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Black Fleet Trilogy #3
Counterstrike
Captain Jackson Wolfe never thought he’d see the end of the Phage War in his lifetime. The enemy was too powerful, too numerous, and utterly determined to exterminate humanity. But the appearance of a new ally in the fight has changed all of that. For the first time since the original incursion Wolfe thinks that maybe there’s a chance to stop their implacable enemy before they have the chance to wipe out any more human planets. That opportunity comes at great cost, however, and even as he makes plans for their first offensive move on the Phage, Jackson is all too aware that most of them will not survive. “Counterstrike” is book three of the bestselling Black Fleet Trilogy.
361 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 12, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 253 reviews
December 12, 2015
3.5 al posto sam prethodnoj dao vecu ocenu ova ide na nize :P
Vrlo zabavan kraj serijala, mada dosta predvidiv. To mi je u sustini i najslabije kod celog serijala sto je malo toga originalno pa samim tim i tvistovi nisu iznenadjujuci. Lako se cita, nema previse ekspozicije, likovi su dopadljivi mada plitki, rezonovanja imaju logike mada niko ne ispada tolko pametan kolko se mozda autor nada da zvuce.
Jos jedna stvar koja mi jako smeta jesta sama velicina svega. Ovde imamo univerzum od nebrojenih planeta razlicitih federacija, sa milionskim zrtvama protiv neprijatelja koji podseca na zergove kada ih opisiju a space bitke su uvek pa ljudski brodova protiv 20 do 50 vanzemaljskih. Suvise mi je to sitno. Fali epike.
Al dobro, nije lose ali ako vam se cita neki military stajl space opera mnoigo je bolji The Lost Fleet serijal.
Vrlo zabavan kraj serijala, mada dosta predvidiv. To mi je u sustini i najslabije kod celog serijala sto je malo toga originalno pa samim tim i tvistovi nisu iznenadjujuci. Lako se cita, nema previse ekspozicije, likovi su dopadljivi mada plitki, rezonovanja imaju logike mada niko ne ispada tolko pametan kolko se mozda autor nada da zvuce.
Jos jedna stvar koja mi jako smeta jesta sama velicina svega. Ovde imamo univerzum od nebrojenih planeta razlicitih federacija, sa milionskim zrtvama protiv neprijatelja koji podseca na zergove kada ih opisiju a space bitke su uvek pa ljudski brodova protiv 20 do 50 vanzemaljskih. Suvise mi je to sitno. Fali epike.
Al dobro, nije lose ali ako vam se cita neki military stajl space opera mnoigo je bolji The Lost Fleet serijal.
April 11, 2016
This turned out to be an average finish to the series. On the plus side, the author spends a fair amount of time discussing the inner workings of a ship of war, which makes you feel that you are right in the middle of the action. However, the ending is quite flat, where there is a great buildup, and then - poof! - the enemy is dead without much of a struggle. There is also the barest attempt at a romance that doesn't work at all. The author should have either kept it out, or devoted more than two pages to it. And finally, it turns out that the entire series hinges on using alien technology, rather than because the characters were brilliant and clever. In all, a bit of a dud.
August 17, 2018
Short review as I am behind on my goodreads updating.
This was a fantastic series. Great writing, good characters and some of the best space battle descriptions I have ever read. He is second to none of writing a drawn out battle scene.
Great trilogy. You love scifi, you'll love this.
nuff said.
This was a fantastic series. Great writing, good characters and some of the best space battle descriptions I have ever read. He is second to none of writing a drawn out battle scene.
Great trilogy. You love scifi, you'll love this.
nuff said.
April 5, 2016
An anti-climactic ending to the series. Our indomitable captain once again makes it through thick and thin, leaving bodies and dead worlds in his wake. Of course, he is the only one who has the brains and gumption as any senior officer/leader/politician is completely incompetent. Most of the characters we have seen before and are still flimsy constructs. The ending is predicable and our hero is badly treated. For a space opera it is a light and fun read but by the third book the action felt tired and repetitve.
July 22, 2016
I really liked the whole trilogy. I liked the character development and the interaction between humans and Vruahn.
The author announced other books in thuis universe, revolving around Captain Wright, or Agent Pike. I am really looking forward to this.
The author announced other books in thuis universe, revolving around Captain Wright, or Agent Pike. I am really looking forward to this.
