Book Review: An Ancient Peace by Tanya Huff

An Ancient Peace
Author: Tanya Huff
Series: Peacekeeper (Book 1)
Publication: DAW (October 6, 2015)

Description: Gunnery Sergeant Torin Kerr had been the very model of a Confederation Marine. But when she learned the truth about the war the Confederation was fighting, she left the military for good.

But Torin couldn’t walk away from preserving and protecting everything the Confederation represented. Instead, she drew together an elite corps of friends and allies to take on covert missions that the Justice Department and the Corps could not—or would not—officially touch. Torin just hoped the one they were about to embark on wouldn’t be the death of them.

Ancient H’san grave goods are showing up on the black market—grave goods from just before the formation of the Confederation, when the H’san gave up war and buried their planet-destroying weapons...as grave goods for the death of war. Someone is searching for these weapons and they’re very close to finding them. As the Elder Races have turned away from war, those searchers can only be members of the Younger Races.

Fortunately, only the Corps Intelligence Service has this information. Unfortunately, they can do nothing about it—bound by laws of full disclosure, their every move is monitored.

Though Torin Kerr and her team are no longer a part of the military, the six of them tackling the H’san defenses and the lethally armed grave robbers are the only chance the Confederation has. The only chance to avoid millions more dead.

But the more Torin learns about the relationship between the Elder Races and the Younger, the more she begins to fear war might be an unavoidable result.

My Thoughts: Now that the war is over, Torin and her team are working for the Wardens in the Justice Department solving smaller problems. However, when she is called in by Military Intelligence to do a covert job, the problem isn't small. Someone is selling H'san grave goods on the black market. Since the location of the cemetery planet is supposed to have been lost in the mists of time and since an ancient cache of H'san weapons is also supposed to be there, it is necessary to find the planet, find the grave robbers, and prevent them from selling those weapons which could begin another war and cost millions of lives.

Torin is also told by her Justice Department boss that the Parliament is considering sequestering the Younger Races - Humans among them - now that the war is done and the Younger Races are considered uncivilized. Traveling to the Core to search for the missing planet does let Torin see what the attitudes are like toward the Younger Races by those who were never threatened by the war.

The story is an exciting chase as Torin and company follow the trail of the grave robbers into the crypts of the H'san running into traps of many kinds and zombie H'san guardians too. I liked that each of the team has their skills and that, despite their different species, all manage to get along. I especially like Torin who though retired still is a Gunnery Sergeant with the goal of making sure all of her people make it home. I like that she is still dealing with the aftermath of the war and knows it.

I liked that we also had a secondary viewpoint as we followed the grave robbers on their explorations. They also had varying motivations for their actions from simple greed to the desire to recreate the family they lost during the war.

Fans of space opera will enjoy this series and will enjoy the characters and world building.

Favorite Quote:

"You haven't actually been a Gunnery Sergeant for some time now, Torin."

"You never stop being a Gunnery Sergeant, Major."

Dr. Ito's left eye twitched. He'd made it clear from the beginning that he preferred to be addressed by the medical honorific. "I think you've just made my point for me."

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.