Steadfast

Another great book in the series

What made the experience of listening to Steadfast the most enjoyable?

The narrator really brings the characters the story and characters to life in my minds eye. This is another great book for this series. I can't stop listening. The characters and storyline is one of my favorite of all time.

What did you like best about this story?

The unfolding of some sort of Alliance conspiracy.

Which character – as performed by Christian Rummel – was your favorite?

Blackjack of course.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

The saga continues.

Any additional comments?

I just can't wait for each release. I hope there are 300 books released for this series.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

Much more mature

I listened to the first series and enjoyed it. This series demonstrates much more mature writing, both in characterization and plot. Geary faces many moral dilemmas. Dejani doesn't whine as much. The other starship captains are real humans, not one-dimensional. There are many unanswered questions making life challenging and difficult for the protagonists. And, the events are not predicable. Very good writing and a good listen Strongly recommend if you like this genre.

8 of 9 people found this review helpful

Jack Campbell (and Christian Rummel) does it again

I couldn't wait for this book to be available on Audible and now that I've finished it, I can't wait for the next one.

Never dull, never predictable, with brilliant writing and superb narrating. Campbell creates characters you want to follow and Rummel brings them to life. I sometimes can't believe it is just one person doing all those voices.

If you haven't listened to any of the earlier stories in the Lost Fleet Series or Beyond the Frontier Series, then I'm not sure how you'll find this book. It's good, and the author explains earlier happenings, but you really need to have read the earlier books to get the most out of this one.

Anyway, kudos to Jack Campbell for another great book and to Christian Rummel for another brilliant performance and I look forward to the next in the series.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Black Jack Faces His Toughest Opponent Yet

If you could sum up Steadfast in three words, what would they be?

Don't Trust Machines

Who was your favorite character and why?

Who else? Black Jack Geary. He continues on his streak of absolute domination over everything everywhere. Black Jack is literally running out of enemies to hate, pursue and destroy, and that is not necessarily a bad thing.

This book seemed to focus on him a smidge more than earlier ones. Why? Because Geary deserves it. This guy has earned every second of story time. For Christ's sake, he's saved humanity's ass from complete annihilation what, about 14 times so far in this series? And along the way shacked up with the galaxy's hottest battle cruiser captain. In my opinion, the right call is for more Black Jack and less whining Alliance senators who spend their days waddling around the bridge bleating nonsense to Black Jack, backstabbing each other and second guessing Black Jack's every move. If I were him all three of those loud mouths would have been flushed out the airlock about 40 seconds after blasting off three books ago.

What about Christian Rummel’s performance did you like?

He has the right voices for the right characters and belts them out effortlessly.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Not really. At some point in my day I have to work and throw in some sleep. Bought it yesterday, finished it this afternoon. Good enough for me.

Any additional comments?

A solid addition to a top notch series. I would not put this one at the top of the rankings. But anything new about the adventures of Black Jack Geary and his wife Tanya, the ultra dedicated, motivated, space academy educated Captain of the Dauntless, and who in my struck in 161/2 year old mind's eye when it comes to beautiful women, does what she does best - takes charge and shakes that beautiful ass as she struts around her ship's bridge in that royal blue skin tight body suit / mini skirt uniform confident as hell and looking clean.

Books like this in a series like Lost Fleet, Beyond the Frontier is why I subscribe to Audible. I really enjoy a well written book performed by a great narrator, and there are few if any better teams than the two in this series. Jack Campbell's creative writing matched with Christian Rummel's professional narration keeps me coming back for more.

I have a feeling that the next book will be a doozy. Black Jack will have to be on top of his game and trust in his instincts if he is to lead his fleet to victory against an enemy blind to mercy and led by an A/I doppelganger that only he can understand and destroy.

11 of 13 people found this review helpful

Is it just me? 😉

Any additional comments?

This is one of the better Black Jack novels. I've read or listened to all of them. The overarching concept of both series is creative an holds our interest. The action scenes and battles are usually well done. But they all share two problems that keep them from being great. First, the dialogue is often too verbose. Second, is it just me or does Black Jack talk and sound just a little too much like Buzz Lightyear? 😎

6 of 7 people found this review helpful

Another GREAT book!

I am getting tired of waiting an hole year for each and every book! SPEED IT UP Jack!!! You can write faster! Now about the book. As usual another great book. I just love this saga! I just don't want to wait a year for each book! Just when you think all foes are beaten NEW ones pop up!

9 of 12 people found this review helpful

A worthy continuation of the story of BlackJack

If you're reading this then chances are that you are already familiar with the series. For me, Jack does a good job balancing details that bring the book to life- without bogging it down with inconsequential details.

The story itself is a pretty good one. I'm only halfway through but so far I'm enjoying it. Not quite as action-packed as some prior titles but the stage is being set.

The narration by Christian is as good as prior books. He has a good range of characters and IMO it adds to the story.

Overall, if you enjoyed the previous books in the series then this one is a definite buy.

6 of 8 people found this review helpful

Out of Ideas?

