Good military sci fi series so far. Probably the best I have read in a long time. I especially like the portrayal of the military concepts of honor, tradition and selflessness that make our military so strong.

I am not as concerned with the on and off again moodiness of Co-President Rione as some of the other reviewers have commented , However, the main character CAPT Geary needs to quit having so much self doubt. No effective commander can function properly and responsibly with as much self doubt as is constantly attributed to our hero. He needs to get a grip on his life and move forward. Sure anyone in battle has doubts but you need to have confidence in your abilities, in your subordinates - officers and NCOs to give you the information that allows you to make informed decisions. If you have that much doubt in your own abilities and your decision making then you should relinquish your command. He needs to pick a good Executive Officer (not just his flag ship commander) and a battle staff to assist in decision making rather than simply relying on a "virtual conference debate" among ship commanders.

The books otherwise are good reading and have really keep up my interest. I await the next books in the series and look forward to finding out more about the constant reference to the "Aliens" that keeps popping up.

This is my first space opera series and it was fun. The premise is good, excellent. My complaint is in the extreme irritation in an author who continues to repeat sections via wholesale cut and paste. It is almost as though 20% of the book feels as though its a repeat. I find myself rolling my eyes. The characters who whine is ridiculous. The hero who is not asserting leadership and lets knuckleheads walk over him is ridiculous. The author who produces cardboard love scenes so stiff they could break like uncooked spaghetti is kinda amusing but I give him a wave for trying. It feels he was commanded to do so by his publisher.

The battle scenes were extra long. The bitchout sessions by his lover were getting tedious. This was not going in a positive direction at all by books end.

On a scale 1 to 5, Five is Best:

Villian: 4
Plot: 3
Creativity: 3
Uniqueness: 2.5
Humor: 1
Bringing the sexy: 0
Passion: 3 stars (for duty & honor )
Dullness setting in on Series: 3
Laughs & Amusement factor: 1
Silly Whiners getting on your nerves: 5
Lazy Author repeating too much from prior chapters: 5

The investment has been made now and I want to know what is going to happen next. I bought the first 3 as as books on tape (audiobooks). Now that I know the author has been a little lazy, I will not invest in an audiobook on book #4. I will buy that as paperback because I do want to know what happened but not at $24.00.

If the pattern continues, there will be a lot of cut and paste, not a lot of plot advancement and the characters chasing their tails and not going anywhere except someplace pretty durn depressing.

For that I can read in an afternoon in Barnes and Noble and not even buy the paperback for #4.

Though extremly well written and graphically depicted beyond all expectations, i did find that much of what happens in the book must be simply accepted. For instance, HOW BIG are some of these ships, compared to actual objects, foot ball stadium? and is there artificial gravity or do they float around inside the ships. What's the propulsion system? does it have a name, is it gravity fed, ect, ect... Though these questions seem incredibly important, the books seem to glance off of the implied incredibly well.

Wonderfull book, wonderfull series. Very deep and beliveble characters and very realistic space phisics, in a story arc very well planned. I didnt want reaching the end of the book because so delicious and please was the reading.
Well written, tied together, lots of themes developing that will lead to future story lines, without sacrificing the current book. I have great hopes for the next one.
Go Black Jack!

You might want to read the books in THE LOST FLEET series in order. But if for some reason you can't get #1 THE LOST FLEET: DAUNTLESS or #2 THE LOST FLEET: FEARLESS -- you can start with this one without fear of being bewildered or confused.

Even the characterizations are crystal clear so that you aren't wondering why this person does this or "who" this other person is.

And after you've read COURAGEOUS, you'll still want to read the previous ones if you haven't already. In fact, you may want to reread the previous ones!

This series is Military SF at its best - but it's not all plot. It doesn't read like the worst of the Arthurian Legend novels, detailing one battle after another until you don't care who wins. Each battle is set up perfectly so that the personalities of the Captains commanding ships in Geary's Fleet figure into the orders Geary gives.

It even matters, politically, who Geary is sleeping with (and who not) all for good reasons rooted in character as well as politics.

If you've had a little too much Fantasy interdimensional battle novels lately, you should try this one.

The writing is clean, compelling -- and trust me, it's hard to write a mid-series novel that's as "transparent" as this one to the compelling forces detailed in previous novels without spoiling the current one.

This Series takes its place beside Edward E. Smith, Ph.D.'s LENSMAN SERIES, but unlike the Lensman Series, THE LOST FLEET is not "space opera" at all. It's more like the Dragnet, or Columbo of Interstellar Warfare with a dash of THE DRESDEN FILES plotting thrown in.

