Drake's Drum by Christopher G. Nuttall

 

Drake's Drum by Christopher G. Nuttall
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Drake's Drum is the final novel in this specific trilogy of stories which are part of the Ark Royal series written by Christopher G. Nuttall. This novel continues the story of the very alien virus that has the ability to control its biological hosts to the point of encompassing whole civilisations and now Earth and its colonies are close to the abyss. Fortunately a very industrialised world (Alien Prime) was located which it is believed could be the viruses original homeworld and if not certainly the logistical center for its campaign against humanity. Alas the powers that be are bowing to pressure to keep the navies directly protecting Earth despite knowing a defensive posture will fail given time so the Royal Navy (well individuals within) go it alone and dispatch Captain Hammond (HMS Lion) and Captain Campbell (HMS Unicorn) to once again take the now proven Battlecruiser and Corvette concept to "Alien Prime" and launch and long term and long range operation using mass drivers and rail guns combined with stealth and constant movement to weaken the enemy. There may even be some reinforcements (human and from our alien allies) but that will depend upon the political will of the major powers but for now the virus has to be slowed down.
Drake's Drum was a fine novel to wrap up the story of humanity and its encounter with the alien virus as well the individual characters within this phase of human history. Like many navel heroes of the past Hammond and Campbell both far from perfect individuals will be remembered but many more people played their parts and this trilogy did expand upon those type of characters more so than previous novels for the better in my opinion. Christopher has already announced the idea behind a new batch of novels within the Ark Royal series and if you have read this book then you would have guesses where he was going to take us going forward and I'm looking forward to the journey.

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Para Bellum by Christopher Nuttall

Para Bellum by Christopher Nuttall
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The 13th novel in this long running series arrives with "Para Bellum" as humanity faces another threat from beyond their borders one which eclipses the more traditional enemies the human race have faced so far. An insidious virus which can take control of beings and by extension ships and worlds threatens the human race but with so many ships and people how to prevent something so small getting an unseen foothold. That is the task given to the major powers of the Earth and directly to the task force assigned to return to the frontier and deal with the catastrophic first contact. The Russians have allied themselves with the fleet but with an agenda, they need to find the Dezhnev which made its own first contact unaware of the threat they faced and it may be they have sentenced humanity to death through their arrogance, desperation and greed.
Captain Alice Campbell currently the only survivor of exposure to the virus is deployed with the fleet, not fully trusted (even by herself) her insights may just give them an edge and indeed by using this character as a focal point Christopher maintains his strong character based writing while not denying the readers a decent amount of action and suspense between the stars. Another entertaining addition to the Ark Royal series and well worth picking up the first novel in the series and seeing if like me you get hooked.

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Invincible by Christopher Nuttall

Invincible by Christopher Nuttall
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Invincible is the twelfth novel in the Ark Royal series written by Christopher Nuttall and like recent additions takes place a few years after the proceeding novel and with predominantly new characters. While the overall "world" of the series remains intact this allows the author to expand the scope of the stories but retains the core political and technological structure.
In this novel the British like many of the major powers are having economic issues thanks to the hell for leather expansion and ship building after the two recent interstellar wars. A cold realisation is dawning that the Earth nations can not treat the galaxy as a playground and hope no other alien races are out there who could or will threaten mankind.
A research and monitoring station in orbit around the young British colony world of Wensleydale detects a fusion power spike at the edge of the solar system, scans indicate a sublight vessel probably a generation ship from the unexplored regions of space. HMS Invincible the latest addition to the Navy is sent to investigate along with limited support from other Powers, what will they find, a new enemy or a new friend...
Invincible sets up a new story arc within the Ark Royal series and while I will no doubt continue to read the series this latest incarnation lacked some of the drive and impetus of previous novels. I wasn't all that enamoured with some of the new characters and well let's be honest mankind is facing another interstellar war, this is getting a little repetitive :)

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We Lead by Christopher G. Nuttall

