I like that it doesn't slavishly extend the plot of the original, instead following a minor character (are all the books in this series tied together by the same secondary character? I don't know yet...), but this sequel doesn't bring the novelty of the original.

Old Man's War had an absurdly capable & lucky protagonist. Here the perspective broadens a bit, and it becomes clear that, really, humanity is absurdly capable and lucky.

We have BrainPals/SmartBlood/MPs, an augmented clone army, super drives, consciousness transfer, giant balls of brass, creativity, initiative, and superior intelligence (the military kind, although perhaps brains too). Nobody can stand against us, but we're always on the defensive. It all aggravates my disbelief and makes everything feel a bit silly.

I did enjoy all the name-checking, which briefly turned into an SF reading list in context.