Frontline - Randolph Lalonde

RATING: THREE STARS

The Holocaust Virus is beginning to spread uncontrollably through the galaxy, infecting every A.I. it comes across. In its lee, lie a series of desolated, lifeless worlds. Human casualties have risen to incomprehensible figures and even the sinister Regent Galactic is beginning to become sickened, trying their very best to divert the blame of the virus away from themselves.

Amidst all of the chaos, confusion and death, Jason, Ayan and Ming buu set off to rendezvous with Jacob Valence and his powerful warship, the Triton. Their journey will be far more dangerous than even they realise, as they will have to pass by Pandem – a tiny island planet that is to serve as the ‘beachhead’ the West Keepers need to launch their assault on the free galaxy.

The Good

Like its predecessors, Frontline is exciting and imaginative. The pace of the story is bang-on and it really builds up to an exciting ending. Randolph Lalonde has gone all out in this story and has held nothing back, slightly dipping into horror for the first time to create a grotesque form of science fiction. Lalonde carries this off well and really forms a harrowing picture of what the Holocaust Virus is doing to the worlds it infects.

The Bad

Once again, as with its predecessors, the main issue I had with Frontline was with its poor editing and the book is riddled with grammatical and colloquial mistakes. This is a shame really as the story itself is good, but Lalonde is clearly either editing his work himself or is paying a non-professional to do it for him. These mistakes really diminish his story and gives Frontline a slightly amateurish feel that I didn't like and was (in my opinion), easy for him to have avoided.

Frontline also continues to have some of the other problems I have mentioned previously: its dialogue is slightly clunky and doesn't really reflect how people speak in real life; Lalonde is still using irritating author’s tricks like using italics and words like ‘haf’ instead of ‘have’ in his dialogue that detract from the story; and, finally, much of his technology is just too good and convenient (even for science fiction)!

My Thoughts

So, would I recommend reading Frontline (or beginning Spinward Fringe) to you? Once again, the answer is yes. Despite its flaws, Frontline is a good story that I really enjoyed reading. It continues to be well-priced, especially because it is slightly longer than the other books, and reading it is an entertaining way to pass a long commute or a bit of free time.

Triton - Randolph Lalonde

RATING: TWO STARS

I must say that I was slightly disappointed with Triton and think that the book has fallen short of the quality of its predecessors. Sadly, I found the dialogue weak, the action bland and there was no real plot to the book. It had purpose, yes, and is unarguably important to the series, but it's far from a page-turner and became quite boring in parts.

As with the rest of Spinward Fringe, Triton begins right where the last book left off and picks up with Jake Valent and his crew as they begin adjusting to their newly secured prize - a hugely powerful warship from the Sol System called the Triton. It quickly becomes evident that the Triton is beyond them, however, in both in technology and size, and Lalonde focuses the story on how his characters come to terms with and adapt to this. 

In all fairness many of Lalonde’s ideas regarding this matter are good, although many were a little to ‘convenient’ for my taste. I could easily have let this go though, if the rest of the book had been up to scratch. His unusually poor characterisation, however, along with a significant lack of excitement, made this very difficult for me to do. In fact, I frequently found that Lalonde didn't develop his ideas as fully as he could have and think that he has sold Triton short of its potential.

This isn't to say that Triton didn't have its merits though, and there were parts that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. Aside from the obvious attractions of space battles and lower-key scuffles, Lalonde has finally begun to bring many strings from the previous books together, which should prove interesting developments for the later books.

So all in all then, Triton was a bit a let-down. I feel that it failed to live up to its potential and should have been much more enjoyable to read than it was. Despite this, I'm still a huge fan of the series and will definitely be reading the next installment - I just hope it’s a bit more of a page-turner! Please, Lalonde! Please!

Awakening - Randolph Lalonde

RATING: FOUR STARS

Awakening is the third instalment of Randolph Lalonde's stunning space opera, Spinward Fringe, and follows on directly from where its predecessor tailed off to continue Captain Jake Valance's search for his long-lost daughter, Alice.

After making the decision that living the life of a mercenary and contracted debt collector won't be enough to help him find his daughter and unveil his forgotten past, Captain Valance follows through with his plan to take up privateering again and sides with a powerful solar system in its war against Reagent Galactic; ensuring that they use their intelligence network to search for Alice as part of his pay while he runs riot with his crew aboard the Samson. 

My Thoughts 

Awakening is an exciting read right from the off and Lalonde manages to maintain the pace of the story throughout the book - making it extremely difficult to put down! Furthermore, Lalonde adds a sense of sentimentality to the story that I really liked by including chapters based around characters from the previous books, adding deep side-stories of their lives and how the loss of Jacob Valent, the captain of the First Light, has effected them. 

