Nolan and the rest of his battalion find themselves outnumbered and out-gunned, but they fight on. They fight on and on and, surprisingly, on. Though their geographical route involves a few twists and reverses, the story line and the characters move grimly, resolutely to the finish. And that's about it. For fans of military sf, there should appear to be some missing aspects.
Every novel focusing on armies or mercenaries leaves the reader with some disturbing questions.
Shelley has taken the harrowing mental debates from his tale. Every officer is every inch the gentleman. There are no bullies, no psychos, no blood-thirsty berserkers. Such a unit is theoretically possible, but no screening process is that good. No, it is as accurate as a novel can be about a war that hasn't taken place.