THE LOST FLEET: COURAGEOUS is just pure enjoyment.

Background to this book: John Hemry, writing under the pen-name Jack Campbell, began the series by introducing readers to a universe, far into our future, where humanity has spread out into space, colonizing many planets, and eventually separating into two main camps, The Alliance and the Syndicate. Competition and contrasting political structures result in conflict. In the first book, The Lost Fleet: Dauntless, the Alliance fleet is lured into an ambush, where it suffers great loss, especially in the upper military echelons. The command of the fleet falls to its most senior surviving office, John "Black Jack" Geary, who had long been thought to be dead, but who had just been rescued from an escape pod, where he had spent a century in cryogenic sleep. Black Jack Geary had become legend, for sacrificing himself to save his ship during the first outbreak of hostilities involving the Syndicate, and now he was seen as a hero, returned from the dead, to rescue the Alliance from a near-total massacre and a seemingly-endless war.

In this third book of the Lost Fleet series, Black Jack Geary faces the choice of either continuing to try to fool the Syndics, as the Syndicate fleet is called by Alliance military people, or making a quicker dash back to Alliance space, that could easily lead to another disastrous ambush. Through the first two books, Geary has successfully outguessed the Syndics, and has inflicted heavy losses on the enemy. This as caused further belief in the idea that John Geary is a resurrected hero, sent by the ancestors of the Alliance, to save the fleet. Geary has tried to avoid embracing the mythical hero role, that brings the impression of infallibility with it.

While trying to damage the Syndics and bring the fleet back to Alliance space, Geary also has to deftly deal with a subtly growing contingent, in his own fleet, of those who fear Geary and want him deposed as Fleet Commander. Another contingent idolizes Geary, almost fanatically, and want him to seize the mythos of Black Jack Geary and be much more than Fleet Commander.

For the first two-thirds of this book, it strongly resembled its predecessors, to the point that I was beginning to fear that the author had exhausted his supply of originality and creativity. The only real differences between the predecessors and the earlier parts of this book, was that the Alliance fleet was experiencing more resource shortages, and they were starting to get outmaneuvered at times, as the Syndics seemed to have caught on to some of Geary's tactics, and were becoming better at anticipating the next move and countering it.

Then, as Geary began to despair, he got what he needed, from two of his internal allies and, surprisingly, from an old internal opponent. In a thrumming crescendo, the last third of the book builds tension, then moves to rapid-fire action, complex military strategy and maneuvering, and shocking brilliance and boldness that will make John Geary the man into a legend, separate from the century-old Black Jack legend. Geary's last decision in this book is stunning, and creates an incredible cliffhanger that makes it impossible for me to not read the next book in the series.

Jack Campbell's writing is crisp, even when the story begins to feel repetitive, early in the book. It feels almost like John Geary's funk, and the advice that helped him pull out of it, also helped the author remember what made the first two books excellent reading, and writing those pep-talk passages had the same effect on Campbell that it had on Geary. The characters in this book, as in its predecessors, were varied, credible, and three-dimensional. The brilliant ending certainly ensured by continued interest in the series.

Those who enjoy these books, will also likely enjoy Old Man's War by John Scalzi, and its sequels.

-- Chris McCallister, author of Coming Full Circle

It was with trepidation that I went for book three. Other series from other authors had often been wonderful to begin with but rapidly pale as the series continues. However in this Jack Campbell is maturing as a writer and consequently the style is evolving through the series. Not enough change to jump you out of a familiar world but enough to freshen the now aspect of the story. Jack has done a great job in book three the character depth is expanded and some very amusing scenes brighten the humanity of the series while still dealing out awesome space battle crisis and tactics. Book three makes for exciting reading thanks to subtle changes in Jack's style that enhance the series depth. If you thought like me "Surely he can't keep it going for another" then be prepared for a pleasant surprise. Highly recommended and an absolute must if you have enjoyed the series so far.

I really enjoyed the first two books in this series but was unable to finish. I was very disappointed to see that this had grown into a six-book series and this third book is just an expansion joint. The plot is not advanced, characters lose what characterization they once had, and nothing happens. I will not be purchasing any more books in this series. I will simply assume Black Jack gets everyone home and maybe re-read the first two books sometime in the future.

Highly entertaining and imaginative plot. Enjoy the battles and complexity of a "believable" science fiction battle. A few plot twists have the story moving in a new and unexpected direction. The cliff-hanger ending left me wishing book 4 was already out.

