Rating: 
Summary: This a great book!
Review: So what if he stretches the series a little? That just means more enjoyment!
Rating: 
Summary: Kill this series, pluh-ease!
Review: I had the mis-opportunity to read an advance copy of "Second Contact". It was okay, but in the end, all I can say is, "So what?"The problem seems to be that Turtledove has caught "series-itus", and is now trying to stretch a story that would have made a couple good novels into 7 or 8 volumes (the original Worldwar series plus the Colonization series of which this is volume 1). Maybe it's his fault; maybe it's the publisher's. Who cares? Thus, while good ideas abound, there is so, so much padding that you just want to shout, "Get on with it!" Unfortunately, he doesn't, and so we will have to wait for another book or two for the story to be concluded. Don't know about you, but I just don't see enough here to make it worth my while to look for the sequel(s). So... if you're looking for good alternate history form Turtledove, I really suggest you get his (single-volume) "Guns of the South".
Rating: 
Summary: Another Great Read
Review: 2nd Contact continues to be fascinating reading. Characters are round and well-developed. The plot is intriguing, and you are eager to get to the next page to find out what next happens. This is not simply a repeat of the previous subseries. There is much new here, with the arrival of the colonists and there seeing things anew. Now there is a cultural divide between colonists and conquerors; those who have just gotten to Earth, and those who have adapted over 20 years to a very alien culture (from the Lizard perspective). It puts me in mind of much the same experience that a 3rd Culture Kid, one who grows up in a foreign country, experiences as they try to determine who and what they are. This is accentuated with the introduction of Kassquit, a human child raised on the orbiting Lizard ship. And just for fun, there are a number of new creatures introduced as well, as Lizard plants, livestock, and pets begin to wreck havoc with the indigenous environment of Earth.
Yet there are many things missing here. The Muslims become a force to be reckoned with, as they stage protests with the Ayotollah. But now that there is more use of 2/3rds world people than just the Chinese, Turtledove seems to launch into stereotypes, with the Muslims only as violent attackers. Yes, they probably would attack if Allah was insulted in the ways that the Lizards do. But there is more to their culture than just attacking. There is a huge opportunity to comment on the similarity between cubic Lizard places of worship and that of the Ka'ba- but the opportunity is not used. And though Muslims and Jews are prominently discussed, and their reactions to religious persecution by the Lizards, there is little to no discussion of the Christian responses. What happened to the Christians? Although the Pope was previously killed in the bombing of Rome, the Catholic church has long had mechanisms set up to replace Popes. But there is no mention of him, or the Catholic church. Further, a good 40% of Christendom is not Catholic, and in the 60's, about 45% of Christendom lived in the 2/3rds world, under the control of the Lizards. Yet, as is typical of science fiction, religion is rarely discussed, and if it is, Christianity is usually forgotten.
A couple things make it more difficult to read this work, because of the plot choices that Turtledove made. It is sad, and unfortunate, the choices Penny and Rance evidently have made, considering their beautiful relationship at the end of the last book. But it is also gritty reality, on the bitterness that develops in people over time. It is also uncomfortable to see rising anti-Semitism in Britain with a unified Reich next door. On this point, I question how accurate Turtledove's presentation is, and if Britain would truly become progressively more anti-Jewish given these circumstances.
Rating: 
Summary: Dull, unrealistic, pathetic writing
Review: I swore never to subject myself to another Turtledove alternate history but I was a bad boy and didn't keep my word. His novels have always appeared incredibly preposterous for one reason: Despite stupendous changes and dramatic events on the alternate world, the same old people emerge from the rubble - Kennedy, FDR, Hitler, Mao, Stalin, Ho Chi Minh, MLK, etc.... Different circumstances demand different leadership in all worlds except Harry's. The writing is just...awful. What can one say? Repititious, long-winded, dull, predicatable, everyone's character is on the extreme. Hitler is a madman 24 hours/day, FDR is constantly thoughtful and "leading", Stalin is ruthless, secretive and cunning, etc... And what can one say about the RACE - an alien species with the ability to cross interstellar space but unable to defeat a backward Earth? They must be the dumbest aliens in existence. And if I hear one more time about how humans seem to catch on "quickly" I will scream. Turtledove is stuck in a groove - one that needs uprooting. The problem is not alternate historical fiction - it is the fact that he has run out of ideas and is into repeat mode. As one reader says, "Nothing Happened." Don't waste your time with this dreadful "novel".
Rating:
Summary: Not as great as the 1st series, but still good
Review: Fans of the World War series will not be let down. Many of your favorite characters are back, some changed by the years, some not. My only negative criticism is that unlike the books of the World War series, there is no definite ending. Going from the last chapter of the first book into the second, and from the second to the third is much like just going on to the next chapter in the same book. So plan on having a copy of the next one handy when you are finishing up. Bad luck for us that have finished the 3rd book and are waiting for the next chapter. The 3rd book can leave you feeling a little unsatisfied, but, as always, the characterizations are great and the story is very believable.
Rating: 
Summary: To Read or Not to Read....
Review: I've now read all three of the WorldWar books and the
first installment of the Colonization saga. I'll probably
not continue reading the series unless I can borrow the
books or pick them up at a 1/2 price book store. Too little depth in the writing. Too little character
development. Tries to cover too much in too little
space. Seems to be written for the 12-15 year old crowd.
Rating:
Summary: Kind of dull.
Review: The biggest problem with this book is that NOTHING HAPPENS. 2 things happen repeatedly in this book: 1). Members of the race complain about 500 times aobut how fast humans advance. I mean that quite literally. I don't think there is a single part of the book that doesn't have a member of the Race in it whining about how they expected to find a midieval civilization and instead found an industrial society. 2). The Race's problems with ginger continue to grow out of hand. Turtledove's continuous dwelling on the effects of ginger on The Race only enhances the tedium. That's it. That's the entire book, pretty much. Unlike the Worldwar series, there isn't even any action to break up the tedium. Turtledove's focus here is on the time of the Cold War, now influenced by the alien invaders. Rather than a war novel, it's pretty much an espionage/spy/mystery novel, and Turtledove doesn't seem to have much skill at writing that kind of thing. Nothing happens in this book that couldn't have been included in a few extra chapters of the NEXT book in the series. Haven't read that one yet, not sure if I'll bother after this one.
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