Several chapters were really good. But for the most part this book didn’t move the story forward very much.

While this series has been a really interesting mix of science fiction, a history of modern innovation and technology as well socio-political engineering combined with interesting characters and backstory, this book can be completely skipped. Whole chapters contain no plot movement. The characters introduced are not to the level of prior characters. There are now too many characters and kingdoms to track or feel invested in. I was very sad to find I was skimming over entire subplots and character moments because I had become disinterested. This author is very talented and entertaining and has clearly shown a passion for telling a tale about the convergence of technology, people, and moments. This book delivered on little of that and did little in advancing the main science fiction story either. I can only imagine writing and editing 900+ pages is a huge effort so I sincerely hope the next book is a return to form.

I’ve been a big fan of David Weber’s Safehold series and have enjoyed most of the books to date, but this one is terrible. You will literally miss nothing if you skip this book in the series - you’ll surmise what happened simply by reference in the next book. Over 900 pages of tedious prose about the economies of the various kingdoms interspersed with cloyingly saccharine love stories involving minor characters, all of which that essentially a rehash of the Caleb-and-Sharleyan story. I would really like to know how the story ends, particularly the conflict between humanity and the Gbaba, but if the next book is anything like as boring as this one it will be the last David Weber book I purchase.

Great. Need more safe hold books. NOW When is the next one?

Not his best in the series considering the ending. Seemed like it was a bit rushed.

After so many good books in the series, this book was scattered and boring with minimal action. Definitely skip this book.

After so many good books in this series, suddenly it’s all politics (and regurgitated, cut and paste religious passages) and if there is one thing I’ve had enough of the last two years it is politics. Even the characters were uninteresting and those who we’ve grown to love were all dialog and zero action. Disjointed, loose ends. Read the first and last chapters and let’s hope the ball moves a little more rapidly in the next book in the series.

Minor spoilers This book focuses heavily on post jihad Siddarmark and Harchong, and a slew of new characters you have no reason to care about, and have difficulty remembering. We see some new romances, as well as new technical advances, but on the whole, nothing happens in the book. Weber’s technique of using obvious filler, and pointless banter (that sounds identical regardless of which character is speaking it) continues to grow.

I have never been disappointed by a David Weber book until now. For Serjin fans, you might want to skip this one. I paid 14.99 for the book, that was 11.00 too much. Really boring with lots of opera like dialogue.

Twelve hundred and thirty pages of monotonous, flaccid, anticlimactic baloney. You will literally be sitting there the entire time forcing yourself to go on to the next chapter. Sweet holy Langhorne that sucked. Make the next one as good as the last 14 paragraphs for Shan-Wei’s sake.