Rating:

5 Small Stars
The Emperors Fist

It’s always a pleasure to read one of Jay Allan’s books and this one is no exception. It does seem though, that the books in this series come few and far between. I had to look back to see when I had read book 3. Still, I’ll continue reading this series also long as Mr. Allan writes them.

Arkarin Blackhawk was back with his old crew aboard the Wolf’s Claw doing what they always did before the war in the Far Stars. While that war had ended, with considerable help from Blackhawk, he didn’t want anything to do with forming a new Confederation. He would have been the supreme General in charge of all the Confederations military assets, but Arkarin was done with that kind of power. Yet, his old self, Frigus Umbra, wasn’t quite done with that kind of lifestyle and he continues to torment Arkarin with thoughts and memories of what he had once been. Arkarin was quite comfortable with his old ship and his crew and he wanted things to stay that way. And if they did, he knew he would never be with his one true love, Astra Lucerne. She was the Marshall, leader of the Confederation, and had vowed to get it organized and running as her Father had desired.

So, both entities were doing as they desired, until the Empire showed up! Someone had found a way to get large starship across the great expanse called the Void. And that someone was Rachus Denali, captain of the Granger. He was a rouge trader, but one with a unique skill in navigation that allowed him somehow to cross this great expanse while others got horribly lost! Now he was hoping to make his greatest trade of ever. He was going to entice the Emperor into buying his navigation invention, but the Emperor wanted proof that it worked. So, Rachus found himself on the bridge of a huge Empire battleship, one such ship that was larger than anything ever built in the Far Stars region. And behind this behemoth were nine more! The invasion of the Far Stars was about to happen!

Once Arkarin found out about the Imperial starships reaching the Far Stars region, and realized that a single one of these huge battleships could destroy the entire Confederation Fleet, he didn’t know what to do! So, if Arkarin doesn’t know how to fight these things, then what’s to come of the Confederation? Do they surrender to the inevitable or fight until there’s nothing left to fight with. That would surely mean the death of Astra Lucerne and possibly even Arkarin Blackhawk. Or should he, as his crew suggest, grab Astra and speed of into the depths of space looking for another place to start all over?

Good reading and a nice story although I do think the ending was kind of sudden. Not sure what’s going to keep the Empire from sending more and more ships. Still, I’ll be waiting for the next book in this series.

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