Pros
- Thrilling action scenes set in a universe that is filled with excitement and change
- Reunification of two storylines and emergence of a new one
Cons
- Can feel a bit hectic with the story moving at too fast a pace without much “downtime” for the action
Call to Armor Review
Call to Armor by Richard Fox is another exciting spin-off of the Ember War series that continues after the events surrounding Ely Hale are resolved and he becomes a leader of his own Armor lance.
But this time, the threat isn’t toward Terra Nova. Instead, Earth and humanity is once again facing certain destruction by a powerful force coming from outside the galaxy, and that’s after surviving a previous threat.
With the bridge between Terra Nova and Earth opening once again, the Hales are united, and Ely and his Armor lance, along with the Ibarras, return to Earth to defend humanity against the Inheritors, an unknown alien species threatening all sentient life that it comes in contact with.
Like Fox’s other stories, this story is filled with action and edge-of-your-seat suspense. What’s great about the Ember Wars series is seeing the change and growth of characters that have spanned across the different spin-offs.
Ely Hale is no different. Being alongside Ely as he matures from a scared young adult to a leader with his own lance gives the story a sense of progression and growth that makes the story feel more “natural” and alive.
A nice change for the direction of the story is the alliance with the Ibarra nation. Whereas humanity seems more open and natural, the Ibarrans seem more cultish and closed off to other humans. Or perhaps their leader and use of clones make the Ibarrans more difficult to approach. Regardless, there is a sense of suspicion with the alliance that gives the entire story an undercurrent of a betrayal that can happen at any moment.
One aspect of the book that can feel a bit tiring is the pacing. While many science fiction books tend to have a slower pacing for world-building purposes, the Ember War universe is fairly well established. That means that the story pacing for this story can feel a bit too much at times, especially with the series of action or battle scenes.
Fans of the Ember War universe will enjoy the action and battle scenes that have become a staple of the books in the series, and the return of favorite characters from previous books and series will give fans more reason to cheer on the protagonists.
Call to Armor by Richard Fox is a fantastic start of a new series set in the Ember War universe that promises to be just as exciting, if not more so than previous books.
Read reviews of other military science fiction stories by Richard Fox below.
