Kloos i jego seria "Wojny palladowe" - gdzie pomimo kilku bohaterów rozsianych w kosmosie, czytelnik przejmuje się losem każdego z nich. W "Przewadze" najlepiej wypada druga połowa powieści, czyli bitwa. Podobał mi się także wątek Lochana, który ponownie musiał wywinąć się piratom - był on napisany z pewną lekkością, przez co zamiast powodować niekomfortowe uczucie deja vu, chciało się zakrzyknąć "here we go again!" i zobaczyć jak tym razem nasz bohater sobie poradzi.
Jeśli macie ochotę na dobrze napisaną, "bezpieczną" gatunkowo przygodę w kosmosie - najnowsza odsłona "Floty" z pewnością spełni wasze oczekiwania. Jeśli jednak szukacie czegoś odkrywczego i wyróżniającego się, to "Przewaga" może was rozczarować. Ja bawiłam się dobrze, choć z większą niecierpliwością czekam na kolejny tom "Wojen Palladowych" Marko Klossa niż "Zwycięstwo", czyli trzeci tom "Narodzin Floty". Jednocześnie książki Jacka Cambella na tyle dobrze się czyta, że mam ochotę sięgnąć po jego "Zaginioną flotę", która przyniosła mu rozgłos.
"Przewaga" to drugi tom nowej serii Jacka Campbella, znanego z tworzenia powieści militarnych, których akcja rozgrywa się w kosmosie. Seria "Narodziny floty" stanowi prequel bestsellerowej "Zaginionej floty" i opowiada o tym, jak Rob Geary, Mele Darcy i sojusznicy podejmują próbę ocalenia kolonii na dalekich planetach przed wrogimi siłami. Choć wydarzenia dzieją się w odległej przyszłości i z dala od Ziemi, wszędzie, gdzie pojawią się ludzie wybuchają stare konflikty: koloniści, którzy chcą żyć w spokoju i stworzyć własny ład muszą mierzyć się z tymi, którzy kierując się chciwością znają jedynie język siły. Osamotnione kolonie są słabe militarnie - bo nie na tym im zależało - a decyzje polityczne skupiają się na obronie niezależności. Wrogie planety z kolei są sprzymierzone, a piracka działalność zapewnia im środki do walki i ekspansji - w tym niewolników. Jack Campbell w swojej serii eksploruje motyw współpracy sojuszniczej - pozornie słabe planety, które łączą wartości będą mogły się przeciwstawić wrogim siłom jedynie wspólnie. Da się w tej serii wyczuć ten amerykański duch wojskowy i jednoczącą siłę wartości demokratycznych - co nie dziwi, biorąc pod uwagę, że sam autor służył przez lata w marynarce wojennej. "Narodziny floty" to porządne militarne science-fiction - i... nic poza tym. To seria, która w żaden sposób się nie wyróżnia, ale fanom gatunku dostarczy spodziewanej rozrywki.
"Czasami zwycięstwo smakowało niewiele mniej gorzko od porażki."
"Przewaga" utrzymuje poziom tomu pierwszego ("Awangardy") - znów historia podzielona jest na kilka wątków zbudowanych wokół bohaterów, których łączy chęć ocalenia ich planet. Tempo znów jest raczej wolne - starcia poprzedzone są planowaniem strategii, która następnie jest wdrażana i w miarę potrzeby korygowana. Choć bohaterowie walczą na "różnych frontach" to z reguły udaje im się utrzymywać łączność - i informują się nawzajem o przebiegu starć. Choć jest to z pewnością dobre odwzorowanie realiów walki - która wbrew temu co prezentuje Hollywood nie opiera się wyłącznie na ciągłych wybuchach - to dla takiej czytelniczki jak ja (nie będącej fanką militariów i taktyki) jest to zwyczajnie nużący schemat. Czytam o jednych wydarzeniach, by za chwilę za pomocą dialogów poznać ich streszczoną wersję przekazaną dowódcy. Do tego całość - choć dobrze napisana! - sprawia wrażenie powtarzalnej. Gdzieś to już było. Porównałabym czytanie tej serii do oglądania serialu na Netflix - dostarcza rozrywki, ale bez rozmachu kina wysokobudżetowego, a w trakcie spokojnie można wyskoczyć po popcorn i za wiele się nie straci. Nie znaczy to wcale, że bawiłam się źle! Czasem człowiek potrzebuje właśnie tego typu rozrywki.
Autor świetnie "czuje" gatunek militarnego sci-fi - opisy kosmicznych starć są interesujące, a wątki polityczne do nich pasują. Nieco gorzej wypada rozbicie na kilku bohaterów - poza Robem Geary i Mele Darcy pozostałym poświęcone jest za mało miejsca, aby naprawdę się z nimi zżyć i wydarzenia z ich życia prywatnego są mniej interesujące niż ich działania na polu walki. Na tym polu dużo lepiej wypada Marko Kloos i jego seria "Wojny palladowe" - gdzie pomimo kilku bohaterów rozsianych w kosmosie, czytelnik przejmuje się losem każdego z nich. W "Przewadze" najlepiej wypada druga połowa powieści, czyli bitwa. Podobał mi się także wątek Lochana, który ponownie musiał wywinąć się piratom - był on napisany z pewną lekkością, przez co zamiast powodować niekomfortowe uczucie deja vu, chciało się zakrzyknąć "here we go again!" i zobaczyć jak tym razem nasz bohater sobie poradzi.
Jeśli macie ochotę na dobrze napisaną, "bezpieczną" gatunkowo przygodę w kosmosie - najnowsza odsłona "Floty" z pewnością spełni wasze oczekiwania. Jeśli jednak szukacie czegoś odkrywczego i wyróżniającego się, to "Przewaga" może was rozczarować. Ja bawiłam się dobrze, choć z większą niecierpliwością czekam na kolejny tom "Wojen Palladowych" Marko Klossa niż "Zwycięstwo", czyli trzeci tom "Narodzin Floty". Jednocześnie książki Jacka Cambella na tyle dobrze się czyta, że mam ochotę sięgnąć po jego "Zaginioną flotę", która przyniosła mu rozgłos.
May 18, 2020
Military science fiction novel Ascendant, released in hardcover in 2018 and mass market paperback in April, 2019, is the second novel in the Genesis Fleet series. The series began with Vanguard and concludes with Triumphant. Although I had not read the first book in the series prior to picking up Ascendant, the novel contained sufficient background to allow me to easily follow the story line.
In the future society depicted in Ascendant, humanity has established thriving colonies in the far reaches of space. Many of those who went to the stars did so seeking freedom. This fundamental value is threatened when systems like Scatha, Apulu, and Turan develop empire-building aspirations. Scatha and its allies are attacking human colonies one by one, placing them under tyrannical rule while they skim off their resources. To make matters worse, Earth can no longer be counted on to come to the defense of the colonies. As one character notes, “ ‘The mother has sent her children to the stars and turned her back on them.’ ” (p. 23) This leaves the colonies uneasily trying to balance the fierce desire for independence with a dawning recognition that sometimes, alliances are needed in order to preserve one’s way of life. Unfortunately, the reluctance of the independent colonies to get involved in the struggles faced by others makes it easier for the Scathans and their allies to divide and conquer.
Not everyone is willing to take the Scathans’ aggression lying down. The Glenlyon System decides to call Scatha’s bluff, sending the destroyer Claymore to escort one of their freighters, Bruce Monroe, to its destination. Scatha responds by blowing the Claymore to bits in the novel’s opening scenes.
Glenlyon’s Senior Dock Officer Rob Geary is called upon by the governing council to take command of the warship Saber, seeking to avenge Claymore and proactively take the battle to Scatha. Geary and the crew of the Saber arrive just in time to achieve partial vengeance by destroying one of the Scathan warships they find harassing the Bruce Monroe.
Though he’d like nothing better than to head back to Glenlyon where his pregnant wife and three-year-old child await, Geary feels drawn to pursue a second Scathan ship, which appears to have made a jump to Kosatka. Kosatka is, relatively speaking, one of Glenlyon’s neighbours. Geary recognizes that there might be something to be gained if Glenlyon can help Kosatka fend off the Scathans. When the Saber speeds to Kosatka, they find the planet under attack by Scathan forces. One of Kosatka’s warships, the Shark, has been damaged, putting it out of the fight.
