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Rating: 
Summary: Insulting
Review: I love a good pulp-action book, but this book is just insulting. I will give him credit for his aviation knowledge, it seems pretty complete. However he clearly knows little about real life in the military. I'm guessing he was in a few years at best. His mistakes are about the only thing fun about this book. What this really comes down to though is the guy can't write, and the book is boring. Don't waste your money.
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.
Rating: 
Summary: Another 12 month wait
Review: Well Mr. Weber has done it again. A 300+ page novel of heart stopping action slowing down occasionally so you can catch your breath.
Although this book came out last month, last week the actual headlines in various news outlets read, "China beginning preps to reunify Taiwan". Mr. Weber's crystal ball was right on target again. What I like the most about the book was the ability to use my imagination to determine outcomes within the book, IE Scott and Jackie's personal life and the significance of there secret mission. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out these things, but each reader may have a different spin on it. The technical details were accurate and did not bog the story line down (After all who cares what the lat/long is of a microphone on the ocean floor, or how far a photon torpedo will travel in the vacuum of space (If this is information you need get a tech pub).
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