This book is kind of strange. The premise is that this former soldier, Carson Flint, has bought a bar on a planet called Peldan. Peldan lies in a part of space called Crossroads. It’s a supposedly neutral territory in space between three different civilizations, the Commonwealth, the Thortan domain and the Lumari Collective. All three have been fighting each other off and on with no one seeming to come out on top.
Flint, was tired of what the Commonwealth military had been ordering him to do. Yet, we don’t get much information on what he actually did while in the military. He’s bought this bar or saloon and is making a comfortable living in Castus, the only viable town on Peldan. It’s not a particularly hospitable place being in a desert where the temps in the daytime can become unbearable. Most of his customers come in late in the evening and night when the sun isn’t shining so hot and people can get some work done.
I guess the name of his place is called Cafe Bulwark, but mostly it’s just shortened to Bulwark. He’s got his long time friend, Zeke Weston with him and Zeke pretty well manages the place keeping both his employees and his patrons happy. Now this isn’t a highly reputable place, but it’s the only place of its kind where people from any of the three civilizations can come and talk without the threat of getting killed. Oh, they can get killed, but that’s frowned upon by everyone and could result in whomever brought trouble being band from the Planet forever.
Of course nothing in Castus could enforce anything since they can barely defend themselves if someone were to take a big dislike to the place. So, the citizens of Peldan and Castus are careful to make sure everyone that comes there, enjoys their stay. There are a number of boarding houses in Castus so even the military from any of the civilizations are welcomed as long as they behave themselves.
Then a long friend of Carson’s finds his way to Castus. He’s actually very anxious to get there seeing as he’s been badly wounded and needing place to hide out and get some medical attention. Wade Green is running from the Thortan military having stole some very valuable information. They are the ones that shot him and are going to find him no matter what it takes. Zeke finds Wade struggling in the Bulwark and takes him down to a partially empty storage room. But the a ship of Thortan militia arrive and that spells very bad trouble.
The Thortan domain has fractured itself after the last war. It seems that the upper crusts of their society were the scientist and engineers that were always inventing new things and using them to improve their lot in life. The problem was that they weren’t passing on these modern conveniences down to the ordinary citizens. So there was the aristocrats and the commoners until the commoners got fed up and revolted. Now the whole domain is split up into various groups with warlords making their own laws. These warlords have their own militias to enforce what they want which is everything!
So, a shuttle has just landed in the middle of Castus demanding they turn over Wade Green and the information that he stole. Initially, Carson doesn’t know anything about the fact that Green has come to Peldan nor that he’s been sequestered in a supply room in his very own spacebar. Zeke soon feels him in on the situation. Telling him that Green needs some immediate medical help. But with Commander Markov Dalra, Thortan militia, demanding they turn him over, Carson can’t get Green to the doctors.
Commander Markov Dalra isn’t a nice guy. He lets Carson know that if he doesn’t get Green immediately, then his ship in orbit is prepared to wipe out the town. Well, it’s not long after that when Green dies and Carson Flint shoots Commander Dalra in the face! That’s when the real story starts.
I’m not sure I’m going to continue reading this story. There just doesn’t seem to be anything really compelling for me to do so. I don’t know enough about Carson Flint to understand why he is the way he is nor do I have much reason to care. Also, outside of the story, there’s a lot of editing mistakes in this book which is unusual for a John Walker book. Still, if this kind of book interest you, by all means, have at it. I believe this is the start of a series, but it’s not really clear until you look for the next book.
But since book 2, “Declining Empire”, is available on Amazon, I guess it is a series. Not my kind though!