Patriarch's Hope (Seafort Saga)

Patriarch's Hope (Seafort Saga)
Average customer rating:

I couldn't finish it...

I hope other entries in the series are better

Magnificent! Feintuch does it again!

This franchise has run its course

Great book but not at great as the first couple

Patriarch's Hope (Seafort Saga)
David Feintuch
Manufacturer: Aspect
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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Feintuch, David | ( F ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0446608467

Amazon.com

If you aren't already a fan of the "Seafort Saga," you may or may not be sold by Patriarch's Hope, depending on your tastes. The grizzled, conflicted Seafort huffs and puffs predictably throughout, and the pseudofuturistic, military motif is ever-present and a bit much at times (the "SecGen" and his "middies," use "puters," fly "helis," and find frequent cause to shout "Belay that!"). Hope is passable military SF, but it serves better as an adventure-filled primer on honor, stoicism, personal responsibility, and male bonding. --Paul Hughes

Book Description

If you're already a fan of David Feintuch's bestselling Seafort Saga, Patriarch's Hope will be a welcome chance to catch up with the series' hero, Nicholas Seafort, now Earth's global executive. In this installment, Secretary General (SecGen) Seafort must juggle the demands of a colonial empire across the stars, a powerfully politicized Navy, and a morally questionable world religious council against the needs of a dangerously degraded planet. Much of the book details Seafort's political maneuvering and the discarding of his anti-"Enviro" prejudices with the help of his idealistic son. But the action picks up before the book closes, as a crippled Seafort leads a small team to wrest a giant battleship from the hands of a mutinous captain unhappy with the SecGen's change of heart. If you aren't already a fan of the "Seafort Saga," you may or may not be sold by Patriarch's Hope, depending on your tastes. The grizzled, conflicted Seafort huffs and puffs predictably throughout, and the pseudofuturistic, military motif is ever-present and a bit much at times (the "SecGen" and his "middies," use "puters," fly "helis," and find frequent cause to shout "Belay that!"). Hope is passable military SF, but it serves better as an adventure-filled primer on honor, stoicism, personal responsibility, and male bonding. --Paul Hughes

Customer Reviews:

I couldn't finish it..........2002-12-24

If you read the previous books...STOP RIGHT THERE!

Seaforts' guilt trip is just too exhausting to read anymore. 'Nuff said about that.

The authors pro-environmentalist stance is spotlighted through Seaforts "obvious" religious and anti-environmentalist idiocy. In this world, the earth has been ravaged by neglect and horrible business practices. What every enviro-extremist expects to happen. Well, it happens in this book, and Seafort just doesn't care about it, and figures we just move to other planets....Gimme a break.

I just couldn't handle the enviro sermons, Seaforts guilt and idiocy, the homosexuality, the blind love and worship of Seafort by everyone...it was a little sickening. Couldn't stomach it anymore.

Read the previous books in the series tho. As usually, the first one was the best...slowly dwindling to this.

I hope other entries in the series are better.......2002-11-02

This was my first introduction to the Nicholas Seafort series, and after this book, I won't be reading any of the other novels. Here, Seafort is the Secretary General of the United Nations, in a future that is culturally like the 18th century. The government is abusive, religion is everywhere and state-sponsored, and environmental collapse looms just around the corner. Seafort willfully blinds himself to the environmental problems, convincing himself its God's will! Only, after a couple hundred pages of activism and persuasion on the part of his son, he becomes convinced otherwise, and finally tries to do something about it.
This installment of the series illustrated how flawed a character Nicholas Seafort is, and unfortunately, I just can't stomach someone that dumb, pigheaded, and guilt-ridden as a protagonist.

Magnificent! Feintuch does it again!.......2002-03-15

Patriarch's Hope is another outstanding chapter in the Seafort Saga. As set in his ways at sixty as he was in his younger years, Nick Seafort lives by his own set of rules that include integrity, honor and respect. His loyalty to his beloved U.N. Navy is unwavering. It makes it all the harder to accept when that same U.N. Navy threatens his government and earth itself in a broad rebellion. The conflict between the Enviro factions and the Navy place Nick Seafort right in the middle. It is his son who ultimately influences his decision on which force is right. As usual, the plot is filled with action and intrigue guaranteed to hold the reader's attention.

