It's a shame that book reviews don't get very much support on Hive. I think you did a great job on this one!

I enjoyed this series when I read it a few years ago. Your review makes me consider re-reading it since I'm nearing the end of a different series (the Ethan Gage series).

The biggest problem that I had with this series was how Black Jack had too much honor at times. There were times when I just wanted him to reach out and slap his rivals, but he always took the high road 😄. It's a fun series though!

If you're looking for a sci-fi recommendation that isn't The Expanse, The Expeditionary Force series by Craig Alanson is pretty great. A Sgt. in the Marines finds an artifact that contains a super-intelligent alien AI who is a complete asshole. Together they have to save the universe.