April 19, 2023
The Search for Plot
If Joshua Dalzelle were to remove all the things I liked about the Black Fleet series, and magnify the parts I felt were mediocre or downright terrible, we would get Counterstrike. The Terran Confederacy, its politics, games of brinksmanship, and status quo-changing events were some of the best parts of this series. Spaceship combat and tactics were enjoyable and bloody. Both of these things are in short supply, and instead we're treated to overly aggressive pacing, recycled tropes and paper-thin caricatures.
I had previously praised the author for the effort spent in building up the Terran Confederacy. The events of Call to Arms foreshadowed major political and military consequences, but none of it is relevant in this novel. Instead, we focus on the main characters as they run away from existing complexities in order to find the plot. I'm not being facetious: there are three threads that require us to search the vastness of space.
Given the author's frantic pace of writing, there is little page count in the book left for anything more than the search for plot. Nearly all characters get downgraded in screentime: Singh, Wright, and even Pike. The new ally has a narrative POV but is on-screen so rarely that you'll be forgiven if you don't remember his first name, much less form any emotional attachment. And given the lack of page count, the recycled tropes are obvious and executed poorly.
If you disliked the politics of the previous books, and preferred the parts of Warship where spaceships were off on solo missions and shooting things, you may come away entertained. Honestly, the saving grace of this novel is that it's a quick, easy read. It's over so quickly that you may not even realize you're suffering.
Not recommended, with reservations.
Series Overall Spoiler-Free Thoughts
★★★★☆ Warship (Black Fleet Trilogy, #1)
★★★☆☆ Call to Arms (Black Fleet Trilogy, #2)
★★☆☆☆ Counterstrike (Black Fleet Trilogy, #3)
Never a groundbreaking story, the Black Fleet Trilogy leans heavily on existing tropes and extremely fast-paced storytelling. This ends up being a double-edged sword, as the author races towards a conclusion that is neither surprising nor satisifying. If you're looking for a safe, easy read, this is for you.
★★☆☆☆ - Not recommended with reservations.
If Joshua Dalzelle were to remove all the things I liked about the Black Fleet series, and magnify the parts I felt were mediocre or downright terrible, we would get Counterstrike. The Terran Confederacy, its politics, games of brinksmanship, and status quo-changing events were some of the best parts of this series. Spaceship combat and tactics were enjoyable and bloody. Both of these things are in short supply, and instead we're treated to overly aggressive pacing, recycled tropes and paper-thin caricatures.
I had previously praised the author for the effort spent in building up the Terran Confederacy. The events of Call to Arms foreshadowed major political and military consequences, but none of it is relevant in this novel. Instead, we focus on the main characters as they run away from existing complexities in order to find the plot. I'm not being facetious: there are three threads that require us to search the vastness of space.
Given the author's frantic pace of writing, there is little page count in the book left for anything more than the search for plot. Nearly all characters get downgraded in screentime: Singh, Wright, and even Pike. The new ally has a narrative POV but is on-screen so rarely that you'll be forgiven if you don't remember his first name, much less form any emotional attachment. And given the lack of page count, the recycled tropes are obvious and executed poorly.
If you disliked the politics of the previous books, and preferred the parts of Warship where spaceships were off on solo missions and shooting things, you may come away entertained. Honestly, the saving grace of this novel is that it's a quick, easy read. It's over so quickly that you may not even realize you're suffering.
Not recommended, with reservations.
Series Overall Spoiler-Free Thoughts
★★★★☆ Warship (Black Fleet Trilogy, #1)
★★★☆☆ Call to Arms (Black Fleet Trilogy, #2)
★★☆☆☆ Counterstrike (Black Fleet Trilogy, #3)
Never a groundbreaking story, the Black Fleet Trilogy leans heavily on existing tropes and extremely fast-paced storytelling. This ends up being a double-edged sword, as the author races towards a conclusion that is neither surprising nor satisifying. If you're looking for a safe, easy read, this is for you.
★★☆☆☆ - Not recommended with reservations.
May 13, 2023
A light and fast read, applies to the whole trilogy. Pretty mediocre writing and quite predictible, a little lacking in character depth, but still a fun read! Lots of exciting space battles. I definetly liked the first book best. This last book also has some small measure of depth to it, bringing up a few intersting classic sci-fi themed musings, especially at the end of the story.
June 10, 2018
The conclusion to the Black Fleet Trilogy felt like a rushed story, culminating in a lack-luster ending which in itself isn't a bad thing, but for the purposes of this story, is a bad thing.
