Character driven space warfare
342000
Very well written series with a broad range of characters. Emphasis is on characters, their relationships with each other, and excellent plotting. Reluctant hero demonstrates the importance of book smarts combined with the probable lunacy of needing to fix whatever he sees in front of him.

Also, I could barely stand to put the books down, and probably lost half a nights worth of sleep because I didn't want to stop reading.
3083793
Id considered reading this series for a long time since the majority of the reviews seemed generally positive.  The first book in this series, The Silver Ships, is engagingly written and is a quick and easy read.  Having read lots of the space opera genre, I would consider this first book to be space opera light.  By that I mean the characters and premise are lightly defined. The characters start with strong personalities but with the exception of the protagonist, Alex, the others whither (or become anything other than strong) as the book progresses.  Alex, a space tug captain, discovers a drifting alien starship rendered inoperable by attacking Silver Ships, boards it for salvage, discovers a crew in stasis and the adventure begins.  What I did like the most about this book were the running interpersonal exchanges between Alex and the alien starships AI, Julien.  I did finish reading this book very quickly as it was engaging.  I plan on reading book 2, Libre, and suspect the depth of character development and plot will deepen.  Since Im late to beginning this series, Im pleased there are currently four books available which certainly enhances the continuity of the story telling.
297188
This book has a mixture of complexity, good action and awesome characters.

Their is a "Star Trek" and "Ecco the Dolphin" (Defender of Earth's Future game) atmosphere within the story, especially with "Ecco".

Locuxu, Sia and the Pattal dolphins in turn wear cybernetic/mechanical harnesses.

There is a level in "Ecco the Dolphin :Defender of Earth's Future" where "Ecco" wears a harness to get through the level.

No doubt the author was thinking about/playing this game when she wrote the book, If not it is a interesting coincidence.

Pros:
The action in the book is well done and keeps you glued to the pages.
The character are well written and believable

Con:
Complex in terminology, I was unable to grasp what a "Highsong" or Mindnote was or to what the alien race after the good guys were capable of.

The cover of the book is amazing, it looks like a scene from a well done animated short.

Spoiler:

This scene actual happens in the book where a octopus creature is trying to pull in Sia (the dolphin) and she destroys it with her "Highsong"
ability.
3907888
The story has a well developed plot line that is character driven. I enjoyed the tale and thought the author built a refreshing story; it didn't feel like many of the space opera stories I've read. The setting is a human empire that is conquered and many of the key military leaders are scattered. We learn of the resistance and the watch the behind the scenes rebuilding of a command structure to resist the new rulers. Much of the story is about a particular family that is connected with the defense forces and the Emperor.

No spoilers from me but I can say it is a complete story with a lead into the next book. If you enjoy space operas you should read this story.

