Fast paced. Great dialogue. Love Torin, the main character. ( )

When the Others attacked border systems, then blew up the Confederation’s peace negotiators, the Confederation realized they had a problem. They needed to incorporate some species that had yet to outgrow aggression. Humans were the first recruits, quickly joined by the di’Taykan and Krai. Staff Sergeant Torin Kerr knows trouble was coming when General Morris arranges to speak directly with her. She is ordered to form the survivors of Sh’quo Company into a platoon for special duty. These combat hardened troops will form an honor guard to impress the Silsviss, a new race with a powerful warrior caste, into join the Confederation. But when the hyped “working leave” becomes a bloody and deadly fight to survive, Torin is left managing diplomats, a new second lieutenant, and horde of crazed and territorial adolescent Silsviss. In the end, it will be her actions that decide if the Silsviss join the Confederation. All in a day’s work for a Marine. ( )

First of all, ignore the cover art. It's pretty bad. :-)

Anyway, this is fairly standard military action science fiction. The action is pretty relentless once it gets going. The plot is OK, if a bit predictable. The main character is your typical wise-cracking Marine sergeant, and I mean that in a good way...she's funny and familiar. The other characters are not particularly well developed, more stereotypes than actual people.

If someone asked me for some military science fiction recommendations, this wouldn't be what lept to mind. However, if you like that subgenre...and I do...go ahead and read this. ( )

I read the first in this series and really enjoyed it and this was just as good. Staff Sergeant Torin Kerr is an incredibly realistic and she's a solid character and her trials and tribulations flow from the story. Nothing seems forced, even her relationship with her Second Lieutenant. I want to read more but also don't want the series to burn out. So long as Tanya Huff has stories to write about this character both myself and my husband will read them. This is one of the few series both of us read with relish.

This time she's taken early off R&R and told to go on a diplomatic mission. There's rumours of the Others somewhere close but they want to recruit the Silsviss into the Confederation, the Silsviss look like they will add to the interstellar army. When things don't go to plan Torin has to use her knowledge and wits. It's interesting and works well. ( )