As the battle unfolds, we see the assault on Kosatka, and its fallout, through several third-person viewpoints. We follow Geary as he takes on the Scathan warships. Mele Darcy, who is in charge of the Glenlyon Marines, leads a running battle through Kosatka’s orbital facility, trying desperately to buy time for necessary repairs to be completed on the Shark. On the planet’s surface, volunteer intelligence officer Carmen Oocha assists in the hand-to-hand struggle to repel the invaders. Meanwhile, Lochan Nakamura is sent on a diplomatic mission to seek out alliances. Despite the multiple viewpoints, it’s easy enough to follow the story line, and there is plenty of action—space battles, explosions, even a skirmish with a pirate vessel. The characters struggle against difficult, yet realistic, odds as the drama unfolds.
Ascendant provides the reader with characters they can root for. Geary, though competent at his job, is haunted by the memory of past failures. His wife Lyn, better known as Ninja, tells him he says the names of those who died under his command at night, in his sleep. Oocha’s motivation to defend Kosatka is based, in part, on her experiences on Mars, which she describes as “ ‘a place where every dream is dead and force is the only law.’ ” (p.113) She is determined not to let Kosatka be taken by hostile forces and suffer a similar fate. Lochan Nakamura is a diplomat rather than a soldier, but he’s willing to venture to other planetary systems to see if he can win support for Kosatka’s cause, even though he knows the inherent danger in that mission should the Scathans get wise to his plans.
Characters of both genders are depicted as being strong and competent. Mele Darcy whips the Kosatkan forces into shape, providing leadership when the Kosatkan commander is killed in the line of duty. Carmen Oocha demonstrates bravery and courage as she gathers intelligence on the movements of the enemy forces. The Saber’s chief engineer, Lieutenant Vicki Shen, plays a key role in expediting the repairs on Shark. Geary is a determined, compassionate, and resourceful leader.
Ascendant provides compelling action scenes, but it doesn’t stop there. The novel also delves into the nature of war, the reasons it sometimes is worth fighting, and the toll it takes on the men and women who gear up for battle. Though Ascendant is set in the far future, some aspects of warfare haven’t changed. Mele Darcy muses:
For how many thousands of years had humanity waged wars, developing better and better weapons? And how many times during those thousands of years had someone proclaimed that some latest weapon had made foot soldiers obsolete? But here, on and above Kosatka, the fight would once again be decided by grunts, fighting face-to-face and maybe hand to hand. Because that’s what grunts did, and that’s why, in the end, they were always needed no matter how many other fancy toys people came up with to wage war. (p. 184)
Carmen Oocha ponders the ironic gap between the image and reality when it comes to the nature of the intelligence-gathering function:
She had once imagined that intelligence offices were like they were shown on vids, all-seeing centers where quirky individuals discovered important insights from the smallest possible clue picked up by the most amazing possible sources. The reality was more like this back room: dark, dingy, smelling of old coffee and too many people who hadn’t had time to get clean for too long, and a perpetual headache as analysts often unsuccessfully tried to fit too few bits of information into some sort of useful picture. (p. 111)
Oocha ponders the irony of fighting over empty buildings for their symbolic value, and Geary observes that “sometimes victory tasted only a little less ugly than defeat.” (p. 251) Ascendant does not glorify war; rather, the lead characters are battling to preserve their beliefs, while at the same time remaining cognizant of the cost of that battle. Characters like Geary fight heroically, yet are also possessed with spasms of self-doubt. In the end, they are only human, not superhuman—which makes them easier to relate to, and renders the story more believable and compelling.
As the second book in a series, Ascendant offers a satisfying conclusion to its main plot line, while leaving the door open for future action. One of the questions left unanswered is whether the human colonies will be able to forge effective alliances, and how much independence they will be willing to sacrifice in order to do so. Glenlyon’s Leigh Camagan notes, “ ‘we all need the same thing. Sufficient force to repel aggression against any of our homes. And allies who will stand with us to deter any further aggression.’ ” (p. 331) In the end, it will take the combined efforts of soldiers and politicians to make that intention a reality. But if it’s left in the competent hands of the characters in Ascendant, there’s a reasonable prospect a solution will be found.
In the future society depicted in Ascendant, humanity has established thriving colonies in the far reaches of space. Many of those who went to the stars did so seeking freedom. This fundamental value is threatened when systems like Scatha, Apulu, and Turan develop empire-building aspirations. Scatha and its allies are attacking human colonies one by one, placing them under tyrannical rule while they skim off their resources. To make matters worse, Earth can no longer be counted on to come to the defense of the colonies. As one character notes, “ ‘The mother has sent her children to the stars and turned her back on them.’ ” (p. 23) This leaves the colonies uneasily trying to balance the fierce desire for independence with a dawning recognition that sometimes, alliances are needed in order to preserve one’s way of life. Unfortunately, the reluctance of the independent colonies to get involved in the struggles faced by others makes it easier for the Scathans and their allies to divide and conquer.
Not everyone is willing to take the Scathans’ aggression lying down. The Glenlyon System decides to call Scatha’s bluff, sending the destroyer Claymore to escort one of their freighters, Bruce Monroe, to its destination. Scatha responds by blowing the Claymore to bits in the novel’s opening scenes.
Glenlyon’s Senior Dock Officer Rob Geary is called upon by the governing council to take command of the warship Saber, seeking to avenge Claymore and proactively take the battle to Scatha. Geary and the crew of the Saber arrive just in time to achieve partial vengeance by destroying one of the Scathan warships they find harassing the Bruce Monroe.
Though he’d like nothing better than to head back to Glenlyon where his pregnant wife and three-year-old child await, Geary feels drawn to pursue a second Scathan ship, which appears to have made a jump to Kosatka. Kosatka is, relatively speaking, one of Glenlyon’s neighbours. Geary recognizes that there might be something to be gained if Glenlyon can help Kosatka fend off the Scathans. When the Saber speeds to Kosatka, they find the planet under attack by Scathan forces. One of Kosatka’s warships, the Shark, has been damaged, putting it out of the fight.
As the battle unfolds, we see the assault on Kosatka, and its fallout, through several third-person viewpoints. We follow Geary as he takes on the Scathan warships. Mele Darcy, who is in charge of the Glenlyon Marines, leads a running battle through Kosatka’s orbital facility, trying desperately to buy time for necessary repairs to be completed on the Shark. On the planet’s surface, volunteer intelligence officer Carmen Oocha assists in the hand-to-hand struggle to repel the invaders. Meanwhile, Lochan Nakamura is sent on a diplomatic mission to seek out alliances. Despite the multiple viewpoints, it’s easy enough to follow the story line, and there is plenty of action—space battles, explosions, even a skirmish with a pirate vessel. The characters struggle against difficult, yet realistic, odds as the drama unfolds.
Ascendant provides the reader with characters they can root for. Geary, though competent at his job, is haunted by the memory of past failures. His wife Lyn, better known as Ninja, tells him he says the names of those who died under his command at night, in his sleep. Oocha’s motivation to defend Kosatka is based, in part, on her experiences on Mars, which she describes as “ ‘a place where every dream is dead and force is the only law.’ ” (p.113) She is determined not to let Kosatka be taken by hostile forces and suffer a similar fate. Lochan Nakamura is a diplomat rather than a soldier, but he’s willing to venture to other planetary systems to see if he can win support for Kosatka’s cause, even though he knows the inherent danger in that mission should the Scathans get wise to his plans.
Characters of both genders are depicted as being strong and competent. Mele Darcy whips the Kosatkan forces into shape, providing leadership when the Kosatkan commander is killed in the line of duty. Carmen Oocha demonstrates bravery and courage as she gathers intelligence on the movements of the enemy forces. The Saber’s chief engineer, Lieutenant Vicki Shen, plays a key role in expediting the repairs on Shark. Geary is a determined, compassionate, and resourceful leader.