The trilogy derived a lot of it's charm, and great story telling through the huge battle sequences that occurred, which were realistic and kept the reader holding their breath. Unfortunately, Counterstrike sacrificed this for what appeared to be an ending that felt a lot more conclusive and resolved, which could work in theory but doesn't do justice to what this book could have been.
The book itself also seemed rather short, not that the others were exceptionally long either, but with a lot of material to cover, the author could've utilised a longer novel to address the issues I stated above; adhering to the previous action-packed books while also concluding/resolving the story simultaneously.
Having stated the negative aspects, finishing the story does indeed satisfy the reader with a conclusive ending at least, and we're left with a great admiration for the characters we've been following since the "Phage" first appeared in human space.
This series overall tosses up with the idea that "overall peace and complacency" might not be beneficial to humanity in the long run, especially if we (hopefully!) ever colonise the stars. A more sinister, violent and powerful species may be waiting out there for us..
The trilogy derived a lot of it's charm, and great story telling through the huge battle sequences that occurred, which were realistic and kept the reader holding their breath. Unfortunately, Counterstrike sacrificed this for what appeared to be an ending that felt a lot more conclusive and resolved, which could work in theory but doesn't do justice to what this book could have been.
The book itself also seemed rather short, not that the others were exceptionally long either, but with a lot of material to cover, the author could've utilised a longer novel to address the issues I stated above; adhering to the previous action-packed books while also concluding/resolving the story simultaneously.
Having stated the negative aspects, finishing the story does indeed satisfy the reader with a conclusive ending at least, and we're left with a great admiration for the characters we've been following since the "Phage" first appeared in human space.
This series overall tosses up with the idea that "overall peace and complacency" might not be beneficial to humanity in the long run, especially if we (hopefully!) ever colonise the stars. A more sinister, violent and powerful species may be waiting out there for us..
August 26, 2021
As the conclusion to a trilogy, this book turned out to be predictable and anticlimactic and the ride there was mostly boring and unoriginal.
The first two-thirds of the book consists of giving and following orders and moving from A to B. We've already seen so much of this in the previous two books.. It was so boring I found myself skimming pages just to get to the ending, something which I really hate doing and rarely do.
I guess the author had nothing left to tell; the story was apparently done. So, he decided to drag the reader along for almost an entire book's worth of filler.
The story only picks up about 50 pages before the end, and only then do you get some (and I do say some, not much) notion of urgency and danger, something which this trilogy sorely lacked. At this point I didn't care anymore however; I just wanted to finish the book.
The ending was an anticlimactic "meh", and it was over just like that.
All in all, very underwhelming, on multiple fronts. This is clearly the worst book of the three.
The editing sometimes is terrible; a character even manages to change name.. Jillian, Gillian? Come on.
I'm afraid I can't even give this an "it's ok", because it's simply not. 1 star it is. And that is unfortunate, because I really wanted to like this.
The first two-thirds of the book consists of giving and following orders and moving from A to B. We've already seen so much of this in the previous two books.. It was so boring I found myself skimming pages just to get to the ending, something which I really hate doing and rarely do.
I guess the author had nothing left to tell; the story was apparently done. So, he decided to drag the reader along for almost an entire book's worth of filler.
The story only picks up about 50 pages before the end, and only then do you get some (and I do say some, not much) notion of urgency and danger, something which this trilogy sorely lacked. At this point I didn't care anymore however; I just wanted to finish the book.
The ending was an anticlimactic "meh", and it was over just like that.
All in all, very underwhelming, on multiple fronts. This is clearly the worst book of the three.
The editing sometimes is terrible; a character even manages to change name.. Jillian, Gillian? Come on.
I'm afraid I can't even give this an "it's ok", because it's simply not. 1 star it is. And that is unfortunate, because I really wanted to like this.
January 14, 2018
Bravo Josh
Josh,
May I call you Josh?
Cost and foremost this should have been 5 stars and it is actually 4 and 3/4 stars because of just a few inconsistencies. I when Wolfe first took command of his new destroyer the propulsion was so smooth that it could not be felt unlike his old ship them in books 3 and 3 the propulsion on start up and other occasions vibrated through the hill etc etc. This is the only reason I couldn't get to 5stars. Beyond that minor hiccup I thoroughly enjoyed this set of books and now have a new top 25 author. I will soon be stepping into the Omega series and look forward to it with pleasure. Thanks Mr Dalzelle!
