Fleet Elements

Dread Empire's Fall #5

by Walter Jon Williams

The Praxis, the empire of now extinct Shaa, has again fallen into civil war, with desperate and outnumbered humans battling several alien species for survival. Leading the human forces are star-crossed lovers Gareth Martinez and Caroline Sula, who must find a way to overcome their own thorny personal history to defeat the aliens and assure humanity’s survival.

But even if the human fleet is victorious, the divisions fracturing the empire may be too wide to repair, as battles between politicians, the military, and fanatics who want to kill every alien threaten to further tear the empire apart. While Martinez and Sula believe they have the talent and tactics to defeat an overwhelming enemy, what will prevent their fellow humans from destroying themselves?

Genres: Science Fiction, Space Opera, Fiction, Military Science Fiction, Audiobook, Military Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy

512 pages, Paperback

First published December 8, 2020

About the author

Walter Jon Williams has published twenty novels and short fiction collections. Most are science fiction or fantasy -Hardwired, Voice of the Whirlwind, Aristoi, Metropolitan, City on Fire to name just a few - a few are historical adventures, and the most recent, The Rift, is a disaster novel in which "I just basically pound a part of the planet down to bedrock." And that's just the opening chapters. Walter holds a fourth-degree black belt in Kenpo Karate, and also enjoys sailing and scuba diving. He lives in New Mexico with his wife, Kathy Hedges.

Reviews

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fleet Elements is another good military space opera novel, with plenty of political intrigue and economic machination and social rivalry between the common and privileged classes, not to mention the relations between different races and civilizations. It also has plenty of tempestuous romantic content, as star-crossed (literally!) lovers Gareth and Caroline are once more thrown together in a variety of ways. It suffers a little from the "middle book" syndrome, as there's no ultimate resolution to any of the major arcs, and some of the battle scenes felt quite familiar, but it was still very engaging. (Stop here...Possible spoilery warning: I really enjoyed it up to one of the last little twists, after which the main duo have completely unconvincing reactions to one event. It sort of fell flat and seemed dumb to me... why didn't they just talk? Why didn't they just call the police and report a break-in? They've both killed a gazillion times in the course of their careers, so what was the big deal? It just felt like a contrived point to force a divergence and cliff-hanger and put a silly final spin on an otherwise terrific novel.)

[Peter Tillman · Rating 3 out of 5]

The weakest of the Praxis books, I'm sorry to say. I was really looking forward to reading this new addition to WJW's long-running space opera series. The usual characters and usual settings are back, but the book felt padded and, well, just not joyous. Mind, it's still a good book, and compulsively readable. I doubt he could write a bad SF book if he tried. Strong 3 stars. Don't start the series here!

Russell Letson's review at Locus is a good one: https://locusmag.com/2020/12/russell-...
He also noted the "middle-book sag" in this episode.

The hook is set for book #6. I'll be reading on.
$2 ebook through February 7, 2022

[Liviu · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a middle book with some of the middle book's faults (setting up a finale, advancing the story just enough), while there is an element of artificiality in the main characters interactions as opposed to the first books of the series, but Fleet Elements delivers a lot too - a faster pace than Accidental War, decisive military encounters, a great ending in many ways (not to the main storyline of course but still - won't spoil more) and more, so overall it was another book not to put down until the ending and as noted in my current review of Accidental war, the novel rekindled my interest in the series, so the final book (presumably of course as the storyline started in Accidental war doesn't look like having more than one book to go) is an asap again

Overall - definitely recommended though of course, one should start from book 1, The Praxis, of this series

[Florin Pitea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb. Highly recommended.

[Clyde · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fleet Elements is another good read in WJW's excellent Dread Empire's Fall series. This one is marketed as #5, but there are also two novellas that take place between books 3 and 4. You don't have to read the earlier books first -- WJW gives enough background -- but it is probably better to do so. (And anyway, they are damned good reads!)
The previous book in the series (The Accidental War) was long on political machinations, intrigue, economic shenanigans, and treachery -- all leading to inter-species war. This book, however, is almost all military action. The humans are fighting for their very existence with Gareth Martinez and Caroline Sula leading the battle fleets against long odds.
The romantic tension between Gareth and Caroline also heats up as they are thrown together by the necessities of battle preparation.
The pace is fast and the ending is quite good with a nice little twist (though of course it does not resolve the overall storyline).
Good book. 4+ stars.