After reading Awakening then, I would say that it fits in nicely with the previous Spinward Fringe stories. It is innovative and packed full of the imaginative technology and real-life workings that I have come to expect from the series - meaning that it is still the best and most exciting space opera that I've read to date! 

Resurrection - Randolph Lalonde

RATING: FOUR STARS

Picking up the Spinward Fringe saga a number of years after the conclusion of The First Light Chronicles, Resurrection tells the story of Jake Valance as he wakes up scared and alone aboard the Samson - a battered and derelict cargo ship that is drifting through empty space.

Jake Valance has no memories of his past when he wakes - knowing nothing at all about his life except that he has a daughter, Alice, whom he saw waking him from cryogenic sleep before having to flee the ship on a security feed. Determined to find his daughter and unravel his past, Captain Valance turns to the only skills he has to make a living - paying his mercenary crew via privateering, repossessing illegal space ships and chasing lucrative bounties.

Resurrection then, is a faced paced novella that is full of action from start to finish. Lalonde's prose is as engaging as ever and works well to create a new host of dynamic characters that again respond to events around them in very a believable manner. This, along with the realistic social infrastructure of his universe, gives the book a sense of plausibility that added greatly to my enjoyment of it.

Thus, I would say that Resurrection is an impressive and enjoyable sequel to The First Light Chronicles and continues to make Spinward Fringe a series that is well-worth investing in.

Origins - Randolph Lalonde

OVERALL RATING: FIVE STARS

Origins is the first instalment of Spinward Fringe, a gripping space opera by Randolph Lalonde that tells the tale of Jonas Valent and his crew as they struggle to survive and retain their integrity as they fight to protect their homes from the industrial super-corporations that are determined to conquer them. And, as the series' opening novel, Origins sets the background of the characters - being split into its own mini-trilogy that collectively forms Broadcast 0. The complete trilogy, called the First Light Chronicles, is printed in the book so it effectively forms a must-read anthology of Freeground, Limbo and Starfree Port.

Like the rest of the series, Origins is written in the first person and tells the story from the perspective of Jonas Valent (the main character), as he captains an advanced, but decrepit-looking warship called the First Light in one of the most unique science fiction sagas that I've read in a long time.

Freeground: Four Stars

As the first book in the Spinward Fringe series, Freeground tells the events that see Jonas Valent plucked from his peaceful but mundane life as a space-traffic controller after he is caught illegally taking part in naval training simulations.

Knowing that he is facing serious legal charges that will undoubtedly lead to a long prison sentence and a hefty fine, Jonas has no choice but to cooperate with the Freeground Navy as it shatters his old life and puts him through a series of gruelling challenges along with his co-hackers. The stakes are high for Jonas and his friends, and not just because their failure will cost them everything. Should they succeed, the Navy has offered them more than just a clean slate: they have an unprecedented offer that recognises their exceptional abilities - skills that are essential if the space station is to survive the noose tightening around its neck...

Limbo: Five Stars 

Following on straight from where Freeground left off, Limbo tells of the disastrous events that follow Captain Jonas Valent and his crew after they enter the Gai-Ian System. Friends are gained, friends are lost and one is changed forever as the First Light desperately struggles to rescue a dire situation before their mission crumbles to nothing more than a scant memory... 

A true testament to the saying "don't jump without looking", Limbo is fast-paced and exciting - being every bit as engrossing as its predecessor as it provides an unpredictable story that is full of twists and turns!

Starfree Port: Five Stars 

As the final instalment of Spinward Fringe: Broadcast 0, Starfree Port does not disappoint and continues directly on from the end of Limbo, picking up with Captain Valent and his crew as they enjoy some well earned leave on a space station while the First Light undergoes some much needed repairs and a major overhaul that incorporates some of their stolen technology into its systems. 

Their peace is not destined to last however, and Jonas and his friends are assailed by mercenaries seeking to claim the lavish bounties placed on their heads by Vindyne and the Triad Consortium, who are closing in on both them and Freeground. So, stuck between a rock and a hard place, Freeground Command asks Jonas and his ship to participate in a dangerous mission alongside a deranged and infamous captain that is responsible for the ruthless slaughter of millions. Having no choice but to accept, Jonas knows that he must be diligent if he wants to keep his crew alive in their toughest mission yet - suspecting that, before the end, sacrifices will have to be made...

Final Thoughts

Following a continuously improving precedent with each novella being better than the last, Origins is a remarkable collection that undoubtedly paves the way for a gem of a series, which is really brought to life by its host of dynamic characters, its well thought-out and dynamic universe and a seamless lack of a gender divide. Due to this, I would recommend that you not only add Origins to your reading list, but you experience Spinward Fringe as soon as you can by moving it near to the top!