Jean's Reviews > When the Bough Breaks

This is book three in the Empire series. It appears this book is being used as background filler about the decay of the Empire. Avalon and the Rim colonies are not part of this story.

Instead we have Marine pathfinder, Specialist Belinda Lawson who survived the fighting on Hon, and is now assigned to serve as a bodyguard to the child Roland, the heir to the Imperial throne. Nuttall portrays him as a puppet and a spoiled brat and a possible drug addict. Roland is starting to realize the Empire is collapsing but is he too late and too little power to change things? The Grand Senators plot and struggle to gain more power, mega corporation tighten their grips on power, the Empire is corrupt and falling apart. A plot is discovered to assassinate Roland can Lawson protect him?

The author appears to be creating a world of good guys and bad guys. The character development in this episode is poor. What is going to happen to the Marines? What is going on at Avalon? Guess I will have to listen to next book to find out. I read this as an audio book downloaded from Audible. Jeffrey Kafer narrated the story.