Ps I rarely write review but read between four and eight books a week. So thank you for brightening the last few days. Well done!
Josh,
May I call you Josh?
Cost and foremost this should have been 5 stars and it is actually 4 and 3/4 stars because of just a few inconsistencies. I when Wolfe first took command of his new destroyer the propulsion was so smooth that it could not be felt unlike his old ship them in books 3 and 3 the propulsion on start up and other occasions vibrated through the hill etc etc. This is the only reason I couldn't get to 5stars. Beyond that minor hiccup I thoroughly enjoyed this set of books and now have a new top 25 author. I will soon be stepping into the Omega series and look forward to it with pleasure. Thanks Mr Dalzelle!
Ps I rarely write review but read between four and eight books a week. So thank you for brightening the last few days. Well done!
September 15, 2022
Late 23rd century and humanity on the verge of extinction. This last installment was very good, but I couldn’t help but feel it failed to break new ground and bring something new. Instead, while well written and engaging, it fell back on well defined tropes of the genre and in the end the incredible mystery and edge of your seat suspense built up in the first two books was bled away to tie everything up neatly with a simple resolution that felt both underwhelming and familiar.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 11, 2019
A JD. SYFY. Novel (BFSB - 3)/The Truth Will Out
JD. has. penned the third novel in the Black Fleet Saga. Our sunglass Captain settled the outcome of by defeating one enemy only to realize he had to make the other enemy are that humans were not dangerous to others as they are to themselves. This is an excellent read for the genre.....DEHS
JD. has. penned the third novel in the Black Fleet Saga. Our sunglass Captain settled the outcome of by defeating one enemy only to realize he had to make the other enemy are that humans were not dangerous to others as they are to themselves. This is an excellent read for the genre.....DEHS
November 5, 2015
Great finish for a great trilogy
Wonderful , kept me enthralled to the very end. Can't wait for his next endeavor to come out, even though it will be a different story. Glad I found Joshua Dalzelle, definitely glad .
Wonderful , kept me enthralled to the very end. Can't wait for his next endeavor to come out, even though it will be a different story. Glad I found Joshua Dalzelle, definitely glad .
November 15, 2015
Good way to finish. Loved the battles and capt Jackson was a fascinating, believable character.
Put too much in headline. Enjoyed all three books and look forward to more adventures in this universe. Jackson seemed a very real character.
Put too much in headline. Enjoyed all three books and look forward to more adventures in this universe. Jackson seemed a very real character.
April 3, 2016
Cliche ending to a promising trilogy
The first book was great. It showed Dalzelle's strength in taking the tedious reality of space combat and creating a compelling story with it. But the conclusion was cliche and boring.
The first book was great. It showed Dalzelle's strength in taking the tedious reality of space combat and creating a compelling story with it. But the conclusion was cliche and boring.
December 1, 2015
Meh. not sure why this has warranted so many good reviews. dull plot. uneven characterisation. it's OK at best.
March 3, 2016
Fascinating action but not very complicated. Very simple if you have read more complicated space operas. Character descriptions are not good so don't expect anything there.
June 2, 2024
Depressing ending and long drawn out boredom
I really enjoyed the Marine (Terran Scout Fleet) series from Joshua’s Salzelle. I can’t decide if I want to read about Jason Burke’s stories or not, so I decided to come here instead. Book One was enjoyable, even if it did have a bit of a common theme of old/broken ship with a drunk, poor quality captain who becomes the most important person in the human race, and defies his chain of command to save the world (Jacob Brown?).
So the first book was good. The second was very drawn out with far too much legalism and politics. The plot has been good the entire time, for some reason Mr. Dalzelle is far too concerned with politics (unrealistic ones in some cases) and officers that are allowed to get away with gross derelictions of duty and outright defiance.
The CONSTANT whining about how much trouble they will be in (they never do get in trouble) when they are done and knowing that they will save the human race and be heroes when it is over, makes it just a drag to read over and over again. The methods in which they do some of their antics are also unbelievable and insulting to the intelligence of many readers.
The STORY is outstanding, and the characters are VERY GOOD. One nagging factor is the poor way the relationships with Wolfe and others are handled, with a love affair that is never consummated but CONSTANTLY shoved in our face in an almost teen-aged, fantasy infatuation rather than an adult relationship.
