A powerful space ship, a reluctant hero chased by an evil empire, a motley crew that seems an ill-fit, seedy spacer bars and of course the occasional space battle. This is space opera at its finest. An interesting ensemble of characters and interesting locations had me immersed in the story and eager to keep reading. With just the right mix between comforting predictability and surprising twists, this is an enjoyable read.
Two things bugged me (slight spoilers ahead). One, the protagonist is a heavy drinker, but cuts his alcohol consumption cold-turkey without experiencing any withdrawal symptoms. More importantly, the sex scenes are quite anti-climactic, despite the build-up and otherwise liberal use of explicit language. I don’t expect full-out erotica, it’s not that kind of book, but something a bit more than ‘and then their lips met’ followed by a scene break and ‘the next morning they wake up in each others embrace’ wouldn’t have been amiss. Oddly enough, the protagonist masturbating is described in more detail.
Don’t let those minor short-comings distract you though, this is a good book. Go read it!
Get it on Amazon (affiliate link).