In Evil Times

Imperials #2

by Melinda M. Snodgrass

Thracius Tracy Belmanor and the Infanta Mercedes de Arango have graduated from The High Ground and have become officers in the Orden de la Estrella. Tracy s posting aboard a battleship leads him to further doubt the intentions of the Solar League, as he and his comrades are required to assimilate the settlers of a Hidden World. Meanwhile, Mercedes own posting and her difficult marriage to Beauregard Boho Cullen, made to assure her succession of the throne divides her loyalties. In a society where most humans and all aliens are second-class citizens, the two young officers will have difficult choices to make "

Genres: Science Fiction, Space Opera, Fiction, Audiobook, Science Fiction Fantasy, Adventure

356 pages, Paperback

First published July 4, 2017

About the author

MELINDA M. SNODGRASS

Melinda Snodgrass was born in Los Angeles, but her family moved to New Mexico when she was five months old making her almost a native. She studied opera at the Conservatory of Vienna in Austria, graduated from U.N.M. with a degree in history, and went on to Law School. She practiced for three years, and discovered that while she loved the law she hated lawyers so she began writing.
In 1988 she accepted a job on Star Trek: TNG, and began her Hollywood career. Her novels, The High Ground, In Evil Times and The Hidden World are available from Titan Books. She is the executive producer on the upcoming Wild Cards shows being developed for Hulu. Her passion (aside from writing) is riding her Lusitano stallion Vento da Broga.

Reviews

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed The High Ground, but the little excerpt I've read of Mercedes and Tracy's future in "The Wayfarer's Advice" (from Galactic Empires and also Songs of Love and Death: All-Original Tales of Star-Crossed Love) indicated that this book would be a particularly rocky one, and it is.

The story has moved onto the graduation from the High Ground of our protagonists and their cohort, marriage for Mercedes and the humiliating career that an untitled officer is available to get in the Navy for Tracy. The story jumps ahead years several times as all the characters have their illusions shattered, along with any perception by the reader that the human League is a good thing. And this is all before the threat of alien war that is the secret Sword of Damocles over the whole thing.

This is a solid book and expands on a lot of the themes of the first one, but unfortunately without the adventure or the good guys in any way winning. Instead we get a long descent into misery that will hopefully be alleviated in the next book along.

[Justine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picking up where The High Ground left off, In Evil Times makes it clear (in case you were in any doubt) that the morally superior attitude of the Solar League extends into every aspect of life and operation.

While the book is hard to read in many places, it also makes you feel like you can't look away. Snodgrass's writing has a cinematic feel to it that makes the story compulsively readable and, for me, hard to put down.

There are no surprises here in that Mercedes becomes further entrenched in her role as heir, and Tracy continues to suffer the consequences of being smart and prideful in a place where neither trait is looked kindly on by members of the entitled upper class. Neither character is perfect, and both leave you wondering at times just what exactly is wrong with them that they don't see the problems with what they are doing.

But despite this, I can't help but keep hoping things will turn around. For Tracy especially, who does have a moral centre in there, but also that Mercedes will come to her senses about the system she is working to perpetuate.

[Robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This went in a very different direction than I was expecting from the first book, but I enjoyed the way the characters developed and the expansion of the world building.

[The Captain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ahoy there me mateys! This here be a combined review of the first two books in the Imperials saga. While I try to post no spoilers, ye have been forewarned and continue at yer own peril . . .

So basically I have to review these books together because I literally read book one then picked up book two and read that as well. Seriously this series should have more love! The first book centers around the elite training academy of the Solar League. Okay so space training academies are rampant in sci-fi but the brilliance of this one is how the material is handled.

First of all ye follow two people from completely different backgrounds. Mercedes is the fairly spoiled daughter of the Emperor, and his heir, who is looking towards marriage. Only her father gives her an ultimatum that she must join the academy in preparation for ruling. The problem? Women are not part of the military. She will be the first. Mercedes has absolutely no interest and throws a temper tantrum. But her father and the needs of the country leave her no choice.

The other point of view is Tracy who comes from a working class background. His father is a tailor to the wealthy and wants Tracy to increase his station. Basically the only way out is to earn it and Tracy has been offered a scholarship to attend the academy. He doesn’t want to go and plans on refusing it. He hates the ruling elite and wants nothing to do with upper-class society. He wants to go to a regular university and manage his own future path. But familial duty weighs heavily as does his father’s expectations and sacrifices.

