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joshhall13's review against another edition
3.0
So many stretches of boring data dumps, thaty I didn't care when the trilogy's grand finale happened.
Though I like that the author didn't hold back on the science and speculation.
Though I like that the author didn't hold back on the science and speculation.
wilbe's review against another edition
4.0
I have enjoyed this read!! Nice space battles and good characters! I like the aliens and what makes them tick(the bad guys)!
jmoses's review against another edition
4.0
The overall story is great. Unfortunately, the day to day details are still mediocre. I find myself skipping through the sections where the overall story isn't being advanced, especially in the last quarter of the book.
canadajanes's review against another edition
3.0
Surprisingly good hard sci fi, if you like space battles.
righteousridel's review against another edition
1.0
Most of the time you expect a series to only get better as you keep reading. You fall in love with characters and are impressed by their growth.
This is not that series.
There is something missing in the writing quality that I can’t define, but I never once cared for Koenig or Grey. As main characters, their plot shields are impressive given the general body count of the series, but they don’t grow and their personality is one-dimensional. Koenig is nothing more than a patriotic, “right in his heart” leader who is constrained by corrupt politics. Grey continues to hate the very thing he joined, despite two previous books of success. Everyone else is barely a name, and you won’t bat an eye when they inevitably die.
The author also spends all their time Telling, instead of Showing. There are chapters of info-dumps because Ian Douglas wrote himself into a corner such that you can’t learn about the Sh’daar.
All in all - it’s fine, but I don’t wish to continue the series.
The war’s ending was also extremely deus-ex machina. If the Sh’daar worried about time paradoxes, they should not have retreated into the past through TRGA. Or they would have sent absolutely everything they had (constantly) at OCGA. Instead, like a video game, the Sh’daar kept letting the Confed fleet get deeper and deeper. They didn’t even pull in reinforcements until the humans had started the last battle. It is… stupid, followed by an even stupider resolution where they decided to surrender.
I didn’t hate it as much until I just summarized the above. Wow that was a really terrible ending.
1 star.
Series Overall Spoiler-Free Thoughts
★★★☆☆ Earth Strike (Star Carrier, #1)
★★★☆☆ Center of Gravity (Star Carrier, #2)
★☆☆☆☆ Singularity (Star Carrier, #3)
Star Carrier is an easy read, but never excelled enough for me to care about the cast. Characters never grew beyond their archetype and intriguing worldbuilding was explained through info-dumps. Given the flawed nature of the ending, and my decision to avoid novels 4-6, my overall opinion is obvious:
★☆☆☆☆ - Not recommended.
This is not that series.
There is something missing in the writing quality that I can’t define, but I never once cared for Koenig or Grey. As main characters, their plot shields are impressive given the general body count of the series, but they don’t grow and their personality is one-dimensional. Koenig is nothing more than a patriotic, “right in his heart” leader who is constrained by corrupt politics. Grey continues to hate the very thing he joined, despite two previous books of success. Everyone else is barely a name, and you won’t bat an eye when they inevitably die.
The author also spends all their time Telling, instead of Showing. There are chapters of info-dumps because Ian Douglas wrote himself into a corner such that you can’t learn about the Sh’daar.
All in all - it’s fine, but I don’t wish to continue the series.
Spoiler
The monogamy subplot is also extremely cringe, as Grey ends up accepting the Confederacy effectively out of nowhere, and suddenly he’s sleeping with two women who are also sleeping with each other. I think that part of the ending really solidified that I won’t continue reading Star Carrier.The war’s ending was also extremely deus-ex machina. If the Sh’daar worried about time paradoxes, they should not have retreated into the past through TRGA. Or they would have sent absolutely everything they had (constantly) at OCGA. Instead, like a video game, the Sh’daar kept letting the Confed fleet get deeper and deeper. They didn’t even pull in reinforcements until the humans had started the last battle. It is… stupid, followed by an even stupider resolution where they decided to surrender.
I didn’t hate it as much until I just summarized the above. Wow that was a really terrible ending.
1 star.
Series Overall Spoiler-Free Thoughts
★★★☆☆ Earth Strike (Star Carrier, #1)
★★★☆☆ Center of Gravity (Star Carrier, #2)
★☆☆☆☆ Singularity (Star Carrier, #3)
Star Carrier is an easy read, but never excelled enough for me to care about the cast. Characters never grew beyond their archetype and intriguing worldbuilding was explained through info-dumps. Given the flawed nature of the ending, and my decision to avoid novels 4-6, my overall opinion is obvious:
★☆☆☆☆ - Not recommended.
graff_fuller's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Out of the two previous books, this was my favourite. It may be because of the accrued information and time spent with this world, characters and story. Not sure, but I had a LOT of fun, finally understanding the reason for the war, and how this current story ended.
Also, I believe that the story was more focused on the individual stories of the fighters of the war, than just the macro war effort.
I also think the resolution of the understanding of the worm hole was really cool.
I will be thinking about this for a long time. Very intersting.
Also, I believe that the story was more focused on the individual stories of the fighters of the war, than just the macro war effort.
I also think the resolution of the understanding of the worm hole was really cool.
I will be thinking about this for a long time. Very intersting.
books17's review against another edition
3.0
Again, some great action and technology, neat concepts, and passable characterization. It seems to all wrap up a bit quickly and neatly, but there are more books after this, which I look forward to reading anyway. Not bad.
tuftymctavish's review
4.0
Fair enjoyed this episode of the story, though it did rush to its conclusion towards the end without really giving itself a chance to breath - just ramped up and it's all done.
tome15's review against another edition
3.0
Douglas, Ian. Singularity. Star Carrier No. 3. Harper, 2012.
Although the Star Carrier series is now eight volumes long, Singularity does wrap up a major story arc. Having successfully beaten off an alien attack on Earth, the human space fleet has been ordered back to earth to shore up defenses against another attack, but Admiral Koenig disobeys orders and persuades most of the fleet to join in a dive into a singularity that they hope will allow them to take the war to the enemy home system. This is old-school military science fiction. There are exciting battle scenes, characters that would be at home in a C. S. Forester novel, strategy that resembles World War II in the Pacific, and a whole bagful of inventive tech. Sadly, Douglas has an annoying habit of repeating the same details of exposition again and again.
Although the Star Carrier series is now eight volumes long, Singularity does wrap up a major story arc. Having successfully beaten off an alien attack on Earth, the human space fleet has been ordered back to earth to shore up defenses against another attack, but Admiral Koenig disobeys orders and persuades most of the fleet to join in a dive into a singularity that they hope will allow them to take the war to the enemy home system. This is old-school military science fiction. There are exciting battle scenes, characters that would be at home in a C. S. Forester novel, strategy that resembles World War II in the Pacific, and a whole bagful of inventive tech. Sadly, Douglas has an annoying habit of repeating the same details of exposition again and again.