His ability to convince dozens of people to follow him into career suicide while showing no signs of charisma or political abilities is unbelievable as well.
The ending was positively anti-climactic and disappointing. The fact that his career seems to be finished and he has no love relationship to show for it, leaves you with the sense that you’ve just been subjected to a form of torture rather than having read a fun and exciting space opera with a swashbuckling, heroic and charismatic protagonist who is going to live happily ever after, or even a swashbuckling, heroic and charismatic protagonist who is going to burn out young and die a shooting-star-like, explosive but memorable early death.
Instead, it feels like the lead character will likely drink himself to death after peaking too soon and not building any relationships that would matter after his story was finished.
I enjoyed the Jacob Brown series a great deal. This was not my favorite series and to be honest, the second book was a slog, and this ended up being a slog with a disappointing ending.
I think that I’m going to try and find a new author for a bit. I tend to devour books, often in a day or so, and I’m looking for series or authors that can keep me satisfied and reading for a week at a time.
I am on Kindle Unlimited which I do recommend, but I also fear that the best authors are not available on the service and that may be why I find myself frustrated sometimes. No diss on these authors, but perhaps they aren’t the Michael Crichtons, or Dean Koontz (although a couple of his books are availaab
I really enjoyed the Marine (Terran Scout Fleet) series from Joshua’s Salzelle. I can’t decide if I want to read about Jason Burke’s stories or not, so I decided to come here instead. Book One was enjoyable, even if it did have a bit of a common theme of old/broken ship with a drunk, poor quality captain who becomes the most important person in the human race, and defies his chain of command to save the world (Jacob Brown?).
So the first book was good. The second was very drawn out with far too much legalism and politics. The plot has been good the entire time, for some reason Mr. Dalzelle is far too concerned with politics (unrealistic ones in some cases) and officers that are allowed to get away with gross derelictions of duty and outright defiance.
The CONSTANT whining about how much trouble they will be in (they never do get in trouble) when they are done and knowing that they will save the human race and be heroes when it is over, makes it just a drag to read over and over again. The methods in which they do some of their antics are also unbelievable and insulting to the intelligence of many readers.
The STORY is outstanding, and the characters are VERY GOOD. One nagging factor is the poor way the relationships with Wolfe and others are handled, with a love affair that is never consummated but CONSTANTLY shoved in our face in an almost teen-aged, fantasy infatuation rather than an adult relationship.
His ability to convince dozens of people to follow him into career suicide while showing no signs of charisma or political abilities is unbelievable as well.
The ending was positively anti-climactic and disappointing. The fact that his career seems to be finished and he has no love relationship to show for it, leaves you with the sense that you’ve just been subjected to a form of torture rather than having read a fun and exciting space opera with a swashbuckling, heroic and charismatic protagonist who is going to live happily ever after, or even a swashbuckling, heroic and charismatic protagonist who is going to burn out young and die a shooting-star-like, explosive but memorable early death.
Instead, it feels like the lead character will likely drink himself to death after peaking too soon and not building any relationships that would matter after his story was finished.
I enjoyed the Jacob Brown series a great deal. This was not my favorite series and to be honest, the second book was a slog, and this ended up being a slog with a disappointing ending.
I think that I’m going to try and find a new author for a bit. I tend to devour books, often in a day or so, and I’m looking for series or authors that can keep me satisfied and reading for a week at a time.
I am on Kindle Unlimited which I do recommend, but I also fear that the best authors are not available on the service and that may be why I find myself frustrated sometimes. No diss on these authors, but perhaps they aren’t the Michael Crichtons, or Dean Koontz (although a couple of his books are availaab
June 4, 2017
My Book Review Number 146:
This review is on Counterstrike, Book Three Of The Black Fleet Trilogy by Joshua Dalzelle. This is the third and final book in the Series I have read by this author.
The Prologue starts at an unknown location in the 23rd Century with Colonel Robert Blake waking up out of hibernation. If you read Book 2, Colonel Blake was sent on the first deep space mission to Proxima Centauri in the year 2054 at Cape Canaveral, Florida by The Tsuyo Corporation on a new spaceship called the Carl Sagan with 48 crewmembers. They were never heard from again until Blake appears centuries later with new alien Vruahn spaceships to help human fight the Phage.
