Review: This is a terrible edition to the series.
Rating: 1 out of 5
Date: 09 14, 2013
Nuttall, I loved the Empire's Corps series until this book.  I rate this book so harshly because I hope you take this criticism constructively.  I'll give you a list of why this book is a 1 star book.First, the book itself does nothing whatsoever to advance the story, the characters, or their relationships with each other or with the rest of the galaxy.  The book literally goes nowhere for the commonwealth.  This is a new, fledgling empire that is beginning to build its own starships and train its own troops.  Do you know how exciting that can be?  Why did you waste that potential like this?Second, the writing is terrible.  Your earlier works had such great pace and detail.  Not this.  It was so repetitive, you beat us over the head with how sick their society is from the first page to the last.  For example, 24% into the book: "The sea of human misery was horrifying."  Now, 91% into the book: "They saw the lower castes as less than human, he thought, in a rare moment of insight. They weren't there to be cared for, merely to be used." ...........  There was NOTHING rare about this insight.  It was on every page.  And it was to tiresome to read over and over again, I can't believe I made it through.Third, the premise is awful.  Commonwealth meets with Wolfbane on a remote sh**hole of a planet that hates all off-worlders with a passion.  They bring almost nothing to the planet with them, and take themselves into the heart of the enemy's strength with really nothing to defend themselves with.  Then, both sides send away all orbital ships for the entirety of the book, cause, well, we wouldn't want any of that orbital superiority getting in the way of the psychotic, suicidal government.  We're talking about the most advanced marines in existence with weapons and combat suits that make railguns look weak, and you arm them with pistols for this whole book.  Please.  Suspend reality, that's the only way to swallow this book.Finally, as a reward for reading this misery, you killed off the best character you had at the end of the book, meaninglessly, just for the hell of it.  Blake Jackson was awesome.  His capture during the Crackers Wars and how he reacted was great.  Now he's dead for nothing.  Great job, you lost a follower.  Hope my 3.99 was worth it.