| Valiant (The Lost Fleet, Book 4) | 
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Avg. Customer Rating:   (based on 46 reviews)
Sales Rank: 4035
Category: Book
Author: Jack Campbell
Publisher: Ace
Studio: Ace
Manufacturer: Ace
Label: Ace
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Mass Market Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 304
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 6.7 x 4.1 x 1
ISBN: 0441016197
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6
EAN: 9780441016198
ASIN: 0441016197
Publication Date: June 24, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
?Black Jack? Geary has ordered his fleet back to the Lakota Star System where the Syndics nearly destroyed them, a desperate gamble that may give them a fighting chance of survival?or tear them apart.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 41 more reviews...
Geary's Point of View December 30, 2008
I have read a lot of comments that people have posted and so far I think a lot of them just do not get the writing style the author was going for. Most books use the point of view of many characters to assist with the story line and to flesh out certain characters. The Lost Fleet is written from just Geary's point of view. This limits how much other characters can be fleshed out to only what Geary is thinking of them at the moment. They can never really tell their side of the story and can only show their actions and intentions as interpreted by Geary.
What this does and what I think the author was going for is to create a story of isolation. I mean think about it, he's a man found after a century of floating in space only to find out he is some great hero of the past. He is automatically isolated and on the outside because of this but then you throw in the burdens of command and an enemy constantly trying to kill them all if he makes a mistake. He has thoughts and feelings that go beyond his duty but due to his honor he sticks to regulations (regarding his love interests and most everything else). This further isolates him because he can't even choose to do what his heart desires most.
Hopefully that helps some of you understand why the books are written like they are. And the 4th book, Valiant, is very good at portraying this isolation and shows that Geary is extremely human and on the verge of breaking down. He can't stop being fleet commander, he can't have the women in his life, he has secret foes that may be willing to do anything to oppose him.
I gave this book only 4 stars simply because as others have stated this series should have been condensed down into 3 books with longer page counts. I also do not like the reiteration of certain things in all 4 books. It's as if the author wants to make his books readable starting at any point. They may not make as much sense if you don't start from the first one but you wouldn't miss out on some of the detailed explanations of how things work. I don't like that.
 Space Hero November 30, 2008
One book that is difficult to put down. Almost like watching 24 on the tube; I always want to see the next episode. Look forward to book 5 in April.
 A Boring Triangle November 24, 2008
I loved the first three books and couldn't wait to get my hands on this one. Unfortunately I thought it fell flat. The space battles seemed earily familiar...maybe too much like previous battles in books 1, 2, and 3?
But worse, in my opinion, is the divergence into the love triangle between Geary and the two female leads. Rione's character was always somewhat one-dimensional, and in this book she's just extra baggage. And the forbidden love between Desjani and Geary is nauseating. There is no surprise, no subtlety, and not even much in the way of actual romance in the way this story line unfolds. The reader sees it all coming and is powerless to divert it. Perhaps it is necessary to throw the "romance angle" so as to stretch it out to the originally planned five books, but I personally would vote to jettison the allegedly romantic bits out the nearest airlock and finish up the story. After all, the readers are science fiction fans and if we wanted romance we'd go order a Harlequin.
I loved the first books and am still going to read the last one but I am only giving this one three stars. If this had been the first of the series I would never have continued onto later installments but having read the first books I know what Campbell is capable of and I am hoping he will deliver in the final book.
Jumping Back to Go Forward... November 7, 2008
The Lost Fleet continues to be lost in alien space. Captain Jack Geary continues to fight for his fleet's survival, against elements in his own fleet, and to maintain a balance between the perception of him as a hero and himself as a human being with human failings.
If you enjoyed the first three books, then there should be no reason not to enjoy this one. Those who want the plot to proceed more quickly may be frustrated. The fleet has returned to Lakota, where they faced a punishing battle. This time, however, things have changed. Geary knows about the mysterious aliens who helped bring the enemy Syndic fleet against him and his people are now catching on to how the aliens are tracking them and also what may be their motives, at least in part. He also knows more about how the Syndics operate and can begin to exploit their weaknesses. He's also more able to make use of turning the hearts and minds of the civilians who are tired of war and not happy about how they are treated by those in power. So things are progressing, too slowly for some, perhaps, but I'm still willing to enjoy the ride and see where it goes.
 Miserly with plot points October 15, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This guy hoards plot points like he's gonna run out! What gives? Why the hesitation to dish out real character changes and real events? It makes the novel so monochromatic.
Waaaaaay too much repetition in this installment in what's overall a pretty good series. It just felt like the characters spent all their time in the same three rooms talking about the same three things. I don't need to read any more about the real Jack vs the mythic Jack-- unless there's something new to talk about. I don't need to read any more about the Madame President or whatever and her jealousy or non-jealousy or whatever. I just got old!
Why the reluctance to give more detail about the aliens? Why the reluctance to have more space battles? Why the reluctance to have more action take place on the ships or have them put into port somewhere so they can get off the ship and have Jack go meet some freakin' new people for once? It's a novel, you can do anything you want!
I'll still get the next novel in this series, but man I hope it's better than this one.
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