Reflection's Edge

Book Review: Victory Conditions, by Elizabeth Moon

Reviewer: Sharon Dodge

Victory Conditions is the latest (and possibly the last) in the Vatta's War series featuring Commander Kylara Vatta, the leader of a fleet battling terrorist Gammis Turek. When a spy code is cracked through, of all things, a young love affair, Turek's extensive power - and plans - are revealed to be even greater than expected, and Ky Vatta prepares to fight. When things go wrong, she retreats into hiding after her supposed death, and then begins to pull together her own forces - and herself - to stop him.

Victory Conditions, the latest in the Vatta's War series, is another solid piece of military fiction by veteran author (literally and figuratively - she was a Marine) Elizabeth Moon. Unsurprisingly, it continues her tradition of strong female characters, as well as a number of characters of all ages and perspectives; in fact, teenage genius Toby, who could easily have been an embarrassing drag on the plot, is one of the more charming characters in the whole of the story.

Like many of her other works, Victory Conditions also has the practical understanding behind it to make for a likable, intelligent novel with a believable military conflict and military characters. If the story's intricacies rely on a few too many coincidences and are a bit too easily tied up, the twists leading up to it are still very clever.

Unfortunately, unlike her previous works (Remnant Population and The Deed of Paksenarrion novels come to mind in particular), the emotional side of things reads more unevenly. It's the minor characters and their concerns - teenage Toby and his adoration of his girlfriend, or Stella's heartbreak at losing family - where the story really resonates. Rafe, the heroine's love interest, feels particularly disappointing, considering his prominence; his final actions, in an attempt to win over his lady love, border on the ridiculous, if not outright cruel, and make Ky's interest in him seem at best confusing.

But for all that, it's a fun, fast-moving story, filled with a host of characters with their own complex histories in the midst of grand, galaxy-altering battles - space opera exactly as it should be.

To buy a copy of Victory Conditions, click here.

If you liked this book, you may also enjoy:

Remnant Population, by Elizabeth Moon

The Deed of Paksenarrion, by Elizabeth Moon

Hammered, by Elizabeth Bear

Worldwired, by Elizabeth Moon

Scardown, by Elizabeth Moon