We Lead by Christopher G. Nuttall
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The war between the allied forces of humanity and the tadpoles continues as the "foxes and cows" threaten systems and edge closer to Tadpole prime and beyond that to the human worlds. On Earth the politics of war so far from home along with the economic issues cause dissent amongst the population despite spacers dying by the hundreds and ships burning in space. Investigations by the best scientists into how the alien FTL communications work is still offering no insights but a surprising nugget of information opens up the potential for creating a gravimetric tramline by design. The power required is beyond anything a starship could generate and the hardware far too big to even consider to be mobile but maybe a complex designed to jump a fleet on a one way mission deep into enemy space could bring the enemy to its knees quickly and with minimal casualties.
HMS Vanguard with a huge multinational fleet including vessels from Russia and India head out on a ultra secret mission, their destination the complex which will fling them to within a couple of star systems of the alien homeworlds. The aliens have shown a pack like mentality which enforces an Alpha style command structure, if the fleet can capture the homeworld and break their fighting spirit it is believed the war will be over.
We Lead may be accused of coming up with a deus ex machina plot element to allow the story to be concluded but when you have opposing forces that are not that unequal in strength there is normally some element that tips the balance. The creation of the FTL jump even in this basic form allows the war to take a major step but thankfully the novel does not lose its core heart and soul, the individuals on board the warships and on the battlegrounds continue to be the most important aspects of the narrative.
This final novel is the trilogy (part of the current nine book series) continues to tell the stories of a handful of characters which we met in the first novel (Vanguard) as well as bringing to the front long established characters. People will die, some heroically and others by simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time and that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat, war is dirty and unfair and unpredictable. Christopher has once again delivered an entertaining finale to this trilogy of novels and a satisfying standalone part of the ongoing Ark Royal series.

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Fear God and Dread Naught by Christopher G. Nuttall

Fear God and Dread Naught by Christopher G. Nuttall
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In the eighth novel of the Ark Royal series we see the HMS Vanguard repaired and made ready to return to the front lines of the battle with this enigmatic enemy comprised of two separate species. Little is still known about them but as wreckage and biologic samples are recovered after battles a picture is beginning to form. Earth for the moment is safe, the fleets are engaging within "Tadpole" space and the system "Unity" is where Vanguard and her flotilla are bound but with such a long turnaround time for messages and intelligence they are not sure what to expect.
Marines and ordnance are deployed and then the fleet is engaged with running battles in and around Unity as two battle fronts are created, one between the colossal power of the battleships and carriers the other from individuals with rifles and courage under fire.
Fear God and Dread Naught is as expected a direct continuation from the novel Vanguard with the addition of a few characters from previous novels. Christopher once again writes the space and ground battles well and with all good military scifi there is no happy ending for everyone, bravery and courage are not always rewarded and victory is never guaranteed.
As mentioned in other reviews, a series this long will live or die based on a reader's interest and enjoyment of the first novel they read, if you have gotten this far then like me you enjoy Christopher's writing within this series and look forward to the conclusion of this trilogy of stories within the series as a whole.


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Vanguard by Christopher Nuttall

Vanguard by Christopher Nuttall
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Vanguard is the first book in the third trilogy of novels in the Ark Royal series by Christopher G. Nuttall and basically if you liked the first six then it's a no brainer to read the seventh. The novel is set a few years after the ending of the British/Indian conflict over the planet and alien culture of the Vesy star system. The formal alliance/treaty with the "tadpoles" holds strong but is put to the test when a human ship detects a third intelligent race during a recon down an unexplored tramline. This new world is much closer to Tadpole Prime and the two space powers launch a joint first contact mission (heavily armed) but it does not go well. Humanities second intergalactic war has begun against an enemy who have no apparent interest in communicating and what little intelligence is gathered seems to indicate that the humans and their tadpole allies may be facing at least two cooperating races.
The main character in this novel could be argued to be the brand new British battleship "Vanguard" which is on it's maiden flight and will see her first action in this war, her first officer has vanished and his replacement Commander Susan Onarina is dropped in at the deep end and having to learn a brand new ship, vastly extended area of responsibilities and deal with new crew and familiar faces. The story is as you would expect heavy on setup and character introductions before the action really starts but then it doesn't let up, large scale fleet battles combine with interpersonal conflicts to provide an entertaining novel.

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Warspite by Christopher Nuttall

Warspite by Christopher Nuttall
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The first interstellar war is over, many of the space faring nations of Earth and still licking their wounds and after the devastation the need to move humanity out into the stars is compelling. While human treaties exist to protect the solar systems infrastructure the star systems and colonies beyond the tramlines leading away from Sol are far less protected. The great powers have an understanding but nation states sidelined for decades who survived the war relatively intact are flexing their muscles and the newly discovered planet and it's alien population will become the powder keg.
Warspite is a change of pace from the original Ark Royal trilogy, with less conflict and more diplomatic and political issues the story seems a little slow paced but that's not a bad thing. Without giving too much away we can see that there will be trouble ahead for many of the characters we first met in the original trilogy as the demands of Britain, Earth, Humanity and this new species conflict.
A solid start to the new series but it may be a little jolt in style and substance if you are fresh from the Ark Royal series while I had a good gap between them and that allowed me to embrace the changes without any negativity.

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