William is one of one hundred intelligent, physically capable, elite soldiers drafted from high ranking universities and institutes to fight the Taurans, who appear to be blowing up interstellar colony ships and exploration vessels travelling through collapsar gates (wormholes) to new planets. They are the first team to be trained and sent to guard a base on a planet of not much significance. Due to relativity of space travel, their tour is two years perceived time, but centuries of elapsed time on Earth, and they return at the end of their mission to find their planet radically different to what they were expecting.
I really liked this book. It starts off with a bang, as William and his group are sent to train and learn how to use their suits in a world that is only very slightly above absolute zero. The mechanics of their suits are thought out well (even the uncomfortable question of plumbing is discussed with clinical efficiency) and real dangers like heating fins contacting frozen gas make even their training grounds exciting. The book balances engineering with sociology well, and presents a good mix of mechanics with humanity. This shows up particularly well when they return to Earth through the years, as overpopulation becomes an increasing concern, and the soldiers find themselves more and more behind the times.
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