Mr. David Feintuch is a remarkably talented author. The Seafort Saga is the best science fiction series I've ever read. I've ordered his first fantasy novel, The Still, and somehow, I know it's going to be outstanding. It's my `hope' that Patriarch's Hope doesn't end the series.

This franchise has run its course.......2002-02-02

I used to like Nick Seafort. David Feintuch is a fan of the Horatio Hornblower books, but Hornblower mellowed out as he got older and more secure. Seafort just seems to get ever more neurotic. By this time he's a guilt-ridden, self-pitying, whiny old man who attempts to make up for his self-perceived inadequacies by mindlessly holding to a rigid moral code. It doesn't help that this book is written in the first person, and it quickly gets tiresome to hear Seafort repeatedly go on guilt trips for sacrificing Navy cadets to save the earth (as related several books ago) and various other things he blames himself for.

But onto the plot. Seafort is now Secretary-General of the United Nations, attempting to balance the world's varied political interests, most notably the environmentalists and those who support strengthening Earth's military and keeping the space colonies in line. Partway through the book, he's converted to the environmentalist fold after being seriously critical of them. This breaks up the fragile coalition he heads, and in fact the military faction attempts a coup using a new interstellar warship to enforce its will. The most exciting part of the book (frankly, the only exciting part of the book) occurs when Seafort takes it upon himself to reclaim said nuclear warship from the rebels.

In summary, I think this franchise has run its course. Feintuch should move on to something else because this book is only for completists.

Great book but not at great as the first couple.......2002-01-01

This book was brilliant! There are no other words to describe the magnificent plotting that this author conjures up. however, my favourite book of the series is the first one and this one fails to surpass it.

Average customer rating:

The series has gone in the toilet.
Belay that whining, Seafort!
More angst-ridden adventure with Nick Seafort
Terrific
Just when you think the guilt can't get deeper...

Fisherman's Hope (Seafort Saga)
David Feintuch
Manufacturer: Orbit
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Prisoner's Hope (Seafort Saga)
Voices of Hope
Challenger's Hope (Seafort Saga)
Children of Hope
Patriarch's Hope (Seafort Saga)

ASIN: 1857234405

Download Description

Naval Academy Commandant Nicholas Seafort is a legend to the masses, an idol to his hundreds of teen cadets. They don't see the tormented soul of a man who believes that merciless duty has led him to betray every friend he ever loved, every ideal he ever cherished. After a lifelong ordeal, Seafort needs time. Time to reflect. Time to heal. Instead he is pulled into a maelstrom of crisis, corruption, and danger as the helpless, unprepared Earth faces annihilation from a horde of alien attackers. Alone at the center of a cosmic apocalypse, Nick Seafort must face his final battle . . .And his most unforgivable sin.

Customer Reviews:

The series has gone in the toilet........2005-05-04

The last three books were very good, even with the transpop characters thrown in. The first half of this one is interesting in depicting academy life. The bizarre gay references come out of 'left' field and don't belong. Furthermore I finally gave up a little past halfway because it completely dissolves itself into 'trannie' culture in New York and is just too unbelieveably stupid to have kept my interest. The absolute worst in any of these books is when Seafort tries to talk like a tranny or understand them, it's just total crap.

Belay that whining, Seafort!.......2003-09-25

I must say that by this point in the Seafort Saga, Seafort's whining is just getting to be too much. Admitedly, he has reason to whine - he is the most improbably unlucky man in the universe. Everything that can be dumped onto him is, and by the time I was done this volume, I had had quite enough. Once again Seafort behaves badly to save the day - for the third book in a row (though his "damning" behaviour in Challeger's Hope is really just a problem in his own head, IMHO).

So while this one was not a favorite, the series is still worth sticking with - Voices of Hope is very good, and has far less of Nick Seafort in it, and none of his guilt-ridden internal dialogue.

More angst-ridden adventure with Nick Seafort.......2000-07-29

If there's one thing you can say about the Hope series, it's that Feintuch manages to grow the characters but still manages to keep their basic premises intact. Nicholas Seafort's ongoing quest for honor and redemption continues here where he becomes an instructor at the Lunar academy where he earned his commission. The story is gripping and the final outcome was not what I expected at all. Great stuff!

