A review by pjonsson
The Dark Path by Walter H. Hunt

3.0

In my opinion this book is a very different one from the first one. It’s certainly a sequel to the first book (luckily, I don’t really like prequels). The book is set 85 years after the first one so there’s a big change of characters but it still ties in very well with the first book. It’s obviously the overture for a new war but it’s much slower going than in the first one and the aliens are much more subtle, subversive and staying in the shadows.

The book is almost devoid of fleet actions. Instead it focuses on Zor mytology and psychics, or sensitives, as they are called in the book. There’s a lot of human-Zor interaction between the heroine and her Zor second in command and friend by which we get to learn Zor history and mythology the latter which, surprise surprise, ties nicely into explaining and predicting this new threat to both the Zor and humanity.

A good chunk of the book is spent dirtside with the heroine trying to get back and recapture her command. Normally I’m more of a fleet action guy but I think this book still worked for me. It’s of course helping that there’s a lot less pea-brained politicians running around and screwing things up than in the first book. It’s certainly an interesting build up for the rest of the story and I’m quite interested to see where the author goes with this lurking enemy and the role Zor mythology will be playing.

I’d say the book almost merits a fourth star but not quite. That’s probably more due to my personal reading preferences than a fault of the book though. It’s a shame you cannot give half stars. Then it would have gotten a 3 ½.