Ascendant provides compelling action scenes, but it doesn’t stop there. The novel also delves into the nature of war, the reasons it sometimes is worth fighting, and the toll it takes on the men and women who gear up for battle. Though Ascendant is set in the far future, some aspects of warfare haven’t changed. Mele Darcy muses:
For how many thousands of years had humanity waged wars, developing better and better weapons? And how many times during those thousands of years had someone proclaimed that some latest weapon had made foot soldiers obsolete? But here, on and above Kosatka, the fight would once again be decided by grunts, fighting face-to-face and maybe hand to hand. Because that’s what grunts did, and that’s why, in the end, they were always needed no matter how many other fancy toys people came up with to wage war. (p. 184)
Carmen Oocha ponders the ironic gap between the image and reality when it comes to the nature of the intelligence-gathering function:
She had once imagined that intelligence offices were like they were shown on vids, all-seeing centers where quirky individuals discovered important insights from the smallest possible clue picked up by the most amazing possible sources. The reality was more like this back room: dark, dingy, smelling of old coffee and too many people who hadn’t had time to get clean for too long, and a perpetual headache as analysts often unsuccessfully tried to fit too few bits of information into some sort of useful picture. (p. 111)
Oocha ponders the irony of fighting over empty buildings for their symbolic value, and Geary observes that “sometimes victory tasted only a little less ugly than defeat.” (p. 251) Ascendant does not glorify war; rather, the lead characters are battling to preserve their beliefs, while at the same time remaining cognizant of the cost of that battle. Characters like Geary fight heroically, yet are also possessed with spasms of self-doubt. In the end, they are only human, not superhuman—which makes them easier to relate to, and renders the story more believable and compelling.
As the second book in a series, Ascendant offers a satisfying conclusion to its main plot line, while leaving the door open for future action. One of the questions left unanswered is whether the human colonies will be able to forge effective alliances, and how much independence they will be willing to sacrifice in order to do so. Glenlyon’s Leigh Camagan notes, “ ‘we all need the same thing. Sufficient force to repel aggression against any of our homes. And allies who will stand with us to deter any further aggression.’ ” (p. 331) In the end, it will take the combined efforts of soldiers and politicians to make that intention a reality. But if it’s left in the competent hands of the characters in Ascendant, there’s a reasonable prospect a solution will be found.
March 3, 2018
In a universe of faster-than-light travel, humanity has rapidly expanded to new worlds. Most of the settlers are looking for freedom and peace and to leave behind past lives and past failures, but some of the new world powers instead seek domination of others. Three years after the colony of Glenlyon successfully countered such an invasion, Glenlyon is again threatened. Rob Geary, a former fleet officer, and Mele Darcy, a former Marine, lead a group of mostly untried recruits to defend their planet, but soon Geary has to decide if the best way to protect Glenlyon might be to help the colony of Kosatka, which is also under attack. Already at work to save Kosatka are their former allies Lochan Nakamura, a self-described failed politician, and Carmen Ochoa, whose early life in the crime-ridden anarchic colony of Mars had given her survival skills she had hoped never to need again. The future of their respective worlds depends on them.
There were more battles in Ascendant than in Vanguard, the first book in this series, which is not something I would normally consider a plus, but in Campbell’s hands even I enjoyed them. Jack Campbell is a Naval Academy graduate and retired naval officer, and his professional expertise lends a very authentic feel to his novels. The reader gets a vivid sense of the best of military dedication, ethics, and bonding, as well as the frustrations of dealing with the (mostly civilian) bureaucracy! The military tactics and battle descriptions are convincing and interesting, and I was especially entertained by some clever tricks the good guys pulled on the invaders.
What really makes me come back to Campbell’s writing, though, are his characters. These are real people, who react as real people do and cause the reader to care about them and the problems they face as they risk themselves to defend their families and their worlds. The following is a good example of Campbell’s blend of military thinking and genuine humanity:
“Carmen took a look back at the park, wondering how much longer those trees would stand. If the fight went on for long inside the city, the enemy would realize those leaves offered too much concealment. A single overpressure munition would strip the trees of leaves and bark and smaller branches, leaving bare trunks where a small, cultivated forest had once stood.
Somehow the thought of that bothered her more than the craters in the streets and the holes in some of the buildings.”
Although they are clearly part of their series, both Vanguard and Ascendant have natural and satisfactory conclusions, but I recommend reading them in order, both to avoid spoilers and because of the strong character development that begins in the first book. I highly recommend this series and look forward eagerly to the next instalment.
Stellar military SF!
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an Advance Review Copy of this book.
There were more battles in Ascendant than in Vanguard, the first book in this series, which is not something I would normally consider a plus, but in Campbell’s hands even I enjoyed them. Jack Campbell is a Naval Academy graduate and retired naval officer, and his professional expertise lends a very authentic feel to his novels. The reader gets a vivid sense of the best of military dedication, ethics, and bonding, as well as the frustrations of dealing with the (mostly civilian) bureaucracy! The military tactics and battle descriptions are convincing and interesting, and I was especially entertained by some clever tricks the good guys pulled on the invaders.
What really makes me come back to Campbell’s writing, though, are his characters. These are real people, who react as real people do and cause the reader to care about them and the problems they face as they risk themselves to defend their families and their worlds. The following is a good example of Campbell’s blend of military thinking and genuine humanity:
“Carmen took a look back at the park, wondering how much longer those trees would stand. If the fight went on for long inside the city, the enemy would realize those leaves offered too much concealment. A single overpressure munition would strip the trees of leaves and bark and smaller branches, leaving bare trunks where a small, cultivated forest had once stood.
Somehow the thought of that bothered her more than the craters in the streets and the holes in some of the buildings.”
Although they are clearly part of their series, both Vanguard and Ascendant have natural and satisfactory conclusions, but I recommend reading them in order, both to avoid spoilers and because of the strong character development that begins in the first book. I highly recommend this series and look forward eagerly to the next instalment.
Stellar military SF!
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an Advance Review Copy of this book.
February 12, 2022
Drugi tom Floty kontynuuje historię podjętą w pierwszym tomie. Wobec zagrożenia płynącego ze strony bezlitosnych Scathan i podbitych przez nich systemów, Kosatka i Glynleon w obliczu zagrożenia poszukują nowych dróg zawarcia sojuszu z innymi planetami, który zapewni im zasoby niezbędne do zwycięstwa.
Całą historię można podzielić na trzy główne wątki fabularne, które się przeplatają. W historii pojawiają się bohaterowie znani już z pierwszego tomu. Z jednej strony obserwujemy zmagania Roba Geary’ego i Mel Darcy, starających się utrzymać bezpieczeństwo Glynleonu. Carmen Ochoa na Kosatce wplątuje się w niebezpieczny konflikt, którzy przypomina jej dawne lata spędzone na Marsie. Lochan Nakamura natomiast wyrusza w tajną misję, by zdobyć sojuszników dla Kosatki, zagrożonej atakiem ze strony Scathan.
Tym co z pewnością widać już od samego początku tej historii jest upływ czasu i jego wpływ na bohaterów. Sytuacje z poprzednich przygód odcisnęły na postaciach piętno, jednak żadna z postaci nie odmawia pomocy, kiedy ich naród znajduje się w potrzebie.
Przyznam szczerze, że po skończeniu lektury mam dość mieszane uczucia. W pierwszym tomie wiele miejsca autor poświęcił wprowadzeniu czytelnika do świata, starając się nakreślić rzeczywistość budowania nowej kolonii. W kontynuacji Awangardy większą część książki zajmują walki w kosmosie, niekiedy przeplatane epizodami na którejś z planet. Z uwagą śledziłem bitwy na „Rapierze” i decyzje podejmowane przez jego kapitana.
I o ile w teorii brzmi to świetnie, tak podczas czytania miałem pewien problem, bo nie czułem żadnego związku z bohaterami, a ich los (poza Robem i Mele) był mi niestety właściwie… obojętny. Wydarzenia związane z tą dwójką bohaterów podobały mi się najbardziej. Zdecydowanie zabrakło tu mi czegoś co bardziej pozwoliłoby wczuć się w tę historię. Nie wiem jaki wpływ niektóre postaci będą miały na dalsze losy (czy historię w głównej serii), jednak patrząc na książkę w tym momencie, pewne wątki moim zdaniem po prostu niewiele wnoszą. Po lekturze dwóch tomów tej trylogii jestem jednak bardzo ciekawy serii Zaginionej Floty, której jeszcze nie miałem okazji poznać.
