Synopsis:
Citizen. Civilian. Veto.
In the distant future, when mankind leaves FirstEarth to forge a new home among the stars, these three words are used to classify every person in the galaxy.
Alanwe Treskae, commander of the StarHawks, has always served the High Council with honor. Until she is asked to falsify a report concerning piracy and open rebellion, and she finds herself faced with an impossible choice: To condemn the innocent, and follow orders—or to maintain her integrity.
Questioning the orders of the Council brings her to a horrible truth: that the High Council, trusted with the task of governing humanity, is lying to the very people it is supposed to protect.
Now she must take a stand that risks her life, her ship, and her crew. She must ask herself if it’s worth committing treason and risking open rebellion against the state. Will she follow orders, or become the sacred shield, an aegis standing between the innocent and those that would do the people harm? When the Allied Galactic Guardianship of Humanity threatens those who refuse to blindly follow orders, will Alanwe and her StarHawks be the hammer—or the shield?
Review:
StarHawks: Aegis is a fast-paced military sci-fi with heart, featuring a strong-willed and determined female lead in the form of Alanwe Treskae.
Alanwe is the commander of a special ops group known as the StarHawks. She’s only one of two women in that position (we don’t get to meet the other one in this book, though she’s mentioned.) She heads up a tactical task force comprised of men, but she’s earned their respect through her actions. Unfortunately, outside of her squad, sexism is still pretty rampant in Alanwe’s world, and it’s yet another battle she’s forced to fight. But if Alanwe is anything, she is a fighter.
That’s particularly evident when she’s given orders that don’t sit well with her conscience. She fights for what she believes is right, even when that means defying her superiors or the Council. I really liked that about Alanwe (there were times in the story when I found her temper to be a bit much, but overall, she’s a great character.)
And speaking of the Council… It’s the main governing body of the galaxy, but usually operates according to its own agenda. The Council has 14 members, whose authority seems to be almost absolute, and they’ve stratified society into 3 basic groups: Citizens, Civilians, and Vetoes.
Citizens have the most freedoms and the best quality of life, but becoming a Citizen usually requires many years of service in a “worthy” endeavor (often through serving in the Peace Keeper corps, which is the galaxy’s law enforcement/pseudo-military arm.) Civilians make up the bulk of society, but their lives can be extraordinarily difficult. Civilians eke out a living doing menial jobs or by taking the most dangerous ones—basically anything a Citizen can’t be bothered to do. The sad part is, Civilians often don’t have enough food or adequate medical care, and are powerless to change that without becoming a Citizen, but that usually takes decades. The last group, the Vetoes, are exiles. Most are convicted criminals (although sometimes their “crimes” are nothing more than getting on a Council member’s bad side.) Vetoes are denied access to pretty much everything and expected to survive in the outskirts of the settled galaxy. While society is technologically very advanced in this story, it feels very dystopian and downright bleak.
You can probably see where Alanwe’s story is going… Suffice it to say, she has to make some tough decisions and lead her squad through some nasty firefights in order to follow her conscience.
There were a few quirks with the text and some head-hopping early on, but overall, I found StarHawks: Aegis to be a really enjoyable story. I’d recommend it to anyone who likes military sci-fi, particularly those featuring a strong female lead.
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