Deep Space: Star Carrier: Book Four (Star Carrier Series, 4) Mass Market Paperback – April 30, 2013

I have read all of the published books of Ian Douglas. I saw some of the reviews of this book and I almost didn't get this book because of them. The only problem is that I am hooked with all of the stories and characters. This book was well written and there was not as much repetition as I expected based on the other reviews. I enjoyed the storyline as it is fast action and it starts early in the book and it does not let up.In all of the other series of books by Ian Douglas I was getting tired of somebody going through Marine Corp boot camp every book and 50% of the book was dedicated to that. In this book the action and conflict started early and stayed focused as a main theme of the book. The military action in the story is excellent and I like the characters and the contact with the alien races.I won't go into the story as spoilers are not required. I liked the book and I give it a 5 star rating. My only complaint is that every time I buy one of the books by Ian Douglas the price drops considerably shortly thereafter. I guess the message from the author and publisher is to wait a few months until the price goes down. After buying 14 books and having this happen, I am getting the message!

I've enjoyed the Star Carrier series (1 through 4) very much. The author has created a universe with interesting characters and exciting plot elements. Kind of a "Battlestar Galactica" with a little hard science thrown in.But I do have one criticism: Too much repetition. The reader is subjected to constant detailed descriptions of the technology, the alien physiology and psychology. That's ok, to a point. I know that the author cannot assume that the reader has read the previous volumes, and some recapping in needed, but this goes way beyond that. How many times does the reader need to be subjected to the same detailed information in the same book? I find myself skipping over sections of these books because I've read the same information several times before! I've been known to stop reading other authors because of this flaw. I suppose it is a testament to this author's work that I have hung in there and will in all likelihood hand over more of my hard earned money for the next installments of the Star Carrier series. I'm hooked, for better or for worse!

Twenty years after book 3 ends, book 4 starts the story again. A distant Earth ship is destroyed, presumably by the Shaddar, signaling the end of the truce. The Europeans decide it is a good time to declare control over America's Navy and any US assets or territories the Euros can grab. Civil war erupts just as war with the Shaddar resumes. The technology is the same except for better Earth fighters and new alien tricks. The science stays solid and obscure but interesting bits of astronomy get woven into the story. Well worth the reading.Review by Steve Cole, Leanna's husband

Overall story is great, epic. Humans vs a hostile galaxy. The main characters are generally outcasts turned to heros, as a deeper continuation of the underdog theme.The main problem I have is whole sections of the book just repeat histories or back stories. Find myself skipping pages to get back to the current story. I dont need to read how the main character grew up in manhattan with no tech 8x per book. Its like a tv series recapping the whole series at the beginning of each episode. Almost made me put the series down. Maybe 20% of the book could be removed and the story would be 100% intact.But the space battle parts are fast paced and scientifically accurate. The galactic empire species are unique and interesting.If you need constant reminders about the character history, or dont mind skipping pages, its a fun read.

I've read the Star Carrier series because it has a hard sci-fi feel and plenty of action. It introduces the monsters, puts the weapons on the wall, then executes the monsters with those weapons. There is plenty of wonder, death and destruction to go around as humans try to establish their place among the stars, mostly by military means.There is plenty of tech magic in this series, which takes place in 2400 or so, and the use of near-c projectiles, beam weapons, nukes, worm holes, AI and nanotech seems consistent within the story. It also features monolithic alien societies where humans quickly figure out and overcome their one-note way of thinking and fighting.One drawback to this series is the frequent repetition of the same exposition by different characters, for little reason other than greater page count. I don't know why modern series authors insist on repeating their backstory frequently within the same book. It could be interesting if characters interpreted it differently and acted on those interpretations, but here they all walk in lockstep. One or two expository repeats and you find yourself skimming to the next battle sequence.That is my recommendation to you: buy the 99-cent Kindle version and skim to the good parts. This is not a book or series you'll want to take off the shelf and re-read in a few years.

A good continuation of now a four book series. They can be read as stand alone stories, but the series is much more satisfying if read in order.Earth on the 25th century is the location, or rather Earth and galactic space. While you can read over the tech stuff, it's more fun, and enhances the read if you make an effort to understand, or imagine, the future tech, most of which is a continuation, at least in the authors mind, of our current physics. Fans of David Weber, Isaac Asimov and Bob Heinlein will enjoy the series, and I also recommend Ian Douglas' other series, particularly the Legacy Trilogy.