So of course they both end up going to the academy. Mercedes has to deal with being a female pioneer and the politics of her position. Tracy has to deal with internal prejudices and the intricacies of social status. Both end up wanting to tackle the challenge and thrive. But that’s not all! Add in aliens, action, and sabotage.

Besides being an entertaining book, there are also the larger pictures of racism and imperialism. The humans in this book have won control over all the alien races and have subjugated them. The society is highly stratified by class and position and gender. It harkens back to Spain in terms of culture and language. The politics seem more in line with modern American to this reader at least.

I absolutely loved the various alien cultures and want to learn a lot more about them. Also while there is romance in these novels, it doesn’t take center stage and certainly doesn’t go in the expected direction. As always, I love watching women make waves and succeed. Ultimately book one was wonderful and I loved every second.

So what about book two? Well here be spoiler territory and I will not ruin it. Let’s just say that the events of book two take place years after graduation when both Mercedes and Tracy have their assignments. One of the fascinating things is that the tone has shifted significantly. The first book dealt with coming-of-age stories filled with hope, learning, growth, and change. It felt that way. In the second installment, gone are the naive students and in place are adults reacting to the world around them and trying to influence it.

The scope of this novel is larger as well. The first book dealt with the years of training at the academy. The second spans a larger amount of time. And chaos is coming. This book is about setting up the larger conflict to come. But so much of this book is also about looking at changes in society and people as time passes. This is also book of consequences – large and small. I found both the character studies and the plot to be of equal interest. I loved the conflicts about found worlds. I loved the aliens. I love the set-up for the war to come. Ultimately I loved book two almost as much as book one!

Book three of the five books series is out now and I be planning on reading it. I wish I already had the entire series in me cabin. This be a good one so far and I recommend that the crew join me on this journey. Arrrr!

Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordp...

[Carien · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the first book in this series and really liked Tracy and Mercedes.

In this book I really started to loathe Tracy. Was he this much of a dick to his alien servant in The High Ground and didn't I notice? Or is he the typical person who when bullied by people of higher rank will lick up and kick down?

And Mercedes wasn't at her best either. I seriously started to root for the aliens, because all the humans were big jerks.

Even so I very much enjoyed this book. The world building and the story are great. Even without a lead character to root for I was invested in the story and wanted to find out what would happen next.

There are a few time jumps in this story, so at the end of this book years have passed since Tracy and Mercedes graduated from the academy. Lots of events have shaped them and the world they live in. Even though I disliked them both by the end of this book, I'm eager to see what will come next for them and the other humans. A big part of me hopes there will be a reckoning.

[D.F. Haley · Rating 3 out of 5]

The previous book in this series wrapped up fairly neatly, with an obvious sequel in store. This was a cliffhanger ending with a year-long wait for the next volume in the series. A lot of balls are left in the air. The author has pummeled her characters mercilessly in this book. They each become victims of their predispositions, suffering the consequences of pride and place. The stage is now set for change. How many volumes will it take to resolve all these threads?

Things I liked:
* the aliens
* the obviously broken social contract between leadership and followers
* creepy "noble" characters to root against and provide a foil for our hero/heroine by contrast
* the injustice and lack of fairness piling up to give a sense of outrage to the reader

Things I disliked
* the sudden loss of 5 years in the middle of the book; suddenly everyone is older and we have to presume nothing important has changed, which seems unlikely/artificial
* ambivalence and inconsistency in the attitudes and relationships between secondary characters and the primary characters
* character myopia: it seems like characters should not know some things that they do and that they do know things that they shouldn't. Never explained.
* what if you were put on trial unjustly, and you discover you have no friends? Doesn't this say that something is wrong with you, and not others?

Writing is OK, but seems superficial. Action scenes are few and far between in this book, and the examples we have of things along the way (hazing, homosexual pressures, kittens) are not exactly worked out, or are left too much for the reader's imagination to complete. Some good ideas here that are not explored, or have become superficial throwaways.

Now waiting for the next book....

