∎ Download Gratis The Lost Stars Tarnished Knight Jack Campbell 9781937077822 Books

The Lost Stars Tarnished Knight Jack Campbell 9781937077822 Books

Download As PDF : The Lost Stars Tarnished Knight Jack Campbell 9781937077822 Books

The Lost Stars Tarnished Knight Jack Campbell 9781937077822 Books

The Lost Stars series has good characters, political intrigue, interesting space battles and ground actions – fun stuff. Only quibble, as common with much sci-fi, is depicting a fundamental philosophical and practical confusion. Clearly and succinctly stated in the fourth book: “Syndicate mind-set . . . all that matters is profit and efficiency, that self-interest is the ultimate good.”

Leaders of the Syndicate Worlds are called CEOs, ruthlessly destroy anyone they fear is a threat to their power, and live in constant fear of such threats. They are rich, but friendless, and can expect short lifespans. This is self-interest? This is efficient? The story frequently comments on the inefficiencies, waste, and incompetence produced by this system of oppressive government.

Leaders of the breakaway Midway star system work at creating political freedom, democratic procedures, and gaining the support of the people. They develop trusting and loyal friendships and subordinates. This is not self-interest? This is not a better life? This is self-sacrifice? The story actually shows that this is a better life and results in a more efficient and profitable society capable of protecting itself from the Syndicate threats.

Great story, but Campbell needs to read Ayn Rand’s exciting sci-fi novel, “Atlas Shrugged,” to resolve conflicting notions regarding free market societies, personal self-interest, power hunger, and such.


Tags : The Lost Stars: Tarnished Knight [Jack Campbell] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. <b>Jack Campbell’s The Lost Fleet series delivers “military science fiction at its best”* in every action-packed adventure. Now the New York Times</i> bestselling author puts the Alliance fleet’s enemy in the spotlight as the people of the Syndicate Worlds attempt to rebuild their lives after Admiral John “Black Jack” Geary defeated them…</b> The authority of the Syndicate Worlds’ government is crumbling. Civil war and rebellion are breaking out in many star systems despite the Syndic government’s brutal attempts to suppress disorder. Midway is one of those star systems,Jack Campbell,The Lost Stars: Tarnished Knight,Ace,1937077829,Science Fiction - Military,Science fiction.,Space warfare;Fiction.,War stories.,FICTION Science Fiction Military,Fiction,Fiction - Science Fiction,Fiction Science Fiction Space Opera,Fiction-Science Fiction,GENERAL,General Adult,Monograph Series, 1st,SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY,Science Fiction,Science Fiction - Space Opera,Space warfare,United States,War stories

The Lost Stars Tarnished Knight Jack Campbell 9781937077822 Books Reviews

It took me quite a while to read this book but that was not really due to the book itself but rather to us having been quite occupied with repainting, tiling, birthdays etc. so I have not had as much time to read as I usually do.

This book is the first in a new spin-off series (The Lost Stars) from Jack Campbell’s The Lost Fleet series. I quite enjoyed The Lost Fleet series and, so far, it looks like I will enjoy this series as well.

I have to admit that I was a bit hesitant at first given that this series, to some extent, deals with a view from the side of the bad guys in the previous books. I usually never find that kind of story as amusing to read since I am always somewhat biased by the fact that the previous books, if they were any good, have instilled a certain animosity towards these guys in me.

One issue I had with The Lost Fleet series was the politics and bickering by useless commanders who thought the military was some kind of democracy and even their own political playground. This was another thing that I was afraid might be the case with this book since the two main characters obviously was not exactly going to be best buddies from the start.

Luckily none of my fears came true, at least not true enough to be a problem. I found the book quite enjoyable. Maybe not as enjoyable as the best of the Lost Fleet books but nonetheless, quite enjoyable.

It becomes quite clear from the start that the two main characters, Drakon and Iceni, are not Syndicate goons and wants nothing more to do with the Syndicate government. There are quite a bit of politics, mistrust and some behind the back scheming in the book but it is well managed in the plot and, unlike the plonkers in some of the Lost Fleet books, these two people are skilled professionals who are victims of a corrupt and totalitarian system.

