"I should have been excited, but instead I felt a sense of detachment. I just wanted this ordeal over one way or another.

This description of Captain Peter Cochrane's thoughts as he awaits the decisive battle aptly describes my feelings about "Defiant." Only stubbornness kept me plodding through this book to the end.

Nothing of interest happens in the first quarter of the book which consists of a series of dinners, discussions, briefings, and lots of talk to set up the story. We are reintroduced to the three women who inexplicably fell in love with Cochrane —almost at first sight—as they again wind up in his company. Update: He married one of them—Karina— but all three are still in love with him.

The middle of the book suffers from too much repetition. Cochran's Lightship jumps into a system, fights a battle, and jumps back out. Repeatedly.

The author does provide a twist three-quarters of the way through the book that catches the reader by surprise. I do not recall any hints that would have allowed perceptive readers to anticipate the twist. Nevertheless, I was sure that Cochrane would vanquish the foes of the Republic and I was wishing he would hurry up and get it over with.

This is the third book—"the end of a trilogy" in the words of the author—in a series preceded by "Impulse" and "Starbound." It's common for authors to claim that readers do not need to begin their book series at the beginning. Bara does not make that claim and I think that is wise. I read the first two novels in the series when they first appeared but the time between entries made it difficult to recall details about earlier events. While the basic story can be understood by beginning with "Defiant," readers will understand it better and may enjoy it more if they start at the beginning.

I did not find Cochrane to be a likeable protagonist. The descriptions of his romantic sentiments are awkward and clunky and he comes across as the pipe-dream of an immature adolescent. He is no more appealing as a commanding officer. He repeatedly demonstrates an unwillingness to trust his subordinates and his interactions with his wife are sexist.

Bara's depiction of Cochrane and Karina as holding power as royal members of the ruling families of planets forming the union in addition to their military rank calls to mind Lieutenant Daniel O'Leary and Mistress Adele Mundy in David Drake's RCN series. Drake's series is far superior, featuring with an extensive cast of interesting subordinate characters and better writing. ( )