Dauntless (The Lost Fleet, Book 1)

Customer Rating:
Summary: Satisfying Space Opera
Comment: Light, fast and satisfying.

An enjoyable romp. Not as dark as much recent Space Opera has been (I'm looking at you, Banks and Reynolds). More on the military side of the street, this book follows John "Black Jack" Geary, a historical captain found in a lifepod a century after his time. He's rescued by his own fleet and find that things have not changed much since he left. The same war continues and his people are still in it.

Customer Rating:
Summary: Worth it!
Comment: I am an eclectic reader and I am always looking for different writers of various genres. I picked up this book based on a recommendation by a coworker and it was a great read!

Customer Rating:
Summary: A classic Space Opera
Comment: I enjoyed reading Dauntless (The Lost Fleet - Book 1) by Jack Campbell. This is the first work of Mr. Campbell that I have read, and it's a most promising start. The story revolves about a legendary military commander who has been drifting in an escape pod for about 100 years. After he's found, he has to try to fit in to the current situation and live with the hero status he's been accorded by the present-day military. He also finds that the 100 year war has changed military tactics and attitudes in ways that are very different from his time.

While this is certainly not a deep character-development book, it has all the elements of a classic Space Opera, with a heroic leader thrown into an almost hopeless situation trying to save his fleet. Battle descriptions of maneuvers made by fleets that have to rely on light speed observations of where the enemy 'was' to attack where he 'will be' when the weapons arrive make for an interesting perspective on space battles. All in all, a good and quick read for fans of this genre.

Customer Rating:
Summary: Some of the best sci-fi I've read
Comment: This has to be some of the best science fiction that I've read. For reference I'm a fan of John Scalzi and Robert Charles Wilson, but this series has topped anything I've listened to so far (I downloaded the unabridged audio version of this book). I'm nearly done with the fourth book, Valiant, and I'm so disappointed that it is going to be over soon. I can't believe I have to wait until 4/2009 for the next in the series...

If you are into space battle-like sci-fi, you owe it to yourself to try this series.

Customer Rating:
Summary: Clean and Absorbing!
Comment: Whenever I try a new series, especially in sci-fi, I am always a little nervous about the content. I love sci-fi, but sometimes the books just aren't what you'd expect. I am pleased to say that this book was clean enough to be read by teenagers but still written in a way that could appeal to adults.

This book reminds me a bit of the success of the Law and Order and CSI TV shows that could draw in a viewer but kept some normalcy by admitting that cops, forensic experts, and prosecutors don't normally spend all of his or her free time drinking and sleeping around. The portrayal of a hero who doesn't fit in to his society and sometimes not in with his fleet and the explanation of his real thoughts and insecurities, makes Captain Jack Black Geary seem like a real human hero instead of a James Bond Hollywood fantasy. If you enjoy reading sci-fi that makes you think about how you and people you know would handle things, then I would highly recommend this book!