Surprisingly creative crossroads of many known ingredients

"Into the Black" is the first volume of a self-contained military SF / SF Hard series.
Unlike Star Wars and Warhammer 40k - (?) What the majority of my SF literature makes - there is in this setting not have a psyker, no demons from the Immaterium and no power. The Übernatürlchste what is on offer is an enormously talented Xeno-linguist. (You do not ask why a ship that has never encountered aliens, an XL on board.)

Our book is pleasing 593 pages long in large format, is quite fair on the pressure - so no Mogelpack like some German publishers - and fun. It is a cross between a huge number of items that are known from other worlds and series but Currie manages to tell an amazing story alone.

The first ship of humanity that leaves faster than light drive the solar system "To Boldly Go Where No man has ever gone before" and the idealized American sense of responsibility of our heroes towards the good, technically inferior aliens is nothing new, nor is the massive needy locals self, the attackers are a vicious cross between Bugs! and Tyranids and the heroes have different types of power armor. Currie is also in love with the heat-seeking ammunition with automatic course correction that use up his hero as some Warhammer authors are in their mass reactive rounds.

And yet, no matter who it is - it is the captain (no, he does not even Archer) (not yet at least they wear the badge of "Space Above and Beyond"), whether the pilot - he lives, he is a independent character and that's what made the book for me at the moment just as pleasant. You are safe from big surprises, but there are small, nice Plotentwicklungen; the author is not a Dan Abnett, but the language is not bad; the characters are uninhibited clichés, but they are fun and I am always worried about them and pressed them the thumbs ... You read safe in a cocoon of predictability and knows that the important characters will survive.
The technology level is even acceptable to me, the techno babble is very limited and is even understandable - only the 360 ​​degree view of the new helmets I find not quite as convincing.

The last page that completely raises new issues and the events can be displayed in a new light is, for me, the final argument to look forward to Volume 2 and give the first good conscience continue.