Full transparency: I’m the Director of Publicity for Aethon Books. However, this review is 100% honest, unbiased, and based solely on my reading experience.
TL;DR Review: Grand in scope, as complex as any David Weber or Tom Clancy story, and with an idealistic flair that resonated deeply with me. A sci-fi series I can’t wait to dive deeper into.
Synopsis:
The wrong crew. The wrong ship. The right Captain.
Idealistic navy lieutenant Jacob Grimm just wanted to honor his mother’s sacrifice in the last great war. When he’s forced to return fire and destroy a squadron of ships to save his own, he thinks he’s the hero…
Until they discover the ships are full of children.
Disgraced and denied promotion, Jacob’s career is over. That is until the head of ONI needs a disposable officer to command a battered destroyer on the rim.
There’s just one problem, Interceptor hasn’t had a CO in months and the ship is a mess. Worse, the system he’s assigned to is corrupt and on the verge of all-out civil war with the Alliance.
However, no one told Jacob he was disposable.
Pirates, smugglers, and Caliphate spies complicate the situation and one captain with an old ship can’t enforce the law, let alone stop anyone.
The single greatest discovery of all time is about to change intergalactic politics forever. If Jacob doesn’t find a way to succeed, then it won’t just be the end of the Alliance, it will be the end of freedom for humanity.
Full Review:
As a long-time David Weber fan, Against All Odds was instantly my kind of story—and remained so right up until the final page!
In the beginning, we’re introduced to Jacob Grimm, a lieutenant who pulls off a heroic act in the heat of battle that saves lives, but the consequences of his actions cause the political animals in charge of the military to throw him under the bus. His career is effectively over, and he’s just a few short weeks away from being mustered out of the navy.
But by a twist of fate, he finds himself in command of a dry-docked, commander-less ship that is anything but ship-shape and combat-ready. It falls to him to get the ship operational in time to stop a major threat from destroying not only the space station where they’re docked, but also the peace the Navy has fought so hard to preserve.
Anyone who’s read Honor Harrington (or Horatio Hornblower) will immediately understand what kind of story this is. While it revolves around Grimm, we are treated to insights into all the important players in the game—his XO, the marines who guard his back, the pilot who flies his Corsair, the spy with whom he falls in love, the generals and admirals playing with his career, even the enemies who threaten his life. This big-picture approach to building the story makes it feel so much more epic, and makes the galaxy feel so much grander and more sprawling than a single-POV story.
What I liked about Against All Odds is that there’s really only a thin line that separates the “villains” and “heroes”: decency. Those who fall on the wrong side are greedy, self-serving, cowardly, and cruel, while those who are worth following are the ones who make the sacrifices, who are willing to put themselves on the line for others, who are honest even when it’s difficult, and at least try to be better. Some might consider this an idealistic approach to storytelling—and I’ll agree that it appealed to the idealist in me.
The story feels as sprawling and complex as Honor Harrington or The Expanse, with a whole colorful cast of characters I absolutely enjoyed reading, and have no doubt I’ll continue to enjoy reading as I move deeper into the series. I can already sense the looming specter of war just beyond the horizon, and the drivers that will push our characters steadily toward conflict. All I can say is “Buckle up!” because I have no doubt it’ll spiral well out of control, with our favorite Lieutenant Commander and his intrepid crew at the center of the action.
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