In this first Novel of the Praxis, Walter Jon Williams beautifully builds the society, characters, family structure without sinking too far into significant “info dumps” that often lose a reader. This story falls comfortably into the genre of science fiction epic, stylistically reminiscent of Star Wars. While it’s a bit more linear than Tolkien, The Accidental War can sit proudly next to the Epics of Middle Earth as well.
While this is not the first book in this world created by Williams, it’s my first reading of his work. Williams utilizes third person limited POV to weave a tale of political intrigue, action, and privilege.
He establishes his main characters early, building the society and politics around them and their relationships with each other and with the minor characters rather than planting them in an established world. The growth when done this way, is more organic and centered on characters more than thematic and genre elements. This is what will make The Accidental War stand out from other sci-fi.
