A solid 3,5. It's a great book about the defence of Terra and the initial attack. I'm happily surprised at how well John French wrote it and I'll be pleased to read more of his works.

One paragraph in particular stuck out:

"Orn shrugged and looked at his hands, continuing to run them slowly over each other. Myzamadra found her eyes pulled to the movement. In someone as precisely still as Orn, it was like a scream."

Not to mention the badass meeting with Dorn and Alpharius:

"From across the chamber Alpharius met his brother's gaze.
'There are things we should talk of, brother,' said Alpharius.
Dorn's face didn't move.
'Fire,' he said. The huscarls fired."

Worth the read.