Ragnarok Book

Captain Alexandra “Alex” McLaughlin is not a woman to be underestimated. Under her petite exterior is a spine of solid steel and a disposition to laugh in the face of impending death. A former member of the Terran Navy’s elite force, the Dead Jokers, electronic-warfare pilots with a mortality rate to match that of old Japan’s Kamikazes, Alex is a born survivor. But sometimes survival can be a curse.

Humanity is locked in a war of survival with the Xan-Sskarn, an alien race that refuses to acknowledge the rights of “weaker” creatures to live. It is a war that will not end with a peace treaty, but only the complete subjugation of one species to the other. And right now, the alien side is winning.

However, the enemy on the outside is not the only one to be faced. As the battles take on an eerily familiar pattern of no-win scenarios, Alex realized the horrifying truth; humanity has a traitor, and it’s somebody close. As each battle brings more death, Alex’s ghosts grow and so does her desire for vengeance. There is only one way for this to end, and Alex is just the human to take it there—to Ragnarok.

Publishers Weekly

With a familiar story arc and bursts of awkward prose, Vanner's debut, the first in a planned military space opera series, doesn't leave much of a mark. In 2197, humanity is locked in a vicious war with the salamander-like Xan-Sskarn, unrepentant polluters who covet Earth's clean water. Capt. Alexandra McLaughlin, still gripped with survivor's guilt two years after an encounter with the enemy killed many of those under her command, manages to be one of Earth's prime assets, even as she's suspected of providing the Xan-Sskarn with crucial information about ship movements. Clumsy plot twists and awkward prose ("While his size was imposing, the bright cheerfulness dancing in his eyes and his jovial attitude put those around him at ease, but that brightness turned to hateful fire where the Xan-Sskarn were concerned.") make this adventure entirely forgettable. (Sept.)