Rating: 3 out of 5
I really enjoyed this title—really, I couldn’t put it down—until the very end, where it seems to be the author creates a plot hole. Maybe this was necessary because this book seems to fit into a gap between two older books (I’ve not verified this), but even so it seems that the same objective could have been achieved somehow better.
What was good? The majority of this title was superb: the pace is quick and there is a lot happening from the points of view of a number of characters. The action is generally very interesting and it’s tough to know exactly which way the final confrontation the author is building up to will go. And, again, Ms Rusch has done a splendid job with the minor characters who get their own POV.
What I didn’t like? This will involve spoilers. Firstly, Coop’s behaviour with respect to the final dive by Yash and Boss is wholly out of character for the person we’ve seen in countless novels. But, more importantly, why did he not contact the supposed Fleet vessels? The author says that Coop did not want to tip off the Empire that someone else was there, but the Fleet has been able to monitor all Empire communications throughout. And with regards to the observers, he could have gone to his ready room just like he does to take another four or five calls during the battle sequence. If that wasn’t critical enough when there were four Fleet ships present, it should have been immediately done when one left with the first disabled Not-Fleet/Armada ship.
I couldn’t help but think that this contact would arrive, and it didn’t. It’s a pity because this feels like a big hole for me while I really enjoyed the book overall.
