Starts good and ends especially good, with a massive space battle for the fate of Karis.
Again I'm docking a point for the lack of editorial oversight, specifically with the repetition. There was a notable point in this book where Jason comes up with a plan. Which he than explains to the reader in his internal monologue. Which he then also explains to his advisors. Which he then also explains to two allied house leaders. Which he then also explains to his wife. Which he then also explains to Dahnai. Which he then also explains to Songa. Which he then also explains to Kim Duk Moon. Which he then also explains to the confederacy leaders. Which he then also explains to the citizens of Karis. Each explanation is multiple paragraphs of the same information just being repeated almost verbatim. Suffice to say... It got old.
But again, despite the rough edges, it's well worth a read, especially if you are this deep into the series. The final battle is especially good, and the set up for the next book well done. With some new races and characters introduced that seem very interesting.