[Claire · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm so conflicted about how I feel about this. I'm hoping that the author is setting Tracey and Mercedes up as some sort of moral lesson because neither of them seems to have any sort of self awareness or critical thinking. I can just about give Mercedes a pass because she is the heir to the whole system and has a vested interest in the status quo but the scenes where the Imperials invade the Hidden World were excruciating to read. Tracey on the other hand is a total dick; he spends all his time fulminating about his status and how unfair it all is and yet treats the aliens with total contempt, mirroring his own treatment with no irony whatsoever.

Snodgrass's imperium is also so unpleasant. To be fair there doesn't seem to be any colour agenda, and there is a mention of gay people but it is AMERKA and the Catholic church in space. I personally can't think of anything worse. At this moment in time I'm rooting for the aliens to wipe the Imperium out and keeping my fingers crossed that that's where the cliff hanger ending is heading.

[S.J. Higbee · Rating 5 out of 5]

As in the first book, the storyline focuses on these two young people who became very close during the first book, even though it was clear their relationship would never be able to go any further. I had sort of assumed that during this book, love would somehow find a way – because that’s what happens in amongst the action and mayhem in most space opera. So I was more than a tad gobsmacked when events took a completely different turn.

I had become very attached to both characters in the first book, but found Tracy harder to like this time around. He is eaten up with anger and bitterness, making no attempt to compromise and foster friendships in amongst the other young officers. That said, even though there were times when I wanted to shake him until his teeth rattled, I admired his gritted courage and his determination to do the right thing. His tactical ability and leadership skills are not utilised sufficiently, but when he is called upon to act, he does so with flair.

However, my favourite character by a long country mile is Mercedes. Her life is allll about compromise – she marries the man who she likes rather than loves to secure her family’s grip on the imperial throne. She fills the role of Infanta, rather than continue her career as a fighter pilot, even though she is exceptionally good at it – and all without becoming embittered and angry, in stark contrast to Tracy’s attitude.

The action in the book highlights some of the trickier moral actions the underpin the social structure. When a human colony is discovered illegally operating outside the Imperial League, the consequences are shocking. Its economy is hi-jacked and resources given over to League, the population brought under control – and all the children under ten years old are taken away to be adopted or fostered by loyal families on other worlds, which means the population are assimilated within a generation. This issue is explored within the story in a manner that had me wondering both about the justification and the long-term effects.

The entitled nobility, who advance by dint of their birth rather than their ability, have a casually dismissive attitude towards the rest of the human population, which is the attitude typifying the huge majority of humans towards all the alien species who are employed as servants or indentured labourers. I really enjoyed this interesting exploration of the society through the lens of two major protagonists, while finding the unexpected plot twists prevented me from putting this one down. I read it in two greedy gulps and surfaced wanting more, so immediately went looking for the third book, The Hidden World – something I hardly ever do.

Recommended for fans of grown-up space opera that takes the characters and story arc outside the confines of the usual genre conventions.
10/10

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

* 3.5 stars *
Continues to be an excellent execution of old-school military sci-fi. It's clear that Snodgrass has something to say about imperialism/colonialism and how her characters come to reckon with the insitutions they're a part of. No words are wasted; she time-skips liberally to get to the important and interesting parts of the character development and to make her points. All the clarity of an essay in a bundle of fiction; gold star for sure.

[Chloe Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

All reviews can be found at https://thereadinglodge.wordpress.com/
(I received a free physical copy from the publishers)

The second novel in The Imperial Saga, In Evil Times focuses on Tracy Belmanor and Princess Mercedes de Arango a few years after the events of The High Ground, with both now having graduated from the military school. No longer working alongside Mercedes, Tracy begins to understand how much her position helped him to progress as his station and class are frequently used against him by those far better off than him, not taking into consideration his sacrifices and skills from the High Ground. As both of them work their way through their time aboard their respective battleships, they both become embroiled in situations that could greatly affect the relationships between humans and aliens.