Terrific.......2000-05-23

This is the Gadfather Part II of the series. In this book we see flashbacks of Nick's life and time in the academy, we also learn how his father raised him. Nick is now the head of the naval academy. An attack by Nick's alien adversaries causes him to take immediate action. But the only way he can fight them, is with the help of his cadets. The ending of Nick's journal is especially moving.

Just when you think the guilt can't get deeper..........2000-02-18

A great book that pulls you in. If you read the series consectutively, you'll wonder what kind of situation could be worse in the next book than what Seafort has done in the present book. And how Feintuch can pull it off. But he does, and Seafort's hold on sanity just comes that much looser.

Seafort's flashbacks flows from past to present smoothly, and there's always a connection there. You learn more about his past than you do in the previous books. And there's also a twist on the end that's sure to suprise suprise. It may (or may not) make you look at the the previous series a bit differently.

Prisoner's Hope (Seafort Saga)
Average customer rating:

Too much tortured soul

GRIPPING!

Not as good as the first two, but still a decent book

Intriguing and Intense

Too much moaning

Prisoner's Hope (Seafort Saga)
David Feintuch
Manufacturer: Aspect
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Feintuch, David | ( F ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Adventure | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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Children of Hope

ASIN: 0446600989

Book Description

Assigned to Hope Nation while recovering from injuries, Captain Nicholas Seafort is appointed liaison to the wealthy planters of the verdant colony planet. But, reeling from a savage alien attack, the U.N. space flotilla flees homeward, and the colonists seize their moment to rebel. His beloved wife and closest friends gone, Seafort must halt a revolution and rally the ravaged colony against the inhuman invaders. But to save the world, Nicholas Seafort must forsake his vows--and commit an unthinkable, suicidal act of high treason.

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Customer Reviews:

Too much tortured soul.......2003-12-13

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.

GRIPPING!.......2003-06-13

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.

Not as good as the first two, but still a decent book.......2003-03-12

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.

Intriguing and Intense.......2002-12-22

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.

Too much moaning.......2002-07-03

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.

Average customer rating:

Seafort's Hope
David Feintuch
Manufacturer: Doubleday Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1568651546

Average customer rating:

Boring, unbelievable, and unlikable
ee-yuck
Nice read, but I'm getting sick of Nick...
A Spectacular Series
Worthy Sequel to Midshipman's Hope

Challenger's Hope (Seafort Saga)
David Feintuch
Manufacturer: Aspect
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0446600970

Book Description

An alien attack and an admiral's betrayal leave a wounded Commander Nicholas Seafort stranded aboard a doomed ship of arrogant colonists and violent street children. His crew is rebellious, his ship short of weapons, fuel, food. Easy prey for the alien predators now massing to attack. Only Nick Seafort's will stands between his charges and violent death. But is he merely postponing their end?

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Customer Reviews:

Boring, unbelievable, and unlikable.......2007-02-05

Sub-par military sci fi with inconsistent characterization and a plodding plot. I don't mind unlikable protagonists, but the author's characterization of Nick Seafort is all over the place. Jumps in motivation and perspective that make no sense at all and render him complete unbelievable. Not much here to redeem this book. Those interested in sci fi military novels might want to check out Bujold's Vorkosigan saga, the Honor Harrington series, or "Old Man's War" instead.

ee-yuck.......2003-04-13

I tried really hard to like this book as with the others in the series. But it was simply impossible.

Don't get me wrong. I like heroes and anti-heroes. And even as a kid I thought that Captain Bligh was one of the former.

But the main character here is the sort of half-crazed martinet who makes Captain Queeg look like Francis of Assissi and Mother Courage rolled into one. A religious fanatic. Grasping. Power mad. Self-absorbed. Needlessly cruel. With no regard for the lives and well-being of his men. The kind of officer who would be fragged in any sane military past or present and who would almost certainly have washed out of OCS, much less a the military academy.

The covert racism in this and others is impossible to ignore. The "gangs" down in the cities are all Black or Latino (as if these would still be meaningful categories that far in the future). They even talk like refugees from a minstrel show.

