Rating: 
Summary: Don't Get the Wrong Idea ...
Review: Reading the other reviews I find a repeated criticism of this book as not being long enough, the series being too long, etc., etc. I come to John Ringo via David Weber and going on 60 years of SF background and the library to prove it. This book is every bit as good as those that preceded it in this series and that means VERY, VERY GOOD (if you like this sort of thing). As the series develops the stories keep getting richer and more believable. Here is a saga of interstellar invasion in a setting of galactic society with all sorts (maybe too much) of political incompetence and duplicity. It starts nearly in the present. Anyone who thinks that Ringo is going to compress this into 2 or 3 books is fooling themselves, Especially with his style of gemlike episodes and emphasis on individual military actions. Yes, I too wish there were more books readily available without waiting years for the series to end. But it's worth it to have such good stuff at all!
If Ringo could wrap up the battle for Earth in one more volume and then the battles to take over the galaxy from its evil (and still unknown) overlords in one more I would be very surprised. To stop short of that would REALLY be frustrating and upsetting. I fear for the worst in this respect because of his recent association with David Weber who is well known for leaving nascent series to die on the vine. Practically every book Weber writes cries out for a sequel, a cry which is seldom answered - except in the one Honor Harrington series which is almost too much the other way. I do wish that his publisher would get the word to publish hardcovers first instead of later if at all. Both Weber and Ringo are now "big boys" and deserve full scale publication.
Rating: 
Summary: Little Slow
Review: Really a filler book. Good enough in most places to keep you reading but looks like it is really setting the stage for the really big action. I can't wait for the next one...
Rating:
Summary: Starting to fall into a groove
Review: Ringo has started to develop a groove that may either turn into a rut that he can't get out of (like one of the giant tanks in this novel) or a comfortable pattern that he can vary a bit to provide interest. Basically this novel and the previous novel have the same overall form:(1) Lots of military action introducing a few new characters along the way...
(2) Short-to-medium idyllic scene away from the front where you get to actually start to like and understand some of the characters... (3) More military action in the mold of the first third... At least he still keeps us interested with new ideas (the SheVa pictured on the back flap is one really cool military toy on the order of the Armored suits -- it's been done before (for example in Moorcock's The Iron Tsar) but Ringo does it better). One thing that was missing in this novel was the strong presence of the protaganist of the first and second novels -- it's as if Tolkien had written "The Two Towers" with only a passing reference to Frodo... You start to miss "Mighty Mite" Mike O'Neill in the military action sequences at the beginning and end of the book -- they're still great, but it's a bit odd to diminish the role of the the viewpoint character in the middle of a series...
Rating:
Summary: Leaves you wanting more..and SOON
Review: Ringo's Posleen books (A Hymn Before Battle, Gust Front, and now When the Devil Dances) are powerful, near future combat sci-fi. If that's what you like, these deliver a complex plot, detailed characters, and compelling action. I think Gust Front (at least) should be read before WTDD to get a sense of the characters and context.
My only, small, disappointment with WTDD is its cliffhanger ending - but as my review title says, I look forward eagerly to Mr. Ringo's next Posleen book.
I highly recommend this series.
Mr. Ringo is a very accessible author, who discusses a number of subjects (including previous and future books) at the Baen's Bar website. It's surprising and gratifying to receive an author's response to questions about apparent inconsistencies in his books, as well as his writing schedule.
Rating:
Summary: When The Devil Dances
Review: Rinngo's Posleen series, best so far which is very good; only negative is that for a book that depends so much on geography for presentation there is no attempt to supply maps of any type; for instance, the number of people reading the book that know the difference between the Rabun and Unicoi gap areas of Northern Georgia is going to be very small
Rating:
Summary: Getting stronger!