[Bee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I devoured this one. Good solid sequel. A very complex and pretty well written giant space battle.

Moar politicking and intrigue. All round very satisfying, I've already started book 3.

BUT

I'm getting a little tired of Lady Sulu the amazingly talented utter cold ice queen bitch. I was very disappointed in her and Martinez climbing back in bed together. And The ending! Hiding the body and then BAM end of book.

[Jojo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've really gotten into this series although so much of the "science" in the books is hokey.

It is extremely unlikely that anyone would have aquariums in space ships, brass fittings, hand and foot servants and meat surviving 10 gravity accelerations. Williams clearly doesn't understand DNA or technology.

For example, while Lady Sula replaced her DNA in the Zarshaa physical Peer DNA bank and its backup, the fact that the Peers travel around the empire and might want to marry on other worlds, must mean that copies of the data bank has to exist on ALL the empire's planets, including her home planet of Spannan. Perhaps a physical copy of the database is propagated to each planet in the empire on a periodic basis? Or sent electronically? But that means that backup copies must exist that never get deleted, despite any orders to delete old backups. Oops. And of course, a civilization with the technical level that the Shaas had would use something more sophisticated than a thumb print for ID, which is easily spoofed today. Perhaps an eye iris scan or immediate DNA sampling and analysis.

I also take issue with the description of the ship battles. It was impossible for me to visualize what Williams was attempting to describe in words as I am not a military aficionado. My eyes glazed over in these sections and I just scanned through them. They were a waste of words for me.

Then there is the issue that everybody must be drunk all the time as they seem to have cocktails from lunch onward, even when getting ready for a space battle.

But still the story development has improved from the early books and the characters of Lady Sula and Lord Martinez have grown more complex and solid. I particularly enjoy Lady Sula's character, shallow though it is, but we all know that her numerous crimes have to come back on her at some point. Evil rarely triumphs in books. The question is, how will payback develop?

The beginnings of the payback appear to present themselves in an explosive finale leading into the 6th book!

[deep]

PW Starred: " Williams impresses with the second book of his sophisticated Praxis trilogy (after 2018’s The Accidental War), more red meat for fans of high-quality space operas. After a financial crisis rocks the multispecies, interplanetary Praxis Empire, blame is placed on humans by one of the alien races that serve alongside humans on the Convocation, the empire’s ruling body. The false claim is used to justify a power grab: humans are booted off the Convocation and every Terran spaceship is disarmed. But a few humans, led by war hero Gareth Martinez, preempt the attack by seizing control of a handful of ships in the Praxis Fleet. Now Martinez and his allies, including his former love, Lady Sula, are desperate to avoid the tragic fate of other species the empire has deemed rebels and strategize the best way to restore humanity’s place in the empire. Williams never lets the tense action sequences overwhelm the complex inner struggles of his characters; he’s especially good at portraying Sula’s fears that she will be exposed as an imposter, having assumed the real Lady Sula’s identity years earlier. Newcomers will have no problem getting oriented in this rip-roaring sci-fi world, and returning readers will be thrilled to dive back in. Agent: Joshua Blimes, JABerwocky Literary. (Dec.) "

[Jamie Collins · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. This is my least favorite of the Praxis books so far, partly because the plot is getting repetitive, and partly because it’s beginning to occur to the characters that their repressive, corrupt system of government is neither ideal nor inevitable. I was enjoying the novelty of a worldview which casually accepts a reigning philosophy whose principle tenet is “All that is important is known”.

Continuing from the first book: the human part of the Praxis fleet is in full rebellion and preparing for the showdown with government forces: a huge, depressing space battle in which success will be defined by losing perhaps no more than 80% of their ships?

Martinez has always hovered on the edge of essential unlikeability, and I think the ending of this one pushed him right over it. I was so annoyed by this latest chapter of the Martinez/Sula drama that I’m not sure I care to read any more of it.

I’m still amused by the obsession with what everyone is drinking, or, in Sula’s case, what she’s not drinking; her abstention from alcohol is noted at every possible occasion. I’m less amused by the puppet shows, which seem bizarrely out of place in this setting.

[Ralph Blackburn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fleet Elements by Walter Jon Williams- Military Space Opera set in William's Praxis series. This would be number five in the series, but really set in a second trilogy, being the second book there, following "The Accidental War". It's filled with exciting space battles, knuckle-biting encounters, and dazzling escapes. On the other hand, as with the first four books, there is a wispy tangle of romance and political intrigue that just goes on and on, making it a bit of a slog. I found the main characters Martinez and Sula, who appear in all the books, interesting and engaging, but many of the others seemed stock figures with unnecessarily long dull back stories. And, yes, I have read other books in this series, so I know from what I speak. Still the space opera part is first rate.

