Humans have been exploring other star systems for some time, prior to encountering another race of intelligent space travelers.

[1] The aliens are hostile, and war broke out seven years prior to the departure of the warship Providence, and its crew of four, composed of Gilly, Talia, Anders, and Jackson.

The crew were partially chosen for the attractive image they will project in the social media messages they transmit back to the home front, while a computer actually runs the ship.

[2] A review by The Associated Press compared the novel to Robert Heinlein's Starship Troopers and Mary Doria Russell's The Sparrow - although updated "for the internet age".

[3] The review in Locus compared the novel to Starship Troopers, Barry N. Malzberg's Galaxies, Michael Moorcock's The Black Corridor, the television show Red Dwarf, and Ridley Scott's Alien.