This is more fun than I've seen from space opera in a long time. It's right up there with Scott Sigler's "GFL" series. *BUT* this one suffers from amateur writing issues, of the type which won't bother most readers, but will bother anyone who's been writing fiction seriously for more than a few years. The book opens with the main character waking up, pondering his life, and describing himself by looking in the mirror. That's a cliche which every writing workshop warns against. There's some POV shifting from close third to omniscient: We're mostly in Jason's POV, but sometimes the author's voice slips and describes to the reader what Jason doesn't see or know.

That said, this is a story very well told. It moves along at a fast pace, it's fun, and I'm 100% certain this author is a natural-born storyteller. I wasn't blown away by the premise or the world. It's more or less standard heroic fare. But there's a *lot* to be said for good storytelling, solid plotting and pacing, and solidly developed characters. If you liked Hugh Howey's "Molly Fyde" series, or Scott Sigler's "GFL" series, and if you long for more "Star Wars" in fiction, give this a try. Also, the audiobook narrator does a great job. ( )