I have highly enjoyed Jack Campbell's "Lost Fleet" series, which I believe by this point is around eleven books in. The space battles are thrilling, and I like the tight storylines and characterization. And when he launched the series in a new direction with "Beyond the Frontier", I was very excited and happy with the new elements that he introduced, including several enigmatic alien races (that truly felt alien, unlike many series).

Unfortunately, with this latest book the series has hit something of a lull, and it makes me wonder - if Campbell isn't wrapping up the series - then he's possibly running out of new ideas to throw at us. More than any other, this book felt like it was written using the "free writing" process. The book follows several disconnected sub-stories and fails to go anywhere very new. In fact, these books are beginning to feel VERY repetitive. The characters keep dealing with and discussing the same old issues over and over, including the population's varied opinions about "Black Jack" Geary, from hero worship to utter distrust. The attitudes of the Syndics continue to fit the same stereotypes, the politicians act the same, and even the characters fail to grow significantly throughout the series, only rehashing the same conversations over and over. And for crying out loud, please stop repeating basic information about the universe and characters! We're eleven books in, and the percentage of readers actually STARTING with this novel must be extremely miniscule. Please stop insulting our memories by repeating character backstories, information about ships, physics of combat, etc etc etc. We readers remember that stuff.

The quality of the book rises near the end, in what feels like a purposeful cliffhanger ending. It's disappointing that Campbell seems to start up a new storyline right at the end of the book and then just leaves it open-ended. Why it took a whole book to get to this point I have no idea, since nothing much happens up to that point. And knowing it may be another year before the next installment comes out makes me want to question whether the series is worth continuing.

I feel generous giving this one three stars, and do so mostly because I like the series as a whole.

5 of 7 people found this review helpful

Perfect continium

A tad more wideflung and erratic than the previous books , but still very enjoyable. A well spend time listening.

3 of 4 people found this review helpful

Just gets better and better

I admit, up front, that the TITLES of Campbell's various series in this same universe get MORE than a little confusing... IIRC, there is "The Lost Fleet" Series, AND "The Lost Fleet - Beyond The Frontier" Series, AND "The Lost Stars" Series, etc.. And you have to be careful when buying each book to make SURE that it's actually in THE SAME SERIES that you're listening to at that time... Of course, ALL of the Books in those Series take place in "The Same Universe", but some are Tales centered around "Black Jack", and SOME are from the Point of view of "Heroes" on the "Syndicate's Side" as they try to put together a working government after the Alliance/Syndicate War...

SO PAY ATTENTION when buying the next book in each different series, or you'll easily end up with "Book 2" in a similar series, that leaves you lost and confused since it doesn't seem to mesh AT ALL with "Book 1" of the OTHER series you started listening to!

Having said all that (Which is probably the only valuable nugget of wisdom you're likely to get out of this review ;) , "The books in each series are REALLY GOOD" (as long as you're REALLY listening to "The next book in the series you THOUGHT you were buying" ;)..

I've now listened to ALL of the books in ALL of the series (so far available), and have to say I'm impressed with the consistency of the books.. There's no: "I KNOW the reader will buy this book because they've already bought the first two books, so I can be sloppy with the quality as I bang out this next book"... That happens a LOT in other Series from other Authors with a lot of books in them, but Campbell hasn't done that EVEN ONCE in ANY of the various series he's put out so far! He gets a LOT of "Respect Points" from me for that alone, because he's interested in "Telling The Story That Is Inside Him", NOT "Just Banging Out Books For Money". THAT is the type of Writer who can (AND WILL) "Tell a Story WORTH Listening To!"

I mentioned that "I've now listened to ALL of Campbell's Books in ALL of the Various Series", because I was able to listen to them "One after another, In rapid succession", due to a sudden, and unexpected, "Abundance Of Credits"... In another review some Months back, I Jokingly referred to the fact that I've been "An Audible Platinum Member since 2004, with MANY HUNDREDS of books in my Library" and even added "..And DO NOT put a 'Buy Extra Credits at this Special Price' offer in front of me unless you mean it, because I'll Punch THAT ad button as many times as Audible puts it in front of me!"... I think Audible decided to put THAT Claim to the test last month... Every time my "Credits Level" dropped below "2 Credits", the ad to "Buy Three More Credits" popped up... Heh heh heh, I bet they won't do THAT again, because I listen to books almost CONTINUOUSLY as I work around my Ranch, or in my Electronics Lab, or while laying in a Hospital Bed (Due to some Military Injuries, I seem to do a LOT of the Latter)! But at least Audible now knows that I'm a man of my word! I've Listened to 20 "LONG" Books in the last 30 days! If there's an "Audible Listener's Badge" that I DON'T Have (Other than "Flash 80".. Whatever THAT is), *I* don't know about it! Including "7 Day Stretch" ("Completing 15 books in a single week"), and "Audible Obsessed" ("You've used Audible EVERY DAY for 30 Days Straight".. Not many more hours and I'll have reached the Vaunted "Master" Status.. "GOOooOO ME!!!" ;)

But Seriously, If you like "Good Books with LONG Series of MORE Good Books", Give Campbell a try... It makes that dreaded "Watching the Clock, Hating that the End of your Book is Coming" MUCH less dreadful, because "There's ANOTHER Good Book Waiting For You"! ;)

5 of 8 people found this review helpful