Chapter 1 starts in the year 2433 on Earth with Fleet Admiral Marcum speaking with Senior Captain Jackson Wolfe about the “Ark”. Wolfe is not happy about a secret planet for selected humans to hide from the Phage in case they lose the war. Now, the Council of Nations wants to know how they lost an entire colony planet to the Phage. Politics aside, it appears the Phage plan to attack and destroy all human colonies and force the extinction of man.
Admiral Marcum takes control of the CENTCOM Fleet and prepares to find the Phage for a final battle. Captain Jackson Wolfe commands the new warship, Ares, part of the Ninth Fleet. They are going to try and stop the Phage in deep space, but the odds are against them. The Phage has too many spaceships and they are not willing to negotiate.
The rest of the story deals with Wolfe trying to prepare for the coming battle with the Phage and his uneasy feelings towards the new alien ally called the Vruahn. There is something Wolfe doesn’t trust about the Vruahn and their reasons for helping humans defeat the Phage. The mysteries only deepen as Wolfe seeks the truth.
I give this book Five Stars because the story is very character driven and the storyline stays on target to the very end. Multiple plots help define the major characters and provide reasons for what is happening. The space battle scenes are intense and well depicted. The final plot twists are a surprise and help explain the reasons for Wolfe’s actions. All considered, this book is a satisfying conclusion to a well written and exciting Sci-Fi Series. I look forward to reading more of this author’s stories.
Keep reading good science fiction and let me know when you find an interesting novel or author.
This review is on Counterstrike, Book Three Of The Black Fleet Trilogy by Joshua Dalzelle. This is the third and final book in the Series I have read by this author.
The Prologue starts at an unknown location in the 23rd Century with Colonel Robert Blake waking up out of hibernation. If you read Book 2, Colonel Blake was sent on the first deep space mission to Proxima Centauri in the year 2054 at Cape Canaveral, Florida by The Tsuyo Corporation on a new spaceship called the Carl Sagan with 48 crewmembers. They were never heard from again until Blake appears centuries later with new alien Vruahn spaceships to help human fight the Phage.
Chapter 1 starts in the year 2433 on Earth with Fleet Admiral Marcum speaking with Senior Captain Jackson Wolfe about the “Ark”. Wolfe is not happy about a secret planet for selected humans to hide from the Phage in case they lose the war. Now, the Council of Nations wants to know how they lost an entire colony planet to the Phage. Politics aside, it appears the Phage plan to attack and destroy all human colonies and force the extinction of man.
Admiral Marcum takes control of the CENTCOM Fleet and prepares to find the Phage for a final battle. Captain Jackson Wolfe commands the new warship, Ares, part of the Ninth Fleet. They are going to try and stop the Phage in deep space, but the odds are against them. The Phage has too many spaceships and they are not willing to negotiate.
The rest of the story deals with Wolfe trying to prepare for the coming battle with the Phage and his uneasy feelings towards the new alien ally called the Vruahn. There is something Wolfe doesn’t trust about the Vruahn and their reasons for helping humans defeat the Phage. The mysteries only deepen as Wolfe seeks the truth.
I give this book Five Stars because the story is very character driven and the storyline stays on target to the very end. Multiple plots help define the major characters and provide reasons for what is happening. The space battle scenes are intense and well depicted. The final plot twists are a surprise and help explain the reasons for Wolfe’s actions. All considered, this book is a satisfying conclusion to a well written and exciting Sci-Fi Series. I look forward to reading more of this author’s stories.
Keep reading good science fiction and let me know when you find an interesting novel or author.
March 8, 2022
Interesting characters, ambushes, betrayals and a very good read.
Counterstrike picks up right at the point where Call to Arms ended. But the story is far from over, and if you have enjoyed the Black Fleet Saga up to this point, you are now in a good place as a reader.
There are elements of other space operas in this novel. But Dalzelle does his own thing, in his own way, and he has all of his plot threads in hand. You will get your money’s worth.
The war against the Phage continues. Battles are fought and nobody (or no ship) is invulnerable. The characters are flawed and often almost overwhelmed. Sacrifices are made, and good people die. But the heroes are worth rooting for, the leaders know all-too-well how many warriors have died to get the survivors this far. Courage and integrity are fully present.
I was a bit sad at the end. I appreciated that the story had been brought to a reasonable and logical conclusion. Many of the characters I really liked and cared for were still present, but their lives had been re-molded and their futures were uncertain and open-ended. Just like in real life.
