To be honest, I can't really explain why I love this book so much. I don't know, like the rest of David Drake's military sci-fi books it's a solid piece of fiction. There's mercenaries, there's fighting and killing, there's a group of mercenaries being burned as some nationals make a behind the scenes deal that involves them betraying the mercenaries "for the greater good" of their people. There's also a suicide trek across a beleaguered planet so they can somehow escape to safety.

There's also some incredibly interesting characters that I simply couldn't help liking. After reading this book, I was left wishing that this could be the start of another mercenary book series. I mean, sure, he's already got Hammer's Slammers, but I firmly believe the world always needs one more military sci-fi mercenary series. Why? Because that would be cool. Super cool, even. ( )