Customer Reviews

Prisoner's Hope (Seafort Saga)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I picked up the Seafort saga 6 days ago and just could not stop. From Midshipman's Hope to Challenger's Hope to the end of Prisoner's Hope I am still hooked badly and will no doubt finish the rest of the 4 books in the next week. I just have to pause to praise the first 3 books of the series. Some reviews do not seem to think too highly of Nick Seafort but I found myself liking the hero. Raised by a deeply religious and stern father one could understand Nick's fears for God, the high standards he set for himself and his angst. The plot is riveting though depressing in Challenger's Hope. I found myself near tears a few times in Challenger's Hope and Philip's heroic sacrifice is heart rending though it is to be expected in military science fiction. Feintuch has written a great action packed saga with well developed characters and I am glad to add him to my list of must read writers.

Well written, with a strong plot and powerful sense of conflict. The only gripe I have is that the main character seems to be his own worst enemy. He is continually snapping at people and psychologically brutalizing them, all in the name of his "god" (basically the rules of the navy) and then moaning about what a terrible person he is and how everyone hates him and how he hates himself. He'll do something bad, agonize over it, and then turn around and do it again. I find myself wondering if he will ever grow as a character.

The first one of this series was very good, but the second one was simply unremitting gloom. I didn't even finish the third one, because I was tired of Nick's continual moaning about how bad his life was.

These have to be the most depressing stories I have ever read. The first book in the series, Midshipnman's Hope, was stering and I rooted for Mr Seafort. The second book, Challenger's Hope, was the begining of the downward slide with Seafort brutlizing everyone and beating them. A real leader is not a Captain Bligh. This third book, Prisoner's Hope, does have good action sences, but by this time I was very tired of the yelling and crying and beating and moping. I started skimming to move past all of this to see what finally happens. I have to admit that the story is compelling and I want to see how they win (maybe, I hope) against the Fish. These books are like a really bad movie you stay up to watch, and at the end you ask yourself, why did I waste my time. And you answer, you hoped it would get better, and at times, it does, but you keep on watching because you want to see how it comes out in the end.

I'm rereading the Seafort Saga so that I will be refreshed as to waht's going on in Children of Hope and Patriarch's Hope (which weren't out when I first read the saga).

In this book, Seafort is confronted again with a hopeless sitaution (you gotta begin to wonder what kind of sucky luck he has). Hope Nation seems to be a magnet for the fish - the alien species that is haunting the people - and the military doesnt know what to do about it. THe people on the planet are getting pretty [ticked] off that they're being treated like a colony (Feintuch apparantly really likes British history and you can see a lot of similarities in his books), so they want independence. They're [ticked], Seafort's whiny about how he screws everything up all the while screwing more stuff up and trying to make everything better... and there's a lack of depth for almost all the characters involved except Seafort. Even Alexi becomes whiny! Feintuch does seem to have a difficult time putting depth into more than two characters, but the characters he does put depth into... you either become really attached to them or really hate them. So the author is good at evoking emotions in the readers, which is a rare talent.

Feintuch has a rare gift to draw the readers in and get them addicted. The book is suspenseful, although not nearly as much of a page turner as the first two were. I was extremely dissatisfied how things were handled between Nick and Vax. In general, I'm just getting sick of Nick (which I did the first time reading them, too). but, the book is still good... and it's planet-based, so it isn't as sci-fi ish as the other ones. I still recommend the book, but I believe Feintuch should've put more effort into the characters... make them stop sounding like snivelling brats.

FIRST OF ALL IF YOU LIKE THIS SERIES CHECK OUT LOIS MCMASTER BUJOLDS VORKOSIGAN SAGA. IT IS INCOMPARABLY BETTER. Not That this was too bad a book, but I've read The still, and the first two books of this series and they've all been the same. Astounding circumstance thrust the hero into a no win situation, he agonizes more than is necessary, betrays his friends, and in the end prevails. Actually Nick Seafort isn't a very nice guy. He's always snarling at his friends being rude, bemoaning "I've foresworn my oath" and generally moping around. This series so far has only been redeemed by competent storytelling. I hope the rest of the series picks up a bit or I probably won't finish it. Oh yeah check out the vorkosigan saga - way better although the first book was a little thin.

This series is a painful one to read. Nick Seafort suffers from two problems: the typical hero's being in all the wrong places at the wrong time, and his personal and bizarre code with which he tortures himself at every turn. This story is worst than most, as more and more characters seem to have this trait of unbreakable personal codes for which any violation is unforgivable. It makes any character interactions painful to read as you wonder who will say or do the wrong thing to offend honor or duty and be eternally ostracized. The science fiction, however, is gripping. If Feintuch were to devote more to SF and less to gloom, he'd be fantastic.

The memorable aspects of the first volume in this series have become elusive, as Seafort's determined refusal to acknowledge and accept his own human imperfections cast dark shadows over everything. Tragedies are plentiful, but inspirational moments are not. Characters look to Seafort for guidance and hope, and consistently find frustration and confusion. This volume has moments of suspense, action and intrigue, but they are derailed at nearly every turn by Seafort's character. Readers will likely be as frustrated by him as the other characters are.

The story opens on Hope Nation, where Seafort is recovering from events in the last volume. While there, he becomes the unwilling participant in politcal revolution. As chaos unfolds, it is made worse by an unexpected attack from the alien invaders of previous volumes. The U.N. Navy, posted in orbit as guardians of Hope Nation, are forced to abandon their post. Seafort is left planetside as the sole remaining Naval officer, and must somehow juggle his naval responsibilities with the struggle for survival of Hope Nation's colonists. The alien attack culminates in a surprising, and well told event. The conclusion thrusts Seafort, and the reader, back into familiar territory... frustration and darkness.

The disappointing aspect of all of this is, at least for me, that I want to feel some hope for Seafort. I want to root for him, as I did in volume one. Characters are ready and willing to follow him, given the slightest encouragement. But Seafort, and Feintuch, again refuse to budge. The result was mild interest by me, from a distance. Seafort wants no one to become close, and Feintuch makes sure that this includes the reader.

The series started out with a bang and has hewed to the formula. It is a good formula, but my God, it soon gets very very hard to identify with a protagonist who is more than just a whiner or hard to like as other reviewers have noted: he borders on mentally ill. If you like the way his character navel-gazes and wrings his hands, stick with this series, there is more on the way.

Addendum: It has been another few years and another few novel, and yes, our Hero is even crazier.

In Prisoner's Hope, Seafort must remain off-ship on a colonial planet to recuperate from his struggles on the Challenger. However, he finds little solace on the troubled planet. In the end, he is forced to contemplate committing treason--the use of a nuclear weapon--to save the planet from alien attackers. Unfortunately, it is impossible to use the weapon from a safe distance, and Seafort must choose between saving the planet, and saving himself. This is an excellent SF novel, suffused with emotional dilemmas, action, and personal sacrifices. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoyed Midshipman's Hope and Challenger's Hope.