[William Bentrim · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a Praxis book. There is a overlap of characters from the Accidental War. There are a wealth of characters. This book never grabbed me. I don’t know if it is too long since I read the Accidental War or what. It was a chore to plow through and I normally enjoy Williams work. I suspect it just may be the stress of current events but this was a difficult read. It did not captivate me and carry me away to a world of civility and respect. My apologies to Williams as trite as it sounds it probably wasn't his book, it was me.

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

The galaxy's most dysfunctional and adorably maybe-probably-sociopathic pair of star-crossed lovers reunite (by virtue of being about the only two competent people in the galaxy) to conquer an empire through the power of their UST (in between bouts of paperwork, personnel management and small talk over posh dinners) and present a variation on the old proverb "A friend will help you move; a real friend will help you move a body."

Walter Jon Williams continues to demonstrate to David Weber and similar authors that, in fact, you can write political-military sci-fi with lots of details of how many ships and missiles everyone has and lots of committee meetings and suchlike without boring many/most readers out of their skulls.

[B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won a copy of this one on a Goodreads giveaway. I'm giving it a tentative three stars for now, with further explanation as to why to follow -

This is the latest book in a long-running space opera (first book published in 2002). It has some of the problems that you see with older white male authors - hypersexualization of women, stuff like that. It's not as bad as some, more of a "tee-hee, that's weird why are people still doing this, don't they know better by now?", move on type thing. That being said, it's hard sci-fi, and it's good hard sci-fi (previous notes aside), so much so that I stopped at the discussion of the relationship between space colonies and societal structures to add the first book to my cart. I'm going to start from the beginning and then come back around to this one. See, it is a middle book, and it does have that middle book feel, and while the author does a decent job of providing a recap at the beginning, and while you don't technically need to read the others, you can dive in based off of the information given, you can also tell that a lot is being left out (to be expected considering how long running the series is). So, in essence, this ARC did do what it was intended, bringing someone else into the universe, but that means it's going to take awhile before I get around to reading this one properly and being better able to review it then.

[Craig C · Rating 3 out of 5]

So this is more of 3.5 star book than a 3, setting up the finale for the sixth book of the series. I thought the climactic space battle could have been done a bit better considering Tork was such an antagonist throughout several books. The surprise ending with a character from Sula's past wasn't much of a surprise either. It felt more like service to get to the plot for a final book. Otherwise very readable and enjoyable if you like your scifi with a large helping of soap opera. RIP Alikhan.

[Vincent Archer · Rating 3 out of 5]

The sequel to the previous book picks up exactly where our two characters were left, and put them into large-scale military conflict again. The usual contrast between the rigid unimaginative Praxis fleets and the Human adaptative strategic doctrine make it for an interesting read, and the space battles feel more realistic than most of the similar stuff you see (even Weber's battles feel less realistic than those).

On the character side, the contrast between the pragmatic "Lady Sula" and Gareth Martinez's upbringing keep making you feel the way life in the Praxis still clings to their original scheme (even if Caro is hellbent on breaking the way things are). Unfortunately, this is marred by the forced handling of the romantic aspects of the dynamics between the two. The last part feels completely artificial, and you have absolutely no idea why Martinez would react the way he apparently does. That, alone, cost an entire star, maybe a star-and-a-half on my rating.

Still looking to book 6, of course, but disappointed a bit by this one.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once around the track then we're right back where we started, except now Sula also has the Golden Org. Like a season finale for a show that may or may not return, characters have to be left alive and some conflict has to emerge to make us want the next installment. I'm beginning the wish authors would just end their stories.

And why didn't Sula and Gareth just call the cops and claim self-defense? Nobody could stand Lamey anyway and most would be glad to be shed of him. And where the hell did all the new enemy ships come from, maybe they could have been foreshadowed a little.

Should have killed the preening Gareth off and let Sula take charge, give her a scar on her face or an eye patch.

