Review: Why I wouldn't buy the next volume
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 06 4, 2014
EDIT:  As of 6/16/14 I've added back a couple of stars.  Mr. Nuttall (see his comment below) indicates there is more to come on the issue of slavery.ORIGINAL REVIEW:  Ok, I await each of Mr. Nuttall's books.  Most are excellent.  The writing in this one is pretty good, too.  As is the characterization.  Why don't I like it?  Because the hero and the two heroines are on the side of the bad guys, IMHO.  The imperium is run exclusively for the benefit of rich humans and rich corporations.  There are thousands of worlds and hundreds of different types of aliens.  As far as we can tell all of the aliens (with a few trivial exceptions, such as the Snakes in their little corner of the Universe), are subservient to the rich humans / corporations.  So too are most of the humans.Our hero wants to uphold the Imperium because if it breaks up billions of people will be hurt or die in the economic chaos that follows.  The "enemy" is the secessionists, who believe in equal rights for aliens and local government (each planet for itself). And the rich don't get to rule just because they are rich.In America this is like being for the South IF the South were also the dominant economic power in the American Civil War.  That is, pro slavery and pro-monopolies.  Or for preserving the British Empire with all the privileges that white Englishmen had in about 1910.  Great if you're rich and white and male; not so hot for everyone else.  I kept reading hoping the heros would have a change of heart.  They didn't.