DISCLAIMER: I received this book as a freebie from the publisher at Cleveland ConCoction 2016, where Bennett was the author guest of honor.

My favorite aspect of this novel was the fact that Bennett allows a Starfleet ship to make a major mistake. This series might be about the ascension of the Federation to a major Alpha Quadrant power, but no one is infallible. The mistake is heartbreaking, and as a reader, the resolution is both fulfilling and poignant.

This novel is a great continuation of a series that is far from boring, with all of the politics and epic space battles a reader could want from a traditional Star Trek novel. However, this would not be a good book to read without having at least read Tower of Babel (Rise of the Federation #2) because so much of the primary plot line is set up there.

Rating: 4 (out of 5) stars. Cross-posted to Amazon and Goodreads.

Currently reading: Frost Burn by K. T. Munson and Nichelle Rae (41%) and Star Trek: Articles of the Federation by Keith R. A. DeCandido (10%)