Butcher is good. Ringo is
outstanding. So is David Weber. They collaborated on what I call the "March" series (
March Upcountry,
March to the Sea,
March to the Stars,
We Few). It's the story of the coming of age of Prince Roger Ramius Sergei Chiang McClintock, Heir Tertiary to the Throne of Man, who is marooned via sabotage on the primitive and very nasty planet Marduk with Bravo Company of the Bronze Battalion of the Empress' Own, who are his bodyguards. He starts out as an unlikeable fop whose own mother isn't sure whether to trust him. By the time he gets back to Earth and foils the rebellion, he's lost all but 6 of his bodyguards, grown up, and will soon become called by some "Roger the Terrible" and by others "the Restorer", and by still others "the Tyrant". There is also Ringo's "Legacy of the Aldenata" also known as "the Posleen War" series. The Posleen call other sentient races "thresh". It means "food". They quickly learn, though, to call humans "thresh-kreen" ("food that bites").
My favorite though is Weber's "Honorverse" series, about the Star Kingdom of Manticore, and an officer in Her Majesty's Navy who, when we first meet her (
On Basilisk Station) is a mere Commander, CO of HMS Fearless, a light cruiser, a simple yeoman from Sphinx. Her career progresses - she is, as of the latest book, Lady Dame Honor Stephanie Alexander-Harrington, Steadholder Harrington, Duchess Harrington, Countess White Haven, Protector's Champion, PMV, SG, KOR, etc, etc, and a Fleet Admiral in both the Royal Manticoran Navy and the Grayson Space Navy. She is also one very
deadly lady.