Should be 4&1/2 stars for narrative diversions and spurious dialog. As a human Dalzelle is maturing. So is the tenor of his writing. The first span, Omega Force, is a juvenile guilty pleasure I have read twice & audited as spoken twice. With Boneshaker we can clearly see the transition started in the last two OF books continuing to develop.
It is a bit of a start with this book to find emotional depth and introspection — a path I will follow Joshua down — widening in scope.
In general I regret the commonly found characterizations of human institutions of many stripes sarcastically drawn with cynical incisions by Science Fiction . . . with sadly accurate focus.
Reading SF now for sixty years, I find it advantageous to see what is rolling down on you before it lands in your lap.
Heads up – eyes open – carry on.