Space Carrier Avalon

After reading Glynn Stewart's first novel, Starship's Mage, I decided to take a chance on this one and was richly rewarded. This is an excellent read. I am giving it four stars, but only because I reserve my five-star ratings for a very select few stories. But I could find very few things about this novel to criticize.(BTW - Starship's Mage is a "five star" in my view - you should read it if you haven't already!)As with his earlier novel, Stewart's tone is refreshingly upbeat. Unlike a lot of modern sf, this author does not automatically assume that governments or large organizations are incompetent or diabolical. His characters believe in ideals and follow a moral code. And it's not always the same moral code - the stories clearly have good guys and bad guys, but Stewart does a great job of showing how all the characters believe they are acting "correctly" according to their various world-views.The science seems well grounded, if a bit far-fetched; but the novel is set seven hundred years in the future, and the technology seems plausible given the time scale. Even though it is definitely space opera, there is no "using the Force" in this novel :-) The action is military-centric but not too "strategic". Diehard fans of military sf will have no cause for complaint, but casual sf readers should also enjoy it. I found myself caught up in the excitement of each encounter and unable to put the book down until I finished it.The only criticism that I have is that there are a few 'cringe-worthy' moments where the dialog gets a bit sappy; usually they happen as the last line or two of a chapter. Stewart has a tendency to end many chapters with a short dialog between two characters, and sometimes these last few lines are a bit over the top. But this is a minor flaw that should hopefully correct itself as Stewart's writing style matures.If you enjoy combat-based sf, but are looking for something a bit less "intense" than, say, Jack Campbell's Lost Fleet series, this novel fits the bill very well. It's a great page-tuner, and I look forward to the upcoming sequel!

I had some passing familiarity with several of Glynn Stewart's works, what with having read - and enjoyed - his two terrific urban fantasy series, the ONSET quadrilogy and his Changeling Blood trilogy. I'm only now diving into his sci-fi stuff. I am kicking myself for not taking the plunge earlier.My gateway novel to his sci-fi collection is SPACE CARRIER AVALON, the first volume in the Castle Federation space saga. And, it turns out, this author is just as proficient with writing riveting space opera as he is with urban fantasy.I relished the world-building he packs in. But I guess Stewart didn't buy what Roddenberry was selling. Set in the far-flung future of the 28th Century, mankind didn't get his sh-- together. Sweeping technological advancements have made it so that we now can travel vast distances in space. We've colonized many other planets. We still can't get along.It's the year 2735, and fighter pilot Wing Commander Kyle Roberts, hero of the battle of Ansem Gulf, has reported for duty at Deep Space Carrier Avalon, legendary warship of the Castle Federation Space Navy. He's coming on as the new CAG - Commander, Air Group - of Avalon's squadron of starfighters. He's got his work cut out for him. Ship's a mess.It's not a reward, his being assigned to DSC Avalon, that grand old lady, that old husk. DSC Avalon is four decades old and creaky and its size spans less than two-thirds that of modern ships. The prevailing notion is that its next mission is its last, after which the Avalon will be bound for the shipyards to be decommissioned.In the meantime, the ship needs to be whipped into shape. There's turmoil on the Avalon. Numerous arrests. Morale issues. A nefarious cover-up. As the Avalon's skipper gravely states, "There is rot through the entire ship."Avalon's appalling state of affairs couldn't have come at a worse time. Because the thirty years of peace between the star systems of the Alliance, of which Castle Federation is a member, and the Terran Commonwealth is dunzo! What with the Commonwealth's ambition to unify humanity, even thru force, having flared up again. And Deep Space Carrier Avalon, destined for mothballs, far from shipshape and squared away, infested with crooks and malcontents, unexpectedly finds itself in the thick of the fray.It's a really good read. I love it when a book transports me to another place so completely that I forget my worries for a time. And, as you know, with what's been going on in the world, worries nowadays come neverending. The author brings along his knack for detailed worldbuilding, making Commander Kyle Roberts' world feel lived in. The future tech is just about what you'd expect: interstellar travel; medical advances that allow for body parts to regenerate and repairs to be conducted on a cellular level; and widespread use of neural implants that afford its user to instantly access data. I did like that there's an adverse effect to being so dependent on one's neural implant, how it athrophies one's organic memory. This proves calamitous for one of the characters.I also like the twist that Earth is the bad guy, that the Terran Commonwealth means to forward the cause of human unification, no matter the cost. But, as you'll see, if you read the sequels, the adversary isn't composed of mustache-twirling tyrants. They keep honor on that side, too. It's character flourishes like that that enchance the conflict.Our guy himself is a complicated so-and-so. He's the hero of the show, sure, and he's okey-doked his foes with his unconventional thinking. But he's haunted by a past mistake that, really, there's no excusing him for. I found myself liking Kyle Roberts, regardless. Anyway, if you like space opera escapism that rolls out misfits and underdogs and a battered old ship, this is your huckleberry. I admit to getting swept along. There I was, cheering like a loser when our guy spits at the odds and declares, "While Avalon flies, Avalon fights." Honor to the Federation, hell yeah!!

