Remarkably long, but fortunately, you can skip large portions without losing the plot. Page after page of meaningless conversations... This would have been a nice novella ( )

This is an updated review of the book now that I have finished reading it. First comes Jihad, then comes the aftermath and the peace.There is a lot of economic theory in this in this story and not much action. I found this book a burden to read. There is much angst over the coming of the Archangels and what will or will not happen after they come. On this point the book delivers in an unexpected way. I enjoyed the last chapter of the book. Yet getting there was a pain in the arse . I used the audiobook version after I found myself putting the book down for days at a time. The audio book version made duller portions of the book tolerable. Despite the fact I hated portions of this book. It is necessary for the larger arch of the narrative. It would be unfair to the storyline if Weber jumped from the death of Zaspahr Clyntahn and the end of Jihad to where Weber will go after the events in the last chapter of the book. This book covers more time than previous books in this series. I still find the pace glacially slow. I have not read the book yet. When I started this series I was gainfully employed in 2007 Now I am 2 years into retirement. I am beginning to wonder if I will be in a nursing home by the time Weber finishes this series. Given that he is about 66 years and I'm only a few years younger. I hope he finishes the series before either of us is dead. God help us all if he hires one of his kids to finish the series post mortem. ( )

Not sticking with me nearly as much as a lot of other Weber, this one. Fun characters to come back to though. ( )

Good writing, but doesn't move the plot much. ( )

OMG, I’m giving Weber 2-stars

Nothing. Happens.

Seriously, you could just skip to the last chapter and be ready for the next book. There were several weddings, a few funerals, some political machinations and upheavals, but in the end nothing happened. The final chapter in the book is the only one that couldn’t have been glossed over in a preface to the next tome.

See, there needed to be some big enemy or evil plot that was fighting the good guys, but there wasn’t. It was just...people being people.

Another criticism is that I got a bit tired of having noblewomen explain how they aren’t shocked by coarse language. It got boring. Or the overused metaphor that is an understatement that has to be thoroughly explained to be an understatement. It got repetitive.

There was no plot. No driving force, except waiting for something to maybe happen that might not actually happen for another 80yrs if someone counted wrong.

David Weber writes some great scenes. The emotions he can evoke with his words are deep. Some parts of this book have those moments.

But it shouldn’t have been published like this. This was boring and pointless. The stories may have needed to be written, but they shouldn’t have been presented to us the way they were.

If you are a long time fan, read it. The voice is there.

If you like your reading to have a point? Your time is better spent elsewhere.

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