Although the beginning felt a little flat, and it took me a while to get past the inclusion of magic with the "hard" scifi elements, I'm glad I gave it a chance. Eventually, the story started to seem less formulaic, I came around to caring about the main characters, and I even started to enjoy the fact that when you've got magic in the mix, your space battles don't need to be so monochromatic. If you'd enjoy your space opera being a little gay and sparkly, give it a chance! Also, the ending of the story deals with political power and genocide, and has a satisfying denouement, so I wouldn't say it's pure fun romp. The writing of the action sequences is a particular strength of the author, I think.