This is an entertaining launch into a 4 book series by Dietmar Wehr. The story relies on characters to transfer knowledge to the reader and lands on the annoying spectrum at times. This is quite evident when the Admiral and Commander Shiloh discuss strategy. Wehr uses the characters to spoon-feed data, history, and reasoning. The dialogue follows a pattern of "I'm going to tell you my views on the following thoughts." Then: First, Second, Additionally, So on, and So forth. The gist is that we are a space exploring / police enforcement lot and get our butts handed to us by an aggressive alien race. This catapults the United Earth Space Force to become an actual force; militarily and strategically. New boats, new training, new thoughts are all fast-tracked. The story is centered on Commander Shiloh and his experiences during first contact, loss, strategy, testing, and commanding AI drones, which make for some of the more interesting characters. There is a small 'opportunity lost' relationship angle which may/not expand. In all, I enjoyed the story. It wasn't a big hook, but I do wonder if books two-four mature. The potential is definitely there. This is, 100%, a bait/hook ending. Know this before starting. It doesn't conclude with more story to follow. It literally ends right before a massive battle.
3.4 of 5 stars From the Publisher:
After almost a century of peaceful exploration and colonization of space, the United Earth Space Force stumbles across a shockingly xenophobic alien race that has more and better armed ships and refuses all attempts at contact. As the outgunned Space Force is driven back in battle after battle in what appears to be a war of extermination, one officer experiences precognitive visions that help him blunt the enemy onslaught but he can't control or predict when they occur.
With the Senior Brass convinced that he's a tactical genius, he's given more and more responsibility and is terrified by the belief that Humanity's Fate will be determined by a battle with himself in overall command. This is Volume 1 of a military SF series about desperate space battles and the men, women and Artificial Intelligences, who fight and die in them. The paperback version is now also available.