Here are the things I still like about this series: the action scenes are fantastic. No other author writing today can imagine or describe a space based battle with such clarity and tension.

Here are the weaknesses: the author ignores the capacity of humans to change over time. Neither the hero "Black Jack" or the officers of the fleet he commands have learned anything. The author is still portraying Geary, who has successfully led his fleet to many victories, as a commander being challenged by his subordinate officers. This lends the intricate maneuvers described in other sections an air of unreality. Also Geary's relationship with the Co-President is a one-dimensional and fairly turgid slog through fake arguments and noble platitudes.

Normally, I don't discuss endings and I try to avoid spoilers, but the way this book ended was completely unfair to the reader. The publisher could have included the first chapter of the next book as a sample but chose not to do so. What happens is that Geary and his fleet fight a rousing battle with an unexpectedly much larger Syndic force. Three battleships sacrifice themselves to let the rest of the fleet escape. When he reaches normal space again, Geary takes stock of the situation and turns the fleet around to head back. He has decided that the fleet has to try to fight its way out. That's where the book ends. No resolution until the fourth book.

This is starting to feel like one of those endless series where there is no forward progress and each book just recombines the elements of the previous book. I had high hopes for it in the beginning and am truly divided on whether to give this author another chance or spend my entertainment dollar elsewhere.

Captain Geary continues his formidable task of leading the Alliance fleet back home through Syndic space. There are several well-written battle scenes in the book, which will keep the attention of those who like battles. The character development also continues, with Captain Geary not only growing as a person but as a leader. The plot twists are quite a bit of fun.

This is the third book in this series (following The Lost Fleet: Dauntless, and The Lost Fleet: Fearless). The tone of the story follows in the same line as the other two, so if you enjoyed them you'll probably enjoy this one too.

In this book, Campbell has tried to make Black Jack Geary almost too human. And to be honest, his continual battle against the rebels and idiots in his fleet is becoming tiresome.

Let's face it, these are space operas and I'm far more interested in reading about a HERO than a conflicted leader who second-guesses himself in every leadership role.

It is also starting to become tiresome waiting for the fleet to wrap this up. Book three ends up offering no new revelations, and really just more of the same "jump into a new system, find a way to win the battle and pick another system to jump to next" that you were treated to in the first two books. At least with book one you had the clever twist of Black Jack finding that the fleet had atrophied and needed his old leadership style and in book two you discovered some rather interesting plot twists regarding the net. Book three offers nothing but battles.

Frankly, I could have skipped it and moved on to book four - assuming book four isn't more of the same.

The series drags on with this one. I'll bet you could simply skip it and move to book four without ever missing a beat.

I bought books 2, 3 and 4 in this series after really enjoying the 1st book.

Book 3 introduced so much repetition, continually stating information that had already been stated again and again and again I had a real problem getting through it. Also the continued distrust of the co-president and other fleet officers was pretty difficult to believe after he had saved their lives so many times.

This is a book wasted an hour or two of my life. I couldn't wait to get to the end of book 2 and book 3 I just threw away after 20-30 pages of the same repitition. Really don't waste your time or money. This book is just a money making machine it could have been written by a computer.

The third book in this series is "good", not a "can't put it down" like the first two, but still good. Cannot wait until #4 is out!

Quick paced sci-fi - what I'd call a good book for taking on a vacation. Great space battles.

I wrote in my review for Fearless that Victoria Rione cost that book a star. Well, I barely clawed my way through this book because of her and the head-butting she's doing with Capt. Desjani. As far as I knew, I was buying a novel about space combat, not poorly executed romance novel.

I keep waiting for Rione to get sucked out an airlock. Or, better yet, get the stuffing knocked out of her by Capt. Desjani.

My guess is that the author locked into a six book contract and didn't have anything planned for number three, hence Courageous.

I was ready to throw in the towel on this series, until the happenings on page 288. It's my hope that this was just a blip in an otherwise good series. I'm looking forward to #4, where hopefully there's a whole lot of Syndic a-- kicking.

So far this is the weakest of the series. Don't get me wrong, I'm enjoying the genre as a whole and in particular this series, but the sheer repetitiveness is starting to drag. There are descriptions of tactics and 'physics' that are lifted wholescale- cut and paste style- from the first and second books. It really bogs down the pace. Also, the relationships seem forced, as if Campbell had been told he had to have a romantic interest and so put one in to satisfy the publisher, not because it served the story. Even with those weaknesses I rated the book as a 4 star because the ending really had me excited to read the next book.