[Henry Lazarus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seven years after the war told in Walter Jon Williams’s Dread Empire's Fall series, there is an attempt to kick humans out of the fleet of the multi-species Praxis empire. It touched off The Accidental War (paper) in which humans captured the fourth fleet. Now these Fleet Elements (hard from Harper Voyager) have to face the rest of the fleet in the largest battle in Praxis history. Former lovers and now adversaries Gareth Martinez and Caroline Sula have to learn to work together to command such a large fleet. There’s more coming in this exciting tale of space battles without artificial gravity and where Newtonian physics creates the tactics.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Williams, Walter Jon. Fleet Elements. Dread Empire’s Fall No. 5. Harper Voyager, 2020.
The multispecies civil war following the demise of the Shaa overlords continues. Should the Praxis empire be rebuilt or replaced? What role should be played by the large space navies the war has produced? Our protagonists are once again in space, this time serving on the same ship. Predictably, their on-again-off-again romance is on for a while. Forces that could destroy their lives lurk just off stage. This novel is not where one should start this series, but if you have read the earlier novels, you will welcome this latest installment.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely superb. I was somewhat worried this might be a typical middle trilogy book used largely as a vessel to set up the finale. I was extremely pleasantly suprised to find this is the not the case at all.

Despite being 5 books in, Williams has maintained a tight cast of core characters who feel fully realised and complex. Their interactions are equally so and the highs and lows for them in this book and indeed the entire series have kept me constantly engaged.

Can't wait for the next installment.

[Worms · Rating 4 out of 5]

After the general letdown of Book 3 and its atrocious ending I was apprehensive about getting into the new trilogy. Fortunately, as Sula says "with age comes wisdom" and in two books I've been really impressed by what WJW has done with the new trilogy so many years after the original.

One of the main things to note is that all 3 books make up one continuous story so none of them are remotely standalone, nor does anything get resolved; instead, things keep building until the final book. I definitely would not read any of them without planning to read all of them, I would also highly recommend reading the original trilogy as without it you'd be missing so much of what makes this world/story interesting and gripping.

Overall, I've really enjoyed the first two books of the new trilogy. WJW has course corrected after Conventions of War and so far the new trilogy is well-written and surprisingly satisfying, avoiding the negative aspects of previous books.

Martinez has always walked a fine line between likable and unlikable but here he is mostly shown in a positive light. He is doing what he does best - commanding. He is shown to be respectful of his subordinates and wanting to do the right thing - not just gain power and promotion for himself. He is shown to be rational and smart without being pompous. Sula has fully returned to being an awesome character all around (although I'm not sure how she hasn't died of diabetes considering literally every single time she is on screen she is drinking tea with a ton of cane sugar and eating pastries). She is colder and more savage than ever, taking no shit and giving it back to the stubborn, ineffective higher ups at every chance she gets. I feel like some people may get annoyed with this attitude as it borders on edgelord, but it doesn't go over the edge (imo) and I thoroughly enjoyed it. WJW has brought me back into the fold and once again I am all in for Sula.

The romance is also handled rather well. They spend a lot of time in each other's orbit before finally reconnecting midway through. From there until the end of the book things are handled tastefully and the result is satisfying. One thing that kind of annoys me though is the lack of communication between characters. I guess he didn't want to bog it down with dialogue but the romance would've been a lot more impactful with some more show and not tell. Like at one point Martinez is thinking "this is the woman I've wanted to be with since I met her" and its like bro why don't you just SAY that to her? But their dialogue exchanges are always short, punctuated, and kind of weak. More on this in a bit...

As for the story, similar to Book 4, this one develops at a good pace. There are a lot of things going on, but everything is impactful and interconnected in how the story develops. More characters get development (for example, I really like that Severin gets a fair amount of screen-time, even if its tragic, as his actions were so important in Book 1 but he was largely absent afterwards) and I didn't feel like any of it was pointless or just to pad pages. I was worried when Lamey was reintroduced in the beginning of the trilogy, but his character was also handled well and added to the story without introducing forced/unnecessary drama (or my biggest fear - a forced romance with Sula) to bog things down.

Most of this book is the main characters going back to space and fighting an epic battle again Tork and his fleet. I'm not all that into military books, and while I don't claim I followed what was going on, I found the battle to be engaging and it definitely held my interest. Seeing Martinez and Sula work together is a major highlight of this series and it was of course done well here.

Overall I've found myself deeply drawn into the world of the Praxis and I didn't want to put this one down. I can't wait to get into the third one and see how the series finishes. The aspect of the ending that directly leads into the next one is great and I can't wait to see the final battle play out.

