Review: An enjoyable first book
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 21, 2014
I read the first two books sometime last year and have been waiting for the third one.  The premise of this book is that mankind has spread throughout the galaxy with new drive technology.  While our technology has advanced, our perchance for violence against our fellow man has not.  It is still brutal and the average person stands little chance when the big boys want something, be it governments or mega corporations.  After years of warfare, a leader finally comes forward and brings a form of peace to the galaxy by forming an empire, held together by the big stick of the Imperial Fleet, loyal only to the Emperor.We come to today, the Emperor is dead, Jon Radec, the commander of the Emperors Guard(Praetorians) is the owner of a space station in the middle of nowhere, trying to stay alive with a target on his back.  He has assassins coming his way and a plot that brings up his past as the Last Praetorian.The book is written with about 60% 'current' action (avoiding the assassin, trying to keep the business afloat and deciding if he wants to get involved in saving the galaxy) and 40% in flashbacks that show us how he got to where he is today.  The flashbacks are well done and bring good insight into the Jon Radec we know of today and how the Confederation even got started.So, we have:Imperial PoliticsBetrayalActionStrong leading character with stiff moral focusbeautiful womensneaky (really sneaky) bad guysAn enjoyable book.