This novel is back to Alliance space and on to Earth for Geary and the Dauntless, escorting the Dancer ships and fending off attacks from Syndics who would take the prize of the Kick super battleship from the last book. It's sort of the first six books done in one book, with a weary human fleet making it back to an uncertain home.

The Syndic stealth marines being driven mad by a ship full of alien ghosts is a vibe, but Geary kicking over a comic opera minor power that has claimed dominion over Sol is not much. And finding that the top priority mission of the aliens is to return the corpse of a long dead human astronaut is a bit of a let down.