Sytuacja w Przewadze zmieniła się jednak w drugiej połowie książki, która uratowała dla mnie całą fabułę. Kiedy na dobre zawiązała się akcja to pozostała część przygody minęła mi bardzo przyjemnie, a wzrastające napięcie w historii nie pozwoliło się od niej oderwać.
Mimo pewnych zgrzytów, jestem zadowolony, że kontynuowałem przygodę z tą historią. Sci-fi to dla mnie wciąż nowy gatunek. Liczę, że Zwycięstwo dostarczy mi podobnych emocji co pierwszy tom tej trylogii, który podobał mi się o wiele bardziej, niż drugi.
Całą historię można podzielić na trzy główne wątki fabularne, które się przeplatają. W historii pojawiają się bohaterowie znani już z pierwszego tomu. Z jednej strony obserwujemy zmagania Roba Geary’ego i Mel Darcy, starających się utrzymać bezpieczeństwo Glynleonu. Carmen Ochoa na Kosatce wplątuje się w niebezpieczny konflikt, którzy przypomina jej dawne lata spędzone na Marsie. Lochan Nakamura natomiast wyrusza w tajną misję, by zdobyć sojuszników dla Kosatki, zagrożonej atakiem ze strony Scathan.
Tym co z pewnością widać już od samego początku tej historii jest upływ czasu i jego wpływ na bohaterów. Sytuacje z poprzednich przygód odcisnęły na postaciach piętno, jednak żadna z postaci nie odmawia pomocy, kiedy ich naród znajduje się w potrzebie.
Przyznam szczerze, że po skończeniu lektury mam dość mieszane uczucia. W pierwszym tomie wiele miejsca autor poświęcił wprowadzeniu czytelnika do świata, starając się nakreślić rzeczywistość budowania nowej kolonii. W kontynuacji Awangardy większą część książki zajmują walki w kosmosie, niekiedy przeplatane epizodami na którejś z planet. Z uwagą śledziłem bitwy na „Rapierze” i decyzje podejmowane przez jego kapitana.
I o ile w teorii brzmi to świetnie, tak podczas czytania miałem pewien problem, bo nie czułem żadnego związku z bohaterami, a ich los (poza Robem i Mele) był mi niestety właściwie… obojętny. Wydarzenia związane z tą dwójką bohaterów podobały mi się najbardziej. Zdecydowanie zabrakło tu mi czegoś co bardziej pozwoliłoby wczuć się w tę historię. Nie wiem jaki wpływ niektóre postaci będą miały na dalsze losy (czy historię w głównej serii), jednak patrząc na książkę w tym momencie, pewne wątki moim zdaniem po prostu niewiele wnoszą. Po lekturze dwóch tomów tej trylogii jestem jednak bardzo ciekawy serii Zaginionej Floty, której jeszcze nie miałem okazji poznać.
Sytuacja w Przewadze zmieniła się jednak w drugiej połowie książki, która uratowała dla mnie całą fabułę. Kiedy na dobre zawiązała się akcja to pozostała część przygody minęła mi bardzo przyjemnie, a wzrastające napięcie w historii nie pozwoliło się od niej oderwać.
Mimo pewnych zgrzytów, jestem zadowolony, że kontynuowałem przygodę z tą historią. Sci-fi to dla mnie wciąż nowy gatunek. Liczę, że Zwycięstwo dostarczy mi podobnych emocji co pierwszy tom tej trylogii, który podobał mi się o wiele bardziej, niż drugi.
January 14, 2024
The story is growing!
I think that this book is better than the first one in several ways. While I don’t discount the courage and determination shown by the main characters, at the time they were acting out of desperation. The courage was definitely a large factor in their success but when you’re back is against the wall you either fight or you lose.
In this book you can see the difference in magnitude. Bravery doesn’t mean that you aren’t utterly terrified with fear. Bravery is when you feel like that, but when your Sergeant/Captain, etc says GO! you suck it up and do the best you possibly can, and sometimes more.
Stories like these are a wonderful way to escape from your day for a while, but those who have worn the colors for their nation will also find themselves brought back to memories of their own. Even during training situations the Soldier, Marine, Sailor etc will more than once be presented with a task that most civilians will never consider. The ones who succeed are those willing to force themselves to do what has to be done anyway.
That’s why I liked this book more than the first! It isn’t what Mele or Rob or Carmen do as much as how aware they are of the costs involved as well as the much higher costs associated with defeat. But they willingly choose not to take the “easy” route and just surrender. As Ninja tells Rob, she hates the feelings that happen when she doesn’t know if she’ll ever see him again. But his drive & determination is what made him the person who she loves. So as spouses have done since before the Roman Empire she stands tall while she (or he nowadays) bids him to be careful and to come back home.
Jack Campbell has given us a good series that has self-aware characters that are moving the story on instead of just pale placeholders that we only see when someone needs to be killed off or suffer a calamity. Well done!👍
I think that this book is better than the first one in several ways. While I don’t discount the courage and determination shown by the main characters, at the time they were acting out of desperation. The courage was definitely a large factor in their success but when you’re back is against the wall you either fight or you lose.
In this book you can see the difference in magnitude. Bravery doesn’t mean that you aren’t utterly terrified with fear. Bravery is when you feel like that, but when your Sergeant/Captain, etc says GO! you suck it up and do the best you possibly can, and sometimes more.
Stories like these are a wonderful way to escape from your day for a while, but those who have worn the colors for their nation will also find themselves brought back to memories of their own. Even during training situations the Soldier, Marine, Sailor etc will more than once be presented with a task that most civilians will never consider. The ones who succeed are those willing to force themselves to do what has to be done anyway.
That’s why I liked this book more than the first! It isn’t what Mele or Rob or Carmen do as much as how aware they are of the costs involved as well as the much higher costs associated with defeat. But they willingly choose not to take the “easy” route and just surrender. As Ninja tells Rob, she hates the feelings that happen when she doesn’t know if she’ll ever see him again. But his drive & determination is what made him the person who she loves. So as spouses have done since before the Roman Empire she stands tall while she (or he nowadays) bids him to be careful and to come back home.
Jack Campbell has given us a good series that has self-aware characters that are moving the story on instead of just pale placeholders that we only see when someone needs to be killed off or suffer a calamity. Well done!👍
February 4, 2020
Read for January 2020 scifi book group.
Book two in the Genesis Fleet Series.
Speaking for myself, I find Jack Campbell's books - specifically this series and his Lost Fleet series - to be a nearly ideal scifi read among a plethora of dystopian plots, overly long space operas, and unnecessarily verbose military science fiction.
Vanguard continues the story of Rob Geary, an unlikely hero who's up against impossible odds protecting two star systems with one small ship. It's also the story of the supporting cast of characters who all have a role to play either in space (fleeing conflict on a freighter), defending a space station, or protecting a planet from invaders. Actually, they are all up against impossible odds and each has their own battles to face.
In this installment, I found the supporting characters - Lochan, Carmen, and Mele - and their plot lines, to be more interesting than Rob's. Situational settings perhaps? Less time lag with communications? More emotional engagement? Perhaps a combination of all of those.
I will also note, and we discussed this in book group, I greatly appreciate the brevity of the logistics in having the space battles described. Trajectories are explained, executed, and our characters fly on. I applaud the realism in the waiting to fly in-system, distances before combat, and the length in communication times.
One comment of concern I do have, was how quickly the Captain of the fighter Piranha was, ah, eliminated. It was almost as if the author needed to cut that plot line off and just snipped that ship out of the picture. Very abrupt.
As I said above, I noted these are nearly idea, but not necessarily perfect. There are some quirks that gave me pause and question plausibility. Still, these are what *I* want to read when I need some solid space faring sci-fi. Recommended.
Book two in the Genesis Fleet Series.
Speaking for myself, I find Jack Campbell's books - specifically this series and his Lost Fleet series - to be a nearly ideal scifi read among a plethora of dystopian plots, overly long space operas, and unnecessarily verbose military science fiction.
Vanguard continues the story of Rob Geary, an unlikely hero who's up against impossible odds protecting two star systems with one small ship. It's also the story of the supporting cast of characters who all have a role to play either in space (fleeing conflict on a freighter), defending a space station, or protecting a planet from invaders. Actually, they are all up against impossible odds and each has their own battles to face.
In this installment, I found the supporting characters - Lochan, Carmen, and Mele - and their plot lines, to be more interesting than Rob's. Situational settings perhaps? Less time lag with communications? More emotional engagement? Perhaps a combination of all of those.
