The Shattering Peace: Old Man’s War Book 7 (Old Man’s War, 7)

The Shattering Peace is book seven in John Scalzi’s The Old Man’s War series. Part of the beauty of this series is that each novel is narrated by a different narrator. Having a working knowledge of the other books is helpful but not necessary. This novel works as a stand-alone story of space exploration and alien interactions or as the fabulous next chapter in Scalzi’s award-winning series. The Shattering Peace is narrated by Gretchen Turjillo, Zoe’s best friend from the Roanoke Colony. Gretchen is part of a team sent to investigate the disappearance of a new colony. What she finds will change the relationship between humans and aliens alike.

The Shattering Peace is a humorous space opera filled with sharp dialogue and witty comebacks. When we last met Gretchen, she was an angsty teenager. More mature now, she still has an angsty side, but a much broader and more defined view of the universe. Through Gretchen’s eyes, Scalzi introduces a well-developed cast of human and alien characters. This fast-paced space colonization tale has fun action sequences but less military than the first two novels of this series. For fans of political alien encounter and space colonization tales, settle into The Shattering Peace.