Tag: safehold

This is the fourth book in the series. It’s a bad place to join the series– it really benefits from the development that took place over the three previous books. In many ways, this book is the lull between storms– it’s a bit of a calmer period, after the end of the war in the previous book.

The naval development is a… less energetic plot after the time and pressure of the previous books. At the end, it picks back up with a ferocious engagement– but it’s sharp, and there’s no reflection or recovery time at the end. I hope that makes for a sharp strong beginning to the next book.

This was a great book. It started a little vaguely for me, mostly because it had been more than a year since I read the previous safehold books. It came back quickly, and proved enjoyable again. I read it very quickly; I got sucked in.

The book is kind of a muddle– it starts in the middle of an invasion (without the buildup– that was in the last book) and muddles through a year. This wouldn’t be good as a stand alone book, but is a worthy continuation of the series. I have the next book and will leap into it right after this.

The second book in the series… and from what it opened up and what remains to be solved, this looks like a VLFN, with several books to come. It’s a good book, a worthy sequel to Off Armageddon Reef, though not as dynamic. This felt like a good “middle book”, but there’s nothing like the excitement of meeting the new characters and the battles on Armageddon Reef.

Chris’s review touches on other concerns that I agree with, like the limited time frame apparently precluding a gbabba rematch later, and a cliffhanger ending.

Despite that, the shortcomings are mostly of an “I want more” kind… which is an awfully good problem to have.