I will also note, and we discussed this in book group, I greatly appreciate the brevity of the logistics in having the space battles described. Trajectories are explained, executed, and our characters fly on. I applaud the realism in the waiting to fly in-system, distances before combat, and the length in communication times.
One comment of concern I do have, was how quickly the Captain of the fighter Piranha was, ah, eliminated. It was almost as if the author needed to cut that plot line off and just snipped that ship out of the picture. Very abrupt.
As I said above, I noted these are nearly idea, but not necessarily perfect. There are some quirks that gave me pause and question plausibility. Still, these are what *I* want to read when I need some solid space faring sci-fi. Recommended.
Read
March 13, 2022Fabuła drugiego tomu Narodzin Floty okazała się dla mnie naprawdę wciągająca. Zaciekawiły mnie dalsze losy postaci, które zdążyłam już całkiem dobrze poznać i polubić. Akcja nie zawsze była dynamiczna, czasem ograniczała się do mało spektakularnych działań załogi statku kosmicznego, czasem do scen pełnych akcji i walki, które budziły emocje.
Jest to military sci-fi, więc osoby, które lubią czytać o manewrach floty czy wojsk, o polityce i strategii czy potyczkach różnego rodzaju powinny być zadowolone. Nie jest to wybitna książka ani arcydzieło, ale nie mogę jej odmówić, że naprawdę przyjemnie mi się ją czytało.
Styl autora jest przyjazny w odbiorze i po pierwszym tomie zdążyłam już trochę do niego przywyknąć. Miałam małe problemy z początkiem tej historii, ciężko było mi się w nią wgryźć, jednak gdy już to nastąpiło to strony powieści przelatywały bardzo szybko.
Sama fabuła trochę wolno się rozkręca, jednak im dalej tym tylko lepiej. Autor zastosował kilka ciekawych pomysłów, które przykuły i utrzymały moje zainteresowanie podczas czytania 😃
Bohaterowie w tej książce dają z siebie wszystko, przed każdym z nich stoi wyjątkowe i odpowiedzialne zadanie. Zarówno Rob, jak i Mele to postaci, którym dobrze się kibicuje. Szybko budzą sympatię, łatwo odczuć głębię ich charakterów. W momentach, gdy akcja najbardziej się zagęszczała z fascynacją śledziłam ich kolejne poczynania, bardzo często imponujące 😁
Spędziłam przy tej książce bardzo przyjemny czas, jak dla mnie świetna kontynuacja, bawiłam się przy niej lepiej niż przy poprzednim tomie :D
Jest to military sci-fi, więc osoby, które lubią czytać o manewrach floty czy wojsk, o polityce i strategii czy potyczkach różnego rodzaju powinny być zadowolone. Nie jest to wybitna książka ani arcydzieło, ale nie mogę jej odmówić, że naprawdę przyjemnie mi się ją czytało.
Styl autora jest przyjazny w odbiorze i po pierwszym tomie zdążyłam już trochę do niego przywyknąć. Miałam małe problemy z początkiem tej historii, ciężko było mi się w nią wgryźć, jednak gdy już to nastąpiło to strony powieści przelatywały bardzo szybko.
Sama fabuła trochę wolno się rozkręca, jednak im dalej tym tylko lepiej. Autor zastosował kilka ciekawych pomysłów, które przykuły i utrzymały moje zainteresowanie podczas czytania 😃
Bohaterowie w tej książce dają z siebie wszystko, przed każdym z nich stoi wyjątkowe i odpowiedzialne zadanie. Zarówno Rob, jak i Mele to postaci, którym dobrze się kibicuje. Szybko budzą sympatię, łatwo odczuć głębię ich charakterów. W momentach, gdy akcja najbardziej się zagęszczała z fascynacją śledziłam ich kolejne poczynania, bardzo często imponujące 😁
Spędziłam przy tej książce bardzo przyjemny czas, jak dla mnie świetna kontynuacja, bawiłam się przy niej lepiej niż przy poprzednim tomie :D
August 22, 2024
3.6 stars. Better than part one.
Lots of action, good plotting, but a tad predictable.
Then again, don't the good guys always win in these types of books, so I can't knock it for that.
A good setup for the final book in the trilogy, and I look forward to it.
Lots of action, good plotting, but a tad predictable.
Then again, don't the good guys always win in these types of books, so I can't knock it for that.
A good setup for the final book in the trilogy, and I look forward to it.
April 17, 2019
A very good sci-fi novel. The beginning leaves a bit to be desired, but it’s otherwise enjoyable and interesting
August 18, 2023
I really enjoyed this middle book of the trilogy. Story and narration is top level!
Read
May 27, 2018Gotta be in the mood for one of these books. Build-up to a battle, and then a battle. Satisfying, but there's not a lot of depth here.
October 10, 2018
Great story, can't wait for the next installment! I really like the world he's built, the new frontier in space.
April 25, 2023
"The only difference between this book and the first book is the title! Otherwise, they are very similar. Oh, I don't know. I'm feeling very confused and frustrated. On the one hand, I want to enjoy these books, but on the other hand, the author is making it really difficult for me. In the previous book, Vanguard, the main character was sent out on a mission in a cruiser with basic armament to deter an enemy attack on his own people of Glenlyon. His orders were to “tell them to stop and go home, but under no circumstances fire on them.” It almost seems like the planet should have been called Glenpussies.
The enemy had previously attacked and nearly destroyed the last planet they had visited. I mean, what was the point in sending him on that mission? I’m all for diplomacy and diplomatic solutions, but when the other team comes out shooting and hell-bent on world domination, what can you do? It reminds me of that military idiom FUBAR.
Spoiler alert: after saving the day and everyone on Glenlyon, the government turns around and tells him to "F**k off." Well, that's gratitude for you.
And now, in the first few paragraphs of Ascendant, a warship escorting a freighter comes under attack, and the commodore and the captain do nothing whatsoever to defend themselves because of some checklists that conflicted with their orders. Come on, man, give me some credit. If you want me to read these books, give me something believable to hang on to. Throw me a lifeline here. These are highly trained officers, and all they did was look at each other and shrug their shoulders and then died. Bloody good strategy. Is that what they teach them in naval school? I know the genre is called science fiction, but it's not called science f***ing stupid fiction,(SFSF) is it?
Guess what? Now that same government is asking him to put his life on the line once more. I know what I would tell them, but then, there wouldn’t be a book to write. Disappointing and repetitive, same Modus Operandi as the first book."
The enemy had previously attacked and nearly destroyed the last planet they had visited. I mean, what was the point in sending him on that mission? I’m all for diplomacy and diplomatic solutions, but when the other team comes out shooting and hell-bent on world domination, what can you do? It reminds me of that military idiom FUBAR.
Spoiler alert: after saving the day and everyone on Glenlyon, the government turns around and tells him to "F**k off." Well, that's gratitude for you.
And now, in the first few paragraphs of Ascendant, a warship escorting a freighter comes under attack, and the commodore and the captain do nothing whatsoever to defend themselves because of some checklists that conflicted with their orders. Come on, man, give me some credit. If you want me to read these books, give me something believable to hang on to. Throw me a lifeline here. These are highly trained officers, and all they did was look at each other and shrug their shoulders and then died. Bloody good strategy. Is that what they teach them in naval school? I know the genre is called science fiction, but it's not called science f***ing stupid fiction,(SFSF) is it?
Guess what? Now that same government is asking him to put his life on the line once more. I know what I would tell them, but then, there wouldn’t be a book to write. Disappointing and repetitive, same Modus Operandi as the first book."
May 10, 2022
2.9 stars
Very readable, like the first of "The Genesis Fleet" that I read a few days ago. Lots of ship to ship fighting and maybe not quite as much politics as in the first book, VANGUARD. I liked the space battles and maneuvers quite a bit more than the surface battles with grunts and marines. And the love stories continue to be a big yawn, especially the new one between Carmen and Dominic.
The two main themes here are a) cooperation and coordination in the face of aggression and b) preparing in advance for such aggression.
But you don't have to pay any attention to these themes if you don't want to. There is plenty of action along with all the clichés of squids and jarheads and inter-service rivalry overcome by mutual respect during combat and in the face of overwhelming odds. Oh, and lots of women in positions of authority and in the line of battle. A new female character, Freya, looks to be an amusing addition to the large character list.
