To say this book is confusing is putting it mildly in my opinion, of course! This whole series is confusing. Maybe I’m not getting something, but dang I’m having trouble understanding what some of this book is about. And yes, I did finish read it all the way to the end.
Captain Ford or Aeson Keel or Wraith or Sergeant Fast (see, right there, one guy goes by four different names!) has finally got his crew back and his ship the Indelible VI. The Indelible VI was thought destroyed but, with the money provided by Nilo, the billionaire, it was fixed up and made better than before. Still, while the Indelible VI was getting fixed, Captain Ford was flying around in a modified version of another starship called the Obsidian Crow. It and several slightly different versions of this same ship were found on the Battle Phoenix, a Savage carrier vessel that formerly belonged to Tyrus Rechs. Now they everyone was capable of getting together, they all meet in the hanger of the Battle Phoenix.
Nilo informed the group that he wanted to find the Savage vessel that contained a strand (which is never explained what that is). Captain Ford stated that his mission right now was to find Prisma Maydoon and he didn’t care to be doing anything else. At this meeting was also Sergeant Donal Makaffie who had escaped/been released from a strange Savage vessel that conducted semi-real training scenarios in which people could get killed. He had been allowed to leave this strange ship if he agreed to leave Wild Man behind, which he did, and if he found and brought Captain Ford (a.k.a. Sergeant Fast) back to the Savage ship. For his part, he knew where Prisma and her mother had gone, but he wouldn’t provide Captain Ford that information unless he agreed to help get Wild Man off the Savage vessel.
So, they all agreed to go find this Savage vessel, get Wild Man back and secure the strand. That wasn’t going to be as easy as it sounds because Makaffie knew that they would have to fight their way through all the simulations the vessel would throw at them and if they survived, they may or may not be released. So, Captain Ford flew to the Savage vessel in the Obsidian Crow, while his friends took the Indelible VI and then Nilo also flew in his private yacht, will all initially landing in the hanger bay of the Savage vessel. Here they start having to fight their way through the ship only to find out that another ship has arrived appearing to be from the Nether Ops fleet and that ship was bent on destroying all the Savage vessels to include the Battle Phoenix. Here we get to read about some fighting between Captain Ford’s team and between the starships floating around the Savage vessel’s space.
While this is going on, Prisma Maydoon and her mother, Renia, are off on some planet where Prisma is supposed to undergo some kind of training. Her mother is her trainer, but it’s never clearly explained as to what exactly Prisma is to learn. Renia is one weird lady. I’m not convinced that she’s even human because she has some kind of mystical powers that she apparently wants to develop in Prisma. Prisma on the other had, hasn’t got a clue about anything.
Meanwhile, there is an effort forming to go rescue Sergeant Masters. Remember, he’s the guy that got separated from his Kill Team on Kima. He’s been roaming the country side trying to avoid MCR scouts or Zhee patrols. Unfortunately, his luck ran out and he was captured. He’s now being tortured in the manner of the Zhee which is death by a thousand cuts! But, Task Unit Zombie led by Sergeant Major MakRaven has just about found his location and is attempting to extract him from his predicament. Not everyone survives this action.
Then the strangest part of the book takes off about mid-way through when we’re thrown into an amusement arcade and a video tournament played by Crometheus and his team Eternal. What his part of the story has to do with anything is beyond me! This is where I get totally lost and having serious thoughts about not continuing with this series. I just don’t understand why this is in this book.
Ok, I have to admit that I have already read book 17, “KTF – Part 1”. I read these books out of order for some reason. So, if you want to go beyond this one, then KTF-Part 1 is your next book. I might read KTF-Part 2, but I’m just not sure right now.
2 thoughts on ““Last Contact””
This is possibly the worst book review I’ve ever seen. I understand that you haven’t read the rest of the series and for some reason decided to start at the end. But, you could have at least read up in the plot line somewhere so that you aren’t confused about what is going on with literally every character arc you mentioned. This has the look of a book report that is so glaringly short and misdirected as to immediately tell the professor that you never even got a copy from the bookstore. You say that you don’t know if you want to continue the series. This makes sense, as any series read backwards chronologically is going to confuse you and fail to entertain. This isn’t even a targeted hit piece created because you dislike the author or series. That would at least require understanding and attention. The content of your review is such that it reflects your fragmentary understanding of the series and book itself rather than any particular opinion formed out of qualitative or quantitative analysis.
Thanks for reading my book review. Wow! Spent so much time taking it apart, I’m impressed.
Jim C.