Review: The Drax (Rangers of the Realm Book 2) by Ron Blacksmith

A second galaxy-spanning thriller in Ron Blacksmith’s Rangers of the Realm series, The Drax is a riveting second installment.

When a distant starship of colonists sends out an emergency signal for aid, Captain Mik Rogan and his illustrious crew of Rangers aboard the Rockne are the first responders on the scene. The carnage they find leads them to a much more dangerous culprit than common space pirates – an unknown enemy with advanced weaponry, possible bioweapons, and a seemingly impenetrable underground base. The unwitting colonists had been looking for a fresh start, but they tragically chose a star system inhabited by reptilian rebels from the Lacertan Empire.

Rather than rescuing the captive colonists, Mik, Kyn, Gildaren, Druidor, Lanic, and Kat find themselves blown out of the sky and taken hostage on the prison planet of Tartarus, sparking a crisis that could explode into a galactic war. Once again, a failure to learn from history jeopardizes the future of humanity – the Drax Empire is actively working to disrupt, dismantle, and destroy the Realm of Planets through its coordinated campaign of raids, enslavement, and torture. As the crew of the Rockne work from within their captivity, while trusting that their allies are mounting a defense against this existential threat, they are fractured and shackled, but far from out of the fight.

Classic fantasy tropes, sci-fi themes, and ideological divides continue to blur brilliantly in this crafty genre mash-up, a synthesis that loyal readers of any literary tradition will appreciate. Notably, the personalities, speech patterns, and characters’ cultural backgrounds feel more distinct in this second installment of the series. The Drax are also given depth and range as figures in the story, rather than being portrayed as a mindless or nebulous enemy with no purpose except destruction. Small moments of empathy and rebellion among their ranks add complexity to the story, such as Klax’s decision to disobey an order and spare the lives of his kin, which is a rare degree of nuance in space opera fiction.

This installment also leans further on social critique – following the ultimate sacrifice of the Wardens in their defense of Earth against the recent AI attack, a new system of governance is taking shape in the Realm, a subtle secondary plotline that feels timely for today’s readers. A reshuffling of the world order and radical shifts in leadership are destabilizing millions of lives, forcing bloated empires to reckon with their legacy as new foes emerge. These thematic parallels ground the novel in real-life struggles, and also flips the script on humanity as the pinnacle of civilization and power in the cosmos.

Boasting the same fast-paced, deep-space adventure as the debut novel in this series, the prose is purposeful, but often emotionally detached and journalistic in its descriptions: “Squads hit the dusty soil moving with smooth discipline towards objectives despite raging firefights.” Cold and even sterile sections of narration could be polished to match the intensity of the storyline. That said, the pace is frenetic but addictive, the dialogue crackles with urgency and authenticity, and the unique complexity of this fully imagined world carries the novel forward.

In short, this sophomore offering has occasional weak points, but Blacksmith’s sprawling vision and multilayered storytelling make for an impressive and entertaining sequel to this innovative sci-fi series.