Overall, another fun read. I would like now to try one of the earlier JC titles, such as DAUNTLESS, the first in the "The Lost Fleet" series.
Very readable, like the first of "The Genesis Fleet" that I read a few days ago. Lots of ship to ship fighting and maybe not quite as much politics as in the first book, VANGUARD. I liked the space battles and maneuvers quite a bit more than the surface battles with grunts and marines. And the love stories continue to be a big yawn, especially the new one between Carmen and Dominic.
The two main themes here are a) cooperation and coordination in the face of aggression and b) preparing in advance for such aggression.
But you don't have to pay any attention to these themes if you don't want to. There is plenty of action along with all the clichés of squids and jarheads and inter-service rivalry overcome by mutual respect during combat and in the face of overwhelming odds. Oh, and lots of women in positions of authority and in the line of battle. A new female character, Freya, looks to be an amusing addition to the large character list.
Overall, another fun read. I would like now to try one of the earlier JC titles, such as DAUNTLESS, the first in the "The Lost Fleet" series.
November 21, 2018
This is second novel in the a prequel series to Jack Campbell's Lost Fleet series in which we see the beginning of the foundation of the Alliance. Campbell continues his cynical depiction of bureaucrats and politicians who seek mostly to accumulate influence and don't particularly care who they have to step on to get there, although it is toned down.
People who want something more than the older established colonies and old mother Earth have to offer head down the spiral arm of the galaxy to colonize new worlds and make their fortunes. What they have failed to account for is that the old order is breaking down. Earth and the old colonies are no longer able to afford to provide law, order and defense for the new colonies and the trade among the planets. Some planetary systems see this as an opportunity to gouge travelers and traders and some see it as a way to take even greater advantage. In this book three systems have allied themselves to seize other systems and take control of trade.
This book follows Robert Geary (we can assume he is "Black Jack" Geary's ancestor), a young former junior fleet officer from a small colony, and Mele Darcy, a onetime enlisted Marine from another small colony. In the first book they saved the system they had migrated to, and were rewarded with being kicked out of the service with barely any reward even almost no recognition of their contribution to the defense efforts.
Two other characters who were introduced n the first book, took on prominent roles in this the second - Lochan Nakamura, a failed businessman/Politician/etc. and Carmen Ochoa, a former resident of Mars where lawless gang factions fight to maintain their territories (think of the conditions on Turkana IV, the planet on which Lt. Tasha Yar, USS Enterprise-D’s Chief of Security was born) and disillusioned bureaucrat from Earth. These latter two have become an envoy and an intelligence officer, respectively.
Geary and Darcy are sent on a mission and Geary expands it to aid in the defense of a planetary system that is under attack by the three aggressive partners. His aid plus the assistance he provided them in the first book leads to them offering to be first planet agreeing to join Glenlyon in a mutual aid pact. Ochoa gives us the view of a feled intelligence officer during the invasion while Nakamura attempts to travel to another system to convince them to send support to his planet. He ends up having to overcome intrigue designed to stop him. Two new strong female characters are introduced who could be great additions in future installments.
As is typical of Campbell's books, things go well for the heroes and they mostly succeed in their efforts, although there are a few problems that teach Geary caution and help him mature in his command. As is also typical of his books, Geary is viewed as a threat to the power of the politicians after the battles and they promise to more carefully control him in the future.
The best parts of this book are the marine combat action sequences. Most of the rest is just a continuation of what we already learned in the first book.
What I like most is the political philosophy and politics presented and the tactics they use to accomplish their goals. All of the Lost Fleet books stress the importance of honor, duty, and the rule of law; all things declining in our modern society. Space combat is presented more realistically than normal since it accounts for long distances and the inertia of the ships. It is a little reminiscent of the age of sail except at speeds of tens of thousands of km/sec. I like the characters, although they are mostly stereo types. I also like that there are many strong female characters carrying much of the action. They outnumber the leading males. The dialogue is a bit more sophisticated than in his earlier works.
I've read most of the many related books the author has written about this universe. Most took place during the Alliance/Syndic war and involved the politics and tactics for the Alliance to beat the Syndicate.
If you like military novels and are a little skeptical of the integrity of political leadership, this could be a good quick and not very challenging read for you. I liked this book well enough to want to read the third in the series.
People who want something more than the older established colonies and old mother Earth have to offer head down the spiral arm of the galaxy to colonize new worlds and make their fortunes. What they have failed to account for is that the old order is breaking down. Earth and the old colonies are no longer able to afford to provide law, order and defense for the new colonies and the trade among the planets. Some planetary systems see this as an opportunity to gouge travelers and traders and some see it as a way to take even greater advantage. In this book three systems have allied themselves to seize other systems and take control of trade.
This book follows Robert Geary (we can assume he is "Black Jack" Geary's ancestor), a young former junior fleet officer from a small colony, and Mele Darcy, a onetime enlisted Marine from another small colony. In the first book they saved the system they had migrated to, and were rewarded with being kicked out of the service with barely any reward even almost no recognition of their contribution to the defense efforts.
Two other characters who were introduced n the first book, took on prominent roles in this the second - Lochan Nakamura, a failed businessman/Politician/etc. and Carmen Ochoa, a former resident of Mars where lawless gang factions fight to maintain their territories (think of the conditions on Turkana IV, the planet on which Lt. Tasha Yar, USS Enterprise-D’s Chief of Security was born) and disillusioned bureaucrat from Earth. These latter two have become an envoy and an intelligence officer, respectively.
Geary and Darcy are sent on a mission and Geary expands it to aid in the defense of a planetary system that is under attack by the three aggressive partners. His aid plus the assistance he provided them in the first book leads to them offering to be first planet agreeing to join Glenlyon in a mutual aid pact. Ochoa gives us the view of a feled intelligence officer during the invasion while Nakamura attempts to travel to another system to convince them to send support to his planet. He ends up having to overcome intrigue designed to stop him. Two new strong female characters are introduced who could be great additions in future installments.
As is typical of Campbell's books, things go well for the heroes and they mostly succeed in their efforts, although there are a few problems that teach Geary caution and help him mature in his command. As is also typical of his books, Geary is viewed as a threat to the power of the politicians after the battles and they promise to more carefully control him in the future.
The best parts of this book are the marine combat action sequences. Most of the rest is just a continuation of what we already learned in the first book.
What I like most is the political philosophy and politics presented and the tactics they use to accomplish their goals. All of the Lost Fleet books stress the importance of honor, duty, and the rule of law; all things declining in our modern society. Space combat is presented more realistically than normal since it accounts for long distances and the inertia of the ships. It is a little reminiscent of the age of sail except at speeds of tens of thousands of km/sec. I like the characters, although they are mostly stereo types. I also like that there are many strong female characters carrying much of the action. They outnumber the leading males. The dialogue is a bit more sophisticated than in his earlier works.
I've read most of the many related books the author has written about this universe. Most took place during the Alliance/Syndic war and involved the politics and tactics for the Alliance to beat the Syndicate.
If you like military novels and are a little skeptical of the integrity of political leadership, this could be a good quick and not very challenging read for you. I liked this book well enough to want to read the third in the series.
March 15, 2022
Nie jestem wielki fanem science fiction, dlatego mam jedynie kilka swoich ulubionych książek z tego gatunku i niezbyt często sięgam po coś nowego. Jakiś czas temu postanowiłem to jednak zmienić i tak w moje ręce wpadła powieść „Awangarda” z serii „Flota Geneza”. Pierwsza część cyklu bardzo mi się spodobała, dlatego z niecierpliwością czekałem na kontynuację przygód Roba Geary’ego i Mele Darcy. Na początku roku 2022 doczekałem się „Przewagi”, w której nasi bohaterowie ponownie muszą zmierzyć się z mocarstwowymi zapędami innych planet. Jednocześnie politycy próbują zawrzeć formalny układ, dzięki któremu mogliby wspólnie przeciwdziałać agresji innych planet.
