Elizabeth Moon, Victory Conditions

Victory Conditions

Elizabeth Moon

Del Rey, Feb 2008, $26.00

ISBN: 0345491610

The ISC war against Gammis Turek and his pirate empire has enabled Kylara Vatta to rise rapidly in the admiralty to where the relatively youthful officer commands forty spacecraft. However, she knows the enemy is brutal and brilliant with his latest threat being Slotter Key, her homeworld.

Ky learns rank may have privilege, but it also has difficult decision making responsibility. She knows she will send soldiers to their deaths but also realizes the war could devastate her family like her Aunt Grace and Vatta Enterprises. Still as she feels haunted by those who died and will die under her command, she feels strongly failure to act will lead to even more deaths by Turek and his horde. Combat is inevitable; she knows what she must do though it weighs on her mind, but hopes her actions will make her side victorious.

The key to the final Vattas War is the strong cast not just the heroine who bring to life and death the full facets of the impact of war on everyone. The story line is fast-paced yet no critical thread is left dangling while the cast drives the saga. Fans of the series will relish Elizabeth Moon's finish as Ky concludes that the conditions for victory mean deaths for friends and family.

Harriet Klausner