wetdryvac's review against another edition
3.0
Not sticking with me nearly as much as a lot of other Weber, this one. Fun characters to come back to though.
sblackone's review against another edition
2.0
Typical David Weber where he starts a series really strong, but then meanders around in uninteresting plots and completely drops it in later books. Characters that started out with some nuance become simplified and over the top. And all the talk about love becomes a bit nauseating (and I don't mean romance plots with that). Even friendships are described like romance and then you have tons of actual weddings on top of that
brucehoward's review against another edition
3.0
If already into this series, you will likely enjoy this most recent increment in the story of Safehold.
My main complaint is that like other recent chapters in the series, the balance between fantasy period piece and it’s original science fiction back story has been lost.
Worse yet, I’m losing faith that Weber will ever evolve the plot beyond the ultimate and inevitable victory of the Empire of Charis. There’s still a universe full of BEM’s and possibility awaiting Charis should it ever find a way to make orbit but it’s starting to feel more like Wagon Train and we’re never ever gonna make California...
My main complaint is that like other recent chapters in the series, the balance between fantasy period piece and it’s original science fiction back story has been lost.
Worse yet, I’m losing faith that Weber will ever evolve the plot beyond the ultimate and inevitable victory of the Empire of Charis. There’s still a universe full of BEM’s and possibility awaiting Charis should it ever find a way to make orbit but it’s starting to feel more like Wagon Train and we’re never ever gonna make California...
distgenius's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
chutten's review against another edition
1.0
Maybe I've read too much of David Weber, but I found myself predicting what a chapter would be from its first paragraph with unerring accuracy. And any time it was a video conference, nothing was decided and nothing happened, so I knew I could skim it and move on. But still, with my prediction-based skimming, it took ages to slog through this one.
It might be my fault that, unlike the characters in the world, I just do not care about the main characters' kids and dynastic lineage. And I also want exciting things to happen.
This isn't to say I'm not a fan of books where things don't happen. Tension, slices of life, songs... it doesn't have to be All Plot All The Time... but goodness, I found myself agog at how many words it took to retread the same things over and over. It seems a shame that Weber kept from himself the kinds of writing he's especially good at (tech innovations' surprising uses, battles shown from all sides, surprises, escapes, sudden turns, etc. You know, adventure stuff) for so much of this book. Especially since the volume covers fifteen or so years of time: the whole Jihad took less time than that, and look how many interesting things Weber found to write about in it!
I'll likely not be returning to this series should it continue. Oh well, plenty of other books to read, and I'm sure this hits the spot for others who _do_ like the dynasty building as much as I liked ironsides combat.
It might be my fault that, unlike the characters in the world, I just do not care about the main characters' kids and dynastic lineage. And I also want exciting things to happen.
This isn't to say I'm not a fan of books where things don't happen. Tension, slices of life, songs... it doesn't have to be All Plot All The Time... but goodness, I found myself agog at how many words it took to retread the same things over and over. It seems a shame that Weber kept from himself the kinds of writing he's especially good at (tech innovations' surprising uses, battles shown from all sides, surprises, escapes, sudden turns, etc. You know, adventure stuff) for so much of this book. Especially since the volume covers fifteen or so years of time: the whole Jihad took less time than that, and look how many interesting things Weber found to write about in it!
I'll likely not be returning to this series should it continue. Oh well, plenty of other books to read, and I'm sure this hits the spot for others who _do_ like the dynasty building as much as I liked ironsides combat.
vailynst's review against another edition
3.0
Notes:
The whole book was a gigantic epilogue. It tied up most loose ends. Overall, the series was okay, but I thought the way a lot of events were manipulated from behind the scenes were repetitive and relied too much on the idea it was done for the good of all.
The whole book was a gigantic epilogue. It tied up most loose ends. Overall, the series was okay, but I thought the way a lot of events were manipulated from behind the scenes were repetitive and relied too much on the idea it was done for the good of all.
treyt021's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
0.5
An absolute slog of a book. It's like a macroeconomics textbook came to life and tried to write a novel about microeconomics. Possible fun drinking game take a shot everytime someone says "on the other hand" you will be dead halfway through the book which would be a blessing.
elden's review against another edition
3.0
David Weber always reaches a point in his series where the action stops, and he wants you to know all the other side stories he has thought of in the series. That is what this book is, so if you enjoyed the action of thos series you are in for a slow slog of a read.
It's not necessarily a bad thing, but I would rather he just push ahead and get to the action I know he can write.
It's not necessarily a bad thing, but I would rather he just push ahead and get to the action I know he can write.
brettt's review
1.0
With Like a Mighty Army, David Weber brought the war between the Charisian Empire and the forces loyal to the Church of God Awaiting to an end -- more or less. The Charisians didn't crush the Church as they will probably need to do at some point because cooler heads took charge and sued for peace. Since the Church's mission is to perpetuate a system that keeps technology on the world of Safehold at a minimum to escape the notice of the genocidal Gbaba, it's bound to find itself at odds with the Charisians again. Because the Charisians are led by a synthetic human from the days of Safehold's founding, and that being's goal is to re-equip and rearm for round 2 with the Gbaba and teach them why humanity's a species best left alone.
