so this was years ago....and i bought it on a whim i think any way the only details of the books i remember were as follows:
Split Space/Marine ground combat
the Ships fighting were merchant ships being forced to fight because of loses i -think- and they used Sand casters to counter laser weapons as well as having their hulls coated in ice as a form of armor.
on the ground i think the main marine character was a woman and most of the marines with her were former Miners conscripted because the war wasn't going well.....i think the whole thing ended on a cliffhanger after the main characters get trapped behind enemy lines.

err also hello and thank you in advance to any one who happens to know the name is this one.