Better than the first book, but that's not saying much. 'Starship: Pirates' still suffers from the same issues that made 'Starship: Mutiny' somewhat of a bland reading experience. While this book is fun in some ways, overall there's really a lack of a compelling story or plot that drives this story forward. For the the most part, it's just Wilson Cole (our protagonist) thinking or talking his way out from one event to another that's strung along. It's really hard for a reader to be able to associate with a protagonist that seems to have come fully developed right from the beginning without any personal conflict or struggles to generate any drama. And with Cole constantly acting with his know it all attitude, it also deflates any feeling of crisis to any event.
What also doesn't help this series is the fact that it's billed as 'military sci-fi', but seems to lack much of either. We do have our Captains, and Sergeants, and Aliens, and Spaceships; but these are just tropes placed in this story without any real bearing to the plot. For the most part, this story could easily have been placed in the South Pacific, 200 years ago, much as less in space 3000 years in the future. This is basically space opera (of the Buck Rogers sort) thinly disguised as military sci-fi. It's safe to say, Master & Commander (an 18th century naval series) is probably more military sci-fi, than the 'Starship' series is. At least there, there were actual battles galore.