Jack Campbell returns to the world of the New York Times best-selling Lost Fleet novels with a new action-packed military science fiction series that explores the founding of the Alliance...and the men and women who fought to create it.

Earth is no longer the center of the universe. After the invention of the faster-than-light jump drive, humanity is rapidly establishing new colonies. But the vast distances of space mean that the old order of protection and interstellar law offered by Earth has ceased to exist.

When a nearby world attacks, the new colony of Glenlyon turns to Robert Geary, a young former junior fleet officer, and Mele Darcy, a onetime enlisted marine. With nothing but improvised weapons and a few volunteers, Geary and Darcy must face down warships and armored soldiers - or die trying.

As battles rage and pirates take an increasing toll throughout the colonies, the only hope for lasting peace lies with Carmen Ochoa, a "Red" from the anarchic world of Mars, and Lochan Nakamura, a failed politician. They have a plan: to lay the groundwork for mutual defense that could someday grow into an alliance. But if their efforts don't succeed, the growing power of aggressor worlds could turn regions of space founded on freedom into battlefields between the first interstellar empires.

Listening Length

9 hours and 27 minutes
Author

Jack Campbell
Narrator

Christian Rummel
Audible release date

May 16, 2017
Language

English
Publisher

Audible Studios
ASIN

B06XS3LK9T
Version

Unabridged
Program Type

Audiobook
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Product details

Listening Length	9 hours and 27 minutes
Author	Jack Campbell
Narrator	Christian Rummel
Whispersync for Voice	Ready
Audible.com Release Date	May 16, 2017
Publisher	Audible Studios
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B06XS3LK9T
Best Sellers Rank	#44,219 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals) #527 in Military Fantasy (Books) #680 in Military Science Fiction (Audible Books & Originals) #746 in War & Military Fiction

Customer reviews

5 star		64%
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2 star 0% (0%)		0%
1 star		1%

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Top reviews from the United States

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Very Disappointing

Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2018

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I went out on a limb and paid $12.99 for this as I have enjoyed the author’s Lost Fleet series. This was very disappointing at this price point as the book was very slow and didn’t have much in terms of character development. Without having a spoiler, I had to call “bull” on several of the scenes as happening one time was extremely lucky, but having the same scenario happen again was just not realistic. I kept thinking this one would get better but it was just wishful thinking.

If you have previously enjoyed the Lost Fleet series, I would highly recommend you save your money and wait until this goes to something like $2.99 or less for the Kindle version.

16 people found this helpful

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sam

lots of Politics

Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2022

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Tiny bit spoiler alert:
I hate political intrigue. The only thing that kept me in this book was the science fiction. The politics could go to hell. I get no joy reading so much of a book for the heroes to be snubbed (sort of) in the end. I only gave this book 3 stars because of my personal opinion on politics. Do you know what?, I’ll even bump it up to four stars because the book was very well written. That being said, I don’t doubt many of you will enjoy it, I’m just a weird egg. I absolutely need a completely happy ending or I will never refer the book. So you take my opinion with a grain of salt but just know, lots of politics.

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anthony b.

An excellent beginning to the origin of the Alliance

Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2021

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Vanguard is a magnificent installment in the Lost Fleet mythos, and left me joyful at the thought of what came next. Geary's ancestor is a great character.
The space battles are of a smaller scale, but that feels believable, even necessary, given the scope of the series, and the battles find new ways to be flat out cool (such switch a boarding party). The senate alternately aiding and obstructing Geary was done as well as in with his ancestor in the main books, but felt more believable here.
The multiple characters and plot lines are all easy to get invested in, and be hopeful that more of them will join up later on. Male and her marines proivde some great, small scale ground combat scenes, but the planning behind their actions is the real highlight of her nov sections.
If you're a Lost Fleet fan, you should probably read this book.