Tracy and Mercedes have come far since the incident within the High Ground, both graduating exceptionally well and being stationed aboard battleships that become part of the action. However, it becomes clear that the relationship between the two has drastically changed since the ending of The High Ground – something that we began to see towards the end of that novel but becomes the backbone of their relationship within In Evil Times. What used to be a relationship that flourished off of each individual, has now become one of animosity and, in some respects, hatred due to their differences and the way events have panned out. In Evil Times found my stance towards Tracy drastically changing. I thoroughly enjoyed him as a character in The High Ground and really grew to like him however, as In Evil Times progressed and Tracy’s lower class background comes back to bite him around every corner, you begin to see his characteristics change – and not for the better. This change in personality really altered my perceptions of him, but highlighted how far Tracy had fallen and been affected by everything around him since his graduation. As well as that, the way in which Mercedes responds to Tracy and his actions – though clearly understandable due to her formidable position as the heir to the Solar League – really makes you question whether their friendship can be repaired, or if it has gone too far.

Snodgrass branches out within In Evil Times by bringing in issues that we had not previously seen such as the Hidden Worlds, and finally bringing in scenes and issues regarding the much mentioned Cara’ot genetic manipulation. With these situations being brought into the story, we begin to gain a better understanding of the Solar League and how they run, as well as why people have gone/will go against them from time to time. It also brings up the question of right and wrong, what should be covered up, and what should be revealed as things begin to unravel and spiral out of control. As well as this, we also get to gain an understanding of life aboard the battleships and how rules and guidelines are frequently gone against, as well as the camaraderie between the officers.

I definitely feel like In Evil Times developed exceptionally on events within The High Ground, though I do find myself slightly annoyed at the way in which Tracy declines and how that makes me feel towards him – though I can understand the reasoning behind it. The writing style has definitely improved since the first novel and certainly brings in issues and world-building elements that helped to greatly enhance the narrative and progress it forward. It is definitely one to read if you are into military sci-fi and looking for something a bit different.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Evil Times (book 2 of the Imperials Saga) is military science fiction with a human face. My favorite space opera books have plenty of space battles but also show the toll on the human crew/planets.
The Imperials Saga is the story of the crown princess Mercedes (who finds herself in book 1 as one of the first women in the space academy training to be an officer because you have to be an officer before you can ascend to the throne) and Tracy (a commoner who won a full scholarship to the space academy on merit and finds all but one other fellow scholarship cadet to be members of the hereditary aristocracy who are there because it is expected and if they do not do well, it is often hushed up, because they are members of the pampered aristocracy). Tracy has to work twice as hard for less than half the reward (and no respect, of course).
Mercedes was also there to find her mate. She and Tracy fall in love but she has to marry fellow space academy cadet Beauregard Honorius Sinclair Cullen (Boho) because only a Consort from the hereditary aristocracy would be acceptable when she takes the throne. (At the same time, this also clearly the story of Mercedes and Tracy because Boho never gets a POV.)
I also especially enjoy space opera books with different species, especially alien species. The humans did finally meet other sentient alien species and, by the narrowest of margins, beat them all. The aliens currently serve as the servant class to the humans. Even so, the peace is fragile. (Think classic master/servant roles [e.g. the British Raj] with the added tension of the alternative being a return to war, which no sane human wants.)
Human star officers rate a batBEM (yes, literally batBug-Eyed-Monsters). Usually this batBEM is from one of the more docile alien species. Tracy, however, has a Cara'ot servant. This is almost unheard of. So I really enjoyed the relationships between Tracy and Donnel (his highly capable intelligent and at the same time loyal batBEM) and the rest of the human/alien interactions.
This series has it all for me. Good action-packed military science fiction plus the anthropological/sociological side of the human/alien society!

[Jim Mann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mercedes is the heir to the human galactic empire, a very hierarchical, often xenophobic empire. Tracy is a commoner. In The High Ground, they had gone to military school together, became very close, and helped stop a coup. Now they've graduated, and Mercedes has had to marry and begin to rule, while Tracy is a junior officer on a starship, where he is subject to harassment by the other officers, who all, unlike Tracy, are from the nobility. But two events cause them to cross paths: the discover of an unknown human colony which the empire forcibly annexes and an event in which Tracy stands up to his superiors to prevent a massacre.

The main characters here are well drawn and compelling. I particularly like Tracy's alien servant (his batBEM) Donnel, who is snide, outspoken, but also loyal, as he recognizes Tracy's basic decency. A few of the high-born officers do blend together a bit, as most are uniformly nasty to Tracy, but the other characters, even Mercedes' philandering and arrogant husband, are real and function well in the story.

The events themselves, particularly the big set pieces, are exiting. The society is well thought out, but certainly not a place where most of us would like to live (making me grateful that America never adopted hereditary nobility and all that entails).

