Specters of Past Wars: Unfit for Duty – C.R. Daems

The alliance is losing a war of attrition against alien invaders. Its military is dominated by time-servers who double down on failing strategies and tactics. Since the military bureaucracy is resistant to improvements, the protagonist finds independent backing for an attempt to create a new force with better doctrine.

This book could have been stronger. It has a promising premise, and interesting protagonist, and a readable style.

But the plotting is unambitious: The good guys know what they’re doing, and make the right decisions in battle. The bad guys are incompetent, and lose their battles consistently. (The bad guys are also prone to shouting, strutting, and demanding, which cheapens them as antagonists.) The superior doctrine starts with “install more automation, and use the extra space and resources for more weapons.

Daems has done better with a similar premise, in “The Phoenix Wars”.