And the "Fish", the demons of the piece, aren't even very good monsters. They seem big, strong, dumb and hungry. Less the objects of a military campaign than a job for the game warden.

This whole series is a lot like a sick cat; it just doesn't wash.

Nice read, but I'm getting sick of Nick..........2003-03-12

I read the Seafort Saga many years back, and I decided to re-read them now that Children of Hope and Patriarch's Hope are out (they weren't out the first time I read the books). So, I wanted to refresh myself before I read the two new ones...

In this book, Seafort is sent with a big group of ships to go defend Hope Nation. The only problem is, they fuse a great deal of times and meet fish on two of those times. Betrayed by the admiral in charge, Seafort is transferred to a disabled ship with a bunch of the more useless (read, trannie - sort of street kids - and elderly) passengers. His crew is skeletal, and some of them are rebellious. The passengers are snotty except for the old ones, who are pretty dang useless, and the trannies who dont' improve the situation. So... Seafort tries to pull things together and improve their chances of survival although everything looks pretty dang hopeless. Seafort becomes more disagreeable throughout the book until you feel like you'd join in any rebellion against him too.

But, it's a good book. Feintuch has a rare talent of drawing the reader into the book and making the reader become attached to the characters (my attachment is to Vax). Watch the characters grow and change... all the while keeping the story interesting and suspenseful.

I don't think this book is as good as Midshipman's Hope, but it is a good read and I recommend this saga to anybody. Actually, I just got my best friend addicted to it by giving her Midshipman's Hope for her birthday and sending her Challenger's Hope when she was done iwth the first one. She absolutely loves the books, as does my other best friend. And the one had never even read sci-fi before! As she put it, you forget it's a scifi novel for the most part. It's about living and dealing with problems...

A Spectacular Series.......2000-11-14

Feintuch has really created a fantastic series with the Seafort Saga. I haven't been drawn into a book this much since "The Lord of the Rings." Feintuch really creates a world where the reader can lose him or herself. The characters are developed well, and the plot is spectacular. Anyone who loves the Navy or SciFi will love this book, and even those who aren't(like myself) will enjoy it. Really, if I could give this book 10 stars, I would. Excellent read.

Worthy Sequel to Midshipman's Hope.......2000-05-23

Challenger's Hope adds to Nicholas Seafort's character. He loses his wife and sun to an alien attack, he is betrayed by an admiral, some of his passengers are bigots and violent street children, and Nick is forced to break an oath. David Feintuch is my favorite author, and he shows an incredible writing talent by adding depth to Nick and his world, making the aliens actually scary, and delivering an exciting and moving story. I salute you Mr. Feintuch.

Average customer rating:

If you have the guts to read this book
Ummm...You people seem a little confused...
"Master and Commander" in Space - Great Read!
Dark, unglamorous but very human science fiction.
A Maudlin, Self-Pitying Read

Midshipman's Hope (Seafort Saga)
David Feintuch
Manufacturer: Orbit
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Challenger's Hope (Seafort Saga)
Fisherman's Hope (Seafort Saga)
Prisoner's Hope (Seafort Saga)
Voices of Hope
Patriarch's Hope (Seafort Saga)

ASIN: 1857234340

Download Description

A hideous accident kills the senior officers of UNS Hibernia--leaving a terrified young officer to save three hundred colonists and crew aboard a damaged ship on a seventeen-month gauntlet to reach the colony of Hope Nation. With no chance of rescue or reinforcement, Nicholas Seafort must overcome despair, exhaustion, guilt; he must conquer malfunctions, mutiny, and an alien horror beyond human understanding. He must save lives. And he must take them, in the name of duty.

Customer Reviews:

If you have the guts to read this book.......2006-09-23

If you have an imagination and can picture a future with a state sponsored religion and a young man striving to live up to the expectations of a stoic father under the most dire of circumstances, light-years away from his home; If you can feel the dispair of the young man as he is put in charge, dispite knowing he isn't qualified, and that there is someone who is; If you can feel the self-flagellation this young man heaps upon himself for percieved weeknesses and mistakes. Then this is a book for you.

