Fleet of Knives

From award-winning author Gareth L. Powell, the second book in the critically acclaimed Embers of War space opera series.The former warship Trouble Dog and her crew follow a distress call from the human starship Lucy's Ghost, whose crew have sought refuge aboard an abandoned generation ship launched ten thousand years before by an alien race. However, the enormous vessel contains deadly secrets of its own. The Marble Armada calls for recovered war criminal Ona Sudak to accompany its ships as it spreads itself across the Human Generality, enforcing the peace with overwhelming and implacable force. Then Sudak's vessel intercepts messages from the House of Reclamation and decides the Trouble Dog has a capacity for violence which cannot be allowed to endure. As the Trouble Dog and her crew fight to save the crew of the Lucy's Ghost, the ship finds herself caught between chaotic alien monsters on one side, and on the other, destruction at the hands of the Marble Armada.

I'm going to keep things nice and short as this is the second book in a series and I'm keen to avoid any spoilers. For me, "Fleet of Knives" is a strong continuation of the story that began in "Embers of War," with some nice additional world building and an expansion of scope in terms of the effect the events of the story have on the universe at large. If you like your space operas big and epic in scale and stakes but still focused on a relatively small cast of characters, this one should do the trick and fans of the previous book will almost certainly find it satisfying and enjoyable. Personally, there were a few nit-picky things that mildly annoyed or took me out of the story a few times but there were plenty of highlights as well and the overall read was very solid. Bottom line: If you enjoyed "Embers of War," don't hesitate to continue the series with "Fleet of Knives." It's definitely a worthwhile read. Also, baby Druff are awesome and adorable.