Book review by Corey
The Short End
The Short End is the fourth book in the Broken Galaxy series and puts Rita back at the centre of a much larger military conflict. Humanity is badly outnumbered, the Singheko fleet is closing in, and Rita is forced to take command under conditions where every decision could cost more lives.
The book leans heavily into fleet battles, command pressure, and the feeling that humanity is running out of options. It still keeps enough focus on Rita and the people around her to make the conflict feel personal, and there is a real sense that the series is reaching one of its biggest turning points.
The Goods
- Strong military sci-fi action
- Rita carries the story well
- Big sense of scale
- Good tension around command decisions
- Feels like a major turning point in the series
The Bads
- Depends heavily on the earlier books
- Some battle scenes move very quickly
- A few side characters get limited attention
- The military focus can feel repetitive
- Not much downtime between major events
My Recommendation
This is a strong entry for readers already invested in the Broken Galaxy series and wanting the conflict to get bigger and more intense. Rita has a lot more responsibility here, and the pressure of leading while being badly outnumbered gives the story a stronger emotional side than a simple space battle. If you enjoy military science fiction with fleet combat, difficult command decisions, and a series that keeps raising the stakes, The Short End fits very well into the middle of the saga.