The Shattering Peace cover art

The Shattering Peace

Old Man's War, Book 7

Preview

Audible Standard 30-day free trial

Try Standard free
Select 1 audiobook a month from our entire collection.
Listen to your selected audiobooks as long as you're a member.
Get unlimited access to bingeable podcasts.
Standard auto renews for £5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Shattering Peace

By: John Scalzi
Narrated by: Tavia Gilbert
Try Standard free

£5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for £15.47

Buy Now for £15.47

About this listen

After a decade, acclaimed science fiction master John Scalzi returns to the galaxy of the Old Man's War series with the long awaited seventh book, The Shattering Peace

THE PEACE IS SHATTERING

For a decade, peace has reigned in interstellar space. A tripartite agreement between the Colonial Union, the Earth, and the alien Conclave has kept the forces of war at bay, even when some would have preferred to return to the fighting and struggle of former times. For now, more sensible heads have prevailed – and have even championed unity.

But now, there is a new force that threatens the hard-maintained peace: The Consu, the most advanced intelligent species humans have ever met, are on the cusp of a species-defining civil war. This war is between Consu factions... but nothing the Consu ever do is just about them. The Colonial Union, the Earth and the Conclave have been unwillingly dragged into the conflict, in the most surprising of ways.

Gretchen Trujillo is a mid-level diplomat, working in an unimportant part of the Colonial Union bureaucracy. But when she is called to take part in a secret mission involving representatives from every powerful faction in space, what she finds there has the chance to redefine the destinies of humans and aliens alike... or destroy them forever.

©2025 John Scalzi (P)2025 Audible, Inc.
Adventure Humorous Military Science Fiction Space Opera
All stars
Most relevant
John Scalzi has the knack of writing clever, easy to listen to / read, novels. This is the peak of his art. It’s a terrific novel with a cracking story, great characters, and superb twist in the tale. If you’re a space opera fan, this is perfect for you.

The narration is superb too, so much so, I intend seeking out the narrator’s other work.

Perfect Scalzi

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Another great story in the Old Man's War series. I always know when it's a good book, because I get through it all too quickly, which was the case here. Great plot and characters, as always brilliantly written by John Scalzi with his trademark humour.
Narration can make or brake a book, I've had to give up on stories in the past as I've been unable to get past the horrific reading. Tavia Gilbert (who I think has now become my favourite female narrator) was amazing, she really brought the characters (especially the aliens) to life with their different voices and her understanding the nuance of Scalzi's humour, which kept me enthralled.

Another great read from John Scalzi, with great narration.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Going to read the written book instead. Narration is really bad. It is read in a weird uplifting and outgoing tone the entire way regardless of the material. There is no gravitas and it clashes badly with the story.

Narration ruined it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

scalzi writes in such a funny, moving and relatable way. the scene with ran in the bar was truly wonderful writing. thank you. a lovely addition to this fabulous series

just wonderful as always

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Had this been a different narrator (I was expecting someone else) then this might have been a full five stars across the board. As it is, I feel like I missed something. I like the original premise and creation of the Old Man's War universe, the characters and their interactions, the political landscape even were funny but thought provoking in that Scalzi way that just works. I blame myself for this one not quite being as good as the others. I had expectations (expectations are, almost always, a bad idea. Better to have expectancy, so that what you get can live up to it obeying the author's intent rather than having to obey your unrealistic ideas of their intent) and as with all expectations, the reality didn't meet them. Once I'd gotten rid of the expectations, it was very good indeed.

Old Man's War universe, but not...

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

See more reviews