I have a complete list of all of Joshua Dalzelle’s writing output. I am going to shift to other authors for the near future, but with total confidence that if I find what I have been reading to be stale and unsatisfying, Dalzelle will be one of the special writers to which I can turn.
Counterstrike picks up right at the point where Call to Arms ended. But the story is far from over, and if you have enjoyed the Black Fleet Saga up to this point, you are now in a good place as a reader.
There are elements of other space operas in this novel. But Dalzelle does his own thing, in his own way, and he has all of his plot threads in hand. You will get your money’s worth.
The war against the Phage continues. Battles are fought and nobody (or no ship) is invulnerable. The characters are flawed and often almost overwhelmed. Sacrifices are made, and good people die. But the heroes are worth rooting for, the leaders know all-too-well how many warriors have died to get the survivors this far. Courage and integrity are fully present.
I was a bit sad at the end. I appreciated that the story had been brought to a reasonable and logical conclusion. Many of the characters I really liked and cared for were still present, but their lives had been re-molded and their futures were uncertain and open-ended. Just like in real life.
I have a complete list of all of Joshua Dalzelle’s writing output. I am going to shift to other authors for the near future, but with total confidence that if I find what I have been reading to be stale and unsatisfying, Dalzelle will be one of the special writers to which I can turn.
September 21, 2017
Before you read this book, please note it is the third in a series: if you haven’t read the first two titles, this one won’t make much sense to you. I would start with Warship (Black Fleet Trilogy, Book 1) first.
The author does a nice job of picking back up where the second installment ended, and if you enjoyed the first two novels I’m willing to bet you will enjoy this one just as much, also. The action scenes aren’t as many throughout this installment as we head to the conclusion as the humans make a counterpunch, but similar to the other titles I like his pacing and the technological advances aren’t so far out there to make you cry foul.
Unlike other science fiction novels in a series that never seem to end (and get worse as the author runs out of things to say), I think what I liked most about this one is it’s over: there wasn’t a cliffhanger, not many loose ends, and there was a conclusion to the novel and conflict. While this may sound hokey I am a bit sad about the current tale ending, I found it a bit refreshing to not have to wait many months for yet another installment to be published.
I picked this up for $3.99 in the Kindle store – if you have enjoyed the other books in the series, you will certainly receive much more than $3.99 in entertainment value.
The author does a nice job of picking back up where the second installment ended, and if you enjoyed the first two novels I’m willing to bet you will enjoy this one just as much, also. The action scenes aren’t as many throughout this installment as we head to the conclusion as the humans make a counterpunch, but similar to the other titles I like his pacing and the technological advances aren’t so far out there to make you cry foul.
Unlike other science fiction novels in a series that never seem to end (and get worse as the author runs out of things to say), I think what I liked most about this one is it’s over: there wasn’t a cliffhanger, not many loose ends, and there was a conclusion to the novel and conflict. While this may sound hokey I am a bit sad about the current tale ending, I found it a bit refreshing to not have to wait many months for yet another installment to be published.
I picked this up for $3.99 in the Kindle store – if you have enjoyed the other books in the series, you will certainly receive much more than $3.99 in entertainment value.
May 2, 2023
The conclusion of the Black Fleet trilogy is exactly what you expect. As the greatest battle of mankind is about to take place, Captain Wolfe "surprisingly" disobeys an order to search on his own, along with a small group of followers, for an object called the Central Mind of the enemy. Gracefully, as with the previous volumes, I sailed through the book to the fairly quick final chapters, and I would say, a faint exit from the scene. But that's just the way it is with war heroes. The whole trilogy definitely has its merits. The author certainly must have picked up lots and lots about space, hyperspace travel, and the technical capabilities of spacecraft during the writing process, and he draws on this very richly in all three books. I'm convinced that his latest book, New Frontiers, set in the Black Fleet universe, following the fortunes of Captain Wright, won't escape me.
January 18, 2020
I have to say I really enjoyed this series. After the first book I waited so long to read the second, as I thought it was good but probably just a similar thing to many other sci-fi books. The second, and definitely the third book proved me wrong, and this finished in a really interesting way. I had a suspicion by the start of the third I knew what was going on, but so did the main character, so I felt like I was going along for the ride with him.
Would recommend to anyone that likes science fiction based in large starships. Sort of Battlestar Galactica style. They even stuck to actually physics pretty well, but not at the expense of readability.