To the author: I liked your cover art selection.
871121
I enjoyed this new sci fi novel by Dalzelle, author of the Omega Force series. This book is written less like a buddy road trip than the OF books, and more like a Star Trek episode (even down to a few lines of dialog). The world as we know it is threatened by seemingly invincible aliens, and only one man has the chutzpah to stand up to them. He's got a chip on his shoulder and he needs to prove that he doesn't deserve the bad breaks he's had in his career. He has to stand up against the aliens, his superiors, and even his crew. This Captain Wolfe is written as a reasonably complex character, as is his next-in-command, but beyond that the rest of the characters are pretty much along for the ride. But we're not really reading this for deep character development, are we? The action is interesting and well paced, and leaves room for round 2 and beyond with the not-quite-so-invincible aliens.
2039915
Pretty straight-forward game.  One conquers planets and uses resources accumulated therefrom to create ships and invade and conquer other planets.  Battle sequences are kind of lame, but this is more of a true turn based game than one of the Total War variety.
1660313
A very rousing tale of space adventuring, I found it hard to put down. Very literally a good vs evil situation, with some question to what is really good or evil. Quite liked the premise of far future human/angel hybrids going to see what is at the edge of the universe. However an exploratory mission turns horribly wrong sending the mission into great peril against a seemingly invincible enemy. Some familiar elements are here, the plucky crew refusing to die or surrender no matter the odds, colorful aliens, Interpersonal conflicts and sudden sexual encounters. Many close calls and white knuckle escapes.. Space battles and ground battles with beam weapons and laser swords. Exotic worlds and mysterious lifeforms. But there were enough elements that were different to intrigue me. I haven't read the original Dark Space series, I'm sure I would have had some deeper insight into backstories, but I never felt I was missing out. I was highly entertained by this story. My first exposure to Jasper T Scotts work but it won't be my last.
3957804
The X-series of games is considered by many to be the extension of Privateer and Freelancer, only much more intricate and in-depth.  In this game, the player assumes the role of the nameless adventurer with no history.  That is, unless you play the story missions.  In X3, you can do almost anything you wish from being a businessman to a ruthless fighter and everything in between.  You can buy almost any ship in the game such as small ships built for speed, heavy fighters, and huge capital ships.  You can also build your own space stations and other orbital facilities.  Of course, you need to have the appropriate reputation with a given faction to buy their ships, they obviously don't want to sell a battleship to someone they don't trust.  There are many sectors which you can play in, each with their own assortment of inhabitants, space stations, and missions.  The storyline missions are largely unremarkable, most players will enjoy playing the game without being tied down to any plot.  The game doesn't anchor the player to the plot and they are free to do what they want, it is story optional.  The universe the game is set in will change based upon your influence.  I've noticed that if I place a space station that manufactures a device in a region where I'm the only one who can, the economy and regional makeup will slowly adapt to my presence.

X3: Terran Conflict is superior to the original X3: Reunion in a number of ways.  First, the user interface is more streamlined and easier to use.  Second, there is an additional faction you can play as.  Third, there are additional ships and components you can use in the game.  For those who have X3: Reunion, this isn't that large of a jump since it takes place in the same area of space with almost identical models and controls.  X3: Terran Conflict is pretty much X3: Reunion with the free mod X-tended applied.  However, many of the bugs and integration issues from the mod have been mostly resolved.

On the technical side of the things, patches are numerous for the X-Series and X3 is no different.  It is strongly suggested you have a PC with at least the recommended specifications in order to play.  Even on high-end systems, this game will use almost every resource available to it.  If your PC has the necessary power, this game is visually stunning.  I often found myself marveling at the planets and looking at their reflection off the hull of my ship.  The voice acting and story line of the game leave much to be desired.  There is no multiplayer for this or any other X game, but the modding community is very active.  This means you can add in other ships and create new missions.

The X-series of games is not meant for everyone.  Many players will grow annoyed at the lack of a storyline and, outside of space battles, a slower pace to the game.  Given the scale of X3, the controls take some getting used to as almost every key on the keyboard will be used at some point.  Newcomers to the franchise should play the tutorial missions to better understand the game and how it works.  Even then, there is a steep learning curve.  Veterans of the series will enjoy the added functionality and new sectors to explore.  Having played X2: The Threat and the original X3: Reunion, X3: Terran Conflict improves the franchise.  Every time a new version of X is released, it always seems to improve on the previous games.  X3 is recommended for anyone who likes open-ended gameplay, especially if it is set in space.
1145778
Pretty standard military science fiction set in a dystopian Earth future with FTL travel and rather traditional plotting and setting.
I'm a huge fan of the military space opera novels of Peter Hamilton (Night's Dawn, Commonwealth Saga) and James SA Corey (The Expanse) because the space battles and military hierarchy are secondary to the character development and there are usually interesting questions raised by the world-building and technological advancements presented.

This book by Marko Kloos is the first in what I understand is a well-regarded series (FRONTLINES) but to me it's like if you stripped out all the interesting or appealing aspects of the sci-fi by Corey and Hamilton. I don't play video games so maybe this kind of work appeals to those who do.