Review: The aliens are less alien seeming in this book, and more like very extreme examples of human archetypes. The humans are still mostly two-dimensional, but that doesn't manage to damp the enjoyment of reading this rocket sled-ride-to-doom! Looming extinction, back-stabbing 'superiors,' feckless bureaucrats, logistics SNAFUs, good soldiers and bad, and the fabulous GalTech all still mix together to create a fast-paced read. My complaints from previous books in this series remain: The deux ex machina rescues are back, and the technology still has magic performance. Now, I realize that "any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic," but a little explanation of how, for instance, soldiers can wield what are, in essence, heavy-duty mass-driver hoses yet not suffer recoil forces would be interesting. Some fairly obvious tactical screws-up exist, too. For instance, the GalTech Aid (personal computer/secretary/librarian/etc.) can produce an impenetrable reactionless shield, but yet no one bothers to use them as such in combat. What's with that? Instead, they use them as pop-up land mines, with the force field flipping on and off in unrestrained mode to slice the Posleen into gobbets of dripping yellow meat. Now that's a nifty, nasty, and believable innovation, but how come everyone's forgotten to use these same screens in their originally-intended mode? One especially jarring element is the Rah-Rah cheer leading for the online comic Sluggy Freelance, and in particular, for Bun-bun the homicidal mini-lop rabbit. While I enjoy Sluggy very much, and have been reading it for years, I find the over-the-top evangelical enthusiasm of Ringo for Sluggy to be annoying and distracting. To the good, many of the stronger points of the previous books are retained. Sympathetic characters still die. Human resourcefulness in the face of overwhelming odds is still the order of the day, and shows up all over the place. There is more focus on the civil effects of living under the threat of extinction, and it's not pretty. Ringo has done a nice job of showing the Law of Unintended Consequences here, where pre-invasion political considerations & shortsightedness come back to haunt humanity. People, who relied upon their politicians to be wise, instead find themselves squarely in the path of danger due to "politics-as-usual." The Posleen are no longer complete cyphers, and show that they *can* learn. This isn't at all good for humanity, and the entire book revolves around what happens when one brilliant and innovative Posleen commander intersects with the defects of human foresight. There is a widening of scope that moves the focus somewhat away from the principle characters of the first two books, and sharpens the focus on some previous bit-players. New characters are introduced, and hints of schemes within schemes begin to surface. It seems that humanity isn't without allies against the treachery of the Darhel, even though the Darhel appear to be playing a deeper game than has before been shown. This is a more fully realized story than A Hymn Before Battle, and probably better than Gust Front. Ringo is maturing, and despite some quibbles, shows every sign of being David Drake's equal. If you like stories about good heroes, really 'bad' bad guys, and realistically rendered blood-n-thunder, pick this up and give it a read!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent book...not complete but excellent
Review: The book was simply put..excellent. True the story was not completed. But hey who cares so we gotta wait a few more months. So what. This book is good in all ways it develops characters and the plot. It makes sure that we learn more about the weapons and the new history it displays in this is awesome when added to the background fighting of the story and basic content of the fighting is definitely well used and developed. I must admit I think highly of this book in every way it is good. I do think it could use a slightly more complete ending but this one is good as long as the next book is made fairly fast. I hope he doesn't end this series for at least a dozen more books. These are great.
Rating:
Summary: EAT ANTIMATTER POSLEEN-BOY!
Review: The quotes like "EAT ANTIMATTER POSLEEN-BOY!" and the jokes alone make the book a good read. What's the difference between a Posleen and a Lawyer? Read the book and find out! On a serious note, DWTD is book 3 of 4 of the first Arc of in the year 2009 of humans fighting for their life against horse sized lizards. The lizards, called Posleen, have this bad habit of classifying everyone as food (thresh). They are also super advanced technology wise. With the technology of friendly aliens to build advanced weapons, humans still have a chance. Problem is everyday it's getting harder and harder because the Posleen breed like rabbits (1.2 Billion people left, 12 Billion Posleens). Now, a Posleen leader, Tulostenaloor, is learning from fighting humans and the Posleen are starting to fight intelligently instead of in human, excuse me Posleen, wave attacks. In summary, the book is very well written and the author, John Ringo, makes you feel like you are there in a believable future. One warning is the book is a cliff hanger, and you will need to wait for book 4, HELL'S FAIR to finish the Arc. DWTD is a great book and heavily recommend it for Military Science Fiction Fans. One last quote... "Please tell me this is Hell".
Rating:
Summary: Good continuation of a great series
Review: The series as a whole is excellent and the universe it represents deserves a continuing very detailed rendering by Ringo. The action starts immediately while allowing for continued character development. One finds oneself wanting to know more about the characters and the universe they reside in. The book continues the themes contained within previous books, while developing more nuances in the Posleen, showing deeper glimpses into the politics between Galatics and the Earth, etc. I find the series believable in a way much military sci fi isn't as this series shows the conflicting drivers within leadership versus a one dimensional "us vs them" which is prevelant in other series. John Ringo joins such recent Sci Fi heavy hitters as David Weber and Eric Flint and joins the ranks of such military SF'ers as David Drake - Hammer's Slammers, Pournelle - John Christian Falkenberg, and Keith Laumer - Bolo's. This series is highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Good continuation of a great series
Review: The series as a whole is excellent and the universe it represents deserves a continuing very detailed rendering by Ringo. The action starts immediately while allowing for continued character development. One finds oneself wanting to know more about the characters and the universe they reside in. The book continues the themes contained within previous books, while developing more nuances in the Posleen, showing deeper glimpses into the politics between Galatics and the Earth, etc. I find the series believable in a way much military sci fi isn't as this series shows the conflicting drivers within leadership versus a one dimensional "us vs them" which is prevelant in other series. John Ringo joins such recent Sci Fi heavy hitters as David Weber and Eric Flint and joins the ranks of such military SF'ers as David Drake - Hammer's Slammers, Pournelle - John Christian Falkenberg, and Keith Laumer - Bolo's. This series is highly recommended.
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