Book: Shadow War
Series: Command Decision #2
Author: Marc Alan Edelheit
Publication Day: July 25, 2025
Buy link(s): Amazon
Book Description:
A lone destroyer.
An enemy lurking in darkness.
A deadly mission that could turn the tide of war.
Caught behind enemy lines, Captain Jaxon Steele fought his way out and saved the Union fleet from a devastating ambush. Now, as the Hegemony attacks on all fronts, Steele prepares to fight back.
Enemy forces are gathering in the independent Santana system. Santana is lawless and desolate—but it’s the perfect launchpad for an attack on Union space. Is the Hegemony preparing to invade?
Steele takes command of the destroyer Wolverine, with orders to gather critical intelligence on this new threat. In a system where dangers hide in every shadow, even the smallest error could put his ship in the crosshairs of a pirate cruiser or a mighty Hegemony battleship.
Steele needs stealth and secrecy to pull off this mission. But Wolverine is a relic of the last war, with failing systems and a mutinous crew. Even worse, the intelligence operative Miller has come aboard without warning. It’s clear this is no longer a simple recon assignment—far more is at stake than Steele could have imagined.
As they journey deep into hostile space, a lethal conspiracy begins to emerge from the darkness. Can Steele transform his new ship into an effective weapon of war before the enemy strikes? The future of the Union is at stake and only a Command Decision can save it.
Packed with high-stakes space combat, breathtaking tension, and jaw-dropping twists, the Command Decision series is a military science fiction adventure perfect for fans of David Weber’s Honor Harrington series and James S.A. Corey’s The Expanse.
Captain Jaxon Steele isn’t sure whether he’s returning home to some kind of commendation or a court-martial for the actions he took on Ranger‘s mission. He’s surprised and a bit disappointed to be given command of a new vessel, the Wolverine, with an entirely new crew. But he isn’t going to argue, because the alternative is schlepping around as a hero selling war bonds for the Union. Wolverine‘s former captain was a political appointee in a time of peace, and to say the ship is a bit run-down is an understatement. Both ship and crew are in deplorable shape, and Steele has as long as it takes to travel through Slipstream space to his new mission to get them fighting ready. Because while the orders he’s given don’t explicitly include battle, Steele knows there’s more going on than what he’s been told, and he wants to be ready for any eventuality.
Shadow War picks up where Forged in Battle left off. We see some familiar characters: Steele, his XO Chase, the intelligence operative Miller (someone Steele is not happy to see on his ship). We also meet some new characters, like the delightfully crusty captain of the boat, Kelly. Kelly is a veteran and was happy in retirement, but he’s coming back to service because he has a history with Wolverine.
The first part of the book opens much more slowly than Forged in Battle did, but it’s still really good writing. Steele and Chase have to motivate the crew to take pride in themselves and their ship, and they find some, shall we say, creative ways to do that. Kelly also isn’t afraid to knock heads together if some crewmembers need a little sense drummed into them. The first half or so is more about world-building, the people on Wolverine, the transformation from near-derelict to fighting trim, the growth of characters. And without knowing what Miller has up his sleeve, it’s still plenty suspenseful, even if not action-packed.
The action comes, though. Oh, yes, it does. Wolverine does a lot of stealth maneuvering, trying to flush out a potentially hidden Hegemony fleet, but there are some rock ’em sock ’em battle scenes. Those were nail-biting moments, with Wolverine out on the edge of civilized space with no military support nearby and limited resources. They had to do the best they could with what they had, and you could clearly see that choices have consequences. Some choices worked out well, others not so much. But that only lets us see Steele and his crew as human and relatable, because that’s how life really is.
Marc Alan Edelheit remains firmly on my list of must-read sci-fi authors. I can’t wait for the next book in the series!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Second Sky Books and Netgalley. I was not required to leave a review. All opinions here are mine, and I don’t say nice things about books I don’t actually like.
About the author:
Marc is an avid reader and accomplished author that spends his days – and nights – dreaming and writing about all things fantasy and sci-fi. In 2015 he decided to make his dream a reality and published his first fantasy novel… the rest is history!
Marc has traveled the world, from Asia to Europe. He is the ultimate history fan and incorporates much of that passion into his work to bring greater realism to his fantasy and sci-fi books. In 2021, he moved his family to a cabin in the mountains to gain further inspiration from his surroundings and bring you amazing books!
More information about Marc can be found at http://www.maenovels.com