Courageous is the latest installment in Jack Campbell(John Hemry)'s "Lost Fleet" saga. I'm glad to know this is the third installment of six planned(so far). Having read his other series, I believe he's gotten the hang of writing episodic space-opera type sci-fi. While the tactics and logistical details may pall on some, these details are what make things happen in real warfare("For want of a nail, a rider was lost...etc.") and function as plot elements, which writers use instead of relying on explosions and other "eye candy" that visually oriented media use to hold some folk's attention. The extended battle sequences are a bit dry, but then, the books are shorter and easier reading than the Honor Harrington(Don't get me wrong, I love 'em and won't miss one)stories and establish Campbell as a notable writer in his own right. I gladly welcome any male writers of space opera-why is it that my favorite space-opera writers(Bujold, Moon, McCaffrey) are women?...especially one that's as good as this series.
Actually, The writing steers between the over-written and the sparse science of other series(where plot elements sometimes supress believe-ability) quite nicely. I'd place this series in along with Hornblower, Vorkosigan, the Helmsman, Ensign Leary and both of Elizabeth Moon's space-opera series.
Bravo! Keep 'em coming...

Great read! - entertaining SIFI at it's best combining humor with suspense in a most enjoyable manner. A must have series!

I've been an avid reader of this series, ever since I stumbled on the first book. If I'm not mistaken, this is the Author's first effort in this genre, and I must say, he's doing a hell of a job.

Most of the time, military sci-fi can be derivative and stale - since most of the time, everything has been done before. However, this series manages to find just enough "newness" that it feels surprisingly refreshing. The basic premise has been done before, but what sets it apart is all the additional parts - along with some pretty tight and entertaining narrative, this is the type of book that you pick up and won't put down until you finish it.

Alas, the only bad thing about these books is that they are quite short. I don't have it on hand right now, but I believe they go up to about 300 pages each, which in my case, that's about 4-5 hours of hard reading before I'm done.

I can't wait for the rest of the series to come out (next book out in June, I think).....I'm certainly hoping they will expand on the behind-the-scenes menace they've been hinting at in the first three books.

More of Black Jack Geary in what looks like a never ending saga. Horatio Hornblower in out space. Excellent for numbing the mind. This is Book 3. When will it end...when will Black Jack get home? My guess is two or three more books but the plot is so open ended that it could be a dozen more.

I should add that all the series has been enjoyable reading.

I don't know what it is, but I'm hooked on this series. It's true that the Lost Fleet is still lost. But in the first two books I liked seeing the beleaguered Captain have to deal with his own insecurities, his odd situation of being a hero come back to life 100 years after he supposedly died, having his captains be rebellious, having his lover threaten to kill him if she needs to AND having to still get his fleet out of enemy space--and that's what he's still doing in this book.

True, things haven't changed much from book 2, but I enjoyed book 2, so why shouldn't I also enjoy book 3? Maybe I have a bit more patience than some of those who complain about the plot not developing a bit more? Perhaps Campbell is playing it a bit too safe and not throwing in some more unexpected twists and developments? But really--the first book and the second were short, sweet and simple, so why should the third suddenly be different?

In the second book Geary has his fleet head into enemy territory, since going forward to friendly space would probably mean being gradually worn down by engagements until the fleet was destroyed. So by this book, the fleet is still fairly intact, aside from losses due to some captains not following Geary's orders, but going off with the mad Captain Falco--but also no closer to home. To shake things up a bit, Geary tries to run to Alliance space. Of course, it isn't easy--and it is revealed that it's not just the Syndics who have made things difficult. So a bit more about possible Alien involvement in the course of the war is revealed. Like in previous books, it's only a small revelation.

If that's not enough for you, then this isn't the book for you. But if you liked the battles of the first books, and yes, more of Geary trying to deal with the two important women in his life as well as trying to keep the rest of those in his command happy, then read on. I am waiting (not terribly patiently!) for the next book, myself!

I'll be honest - I read these for the fleet engagements, logistical workings of a fleet, and watching the good guys beat the bad guys. Throw in a ton of twists and turns, and I'm good.

This book was mostly 'filler' - I feel that Jack Campbell had some personal engagements to go on, and gave the reins of his book to his 16 year old daughter until the last two chapters. I really couldn't care less about who he sleeps with, or the female-gabby banter back and forth. I skimmed this part and was relieved to finally get back to the story.

