This has a very slow start which unfortunately makes it a real struggle.
Once through the start the action comes a bit quicker but not enough to totally recover from the slow start.
I think not reading the previous books certainly made a difference.

"Sheppard's Quest" eBook was published in 2018 and was written by Gary Caplan. Mr. Caplan has published seven novels. This is the third in his "The Alliance of Worlds " series. 

I categorize this novel as ‘G’. The story is set in the far future. The primary character is Alliance fleet officer Robert Sheppard. 

When new allies, the Talcon, ask for assistance, Sheppard attempts to help them out. He and his ship are on the way to confront the Varlons. While in route he has the time to follow up on the Talcon request and investigate why animals are mysteriously disappearing from their Starcity ship. Before long, Sheppard and his task force join their allies in a confrontation with the Varlons. 

I thought the 5.5 hours I spent reading this 239-page science fiction novel were interesting. This is supposed to primarily be a space opera tale of military confrontation in space. There was some of that, but this certainly wasn't "The Lost Fleet". For me, the story kept going in too many directions: the mystery of the lost animals, the confrontation with the Varlons, and the mysticism of the Star Knights. This book does read pretty well as a stand-alone novel even though it is the third book in a series. In summary, this novel was close, but not quite there yet. The cover art is OK, but I think a better image could have been chosen. I give this novel a 3.4 (rounded down to a 3) out of 5.

Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/. 

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Described as a military-space sci-fi novel on the cover, Sheppard's Quest failed to deliver the action and suspense that I usually associate with space battle books. The author’s documentary writing style did not create the compelling page-turner I had hoped it to be.

Sheppard’s Quest is the third book in its series. While containing references to encounters in Gary Caplan’s prior books, the references did not leave this stand-alone novel wanting. The space scenes are adequately described and the characters were sufficiently developed to make the book an interesting read. Absent was escaping prose. When reading military space operas, I usually cannot put them down. Unfortunately, Sheppard’s Quest was easy to put down. After 20 minutes of reading, my mind was drifting; one time, I fell asleep.

The author has the right formula for a good military space sci-fi but lacks the thrilling prose that captures readers.

Working in a way that reminds me of Robert Heinlein, this book was a raucous adventure, filled with engaging details. Propulsive action and gripping suspense help drive the plot forward.

Recommended for science fiction fans.

Good book but long on the narrative in the beginning. The overall plot needs work to streamline the story for a trilogy effort.

Robert Sheppard is commander of a starship of the Alliance of Worlds. He is tasked with protecting the Alliance Worlds from harm. There are alliances trying to destroy the Alliance of Worlds. Sheppard fights back using his Star Knight powers. It works until a transdimensional monster, a Nahalion appears...