Hyperfleet Behind The Lines

by Lance Williams

The mighty Roman Empire has fallen...again. History tends to repeat itself as it did with this star spanning empire. Thriving republics become expanding empires, empires fall, and new struggling republics rise again. Where do patriots of the old nation go? Do they fight and die with the old regime? Join the new regime? Or carve out their own place in history? Lines are drawn in imaginary ether of space even as Admiral Jendarm meets with the alien probe makers. A tentative acceptance by the greater interstellar powers is given to the new burgeoning offshoot of the old empire on the edge of the galaxy. Why was it so easy? What did the republic want in return? A new mission deep in enemy territory? Could they disregard the Graks, the local fighting and the diplomatic relations with a new alien species. While Hyperfleet did not have to fight the quadrant spanning Terran Republic to keep their new home, the price may be too much for Hyperfleet to pay.

589 pages, Paperback

Published May 13, 2023

Reviews

[John Winston · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a long time coming—more than five years—but well worth the wait. Lance Williams and the most intelligent space opera serial novel, Hyperfleet, is back; this time, it’s Behind Enemy Lines. But you must first read the first two novels in the series, Path to Valor and On All Fronts. While Williams, as usual, does a great job of world-building, the lion’s share was done in the first two novels, as was the character development of the complex cast of players: Jendarm, Hevlar, Tarl & Dane, Cole & Crew, and of course Niler Black (my favorite), and many more.

While the author does a bang-up job on prose, character development, and world-building, Williams’ true strength is creating engaging scenes crafted into a memorable story. The sequence where Dane uses his psi abilities in a showdown against two other psi-wielding combatants is ultra-intense, and the suspense that leads up to it is palpable. The author is also a master at creating the Kobayashi Maru (a no-win scenario) for our enigmatic Jendarm, which keeps us on the edge of our seats. At the same time, the Admiral pulls off the impossible without the author utilizing the disappointing deus ex-machina. Behind Enemy Lines gets my highest recommendation.