Don't let the book's title (or the above summary, for that matter) fool you. Jack Campbell's The Lost Fleet: Beyond The Frontier series doesn't explore territory unknown to its readers. In fact, the first installment, Dreadnaught, puts a different spin on the same themes and settings from the Lost Fleet universe. Once again at the forefront is "Black" Jack Geary, the reluctant "saviour" of humanity, in a crusade against an alien foe.
The setting thus far
Coming off the tail end of The Lost Fleet: Victorious, readers are introduced to the aftermath of the century-long war between the Alliance and the Syndicate Worlds. Having forced the "Syndic" leaders surrender, Admiral Geary assumes command of the Alliance fleet, although the leaders of the Alliance fear a military coup is just around the corner. Despite his peaceful intentions, Geary just can't shake his unwanted reputation as the rogue "Black Jack". After all, he's a hero, and sometimes, a living hero can be an inconvenient thing.
A new enemy
On the other side of Syndic space, across which scattered ruins of the old enemy reside, lies a threat that is not human at all. Last encountered in Victorious, these aliens are believed to construct the hypernet gates used for interstellar travel, which can also be used as weapons of mass destruction. They are also believed to have instigated the Alliance-Syndic war a hundred years ago.
Once again, Geary is given the might of the Alliance fleet at his command. This time, the mission sounds simple but is anything but: go through former Syndic-occupied space (where still some resistance lies in wait), make contact with the aliens (which has been thus far impossible), and avoid hostilities at all costs (which the aliens have made VERY difficult). All the while, Geary can't help but feel he's being lead to slaughter by his government.
Themes
As mentioned before, Beyond the Frontier is familiar to those who have followed the Lost Fleet series. As such, many of the same themes carry over into Dreadnaught: honour, prejudice, and ancestral worship. A previously unexplored theme is military relationships, as Geary is now married to his former second-in-command, Captain Tanya Desjani.
Another new theme for the Lost Fleet universe is the symbiotic bond of humans against a nonhuman threat. In the second half of the book, the Alliance fleet attacks an alien stronghold where several humans are being held captive. When asked about whose side the prisoners might be on, Geary decides it shouldn't matter - only that they're human.
Strong points
As expected, Campbell delivers hard-hitting sci-fi action with realistic military strategy. Battles between the Alliance fleet and the aliens seem right out of Battlestar Galactica. Readers of Star Wars and Star Trek novels (and everything in between) will dive right into this book.
"Black Jack's" crusade continues in the next Beyond The Frontier installment, Invincible, available in 2012.
To read another review or order your own copy of Dreadnaught, click here.
Ryan Greenham - Hi everyone! My name is Ryan Greenham. I am 24 years old, live in Ottawa, Ontario, and am an aspiring science-fiction writer. I have ...
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