Beyond the Frontier: Dreadnaught
The Lost Fleet series, No 7
Jack Campbell

Ace
May 2011/ ISBN 9780441020379
Science Fiction
Amazon

Reviewed by Heather Buchanan

The Lost Fleet: Beyond the Frontier: Dreadnaught is Book 7 in a series about a military hero who is called to action once again after being awakened from a cryogenic sleep to take command of his fleet against a longtime enemy, the Syndicate Worlds. Upon being awakened by his government after a century has passed, Captain John “Black Jack” Geary is promoted to Admiral. Due to his victory before the sleep, he has truly become a hero of the people; however, there are politicians who feel threatened by having him back on the scene.

As a book intended to launch a new series, Dreadnaught begins with the same characters and situations that suggest a continuation instead, but the book does delve deeper into established backstories to fill in blanks for readers of the previous installments before launching into the new storyline. While character development could have been stronger for secondary characters, Jack Geary remains an engaging and memorable character who fits the mold for a likeable hero.

Campbell does a good job of using dialogue to explain the finer details of military strategy and protocol. However, the book is overwhelmed with continuous dialogue, with little-to-no-action until the last twenty pages or so. For fans of the previous books, this is a major departure. For readers starting off with this book, they may be put off by the incessant dialogue. If they see the book through until the end, however, they will find the roots of an entirely new series to come, with a new threat to the fleet lying in wait beyond known space.

Review for Dauntless, 1st in series