Review: Extraordinary!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 18, 2012
Understand that the description given for this book is accurate; it's short, sweet, and necessarily incomplete.  From reading the description, you might get the idea that it's rather like a Heinlein 'Juvenile.'  It's lead character is a young fellow, coming of age, just venturing into an adult world.  And it's got heroes and villains, spaceships, mighty battles and worthy causes galore.  If you give it to an intelligent young person who's previously enjoyed "Citizen of the Galaxy" or "Starship Troopers," he (or she) will likely enjoy this one - immediately - and will reread it with pleasure and increased understanding, at multiple times, for the rest of their life.  (Yes, it's that good.)But.  If the reader has also read, and enjoyed, Rand's,  "Atlas Shrugged," there is a very good possibility that the reader will enjoy the books of this 'series' as well.  The "No Glory Sought" trilogy is reminiscent of "Atlas" though delivered in three parts (of which this book is part 1) yet is absent those longish speeches.Veterans should read this book!  Those still in the military, those who have manged to successfully return to civilian life, and those who have not, will find food for thought and likely hope.If you like to read military science fiction and you've enjoyed David Weber, John Ringo, Eric Flint, and other Baen authors, there's a very excellent chance you'll enjoy this work by Phil Geusz as well.  He's more succinct than Weber, yet more discursive than Ringo.  Politically, he may be, at the same time, to the right of Ringo and to the left of Flint.I bought this book, after reading several of the sample pages provided by Amazon, expecting a light, quirky, but enjoyable read.  I'd read, and enjoyed, the "David Birkenhead" series, read (and was delighted by) the "Freedom City"/"Manifest Destiny" duo: I got my money's worth and more.With this latest read, "No Oath Sworn (No Glory Sought)," I am awed and flabbergasted.  "Quirky," and "enjoyable," it certainly was;  "light" - not so much.  While the book could certainly be appreciated by the bright juvenile, and well enjoyed on an action/adventure level, it has far, far more to offer to those both willing and able to grapple with the issues  presented.Many authors of multi-volume works try to make each book in the series as good as the previous book; many fail.  Phil Geusz seemingly strives to make each book in a series better than those preceding it - and does so handsomely!The book's description promised enjoyable bubblegum; I paid for the bubblegum and I got the 'bubblegum' - presented on it's own napkin alongside a gourmet, seven course meal.This book is extraordinary!G.