This is one of the better military science fiction series I’ve been reading. Up to book 9 and it’s really getting exciting. Well, all of it except the political part. We’re building an Empire out of what is left of Earth after the Karacknids attacked. They dropped a number of nuclear weapons on Earth, pretty much destroying every major city in every major country. What’s left was mostly the humans who were in space and in starships that didn’t get destroyed. There are some survivors on Earth, but no a whole lot. Their conditions are getting worse and going to be getting a lot worse if someone can’t come up with a plan to save what’s left of humanity.
So, the first part of this book deals with the political aspect of a civilization. Admiral James Somerville has reluctantly accepted the fact that he’s next in line to the British thrown. His friend and the former British Prime Minister, Fairfax, had done the digging and came up with that information since all other successors to the British Throne have apparently died during the Karacknid attack. James will become King of England. His former love interest, Christine, is already Empress of China by marriage and now she is alone as the Emperor of China died in the same Karacknid attack. James and his fellow friends, including the President of Russia, Admiral Koroylov, Empress Christine and a US Senator as well as several others still feel that the Earth needs to be united under one government. They need an Emperor and James agrees! But, he’s not necessarily agreeing to become the Emperor. He makes a proposal to the Emergency Committee that puts Christine up as the Empress of Earth! She, inturn, says she will accept the thrown only if James agrees to marry her and become Emperor! This part is pretty interesting, but is all politics and kind of boring.
In the meantime, Admiral Somerville sends his niece, Emilie Somerville, now Commander Emilie Somerville, on a secret mission out the other side of known space. She’s to find any unknown Gifts’ or secret passages to other parts of the universe and see if she can drum up any allies in the fight against the Karacknids. Her mission could go on for quite a long time, but James knows she’ll at least be safe unless she runs into Karacknids on the other side of the galaxy. If that happens, then they’re all dead anyway. Her mission is pretty interesting and she does get into some serious scraps. It will be very interesting if she can find the help Admiral Somerville really needs.
And, the the Karacknids attack the Varrani Trade Alliance! They are heading for Varrani Prime and Cria with a tremendous battle fleet. The Alliance needs everything that can be brought together to fight against this armada. Earth doesn’t have much so it volunteers to send what’s left of its fleet to the backside of the Karacknide force and see if they can disrupt the Karacknids supply lines! They don’t even know if this will help with anything. Still, they must do something.
As you’ll read, there is some exciting space battles and even some ground action. There are resistance groups on Jerranna, the first Alliance planet destroyed by the Karacknids. I’m already looking forward to book 10 in this series!