A Novel from the Lost Fleet Universe - Shattered Spear (Book 4)

I would recommend that you read the other books in the Lost Stars Series before reading this final book.
John G Hemry hit a home run in this final book of the Lost Stars Series. I could not put the book down, and as soon as I finished it, I started over and re-read it again. The battle scenes are factual and suspenseful, and though I thought I knew how the book would end, it did not end the way I expected it to. I am sorry to see the end of this series, as I did both of the lost fleet series. Looking forward to more books from this established author.

This was an excellent installment in the Lost Stars series. President Iceni and General Drakon are working to build their bulwark of star systems for prosperity and security, taking on all challengers. Unexpected (actually they ARE expected) faces turn up to mix it up with the Free and Independent Forces of Midway. Are they up for it? Of course they are!

This series becomes more intriguing in "Shattered Spear". Some characters come to a satisfying end, and others take unexpected paths. To be specific would spoil the fun of reading. The enigmas are making a hostile advance into human territory, and Midway has to take them on, in spite of not having many answers about the mystery aliens. Campbell doesn't baby his characters: some parts of the counterpunch are not successful. It's war.

Jack Campbell writes great stories. This is an off shoot of the Last Fleet series either of. which can be read as stand alone series. Beyond the space and land battles, it is an interesting take on what happens to repressed society when the shackles are overthrown and the oppressors try to reassert control. A fast enjoyable sumner read.

Another great book. ..the plot and the characters are so well defined .. you really get to know them and understand the struggles to keep it all together. There are some surprises that help to keep you wanting more..... looking forward to next book.....

Another good installment of this series. It's interesting to see the growth of a new democracy rising from the ashes of an autocratic and cruel past government. That it happens in some distant star system is a plus for us scifi fans.

Jack Campbell is my kind of author. The stories always have lots of action, lots of personal interaction, and very realistic conversations and relationships. All put together in a future world. Great reading!

As with every other book in this series, I couldn't put it down. Great plot, no slow times, great characters, well developed. The only down side is that he doesn't write them fast enough, and I hate waiting.

I really like Jack Campbell books and the Shattered Spear is no exception. I was disappointed with that what I call the X page was missing from the download. Thia download cost too much and should be reduced since the book was incomplete to my mind.

I had expected better. This installment has little action, and a LOT of characters debating the same issues to death. The characters are more 2D caricatures, and some of the most interesting characters disappear from the series. Not recommended unless you REALLY need to know what happens (spoiler: Not a lot).

Shattered Spear is the fourth title of the Lost Stars series, which was initially a splinter from the Lost Fleet series. It continues the story of the Midway” star system of its two ex-Syndicate leaders who rebelled against the cruel, oppressive and totalitarian regime dominating the Syndicate Worlds and received help and support from Admiral “Black Jack” Geary and his Lost Fleet.

The story is a continuation of the previous episodes with many of the same ingredients. The implication is that it is advisable to read the books in sequence. This book contains very few new features, with the main one being an implacable new warlord and female pirate with a deep grudge against Gwen Iceni, the President of Midway. However, a number of other features are further developed.

One is looming and multiple threats against the lives of both Gwen Iceni and Artur Drako, the general commanding the ground troops. There are no less than four intrusions in their high security offices and residences with three of them being attempted assassinations. These episodes are simply griping, even if not entirely original.

Another set of features are the multiple threats that converge against the independent Midway system and its forces. In addition to the female pirate mentioned above and which has captured a neighbouring system, the Syndicate forces are seeking to attempt a come-back and the very mysterious and just as murderous and hostile “Enigma” aliens are coming and intent on wiping out any and all humans that cross their path, leaving no witnesses behind. Here you can expect a number of (mostly) space battles of the type that have largely made the author’s name, and one ground battle, with the usual winners (the “goodies”, of course).

The aides/bodyguards/assassins and top operatives of the two senior leaders have both gone rogue and become a menace. While this element gets solved by the end of the book, I found that the motivations of the two operatives were somewhat less than credible and only partly explained. Also not very convincing is their extraordinary faculty to both avoid pursuit and penetrate the most secure systems of the planet without much difficulty and although they are both on the run and seem to lack any logistical support.

Another usual ingredient is a couple of romances that readers have already come across in previous episodes and which are further developed in this own. Four stars.

With Shattered Spear, the world of Midway draws to a close as Iceni and Drakon work their hardest to create a unified and cohesive power base to protect their system. Many of the loose strings (Morgan, the child, Iceni's former assistant, etc.) are tied up and the book comes to an appropriate and interesting conclusion for the series.

Story: When an Enigma warship appears and then disappears near a Syndic colony, Drakon and Iceni fear the Enigma can use alternate routes to plan an attack than the known jump gates. In order to shore up an alliance to deal with the problem, they will have to work with a pirate -one with an axe to grind with Iceni. At the same time, they might have a clue as to a location where prisoners of war are being held and hidden by the Enigma. As they plan a daring rescue, can they really count on their allies to back them - or will they turn and betray Midway in order to gain control of that powerful system? Meanwhile, it's becoming clear that someone very powerful wants Drakon dead - and if he doesn't do something about it soon, he may not be so lucky after the next attempt.

There is, as always, some great action to be found in Shattered Spear. And Campbell does an excellent job of providing several twists - including the true sabateur trying to kill Drakon. The ending of the book isn't clean - expect some deaths of major characters. But at the same time, I was glad that the melodrama of the previous books had been eschewed for clear action and the big picture again. We're always rooting for Drakon and Iceni but at the same time all the personal assistants doing their own thing for the sake of their leader was telling the story of the 'screwed up Syndics' a bit too heavily.

I have greatly enjoyed every single Campbell book and I am sad this is ending. But I also look forward to the new series set in the beginning of the Alliance period. Note: I listened to the Audible version and the narrator did a good job with the book.

This is the final book in the Lost Stars series. It does end well but I will miss seeing how Iceni and Drakon. I have enjoyed the push pull of their relationship and how it plays into the action in the books. While many of the dangers that they have faced are removed in Shatters Spear not every thing is solved. Once again the story is full of fast packed action with a lot of tension thrown in. A very good ending to a fun series.

A good entry in this quite entertaining series. Iceni and Drakon, former Syndicate CEOs continue their work in creating new model worlds from those that have escaped from Syndic dominance. New allies are sought and the Enigma's expansion creates a curious four-way battle. A good tactical adjunct to the larger Black Jack and the Alliance issues.

A masterful conclusion to the series. It ties up a lot of loose ends, but it also leaves me wanting to know more about what happens to the Midway system and it's allies, as well as Drakon and Iceni. One can only hope for more books in the series.

I've purchased and read everything this author has written since the first Blackjack Geary book. I can easily afford $13.99 but it will be a cold day somewhere before I pay that for a read-once and throw away military space-opera ebook. While I'll grant that space opera isn't really science fiction anyhow, being a form of fantasy with science fiction trappings instead of magic, and aliens in place of elves and demons, but this Lost Stars stuff is more transparent than most as he just took King Arthur and changed all the warhorses into spaceships and the swords into blasters.