For me the whole thing reminds me (in a good way) of the Uplift series by David Brin, and especially The Uplift War. Various species being uplifted to sentience/star travel (though in this case the precursors are extinct rather than continuing to micromanage), emphasis on realism as far as biology and science in general without skimping on rule of cool, human main character is allied with psychic space elves (at least one of whom is a possible love interest)...