Review: What a diabolical and fun universe to explore!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 16, 2014
You may start to wonder "in how many ways can one cover the fall of Rome?"  Nuttall seems to like this theme and variations of it a great deal.  I can't blame him; more often than not hit hits the bases and occasionally he hits one 'out of the park'.I like the Space Opera theme of one man's battle against an evil Empire that is crumbling under its own ponderous weight.  It makes for a fun read when done well and can even be tolerable when done with mediocrity.This effort from Nuttall is not mediocre; it is fast paced with some interesting and some despicable characters.  There is plenty of military action and an unique take on an Empire with no Emperor... .  The use and abuse of patronage in this Empire makes for opponents as formidable as they are corrupt.  The requirement of patronage to succeed crushes rebellion as efficiently as it fosters it and the threat, whether real or imagined, of an alien force lurking beyond the Rim helps keep the rest in check.  What a diabolical and fun universe to explore!