This is not a light read. It is not escapist literature. It is a book of not only survival, but the survival of one's self.

Ummm...You people seem a little confused..........2006-03-03

Ok, we get, you whiny mamby-pamby losers don't like the Seafort Saga! Enough already!

Christ! I don't spend this much time whining about politicians I dislike.

This book is great for its development of an actual self-reflective hero. Seafort actions are all the logical conclusion of his total and complete devotion to duty (which is motivated by his early religious training). Yes this book is somewhat religious, yes the UN goverment displayed herein is somewhat oppressive.

A-DUH!

There's a whole "order" vs. "freedom" theme that plays out (quite well) throughout the whole series. By the by please stop spreading misinformation. There are no "lurid" descriptions of people being caned, and if your problem is with people being hung and smacked about in the future why do so many of you like Starship Troopers in which people are hung...and WHIPPED!

HYPOCRITES!

"Master and Commander" in Space - Great Read!.......2006-01-10

Midshipman's Hope, and the six novels following it, seem to be planted firmly in the "love or hate " category. On the whole, I am one of the lovers. My gripes are few and trivial.

MH is set two centuries in the future, when war and anarchy have supposedly led to a violent "Laura Norder" reaction, our times being remembered with a shudder as the "rebellious ages" which must never come again. However, when examined closely, the reaction turns out to have been very limited and "patchy", with the most important 20th Century social changes, such as race and gender equality, coming through without a scratch. There is a degree of class antagonism in regard to the "Transpops", but only slightly greater than between ghetto dwellers and suburbanites in today's US. Even homosexuality is still tolerated, and unorthodox methods of reproduction like host mothers are accepted without demur. The only ban is on producing unplanned children, and that is condemned more as irresponsible than as immoral.

So what changes have occurred? The biggest, from where we sit, is the spectacular revival in the power of the Church. There is essentially only one, the "Reunification Church", which is a sort of amalgamation of most Christian sects, formed after the main alternatives to Christianity have been conveniently wiped out in World War III. It has enormous political clout, and the authority of the civil government supposedly derives from it, or at least from Lord God, whom it of course represents. Oddly, though, it doesn't seem to have really made much use of all this power. Blasphemy is condemned, but apparently not homosexuality, or indeed most sexual behaviour which doesn't lead to unplanned pregnancy. Nor does it control education, or seem very insistant on the traditional family unit. In fact, its main concern appears to be suppressing rival Churches. Pentecostalists are given an extremely hard time and can even get burned at the stake on a bad day, but that's about it . The Church tolerates no competitors, demanding recognition of its undisputed authority, yet does hardly anything with it, just holding power for power's sake. Well, not impossible.

The secular side of government, though in form still democratic, has a distinctly authoritarian flavour. This is most evident in regard to the Space Navy (another powerful political force), where a Captain is literally the direct representative of Lord God, with virtually absolute authority, and who may not even be touched without permission, on pain of death.

There is also a decidedly "tough love" approach to child rearing. Drugs and juvenile delinquency are very severely dealt with, while corporal punishment of minors is accepted as entirely normal, a minor being (with some exceptions) anybody under 22. This has generated an amazing amount of heat in discussion of MH and its sequels, despite being quite trivial compared to some social changes that you get in sf. Indeed, outside (some) Western countries it would scarcely represent a change at all. I have the feeling that a slaveholding or cannibal society would have been less upsetting to certain critics than one in which kids get the cane, but feel this says more about the critics than about the book.

(Incidentally, does anyone know how the legend arose that Cadets and Midshipmen get caned on the bare backside? Offhand I don't recall a single instance of this. Given the absence of privacy in the Wardroom, Middies are often undressed in front of one another , so probably get to see the marks of recent canings, but there is no suggestion of punishment being administered that way. I get the feeling some dirty minds have been working overtime.)

The final social change is strangely at odds with the rest. Education is no longer compulsory. The public schooling of our era is remembered as a waste of resources, and it is entirely at a parent's discretion how he/she educates the kids. Whatever its merits, this seems an oddly "libertarian" approach for such a society. Still, inconsistent doesn't mean impossible.

