Overall, I liked the book and plan to read the next.SPOILER ALERT: I don't reveal very many specific pieces of the plot, (well except one big surprise), but I do discuss various points of the story, setting, and a few scenes... So if you don't want to know about the one plot twist and a few scenes (or pieces of them) and a lot about the setting stop here.Good:I felt the main character was refreshing & interesting.Though he was an anti-hero, for me at least, he didn't seem cliche.He always attempted to do the best he could to help the people around him.He had an interesting & believable past (too often main characters are just amazing at things because it's convenient, it's shown that he practiced enough to gain the skills he had, well almost enough, the fleet combat simulation might have been a little more than warranted, but I liked it).He honored his missing wife enough to avoid marrying (& the story implied avoid sleeping with) his beautiful co-pilot.This fact shows a strength of character lacking in most characters (and people) these days.Additionally, having that kind of discipline makes the other things he does more believable.Overall I liked the general atmosphere.I also generally liked the science half of the science fiction (the feel of everything, the basic premise of most of the technologies, including that the technologies all seemed very plausible/likely, etc...).Mediocre:I thought the beam weapons were a bit... strange. They had color which seemed to have meaning but not in any technical way.Additionally the science behind them (because of the descriptions & names) seemed to be lacking...I would have liked an explanation for the beams being different colors or I would have liked them all to be the same... if you want different powered beams a larger and/or higher energy beam is enough.Otherwise I would expect the author to get into basing them on specific scientific concepts to some degree, (high energy particle beams, plasma, antimatter/fusion beams [beams made from the energy produced from such a reaction] etc...NOTE: http://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/890/optimum-laser-color-for-maximum-destructionI didn't really like the afterburners in the (nova I think they were called) fighters ... felt far too much like current fighter jet movies... but it was good enough that I probably wouldn't change it if I had the option.There were a few instances of just a little too much convenience for the plot.His son being the supreme commander was a little bit of a stretch (though I wouldn't change it, kind of fun).The coincidence I'd probably change was when the enemy controlled nova fighter blew up and set off a chain reaction that ended up blowing up the other eleven... just a little over the top, though it was fun in a star wars sense so I forgave it quickly....Ethan was the only character that had any meaningful depth... I really was ok with this but felt I should mention it.The enemy (crime boss) fighter pilots should have been shown to be much worse than the ones with the military fighters & years of training & experience. This could have been shown by just doubling the number of enemy fighters attacking & getting shot down.Having enough engineers & deck officers from the 97 people left ... (I would have tripled this number to make that more believable... )Bad:There was really only one thing I could consider bad... the idea that the military is the only group willing to act as police... there's no justification for that and one of the first things they would have done is turn those types of responsibilities over to a civil government.The idea that there was no police but the military is not believable, greatly weakens the continuity of the setting & just seemed silly.It could be argued that this might have weakened the main antagonist, but it's more likely it could have given him more motive to try to take the enormous military ship.As this wasn't completely pivotal to the plot I could mostly ignore it.Verdict:I definitely want to read the next book, & though it may not meet all my expectations, I am positive I'll enjoy it.