Rating: 
Summary: Where is this leading?
Review: I love this entire series and those who say it doesn't adhere to the facts should remember two things: It is fiction and it is an alternate world fiction.
It adheres closely enough to our history to make it interesting. I like the way the story spins off to feature other people and I like the way Bellisaurus is not the only person who is able to think straight.
I do find one drawback with the series. with two people writing it seems they could write a HELL of a lot faster. Where is #6?
Rating: 
Summary: Don't judge a book by its cover, however ...
Review: ... in this case it could be justified. I 've read all the books of Drake/Flint's Bellisarius-series so far and like them a lot. It's just that the story becomes drawn out with so many sub-plots and -stories. The upcomming sixth book hopefully will conclude the story arc - but IMHOP four books would have done the job.This book itself is well written, the characters are known even if there is some fluctuation: one major killed , a few new introduced. However for someone who doesn't know the story so far the book must be an enigma: there is this Roman General Bellisarius, who must be mad because he talks with some inner voice and ponders American Civil War decisions while campaigning in India.... Sounds crazy, reads crazy and then there is a book cover that crys SWORDS! SEX! EPLOSIONS! Please! Was this really necessary? This is a book of alternate history and is by and large meant to be serious. So why did the publishers burden it with this cover? Do they worry that because of the lenght of the series the readers might abandon it and know want to gain a new, somewhat different audience?
Rating:
Summary: There is a Tide in Time
Review: A great continuing series. Can't wait for Vol. 6, The Dance of Time
Rating: 
Summary: I couldn't get enough
Review: Another wonderful book in the Belisarius saga that I couldn't put down. Belisarius takes the offensive in India pushing Link's forces back and causing chaos in its plans. The Malwa are being challenged on all sides as the forces of good push to an end of the evil empire. As much as I have enjoyed the series there is begining to be an unravelling here with too many subplots begining to spawn. I hate to see it end but I'm hoping the next book is the last before the series gets unmanageable.
Rating:
Summary: Good book in Great Series
Review: Belisarius's Byzantine army, equipped with 17th century weaponry, has wiped out the Malwa invasion of Persia. Yet the Malwa Empire, led by the future intelligence of Link, remains larger and more powerful than the combined Roman and Persian might. Only by taking the war to the Malwa in India itself can the world have a chance at victory--and to eliminate the destruction that Link will surely bring if not stopped. In THE TIDE OF VICTORY, the Indian rebel forces, the Persians, the Romans, and allies Ethiopia and Kungas combine to attack Malwa from the south, northwest, and southwest. The Malwa are slowly adopting more modern weapons and tactics. Belesarius and his allies will have to up their own skills if they are to survive, let alone achieve victory. THE TIDE OF VICTORY continues this fine alternative history series featuring Belisarius, the great Byzantine general--here equipped with a crystal intelligence that gives him access to knowledge of the great generals of the musket period---Grant, Sherman, Lee, Wellington, and King Gustav Adolf of Sweden. The highlights of this novel comes in Belisarius's military campaign toward the end of the novel (which is reminiscent of Lee's Peninsula campaigns during the American Civil War), and especially in the doings of the other characters. Minor characters from earlier in the series now have major roles to play themselves. Antoinia, Belisarius's wife, can be cloying with Belisarius, but seems heroic apart from him. Eon, the Ethiopian King, has grown from a boy to a man--and hero. I especially liked the development of Narses--another historically significant Byzantine who, here, has betrayed the Roman cause and is now struggling to create a world where he, an intelligent, scheming, amoral eunich, can thrive. Authors Eric Flint and David Drake deliver exciting military action--intriguing alternate history matchups between late Roman cavalry and 17th century musketeers, and interesting characters. Belisarius was one of the world's great generals and is an ideal candidate for alternative history. From the story-telling standpoint, however, he has become a little too successful. In particular, his clever adoption of a new technology just in time to meet the needs of battle is starting to get predictable. Link has been in control of the Malwa for a long time--why not make Belisarius use his genius against superior weapons--rather than simply adopt early-modern tactics to slaughter huge hordes of (admittedly mostly evil) Malwa?
Rating:
Summary: Should have been summarized and used as a preface...
Review: Don't get me wrong, this is a great series... up until now. What was great in the previous novels? 1) Brutal, non-glossed battle descriptions! 2) No fear of taboo subject matter. That said, this new novel has none of the above. Furthermore, it reads like its in a rush to get from the last novels to the next one; so much of the story is in summary form. Bottom line: If your new to the series, go ahead and try out the previous novels. If your a diehard that WILL get the next book in the series WAIT for the paperback. RANT: My biggest gripe with this series: Would the characters PLEASE STOP explaining themselves and just GET ON WITH IT! Go ahead and count the number of times the following paraphrase occurs in the series: "I did (something or other) for the following three reasons..."
Rating:
Summary: 5th in a great series !
Review: Great, great, great book. I especially enjoy a great series since I sometimes read 2 to 3 books a week. Very engaging, the characters are real and well developed, the plot is very interesting. I generally do not go in for alternate history but this one draws me in for some reason. The war scenes are done very well in this particular book also. It is fairly sad when one of the major characters dies after a battle.
Rating:
Summary: 5th in a great series !
Review: Great, great, great book. I especially enjoy a great series since I sometimes read 2 to 3 books a week. Very engaging, the characters are real and well developed, the plot is very interesting. I generally do not go in for alternate history but this one draws me in for some reason. The war scenes are done very well in this particular book also. It is fairly sad when one of the major characters dies after a battle.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: I bought this book when it came out and even thinking it to be the last (wrongly) in the series I only got around to reading it last week, I think the story could have been wrapped up in three books. This book has all the usual Drake/Flint qualities of plot and action but is getting tedious, and with all the convoluted sub plots it is hard to keep track of who is where, doing what and do I really care? on the death of a major character I thought of Oscar Wilde's phrase `One would have to have a heart of stone not to laugh'. Drake/Flint seem to have little knowledge or feeling for the Roman Empire or army, there is no mention of regiments or army ranks, Belisarius seems to have no Headquarters staff or worries about remounts (a major factor with cavalry), other logistical problems are skated over, it's just Belisarius and his chums having fun. Every other word seems to be `cataphract' this is the only word the authors seem to know when describing armored cavalry probably because Procopius & Decamp used it, the heavily armored Roman cavalry were the `clibanarii' a term that never appears in any of the books. Unlike most of either authors' books this is a set that I probably won't re-read.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointed with Drake/Flint
Review: I bought this book when it came out and even thinking it to be the last (wrongly) in the series I only got around to reading it last week, I think the story could have been wrapped up in three books. This book has all the usual Drake/Flint qualities of plot and action but is getting tedious, and with all the convoluted sub plots it is hard to keep track of who is where, doing what and do I really care? on the death of a major character I thought of Oscar Wilde's phrase 'One would have to have a heart of stone not to laugh'. Drake/Flint seem to have little knowledge or feeling for the Roman Empire or army, there is no mention of regiments or army ranks, Belisarius seems to have no Headquarters staff or worries about remounts (a major factor with cavalry), other logistical problems are skated over, it's just Belisarius and his chums having fun. Every other word seems to be 'cataphract' this is the only word the authors seem to know when describing armored cavalry probably because Procopius & Decamp used it, the heavily armored Roman cavalry were the 'clibanarii' a term that never appears in any of the books. Unlike most of either authors' books this is a set that I probably won't re-read.
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