Better than the previous book, by a long shot. Darrow is still irritating at times, but what protagonist isn't? In this installment we see even more political alliances be forged and fall apart, and watch as Darrow tries to figure out how to balance being a figurehead with getting people to follow him for the right reasons. They need to believe in the cause if real change is to occur, and getting Golds to see why they're actually fighting is tricky.

Lots of space battles, lots of political maneuvering, some interpersonal drama, interesting cast of characters; this book is pretty much what I look for in science fiction. There's still something about it I don't care for that I can't find the words for, though. Maybe it's that Darrow is too perfect, maybe it's his voice. In any case, I will be reading the next book because I need to find out how the story ends.