To Tread Obsidian Shores

An unconventional work of military sci-fi set during peacetime, the first installment of the Bronze Legion series from Cordova (Mountain of Fire) and Olthoff (Rise from Ruin) still delivers the fighting esprit de corps and noble sacrifice common to wartime stories. Private Diego Tavi, a new recruit to the Protectorate of Mars Foreign Legion escaping the slums of his home world, is assigned to the elite Bronze Legion, where he joins a fire team notorious for hazing outsiders. Fortunately, his gunship copilot, Lt. Astra “Blue” Eliassen, takes an interest in him and shows him the ropes. Astra has her own career goal of living up to her grandmother’s legacy. The team is put through various training challenges before being assigned to escort a science expedition to potential colony planet Aurora, where they come up against unexpected dangers in the form of Aurora’s native fauna and geological instability. Cordova and Olthoff assemble the standard mix of good-guy grunts, dutiful officers, bad-guy careerists, and political weasels along the way to a straightforward but satisfying conclusion. The emotional sting of loss and comforts of companionship are fairly distributed, and a late surprise revelation sets things up nicely for book two. Military SF fans will find it hits the spot. (Jan.)