Reviews

Fearless by Jack Campbell

a_solemn_snail's review

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

mrboxpiff's review

adventurous fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

paweljw's review

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

olityr's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The focus on realistic space combat in this series is really cool. 

mary_soon_lee's review against another edition

3.0

This is the second book in the Lost Fleet military SF series. I enjoyed it considerably, but not quite as much as the opening installment. Spoilers ahead.

Spoiler

The depiction of space battles conducted at around one tenth to one fifth of lightspeed is excellent, as it was in book one. I also continue to like the hero, John Geary. Perhaps inevitably, this book felt less inventive than the first. One development -- the deepening relationship between Geary and Rione -- was notable, but didn't capture my attention the way I would have hoped. On the other hand, a new character introduced in this book, Captain Falco, worked nicely.

In summary: excellent space battles, engaging storyline, but, for me, not quite the equal of book one.

About my reviews: I try to review every book I read, including those that I don't end up enjoying. The reviews are not scholarly, but just indicate my reaction as a reader, reading being my addiction. I am miserly with 5-star reviews; 4 stars means I liked a book very much; 3 stars means I liked it; 2 stars means I didn't like it (though often the 2-star books are very popular with other readers and/or are by authors whose other work I've loved).

darax's review

4.0

Honestly seems like the series will be high 3 stars plus. Easy reads which may seem insulting to some but with the context of space/ship books is vastly overlooked and often an issue. Good plot if a bit simple but once again just enjoyable

jmoses's review

4.0

More of the same, and that's not a bad thing at all.

danielv64's review

5.0

Solid Sophomore Series Entry. Everything a Space Opera or Nautical fiction fan could want. Can't wait to start The Lost Fleet: Courageous. Thanks Jack Campbell for producing a series I am ever eager to experience.

rheren's review

4.0

Also a great book: I couldn't stop reading. Almost as good as #1. I say almost because he got halfway through and then succumbed to the siren call that hardly any scifi writers seem to be able to resist: for some bizarre reason they always have to have a sexual relationship complicating things. The book was much better before he and his lover started getting involved and jealous and catty and all the lameness that goes along with that. At least the sex scenes aren't graphic, so that made it bearable. The female character worked quite well as a civilian "straight man" to let him explain military and space combat fundamentals to us, the reader, when we needed help understanding what he was doing, but I think the author felt that this role was over, and apparently was like, "well, what other use is a woman in a story about a heroic male figure? Oh yeah, they can have sex!". Disgusting.

Anyways, that particular pet peeve of mine aside, it is a terrific book, and I'm getting #3 as fast as I can. As the books go along it's getting more and more of the feeling of reading about a chessmaster, not an admiral: because we never meet anyone except the captains of ships, it feels like the ships are just pawns crewed by a single person who is either an ally of the admiral or a problem. Also a minor quibble, but it does give the books a different feel than the Honor Harrington books, for instance.

protoapostoli's review

Quick read. Not too intensive or thought provoking. If you get through the first book in the series and find that you want to know more about Captain Black Jack, it's definitely worth a read.