The central character of MH is Midshipman Nicholas Seafort, aged 17 at the start, of UNNS Hibernia. Thanks to a series of accidents, he finds himself in command of the ship, with a lot of difficult decisions to make. It recalls an episode in Master and Commander , where a Midshipman even younger than Seafort is left in command while his Captain joins a boarding party. In M&C, though, the Captain survives - Seafort's doesn't. Resisting demands to abort the mission Seafort deals successively (and sometimes ruthlessly) with rebellious crewmen, a potentially disastrous mechanical failure, mutiny on a space base, social problems at his destination, officers with major character flaws, and last but by no means least, the discovery of a hostile alien race. Listed like this, it all sounds less than credible, and indeed rather corny space opera, yet it is Feintuch's achievement to make it all quite believable, in the contest of his invented world. I was gripped to the end.

Feintuch also does a great job of portraying Seafort himself. The latter, whose upbringing has been stern and Calvinistic even by the standards of his world, has a savagely demanding conscience , fixated on his duty to the service and to Lord God. How he sticks to right as he sees right (sometimes as a minority of one) and successfully completes his mission, makes fascinating reading.

All in all, a great book. If you like Hornblower or M&C, you should love this. Firmly recommended.

Dark, unglamorous but very human science fiction........2005-10-18

Feintuch knows people; at least, he knows their darker sides. Nicholas Seafort, the first-person main character of the 'Hope' series - of which this is the first - is a young officer in a hellishly strict Navy of the future; think 1800s-era Royal Navy on interstellar spacecraft.

Within the first couple of chapters, Feintuch puts Seafort into a situation of responsibility he doesn't want, isn't qualified for, *knows* he isn't qualified for, but can't resign from. From there the book moves episodically - Seafort first has this challenge to worry about, then that one, and then another crisis - without a tremendous amount of relationship between the episodes. It feels almost like a collection of linked short stories, with the same characters in (roughly) the same situation.

At the same time, that's not a real vice. The plot isn't first-rate (outside of the general overview I gave, it barely exists), but the characters are - complex, human, and well-developed. Seafort does some nasty things - but on the other hand, it's a cold universe that he lives in and a cold and brutal, if not actually *evil*, organization that he's a part of.

The later books in the series have more complex plots and more detailed character relationships (almost all of this one takes place on and around the one warship, a relatively small stage with a correspondingly small cast), but Midshipman's Hope is an intense and well-executed start to one of the more underrated series of military science-fiction.

Some reviewers have compared Feintuch to CJ Cherryh. I would disagree with this; unlike Cherryh, Feintuch is *very* readable.

A Maudlin, Self-Pitying Read.......2005-10-09

This must be what the male version of a "chick flick" is like. I found myself zipping through the book breathlessly but was ashamed when it was all over. Nick Seafort is a self-obsessed, self-pitying egotist and I don't think I could contine further with this series.
I've read my share of space opera novels and I get Feintuch's nod to Britannia's Navy. But when you have a repellent vision of the future, your hero needs to be engaging and not sucked into that system.
Feintuch writes well enough to keep the improbable plot developments moving but it's not enough to save this sappy male soap opera.

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Challenger's Hope (Seafort Saga)
David Feintuch
Manufacturer: Warner Books Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NY3X34

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The lackluster end of the Seafort saga
A Compelling, Intelligent and Gripping Saga !
Return to Hope
By far David Feintuch's best!
A joy to read

Children of Hope (The Seafort Saga)
David Feintuch
Manufacturer: Orbit
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Voices of Hope
Patriarch's Hope (Seafort Saga)
Fisherman's Hope (Seafort Saga)
Prisoner's Hope (Seafort Saga)
Challenger's Hope (Seafort Saga)

ASIN: 1841490709

Amazon.com

Children of Hope, the seventh book in David Feintuch's Seafort Saga, continues the story of Captain Nicholas Seafort and sheds new light on the alien invaders known as the Fish. Seafort may have survived all manner of battles, rebellions, and ecological challenges, but the vengeance of one 14-year-old boy could cost him his life.

