Rating: 
Summary: The Next Generation
Review: Don't think of this as a sequel - think of it as the second half of Change of Command. (Definitely read Change of Command first!) Here, Moon does a great job tying up loose ends. The kids have grown up and are ready to kick some gluteus maximus of their own! Plenty of action and adventure, with some thoughtful points on the effects of rejuvenation on society. Very enjoyable!
Rating: 
Summary: A rush to disappoiment
Review: Elizabeth Moon has create a wonderful universe, believe military characters, and compromised its appeal with "Against The Odds." This addition to the series does not have the raw excitement or passion of Moon's previous works. The story fills out the intrigue, broadens the character development of Esmay Suiza, builds a base for a wonderful follow up book,but will disappoint fans of the series. This is no "Once a Hero" nor "Rules of Engagement", so if you love the series and have to read it, wait until its in paperback. I wish I did.
Rating: 
Summary: Characters and Action make this work
Review: Elizabeth Moon's strengths are characters and action. In Against the Odds, she brings both together and gives us a nice adventure. Certainly she has brought her characters a long way over the course of this series.Occasionally, I found the speechifying of several of the characters to slow the narative. Although fully in context, I think we could have done with a little less of this. Also, while it seems to be the style these days to jump around amongst widely spread characters, narative threads, and physical location, I think Moon detracts from, rather than increases, the story's momemtum by relying on this device so much. Moon is a compelling writer and AGAINST THE ODDS is certainly worth the reading. Given the chance, it should be read after CHANGE OF COMMAND although it can certainly stand on its own.
Rating:
Summary: A rousing conclusion despite dangling plot threads
Review: Esmay Suiza knows that marrying Barin Serrano against the wishes of both their families will have consequences, but she doesn't anticipate being dismissed from the Fleet on the orders of a Serrano admiral. As Esmay makes her way to Castle Rock, in hopes that her friend Brun Meager-Thornbuckle (of the Familias Regnant) may help, she has no idea that Barin has come close to dying in battle. Traveling aboard a trade-ship that doesn't normally carry passengers keeps her insulated from much of what's happening in the rest of Familias space, as the Fleet is torn apart by mutiny and Brun's family finds itself under attack from within.
This seventh volume brings the Heris Serrano/Esmay Suiza series to a rousing conclusion, as the characters we've come to love find their places in the universe and their meticulously drawn society meets its greatest crisis. I'm disappointed that the author leaves several plot threads unresolved (or at least not clearly so), but it's an excellent read just the same. Especially the last poignant, downright haunting chapter.
Rating:
Summary: Don't bother to read this
Review: I loved Once A Hero, thought Change of Command just okay, but this book was absolutely awful. Save your $$.
Rating: 
Summary: Engrossing...
Review: I picked "Once a Hero" off a bookstore shelf on a whim, and became so engrossed in it that I stayed until the bookstore closed, standing in the aisle consuming chapter upon chapter. Having read all of the Esmay Suiza series, I've found each book to be unique and excellent in its own right, and this one is no exception. The well-thought-out strategy and fast-paced action of the earlier Esmay Suiza books are what initially drew me in. Upon concluding the last chapter, I suddenly realized that there hadn't been nearly as much action as I had hoped for. But oddly enough, I didn't feel the least bit disappointed. I had cracked open the cover looking for battle action and glory, and instead found romance, interpersonal conflict, and political manipulation. Upon digesting the book, I realized that I was quite satisfied, even if I had paid hardcover price. I picked up this book expecting to find resolution to some of the unresolved plotlines from previous books. I was not disappointed, and honestly, I was pleasantly surprised to find that my plot predictions often proved incorrect. Had I known this book was low on action scenes, I wouldn't have read it. But I'm GLAD I was ignorant, because I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I started reading a book the other day that was so awful I literally hurled it into the trash can without finishing it. "Against the Odds" will not be joining that book, and is currently serving as a bookend for a growing collection of Elizabeth Moon books on my shelf... It's a keeper.
