Rating: 
Summary: John's Review
Review: I picked this book up in a store and was pretty much hooked from Day 1. I hadn't read the Worldwar series yet which is probably why I thought it was so great. The novel didn't really go anywhere but it was a pretty good springboard and I'm about to order the next one. Wouldn't it be great, though, if the Colonization series ended with all 3 human powers and the Race warring with each other, ending with the Lizards driven from Tosev 3 and the Tosevites consolidating into a single government? (Tosevites? Single government? I really am starting to think like a Male of the Race) and write another, more futuristic series about an equal-scale war in space between Earth and Home.
Rating:
Summary: "Good, interesting, alternative drama"
Review: The original 4-book series was awesome. Aliens invading Earth during WWII. Great concept! Now it's 20 years later with Earth (or Tosev 3) divided under Race and human rule. On top of that, the alien colonization fleet arrives. Not as much action as in the first book, but Turtledove does a great job showing how humans and aliens are trying to co-exist, and how each one is influencing the other. Ginger, which is like cocaine to the Race, plays a very big part in the story, especially with the newly arrived female aliens. Very good job showing the friction between aliens of the conquest fleet, who've seen the horrors of war and dealth with humans for 20 years, and the colonists, who have no understanding of humans and view their soldiers as failures. And kudos to Turtledove for not making the Race your typical, malevolent alien conquerers. In the Race-ruled countries, humans pretty much go about their business and the aliens are even educating them (though this is to make them better citizens of the Empire). Excellent character development. Plenty of old and new faces, including historical ones. Love watching men like V. Molotov, Earl Warren, General Le May and Adolf Eichman deal with an Earth full of reptilian invaders. Lots of suspense revolving around the destruction of some colonization ships and the U.S. space station. Looking forward to the next book.
Rating: 
Summary: Not a worthy sequel
Review: While a moderately interesting alternate history book, DO NOT expect another "Worldwar." Taking place 20 years after Turtledove's original series, this book is rather boring and slow comparatively. Some interesting developments are made, especially at the end, but the majority is his constant repetition. Also, he seems more obsessed with his own character creations rather than historical figures, which noticebly detracts from the fun. Still worth reading though. (In paperback if possible.)
Rating: 
Summary: Better than Worldwar!
Review: I really liked Worldwar a lot; but this is better. Now we begin to see the cultural, social, economic and technological implications of twenty years of Lizard semi-occupation are. Now we see the Lizards have to deal with the problems European colonial powers faced in the same period. And best of all, now we see what Lizard civilians are like, and how they react to the poor soldiers of the conquest fleet. Throw in the effects of ginger on females, and oh boy, is this a heck of a book or what!
Rating:
Summary: Round and round and round...
Review: Now, I've read all the four books of the original series (though I see no point in talking about _two_ series, this is as direct a continuation as they come) and so I knew I'd had to read this one too.With a sigh I went to a book store and opened the book to its first page. Sure enough, it began with Atvar calling up the knight one more time. Every blasted book of this series has begun with this same old tired scene. Unfortunately this is typical of how the books in the series are connected. Every book has to introduce the billion characters Turtledove believes are necessary to carry on the story. Then, when all the old fellows have been reintroduced you're halfway through with the book and soon have to start reading the same reintroductions in the next book... Even the Lizards, whose viewpoints have usually been the most interesting ones, are getting tired. All they talk about is how the Big Uglies are hopeless and how they would like to be back on Home and how the weather's miserable... Nobody likes hearing a child nag and to read through hundreds of pages of it is too much. STOP REPEATING YOURSELF! MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN!
Rating: 
Summary: read it again for the 'read time'
Review: Harry is again limited to the reptile alien structure and mannerisms - read - hiss and thumping their tails etc. Sounds like something partying humans do (in analogy) at a sports tailgate party. Character development style has gotten lethagic. All in all I grown bored and dulled by same redundancy - may finish the book as a summer read. New Turtledove readers should wet their appetite on "Guns Of The South" or first tetralogy set from "Upsetting the Balance" ("Striking The Balance" may disappoint in its climax). Might be good read as quasihistoric (Earth leaders wise) for freshmen in high school. Avid Turtledove fans will be quickly putting this down. Mr. Turtledove seriously must change style and concept of this theme (Maybe this is a comedy alternate war/earth history? And his macabre intentions! ). Read a library copy or your friend's copy and your dollars saved will be worth better. Paraphrase "To see it again for the first time." HoHum.
Rating:
Summary: Not washed out, Just a touch damp.
Review: While a good book, "COLONISATION: Second Contact" falls somewhat short of Turtledove's usual mark. While the IDEA is good, one is left feeling that Turtledove was forced to write it before he had managed to do all his "homework". Should an Editor read this, please take note. However, the descriptions of Lizard internal politics, and the overall structure are good, even though it strikes me as much too much of an introduction to the series.
Rating:
Summary: Strangely addicting for lack of action and rehashing
Review: I have been a loyal fan of Turtledove and have read every book in the World War series. I have long since realized that he MUST rehash everything dozens of times and I have learned to live with it since the overall story is still good. With this one though it got a little extreme, some paragraphs almost word for word three times over. It lacks most of the intensity that made the first ones great but for some reason is still addicting. I'm off to go finish it up in right now. I just wish he could learn, after so many years of writing, that something said once is said enough. If you like the series you'll probably like this but this definately isnt a good book to start on, I doubt it would keep the interest of someone not already really into the series.
Rating:
Summary: BOOOORING
Review: I enjoyed the Worldwar series. This sequel is just plain boring. Nothing happens. It is unusual that I speed read a Turtledove book (I have read most of them), but this one I did. And I am sure that I missed nothing. I will definitely read the reviews of the sequel before parting with any money for it.
Rating:
Summary: More of the same, and the same, and the same
Review: What happened Harry? The first part of this series was fun because we go to see how some of the most famous and well know figures in history would have responded, in the the author's view, to alien invasion. I thought, for that reason, it was fun but not well editted. This series is worse. First, it takes over 300 pages of more then 600 before anything substantially new appears. During this period we meet some of the new charactors and most of the old ones. But over and over again we are told how remarkable the Big Uglies are and how conservatives the lizards are -and slow. Okay, we get the story. Now where is the story? In Colonization, Turtledove had the opportunity to be a little unconvernational. I would have preferred an earthman invasion of their planet or the introduction of a new race competing with the humans of earth and the lizards. No. This books, instead, talks about the continued stalemale of the remaining powers 20 years later! Please, if people with 1940's tech could have fought them lizards to a tie, people in 1960 with 1980s or beyond tech - that wouldn't even be close. Okay, I know there would be some problems but since nothing new is added here, why not buy something new and different or simply re-read the first books in the series. You won't miss much and the writing will be better.
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