Very, very good stories!!
I wished it never ended... :/ ( )

Originally published as a serial, this is more a collection of related short stories which are appropriately called episodes. Good stories mostly, but I hope the next one is actually a novel. ( )

Loved the short story format that amounts to a series of interconnected stories. The series has changed a lot since book one. Also Scalzi makes lots of "dad" jokes I feel so he is my kindred spirit. ( )

I read the serialized version before I read the rest of the Old Man's War series. I've rated each of these individually. Overall, I liked the universe and really enjoy Scalzi's writing style. ( )

The fifth book in the Old Man’s War series is a serialised collection of 13 tales that go into making 1 overall story arc. With the Colonial Union now at loggerheads with Earth after the events of the previous book it seems that to continue with the status quo the CU will need a more diplomatic approach to dealing with the conclave and any other species that are not currently aligned to either group. It mostly follows the creation of a diplomatic fire-team and their first few missions. Is there also something more sinister behind these fires that requires a team in the first place?

Each of the stories contained in the collection has at least some relevance to the overall arc but how much varies significantly. Some are just of the get to know you type while others show the underlying plot more readily. Although each segment has a resolution to that individual part the final denouement is not revealed in this book. Still a fine addition to the old man’s war universe though and definitely worth picking up if you’ve read and enjoyed the previous books in the series. ( )