I want to see some ship boardings in the future, and I HOPE TO GOD adding captured Syndic ships to their own fleet. Give me something interesting, here!

btw -the artwork did go to hell. What the heck...?

This book, third in the series, seems a little forced. The relationships between Geary, Rione and Desjani are starting to get a little tedious, and some of the dialogue made me want to pull my hair out. I kept waiting for some new plot element to emerge, but I was disappointed until the very end of the book when we get a hint about the mysterious aliens.

I'll read the fourth book when it comes out, but if it's like this one, I'll be done with Captain "Black Jack" Geary.

I do like to read these books. However how many space battles do we need to have... it's getting tedious. Further, how many more commander conferences will we have to endure. That's basically almost all the book has to offer except for some minor interpersonal relationships.

The author needs to get to the point - I will not ruin the plotline for people but there is one out there that I'm looking foward to getting more information about. But I don't want to read 4 more novels of space battles to get there..

The first and second installments of this plot line were incredible, but the latest chapter in the Lost Fleet series seemed to drag along like a dying bovine. Captain Geary is still submerged in the political warfare and logistical nightmare of being stranded behind enemy lines. And to make matters worse, the Syndicate, enemies of Black Jack Geary's Alliance, has wizened from the rag-tag group he initially encountered, and are quickly relearning the lessons of wars past.

The possibility of a third party operating behind the scenes was what had me eager for this volume, but that is addressed in only the most passing sense. The plot is essentially a rehash of the first volume, and has many if not nearly all the elements from both volume 1 and 2. While certain new threads are introduced, this entry did little more than move pieces around a board, rather than have any actual play.

I have really enjoyed the series so far and looked forward to new releases. The premise is interesting and the execution is fairly unique. What I didn't like about this installment is that it hardly advances the storyline at all. Cutting out the entire middle section would have been a great improvement. I'm very sorry to say that, but its true. Instead, the middle hashes, rehashes, superhashes the same old hash we've dealt with earlier in this book as well as the other books. I literally screamed at it several times. And don't even get me started on the "ending." The book stops in mid-battle.

I'm not ready to give up on the series. I like the first two books a lot. This one, however, could be skipped and you probably wouldn't notice.

This series just keeps on delivering.
It's fast paced and keeps you interested. I look forward very much to the next installment and can't wait until it comes out.
Good military sci-fi.

Courageous (The Lost Fleet, Book 3) continues the action, suspense, and great battle sequences of the first two books in the series, while expanding the characterizations to a new level. It's another great read.

Can't wait to devour Book 4!!!

So far the best book in the series. I would recommend reading this series in order though. It starts out with a nagging familiarity to the first 2 books but suddenly takes a turn and winds up with a real cliff hanger ending.

Interpersonal relationships become more important and John shows that he too can be depressed and uncertain.

Some good humor as what would you call a gadget with an acronym MMU which grazes in minerals but a moo moo or cow.

Overall outstanding read.

I enjoyed the first book of this series, but by the third was ready for it to be over. When I discovered there were three more waiting for me I was dismayed, having little appetite for more. Campbell's writing is serviceable, and the plot is imaginative, but neither are up to the task of carrying this story for 6 volumes without it becoming stale.

I enjoyed the first two books; they were enjoyable space operas with well-designed space battles that combined real-world physics with engagingly written strategy. Unfortunately this third installment shows a pattern of formula that is becoming increasingly predictable.

The only two fleet clashes have the 2-dimensional Syndics being routed yet again; what little tension there is centers around dwindling resources. And enough with Rione, who went from an interesting character to a bi-polar shrew in one book flat; enough with "Ooooh, you're becoming The Great Black Jack Geary" nagging already. The hint of the triangle between Geary, Rione and Desjani has also fizzled into a gossip-fest; is this a war fleet or a junior high school?

The writing has also suffered; the dialogue between Rione and Geary was so mechanical I had to speed-read through it just to stay awake. And the revalation of Desjani wanting to be a book publisher and the slam on literary agents was a nerdy and downright embarrassing "inside joke" that detracted badly from the story.

Even the cover art went down a notch; did the artist even look at the previous covers? Geary went from looking like Lou Diamond Phillips to a crudely drawn Captain Reynolds from Firefly; what's up with that? (We all know Black Jack Geary looks like Hugh Jackman anyway. Or is it just me?).

