Hail Bristol is back. If you follow my MADreads reviews (and really, you should <g>) you'll know that I loved K. B. Wagers Indranan War trilogy. In that trilogy Hail was introduced as the last remaining heir to an empire she wasn't sure she wanted. Events conspired to force her to take on the responsibility, and once taken there was no going back. Hail is the Empress of the Indranan Empire and she's hoping that now that the civil war is over, she and her people can take some time to regroup and rebuild. She's not looking to be the mediator in an interstellar military crisis, but as Indrana is going to be potentially caught between the two alien civilizations at each other's throats, what's a former-gunrunner-turned Empress to do?
The blurb header for this one is "The battle for the throne is over. The war for the galaxy is just beginning." And that's just what's at stake here in Wagers' new trilogy set in the same universe. Two of the most powerful forces in the galaxy, alien ones at that, have been attacking each other in small ways for centuries. One of those alien empires is a close ally of the Indranan's so when Hail is asked to intercede on their behalf she can't really turn them down, much as she wants to. Partially because her empire has always fulfilled their duty to their allies and partly because if things go majorly sideways, Indrana will be pulled into the fray and they're in no position to withstand another war if they can help it.
I loved the Indranan War series, true, but I think this trilogy is going to be even better. Certainly no surprise when it comes to K. B. Wagers books. She's always good. She's just getting better and better. Lots of depth here, a complicated yet fully drawn plot, and even more world-building within this universe she's created. If you're a fan of complex, well-plotted military SF then you can't go wrong with K. B. Wagers.