New Frontiers: The Expansion Wars Trilogy, Book 1

This was an excellent read. A great installment in the series. I enjoyed reading it and look forward to the next one.

This review is for the entire trilogy. I recently re-read the entire trilogy after having read the books piecemeal as they were released. The series has held up well and is a pleasure to read.The entire Black Fleet series is a classic space opera with a good balance between an exciting storyline and the development of the characters. The storyline centers on space combat, but includes political intrigue and events taking place on the ground and aboard spacecraft.Like other books from authors like Dalzelle and Richard Fox, the Expansion Wars trilogy is a refreshing change of pace from some sci-fi series (*cough* Disney’s Star Wars *cough*) that have gone overboard with the political correctness and social justice agenda. While many of the central players are rough, competent male characters that are hard not to admire, Dalzelle also presents them as multifaceted individuals with strengths, weaknesses, and a character arc.For example, Wolfe is externally typecast by others as either a derring-do rule breaker or a hero, but that’s not how he sees himself. While he’s a competent, take-charge guy, he’s not perfect, and he’s hard on himself, and sees himself as having been more lucky than good.There are also enjoyable storylines and development of supporting characters, e.g. a Marine NCO fighting on the ground behind enemy lines, and a starship captain who struggles through gripping fear and cowardice to eventually emerge as someone who does his duty.The lead female character, Celesta Wright, is imminently likeable too. Unlike some other sci-fi series, Wright isn’t presented to advance a political agenda, and there’s little in the way of sexual or romantic subplot. Instead, she’s just a competent person, like Wolfe, albeit with her own internal struggles and uncertainty.The overarching storyline is well thought-out and a good hybrid between the more “first person shooter” style of the Omega Force series and, say, the “space combat chess” of Jack Campbell’s Lost Fleet series.Definitely recommend if you’ve enjoyed other books by Dalzelle, or by Richard Fox.

This is a very good Sci-Fi military story and it is my favorite genre to read. I liked this book a lot as it is full of action, science and strategies. Humans have just won the war against the Phage, just barely. Now they are meeting two new alien species. Are they friends, or foes……Joshua Dalzelle is a good author and he writes entertaining books. I like his quality of character development and his use of science. It makes the story more interesting for me as I get involved in the characters and learn to love or hate them.I enjoyed this book and I look forward to the next book in the series. I rated this one at 5 stars.

New Frontiers is set in the Black Fleet universe, a few years after the Phage War and sees many of the characters return in this new trilogy. Celesta Wright becomes the central character while Jackson Wolfe plays only a minor part in the chain of events that finds the newly re-structured Confederation - now known as the United Terran Federation - at war with a new alien enemy. It was great to see Celesta taking a more major role in the story and to see her character grow and realise a little bit of Jackson Wolfe has rubbed off on her as she finds herself at odds with Admiral Marcum. Dalzelle has written a tense, action-packed story with great character development that was thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining. Looking forward to the second book :)

Entertaining series in general. I like the character development and the characters are people I can relate to. That being said, the story line can be predictable and a but cliche. But the redeeming qualities is that Josh manages to write in a way that's interesting and fun. I love the main characters and want to read more of their adventures. I also enjoy the details that Josh inserts into the story and makes it come alive at times. In addition, Josh's ability to throw in moral conundrums such as are we on the right side of history makes his books a good read and bring a little depth into it. I will give a sentence saying that those conundrums do not come often and are often times hidden. The one missing star relates to my first paragraph of his story often being predictable and rarely close cliche.

DANGIT, DALZELLE!!! How dare you write another incredibly interesting, fast-paced space adventure full of exciting command decisions, and unique starship tactics! You are doing this to me again! Knocking me out of my chair with interest with the first book to guarantee I have to purchase your next two in the series!! You must have been a very successful drug dealer in a past life to give me such an amazing product with each first book in the series. Fool me once, Dalzelle, shame on you. Write another great book to suck me into another series, and shame on me. Well, keep fooling me because I loved this book.Here's why I love the book:Well fleshed out characters to which you can relate on a very human level, and understand the differences in their personalities immediately.The decisions made as to how to maneuver the fleet and engage with individual or groups of starships is always interesting, and the amount of time spent on this point was great.Here's why I am skeptical of the trilogy:Sequels never really hold the same level of captivation and interest as the first book did, and that was the case for me with the Black Fleet Trilogy, of which this next trilogy is a spinoff. The following series in that trilogy did not focus as much on unique strategies and tactics as the first one, instead dealing more with political and national machinations.As I indicated above, the first books in the two trilogies I've read have been amazing. Maybe you could focus on only writing first books, and forget the sequels.

Our author is doing a fantastic job of maintaining momentum from the first series. I love not knowing where in the universe we are going next, which alien or rather what will be taking pot shots at us next. Discovering new technologies, feasible, real or made up. The science lessons are great, oh and let’s not forget the battles, missiles, lasers and the rest. Well worth reading.

Real Page Turner.Thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.

Une suite tres réussie, qui reprend les qualités de la première trilogie. On a beaucoup de plaisir a retrouver les personnages dans de nouvelles aventures...

Wenn man ein Buch immer wieder gerne in die Hand nimmt und die Zeit vergeht wie im Flug, dann ist es ein gutes Buch.

Joshua has continued the series brilliantly.