The first two books are good enough to entice me into giving Book 4 a chance, and the "cliffhanger" ending of Book 3 gives some promise of this series getting back into gear, but one more "filler" book like #3 and I'm done.

Get it in gear, Black Jack Campbell! You owe me $5.

All three books of The Lost fleet are excellent. Campbell has the perfect mix of action and characterization. I find that I cannot wait until the next volume comes out.

Most of the new sci-fi I pick up these days is suffers from various problems. In the worst case, many of the books are so badly written they are borderline nonsensical. I cannot count the times I picked up a book , attempted to read the book and simply could not understand what the heck was going on. That's usually when I get angry and write a review on Amazon. Then there are the books that although rational, are incredibly boring, because the author feels he must take a book that should be 300 pages, and turns it into a 700 page book. These books will have about 30 pages of action and 600 pages of boring conversation. Lately, David Weber and Harry Turtledove's books have been like this. Often the problem is that the author, in an attempt to write a series (usually at least three books), simply uses filler to stretch out the books. Each individual novel will leave the reader feeling cheated and empty.

Campbell is a gifted writer, and is not guilty of any of the above sins. His books are military Sci-fi and extremely well written. Although, he spends a lot of time describing the thought processes of the main character and hero, Jack Geary, I found it quite fascinating. The characters are very lifelike, and interesting. The only complaint I have ,is that we never meet the Syndics, who are the humans Geary is fighting against. We are told very little about them. There also should be more backdrop about what the human civilization is like. Evrything takes place on the battleship, so we really learn very little about what human culture is like in that era.

All three books of The Lost fleet are excellent. Campbell has the perfect mix of action and characterization. I find that I cannot wait until the next volume comes out.

Most of the new sci-fi I pick up these days is suffers from various problems. In the worst case, many of the books are so badly written they are borderline nonsensical. I cannot count the times I picked up a book , attempted to read the book and simply could not understand what the heck was going on. That's usually when I get angry and write a review on Amazon. Then there are the books that although rational, are incredibly boring, because the author feels he must take a book that should be 300 pages, and turns it into a 700 page book. These books will have about 30 pages of action and 600 pages of boring conversation. Lately, David Weber and Harry Turtledove's books have been like this. Often the problem is that the author, in an attempt to write a series (usually at least three books), simply uses filler to stretch out the books. Each individual novel will leave the reader feeling cheated and empty.

Campbell is a gifted writer, and is not guilty of any of the above sins. His books are military Sci-fi and extremely well written. Although, he spends a lot of time describing the thought processes of the main character and hero, Jack Geary, I found it quite fascinating. The characters are very lifelike, and interesting. The only complaint I have ,is that we never meet the Syndics, who are the humans Geary is fighting against. We are told very little about them. There also should be more backdrop about what the human galactic civilization is like, because evrything takes place on the battleships.

All three books of The Lost fleet are excellent. Campbell has the perfect mix of action and characterization. I find that I cannot wait until the next volume comes out.

Most of the new sci-fi I pick up these days is suffers from various problems. In the worst case, many of the books are so badly written they are borderline nonsensical. I cannot count the times I picked up a book , attempted to read the book and could not simply understand what the heck was going on. That's usually when I get angry and write a review on Amazon. Then there are the books that although rational, are incredibly boring, because the author feels he must take a book that should be 300 pages, and turns it into a 600 page book. These books will have about 30 pages of action and 500 pages of boring conversation. Lately, David Weber and Harry Turtledove's books have been like this. Often the problem is that the author, in an attempt to write a series (usually at least three books), simply uses filler to stretch out the books. Each individual novel will leave the reader feeling cheated and empty.

Campbell is a gifted writer, and is not guilty of any of the above sins. His books are military Sci-fi and extremely well written. Although, he spends a lot of time describing the thought processes of the main character and hero, Jack Geary, I found it quite fascinating. The characters are very lifelike, and interesting.

This is book 3. Where is book 2. Its not on Kindle.............sloppy implementation of ebooks. Very dissapointed with Kindle content.

While I must say this was one of the faster reads in the series it was also one of the finest to date. I say, to date, as I honestly can't wait to see what the next one entails and wish it was out next week!

Overall in this book we see the good captain fighting once again not only the Syndic but (to a lesser extent this time) his own command. While this may be seem by some to be a bit odd in that you would expect he would have won more favor by now it still holds you to the book wondering how he will deal with a war (of sorts) on three fronts. The Syndic, his command and even himself. Perhaps the greatest question not yet answered is who is the 4th party who seem to be helping the Syndic but perhaps have designs of their own on the whole of Humanity?

