3 Stars!

Allen Stroud (along with a select group of writers) has helped rekindle my interest in science fiction that had largely waned over the past couple of decades. I was happy to get a copy of Vigilance to see how Stroud was going to wrap up the trilogy.

The destruction of the Phobos station was far from the end of the war. If anything, it was the completion of one battle that threatened to launch an even greater war. The various factions were undefeated and even more dedicated to their agendas than before. Some were looking to overthrow the established order while others simply wanted to destroy everything. The future of the human race and the exploration of the galaxy was at stake and time was running out.

The key to stopping the war, and maybe saving humanity, is locked away in the alien ship and Captain Ellisa Shann must find a way to unlock its secrets. It is not a just a race against time, however, as the norms of society are crumbling around her and deception and murder lie around every corner. Captain Shann knows that she cannot trust her enemies, but can she trust her friends? Even enemies have value, and it may only be through picking her poison in an unholy alliance that can lead to victory.

As with the rest of the series, there is a lot going on in Vigilance and the reader should definitely not try to jump into this story from any point except the beginning. Stroud has crafted a bit of a mind-bending series and it takes a bit of work for a reader to keep track of everything from the start much less trying to figure it out in the middle. This series is not light reading and it does take some work on the reader's part in order to make it through the story. That work is rewarded, though, as Stroud give us a fully conceived world that feels real throughout and is easy to lose yourself in as you try to unfold the intergalactic mystery that slowly unfolds over the course of the trilogy.

As for this novel, Stroud does a good job of wrapping up the story in a way that is satisfying if not explosive. That is fine with me as it keeps with the realism that permeates the story even in this science fiction world. Shann makes mistakes along the way as would be expected and nothing is accomplished easily in this story. I do no think this is a great book, and not the best in the series, but it provides a conclusion to the story and did not leave me feeling like I missed something or was cheated. It left me looking forward to reading more from Stroud in the future, and that is a statement on the quality of the series in its own right.

I would like to thank Flame Tree Press and NetGalley for this review copy. Vigilance is available now.

Allen Stroud completes hisThe Fractal series that started when Captain Ellisa Shann of the Khidr, goes to rescue a commercial ship under attack and the Fearless(paper) captain and crew end up capturing the attacking ship, the Gallowglass. Unfortunately they must be Resilient (paper) as the same group attacks Phobos station. But at the heart of the matter is an alien ship that has observed Earth for thousands of years. Vigilance( hard from Flame Tree Press) is required as various plots are uncovered and the reason the alien ship got involved is uncovered. Allen Stroud tells an exciting hard science fiction tale with a solid understanding of life in space. I really enjoyed the tale.

One of the biggest issues for the twenty-first century is going to be who owns space? What was once just an extension of the Cold War and Great Game is now being regularly entered by private enterprises – the corporations and the private billionaires claiming altruistic motives. Science Fiction has long warned us of that risk but what could a future where the national and commercial continue to expand outwards look like.”? In Allen Stroud’s Fractal series as well as delivering excellent science fiction thrillers with a widening space opera backdrop we are only a few centuries in the future where the battle gets even bigger and more desperate in the latest exciting novel Vigilance concluding the arc (but perhaps not the series) that has carried across the last two books.

A reminder of where we have got to. Captain Ellisa Shan and her crew were on a simple solar system mission when what was supposed to be a rescue mission turned into a fight for their lives with a ship of clones. After a high cost battle of wits and ships Shann and her small remaining crew took over the enemy vessel Gallowglass to work out where to go next. At the same time a group of people (also clones) were then terrorising and taking over Phobos Station leading to its destruction over Mars. On this the enigmatic Holder who works for equally mysterious employers and jumps bodies using sophisticated mind technology has decided enough is enough and is aiding the survivors of the attack. While ships and crews start to question who is on whose side a strange vessel of unknown origin also enters the solar system. Many long games have been waiting for this moment, but the final prize may change the future forever.

Huge credit to Stroud for creating anextremely well plotted novel that seamlessly combines the two novel’s casts and interlocks the various plotlines. We see the bigger arc of the story coming to the fore. Various groups interested in the direction of space travel – for the wider Earth authorities or for purely financial power and on top of that a fascinating first contact scenario with for added measure thoughts on the nature of life itself. Add in face to face action and spaceships up against each other this is a hugely enjoyable ride.

Stroud again moves with each chapter to various character’s point of views taking us from spaceships over Mars to the mysterious alien craft arriving and even a form of AI cyberspace. The cast are all extremely competent professionals handling difficult situations under stress but each has their own voice and style. Highlights for me are the return of Shann – a Captain who has gone through the fire in this series and now out the other side, determined, compassionate but not going to let her enemies win. Above Mars we have Holder – the personality jumping operative in her latest body aware time is running out for it and now trying to get her own back on her once employers and in cyber-space Duggan Shann’s friend and engineer – practical and sensible dealing with becoming an AI personality and finding himself not alone. This becomes the more surreal of the plots and one of the most fascinating. We also have the enigmatic Savvantine a spy in Earth’s network who was up against Shann and now learning to trust her. All these characters are talking in present tense working through their decisions and dealing with the consequences of them. Stroud knows when to jump on a cliffhanger and we even now start having characters interact with each other having different impressions to how we as the reader see them. It works really beautifully. In opposition we have the Clone Rocher equally competent, often in various forms smug and an equal match for any of the characters which makes their interactions always quite plausible that things will go either way.

Stroud also handles action extremely well be it space ships battling, eva experiences outside in space or battles against enemies inside a spaceship. There are a host of set pieces to test characters and all very inventive and move the plot along. For me the new dimension is the long simmering question of who is behind everything. Stroud adds in regular slices of future history to explain their world and we see the competition between nations and industry reaching a key point of ruthlessness where one side is making a power grab for the solar system. It’s an impressive strategy and ambitious plan (which for novella fans of the series will also explain quite a few subplots but for novel only readers will not confuse people). In addition the mysterious alien intelligence the series has hinted at arrives and Stroud has a great vista of how this ship made an epic journey and also sees these strange sparring humans. Here while storylines are wrapped up there is enough new angles to the world being created I’d hate to not see what happened next- it feels more stories in this world await.

It’s also worth again highlighting how Stroud handles characters with disability. Shann was born with no legs but has created a career for her in a gravity free space environment she excels at. It’s who she is and her disability is but one side of her. We also have Johansson an ambition ensign with excellent hacking skills who has a prosthetic arm and Savvantine has a visual disability augmented but in this story has to manage around her blindness when required. Stroud’s future doesn’t remove disability but is one where people are accepted and live with it without any stigmas. It’s something I still don’t see enough of in science fiction.

While certainly not a jumping on point for new readers those currently enjoying the ride will be very happy to be back in the Fractal series. Stroud has done a great job of creating a whole new solar system and future history and it feels more stories await. I am very eager to see what Stroud does next and an author to watch. Highly recommended!