Po książce spodziewałem się sporo i nie rozczarowałem się. Powieść czyta się przyjemnie, a jednocześnie autor wplata wiele ponadczasowych prawd, które sprawdzają się zarówno w przyszłości w kosmosie, jak i czasach współczesnych dla czytelnika. Jack Campbell skupia się nie tylko na dawaniu rozrywki, ale również chce by czytelnik zastanowił się nad życiem i całym światem. Moim zdaniem to ważne, ponieważ coraz więcej literatury nastawionej jest jedynie na dostarczanie frajdy, a książki to jednak również nośnik jakiejś prawdy.
Co do fabuły, duża jej część to walka, dlatego książka na pewno przypadnie do gustu fanom powieści militarnych. Może nie jestem wielkim fanem takich książek, to jednak „Przewagę” czytało mi się naprawdę przyjemnie i szybko (myślę, że 4h na taką książkę, to naprawdę szybko). Początkowo musiałem ponownie wciągnąć się w świat stworzony przez Campbella, jednak gdy już mi się udało to ciężko było mi się oderwać od dynamicznej akcji. W książce naprawdę dużo się dzieje, więc nie ma czasu na nudę. Okresów względnego spokoju jest raczej niewiele, o wiele częściej autor bombarduje nas kolejnymi potyczkami i starciami, zarówno w przestrzeni kosmicznej, jak i na planecie.
Główni bohaterowie ponownie sprawiają, że ciężko ich nie lubić. Ponadto, pojawia się trochę nowych, ciekawych postaci, którzy mam nadzieję, będą obecni również w kolejnym tomie. Uważam, że „Przewaga” jest książką, którą warto przeczytać. Nie jest to oryginalna czy genialna powieść, ale po prostu dobrze się ją czyta i czas przeznaczony na lekturę, zdecydowanie nie jest czasem straconym.
Po książce spodziewałem się sporo i nie rozczarowałem się. Powieść czyta się przyjemnie, a jednocześnie autor wplata wiele ponadczasowych prawd, które sprawdzają się zarówno w przyszłości w kosmosie, jak i czasach współczesnych dla czytelnika. Jack Campbell skupia się nie tylko na dawaniu rozrywki, ale również chce by czytelnik zastanowił się nad życiem i całym światem. Moim zdaniem to ważne, ponieważ coraz więcej literatury nastawionej jest jedynie na dostarczanie frajdy, a książki to jednak również nośnik jakiejś prawdy.
Co do fabuły, duża jej część to walka, dlatego książka na pewno przypadnie do gustu fanom powieści militarnych. Może nie jestem wielkim fanem takich książek, to jednak „Przewagę” czytało mi się naprawdę przyjemnie i szybko (myślę, że 4h na taką książkę, to naprawdę szybko). Początkowo musiałem ponownie wciągnąć się w świat stworzony przez Campbella, jednak gdy już mi się udało to ciężko było mi się oderwać od dynamicznej akcji. W książce naprawdę dużo się dzieje, więc nie ma czasu na nudę. Okresów względnego spokoju jest raczej niewiele, o wiele częściej autor bombarduje nas kolejnymi potyczkami i starciami, zarówno w przestrzeni kosmicznej, jak i na planecie.
Główni bohaterowie ponownie sprawiają, że ciężko ich nie lubić. Ponadto, pojawia się trochę nowych, ciekawych postaci, którzy mam nadzieję, będą obecni również w kolejnym tomie. Uważam, że „Przewaga” jest książką, którą warto przeczytać. Nie jest to oryginalna czy genialna powieść, ale po prostu dobrze się ją czyta i czas przeznaczony na lekturę, zdecydowanie nie jest czasem straconym.
August 31, 2025
Narodziny Lisioła: Przewaga
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„Awangarda”, pierwszy tom serii Narodziny Floty pióra Jacka Campbella przypadł bardzo Lisiołowi do gustu. Nic więc dziwnego, że od razu pochwycił w swoje łapki tom 2 pod tytułem „Przewaga”. Ciekaw jak jedna butelka będzie się miała do drugiej, futrzak wsadził nos do fabuły. W ten sposób Lisioł pojawił się na Glenlyonie trzy lata po wydarzeniach z pierwszej części.
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Postać Roba Gearego zaliczyła wielkie wejście w stylu Lisioła. Któż nie lubi pokazać partaczowi drzwi i powiedzieć „jesteś zwolniony”? Lisioł to uwielbia! A więc wracamy na statek, wchodząc dumnie na pokład „Rapiera”, którego załogę trzeba nauczyć myśleć. To będzie ciekawe. Lisioł zaczął od kasacji wszelkich procedur, po czym potakująco skinął głową Robowi. Czas złamać wszelkie zasady, wytyczne i sztywne gorsety! Pora na realizację szalonego planu z nikłą szansą powodzenia. Cała naprzód!
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Mele Darcy w końcu słyszy zew wojny i wraca do swojego prawdziwego żywiołu. O tak, taką dziewczynę Lisioł lubi! Już na starcie uciera nosa pewnej pani pułkownik o imieniu „Kij-w-czterech-literach” i tworzy oddział piechoty kosmicznej. Od razu robi się cieplej na lisim serduszku.
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Carmen Ochoa powróciła do starych zwyczajów, czyli przemykania pod ogniem wroga. Lisioł docenia, chociaż wolałby nie zaliczyć bliskiego spotkania z kulą. Co ciekawe, w Carmen obudziła się także potrzeba uczuciowa *znaczące chrząknięcie*.
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Lochan Nakamura wciąż stanowi najsłabsze ogniwo książki, zapewne dlatego, że jest politykiem. Fragmenty z nim dłużyły się Lisiołowi okrutnie. Równie dobrze mogłoby tej postaci nie być.
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W „Przewadze” pojawia się też kilka nowych postaci, jednak najważniejsza jest akcja. Powoli narasta, czujemy jak pętla wokół nowych kolonii się zaciska. Zamiast jednak ulec, Glenlyon postanawia walczyć – niczym Dawid z Goliatem – stawiając przede wszystkim na spryt. I to się Lisiołowi bardzo spodobało. Walki kosmiczne zostały odmalowane bardzo realistycznie, futrzak nie jeden raz miał ochotę skulić się pod krzesłem dowódcy. Tak właśnie powinno wyglądać dobre military sci-fi! Każda z postaci ma jakąś rolę do odegrania – jedni położą wielkie zasługi, inni.. no cóż.
.
„Awangarda”, pierwszy tom serii Narodziny Floty pióra Jacka Campbella przypadł bardzo Lisiołowi do gustu. Nic więc dziwnego, że od razu pochwycił w swoje łapki tom 2 pod tytułem „Przewaga”. Ciekaw jak jedna butelka będzie się miała do drugiej, futrzak wsadził nos do fabuły. W ten sposób Lisioł pojawił się na Glenlyonie trzy lata po wydarzeniach z pierwszej części.
.
Postać Roba Gearego zaliczyła wielkie wejście w stylu Lisioła. Któż nie lubi pokazać partaczowi drzwi i powiedzieć „jesteś zwolniony”? Lisioł to uwielbia! A więc wracamy na statek, wchodząc dumnie na pokład „Rapiera”, którego załogę trzeba nauczyć myśleć. To będzie ciekawe. Lisioł zaczął od kasacji wszelkich procedur, po czym potakująco skinął głową Robowi. Czas złamać wszelkie zasady, wytyczne i sztywne gorsety! Pora na realizację szalonego planu z nikłą szansą powodzenia. Cała naprzód!
.
Mele Darcy w końcu słyszy zew wojny i wraca do swojego prawdziwego żywiołu. O tak, taką dziewczynę Lisioł lubi! Już na starcie uciera nosa pewnej pani pułkownik o imieniu „Kij-w-czterech-literach” i tworzy oddział piechoty kosmicznej. Od razu robi się cieplej na lisim serduszku.
.
Carmen Ochoa powróciła do starych zwyczajów, czyli przemykania pod ogniem wroga. Lisioł docenia, chociaż wolałby nie zaliczyć bliskiego spotkania z kulą. Co ciekawe, w Carmen obudziła się także potrzeba uczuciowa *znaczące chrząknięcie*.
.
Lochan Nakamura wciąż stanowi najsłabsze ogniwo książki, zapewne dlatego, że jest politykiem. Fragmenty z nim dłużyły się Lisiołowi okrutnie. Równie dobrze mogłoby tej postaci nie być.
.
