Instruct: Classify the given Amazon review as either positive or negative.
Query: Excellent read with some interesting ideas

I received this book as a gift and, having never heard of L.E. Modesitt, wondered if it would be worth the reading time. It was! I thoroughly enjoyed it. On the one hand, it was a standard "up through the ranks" science fiction war story that reminded me of Starship Troopers and Ender's Game. On the other hand, as the story progressed the issue of religious vs. secular belief systems came closer and closer to the surface, until the ending which brought both themes together. I was a little uncomfortable with the obvious linking of fanaticism with Islamic-style religion, and intrigued by what I thought might be Mormon echoes in the Revenant (religious) society. And personally I don't agree with Modesitt's conclusions about the nature and role of religion. None of that prevented me from appreciating a page-turner that also made me think a bit.