Rating: /10

Synopsis

A court conspiracy. A decrepit, gang-ladened space station, and the Bustan Navy on the way. What could possibly go wrong?

Recovering from the events aboard the Scourge, the Wrecking Squad return to Karal and their old job until the Emperor’s Enforcer comes knocking. Forced to travel to the scum-laden Windward System, they are tasked with recovering a shipment of Marine wetware from Benetai, a rundown space station. Finding it filled with the barrel-scrapings of human and Senti origin, they step into a gang war over the missing tech with the hated Bustan Navy on the way. Running out of time, they fall back on their old skills, only to discover infuriating the Bustan Navy has consequences they’re not prepared for.

Join Rebekah and her crew as they navigate conspiracies, in-fighting and battle tech, in their own inimitable style while keeping another deadly secret from the prying eyes of the Emperor’s Court.

Quick Review

Butcher’s Folly takes things in a slightly different direction, balancing diplomacy and action, while expanding the universe. It’s a worthy sequel to one of my favorite reads of 2026 (so far).

Full Review

When I reviewed book one in this series, The Wrecking Squad, I said that it reminded me of shows like The Expanse or Firefly, and while that’s still true there’s a noticeable shift in Butcher’s Folly. In this sequel, everything slows down a bit and the tension revolves more around the crime and politics in this universe.

Once again, the Breakers are given a mission, the details of which are obscured from them. However this time, the mission-giver is also somewhat in the dark. Secretive political machinations and power-grabs drive the plot, but all of that is detailed on a need-to-know basis. The important part is this: the Breakers need to collect some valuable wetware, tech that can be installed into and empower a person.

That mission leads the crew to a space station occupied by rival gangs, and the Breakers must navigate their relationships with these groups while also searching for the wetware. Through these conversations and their travel, we also get a better picture of the galaxy: the alien Senti play a major role here, as well as the Bustan Navy, who were only mentioned last time. Meanwhile, there are questions aboard the ship about the status of ZZ3, the crew’s repurposed war bot, and its… let’s call it state of mind.

Author Nick Snape is balancing a lot of different threads in this story, and it mostly all comes together. Snape does a great job making both those political drama moments and the action feel impactful. Much like the prior book, the end culminates in some exciting action and revelations, some of which give a few hints at what may come for this series.

However, I do wonder if there is perhaps a bit too much happening at once in Butcher’s Folly. There were times when I’d feel a bit lost, trying to keep track of all the names and alliances and I felt that was made more challenging when our point-of-view characters didn’t fully grasp the scope of their mission. 

Although, I will say the approach worked very well for some surprises toward the end, as we encounter others also looking for the same wetware that the crew is. As the reader, we’re just as surprised as the Breakers when the mission spirals out of control. Snape does a great job of putting us in their shoes, while still giving us glimpses of their boss trying to piece together what’s going on, and other events around the station the Breakers are on.

I highly recommend Butcher’s Folly. If you enjoyed The Wrecking Squad and want more of the Breakers, this sequel will deliver that. I don’t feel like everything quite came together as well as it did in book one, but I really appreciate the way this book expands upon the setting and characters. Butcher’s Folly is a fun book that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Ryan Pierson, who did a fantastic job balancing not just the many characters but also giving life to the many species in the book. His voice, combined with Snape’s writing, really stands out when we meet the Senti who feel truly alien.

Thank you to the author for providing me with an ALC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.