The story is good, the characters are likeable and interesting. Alas, the technobabble is way over the top and while it doesn't outright ruin reading this book, it definitely threw a wet blanket on trying to enjoy the story. The time scale is also distractingly bizarre. A great deal of fuss is made over the ages of various military hardware, as if spacegoing naval vessels are developed at the same rate as smart phones. When US Navy aircraft carriers in the real world have service lifetimes of 50 years or more, the hand wringing over the titular ship being an impossibly antiquated 20 seems comically unrealistic. Same for the fighter craft which seem to double in capability with new models every less than 5 years. If the same story were revised with more realism in the details it would be much better overall.

I got halfway through this book before I finally had to call it quits. It’s ok military sci-fi...but it’s just so boring. And there are times when I really can’t tell what the author is talking about. I’ve read lots of hard science sci-fi...but there’s something fishy with this author’s science. Furthermore, he brings way too many character names to remember that don’t matter. Also, there are way too many ship class names, fighter names, weapons names...they all blend together because there’s no rhyme or reason to them. Finally, the love stories between characters are at best...well, immature I guess the word would be. Put this all together with hours of boring interactions and you get a rather bland book. Maybe the series improves...but I’ll never know because the first book is not worth the effort.

As some other reviewers have mentioned, this title is not exactly original, and a number of comparisons can be made with “Ark Royal” in particular, although this one contains no aliens. Instead, what you get is the beginning of yet another war between the Alliance, a Confederation of some sixty inhabited systems lead by Castle, itself a State of some fourteen planets, against an expansionist Terran Commonwealth regrouping about a hundred planets and the oldest colonies around Earth.There are some “holes” in the plot. The political landscape, descriptions and regimes are kept to a bare minimum. The storyline about graft, theft and corruption linked to Avalon’s Station is just dropped and forgotten once the carrier is no longer directly involved in it, as if it did not really matter anymore to learn how such a massive scam could have taken place and what its ramifications and who its benefactors may have been. The contrast between the valiant and indomitable crew of the ageing space carrier Avalon and its Commonwealth enemies ready to surrender when things no longer go their way and to commit atrocities otherwise, borders caricature.The characterisation is a bit mixed. The two main “heroes”, and Wing Commander Kyle in particular, are pretty good, with the author attributing some very human personal weaknesses to them. However, the personal relationships that develop on board among two sets of officers are rather unoriginal – regardless of whether they are homo or heterosexual - and do not anything much of substance to the storyline.The key feature of this title, however, are the space battles, and particularly the Falcon Starfighters’ performance under the command of their very daring and innovative Wing Commanders. Although I will refrain from spoilers, these battles, with the “goodies” suitably outnumbered, but with more modern Starfighters, are simply superb. There are perhaps a couple of instances where the reader might have to suspend belief, such as when an enemy battleships gets rammed and the author depicts flames coming out of it. Both events are quite incredible. However, the horrific accident and losses sustained by Avalon when in warp translation is vividly depicted. What is again perhaps harder to believe is that it takes a mere three to four days to make the space carrier operational again.So, while there are holes in the plot and some rather hard to believe features, the space battles are vividly described and exciting. They are simply gripping to an extent that I almost missed an appointment because I wanted to get to the end of one of them! It is essentially because of these that I will rate this title four stars.