Weber has said in interviews that a second arc of Safehold's story will deal with that part of the story, which makes 2019's Through Fiery Trials a kind of hinge between the two arcs. He re-sets the board and readies new pieces for their play and their own moves. Guided by Merlin Athrawes -- an android with the memories of Nimue Alban from the time of the founding, as well as a second android of Ninue herself -- Charisian inventors gradually build up the technological base of their world while not advancing so far that the orbiting satellites left by the Church's designers rain destruction down on them all. But Merlin and Nimue may be running out of time: A "prophecy" from the founders says they will return after a thousand years and even though they don't necessarily know when that clock started, they know they're in their world's tenth century.
Trials is a maddening book of the kind Weber is so good at producing -- some fine scenes and tidbits mired in acres of world-building minutiae and repetitive dialogue. The second arc of the Safehold series will require new minds, ones born into the world being remade by Merlin, Nimue and the Charisians. That implies new characters following in the footsteps of old ones, some of whom are faithful to the cause of their parents and some of whom have other goals and designs. And in Trials, we're introduced to every last one of them ad tedium.
Trials is 700 pages of table-setting, an egregious faux pas in any series but even more so when it's the tenth volume of a series of 500-plus-pagers bursting with opportunities for editing. In more than one interview Weber said it began as a prologue to the first book of the second arc that grew into its own book, which erases any guilt I may feel about slapping one star onto a series and an author I regularly enjoy. Pure unadulterated gems of mood and character like the betrothal and marriage of Princess Alahnah and Lywys Whytmyn drown in speechifying blather and accounts of old people passing away and new people taking their place. An excellently-designed cliffhanger ending might never be seen as readers throw up their hands and set this book on the pile to go to the second-hand store.
Weber is, in addition to being an author, a licensed local pastor in the United Methodist Church. As your humble reviewer can attest, preachers can all too often be tempted by love of their own words to wander high and low before coming to a point. The same tendency is evident in the world of creative universe-building authors, and the double whammy makes too many of his books patience-testing exercises in judicious page-skipping. Through Fiery Trials is very much one of those.
Weber has said in interviews that a second arc of Safehold's story will deal with that part of the story, which makes 2019's Through Fiery Trials a kind of hinge between the two arcs. He re-sets the board and readies new pieces for their play and their own moves. Guided by Merlin Athrawes -- an android with the memories of Nimue Alban from the time of the founding, as well as a second android of Ninue herself -- Charisian inventors gradually build up the technological base of their world while not advancing so far that the orbiting satellites left by the Church's designers rain destruction down on them all. But Merlin and Nimue may be running out of time: A "prophecy" from the founders says they will return after a thousand years and even though they don't necessarily know when that clock started, they know they're in their world's tenth century.
Trials is a maddening book of the kind Weber is so good at producing -- some fine scenes and tidbits mired in acres of world-building minutiae and repetitive dialogue. The second arc of the Safehold series will require new minds, ones born into the world being remade by Merlin, Nimue and the Charisians. That implies new characters following in the footsteps of old ones, some of whom are faithful to the cause of their parents and some of whom have other goals and designs. And in Trials, we're introduced to every last one of them ad tedium.
Trials is 700 pages of table-setting, an egregious faux pas in any series but even more so when it's the tenth volume of a series of 500-plus-pagers bursting with opportunities for editing. In more than one interview Weber said it began as a prologue to the first book of the second arc that grew into its own book, which erases any guilt I may feel about slapping one star onto a series and an author I regularly enjoy. Pure unadulterated gems of mood and character like the betrothal and marriage of Princess Alahnah and Lywys Whytmyn drown in speechifying blather and accounts of old people passing away and new people taking their place. An excellently-designed cliffhanger ending might never be seen as readers throw up their hands and set this book on the pile to go to the second-hand store.
Weber is, in addition to being an author, a licensed local pastor in the United Methodist Church. As your humble reviewer can attest, preachers can all too often be tempted by love of their own words to wander high and low before coming to a point. The same tendency is evident in the world of creative universe-building authors, and the double whammy makes too many of his books patience-testing exercises in judicious page-skipping. Through Fiery Trials is very much one of those.
jameseckman's review
1.0
Weber flogs a dead horse one more time. The novel is a direct follow on from #9, the supposed final novel, it's not a new story arc and consists mostly of the main series characters nattering about the economy and current affairs. What little action does take place is some bit character getting injured or killed, they should be wearing red shirts.
A horrible novel, I couldn't finish it and will not read future novels in this series.
A horrible novel, I couldn't finish it and will not read future novels in this series.