With most of the DAG mutineers, Cally and Papa O'Neal are facing serious problems - what to do with all the surplus manpower for one thing. And they might just have nailed that. But unfortunately the Darhel are up to their old tricks, and when the DAG dependents start dying, it's time to take action. Of course, that means counteraction. And who better to call in than Mike O'Neal.

Hauled back from squashing Posleen in the blight to deal with a homegrown terrorist threat - the Bane Sidhe, Iron Mike has a plan. What do you get when an immovable O'Neal meets and unstoppable one? A very large body count. But the carnage isn't up to Ringo's usual par. Over numerous volumes I've come to expect a lot of recurring characters, a lot of technical detail, and a lot of bouncing around. But this installment felt particularly muddy, and I don't think it was entirely due to the fact that I haven't read the series in a while. A bit choppy and disjointed for at least the first third, but as always there are some new characters that I can't wait to read more about - Pinky, for instance. ( )

An interesting addition to the series although not as good as the previous books as this one seemed somewhat disjointed. Overall a good if somewhat overly complex read. ( )

Fans of John Ringo's "Legacy of the Aldenata" series will doubtless welcome this latest addition. True to form, it carries out Ringo's trademark combination of "military procedural" with humor, some quite grim. However, I found it unsatisfying, and it's likely that readers who are looking for a satisfying closure to the story of the O'Neal's will feel the same way.

There is considerable action in the book, and in some senses it advances the long term plot line. Nor does it lack for major individual events -- the death of a major character during the climatic battle is certainly noteworthy, as are major changes in the relationship between the principle groups we've been following.

I hope this is a bridge book, to be followed soon by one or more additional books. As part of a series, it will probably be a good read; as a stand-alone or capstone novel, less so -- not that I'd call any of Ringo's novels weak. ( )