John G. Hemry

John G. Henry, a retired naval officer, writes military science fiction under his own name and as Jack Campbell. Tarnished Knight is the first volume of a series spun off from The Lost Stars. Its hero, Artur Drakon, a military leader from the Syndicate Worlds, launches a rebellion in the Midway system. Campbell is a student of military history and has based at least part of the action here on Xenophon’s Anabasis about a small force fighting its way out of trouble. Stealing from the classics is always a good idea. This series is as good as most by Ringo, Weber, or Zahn.… (mere)

Another fun installment in Campbell's Lost Fleet prequel series. This is book two and Glenlyon, Kosatka and the other 'free' planets in the outer colonies are still trying to go it alone, while the aggressive worlds continue to attack and try to divide and conquer. Campbell gives us zero insight into the leadership or motivations of the attacking worlds - the leaders don't have names and there is almost no communication. All we see are the good guys trying to resist violence and oppression. He has created ancestors for all of the major characters in his Lost Fleet series, so we see Geary and Desjani and Morgan, etc. These are fun, but serious, military scifi.… (mere)