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A bit disappointing

Reviewed in the United States on September 13, 2017

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Having a hard time getting into this book. The story jumps around a lot and I never seem to get that invested with any of the main characters because of that. And I'm listening to the MP3 audiobook edition and for whatever reason the narration is also turning me off. Christian Rummel has narrated a number of books that I've listened to before (most of the Lost Fleet series for example), but some of the accents he's doing in this book I find a bit annoying - especially all the Scottish accents (I'm assuming they are suppose to be Scottish - they are a bit cartoonish).

I'll continue listening and try to finish this out, but it's slow going. I love the other work that Jack Campbell has done, so I don't know why I'm having issues with this book.

ETA: Bumping up to four stars as I've gotten farther into the book and the separate storylines have merged into one another and now it's a lot easier to follow along with the story. The accents the narrator is doing are still a bit of an annoyance.

5 people found this helpful

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Kenneth

Military Sci-Fi at its best

Reviewed in the United States on May 26, 2017

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As an avid Jack Campbell fan, I was totally thrilled to see a prequel series to the Lost Fleet books. Without fail, Campbell's writing is tight, thoughtful, and filled with some "I did not see that coming" moments. I did not give the book 5 stars for one reason - I just got tired of the "you can turn your life around" and "If I just do things by right it will all work out" dialogue. Black Jack was morally upright to a fault and it was obviously a family trait. I get it. Move on. Campbell could have dropped a few thousand words of preaching and added more exciting content. That being said, I still loved the book and am waiting for book two of the series.

7 people found this helpful

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M. Milligan

A bit clunky

Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2017

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Like most Campbell fans I've read all the series. In a way they're like popcorn -- easy to keep munching, not a lot of nutrition. The formula and the characters are predictable, and yet the ride is always fun. This book is less likable than most of his others because he's so obviously setting the framework for future volumes, and in the process we have too many talking heads explaining things, too many strands yet to be woven together. Still, it's going to be a good ride once he gets going.

9 people found this helpful

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D. G. HulanTop Contributor: Fantasy Books

A good start to a new series

Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2017

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This is set in the universe of the “Lost Fleet” and “Lost Stars” series, but several hundred years earlier, I think. Mankind has just discovered the jump drive, and has started fanning out over the nearer stars, starting settlements on habitable worlds. But, as you’d expect knowing human nature, some colonists decide it would be easier to concentrate on building fighting ships and raiding other planets than to build up a strong local economy. Robert Geary, a former junior officer of the Earth fleet that policed the Solar System before the jump drive, is one of the protagonists, and one presumes that “Black Jack” Geary of the “Lost Fleet” series is at least a collateral descendant of his. The other POV characters don’t have names as memorable, but they include Mele Darcy, a former space marine; Carmen Ochoa, a “Red” from the anarchic world of Mars; and Lochan Nakamura, a failed politician on Earth but possibly one who can get something useful organized in the outer worlds. An interesting combination of military and political SF in the not-too-distant future. I’m sure more books are planned in the series.

One person found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Paul Tapner

The defence of Glenlyon

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 2, 2017

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A new novel from writer of military science fiction Jack Campbell, set in the same future history as his popular 'Lost Fleet' stories. This is a prequel to those, so people who haven't read any of his other books can pick this up easily enough, as no foreknowledge is required.

It runs for three hundred and seventy six pages. It's divided into fifteen chapters. And being the start of a series, ends with set up for more to come.

In this setting, humanity is getting out to the stars at a fast rate, and colonies are being set up in many star systems. Earth is getting rather left behind and starting to get insular.

The colonies face problems. Getting along without much if any support from Earth. Setting up laws. Obeying existing ones. And attacks from other colonies who aren't so friendly.

The bulk of the story is set on the colony Glenlyon, who face the problem of attacks from another world. It's all seen through the eyes of four characters. Robert Geary, former fleet officer from another colony who become Gelnlyon's best hope. Mele Darcy, once an enlisted marine. Failed politican and failure at many things Lochan Nakamura, and conflict resolver Carmen Ochoa, a lady with a troubled heritage.

All four are looking for something new and purpose in life. Fate has offered all of them opportunities...

