Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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69 of 74 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Not the book I expected, 10 Jun 2007
I bought this book based on the previous, glowing reviews and I'm hugely disappointed. It's very short compared to similar books in this genre, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, and has a few interesting plot ideas, but the writing is amateurish, the plot lines very simple, and the science ancient. Worst of all, it's incredibly repetitive and the characters are cardboard -- they are supposed to be military personnel, but act and think more like school teachers.
The idea is that, in some distant future, a massive fleet of ships is attempting a final (and so stupid a 5-year old could see the flaws) strategy to wipe out their long term enemy at the enemy's home world. Unfortunately, the whole thing is a trap, and the story begins with the fleet making a rather obvious escape to fight another day. They have to make their way back to earth led by the main character who, somehow, has been found after surviving 100 years in an escape pod. Luckily for the fleet, this particular man hasn't lost the common sense that everyone else clearly lacks. I liked the main character, but the writer draws his thought as if he's more of a manager at Tesco than a star ship captain. His chatty relationship with his second in command suggests a romantic relationship in the next book -- just guessing, but, as I said, the plot is fairly transparent.
Apart from some interesting political problems for the fleet's new leader, the rest of the book is a far too simple story of how the fleet escapes, jumps to two star systems and fights a minor battle against its pursuers. By the final battle, the writing has improved slightly, but even then it's hard to believe anyone would have to command a fleet to such stupid people. Perhaps things improve in the next book.
The best part of the book is that I'm pretty sure a young teenager would find it quite good. There's enough action and the majority of characters are drawn like something from Blue Peter anyway.
The worst part of the book is the author's lack of imagination. He clearly thinks that the distances involved in space are so amazing that he has to mention it on almost every page. Again and again and again we have to be reminded that information is actually hours or minutes out of date because it took so long to get here. Yeah, I know, I got it the first time you mentioned it and still get it the 100th time too!
I finished the book, so it's not the worst of the worst, but it's not the level you'd expect for a true sci-fi audience. Great to give to a nephew or niece, but for serious space strategy fans, there's much better stuff out there.
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24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
the return of black jack, 25 Jun 2007
Space fleet of the human grouping known as the alliance have gotten themselves into trouble. stranded well into enemy territory, outnumbered and outgunned, and about to possibly make a big mistake in accepting an offer to negotiate. Fortunately, they've found legendary ship captain john 'black jack' geary, who's been in suspended animation for a hundred years after fighting a battle right at the start of the war.
He doesn't quite live up to the legend he's become in the meantime. But when things go wrong and he ends up in command of the fleet, can he save the day and get home?
This is not great literature, but for a readable and entertaining story, it's quite good. The last third of the book doesn't grab as much as the first, and whilst the characterisation isn't great it's better than you might expect. And best of it all it's not a long book. I appreciate a few short reads from time to time. Although it's just the beginning of a series. It's just entertaining enough to make me order the rest
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32 of 35 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Gripping read, 19 May 2007
The premise of Dauntless is very interesting. An old lost war hero, who has become a legend since his 'death', is discovered floating in space by a fleet trapped in enemy space and desperatly trying to get home. But of course he is not the mythical hero, but a man.
The space battles are very well written indeed and allot of thought has gone into the actual physics involved in space combat, this is not Star Wars. It is the kind of book that is hard to put down and you stay up rather longer than you should.
Why then only 4 stars, well it is a little short and feels like half a book that ends just as it is getting going. Perhaps a commercial decision to maximise revenue by dragging out a series. Characterisation is a little lacking as well. You only really get to know 3 characters in any detail at all.
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