The Lost Fleet: Fearless

The Lost Fleet: Fearless
Jack Campbell
Ace
ISBN: 0441014763
Fiction, Science Fiction, Military
Reviewed by Chris Gerrib

Jack Campbell’s new book, The Lost Fleet: Fearless is being released Wednesday, and it should be on your shopping list. Fearless is the second book in the Lost Fleet series, and is every bit as good as The Lost Fleet: Dauntless, the first title in the series. Although I may not be the best judge of it, readers who haven’t read Dauntless should be able to jump right in with Fearless.
The book’s protagonist, Captain “Black Jack” Geary, is in a bit of a pickle. His outnumbered fleet is stuck deep in enemy space, fighting the latest battle in a century-long war, and struggling to get home against three enemies. The first and overt enemy is the Syndics, a dictatorial human government based on corporate principles (their senior leaders are called “CEOs”). The second enemy is internal. Tactics, strategy and general military discipline have all declined greatly during the war, and Captain Geary, who’s spent the last century in suspended animation, is just starting to resurrect these values over considerable internal resistance.
The last enemy is invisible. As the fleet cuts its way through Syndic space, they are finding increasing evidence that Humanity is not alone in the universe. What’s not clear is whether the Syndics have made overt contact with these aliens, or the aliens� motivations.
Jack Campbell, a pseudonym for John Hemry, has extensive Navy experience, and this shows in his series. The Lost Fleet is one of the few books that look seriously and hard at the impact of relativity on tactics and strategy. But this isn’t just a space shootout. Captain Geary has to deal with politics and romance, including the growing realization that the democratic Alliance is under threat of becoming a military dictatorship under Geary!
The Lost Fleet: Fearless is a great and gripping read. It’s a fast-paced roller coaster of action and intrigue, with realistic characters and situations. I highly recommend this book to fans of science fiction and adventure.