Review: a bit of a letdown
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 04 29, 2012
The Chroniech are back and looking for a rematch. This is the third in the series and has the same light elements as the other two: superficial characters, rapidly acquired and applied technology usually attributed to one individual and a type of deus ex machina ending. The strengths are some of the descriptions of the nature and effect of the weapons like the Harrington series by Weber. But the battles are so large and the outcome (in most cases) pre determined, that it seems like an extraneous detail. The battle might involve hundreds if not thousands of ships and the details of some small number of ships in the group being destroyed by a specific weapon system is interesting but ultimately irrelevant. It is like reading how a few soldiers died in a company level conflict (but without the emotional impact)  Although the author does give some delay to putting new weapons systems into place in the middle of a war, when you take into account that this will span light years, different planets and cultures, the speed is still excessive. I found myself reading quickly through this to see how it would end rather than enjoying the details.