RULED OUT by Cameron Cooper

A whole of story with world impact and building. Which is why this is one of my favorite authors. Lots of action and intrigue. Definitely a page turn. Highly recommended.

Fast paced read with plenty of action from bar fights to space battles. The Carina worlds have had an emperor and seen the dangers and vulnerabilities of a strong central government. But lack of central government introduces its own set of dangers and vulnerabilities. Both locally and in their larger looming conflict with the Slavers, they need a new military and it isn't going to happen in time with the glacially slow pace political bureaucrats move at. Time for Danny to take things into her own hands!

Much of this book dealt with logistics and shifting chess pieces, but done in a way that added depth the the story. I thought there were some very interesting choices made both by Danny and the nascent central government - especially given their history. But decisions made under pressure and in a hurry are not always thought out as well as they could be. Danny has access to some unique people and view points that help her piece together possible objectives the other side might have. So much is a race against time - but the other side controls the clock. Nail biter of an ending with a huge twist/reveal for the next book. Excited to see how this will play out.

This is the 5th book in the Iron Hammer series and the series should be read in order as the over arching plot builds from one book to the next. No cliff hanger as the major conflict of the book is resolved, but lots of threads left unresolved for the rest of the series.

This is #5 in the series – do yourself a favor and read the first four! The progression of the characters and their importance at each stage make this book in the series especially meaningful.

A war is coming. But no one but Danny, our Iron Hammer will speak that truth. How can you save your entire world, when they will not act?

Finally, a group of leaders come together – but every action/decision will take years.

Inciteful, detailed, perfectly crafted story which has day-to-day actions and amazing twists and turns. This world comes alive for the reader.

I was delighted to pick up where the story left off from book four in the series, with Danny meeting the challenge of the threat of war!

Throughout this novel there was tense and exciting action with unexpected surprises and edge-of-my seat thrills as I followed Danny and her team into the fray!

I loved that throughout both series' Danny has proven herself to be a strong lead character but there's compassion and consideration in her motivations and actions. Danny has continued to entrance and fascinate me since book one of the original Imperial Hammer series and once again she delighted me with her daring and courage despite self-doubt and challenging situations!

I like that Danny is by nature military minded and doesn't have the patience or willingness to tolerate political BS. She's a straight shooter and likes to get things done which are the very qualities which get her into interesting situations but she's proven time and again that she can handle it.

I can highly recommend this latest book in the Iron Hammer series and especially advocate reading all the books in order.
If you want to enjoy these characters in their fully enriched complexity then it's even better to read the Imperial Hammer series beforehand.

A great book five in the Iron Hammer series. Things are starting to get interesting. Not many believe war is coming, so Danny takes things into her own hands. This is such a great story: friends, enemies, spies, love, surprises and heartbreak. As the reader, I was sad after reading this. But it is a book about a coming war, and war causes death and destruction. My favorite villain is Kore Odile, he seems truly awful and repugnant. Of course it is wonderful to see all those other characters that have featured in Danny’s story for so long. I am very excited to read the rest of the books in the series and find out what happens next. Simply fantastic space opera. More please more!