Victory Conditions (Vatta's War) (Hardcover)

by Elizabeth Moon (Author)
Key Phrases: station security, onboard ansible, system ansible, Slotter Key, Admiral Vatta, Master Sergeant (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Rip-roaring action and intriguing science and tactics distinguish Nebula-winner Moon's fifth and final Vatta's War installment. Now combat-blooded and well on her way to the admiralty, young Kylara Vatta commands 40 far-future spacecraft against ferocious Gammis Turek, a criminal mastermind who has threatened Ky's home world of Slotter Key, her relatives and the far-flung Vatta economic empire. Ky has the rank she always hoped she'd achieve and now must accept the fearful responsibilities it entails. Weighed down by thoughts of the deaths she has caused—both friend and foe—and the need to protect the people in her command, Ky finds herself making some dangerous decisions. She's surrounded by a convincing supporting cast, from feisty fruitcake-baking Aunt Grace, who runs Slotter Key's defenses, to dashing Rafe Dunbarger, acting CEO of InterStellar Communications, who has lost his heart to Ky despite his best efforts at stoicism. This epic volume is a fine and fitting conclusion to Moon's grand space opera tour de force. (Feb.)
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Product Description
Elizabeth Moon’s thrilling Vatta’s War series, featuring the no-holds-barred space-faring heroine Kylara Vatta, has secured her reputation as a master of first-rate military science fiction. Now Commander Vatta is back–locked and loaded and ready to win the fight against the marauding forces of ruthless space pirate Gammis Turek.

For Ky, it’s not just about liberating the star systems subjugated by Turek and defending the rest of the galaxy’s freedom. There’s also a score to be settled and payback to be meted out for the obliteration of the Vatta Transport dynasty . . . and the slaughter of Ky’s family. But the enemy have their own escalation efforts under way–including the placement of covert agents among the allies with whom Ky and the surviving Vattas are collaborating in the war effort. And when a spy ring linked to a wealthy businessman is exposed, a cracked pirate code reveals a galaxywide conspiracy fueling the proliferation of Turek’s warship fleet.
Matching the invaders’ swelling firepower will mean marshaling an armada of battle-ready ships for Ky to lead into combat. But a violent skirmish leaves Ky reeling–and presumed dead by her enemies. Now, as Turek readies an all-out attack on the Nexus system–a key conquest that could seal the rest of the galaxy’s doom–Ky must rally to the challenge, draw upon every last reserve of her strategic skills, and reach deep if she is to tear from the ashes of tragedy her most decisive victory.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: Del Rey (February 19, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345491610
• ISBN-13: 978-0345491619
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #146,369 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid Conclusion to an Entertaining Series, March 4, 2008

By	Darwin A. Garrison (Fort Wayne, IN United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Victory Conditions is the conclusion of the five volume Vatta's War space opera series by Elizabeth Moon. The other books in the series are:

Trading in Danger
Marque and Reprisal
Engaging the Enemy
Command Decision

Summary: The Vatta's War series covers the actions of Ky Vatta and her surviving family as they attempt to recover their lives and deal out justice following a devastating attack against their family and their interstellar holdings. Classic space opera with ships and space battles, intrigue, and romance.

Stylistically, the Vatta's War series appears to be a more mature version of the Heris Serrano tales that hooked me on Moon's writing. Compared to the earlier Serrano tales, the story arc of the Vatta's War collection is more cohesive and end-directed. However, this does not lessen the earlier books. Rather, it illustrates a difference in focus on the part of Ms. Moon.

As with all space opera, the draw for the reader comes in term of voice and characterization. Ms. Moon draws very enticing characters for the reader to care about and has a welcoming and smooth writing voice. Thus, all of the books in the series were easy reading and enjoyable recreational experiences.

Good as it was, Victory Conditions did not leave me as satisfied as I had hoped. Although the writing voice remained solid, the depth of characterization shallowed compared to the other books. I'm certain that "rushed" feel came about due to all the threads that appeared to need tying off to draw the series to conclusion The reading was still entertaining but I missed some of the deeper emotional involvement the earlier volumes carried.

I rate the series overall as very enjoyable and recommended with only mild regret for a relative lack of depth in the last volume. That reservation is counterbalanced by a "solid" and "final" ending that nonetheless leaves potential for future exploration should the author and publisher choose.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Solid finale too the series, but weaker than the others, April 7, 2008

By	Chengora - See all my reviews

Victory Conditions was a solid conclusion to the series, but like the other reviewers, I thought in general it was a bit more rushed and especially "forced" than it needed to be. Moon focuses so much on wrapping up the series that the characterization really suffers as a result. And this is a shame, especially since she has spent four books working through the motivations of her main, supporting, and even small characters.

As a result, the challenges and conflicts that come from interpersonal dilemmas disappear. For example, (spoilers ahead), one girl in the book turns out to know the pirates' secret code language, because her dad works for them and taught it to her. Rather than spending a couple pages helping the girl work through her feelings about her dad, Moon simply has her suddenly recall a memory that paints him as a duplicitous snake and which prompts the girl to show little remorse over his eventual execution.

Similarly, because the characterization has become more shallow, it seems like Moon's own biases and views come to the fore in ways unsupported by the general plot. There is an inane little piece about the incompetence and irrationality of a non-profit professional sitting on the board of the galaxy's largest company. Leaving aside the logical gap (what is a non-profit manager doing on a private ICT company board?), this section is interesting because the rest of the board are pretty one-dimensional, so it's striking that Moon chooses to focus on this element of the character's motivation and personality.

So, unfortunately, the book reads as something of a foregone conclusion. As another reviewer wrote, all the good guys step up, all the bad guys screw up, right on cue. It's all a little too tidy. However, if you can get past these issues, Victory Conditions remains a solid read, particularly after the first 50 pages. Moon's other strengths definitely remain in this book: solid narration; interweaving of politics, military, and business interests; and nicely fleshed out dilemmas between family, jobs, and responsibility. Her depiction of space battles clearly demonstrates some solid research/thinking about the challenges of combat in a 4x environment, and the descriptions of these battles are excellent.

Overall, a good read, but the weakest of the series.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Victory Conditions (vattas War), March 14, 2008

By	Russell Jay Wytlee "Spankthefrog" (Melbourne, Vic, Australia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As a final book of the series i found it a let down.
The other 4 books in the series all were well thought out but the last requires you to suspend your disbelief in order for the story to me completed.So many things arnt concluded or rapped up neatly, it is as if the author couldnt be bothered anymore with this plot
i strongly enjoyed the first 4 novel but the last left me feeling let down especialy after waiting 12 months for it to be released
in general i don't think it is up to the caliber of her other novels