A thoroughly enjoyable read. I'd recommend to anyone who enjoys military based Sci Fi. Interesting characters set in his unique universe, I will definitely be reading more of his work from out beyond the Far Stars. ( )

Blackhawk is a pretty good book that I enjoyed reading. It is a fast paced, tension filled, action packed adventure story that combines the cold barbarity of the past with some interesting weapons of the future. It is also about the ultimate warrior, a cold, brutal killer who hates the monster he had become. “Had,” because he escapes into the Far Stars, the farthest location of planets in the galaxy, home to pirates and mercenaries, yet also the last bastion of freedom. Here, he is hoping to find himself, his “true” self, atone for his sins, and escape from his past. On the world of Celtiboria, he finds himself in the middle of a war for a worthy cause, yet every time he picks up a weapon, he is drawn closer and closer to his past, to the creature he once was. The struggle is very real. The war is a little too much of a case of black and white, good against evil, far too simplistic, and not overly realistic, but that doesn’t take away from the enjoyment of the book. The book’s main drawback is its repetitiveness, as in once a character states something, either he or another character explains the statement as though the author is automatically assuming the reader is too stupid to understand the meaning of the original statement. For that, I’m knocking one star off. However, this is an exciting military sci fi novel with plenty of intrigue and action and it’s a good start to a new series. Four stars and recommended. ( )