While I enjoyed much of this book, the parts I did not enjoy infuriated me, to the point of almost giving up on finishing. It for sure could have used with some editing/focus to the story.

there are seemingly random switches from third person limited pov storytelling to om omnipotent narrator pov. save that for special chapter at the end.

there wasn’t any meaningful commentary on fascism, it was such a powerful driver at the start and then after the attack, but it’s just never addressed. it would have been nice to have some commentary on how the current generations recognize that the history was a lie, the same way that their “storm” was a lie. It didn’t have to be that exact thing per day, just something.

also the pacing is all over the place. what is the fundamental challenge that the characters have to overcome? is it their relationships or the battle?

there was so much of a missed opportunity to overlay those struggles, instead they form almost two separate books. I would have rather read a story about nimoru and his life, ending shortly after the attack, with a second book mostly from his mother’s pov dealing with her story. heck even make a short anthology about her time at lightbridge as a filler.