Randy, the angry son of Derek Carr, blames Seafort for his father's death. Derek was the Stadholder of Hope Nation, a planet struggling for survival and freedom. After Derek's death, Hope Nation was plunged into political uncertainty and young Randy was left fatherless. One defiant act against the powerful Church launches Randy into an adventure that will lead him to face Hope Nation's church leaders, alien invaders, and the man he deems responsible for his father's death, Nicholas Seafort. At stake is not only Randy's life, but the fate of Hope Nation itself.

Feintuch, the winner of the John W. Campbell Award for best new writer, continues his military SF saga by creating another complicated character. Young Randy is just as tortured, difficult, and guilt-ridden as Seafort, but he has his own story to tell. While the unrelenting action mixes nicely with the political and alien invasion subplots, Randy ends up being a little too unpredictable. Too often he seems more like an 8-year-old than a 14-year-old, and at points it's hard to sympathize with him. In fact, the event that begins Randy's adventure is so unbelievable that it casts a shadow over the first half of the book, until the action heats up and the story truly gets exciting. Even so, Seafort Saga fans won't want to miss this installment, especially to discover how the Fish figure in. --Kathie Huddleston

Book Description

The seventh novel in the Seafort Saga by David Feintuch, Children of Hope continues the story of a man bound to his duty-and wracked by guilt for all that his duty demands of him. Captain Nicholas Seafort survived alien wars, planetary rebellions, and ecological chaos on Earth, but now something much more ordinary might finally cost him his life-vengeance...

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"The seventh novel in the Seafort Saga by David Feintuch, recipient of the prestigious John W. Campbell Award, Children of Hope continues the story of a man bound to his duty and wracked by guilt for all that his duty demands of him. Captain Nicholas Seafort survived alien wars, planetary rebellions, and ecological chaos on Earth, but now something much more ordinary might finally cost him his life...vengeance. Derek Carr was Stadholder of the colonial planet Hope Nation when Captain Nicholas Seafort ordered him to take command of the UN starship Galactic, a mission that ultimately cost Derek his life. It was a tragedy that forever changed the political landscape of Hope Nation and left young Randy Carr fatherless and desperate for revenge. Now a young man bucking against authority, Randy rebels against Hope Nation's oppressive Church-State and draws the wrath of a powerful and malicious clergy. As he seeks refuge from those who would make an example of him, he sustains himself with dreams of repaying Captain Seafort for the death of his famous father. When the opportunity presents itself, he leaves the UN's most decorated hero and legendary leader fighting for his life?an action that sparks the most explosive trial in starship history. For Randy Carr, it will be more than a fight for justice. Because what began in the name of duty could suddenly end with a death sentence. "

Customer Reviews:

The lackluster end of the Seafort saga.......2004-07-20

This is the seventh and latest installment in the Seafort series of books, a series that focuses on the moral struggles of a man raised in a strict religious home located in a theocratic future. Although the first several books contained elements of the parental relationship that Seafort seems to end up establishing with everyone around him, they were mainly focused on his intense desire to adhere to the impossible strictures of his conscience. Those books were eminently readable and even moving.

This book, and Partiarch's Hope, the previous book, depart from that theme and concentrate almost entirely on the way that Seafort saves wayward youths from themselves through proper Victorian discipline and punishment. The author goes from examining the pressures inherent in such a system to simply promoting it as the proper cure for wanton behavior, mental anguish, and in this latest case, interstellar war. Like most science fiction "series", this one should have ended long ago.

A Compelling, Intelligent and Gripping Saga !.......2003-06-20

I picked up Midshipman's Hope 12 days ago and just could not stop reading the Seafort saga. From Midshipman's Hope to the most recent Children of Hope, it has been a most enjoyable and rewarding experience. The plot is intense and riveting, the characters vividly alive. I love the protagonist, Nick Seafort. I love the way Feintuch develops Seafort's character. From a young midshipman to captain to saviour of the human race to secretary-general to possibly saviour of both his kind and the alien, he is one of the most endearing, intriguing and complex hero I have encountered in Sci-fi/fantasy. He is a man of honor, courage and integrity. He is devoted to his God, despite his doubts, and haunted by his sense of duty. Yet he is compassionate, vulnerable and sensitive. My favorite in the series is Challenger's Hope which moves me to tears a few times, Prisoner's Hope a close second and Patriarch's Hope a close third. Voices of Hope is good but the narrations by two of the trannies characters is sheer torment as it was a struggle to make sense of the trannies' language or jargon Feintuch has created. I ended up skipping most of the trannies' narration. Please Feintuch, no more trannies' language or any such jargon in the future of the series. I also hope that Feintuch will stay with Seafort as the narrator in future as the story somewhat loses its intensity when the narration is by another character as is the case in Voices of Hope and Children of Hope. The ending section of each book has thus far been climatic and simply stunning. Children of Hope leaves me with a great sense of anticipation, crying for more from Seafort, his children and friends. Feintuch, I salute you for such an amazing saga. Keep it up!

