The Midway Star System has been liberated but the Syndicate Worlds will not let it go without a major fight. President Gwen Iceni and General Arthur Drakon are trying their hardest to keep the system safe but they are hopelessly outnumbered and outgunned. When the Ulindi Star System comes under attack, the battle is on. THE LOST STARS: IMPERFECT SWORD twists and turns on its path to the final battle.

This reminds me of Star Trek without the diplomacy and with a lot more talking than action. Political subterfuge, whether fictional or not, does not exactly float my boat. I am not sure who I am supposed to root for and I am not sure what is going on for either side of the equation. The ideal fiction sequel gives enough background information that even a newcomer can understand the situations in the book. Even a cast of characters would be helpful. THE LOST STARS: IMPERFECT SWORD has no such resources, and as a result I was unfortunately completely lost. What is a CEO? What is a snake? Who knows? I can guess, but this guesswork takes too much mental power away from the book.

The characters are very one-dimensional. I have some trouble telling one from another; I can't even tell which ones are women, men, or what-have-you. I like Colonel Morgan as a character; she has wit and bite and is very clever. However, I don't trust her as a person and so I feel I'm rooting for a bad guy or a mole. Overall, so many interpersonal character conflicts feel unresolved by the end of the book that I feel a great emptiness in the heart.

As for the action, it is not as well-written as it could be. Since there are battlefields in space and battle cruisers, there should be some definition to the commands. The military structure is airtight, but the battles and strategies could have used a little more work. This goes also to the quality of the prose; it was certainly lacking in most areas, as the novel was so dialogue-heavy.

THE LOST STARS: IMPERFECT SWORD is an action science fiction novel which is more full of talk rather than of action. Fans of The Lost Stars series will certainly find this a worthy read. For everyone else, approach with caution, optimism, an open mind, and a whole lot of time to look up definitions.

Book Summary

The wait is over. New York Times bestselling author Jack Campbell continues his action-packed spin-off to The Lost Fleet series as the Syndicate’s civil war threatens to spread even farther into the final frontier. President Gwen Iceni and General Artur Drakon have successfully liberated the Midway Star System—but the former rulers of the Syndicate Worlds won’t surrender the region without a fight. The dictatorial regime has ordered the ex-Syndicate CEOs terminated with extreme prejudice and the system’s citizens punished for their defiance. Outnumbered and led by junior officers hastily promoted in the wake of the uprising, Midway’s warships are no match for the fleet massing and preparing to strike. But the Syndicate isn’t the only threat facing Iceni and Drakon. Another former CEO has taken control of the Ulindi Star System, the first calculated move toward establishing his own little empire. With Drakon’s ground forces dispatched to Ulindi, Midway erupts in violence as Syndicate agents and other, unknown enemies stoke a renewed revolt against Iceni’s power— leaving both her and Drakon vulnerable to trusted officers just waiting for an opportune moment to betray them.