Elizabeth Moon

The conclusion to the Vatta's War 5-book series sees Ky Admiral of the combined fleet assembled to end the threat of the pirate Gammis Turok who has assembled a fleet of over 300 ships. Turok has also embedded spies in the major planetary systems who are helping him overthrow the existing governments.

As Ky deals with the loss of her first ship and most of its crew, Stella is dealing with rebuilding Vatta Enterprises and overseeing the manufacture of shipboard ansibles which will bring parity to Ky's fleet since the pirates already have them. Stella is also dealing with an adolescent tech genius ward who has fallen in love for the first time. Unfortunately, Toby's girlfriend's father is one of Turok's plants and a traitor to his planet.

Rafe is dealing with ISC on his homeworld of Nexus II which is squarely in the sights of Turok's fleet. Rafe has a brain-damaged father who is still influential on the board of ISC and who is unreasonably prejudiced against any and all Vattas. His venom finds fertile ground since most of the board resents that Stella Vatta is manufacturing ansibles which leaves ISC's monopoly on communications in jeopardy.

Ky has to pull together forces from various jurisdictions and convince much older ship commanders that she is the best one to lead the fight against Gammis Turok.

This was a great space opera series and this volume a satisfying conclusion.… (mehr)

This fourth book in the Vatta's War series takes place on four fronts. Ky Vatta is trying to fight a war against the pirates with only a few ships and ship's captains who have agreed to work with her.

Stella Vatta is trying to rebuild Vatta Transport from a base on Cascadia. She is guardian to young Toby who is a tech genius who has managed to improve the ship based ansibles which allow parity with the pirates who already have them.

Rafe has gone back to Nexus II to try to figure out what is going on with his family and with the ISC global communications network. He discovers his parents and sister have been kidnapped and he needs to mount a rescue mission. The villain of the piece her is his father's second in command and heir apparent. He also learns that ISC never got patents for the ship based ansibles which leaves Stella the freedom to patent and sell them herself.

And Aunt Grace is on Slotters Key trying to find out why the government turned against the Vatta family. She takes a place in the government after the corrupt president is taken into custody. She connects with Ky's mentor from the Spaceforce Academy and learns that he has been helping Ky since she left the academy. She manages to convince Slotters Key to call in all the privateers employed by Slotters Key and send them to Ky to be her military force.

This was an engaging space opera filled with interesting characters.… (mehr)