That said, my only (but serious) gripe with this book is the incredibly nonsensical and contrived ending between Martinez and Sula. As per earlier books, whenever things go well for our star-crossed lovers they have to blow up in spectacular(ly dumb) fashion so this wasn't unexpected, but it was still handled poorly. They literally spent 1. the whole book blowing things up and killing thousands of people and 2. half the book supposedly deeply in love. Let us not forget that Martinez previously dropped a ring on a planet and killed billions. He also knows that Sula led an army and killed tons and tons of people (and tons were killed because of her). But he walks into, again, the supposed love of his life's apartment, sees a dead body and immediately decides "I can never see her again"? Uh...what!???? This is just insulting. For the millionth time, why do the characters not just TALK? Why was his response not "omg sweet precious Sula are you ok?" or "do you need help?" Why did she not just say "he tried to kill me", which wouldn't even be a lie! This exchange was so unbelievably forced and unrealistic that this book loses half a star, at least. I mean I get it, Sula walked away before and now for the sake of drama Martinez has to be the one to walk away, but this was handled SO BADLY. I really hope this isn't drawn out in the next book because it's such a stupid reason for them to have conflict. (update: it is and it ruins everything)

But at least WJW doesn't let the entire thing go to shit (as he did in Book 3) as before Martinez finalizes any decisions to cut Sula from his life the next battle starts. I can only hope that age and wisdom will allow WJW to write the satisfying ending for these characters that was denied in the last trilogy. Or at least Sula (to be completely honest, I wouldn't care if Martinez died). Come on, she's earned it.

[Michael Hirsch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too bad. I really like other books written by Walter Jon Williams, but this was very weak. No likeable characters and thoroughly stupid space warfare tacticstake up the entire book, so there is nothing left to like.

[Artur Coelho · Rating 2 out of 5]

Este livro sofre com o clássico síndrome de meio de trilogia, agudizado por ser o sétimo de uma série que vai claramente para duas trilogias. Mas não deverá dar origem a uma terceira, este Fleet Elements mostra que o universo ficcional está a esgotar-se. Ou melhor, algumas das premissas invariáveis deste universo já deram o que tinham a dar, e as histórias tornam-se repetitivas. Há um caminho que Williams de vez em quando vislumbra, mas não segue.

Um dos pilares desta série é o imobilismo, um sentimento injustificado que cruza o conservadorismo com o atavismo. É o resultado de milénios de um império galáctico estável, regido com mão de ferro pelos seus fundadores, que era mais do que meros colonialistas. Eram uma espécie convicta de ter encontrado a verdade absoluta e o sistema perfeito, e lançou-se numa jihad espacial não para conquistas, mas para reformular as diferentes espécies alienígenas que encontrou à sua imagem e semelhança moral (porque a física seria impossível).

Agora que esses líderes se extinguiram, a sociedade que construíram - injusta, assente em clientelismos e elites, que pune desvios à norma moral com tortura pública e morte) mantém-se, apesar de mostrar rachaduras e conflitos internos que são o que Williams explora. Mas todos se passam dentro do seio do conservadorismo, e esse é o elemento que me está a irritar na série: sem a mão pesada dos líderes, a sociedade não colapsa, mantém-se numa instável estabilidade em que as instituições tremem, há guerras, mas a sociedade continua a acreditar piamente nos pressupostos que a oprimem. Talvez, seja uma metáfora da identificação do oprimido com os opressores, em que mesmo livres da opressão direta, os oprimidos perderam a noção da liberdade?

O livro em si vai avançando a história, desta vez com a reação dos humanos, uma das muitas espécies inteligentes do império, ao risco de quase extermínio e perda de poder no âmbito das intrigas palacianas de uma elite que vê o império apenas como meio de enriquecer. Os humanos conseguem recuperar forças e recursos, e numa batalha pírrica, derrotar as poderosas forças imperiais, num jogo mortífero onde o maior poder de fogo imperial é derrotado pela visão estratégica conservadora. A história também parece resolver a eterna tensão amorosa entre os seus dois principais personagens, embora no final reverta a situação de um modo particularmente rudimentar. Ainda nos introduz uma nova potencial linha narrativa, com vestígios de uma civilização exterminada nos primeiros séculos da expansão do poder imperial, o que faz notar que os ancestrais do império não eram infalíveis e nem todos se deixaram subjugar aos seus ideais. Este é o elemento mais interessante do livro, e esperemos que seja desenvolvido no próximo volume da série.

