Passage at Arms

An excellent read from the renowned Glen Cook. “Passage at Arms” is a convincingly written narrative about the true strains of heroes under the most oppressive ship-bearing conditions (in this case a space ship rather resembling a submarine in its claustrophic space and madness-inducing solitude amongst the vastness of the star sea) and hopeless war circumstances against an enemy few understand but are willing to fight in the wake of determined high command leadership. What becomes of a particular crew's mental devotion to said cause and in particular their leaders during such strenuous days amongst the cold elements of space is the focus of Cook's gripping tale. Strong characters, great tension, and a moving first-person journalistic narrative make this a definite must-read for not just Cook fans but science fiction readers across the board. A well-told tale full of grimy detail, genuine suspense, convincing depth and inarguable humanity; and all of that in the span of just a couple hundred pages.