Review: Reads like a blockbuster movie.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 10 8, 2013
This first contact sci-fi novel tells the tale of humanity's war with the Aquillians, an intelligent alien race. It is not long after humanity masters interstellar travel that they encounter the Aquillians. At first, this is cause for celebration, but this excitement quickly devolves into horror when the Aquillians start attacking human space colonies. All this is told from the perspective of Jefferson Grant, the protagonist, and ostensibly the "tip of the spear" in humanity's fight for survival.It's apparent that a great deal of thought went into worldbuilding. The technical aspects of Grant's equipment are well thought out and detailed, which is great because we get to see that hardware in action. The book is chock full of thrilling land- and space-based battles. The author keeps the tension up throughout, and the Aquillians prove to be formidable opponents. It would have been nice, though, if the Aquillians had been characterized a little better than simply "the enemy", but even so, the author's methods work.There were a handful of grammar and spelling errors which detracted a bit from the story, but their number was not egregious. Moreover, the protagonist, Jefferson Grant, was a little two-dimensional (a gruff man who has lost everything and now lives only for vengeance), but this does not keep the reader for rooting for him as he struggles to save humanity one battle at a time.All in all, this is an action-packed book that plays out like a blockbuster movie. Military fiction buffs and space opera fans alike need to read this book.