Without going too much into the book it's perhaps a bit "simple" in its writing and style but frankly that's what makes it so appealing. Gone is the over technical details of the battles. Gone are the overdone explanations of technology. Here is simply one guy trying to figure out how to get home and get the rest of his group home too, when most days you feel he'd rather just give up.

I think that's why most find the series so appealing in that we can actually relate to this guy on some level or another and in that aspect want to read more and more of the series

This just wasn't a very good book. In essence, it had a couple of plot points it needed to advance the overall story, but this book did essentially nothing. I enjoyed the first two books enormously, but this one is just filler, plain and simple. It really felt like the author needed to kick out a book on a certain time frame, and did this so he could keep writing the story he wanted. You could certainly skip this in the series and you'd be better off financially, you'd save yourself time to read good books, and you'd still be able to pick up the story when the fourth book comes out.

Pity poor Jack Campbell.

He writes two military sci fi books in a market chocabloc full of similar books and both score consistently high ratings, which is why I bought and read the first two books in this series. The second ends on a precipice and many readers, like myself, are sitting on the edge of seats waiting to pick up the third.

Alas, the third comes and goes, and I cant help but feel my good mate jack has let me down. Just more of the same. More running, another internal Captain raises their head to spite ol' Black Jack Geary, and there's still the tantalising hint of aliens in the background pulling Humanity's strings.

I heartily recommend this "Lost Fleet" series, but as a stand alone book, this third installment is rather bland.

I guess even the more talented authors out there run out of puff from time to time. But never fear, for I shall be there for the next book.

I notice most of the "we found this review useful" ratings are for those who rated the book highly and those who gave 3 stars or lower arent rated at all.

Dudes, this is not a popularity contest.

Yes you read the title correctly. The author takes a time out to.... Oh I don't know what he is doing here exactly. I reviewed the first two novels by comparing them to a John Wayne movies. You know the first was a wagon train in Indian country and the second one was the navy in WWII. This one is... a soap opera. The author takes time to set up the dealings of the characters and their desires. You know: Will Geary sleep with Capt. Desjani? Will Rione stop sleeping with Geary because her husband maybe alive? Will the screct commanders who are working against Geary topple him? Can the fleet ever get enough supplies? Will Geary become Black Jack and become dictator of the Alliance? You know the usual stuff that takes place in your everyday space fleet. What about the aliens that know one knows about? Can the fleet always win a battle? Which there is only one or two good ones in this novel. Only in the last three pages does the author finally take off in a direction or rather reverses himself in a direction. Look if you have read the first two then you will read this one. The characters are becoming clearer in their personalities and actions. Themes are revisited and restated. Is it a good book? Only in the sense that I want to read the fourth one to see what the he_l is going on. It is not as good as the first two, but it is a bridge to rest of the upcoming stories. So it is only a 3 star book.

The main themes in this book are not just the typical fish-out-of-water story (although it has that), but the struggle between doing the right thing because it's right or because it's easy. Jack Geary has been idolized as a hero "Black Jack" and is starting to really struggle against becoming a dictator. He knows that there is a contingent of captains (he's the fleet commander) who think his "new" ways of doing things are dishonorable and heretical; these captains are the most likely to not just get themselves killed, but all the men and women aboard their ships, too. It would be so easy to just toss them in jail before this happens, but where would he draw the line? How many people would he imprison just because they disagree with him or challenge him? So he tries to follow the rules, but knows that it could get people hurt. He doesn't want to become "Black Jack", but that's what the second contingent of captains want. They want him to take command and maybe even take over the Alliance as a political dictator. They think he's been sent back by their ancestors to save them and he can do no wrong in their eyes. But he's only human ... which is how the smallest contingent sees him, a man and not an iconic legend. This book, Courageous, is more about this struggle than their trip home. Really good book and great series.

Courageous is another enjoyable addition to Jack Campbell's Space Opera series and you won't be disappointed. Jack Campbell's (John Hemry) writing style improves and solidifies with each book and his storytelling remains consistently strong. As far as the technical knowledge and military expertise wrapped into his novels, Campbell/Hemry is one of the best!

I continue to enjoy the way he mixes his expertise in military tactics with the problems and challenges of military leadership. He obviously draws from his own past experiences in the military, but adroitly adapts these "lessons-learned" to the unique universe he has created with the war between the Syndics and the Alliance.