The novel ends at a point that clearly sets up the next in the series, which I'll read sometime very soon.

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Evil Times (Imperials, #2)
by Melinda M. Snodgrass
Melinda Snodgrass is an amazing author. She takes a reader through a world that becomes all consuming. The reader's connection to the characters is the defining feature of her writing. In Evil Times is the second book in the Imperials series. When I began reading it I told my students that the key characters were friends, and I wanted to see if they reconnect. My disillusioned middle school students comment "just friends" no one in books is just friends. I know that in the first book Princess Mercedes and Tracy had kissed, but their division because of the society bias of imperialism made a relationship impossible. They are forced by convention to have gone different paths, and their careers made it impossible for them to work together. What Melinda weaves into her story is that these two characters are only better together. They can solve the Empire's problems best only together. This book shows that the test of their lives is the proof that they are better together. The reader is able to see what the characters keep trying to not accept. I am impatient for the final story, I need to see if the characters figure out what we all know. This book will pull at your heartstrings, and has one of the best cliffhangers you will find in current books. Keep the story coming Melinda.

[Cam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tracy and Mercedes move on in life after graduating from their academy, the High Ground, and go their separate ways - mostly. Tracy is held back due to his non-aristocratic heritage, but continues to be a very principled young officer. Mercedes develops into a young proto-emperor and gets married but remains childless and dissatisfied in her marriage to Boho. They both get involved in some important events like pacifying a newly discovered Amazonian Hidden World and another has illegal hybrid human/alien children and their paths occasionally cross at important plot points. Somehow, Tracy and his career become a touchstone for the gene-engineering and very feared Cara'ot and his eventual punishment for his independent thinking and actions may have triggered a new war. We'll find out more in the next installment!

[Robert Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tracy is a good guy, dealt some bad cards. Halfway through this volume and I was almost urging him, to be a sellout. It's no easy thing for me to admit that. I always wanna root for the underdog. Good vs. evil, that sort of stuff but this is not that kind of book.

Mercedes is a powerful woman who just keeps making the wrong choices, for what can loosely be called, the right reasons. Somewhere along the line I started to lose all empathy for her. It may not ever return.

Go into this with the knowledge that this book, nay this series is not what it first appears to be. This is no romance novel. It doesn't even qualify as YA. It's an unapologetic story, that may leave you feeling raw and cheated. I didn't expect that but I am glad for it. Looking forward to the next

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a good under dog and one of the protagonist's here - Tracy Belmanor - is a cracking good one. I'd go so far as he is my favorite male character of the year. Yes he is flawed but all good characters should be. There are critical moments here were he makes really hard decisions that have a negative impact on himself but are clearly the right ones. I found what happens to him heartbreaking.

Not to say I'm unsympathetic to Mercedes as she also makes tough decisions as well. The difference is that she doesn't always make the ones that are the correct ones or have to face the consequences like Tracy does.

The book was entertaining but challenging and ultimately not a fun read. I desperately need to read the next one.

[Vivien · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a little hard to describe this book and review it. It almost feels like at least two different stories, both of which are a little disconnected, even though the same characters are in it. I suppose it's frustration with the lack of character growth. Tracy simply cannot learn the obvious best way of fitting in, and while it's admirable he sticks to his principles, sometimes those principles almost feel a little hypocritical (he's happy to use a member of the FFH to pay for his defence lawyer at one stage). Mercedes you have a little more sympathy with - but only a little. At least by the end, the story had moved on, unsure of where it is going, but I'll be there, getting the next book when it is released to find out.

[Nick Brett · Rating 2 out of 5]

In Evil Times is the middle book of Melinda Snodgrass’ “Imperials Saga”. Really easy reading space opera set in a distant future of privilege, money and intrigue. In the first book we saw Princess Mercedes de Arango (heir to the galactic throne) and commoner Thracius Belmanor going through military training. We’ve moved on and now they serve on different ships but the culture of privilege has not gone away, nor has an undercurrent of a relationship between them. That goodness the relationship (the weakest part of the books) stuff is low key or I would have given up.

This one throws up some interesting ideas and makes you think about the bigger plans that are in place by both human and alien. It’s lightweight and easy but more fun than the first.

