Jay Allan is a prolific writer! I think that’s really a huge understatement. I have read many, many of his books and they all are just outstanding. This one falls into that category, although I did notice a fair amount of editorial errors through out the book. The did nothing to take away from the book, but it was surprising to find so many in a Jay Allan book. I’m wondering if he got a new editor?
Ok, on with the book. Blackhawk is one mean dude. He also something of a construct. He has capabilities that make him deadlier than any man alive on this planet. I mean he kills four soldiers in a bar in the opening chapter. They started the fight, but he sure did finish it. He’s also on the downside of life, looking like a tramp with nothing but booze as his companion. We don’t get a lot of information about Blackhawk’s former life. Let’s just say that it was bad and I wouldn’t want to push him much to tell me about it. He’s kind of roaming around in the Far Star system because no one knows him here. Still, killing four soldiers who were armed is not going to go unnoticed.
Fortunately for him, those that did notice were solders from a different group. These new soldiers were from General Augustin Lucerne’s army while the soldiers Blackhawk shot were from a General Ghana’s camp. This is the planet Celtiboria, a mostly desert planet that once was great, but has fallen to an age where warfare is the main activity of those living here. On this Northern Continent, various Warlords have been fighting for centuries. General Lucerne and General Ghana are enemies and are just about the last of the remaining Warlords that can do much fighting. All the Warlords have just about exhausted their resource in men and money from the long fighting. There is a truce of sorts now which means most of the soldiers in both armies don’t have a lot to do.
Still, being a prisoner in General Augustin Lucerne’s brig was better than being in General Ghana’s clutches. A hanging awaited him there. And a hanging might still be awaiting him if I wasn’t for the fact that General Augustin Lucerne was a honorable man with an uncanny ability to read other people. He had already noticed that Blackhawk wasn’t what he appeared to be, but he didn’t know exactly what he was. So, General Lucerne went to visit Blackhawk in his cell. That meeting changed everything for Blackhawk, General Lucerne and eventually for everyone on the planet Celtiboria.
Blackhawk finds a man he did not know existed. He has found an honest and honorable man in General Lucerne. This is a man he can actually follow and do what is asked. He’s never been in this situation before. And General Lucerne automatically trust Blackhawk. They form a bond that should have made General Lucerne’s enemies hearts grow cold. Yet, before this story is over, Blackhawk will find someone else that almost melts his heart. She is not a general, but a leader. Is this where Blackhawk finally finds the peace he’s been searching for for so long? Impossible!