The aspect of this current installment that has improved the most (in my opinion) is the way Campbell discusses the personal lives and relationships of his Officers. The writing style dealing with personal issues in this current novel is much more fluid and woven more tightly into the overall novel.

As always, I now look forward to the NEXT installment! Get busy and publish the next one Jack!!

Courageous is another fun-to-read addition to Jack Campbell's Space Opera series and you won't be disappointed. Jack Campbell's (John Hemry) writing style improves and solidifies with each book and his storytelling remains consistently strong.

I continue to enjoy the way he mixes his expertise in military tactics with the problems and challenges of military leadership. He obviously draws from his own past experiences in the military, but adroitly adapts these "lessons-learned" to the unique universe he has created with the war between the Syndics and the Alliance.

The aspect of this current installment that has improved the most (in my opinion) is the way Campbell discusses the personal lives and relationships of his Officers. The writing style dealing with personal issues in this current novel is much more fluid and woven more tightly into the overall novel.

As always, I now look forward to the NEXT installment! Get busy and publish the next one Jack!!

This book is not as good as its predecessors. Its repetitive and introduces nothing new to this series. The plot repeats battle scenes and actions used previously. The personal crises of the hero are repetitive as well. Where the first 2 books deployed some literary devices cleverly, this one does not. As shown by the first 2 books, Campbell can definitely do better and perhaps the next book will be better.

The first two books in this series were very good. The overall feel is that of the Aubrey/Maturin series of naval tactics and strategy and a friendship/rivalry between the Captain and a trusted advisor.

This book seems to have fallen off in terms of writing style and its story line. The fleet continues to make its way home, and is faced with increasingly difficult choices. But the nature of the relationship between Jack and the Co-President seems less real in this book, owing to the multiple swings in the mood between them. The battle scenes are still good, but seemed shorter and less rich than in the previous books.

I still like this series, and look forward to a resolution of the fleet's fate. But just as Jack cannot afford a war of attrition, this series needs to find a way to restore its winning ways or it will wear out its welcome before the final book.

I don't know if it's my imagination, but Mr. Campbell's prose seems to have deteriorated from his previous books - it wasn't great to begin with, but it was good enough to get past and enjoy the storyline. It doesn't seem like the same author, now. His dialogue is even more stilted, and one of the hero's new affectations - e.g., saying "Yeah" all the time - strikes such a dissonant chord that I can't get past the first few pages. I'll have to dig out his previous books of The Lost Fleet and see if he's the same there or I've just gotten more choosey. It's just not worth reading, though, to see how it all turns out.

I have been a reader of military scifi for the past twenty years. Jack Campbell nicely strikes the balance with another winner in his "Lost Fleet" series. The tenants of leadership are right on. His writing is excellent and he deserves to rank right up there the best of them. This is one of the few books that I was willing to preorder without readin reviews and I was not disappointed.

For those of you in the field where leadership qualities play an important part, this book is a good read on what to do and how to remain true to oneself.

Wayne Lougheed
Zenith1@optonline.net

This isn't a long book (6-8 hour read if you don't read straight through it) but it is a great book for a commute or just a fun read.
No deep intellectual commentary, no overblown character development, just good old fashioned space opera style fun.
I love these books for everything they are. Don't go into it expect Neal Stephenson. Jack Campbell writes an exciting story where my only complaint is that it is too short!
I already have the next one on preorder. Thank you Mr Campbell!

I'm a fan of Mr. Campbell (aka John Hemry of the "Stark's War" series), and I own every book he's written so far. As with his other work, I was not disappointed with The Lost Fleet series. My only qualm was essentially "less sex, more violence". "Stark's War" and it's sequels did an excellent job of this; though I think that the character development is more profound in the "Lost Fleet" series, I still gotta go with more explosions and fighting versus the main character and his female sometime-antagonist racking it up.

That nonwithstanding, it's by far and away an excellent book. Made the gal at Barnes and Noble go get it out of the back so I could buy a copy. Well worth it; treat yourself to a copy!

The Story of the Lost Fleet and Captain John "Black Jack" Geary is still going strong with this third installment. He faces new challenges as the Sydic begins to corner him. The story is about Geary and how a man rescue after a hundred years in frozen sleep finds himself in command of a fleet of battleships, battlecruisers and hundreds of smaller ships. Turned in a legend during his sleep he finds that the world has change, but the world is learning that he is man to change it. By the end of this book you are ready for the next one. If you love the David Weber Honor Harrington Series or Mike Shepherds' Kris Longkife then these books are for you.