I had really, really liked the first three books in this series. When the this book began, and there was a major atrocity, I was willing to give the author congratulations for shocking me in a way that I hadn't considered. I was angry that some of the Commonwealth acted stupidly, but I wasn't going to think too badly about the whole book over it. People don't need to react perfectly in fiction.
But there is a reason that series starring a young captain rising to admiral usually involve long time jumps or more than four books, or both. And this was evident throughout. There was simply no good reason for Falcone to be where she was, doing what she was doing, even though the author tried to fix that by hanging a lantern on it by drawing attention to it and making it one of the political mysteries of the book. It was unacceptable, considering that it was a question that was never answered. Furthermore, numerous series-long plot lines went unfinished, and new ones were opened. This was not an ending, but it was advertised as one.
Despite all of this, I would have given it two stars. The writing was generally serviceable, and the characters were still the same people. A few interesting things did happen. But I was infuriated when the finale happened, and any chance for a real happy ending was shattered. I hate that. I hate when nobody gets a happy ending, but there is no tragedy either If the country gets a happy ending, the main character should get a happy ending (if they are still alive). I don't care that "isn't realistic". I am reading about people fighting in interstellar war hundreds of years in the future. I'm not reading for tight realism. If the author thinks having the "right" side win a war is the only happy ending readers need, he is sorely mistaken. And no, I don't care about what his plans are for the sequels. The sequels should work after having great predecessors, not having preceding books ruined to set them up.
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