W „Przewadze” pojawia się też kilka nowych postaci, jednak najważniejsza jest akcja. Powoli narasta, czujemy jak pętla wokół nowych kolonii się zaciska. Zamiast jednak ulec, Glenlyon postanawia walczyć – niczym Dawid z Goliatem – stawiając przede wszystkim na spryt. I to się Lisiołowi bardzo spodobało. Walki kosmiczne zostały odmalowane bardzo realistycznie, futrzak nie jeden raz miał ochotę skulić się pod krzesłem dowódcy. Tak właśnie powinno wyglądać dobre military sci-fi! Każda z postaci ma jakąś rolę do odegrania – jedni położą wielkie zasługi, inni.. no cóż.
June 5, 2018
In this sequel to Vanguard, Jack Campbell takes us back again to the early years of his Lost Fleet universe. After a rag-tag group of volunteers managed to save the new colony world of Glenlyon from the imperial ambitions of its neighbors, things have been fairly quiet for a couple years as Glenlyon procured a small but professional space navy (crewed by veterans of Earth's mothballed fleet) and its enemies looked for easier targets. However, an ambush leaves Glenlyon with a single warship and highlights that their position is more tenuous than they believed. Fearing renewed hostilities, the government turns again to Rob Geary. Geary is given command of Glenlyon's surviving destroyer and has to find a way to balance Glenlyon's tenuous protection with the need to build an alliance against their predatory neighbors.
As usual, Jack Campbell has a good handle on the whole space navy novel and the battle sequences are exciting and thanks to that it's a fast moving and entertaining read. On the other hand, the characters in this book were... not good. This is a shame because I thought he put some of his best work to date into the previous book, but in this book, the characters all just felt stereotypical to me. Worse, the novel is overwrought with prequelitis (a rarer strain of sequelitis), which is the need to provide, in the most heavy-handed way possible, the origins to all the world building in the series to which it is a prequel (Could it be we need an ALLIANCE? Yes, an ALLIANCE! Indeed, an ALLIANCE would solve many of our problems, we most definitely would like an ALLIANCE). Thanks to these problems, the fact that the story doesn't ever really surprise you (and the rather overly dramatic subplot with the diplomats on the transport), although Vanguard was the first Jack Campbell book that I gave 5 stars, I seriously considered giving this one 3, though ultimately I chose to give it 4 (though in my mind it's really a 7/10), but it was close.
As usual, Jack Campbell has a good handle on the whole space navy novel and the battle sequences are exciting and thanks to that it's a fast moving and entertaining read. On the other hand, the characters in this book were... not good. This is a shame because I thought he put some of his best work to date into the previous book, but in this book, the characters all just felt stereotypical to me. Worse, the novel is overwrought with prequelitis (a rarer strain of sequelitis), which is the need to provide, in the most heavy-handed way possible, the origins to all the world building in the series to which it is a prequel (Could it be we need an ALLIANCE? Yes, an ALLIANCE! Indeed, an ALLIANCE would solve many of our problems, we most definitely would like an ALLIANCE). Thanks to these problems, the fact that the story doesn't ever really surprise you (and the rather overly dramatic subplot with the diplomats on the transport), although Vanguard was the first Jack Campbell book that I gave 5 stars, I seriously considered giving this one 3, though ultimately I chose to give it 4 (though in my mind it's really a 7/10), but it was close.
May 30, 2019
So far I am happy that I picked up the book series. I liked the first book, Vanguard, in the series and this one, the second book in the series, was actually really good.
Geary and Darcy is back in the saddle after the incompetent Earth officer that the equally incompetent politicians put to run their “navy” got his ship and himself blown up by the bad guys without even firing a shot back. Unfortunately the asshat took half the Glenlyon space force with him so now Geary, and Glenlyon, has a bit of a problem.
Luckily Geary is every bit the hero we expect him to be and now he has also developed a healthy distrust, not to mention deafness, when it comes to the asswipe politicians trying to run the show. This is actually my main gripe with these books. I am so tired of useless, incompetent and downright stupid politicians. There’s enough of these scumbags running around in real life. I do not need to have them in my books as well. It is a small consolation that the ones in these books are not downright evil (yet) but just as incompetent and detached from reality as you would expect from a politician.
Apart from that it is a great book. Good characters, good interaction between them, very likable and competent main protagonists, quite good story and it is well written. Jack Campbell is not exactly a newbie author and it shows.
The best part of the book though is the action. It is very well done. As usual I do like the space action best but the ground pounding (can you call it ground pounding when it is marines slugging it out on a space station by the way?), mostly done by Darcy of course, is very readable as well and there is quite a lot of both.
I will, of course, not hesitate to pick up the next book in the series and I really hope that the story continues in the direction I hope. In particular I hope that Glenyon and their new ally Kosatka get their priorities right so we get to see a bit more actual space navy action. One or two ships in the entire navy is a bit sad after all.
Geary and Darcy is back in the saddle after the incompetent Earth officer that the equally incompetent politicians put to run their “navy” got his ship and himself blown up by the bad guys without even firing a shot back. Unfortunately the asshat took half the Glenlyon space force with him so now Geary, and Glenlyon, has a bit of a problem.
Luckily Geary is every bit the hero we expect him to be and now he has also developed a healthy distrust, not to mention deafness, when it comes to the asswipe politicians trying to run the show. This is actually my main gripe with these books. I am so tired of useless, incompetent and downright stupid politicians. There’s enough of these scumbags running around in real life. I do not need to have them in my books as well. It is a small consolation that the ones in these books are not downright evil (yet) but just as incompetent and detached from reality as you would expect from a politician.
Apart from that it is a great book. Good characters, good interaction between them, very likable and competent main protagonists, quite good story and it is well written. Jack Campbell is not exactly a newbie author and it shows.
The best part of the book though is the action. It is very well done. As usual I do like the space action best but the ground pounding (can you call it ground pounding when it is marines slugging it out on a space station by the way?), mostly done by Darcy of course, is very readable as well and there is quite a lot of both.
I will, of course, not hesitate to pick up the next book in the series and I really hope that the story continues in the direction I hope. In particular I hope that Glenyon and their new ally Kosatka get their priorities right so we get to see a bit more actual space navy action. One or two ships in the entire navy is a bit sad after all.
May 1, 2024
I thought about giving this three stars, but what can I say? This book was a slog to get through. I almost gave up on it numerous times because it was more work than pleasure to read through.
The writing is extremely repetitive, with characters frequently restating what has already been described in text or said by other characters. I cannot overstate how frequently the author repeats himself. This book could have been much shorter if the author had simply bothered to say or describe everything exactly once.
There is no character development whatsoever. Every character has the exact same voice and demeanor. Descriptions throughout the book are simplistic and lacking in creativity.
The "action" is uninteresting, impersonal, and extremely predictable. There is no actual risk at any point in time to any of the main characters, and combat losses are all extremely impersonal due to the poor character development by the author, coupled with their spending no more than a sentence or two lingering on the deaths of the few extremely minor characters that get killed off. I, the reader, have been given no vested interest in their fate.
The protagonists are always successful in everything they do, no matter how ridiculous or impossible it would be in reality. There is not even an inkling of subtlety to the plot armor surrounding the characters, which makes for quite an uninteresting read.
This was my first read of a Campbell book and will probably be my last. I should have listened to my gut instinct after reading the first few pages and not bothered with the rest.
The writing is extremely repetitive, with characters frequently restating what has already been described in text or said by other characters. I cannot overstate how frequently the author repeats himself. This book could have been much shorter if the author had simply bothered to say or describe everything exactly once.
There is no character development whatsoever. Every character has the exact same voice and demeanor. Descriptions throughout the book are simplistic and lacking in creativity.
The "action" is uninteresting, impersonal, and extremely predictable. There is no actual risk at any point in time to any of the main characters, and combat losses are all extremely impersonal due to the poor character development by the author, coupled with their spending no more than a sentence or two lingering on the deaths of the few extremely minor characters that get killed off. I, the reader, have been given no vested interest in their fate.
The protagonists are always successful in everything they do, no matter how ridiculous or impossible it would be in reality. There is not even an inkling of subtlety to the plot armor surrounding the characters, which makes for quite an uninteresting read.
This was my first read of a Campbell book and will probably be my last. I should have listened to my gut instinct after reading the first few pages and not bothered with the rest.
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