I do not typically read this genre but decided I could use an interjection of Sci-fi in my reading repertoire. I chose this series not only for the back cover descip but for the good star rating it was getting on Amazon. Oh and it was free.

As I said, I normally don't read sci-fi and I certainly don't read non-fantasy war books. This one was both. And I really enjoyed it! I was pleasantly surprised by how I grew attached to some of the minor characters that sacrificed themselves, how I wanted them to avail despite knowing they most likely would not.

The "bad guys" were original to me- a race of female warriors who wanted to bring honor and glory to their Empress- and I liked that they weren't just hateful monsters. Their honor system was very interesting and I am looking forward to seeing how the story series progresses. ( )

At first I didn't like this one so much as it started out too much like David Weber & Steve White's Starfire series except with samurai tigers instead of people eating giant spiders. As the book went on it was interesting to see how the aliens developed and it became a 4 (really liked it). But, I seriously dislike the viewpoint of 'they are not like us so it's ok to kill every man, woman and child because they are not really people'.

There are hints that might change in later books. I'll read more to see where the story goes. ( )

In the first book of the In Her Name: The Last War trilogy, the Terran survey ship Aurora makes a startling discovery in an uncharted star system: two planets inhabited by an advanced, and decidedly unfriendly, non-human civilization. Disabled by gigantic alien warships before it can escape, the Aurora is boarded by nightmarish blue-skinned warriors with claws and fangs who slaughter the crew in ritual combat using primitive weapons. The sole survivor, Midshipman Ichiro Sato, is returned to Earth as a messenger bearing a device that warns of an impending attack.
For that is the way of the Kreelan Empire, which has waged war against civilizations across the stars in its quest for a savior, one not of their own blood, foretold in an ages-old prophecy. With only a few generations left before their ancient species faces extinction, the Kreelans will wage their last war against humanity, hoping against hope for redemption of sins long past.

If I could I'd give it 3.5 stars. This story kept my interest for me not being a sci-fi reader, and I thought it was well thought out. It took me a while to finish this as it was non-stop action and I needed to catch my breath every now and then. I thought the Kreelan characters were the most interesting, and their belief of why they do what they do was believable. They reminded me of the great crusades where soldiers would fight to the death in the name of God as the made their way across Europe. I felt the Kreelans had more depth than the human characters and it was hard not to root for them.

This was my first experience into reading science fiction. I'm trying to expand my horizons and read different genres. I think I still prefer my sci-fi as movies. In fact, I could see this as a film along the lines of Alien. It would be a great at our drive-in! ( )

Ichiro Sato has committed a terrible sin. He survived.

When the crew of the Aurora makes unexpected first contact with a hostile race, midshipman Sato is spared from the slaughter in order to serve as the alien race's Messenger, harbinger of humanity's impending doom. They are going to invade. On the planet Keran. In two years. What kind of aliens are these? They kill everyone aboard and then give us enough warning to prepare for the coming fight? But is mankind ready to take the warning seriously? Or will politics and power jockeying leave us with our pants down when the fighting starts?

I'll start by saying that space war is not really my thing, but even so, First Contact is a wild ride. One of the strongest indie books I've read this year. This is an ensemble piece, with a number of POV characters carrying the camera through a frenetic interweaving of politics, military operations, and human drama. But despite the scope, it still manages to stay up close and focused on just a very few of those humans. The pace is excellent, the aliens are sufficiently alien, and the people are varied and distinct. For the most part. At times, I found myself struggling to remember which general was which. Or were they admirals? And who it was who still had the grenades. But that's exactly what I would expect to experience in the fog of war, as events accelerate and outpace our ability to keep it all neat and tidy in our heads. Ultimately, this is the story of one young man, and the choices he makes that will effect us all. I can only hope that when the time comes, we have somebody like Ichiro Sato on that first contact ship. ( )