Earth Strike (Star Carrier Series #1)

If you like anything Ian Douglas or Paul Campbell have written, you'll love this book

I preferred this book to any Ian has written so far. There was a little less emphasis on the hardware and more emphasis on the trials and tribulations of the people in the story. This book is a departure from the main theme Ian has developed in his other books which have a main theme of Star Marines meet bad-boy aliens and out wit them at a scenario similar to World War II Midway.

Overall, this switch to the life on board the equivalent of an aircraft carrier is superior to his other stories simply because I felt I could relate to the situation a little better (a little less "oo-rah" - no offense to Marines, I just could relate a little better to characters who don't have a continual chip on their shoulder because of time differentials).

If you like shoot-em up sci-fi, this is a book for you. If you also like getting inside the world of the future and what politics and military interplay might be like, this book is something you will enjoy.

Since Ian is big on series/legacy stories and I'm assuming you'd probably like books in a similar vien, take a look at Jack Campbell's series on "The Lost Fleet". Start with "Dauntless" though, it'll help make sense out of the rest of the books in the series.

6 out of 6 people found this review helpful.

Saturday Matinee-Style Military SciFi at Its Best

If you loved the Heritage, Legacy, and Inheritance series, then you'll love this. There's nothing really new here per se. Though Earth Carrier is set in a different universe than that of the Xul, you'll find the exact same type of characters, science, and plots as before.

Earth Carrier is from the perspective of space fighter pilots, rather than space Marines. The action is very fun and the characters enjoyable. Who doesn't love the occasional "Politicians are Stupid", "Civilians are Ignorant", "Admiral/General Knows Best", and "Humans Outwit their Technologically Superior Alien Foes" story?

While there is nothing too deep here, this is Saturday Matinee SciFi escapism of the first degree, and I cannot wait for Star Carrier II to hit the virtual shelves.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Awesome

I love this book. I intend to buy #2 and read it.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Space Navy - A must read for those who want to see the Navy in space.

Ian Douglas can write. There is noooo daught in my military mind. I have read several of his books, and when I bought this one, I was impressed. I was Fleet and some of this makes you think of todays Navy. In Star Carrier, He gives you enough tech but gives you a lot of personal so that you can understand the people. I look forward to reading book two. Keep up the good work, Shipmate.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Suprisingly Knowledgable

Ian Douglas doesn't dissapoint people looking for a true military flavored sci-fi. Suprisingly detailed descriptions of FTL drives and the complex physics of space. He really captures life as a pilot and even an admiral of the fleet. You will be given percpectives of the same battles from nearly every angle. Amazing book. The battle sequences are intense and certainly not short lived.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Good book

Overall a good book. At times the story slows down for a page or as the writer gets sidetracked describing a technology that doesnt advance the story. Its a good military meets hard sci fi book.

I got hooked on Douglas with his Marines triple trilogy. This o

I got hooked on Douglas with his Marines triple trilogy. This one is really good. Different from the Marines, the interpersonal relationships between the military and the politicians follows current events. I am eagerly fooking forward to the other books in this trilogy. I haave become an avid fan. (Hot Dog, I've found another author that I like!!)

Recommend

A very good series. Maybe needs more characters.

I'm a huge fan of military science fiction - of any military fic

I'm a huge fan of military science fiction - of any military fiction really - but this book severely disappointed me. No, not because of the military aspect at all. That was really one of the few saving graces about this book that kept me reading until the end.

The characters were cookie cutter types. Admiral Koenig, while a major player in the plot - well I couldn't have a personal connection with the guy. He was just, there. And, I'm all for women heroes, tough chicks who kick butt, but Commander Allyn again was also just there. No real depth to her as a "person" she was just a fighter pilot and without the use of "she" I probably would have never noticed she was a woman honestly.

The only character (and saving grace #2) that had any depth, was Lieutenant Gray. While there were other saving graces to this story, he really was the main reason why I continued the read the book. I wanted to know what happened to him. Even with that, I still felt he could have been developed 'more'. After all, I have no idea what he looks like - at all.

If the characters were described in physical appearance at all during the story, I missed it due to the overwhelming details of the technology. Maybe I just prefer the "softer" types of sci-fi stories. Even still, I don't feel the need to take up multiple paragraphs and in some cases multiple pages, to explain to me how each individual type of ship, weapon, and tech works. And not only do that, but do it repeatedly for the same piece of equipment. The sad part was, not only was it repeated, it was repeated almost verbatim every time. The same words, in the same order.

The third and final saving grace of this story was the fight scenes. And if the over use and repetition of the technology during these scenes was taken out, they would be even better.

I didn't necessarily hate the story - the basic plot was a good one and the fight scenes kept me interested. I don't think I'll read any more books from this series though, as the over-detail and cookie cutter characters just don't make it worth my while to figure out what else happens in the series arc.

Highly Recommend

Ian Douglas writes very well researced Si-Fi stories, lot's of action, lot's of plots

Enjoyable

Just finished the book. It was enjoyable. At times the science in it gets to descriptive and can drag the pace of the story down. When the enemy parts of the story begin it is difficult to understand as it is written through their eyes and thoughts which takes time to comprehend. I'm gonna give the second book a shot.

For fans of Military Sci-Fi, Highly Recommended

I'm a fan of Ian Douglas and have the Inheritance and Legacy trilogies in paper. When I saw a new trilogy for my Nook, I bought Earth Strike.

I enjoyed the story and, although Trevor Gray took some getting used to, by the end of the story, I was rooting for him. The admiral reminded me of Bull Halsey and the technology held together.

Recommended.

This is written well enough that I will probably get the entire series.

Awsome

Great story. Cool concepts!

Not my thing..

This book had great potential to be a page turner. Instead, the author got so caught up in the science that he drownds out the story. To many times he breaks away from the action to detail the physics of the ships and the ships systems.

A really good book.

I just recently finished the Lost Fleet series of books by John G. Hemry and saw this book recommended by someone who had enjoyed that series. Really glad for that recommendation because I really enjoyed this book. Just like the Lost Fleet series, it takes care to explain the science behind the action and the paradoxical twists that accompany the need to travel such vast distances. Where this book really shines is the fact that we get to know the characters much more. They are complex, interesting people with much more believable motivations and fears driving them.

The action and battles are very well described, believable (for the most part) and exciting. The alien races are as I would imagine them being. Not like other science fiction stories where they are just humans with pointy ears. The idea that sections of an aliens brains would hold conversations with itself and a pair bonding as well as a collective "hive" mind where they get smarter as more brains are brought into the group was. . . wow. Wild in concept but logical when you think about it.

I really really enjoyed this book. Couldn't put it down towards the end. I can't wait for more.

Different from his Heritage series

If you haven't read Ian Douglas and are in to Military Sci-Fi then I behoove you to try some of his work. I think Star Carrier is a good read. I thought the initial plot direction failed to draw you in the way his heritage series does but once you got there it was worth while. This one has very little background to it. You are just dropped into the titanic struggle right from page one. Very little development on who the enemy is or where it came from. The author does warn you about this though so you at least expect it. Enjoyable read from a few chapters in till the end.

Great Author

He is always a great read combining hard science a real military facts for a great book.
I would suggest his other books.

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