About

The Captain is the first book in the The Last Horizon series written by Will Wight.

The Captain book cover

Blurb

Sun-eating extra-dimensional insects, shadowy secret organizations, genetically enhanced alien super-soldiers, ruthless megacorporations, and hordes of cyborg undead all lurk in the darkest corners of the galaxy, and Varic knows that any of them can become a world-ending threat at any moment.

All these are beyond any wizard, no matter how many spells he’s mastered or how many interstellar warships he’s rallied to his cause. Hopeless, Varic finds himself trying to preserve what little he can from the coming doom.

Until he hears rumors of a mythical starship, an invincible vessel of heroes made to do battle against galactic threats.

A ship called The Last Horizon.

Review

This was an action packed beginning to a new series by Will Wight. Not often do you see such an expansive setting starting with main characters already close to their peak in terms of abilities. In a galaxy where various kinds of sentient beings co-exist, magic and tech intermingle, a mysterious starship manned by powerful crew members battle against existential crisis. In short, imagine an Avengers-like movie being the first introduction to the series.

In terms of worldbuilding, I'd say it was overwhelming a bit due to the sheer amount of variety. There's a trilogy worth of content packed into a book that's less than 500 pages. During one of the battles, Varic mentions mega-reptiles that feed on migratory flocks of extradimensional prey. In one simulation, he witnesses the birth of a solar dragon while using magic to protect that solar system. These are just footnote examples, easily forgotten unless you revisit copious chapter notes like I did.

I'd say the writing was on par with the best Cradle books. All of the main characters (including antagonists) had memorable traits and tics. Unlike Cradle, not all of the crew members were likeable, though there's room for them to grow in the sequels.

Overall, I'd highly recommend this book for those who enjoy a group of competent characters making a stand against overwhelming threats.

PS: Bloopers were hilarious as usual.

My rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

What others are saying

From David Christian's review on goodreads:

The plot, and tension, and world building are all tight. The stakes feel really despite the power levels of the main cast, and the story is both satisfying and leaves you wanting more.

From Andrew's review on goodreads:

Like one would expect from Will's previous books, this is a fast paced and exciting adventure. Unlike what one might expect, this isn't another zero to hero story like Cradle - instead, we follow some of the most powerful people in a brand new universe as they meet, learn about ancient magical tech, and tackle galaxy-level threats.