Lieutenant Promise Paen became an orphan as a child when pirates came to her home world, Montana, and killed her peace-loving father. Her mother, who had died when Promise was much younger, inspired her daughter to join the Marine Corps for the Republic of Associated Worlds (RAW) by bequeathing her an ancient handgun that had been passed down through generations of women. Promise rose through the ranks quickly and decisively, eventually leading a troop of mechanized armored infantry.
Now RAW wants Promise to be the special envoy to her home planet, a border frontier world that may end up joining RAW's enemy, the Lusitanian Empire. Promise quickly wins over Montana's inhabitants, including its tough-minded female president, but the mission is complicated when the Lusitanians launch a sneak attack on the one RAW warship in orbit. Soon after, the enemy sends troops to the planet surface under the guise of a diplomatic mission and then launches an all-out assault on the planet itself.
Unbreakable is an exuberant read in the mold of David Weber's Honor Harrington series, with strong female characters and a welcome absence of overt romance. Promise is a believable, comfortable character who feels the death of every one of "her marines" while leading the survivors in an against-the-odds battle with a significantly better-provisioned army. The military details seem authentic, but don't threaten to overwhelm or sidetrack this well-told story. W.C. Bauers's impressive debut will appeal to fans of hard and military science-fiction alike. --Rob LeFebvre, freelance writer and editor