I am writing this having read the full Castle Federation series which, taken as a whole, is enjoyable and pretty action packed. The first book sets the scene for what is to come in a space war between various federations of independent humanity spread over many light years and the Commonwealth, the initial set of human colonies that are seemingly hell bent on 'uniting' all of humanity under their control.The characters, mainly all space navy, are well written and three dimensional with roles that are easily identifiable with their counterparts in today's 'wet' navies with maybe a bit of Star Trek thrown in. I particularly liked the interaction between the senior crew members which was well conceived and not overly drawn out.The main attraction of these books is, without any doubt, the epic battles that take place between various space fleets in several guises. Well described, if a bit repetitive, and frightening in the huge loss of life that ensues although both sides seem to respect each others lifepods and similar with a few glaring exceptions.The proof reading could have been better. There are occasions when a word missed or another used in completely the wrong context brought me up short. Not the sort of thing I want to experience too often the fault is present in all the books. That said, a very enjoyable series that, for me, just hangs on to its 5 star rating by virtue of the author's descriptive skills.

A second (third?) series based around an out of date carrier. But I'm ex-RN and I have a soft spot for space navies. So I bought it and then read it in one go and then immediately revisited the highlights.for me the techno-babble is good enough to suspend belief, the characters are also believable, and the action is outstanding. Ecstacy chips, a high-level conspiracy, piracy (or is it?), a deadly systems breakdown in interstellar space, and a sudden invasion by the larger Terran Commonwealth. Sex without everyone falling into bed and heroism despite fear. The Christian fundamentalist with a gun seemed a bit stereotypical to me but is obviously very rare in this future world so I'll give that a pass. Otherwise as far as I am concerned it deserves full marks.

If you’re a fan of distant future space battles then Commander Air Group, Kyle Roberts, is the man for you. His imaginative tactics secure victory for Deep Space Carrier Avalon time and again. This is a cracking good read from a consummate author. The pace is fast and carries you along from crisis to crisis. Characters are well enough defined for you to invest in their well-being and feel empathy for their losses. The few typos/missing words were insufficient to detract from my enjoyment of the story, which is not always the case with some authors. Glynn Stewart, rightly in my opinion, concentrates most of his text on description of the action. Although he does spend some time on inter-personal relationships, this is, mainly, action, action and more action. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and there were times when I had to force myself to put it down and get on with other things.

AS SPACE OPERA'S GO THIS ONE KEPPS THE ACTION GOING NON STOP.I BOUGHT THINKING THAT THIS WOULD BE A KINDLE FILLER BOOK, BUT ONCE I STARTED READING I COULD NOT PUT DOWN.I AM GOING TO BUY THE SECOND INSTALMENT AS SOON AS I POST THIS.I GIVE IT FIVE STARS AS THE CHARACTERS IN THE BOOK ALSO HAVE A DEPTH TO THEM, AND YOU CAN RELATE TO THEM.BUY THE BOOK YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED. TO THE AUTHOR WELL DONE ITS BRILLIANT!!IN THE LAST 3YEARS I HAVE HAD TO LEARN TO READ AGAIN AFTERR BRAIN BLEED AND I LOST THE ABILITY TO READ AND WRITE, AUTHORS LIKE THIS HAVE HELPED RELEARNING TO READ AGAIN A LOT EASIER AND MORE FUN.THANKS. XXX😼KIRSTY.