Both of them struggle to trust other people, something which could not be done during the Syndicate rule, at the same time as they are trying to hold together and defend the star system that they have wrestled out of the syndicate hands.

There is of course a reasonable amount of action both on the ground and in space. As usual the author creates believable physics and, consequently, believable battles between space ships.

It’s definitely a good start. I’m looking forward to read the continuation of this and I hope the author manages to keep a balance between the politics and the real action. With this opening salvo it can go either way and personally, I would vote for the action and not so much for the politics as usual.
Jack Campbell brings us back again to the universe of the Alliance Confederation and the Syndicate Worlds that we have become familiar with in his Lost Fleet series. This time, however, the heroes are not the crews and commanding officers of the Lost (Alliance) Fleet and Admiral (Black Jack) Geary is no more than an element in the background. Instead, and a bit like Weber has done with his Honor Harrington series, Campbell embarks on a new strand, showing how two senior Syndicate officers that briefly figured in the previous series take control of a strategic solar system and try to make it independent, secure and better governed.

One of the strongest points of the book is the atmosphere of total paranoia that is a given in the Syndicate society. At every turn, for every move, even the simplest ones, the senior commander of ground forces and the senior commander of space forces wonder whether the other one, or any of their senior officers, or any of the partisans of the regime that they have just overthrown, is not starting to make a move against them to take them out. Even some of their own officers' behaviours are somewhat ambiguous; as they give the impression they may be playing both sides and/or also having their personal agendas.

The second strongpoint is the battles. Here again, the author has clearly wanted to introduce some variations, possibly to prevent some readers from getting bored with yet more naval battles, but also because the two ex-CEOs do not have much of a fleet to begin with. So there are a couple of space engagements, but there are also a couple of land engagements. In fact, my favourite battle scene happens to be right at the beginning of the book when General Drakon assaults the enemy headquarters at the heads of his storm troops and has to take control of it before its defenders trigger off weapons of mass destruction.

The other strongpoint of this novel is the horrific picture it draws of a society and of worlds dominated by a ruthless, cruel, totalitarian and somewhat inefficient dictatorship. The security services (the ISS) composed of "snakes" and their shock troops (the vipers) cannot but remind the reader of some kind of cross between the Gestapo and the SS, on one hand, and the KGB and its own shock troops, on the other hand.

There are, however, also some drawbacks. While having a story that differs from what was becoming the "usual" space battles in which the "goodies" almost always win, it is possible, but only just, to read this book without having read the whole of the previous Lost Fleet series (some 8 other books!). It is highly preferable to have read all of them first, or the last two (Dreadnaught and Invincible), at the very least. Needless to say, however good this book may be, it becomes somewhat of a problem when a lot of it only fully makes sense when you have read a number of others before it!

Another little issue is the romance that you see starting to develop in this volume. It is slightly different from what we saw in the Lost Fleet series, but, somehow, I found it even less credible, given the circumstances, although I will stop here to avoid spoilers.

A good book, but not Jack Campbell's best. If did quarters, I would probably rate this one 3.75 stars. Since this is not possible, this one is just scrapes into the four star bucket for me.
The Lost Stars series has good characters, political intrigue, interesting space battles and ground actions – fun stuff. Only quibble, as common with much sci-fi, is depicting a fundamental philosophical and practical confusion. Clearly and succinctly stated in the fourth book “Syndicate mind-set . . . all that matters is profit and efficiency, that self-interest is the ultimate good.”

Leaders of the Syndicate Worlds are called CEOs, ruthlessly destroy anyone they fear is a threat to their power, and live in constant fear of such threats. They are rich, but friendless, and can expect short lifespans. This is self-interest? This is efficient? The story frequently comments on the inefficiencies, waste, and incompetence produced by this system of oppressive government.

Leaders of the breakaway Midway star system work at creating political freedom, democratic procedures, and gaining the support of the people. They develop trusting and loyal friendships and subordinates. This is not self-interest? This is not a better life? This is self-sacrifice? The story actually shows that this is a better life and results in a more efficient and profitable society capable of protecting itself from the Syndicate threats.

Great story, but Campbell needs to read Ayn Rand’s exciting sci-fi novel, “Atlas Shrugged,” to resolve conflicting notions regarding free market societies, personal self-interest, power hunger, and such.