What Rough Beast

Johnston concludes his space opera trilogy (after The Blood Dimmed Tide) with this action-packed jaunt. Fresh from rebuffing the Zhen Empire’s attempt to crush human resistance to its reign, heroic pilot Tajen Hunt learns from his fellow soldier Katherine Lawson that a sentient nanite swarm—a remnant of the Tabrans, an alien civilization destroyed by its own technology—has taken over the Zhen leader. With help from other aliens, Tajen and Katherine hatch a plan to free the leader and pave the way for human freedom: Tajen searches for a hidden Zhen ship whose crew is likely to support their efforts, while Katherine crosses into violent Marauder space to retrieve lost Tabran technology—but after being captured by Marauders, she must prove her worth in a dangerous mission. Meanwhile, Tajen’s husband, Liam Kincaid, who believes Tajen to be dead, assumes control of a human fleet—but when their interstellar jumps keep landing them in Zhen traps, he becomes convinced there are traitors on board. The plot careens from fight to fight before all threads converge for the final showdown with the Zhen. The breakneck action meshes with moments of clever worldbuilding and thoughtful diplomacy. Fans of nonstop space battles and high political stakes will enjoy this series ender. (June)