The Betrayed: Galaxy's Edge S03E02 by Jason Anspach & Nick Cole (2026)

The brutal close-quarters combat and relentless action live up to the high expectations established by the earlier books in this universe. Although this novel takes place much earlier in the overall timeline, it adds useful background for later events rather than advancing the primary story. In that sense, it feels more like a filler volume than an essential installment.

The story focuses on the Legion during one of its darkest periods, when Legionnaires turn on one another without mercy. The fratricidal warfare becomes a recurring theme throughout the novel and gives many of the battles a grim, tragic tone. The combat scenes are intense, well choreographed, and consistently engaging.

My principal criticism concerns the increasingly prominent fantasy elements. The Star Wars-like magic system never appealed to me, and I prefer the more grounded military science-fiction aspects of the setting. Even so, those supernatural elements are not surprising because they already play an important role later in the chronology.

Despite those reservations, I became caught up in the battles, the action, and the characters. The novel succeeds as an entertaining military adventure, even if it is not among the strongest entries in the series. 4/5 stars.