Shadow of Empire is a Swashbuckling Adventure of Politics and Pirates

The book follows the crew of the Wolf’s Claw, a team of smugglers, mercenaries and pirates led by the gruff, but protective, Arkarin Blackhawk. Blackhawk has a mysterious past and a host of cybernetic and genetic enhancements that make him a fearsome fighter. As for his crew, the word “ragtag” isn’t quite right; each member is the best at what he or she does, they’re all fiercely loyal, hardened, and definitely capable of violence when necessary—but they’re also unquestionably the good guys. I’m strongly reminded of the crew of the Serenity from Joss Whedon’s Firefly, one of my all-time favorite things. The Wolf’s Claw cohort is another band of ostensible criminals and brigands who nonetheless manage to stay on the side of the angels. It could play as simplistic, but it’s actually rather refreshing to follow the good guys once in a while.
There’s a balance, as well, in the complex politics and intrigue the crew is drawn into. The Far Stars is a region of space on the furthest fringes of a powerful and despotic galactic empire. The emperor wields very little control over these distant, chaotic distant worlds, but there’s a smart and ambitious new governor who’s looking to change that. What Governor Vos can’t do through military might, he plans to do through economic and political manipulation. As part of his plan, he’s insinuated the empire into a revolution on the planet Saragossa, a noble revolution that overthrew the world’s rulers, then quickly splintered into warring factions. Vos is providing weapons to ensure the civil war ends in the empire’s favor. Arkadin and the Wolf’s Claw crew are drawn into the fray after barely escaping during a missions to rescue of the daughter of Arkadin’s good friend, a military marshall looking to unite the Far Stars and throw off the yoke of empire for good.

It’s twisty and turny, with a lot of effective world-building, but Jay Allan pulls off another neat trick: as much time as is spent on galactic power politics, we experience wall-to-wall swashbuckling adventure alongside Blackhawk and company, who start the book with their leader in the middle of Roman-style gladiatorial combat, and, never get a moment’s rest. There’s hand-to-hand combat, space battles, and military-style maneuvers. The back-and-forth makes for a compelling read: the intrigue never bogs down the pace, and the over-the-top action never gets tiresome. In many ways, it’s the perfect fall book: not quite as light as something you might take to the beach, with just enough complexity to keep the space-pirate angle grounded. It leads directly into a forthcoming second volume, Enemy in the Dark, out in December, and I’m pretty excited to find out what’s next for Blackhawk and the gang.