The Mesan Alignment is revealed, and, for Honor Harrington and the Manticoran Star Kingdom, this means war!
Unintended Consequences
Sometimes things don’t work out exactly as planned.
The Mesan Alignment has a plan—one it’s been working on for centuries. A plan to remake the galaxy and genetically improve the human race—its way.
Until recently, things have gone pretty much as scheduled, but then the Alignment hit a minor bump in the road called the Star Empire of Manticore. So the Alignment engineered a war between the Solarian League, the biggest and most formidable interstellar power in human history. To help push things along, the Alignment launched a devastating sneak attack which destroyed the Royal Manticoran Navy’s industrial infrastructure.
And in order to undercut Manticore’s galaxy‑wide reputation as a star nation of its word, it launched Operation Janus—a false‑flag covert operation to encourage rebellions it knows will fail by promising Manticoran support. The twin purposes are to harden Solarian determination to destroy the Star Empire once and for all, and to devastate the Star Empire’s reputation with the rest of the galaxy.
But even the best laid plans can have unintended consequences, and one of those consequences in this case may just be a new dawn of freedom for oppressed star nations everywhere.
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Expansion but no plot movementI would get this book a higher rating but like many I was hoping for some plot movement. For those that like the expanded universe and not just the main storyline this is a good book. However I think it may have gone over better as an anthology "book of short stories" instead of a full length novel.
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5% new, 95% repeatImagine if you will a picture frame 2ft wide surrounding a 6" picture.
I found my self skipping forward to that which I had not already read before.
Maybe skipping the next book is the best step. Certainly, this will be the last Weber ARC!
Sad, I was looking forward to progress in the story.Posted on
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don't bother complete rehashThis was a total waste of time and money. Will certainly not attract new readers. Complete rehash of previous 3-4 books. Very disappointing. Expected much more from Weber.
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Loved it!I really loved this book. I have to admit I like analysis. My family says my first word was "why?". It also had many parallels to today's world.
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repetitious and boringAlmost no plot progression. Rehashing of much that has already happened. Starts back at end of the Battle of Monica (in "Shadow of Saganami") and Battle of Manticore (in "At All Costs"). Then rehashes history covered in "Storm from the Shadows", "Mission of Honor", and "A Rising Thunder".
Distracting number of side plots and numerous characters that are a retelling the events that were already covered in prior books. Little action and a lot of discussions between characters. Boring because you already know where the plot goes from there.Posted on
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Weber does it again!I enjoyed this book for the reasons so many didn't. I enjoy expanded universes. I like seeing the whole canvas, not just the main characters and their stories.
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Could not put it downCould not put down
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Not mainline, cover says as muchOK, when the title starts "Shadow of ...", that is a pretty strong indication the novel is set in the Talbot quadrant or quadrants nearby, and it's not about Honor.
The description also (correctly) gives you the hint that this novel is going into backstory about the Janus project. (Classical Greek allusion; Janus was the god of doorways, hence two-faced.) A lot of the complaints are apparently from people who missed the signs and were disappointed. OK, if it's Honor Harrington you want, well, wrong series. Me, my tastes are more inclusive, and I noted the signs so I had different expectations. YMMVPosted on
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I Really Wanted This Book To Be Good!No advance on the main plot period. What seems like hundreds of new characters with difficult surnames to keep track of. Endless narrative about persons, places, and events we'll never need to know about. Even the space battles are being rehashed. The few points of interest are buried under so much chaff that they are easy to miss.
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Very BadMy first impression what a waste of money. My second impression: This book is disjointed, fragmented, and pretty much lacks a plot.
I have read better fan fiction. Hope this is pulled and rewritten. Will continue to read Weber stories but this was just BADPosted on