My favorite character in Garth L. Powell’s Embers of War (2018) is the sentient starship (now semi-decommissioned by having most of her weaponry removed) called Trouble Dog. The war between two human factions has more or less been resolved by a gruesome act that destroyed much of the opposition. But the embers of war (hence the title) are burning and plots are being hatched to start another war.
While this is going on, mysterious alien artifacts become the object of desire by both human factions and some other aliens. The artifacts are constructed by advanced technology that no one can understand.
Needless to say, shooting begins and Trouble Dog yearns to return to her warlike ways. If you’re a fan of Space Opera, you’l enjoy the action and strategy of Embers of War. The Good News is that Embers of War is the first book in the Embers of War trilogy. I’ll be reading and reviewing Fleet of Knives (2019) and Light of Impossible Stars (2020) in the weeks ahead. GRADE: B+
C. L. Moore and Anne McCaffrey fan, one gathers, and/or inspired by their heirs…and the heirs of Paul Linebarger, probably, too. Worse models to emulate abound.
I am a fan of space opera.