Rating: 4 out of 5
I was delighted when I noticed that Mr Currie had started with another series in the Odyssey universe. Of course, noticing this took some time for me, so I can’t say that I’ve been on top of the author’s latest novels, but even so, I was happy to be able to explore more of this universe. In short, Mr Currie does not disappoint but neither does he surprise.
The reader now gets to follow both Eric Weston and Stephen Michaels who go their separate ways, one in command of a battle group and the other of a small independent privateer squadron. Inevitably, some battles ensue and both the main characters as well as the reader learn something more about the Empire and how it works. Two of the Empire’s leaders also become point of view characters which at least adds a bit of colour into the mix — though indeed we see or hear from them rather rarely.
And, of course, it probably will not come as a surprise that by the end of it, at least one of our main Terran protagonists has succeeded in their quest (Weston’s story in this book is mostly jumping around various systems). I have to say that I really did enjoy the more piratey part to this book, but I am also becoming disillusioned with the style of Mr Currie’s books — very short, predictable action-thinking-action pattern with the ‘good guys’ coming out on top by the end of it, and nothing really ever develops (except the danger level creeps up by a notch after every ‘good’ victory).