[NormaCenva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual Rating 4.5 Stars

OK, let me get some things out of the way first:
- I hate the FFH, they ARE the bad guys
- Both of our heroes are assholes each in their own rite

Now with this out of the way... I think what shocked me most is to see how mercilessly was the Goddess-loving planet subjugated, as a practising Pagan that was absolutely horrifying to read, but great to see a whole planet of Goddess honouring women!
Book 2 got better for sure, and as the wait for book 3 (in audiobook format) will probably be a long one I better go and catch up with all of the other books on my shelf. Great writing and an amazing read!

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very different book than its predecessor, but in many ways it is even more gripping. I expected the series to retain the YA feel from the first book, but this book goes far beyond that territory and really surprised me. It covers the span of several years and we watch as the character's youthful optimism is dimmed by a series of difficult situations. This series as a whole focuses on societal issues and interpersonal interactions more than space battles and firefights, but it is really worth a read.

While I think Tracy has improved as a character, I have actually grown to dislike Mercedes... we'll see if she redeems herself, but at this point I really hope Tracy can move on.

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved The High Ground and was looking forward to In Evil Times. I was disappointed. Characters I liked before I really disliked this time. The action seemed to be going no where but is probably a set up for book three. Tracy is in a very big mess, Infanta Mercedes de Arango has turned out to be a real bitch and Boho is acting true to form. Hope all will work out in book three in a way I will like.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much more tightly written than the opener, with lighter doses of sex and snogging. She's a political animal, he's all honor and conscience...so he really gets the fuzzy end of the lollipop stick here as choices and events drive further wedges between them. I think I see where this series is going, and am happy to see it getting more readable. Hope the sequels aren't many in number, nor long delayed.

[Terry Marine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think the most salient point of this novel was that the lovely and lovable protagonists turn into murderous monsters, when given total authority; and the privilege of rank. The fact that one of these odd not-heroes prevents a Mai Lai type massacre, seems almost like too-little, too-late. Of course, no good deed goes unpunished; and although Tracy was hailed a hero for his evil misdeeds on one planet, he is imprisoned for not doing the same on the second.

[Michael Connell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book in a series of science fiction.

Love, honor, courage, betrayal are the words that come to my mind,

The book really moved me emotionally.

Great reads. I’m looking forward to the next book the Hidden Planet.

Tracy and Mercedes struggle with their place in the universe and their feelings for each other. Tracy with his stubborn since of honor and Mercedes with her devotion as the next emperor.

Tracy from a lower class and Mercedes born to power.

[Jefé Martens-Koop · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first book in this series is a sort of coming of age bittersweet space opera.

THIS book takes that story and and becomes a sort of dystopian tragedy. In some ways it feels like the movie Brazil. In other ways it feels like 1984. There are elements of My Lai, Sleeping With The Enemy, and....

Amazing written. I just finished it, and now I want to go break things. All of the things.

[Nicole Luiken · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was in the mood for space opera and this fit the bill nicely. The timejumps gave the plot a more scattered feeling than the first book in the series, to the point where one of the character changes seemed off to me. This is very much a piece of a larger arc, and I'm quite interested to see what's going to happen in the next book.

[Mia Payne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exciting and a good plot. I am looking forward to the next one.
I did find the large time jumps annoying. I also found both main characters annoying and unlikeable. It becomes very clear they aren't the good guys. I loved this book but hate time jumps. They weren't necessary and were way too frequent.

[Elar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plot is a little bit more scifi, but new disturbing keywords enter the scene: forced relocation, unnecessary child separation from parents, illegal contraceptives and much more. Whole story feel too artificial as everything which can will go belly up. And reading about protagonist is like watching rabble kick innocent animal

[Keeley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fewer editing issues than #1 and solid pacing. I might be very irritated if I knew Spanish, but this is enjoyable genre fiction. Had to go back and check some scenes in #1 because it was so long since I read it and they're important to this plot. (The random unexplained surgery scene now has a point, though it still doesn't make sense yet...will be reading more of the series I guess!)

[William Howe · Rating 4 out of 5]

MilSF crossed with Latin soap opera

Heavy doses of honor. Not a lot of combat. One ^very^ graphic sex scene.

An excellent follow up to the first book, but the cliff hanger ending is brutal!!

I plan on pre-ordering the next book.