- Mass Market Paperback: 272 pages
- Publisher: Ace Books (May 2003)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0441010520
- ISBN-13: 978-0441010523
- Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 2 x 17.1 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 595,145 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Space Naval Fiction - with a Difference,
By A Customer
This review is from: A Just Determination (Mass Market Paperback)
Your 'usual' type of Naval Sci-Fi tends to concentrate on the technology - the 'force field' the 'blasters' or whatever. I enjoy this type of fiction. However in this novel set in the near future(and in subsequent novels in the series) the emphasis is less on the technology but on the character of the people who operate that technology.The hero of the tale - Paul Sinclair - is a very junior officer, who is allocated the additional duty of 'ship's legal officer'. Although Paul has no interest in becoming a lawyer (he makes this abundantly clear) he does have a very strong sense of justice so that when he percieves a clear injustice to have been done - he has to act to prevent the consequences - even though this may put his own career on the line, and even though he doesn't really like the person to whom the injustice has been done. Flashing lasor beams, matter transporters etc, this story does not have, but clear characterisations, believable scenarios and a good plot - it does have. I've enjoyed reading this book - I'll read it again, and the subsequent stories in the set.
16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A deeply impressive novel of military science fiction,
By Daniel Jolley "darkgenius" (Shelby, North Carolina USA) - See all my reviews (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER) (TOP 100 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: A Just Determination (Mass Market Paperback)
John G. Hemry's A Just Determination is a remarkably impressive work of military science fiction. The critical action upon which the story hinges is actually rather brief, with the second half of the novel basically taking the form of a legalistic presentation of facts, charges, and adjudications. A book of this kind could easily be dry, analytical, and far from engaging, yet Hemry's writing kept me deeply interested in the story at all times. A large part of his success can be traced to his powerful character development skills as a writer. As the futuristic novel opens, Ensign Paul Sinclair, fresh out of the naval academy, embarks on the USS Michaelson for his first real tour of space duty. We see the ship through his eyes, and Sinclair's impressions and observations of ship dimensions, claustrophobic compactness, and cramped living conditions really make the Michaelson come vividly alive in the reader's own mind. Hemry then paints amazingly lifelike portraits of the many important players in this legalistic thriller, men and women whose discrepancies in terms of my expectations of their actions helped me reach a better understanding of these fascinating individuals; if anything, they are too human. Ensign Sinclair, for his part, is a sympathetic and remarkably likable character, making his share of mistakes as he attempts to juggle the demanding half-dozen important assignments he is given on board ship. The fact that his character rings so true to this reader made his ultimate decisions all the more meaningful and honorable. His shipmates seem every bit as real as he does: the irascible captain whom no one really respects or likes; the inscrutable Executive Officer whose commitment to the U.S. Navy determines everything she says and does; the officer who spends most of her time trying to avoid responsibility in spite of her obvious skills; the sympathetic mid-level officers who lend support to the new guy; the fellow officer who will say anything about his cohorts in an effort to make himself look good; etc. We spend the first half of the novel learning the ropes alongside Ensign Sinclair as the Michaelson heads out to patrol a region of space. Several months into its mission, the ship detects another craft illegally in its zone. After several weeks of pursuit, events take place very quickly once the paths of both vessels finally converge outside of the Michaelson's proscribed zone. The captain ends up giving the order to fire upon the vessel after it changes vectors to what is potentially a collision course with the Michaelson. It is soon discovered that the other vessel was an unarmed civilian ship posing no real threat at all to the mighty warship, at which point the Michaelson is ordered to return to base, where the captain is to face court-martial proceedings for his actions. Ensign Sinclair finds himself in the middle of all this drama; it was he who had delivered a summary of the ship's mission orders and rules of engagement; in his capacity as legal officer (for which he had only four weeks of training), he had told the captain, when asked, that the vague mission orders did seem to leave the decision as to how to proceed up to his own best judgment. Notwithstanding this fact, Sinclair did not approve of the captain's decision to fire on the vessel, and he faces a moral dilemma in terms of the court-martial proceedings. The captain is charged with broad violations that Sinclair legally does not believe are warranted, yet he wants the captain to be punished for his obvious mistakes in judgment and leadership failures. As he ponders these weighty issues in his own mind, the reader is treated to an instructive lesson in morality, ethics, duty, and patriotism. The end result is a praiseworthy course of action that definitely inspired this reader. There is something of a love story theme advanced in the late stages of the plot. Ordinarily, I might question the inclusion of such a device, but in this case it does really reinforce the points about duty, honor, and service that Hemry seems to be making. The final chapters detailing the courtroom proceedings are far from mundane, having made me creep ever closer to the front of my seat in anticipation of the final judgment of the case. I would never have expected a legalistic work of military science fiction to prove as exciting as A Just Determination most definitely is. This is military science fiction at its best.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
No-one is above - or below - the law.,
By Crazy Eddie (Guildford, UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: A Just Determination (Mass Market Paperback)
"A Just Determination" hinges on the actions of the Captain of a warship (in space) and his subsequent court martial. He is being court martialled for very good reasons, but he is also in danger of being hung out to dry, with the entire rule book being perused for suitable charges. The (morally self-imposed) challenge that one of his subordinates faces is to prevent a whitewash from taking place whilst ensuring "A Just Determination". The book is just the right length in this regard, and whilst seeming as though it should be a one-horse trick, the author does a brilliant job of presenting a logical and consistent near-future and portrayal of life in space. All of the characters are true to life in the sense that they have good and bad qualities. I look forward to reading the other books in this series.
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