The Shattering Peace by John Scalzi

 

It's been a long wait to return to John Scalzi's Old Man's War universe, but we slip back in without missing a beat in The Shattering Peace. It's been 10 years since an uneasy peace was brought about by an agreement between the Conclave, the Colonial Union, and Earth. 

Gretchen Trujillo is a diplomat for the Colonial Union when she is called in for a secret but crucial mission. The mission and the mystery at its heart have consequences for all three parties to the peace agreement. When it turns out the Consu are involved, the consequences take on epic proportions. The Consu are so far more technically advanced than either humans or any member species of the Conclave that they might as well be magic. And the Consu are having an internal disagreement. This could get tricky fast!

Revisiting this universe is as much fun as you could hope for. The characters are mostly new, but one of the best things about this series is how relatable they are. Scalzi's characters are funny, impulsive, exasperating, and very, very clever. Gretchen is a great character from a previous book, and the Obin are one of the most fascinating species in the series. Spending time with her and her Obin assistant is responsible for much of the heart and humor in this book.

The Consu have always been a critical component of this universe, in part because much of the technology used in this future has either been gifted by the Consu or stolen from others to whom it has been gifted. The Consu as a race have always sought to help alien races advance through combat, even though their reasons for doing so are merciless and murky. Humans and members of the Conclave are seeing for the first time division among the Consu that is tantamount to civil war. The consequences for the rest of the universe are potentially immeasurable.

Scalzi's writing immediately and comfortably immerses you in his universe with a setting and characters that are easy to understand. Then he introduces the politics of the situation that are both understandable and vexing. This is where the book really levels up and makes you think about what actions are appropriate and necessary, and also makes you examine them from different points of view. This leads to action and excitement in the moment and gives you something to contemplate afterwards.

The Shattering Peace resolves its story in this book, but also leaves open the possibility of further exploration of this storyline and the Old Man's War universe. Here's hoping to more books in this series!

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher.