Gravity Storms And More — Lions In The Fog

Shadow Vanguard Complete Series Omnibus, Tom Dublin and Michael Anderle with Craig Martelle (2018-21)

Gravity Storm (February 2018)

Lunar Crisis (June 2018)

Immortality Curse (December 2018)

Ultimate Payback* (August 2019)

Alien Genocide* (April 2021)

Family Reunion* (October 2021)

This series is set within the larger “Kutherian Gambit” universe, with which I’m largely unfamiliar. The series is fine as a stand-alone read, though, so no worries if you’re not either.

It’s also unique in that the principal author, Tom Dublin, passed away after book 3 but left outlines for six more. The fourth, fifth and sixth books of this series were completed by Anderle and Martelle from Dublin’s notes. At this point, Family Reunion appears to be the latest published entry.

This series stood out for the humor that runs through it. Dublin had a great way with words, including copious and rather funny use of obscenities. “Lord Golden Boy Von F*ck-trumpet” sound better than calling someone just “Draven,” it’s true. Tc’aarlat, the alien business partner of humans Jack Marber and Adina Choudhoury, spends much of the series mangling English (sorry, “Galactic Common”) idioms to great effect (“Don’t put all your eggs in one bastard”) as the three pilot their freighter, the ICS Fortitude, from mission to mission.

The group have accepted a position as secret agents (it’s steady income) and slide from one unlikely and generally funny mission to another. Along the way the Fortitude’s built-in computer gets and upgrade to full Artificial Intelligence status, and starts using Jack’s mother as its avatar for dealing with the crew, to often hilarious effect.

The humor is strongest—and the foul language most clever—close to the beginning of the series. Working from another author’s outlines and keeping their distinctive tone going must be an enormous challenge, and the two get generally good results. Anderle and Martelle do a very nice job of keeping the main themes going for books 4-6, with only subtle differences in writing style reflecting the change of main authors.

This is good, light and frothy entertainment. The series’ first half is particularly fresh and interesting, although the entire thing is worth reading. Although the publisher’s website is silent on it (and my anti-malware software won’t let me visit Dublin’s website at all) I’d be delighted to see books 7-9 if or when they emerge. When the queue thins out I will also look to sample some of Dublin’s earlier work.

Smirk factor: Plus-que-acceptable: 1.5 pts (16 smirks normally would get more points off, but it’s over1528 pages and bonus points for pretty funny writing.)

Immersion factor: Chest-high: 1.5 pts (Got shallower as it went on.)

Writing quality: Average: 1 pt (Dublin’s writing stands out.)

Character/plot development: Average: 1 pt

Innovative/interesting: Above-average: 1.5 pts

Total: 6.5/10

Note: There are three permanent crewmembers on ICS Fortitude, four if you count “Solo” and/or its totally not creepy use of the Captain’s Mom as an avatar. So why do we only see two of them on the series covers? Hmmm?

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