Book Review: Ghost Brigades
A slight deviation from Book 1, but still a worthy successor that sets the stage for an awesome sequel. Recommended for fans of Old Man's War.
Book 2 of John Scalzi's Old Man's War series didn't go as I'd hoped, and yet it felt like a wholly satisfying sequel.
Makes sense? Didn't think so. Let me e'splain.
The protagonist from Book 1, John Perry, doesn't make an appearance in Book 2. I was initially disappointed because I really wanted to see how his and Jane's relationship progressed. But, as you may have guessed from the title Ghost Brigades, Jane Sagan features prominently, which not only gave me a sense of continuity, but also some much-needed time inside her head.
The story dives deep into the inner workings of the Ghost Brigades, including their rapid communication style and the ups and downs of their short but energetic lives. Scalzi did an excellent job painting their unique culture wrapped in an engaging story about a traitor to the Colonial Union, and the Brigades' unique solution to thwart his plans to ruin pretty much everything.
Best for me was the focus on just a few, key races. Old Man's War felt like drinking from the galactic firehose. New races were introduced so frequently that I gave up trying to keep track of them. Ghost Brigades addresses this by narrowing scope to a conflict between humanity and 3 other satisfyingly diverse races, and spending enough time with each that I got to know them.
No spoilers about the ending except to say I found it extremely gratifying and a wonderful promise of continuing the excellent premise of the first book. If you liked Old Man's War, definitely give Ghost Brigades a chance.