Would recommend to anyone that likes science fiction based in large starships. Sort of Battlestar Galactica style. They even stuck to actually physics pretty well, but not at the expense of readability.
July 6, 2020
Good Ending
This was a troublesome series for me with its slow methodical process across the galaxy. The pace of the story was eerily reminiscent of an early computer war game. Throughout the series there has been an abundance of destructive combat actions with subsequent massive loss of life. This last book is a bit reduced in that scale and yet provides a satisfactory conclusion to the series. Some of the main characters remain alive but with no lingering unresolved story threads of merit. There is a next series, but I felt this one was successfully concluded.
This was a troublesome series for me with its slow methodical process across the galaxy. The pace of the story was eerily reminiscent of an early computer war game. Throughout the series there has been an abundance of destructive combat actions with subsequent massive loss of life. This last book is a bit reduced in that scale and yet provides a satisfactory conclusion to the series. Some of the main characters remain alive but with no lingering unresolved story threads of merit. There is a next series, but I felt this one was successfully concluded.
November 28, 2020
Despite the clumsy introduction of Blake at the end of book 2, book 3 makes full use of the sudden tack to harness intense winds and drive the story to new heights. There's a huge amount to like about this conclusion, with only two minor gripes - the almost comical nod to the endless trope of the subordinate love interest, and the way the protagonist is dragged into the over-confident arch-nemesis' layer. Both unnecessary, and disappointing.
Overall, it's a satisfying tale, well told, and fills me with anticipation for the books to come.
Overall, it's a satisfying tale, well told, and fills me with anticipation for the books to come.
January 4, 2023
This is really good military sci-fi, emphasis on the military. I felt like I was watching a Navy crew as I listened to Captain Jackson Wolfe address his crew. There's something about that - everyone doing their job, united in purpose, that is really appealing. Makes you want to be in the club. That said, I had to keep going back a chapter as I'd zone out because you just have to pay attention or you'll miss critical details.
The ending was so-so; seemed kind of anti-climactic. But the story overall was really good. Mark Boyett really brings it to life brilliantly.
The ending was so-so; seemed kind of anti-climactic. But the story overall was really good. Mark Boyett really brings it to life brilliantly.
June 1, 2023
I floated between 2 and 3 stars, ending on 3 because 2 just feels harsh.
The biggest pitfall in Counterstrike and the previous two books is the characters. They're unbelievably simple. Wolfe is just boring. He doesn't read as being very smart, talented or gifted. It feels as though instead of writing a complex character we got "Steve from accounting" in charge of a bunch of high schoolers.
The story is fine, a bit shallow and predictable but I can't say that'd be a bad thing if filled with better characters.
The biggest pitfall in Counterstrike and the previous two books is the characters. They're unbelievably simple. Wolfe is just boring. He doesn't read as being very smart, talented or gifted. It feels as though instead of writing a complex character we got "Steve from accounting" in charge of a bunch of high schoolers.
The story is fine, a bit shallow and predictable but I can't say that'd be a bad thing if filled with better characters.
May 11, 2018
well... that was... ahm... whelming? I guess?
It's just overall "OK", the main protagonist has hardly any struggle to go through, he's basically a mary sue with little to no fault on his own, he does everything right and everything he does is the correct thing to do, he goes against orders and does "the right thing" and it is the right thing, he saves everyone and everything and is perfect. So, so boring.
It's just overall "OK", the main protagonist has hardly any struggle to go through, he's basically a mary sue with little to no fault on his own, he does everything right and everything he does is the correct thing to do, he goes against orders and does "the right thing" and it is the right thing, he saves everyone and everything and is perfect. So, so boring.
October 24, 2023
Overall, a good, mostly satisfying ending. Knocked down a star for the relationship between Wolfe and Davis. No problem with them having a relationship, especially since it is initiated by Davis, but it felt too much like an afterthought and I found myself saying, "Do it or don't, but enough of the halfway stuff." Would've been better to feature their romance more intentionally or delete it entirely.
May 8, 2017
Great Trilogy
I submitted a review on the first book of the trilogy that remains the same, an outstanding effort well worth the time to read, I heartily recommend this series as well as. Other books from Dalzelle. I have read them all and am looking forward to future books in this universe. Great job Josh
I submitted a review on the first book of the trilogy that remains the same, an outstanding effort well worth the time to read, I heartily recommend this series as well as. Other books from Dalzelle. I have read them all and am looking forward to future books in this universe. Great job Josh
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