Fleet Elements é um livro sem o fôlego dos anteriores, segue o seu caminho, previsível. Percebe-se que existe apenas para avançar a história, sem grandes rasgos de interesse. Pior, uma vez que a série vai longa, somos mimados com inúmeros infodumps sobre o historial dos personagens, destinados a situar eventuais novos leitores.

[Noel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review is more about Walter Jon Williams, and his writing, than it is about the book itself. I didn't mean to do that, and I do mention the book, at least. Move along i
What can one say when it comes to Walter Jon Williams? Easily one of Sci-Fi's greatest modern luminaries, WJW's books take an effort to write, and read that I don't find with any other author.

When I first started reading Dread Empire's Fall a few years back, starting with The Praxis of course, I had no idea what I was getting into. I had no idea who WJW was, and frankly I didn't care. My taste at that point had been wet by reading The Expanse series. With it, I was thrust back into Sci-Fi for the first time in decades - since my youth, in fact. The Expanse was my first taste of a true "Space Opera." A story that spans both light years, and billions of years. I was eager for more of that, because much like the television series, each Expanse installment leaves us with a cliffhanger. Ty Frank, and Daniel Abraham - those boys are masters of both sci-fi, and the art of the cliffhanger.

But, as I found with Dread Empire's Fall, while masters practice their art, there are actual doctors of sci-fi - men and women whose works will remain timeless. Asimov, Heinlein, Haldeman, Stephenson, and Card are the likes of which I invoke with my statements here.

This list wouldn't be complete without Walter Jon Williams, and this epic saga, Dread Empire's Fall. Fleet Elements find Gareth Martinez as a growing family man - stuck in a war that has to be won, for the safety of his family. We also find his (quite literally) star-crossed lover Lady Caroline Sula at his side once more, this time as his tactical officer, no less.

I found this installment to be much "quicker" than the others, and that's possibly because the book is essentially centered around the main battle described in the book. There's an earlier battle that is quickly passed-by, but aside from action of the battles, the book offers little background, history, nor character development. I can't recall, in fact, if any new characters were even introduced.

What I can tell the reader of this review, without making a spoiler out of myself and my review, is that in Fleet Elements, many people, humans, and non-humans alike, do not have the opportunity to walk away from its last pages. The main battle is savage, costly, and full of heart-pounding action. In the end, there's hope, trepidation, fear, and a lot of mourning.

The book doesn't end without a sense of dread for what still has yet to come, and for the losses incurred by all sides. As the book ended, I found myself feeling that dread for the rest of that day. That's how I can tell a book affected me in a great way!

I loved every moment of it!

[Lyn Eder · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a transgender individual, I must press upon any who know, meet, or write a transgender person that our former names are private and often sources of dysphoria and childhood trauma. It's rude to tell others these private things. Would you tell someone a person's former cup size if you knew them before they had gotten breast augmentation? It is a more embarrassing and unprofessional form of this action to dead name a transgender person.

The representation of a transgender woman is in-and-of itself progressive, given that efforts to erase transgender identity is a harsh reality that my community faces. However, in Fleet Elements this is lessened by the dead naming of Lady Haas (I listened to this as an audiobook so my spelling may be wrong).

While I applaud the author for his characters gendering her correctly and not dead naming her, the readers are reminded of her former name in almost every scenes she is in. It's okay to have characters unsure how to act or start to dead name and correct themselves. This would organically introduce the characters transgender nature and hopefully normalize/promote our existence as living thinking/feeling people.

In the end, the narrative is derailed on at least two occasions to give an explanation of Lady Haas's existence, both times it mentions her former name and remarks on her pre-transition body. These scenes would've been fine without bringing in her former name and physique, in fact in the scene with Lady Sula and Lady Haas discussing the war, it would be much improved to only mention transition. Any people who cared about trans representation would've felt represented and any who didn't care could go on in blissful ignorance. It would've even been funny to transgender readers such as myself.

[Tom Dixon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advanced copy of this book. The Dread Empire's Fall series was on my to-read list, but I had not started before receiving this book. I went to the beginning of the series and enjoyed reading all of the books giving each of them 4 stars. I was concerned I'd get bored along the journey but just the opposite. The story evolved and if the 6th book was available today I would keep going.

