Duel in the Dark (Blood on the Stars Book 1)

Jay Allan has written a classic of amazing proportions. The characterization is exquisite. Both the good guys and the bad are depicted as people who just do their job. The portrayal of fighter pilots is one I treasure and is very accurate(I am a retired fighter pilot). Well done Jay.

This was better than expected I'm already reading A Couple of other Series so I was hesitant to start another but I'm very glad I did Interesting world Building good Characters liked the tech & The Explanations of it & The basic History of some of the Major Powers. Going to start reading the 2nd Book now.

Very good characters and story but hard to focus on due to poor editing. I kept having to reread sentences to find what the intended meaning was when there were extra words or poor grammar. Could have been a five star but had to give it a 3. There was also excessive repetition.

This is a well written story with great characters, story flow and plot. The conflict between two adversaries was written so well, I wanted it to end in a draw and the story to continue for both sides.

This story is seen through the eyes of the captains of two battleships. The narrative from each captain is detailed and points out the opposing sides of the battle, but the changing of narrative from one captain to the other is not clear. An interesting read.

I enjoyed this space opera very much. The added dimension of three well defined societies (Classical Rome, Stalinist Russia, Modern America) provides an excellent foundation for future works. Kudos to the author!

Excellent setting for a series with interesting galactic wannabe empires playing politics and wars, brace captains dueling to the death itch the battleships.

Slightly slow as each character is painfully developed I the middle of the battle but nevertheless an excellent book.

Good development of main characters with a plot that carries opposing sides towards one another without getting bogged down in minutia. Couldn't put it down and looking forward to reading book 2. highly recommend!

Jay still hasn't disappointed me after having read quite a number of his books. Well written stories with excellent character development that keep you turning the pages. This was certainly one of those! On to the next in the series!

Excellent book, it kept my attention so much I didn't want to put it down. I look forward to reading the next in the series. I found many parallels to other books, and just by the terminology I almost think the author was a submariner

Excellent space war book. Two adversaries fighting, you want both of them to win. But only one can. Marines, fighter jocks, and a one to one duel with battleships; what more could you want. Looking forward to the rest of the series.

Jay Allen introduces us to a three-cornered game of interstellar war with a feint from the rear areas of Federation space. In his telling we are introduced to the people and the drivers behind two forces of nature and a page-turner of the results of their encounter. The only things that kind of nagged at me as I read it was a too frequent redescripion of some elements of the main character's history and an apparent lack of appreciation for chaff, flares, decoys and electronic countermeasures. I bought the book on a whim but really liked it. Thanks Jay!

This was a freebie. A nice retelling of "The Enemy Below"/ Star Trek's "Balance of Terror". Which does not harm the enjoyment of reading but it does keep it from getting 5 stars. Sit back, grab your tea and enjoy the ride.

If you like space battles, this book is for you. Captain Barron of the Confederacy faces off with Captain Rigellus of the Alliance. They are very different in upbringing and philosophy but equally strong and canny warriors. Who will win the victory?!

Jay Allan can really write battle scenes.. I find his books hard to put down. up there with Lindsey Buroker as my favorite authors.
when I run across a series of his books I just have to keep reading.

It has good character development, you come to like both, the tortured soul who does her duty even as she question's her orders and the one who tries to live up to what his expected of him because of his famous ancestor. The combat is well thought out and described. So why only 3 stars...

Some of the chapter headings in the later parts of the book are misleading you are lead to believe that the POV is from one character but is not.
Also this has been done before, a duel between two antagonist's.

I'm exceedingly happy I found Jay Allen because this was an exciting story well written. I Loved the book and I'm happy to see the author has a number of books out. My kindle is acting up so I'm must cut this short.

Richard Ruppel

Suspenseful and entertaining military science fiction. The author treats both of the main adversaries sympathetically, although the secondary characters are not so finely drawn. I will likely read more books in this series and would recommend it to fans of space opera.

A little bit of repetition in the beginning but, then it took off . With a battle on the ground and a battle in space , it wasn't until the very end that I would know who would win . Thank you jay allen .

A great study on how two captains and their crews from two different worlds face off alone at a border to test each other's courage, resolve and will to win. No armada, just two powerful dreadnaught's encounter in a tactical nowhere that will change the course of which civilization will rule and whether millions will die in the resultant carnage.

What a great story. Well written and well executed. I found myself picturing a giant game of battleship but in the stars with planets in the way. The characters were well fleshed out and you actually care about them. A very human story.

The costs of war, glory and death, duty and humanity, the conflicts abound in this story among the stars. Tyler Barron a great starship captain, duty bound, getting the job done. Great battles and good people.

Always great writing, developing characters and exposing their motives more and more. The writing makes you understand where the character is coming from, but more importantly makes the book come alive.

I enjoyed this book very much. Thank you. The battle scenes are out standing. The background is well done and sets the scene just right for a fine story. I am going to look for the next book in the series,. Thanks again

I thought this was just another story so Much like others. But I was wrong. I think this is the first I have read of this author and I'm looking forward to reading more. The story is full of action and hard to put down.

Blood on the Stars does what many mainstream sci-fi franchises fail at, showing that war is brutal and unforgiving. Giving the perspectives of both factions, from the commanders, crewman, pilot and infantry. It doesn't hold back any punches. The strategy of war and the sacrifices that are made in the moment. While it has a slow start it makes up for it. If you're interested in sci-fi battles then this is a must read.

Wow! What a story. I have read science fiction for probably 60 years and I would have to put this book near the top of the list. I read it in one sitting. Couldn't put it down. Well done. I just bought book 2.

Great read! I enjoyed it very much. Less "tactical" than I tend to like my space opera, but it has some sound characters and makes for an enjoyable read. Got through it on one 3 hour flight and was ready for the rest of the series. I would highly recommend it.