Rating:
Summary: Anti-Climax
Review: I'm trying to be absolutely fair to this book and series. I have no rave to give it, but I won't smack it around harshly either. I like the fact that Esmay Suiza finally gets to act with proper confidence, and I loved the jailbreak more-or-less led by civilians. I liked the ship-board scenes. What Moon does right is her action. No one has to display superhuman abilities, even with extremely high tech there is no deus-ex-machina. The politics are half-way reasonable. But only half-way. For one thing, at no point in these books have I believed the society shown could be ruled as discussed. It's just not reasonable, because power doesn't move as shown. Compare, for instance, the Familias Regnant with David Weber's Manticore. I liked the bargain Brun (who is almost a reasonable character in this book) has to make for power. Achilles' choice, indeed. Moon's discussion of what might happen in a society with a rejuvenation ability was quite good. My problem with this book is the same I've had with a couple others: complete anti-climax as an ending. There is no satisfying denoument. It all ends in a bit of a muddle, with no resolution of the real problems, and (sorry), a terribly unearned tear-jerking scene at the end. Yeah, I have some absent friends, and it brought them to mind, and I snivelled. But it isn't real. The title made no sense, but titles are not my thing. At least Moon works on the grammar, so it doesn't drive me nuts, and her style is always clean. She needs to work on her endings, though.
Rating:
Summary: Better, but still has a ways to go
Review: In this the final book of the Serrano/Suiza series we come back to much of the promise we saw in the first 4 book! But we are still left hanging at the end!! This author has a bad habit of writing endings that while assure us of our favorite charcter's current status leave us hanging for the long term. While this series did have promise and was entertaining, I can't help but feel it was an attempt by the author to compete with David Weber's Honor Herrington series. It is an attempt that failed on two fronts. One the author is no where near the same caliber as Weber when it comes to writing about battles, tactics and military personel and politics. Second the author tries to make stage much of her story on character drama and and skip on the tatics of war, at the same time creating a drama that in several of her stories brings the general flow of the story to a screaming halt! I'd say this book is worth the reading time and the price of the book if only to finish off the series. But on the other hand the book itself is pretty good. But as a whole i'm disappointed with the series as several of the books just seemed to shoot the guts right out of it...or shoot it off at the legs whichever you prefere.
Rating:
Summary: A good book
Review: It is hard to say what makes a book better than another and how much of it is personal preference and/or author's style. In the universe of the Serranos and Suizas, I give this book a thumbs up. I liked this book the most because it flowed so well. It was fun to read, I cared about the characters and was there with them as the story hopped from sub-plot to sub-plot. In the previous book, Change of Command, I was most disappointed because the sub-plots seem to take me away from the story and not into it. I have to say, the ending did take me by a surprise a bit. As if the story had a lot of mini-endings throughout the book and simply chose to end after one of them. Also, then ending scene was actually very well written to evoke emotion, however I agree with a previous reviewer who questioned whether events appropriately led up to such a scene. And lastly, as the book itself mentioned in the beginning, most likely this book won't be nearly as enjoyable as it was to me if you haven't read some of the previous books. Read the previous books in the series, they are fun.
Rating:
Summary: A good book
Review: It is hard to say what makes a book better than another and how much of it is personal preference and/or author's style. In the universe of the Serranos and Suizas, I give this book a thumbs up. I liked this book the most because it flowed so well. It was fun to read, I cared about the characters and was there with them as the story hopped from sub-plot to sub-plot. In the previous book, Change of Command, I was most disappointed because the sub-plots seem to take me away from the story and not into it. I have to say, the ending did take me by a surprise a bit. As if the story had a lot of mini-endings throughout the book and simply chose to end after one of them. Also, then ending scene was actually very well written to evoke emotion, however I agree with a previous reviewer who questioned whether events appropriately led up to such a scene. And lastly, as the book itself mentioned in the beginning, most likely this book won't be nearly as enjoyable as it was to me if you haven't read some of the previous books. Read the previous books in the series, they are fun.
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