Return to Hope.......2002-09-03

This is an excellant sequel in this particular series; I find it a return to the roots of the series and a distinct step up from the past couple of books. After leaving the world of Hope for the last few books in this series we return to there and to various colonial issues. Here too for the first time the role of the church as it plays in politics is brought into the main themes. We again see Seafort's rather particular sense of honor put to the test in various ways along with the newest of his child "projects" Randy Carr who provides the POV for most of this novel.

This is a very busy book; plots and sub-plots abound. You need a scorecard to keep track of who is playing what roles as the story unfolds. It is also very fast paced, not an easy book to put down. For serious readers of this series elements (and characters) of the other novels are presented, and occasional loose ends tied up.

By far David Feintuch's best!.......2002-01-04

My local library just got in the Seafort Saga, and without really knowing what I picked Midshipman's Hope up and started reading it. Wow! I was hit with an awesome look at the future and really felt like I knew and could relate to the book's main character, Nick Seafort. Since then I couldn't put the books down. Now, six books later, I think that Children of Hope is an awesome volume in the continuing saga, but it also stands out uniquely on it's own. With a new main character, fourteen-year-old Randy Carr who is in desperate need of a father, Nick Seafort and his cast of familiar characters are not put on the back-burner, but rather closely intigrated into this young boy's fresh persective to make for some interesting plot twists and very realistic characters. This is a must-read for any fan of science-fiction or military novels!

A joy to read.......2001-11-24

You know, I hate the future Feintuch has created for us. A fanatically religious theocracy in control of everything, burnings for heresy, children who muck up, like in the "rebellious ages" (I guess that would be now), get to enjoy special training camps designed to break them (a beer is enough to get them there...), and the navy is using methods from the 17th or 18th century to educate their officers and run their ships. It's as if you're living a nightmare. I find it hard to believe it could come to that.

But then Feintuch goes on to tell stories set in that gruesome environment that wrench your heart. I have only read Fisherman's Hope, Voices of Hope and now this one (I think this is the best), but in all of them, he manages to depict characters that are flawed and stubborn, but trying to grow, to deal with their actions and their guilt. Their progress is slow, they make mistakes, you want to yell at them. They all have a too black/white view of the world and a way too extreme sense of honor, but you can't keep from admiring it. I'm kinda ashamed to admit it, but I did admire Randy's attempts to keep his honor during all he went through.

The plot may be a little erratic - too much happening in too short a time to Randy - he is almost killed in various ways and always we have a "deus ex machina" thing that saves him. He is always where the interesting stuff happens, and always finds an outrageous way to safe the day. But, after all, this is a story, and I suspect it's this rush of events that makes it a page-turner. And Randy's communication attempts with the alien fish and the conclusion are beautifully done.
So my misgivings about the environment and the impossibilities are lost in my "willing suspension of disbelief", and I was rooting for Randy all the way, transported back into the days of my childhood when I read adventure stories at night with a flashlight in my bed. Give it a try. If you haven't encountered the setting of the series before, you will probably find the book somewhat disturbing, but definitely worth the read. A great adventure.

Seafort Saga: Book (1) One: Midshipman's Hope; Book (2) Two: Challenger's Hope; Book (3) Three: Prisoner's Hope; Book (4) Four: Fisherman's Hope
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Seafort Saga: Book (1) One: Midshipman's Hope; Book (2) Two: Challenger's Hope; Book (3) Three: Prisoner's Hope; Book (4) Four: Fisherman's Hope
David Feintuch
Manufacturer: Aspect / Warner Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NRUZO6

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