Rating: 
Summary: A Good, Long, Enjoyable Read, But . . .
Review: "The Shiva Option" certainly is enjoyable, and a real page turner, but it is marred by the two maps in the front of the book, which disagree with each other, and with the text. One map has a legend (I think), but the print is so tiny it is unreadable, even under a magnifying glass. (I am referring here to the paperback). Even the names attached to the stellar systems are all but unreadable. There is definitely nothing on either map which is labeled as the "Anderson Chain," which is much referred to in the text. While it is possible to figure out approximately which points on one map are the Anderson Chain, there is still an uncomfortable vagueness. The reader is often left to wonder how someone got from one specified place to another; the path is often anything but clear. If the maps were readable and in agreement with the text, I could probably have justified giving it 5 stars; it would be very close to 4 1/2.
Rating:
Summary: A Good, Long, Enjoyable Read, But . . .
Review: "The Shiva Option" certainly is enjoyable, and a real page turner, but it is marred by the two maps in the front of the book, which disagree with each other, and with the text. One map has a legend (I think), but the print is so tiny it is unreadable, even under a magnifying glass. (I am referring here to the paperback). Even the names attached to the stellar systems are all but unreadable. There is definitely nothing on either map which is labeled as the "Anderson Chain," which is much referred to in the text. While it is possible to figure out approximately which points on one map are the Anderson Chain, there is still an uncomfortable vagueness. The reader is often left to wonder how someone got from one specified place to another; the path is often anything but clear. If the maps were readable and in agreement with the text, I could probably have justified giving it 5 stars; it would be very close to 4 1/2.
Rating: 
Summary: Paid By the Word
Review: ... Never have I gotten so tired of every new scene starting with a long flashback that had no substance whatsoever, just excruciatingly boring filler. Once my disgust cooled off a little, I picked it up and deposited it my compost heap. The sad part is that, underneath all that stink, there MAY be a pretty good story.
Rating:
Summary: I had to buy this one..
Review: ..after waiting what seemed like years (oh, it was). Background - I have virtually every book written by Weber and/or White and enjoyed reading 90% of the product. Good news - finally. Bad news - read like a EE Doc Smith novel - zero characterization, lots of space battles with cut and paste action, probably the schematic for a forthcoming shoot em up computer game. Outcome - very disappointed Suggestion to potential readers - repeat after me, 'I can wait for the paperback'. Huh!
Rating:
Summary: New to this series
Review: After reading the comments of several other reviewers of The Shiva Option I feel fortunate that this is the first of the Weber-White "bug war" series I've read. Obviously, I now need to read In Death Ground to compare them for myself. I found the story satisfactorily complex for a good yarn and the action reasonably fast and realistic on the military side. My major complaint was the purpose of the first two pages of map "Operating Area for the 2nd CAW". Their value to the story line was vague as most of the action related to the second two pages. I never did find the Anderson planets on any of the map pages.
Rating: 
Summary: Disapoinment after a long wait
Review: After the multi-readings of "In Death Ground" and a huge collection of the authors' books, I was waiting with bated breath for the finish. I read the book in a rush, at least to the half way point, then asked myself, "What is going on?? No new characters, no plot twists, nothing but a slogging to finish the story." I'm disapointed, this sucker isn't worth a second read and I had a hard time finishing it. The writing was of the usual quality, but the plotting [was not what I expected]. No sequel please.
Rating:
Summary: I think some of the other reviewers are confused
Review: Apparently people are missing the purpose of the book. Of course the conclusion of the book is a forgone conclusion. How else could it end? I mean if you have been following the series then you know that it take place after 'In Death's Ground' and before 'Insurrection.' So how could the Alliance lose? So why read the book? Because if you have read 'In Deaths Ground' you will want to know how the characters in the books fare. The book is written in order to tie the lose ends. That is they tie up all the lose ends but one. I won't say what it is in case you haven't read the book. You're going to have to find that one out yourself. One last final thought. I enjoyed this book and I personally think it's worth reading. Just remember it's a book written to fill in a gap in the series.
Rating:
Summary: Not as good as the first, but still a good read.
Review: As the heading says. I thought that this book felt a bit rushed or missed an edit somewhere, as characters and settings were not as fleshed out as the were in his previous book in this series.
Rating:
Summary: Not as good as the first, but still a good read.
Review: As the heading says. I thought that this book felt a bit rushed or missed an edit somewhere, as characters and settings were not as fleshed out as the were in his previous book in this series.
Rating:
Summary: Out of Control Military SciFi
Review: Dave Weber totally rocks. Loved the earlier books in this series, LOVE the Honor Harrington books. Need to say that first, so I can then say this one was not as enjoyable as most of his other books. It has a problem it shared with the last (or the next previous, I forget) Honor Harrington book - there's so much military technology worship going on that the scifi part is definitely short-changed. Both books promised so much - big fat ones that should last for days. But when as much as HALF of the book is going on and on about armaments, and new armaments, and comparing armaments, and in this case, one space battle after another (and THIS time they started with the fighters; and THIS time the enemy did this so we had to start with missiles and follow with gunboats; and THIS time . ..). You get to the end and you realize the storyline was pretty paltry. I like to see these characters' lives advanced, but to be frank there needs to be more of a balance between characters/story and loving descriptions of ships, operational roles and weapons capabilities. If there was only this much story to tell, the book simply should have been shorter.
| 
