Rating: 
Summary: Didn't Quite Work for Me
Review: Weber writes a great action sequence, among the best I have read. Also his geopolitical scenario is well thought out and his military and aviation details are accurate and well researched. Still, the book fell kind of flat for me. The problem is in the details. His characters keep getting into chases and fights because they make basic mistakes in spy craft, like giving details over an open phone line. Not what you would expect from a couple of ex-CIA whiz kids. I won't be giving away much to say that the book involves a war with China and our heroes conduct a dangerous undercover mission. However, I was unable to find any connection between their high-risk mission and the conclusion of the war. One of the main characters is a female former military fighter jock. I am supposed to expect she accepts constant male chauvinist put-downs. I think not. Finally, the dialogue has major problems. Much of it is very formal and stilted. It doesn't ring true. Also, there are multiple sections in the dialogue of what SF authors call the "Don and Ron" where characters tell each other what they already know to advance the plot. "Ron, I am sure you'll recall that an antimatter torpedo only has a range of 5 parsecs." "But Don you must remember you can double that with power from the forward shields." You get the idea. I finished the book because I bought an autographed copy full price and that made me stubborn. If you like action sequences and can overlook problems with the basic structure, it's a good read.
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