The page count is due to small text. I'm sure if it were printed in a more normal sized font, it would have been 400 or better.

 

So the H - Jack Geary, promoted posthumously to captain 'cept that he wasn't dead yet, and known throughout the galaxy as the legendary Captain "Black Jack" Geary who'd done some heroic deeds that got him killed except that he didn't and he wasn't, was found in deep hibernation in his escape pod some 100 years after a surprise attack that got his fleet destroyed. And he finds himself in position of commanding a fleet in an escape from an ill-advised invasion gone horribly wrong. Various people are either in awe of him due to his reputation, or dislike him strongly, possibly due to feeling like they can never compare.

 

It was...slow. We spend a lot of time either in the H's head, or in some sort of discussion, or plotting or scheming or... And at the end of the book, they still aren't home. No idea how many jumps (space travel and other things are both confusing and seemingly unnecessarily complicated - do we really need to know that ships suddenly appearing on the radar showed up hours ago and light just got there?), or how many more books. I guess I'd have to find the rest of the series and read the last page of a few to figure that one out.

 

I *really* don't like cliffhangers.

A good military SF tale (albeit a bit light). I think I like space battles written by naval officers, although Hemry sometimes ventures a bit too close to describing sea manoeuvres. Light on the characters and heavy on the military, but overall I enjoyed it. I guess I was able to keep my critical eye mostly closed for once. Part of what drew me in was the emphasis of military discipline over heroic dogfights, so if that sounds dull, you may want to steer clear. The crews' reactions were sometimes forced (well, more pushed a little too far), but I got past it. The ending is soft, since it is evidently part of a series, but there is no outright cliffhanger.

Those marines were rather convenient, though.

This was an interesting read. The physics of a space war - the time lag of communications - was incorporated well. There have been many stories of a long lost hero reclaimed - but I appreciated the fact that in this read those who found him both worshipped, feared and were wary of him.
Good take on the fact that after a century of continuous warfare - so much will erode - strategy, experience, morals.
My only niggly problem was the author failed to describe what the characters looked like.

Can be read as a stand alone but this is a great series, we get taken on a great ride in this book. While i was unsure on somethings how it was written and played out worked really well with this story. It had suspense, mystery, romance, sizzling passion and some secrets

Tris Prior from Divergent by Veronica Roth