The universe building is quite detailed and I was drawn into the political dynamics. There are a couple main characters, a couple hands full of supporting characters, and a lot (and I mean A LOT) of transitory characters which I guess is to be expected in a universe of this size. There were many times when my mind didn't take time to catalog all of the characters and ships that came and went and I don't think my appreciation of the story suffered from that. There were however times when a character would pop back up and I'd have to go search for their origin.

There are a number of themes that recur over and over (and over and over) but with enough variation that I remained interest. I can certainly see where some readers would tire of peer caste influence peddling, family tree analysis, dinners and dinner parties (oh the dinner parties).

Space battles? Yes, there are space battles. Is it hard sci-fi? I don't know but for me there's enough science in service of the fiction to keep me going.

If you like big universes, politics, space battles, and social sciences in your space operas, the Praxis and The Dread Empire's Fall has all of that and more. Solid 4 stars.

[Jim Mann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fleet Elements picks up where The Accidental War left off. Terrans are in rebellion, a rebellion forced on them by a government that seemed to be planning anything up to genocide. They call their rebellion the Restoration, to emphasize they want to restore the rightful order of things, not bring it down. Martinez is in control of the major part of the Fleet, and Sula is moved from her own fleet command to become Martinez's tactical officer.

Like the previous books in the series, this is an exciting, imaginative space opera. But what I'm drowning at least a bit tired of is the on again, off again relationship between Martinez and Sulla. She loves him, then hates him, then loves him. He, who has a happy marriage, keeps thinking of her. And while they seem to function well together in terms of military tactics and in bed, they don't seem to talk at crucial moments in ways that keeping breaking their relationship. (Possible spoiler: at a key moment late in the book, Martinez could have solved a key issue by simply asking her "Why did you do that?" But he doesn't and in her usual fashion she doesn't explain anything to him.)

I do plan to read the final book in the series, and overall it's good, but I really wish the Martinez/Sulla story would just end.

[Zeb Kantrowitz · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Terran race has been forced into a war of survival. The most of the other races have joined together to attack Terrans every where they live. Luckily a piece of the Great Fleet has been crewed by Terrans and they are able to flee to a space where they are the majority. While holding their worlds and protecting them from harm they know that the majority of the Grand Fleet is coming to annihilate them.

As divisions and sections of the fleet have been taken over by Terrans, they are all fleeing to a system where they can ready their own fleet to protect their people. They call themselves the "Restoration" and they are determined to continue the Empire that was built by the Shaa under the Praxis. But even after most of the Terran ships have settle into a Fleet, they are still only half as big as the Great Fleet.

It's up to Gareth and Lady Sula to create a new fleet that will allow them to pick-off parts of the Great Fleet as it travels towards the Restoration Fleet.

[Kea4 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to say I really enjoyed this story. Sure its part of a long running series and I just happen to jump right in the middle of everything. At times there are places and events I’m not sure about. But overall I enjoyed it. At the end you have a space battle happening which is always entertaining.

There is a long list of characters listed at the front of the book. It helped me for some not all. Most people talked about in the book I really did not care about. Some call this a Military Space Opera book which is fine.

The character that stood out the most for me was Caroline Sula. I really like her past, what she was pushing for and wonder if Gareth Martinez will ever find out the truth (or even ask her to explain what happened).

Good ending which clearly will lead to another book.

https://theworldisabookandiamitsreade...

[Asuka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fleet Elements is a great addition to the Dread Empires Fall series! You don't /have/ to read the other books in the series to understand this one, but I do recommend it. The world building in these novels is vast and excellent, Walter Jon Williams makes it easy for you to create the image of the setting in your head. Even though this is the fifth book in this series, it still feels fresh and keeps you interested. Space politics are aplenty in this novel, something I personally enjoy a lot. There is almost never a time without some type of conflict going on so it's hard to get bored. If you were a fan of the previous books in the series or you are a big enjoyer of space politics, I can basically guarantee this is a good read for you!

[Shea J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I see disclaimers every once in a while so let me start by saying I got this for free in a Goodreads giveaway. I would have purchased a copy anyway because I'm a big fan of the Praxis series. This was more of the same with great space battles interspersed with a few formal receptions, as per usual with Praxis military functions. Not so much on the political side as the previous book. A little bit /r/HFY/ but then I really kind of like that type of story anyway.

There was a great call out to Sula's rescue of the racing yacht in book 1 and a more realistic outcome given the 3d nature of space maneuvers.

Overall I liked it quite a bit and am looking forward to the next one.