As ever, the writer does good decent and readable prose so this does zip along nicely enough, making the pages turn very well. It's not a book with a lot of action. It's more character drama about the four leads, and how their new lifes go. But in that respect, this is really rather good. All are affable and sympathetic characters who you do find yourself rooting for, and it's a great read watching how things go for them.

Those who want action will get it eventually. Interestingly different from the writer's other books as it's on a smaller scale in certain respects. Although this is also capably written the action in the last quarter isn't quite as interesting as the best of the character moments, but it's still good enough reading.

There's also, as ever, combat that obeys the laws of physics, and soldiers having to deal with politics. Plus interesting looks at how law works in this setting.

If you want a book of action this may not be for you, but for the start of a good character story in this setting, this is pretty good. Since it's the start of the series and thus there's clearly a lot more to come, a couple of the characters don't get a look in for the last quarter of the book. But it did leave me wanting to know what will happen next to all of them. So I look forward to book two.

2 people found this helpful

JPS

Chatty and slow, to begin with

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 5, 2017

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I was a bit disappointed by this first title of Jack Campbell’s new prequel series. The idea – to show the initial expansion of human race across the stars from “Old Earth” and the “Old Colonies” both up and down the spiral – is a great one. So is the introduction of a Geary ancestor who, of course, is one of the story’s main heroes (although not the only one).

The first half part of the book was a bit of a problem. I found it chatty and slow, as reflected by this review’s title, with the text essentially made up of dialogues between some of the main characters who keep feeling sorry for themselves. This was a pity because it made the reading rather boring and at times even annoying since the characters seem to be largely self-centred or at least quite gifted at talking about themselves, their aspirations and pseudo-morals.

I therefore had to struggle not to drop the book. It is also a pity because this could have been mitigated by introducing more “world-building”, that is more narrative about Earth’s history and that of the early colonisation of the so-called “old colonies”. Instead, you only get a few glimpses here and there as one or the other character - from Mars or Franklin, in particular – mentions a few scattered elements as part of their own past.

However, if you manage to stick with this book till you make it hallway through, things get better because you get – at last – some action. While largely predictable, the action scenes are rather good, especially the attempt to assassinate one of the colony’s government. This redeems the book to a large extent and allows me to rate it three stars. I will read the second instalment if only because I hope it to be more entertaining.

8 people found this helpful

M Harold Page

If Asimov and Heinlein had a baby, and he co-wrote Traveller fiction with H Beam Piper...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 1, 2021

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Just to be clear, this is book is a thing in itself... a modern SF adventure novel with a co-ed cast and equal opportunity violence.

However, it hits the notes of yesteryear. It's about people caught in the grand sweep of history - imagine Foundation, but with better female characters - and big ideas around politics and the military - think, Heinlein, but not libertarian - and military adventure and derring-do - Space Vikings, but with a moral compass.

And at the same time it's grounded in a plausible future, in a backwater mixed-tech setting, not unlike what you might encounter in the Traveller tabletop roleplaying game, so much so that it's like a worked example of how to do space battles and infantry assaults, without letting the powerful technology screw things up.

Oh, and an immensely enjoyable read.

Jim Alexander

this is solid military SF with some good space battles and good space combat

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 15, 2017

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Fits right in with the other three lost fleet series; The Lost Fleet, The Lost Fleet; Beyond the Frontier and The Lost Stars.

If you've read these series you know exactly what is coming, this is solid military SF with some good space battles and good space combat.

The only thing that I struggled with a little, was the blatant references (these being ancestors) to so many of the "main" series characters, it felt a little unnecessary at times to name drop so many characters, literally for the sake of name dropping them (Desjani's ancestor is a good example here).

Other than that, clearly setting up a follow on novel which I will definitely buy when it is released.

3 people found this helpful

L. James

Gets better after a slow start

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 6, 2019

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I really enjoyed the lost fleet series, so was keen to try this book. Started very slow - I guess, rather needing to set the new scene and may be it was necessary, but it was not particularly exciting. However, the time taken to develop the story wasn't, in the end, wasted. The final third of the book is pretty strong writing and enjoyable. I will certainly order book 2 and 3 of this series, as I think the story will be worth it.

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