Almost twenty years after we last saw the original Galactica fly off into the starscape with the episode The Hand of God (no one really counts Galactica 1980 as canon), series star Richard Hatch paired up with author Christopher Golden to continue the intergalactic space opera.

The first of seven novels helmed by Hatch has a lot going on. Eighteen yahren (years) have passed for the Battlestar Galactica and the rag-tag fleet it leads in its continuing search for Earth. There are some new vipers, and uniforms, as well as some new characters.

In fact, there is a lot going on. It seems Hatch wanted to make sure that almost all the narrative threads throughout the series are touched on in some form or another in this first book.

Apollo is afraid Starbuck is dead after their first clash with the Cylons in years. And his return to the fleet is made all the more emotional when he learns his father, Commander Adama, is dying.

This, of course, throws the fleet into disarray. Who will be the new Commander? Who will take his place on the Quorum?

Both Apollo and his sister, Athena, seem to be solid choices. But there are voices of dissent, and there will be problems.

But Apollo is distracted, learning secrets about his father, and realizing he may be force-sensitive (not really but it feels like a bit of a cheat to gift Apollo with some telepathic abilities). He believes Starbuck is still alive, and sets off to find his friend, leaving Athena to deal with the problems of the fleet.

And those problems are multitude, There is a murder with an unidentified victim, trouble with the Nomen, infighting among the fleet and the Quorum, and mourning for Adama’s passing.

Oh, and it seems Apollo’s adopted son, Troy (a small nod to 1980) who no longer goes by Boxey, has some feelings for Starbuck and Cassiopeia’s daughter, Dalton.

Not only are those story threads explored, but we dive into the Cylons a little more continuing the belief that they are not robotic but reptilian with cybernetic armor. And if the Cylons are there, maybe, yup… Baltar, Lucifer and though we haven’t seen him/it, the Imperious Leader.

There are lighships (with a reveal about who they are), a return of the evil Count Iblis, and check-ins with almost all of the fan favorite characters.

It’s fun enough, but it also felt like there was a lot going on. As if Hatch wanted to jam as much into the first book as he can to show that everything will be touched on, the Kobol mythology, the mystical side of the series as well as the melodrama and space battles.

Much like the series opener, Saga of a Star World had to set everything up, Armageddon feels like it wants to do the same thing. We’ll see how things play out with the series when I dive into the next novel, Warhawk.