The one aspect of the book that I do give props to Mr. Kloos is his gender politics. This is a military with apparently a fully integrated female contingent of soldiers. However, other social issues (I.e. Racial and ethnic diversity, non-heteronormativity) are not addressed at all. Issues involving class and military corruption are strongly hinted at.

There's not much that distinguishes this series from the Black Fleet series by Joshua Dalzelle or any other of the myriad other military science fiction tales out there where the military aspect is primary.
845732
sci fi, spy craft and honorable heroes make up this fabulous story of a successful human race against alien enemies.  evil and highly unusual aliens set the stage for fascinating conflict in this military science fiction series.
3943253
I have already provided an earlier review of this game. Here is an addendum comparing Starfleet Command (SFC) vs Armada vs Dominion Wars (DW)- all of which I have played.
SFC
Pros
 -larger variety in missions.
 -you get to follow a starfleet career
 -detailed control of ship systems
Cons
 -too few ships per battle
 -careers too short
Armada
pros
 -good story animation sequences.
 -fun to be able to play all sides as integrated part of the storyline.
cons
 -terrible battle sequences- basically army troops posing as star trek ships so the ships fly in strange formations. The game is really Command and Conquer with star ship sprites.
 -far too many campaigns and starts to get repetitive.
 -2D sprites
DW
pros
 -excellent big fleet battle sequences.
 -beautiful graphics.
 -high level control of ship systems.
cons
 -Weak story animation sequences.
 -Game gets repetitive.
 -Problems running on some graphics cards.
4193529
I enjoyed this book as a good action book with enough personal interactions between characters so that it wasn't just hopping from space-battle to space-battle. Finished it in about three days (yes, I have a day job). To me, it seemed like an amalgamation of B.V. Larson's "Star Force" series and Nathan Lowell's "Trader's Tales" series. The "No Violence" rating was the best I could use, as there's some depiction of space fighting, but no real "in-you-face" blood or gore.
2549449
If you are into space military adventures, this book will not disappoint. While vague on details at times, it relies on and makes good use of technology widely used in similar books.  Looking forward to reading more of the series.
601133
Good beginning to the series. Fans of fast paced space based fleet combat will enjoy it. The theme for much of this style of scyfy is atypical in that it is the Earth against the universe, but the author finds his hook with the characters and ship, and a mysterious subplot near the end. I have just started book two and it continues at the same fast pace.
4794984
This is an great opener for a space opera series. Action and character development are well paced. The "rules for the universe" are introduced and make a solid enough foundation for the author to build on. I like the characters and their flaws, and how their flaws work to shape their stories. Even though they are set in a far future they are still people I recognise with motives I understand. I look forward to reading more in this series.
3195221
Wow, talk about a niche product within a niche product! This is all the rules you need to do some Roleplaying in the Star Fleet Universe, home to Star Fleet Battles.

It is based on Star Trek, and shares a lot of similarities with that. But the publisher of the game has a special Paramount contract that only allows them to use ships, designs, and aliens from The Original Series, but not any characters from those series. So while you will see Vulcans, you won't see Spock. And while you have the Federation, Klingons, Romulans and such, you won't see the term "Star Trek" on any of this.

I own this RPG, and I like it. It is full of good background material on all of the Star Fleet Universe races. I have never played it, and likely won't, but from what I can tell the rules seem to be fairly all-encompassing. It is standard roleplaying stuff, with a few interesting things added in, like each player getting bonus points for using their "catchphrase". Such as... "He's dead, Jim." "Fascinating." "She canna take much more, Captain!"

This is a thick book with a lot of info. Considering that Star Fleet Battles as a wargame is a niche product already, I see Prime Directive as being an ultra-niche product. But I'm still happy to own it.
3225866
First interstellar earth ship voyage encounters humans light years away who are being menaced by a strange and powerful alien race. Lots of good military strategy and exciting battle scenarios. Hard to put down. I liked the author's definition of a soldier: "A soldiers first duty is not to fight but to stand between his nation and any who might wish it harm."
Recommend.