When the human colony of Cloud is mercilessly attacked and its people imprisoned in a slave camp, Major Jaime Graham struggles to bring Bolo protector Hector, who has been reprogrammed by their enemies, back to the good side. Original.
This was a totally satisfying bolo novel. I have read a number of others, but most of the best are in the past. I'm delighted that a talented writer has gotten his teeth into this series, and hopefully can continue to breathe life into it.
The personalities were developed very well for an action novel. As well as we could ask. Hector's personality came alive as his "blocks" were slowly removed, one by one, and his real personality emerged.
Battle scenes were gripping, and they were abundant. You got to really care about the characters, also. The ambiguous ending makes us wonder if William Keith is planning a sequel. I hope so.
One theme that unifies the book and adds a bit more than just the "thriller" aspect is the exploration of "machine intelligence." The aliens are machines also, and the contest is not just based on gunfire, but on whether Hector's mental processes can "checkmate" the alien thoughts of the /*/*/*/, as the invaders call themselves.
:rolly2: 
