Rating: ![5 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-5-0.gif) Summary: Another Gripping book Review: After reading the first five books in the Seafort Saga, I was hungry, very hungry for another. I seemed to be addicted to Nicholas Seafort. This book filled my hunger in the few hours It took me to read it. A great book, filled with excitement and tragedy. It had me laughing and crying. Please Mr. Feintuch, write another!
Rating: ![3 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-3-0.gif) Summary: An interesting tale Review: Arrg.. I just finished the Seafort Saga today and I have to admit, it was pretty good.The main Charcter is a guilt ridden religous nut. Who happens to, through a surprising turn of event, rules the world. Unfortunately the world is also run my religous nut's. David Feintuch has created a dystopia book which rivals Ferinheit 451. Imagine a world where their is a reunification of church and state. Where blasphemy and heresy are punishable under the law. Where there is not religous diversity. You have no 'fifth ammendment rights'(or the similar law found almost every in the civilized world). A memorable book for sure. If it wasn't for the constant depression, guilt, and religous overtones of the main charcter it would be a great book.
Rating: ![5 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-5-0.gif) Summary: Patriarch's Hope is a triumph! Review: David Feintuch and his Seafort Saga is my all-time favorite science fiction series. And with Patriarch's Hope, Feintuch does not disappoint but rather builds on the success of the series. In Patriarch's Hope, Nicholas finds himself drawn between his Navy and the perils of Earth. Feintuch does a mesmerizing job. My only Hope would see Seafort again and again. Truly magnificent! Five Stars does Patriarch's Hope no justice!
Rating: ![5 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-5-0.gif) Summary: A satisfying installment in a wonderful saga! Review: David Feintuch's Seafort saga is my favorite series (I've read it about 5 times) and this installment (final chapter?) does not disappoint. Patriarch's Hope reads much easier than Voices of Hope did and left me feeling that perhaps Nick Seafort may have some peace at last - doing what he was destined to do. If you're not a fan of the series this is probably not the place to start, but if you're a fan - enjoy and hope for more!
Rating: ![5 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-5-0.gif) Summary: Excellent, fitting sequel to a great series. Review: Feintuch has fortunately given us more of Nicholas Seafort. While not as complicated as Voices of Hope, this installment is in some ways more satisfying as it is told totally from Seafort's point of view. You gotta love this conflicted, heroic character. And the supporting cast is equally strong. Feintuch's genius is in creating characters, lots of them, that a person can strongly identify with. Human, with many faults, but with great redeeming qualities. Many series get too verbose and the action and characterization lag. Feintuch is disciplined and the rip-roaring good story does not disappoint. Live on, Nicky!
Rating: ![5 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-5-0.gif) Summary: Seafort grows stronger every time out Review: Having followed the Seafort saga from the beginning, I find it satisfying that the man continues to grow and develop and that he has at last come to grips with realizing the corruption of the religious hierarchy ruling human existence. Great work, Dave!
Rating: ![2 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-2-0.gif) Summary: Ah well - a filler between two better ones Review: I said it - Voices of Hope and Children of Hope are, in my opinion, both much better than this one. Nick is a general nuisance in this book. We had the guilt-ridden first-person view of things in Fisherman's Hope; I didn't need the same whining about wanting to die because of all the guilt he's burdened himself with (only nobody else sees it that way, and he is admired SecGen after all - get over it!). Of course, he never quite manages to get himself killed, even though half the cast of characters bites it. My favorite character was the enviro cadet, Bevin, who was the first one to tell Nick he was an idiot. It was about time somebody told him (and he didn't even get caned for saying it...) Nick is trying out his fatherly role again and doing a rather miserable job, though for some reason all the cadets and middies and civie kids grow to love him. Why? All he ever does is demerit them, cane them, order them to wash out their mouths with soap, tell them they have no honor, no manners, and are stupid, get them killed, etc. What worked so well in Middy's Hope, because the world was fresh, somehow doesn't ring true in this book. Nick is treating other people unfair, he's short-tempered, his views and ideals seem strange (I never had such a strong feeling against his beliefs in the other books). If you know the other books, you may want to read this one, as well, because Tad Anselm and Mikhael are introduced, two characters that show up in Children of Hope, but they both make quite a transformation from the end of this book to the beginning of the next one. Also, we get to see P.T. as an adult (I rather like what became of him), and a lot of other characters (Arlene, Alexi, Derek, Jerence, Jeff Thorne, Robbie Boland) show up. But they're only fillers, Nick doesn't seem to need them. Too bad, all characters I took I liking to get killed off. I feel that I could have left this one out. All in all, I felt this was the worst book in the series so far. Good to know it gets better again with Children of Hope.
Rating: ![2 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-2-0.gif) Summary: This franchise has run its course Review: 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.
Rating: ![2 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-2-0.gif) Summary: The Hopeless Seafort Review: I'm a great fan of the Seafort - when I first encountered him back in Midshipsman's Hope, I was enthralled. Seafort was a tortured, guilt-ridden character, thrust into a difficult situation in which the lives of his fellow humans depended on his every act. Now we're at #6 in the series and guess what - Seafort is still a tortured, guilt-ridden character, thrust into a difficult situation in which the lives of his fellow humans depend on his every act. The only difference is that Seafort is no longer a starship captain or Midshipman, but now the SecGen of the UN. Fifty years has not taught Seafort anything - he still acts in the same arrogant and overbearing manner as always. For some strange reason (despite his abusing and contempt for almost everyone else) everyone loves and adulates him to an almost sickening degree. Not only that, but his anti-enviro bias at the start is so fanatical that one wonders how he can accuse anyone else of being a fanatic. The first part of the story is pretty boring and merely tries to distract us from the conflict at the end. Seafort is (of course) willfully blind to the all-too obvious problems that (of course) lead to the conflict on the last 75 pages. Seafort even receives direct warning of the events at the end, but turns a blind eye (though the troubles are quite obvious to the reader). In the action sequences of the end, Seafort rushes around like he was a 15 year old youngster (rather than a 70+ year old cripple) doing everything on his own - I found myself wondering what the heck everyone else on his side - not to mention his opponents - were doing in the meantime? Twiddling their thumbs? It certainly seems so. Superman step aside - Seafort is here. The sidekick characters seem to exist merely for the purpose of getting killed (to show what great risks Seafort is taking?) or to snivel (to show Seafort's sternness and allow him the occasional kindness?). One of the things which has kept these books interesting is Seafort's strict belief system; by the end of the books, even these unravel - Seafort's internal struggles are still not resolved. What we're left with is a hopeless, tortured, guilt-ridden character - ready for a book #7? Quite frankly - this books is far below the level of the earlier book and the series ought to have ended two books ago with Fisherman's Hope (at which time the series was already going downhill). It's high time the author leaves Seafort and got on with other projects.
Rating: ![1 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-1-0.gif) Summary: I couldn't finish it... Review: 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.
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