The story of Admiral Geary the Lost Fleet comes to a close. Wracked by massive losses in the war, and with their economy pushed to the brink, the Syndicate worlds collapse into chaos. Star system after star system is engulfed in Civil War. Into this fray, the newly promoted Fleet Admiral Geary leads the Alliance forces to the Syndicate home system for the final battle to end this hundred year war.The remnants of the Syndicate fleet are waiting for Geary. They are led by the same ruthless, cunning CEO who out-foxed the Alliance at the beginning of the series. And, to make matters worse, the Executive Council has a nasty trap waiting for Geary. This being one of the Lost Fleet books, you can probably already guess what happens next. Geary and his crew out-think and out-fight the Syndics and win the day - despite the devilish, last minute intervention on the part of the mysterious alien race.Now, with victory at hand, the aliens - the Enigma race - finally come out into the open. They use the weakness of the Syndicates to try to seize a chunk of Syndicate space, thereby relocating (or worse) billions of humans. Geary and his ships, of course, race to the rescue and end the book in an epic confrontation with the Enigma race. Once again, he manages to out-think and out-fight these mysterious aliens who have been working to undermine humanity for hundreds of years. (What are the odds?)I'm worried that these books are growing a bit stale for me. The combat and politics are great. I like big space battles and political maneuvering - plots and counter-plots. Unfortunately, the character development in the series is just ... well ... stale. After six or seven books I want more development out of my characters. I want to care about them. And I just don't. They are devices to move the plot along rather than living, breathing characters. The best representation of this is Geary himself. He is the driver of the story - the great hero. But he just doesn't feel real to me - especially in the Space Opera relationship with his Captain. On that note, some people have said that Geary is modeled after Washington - the great hero of the American Revolution. Washington was a man who, if the stories are true, always did the right thing. It is true that he resisted efforts to make him a King of Dictator. That's kind of like Geary. That being said, I think the true model for Geary is not Washington, but Washington's own idol, Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus, the great roman Consul and Dictator, who, when the crisis had passed, left Rome and returned to his farms in the provinces. That's what Geary does in this book. He lays down his Rank and tries to walk away.All of the above aside, I am still pushing on in the series. The main story arc of the conflict between humanity and the aliens is a good one. I like the space combat, and I am curious to see where it all goes. Three broadsides of hell-lances out of five. To write one summary review for the previous 4 books - spaceships shoot lasers at each other (pew pew) in a novel where the author goes to great lengths to account for the time and space dilation that relativity and close to light space travel would necessarily occur. One of the most godawful romance plots ever written happens between battles (try not writing conversations in the same way you describe [space]naval engagements!). Nonetheless, the books were thoroughly enjoyable, and they served admirably to ease an otherwise dull commute. Recommended if you are looking for light, pulpy, space-battling entertainment. Maybe not so much otherwise :^]
What do You think about Victorious (2010)?
One word? GREAT this book ends an amazing series, really easy going to read.
—bcaglar
It was a nice end. Will be reading the next series, now.
—claud_96
