The Shiva Option

Definitely a book that satisfies the palate and the mind. It concludes the story of the war with the arachnoids started in In Death Ground. A war of righteousness and of survival. In which the Orions and the Terrans fight for their very survival, together, as they were meant to. New leaders of the Navy, of both races, will take up the fight and rise to the challenge. New alliances will be sought, after all the enemy of my enemy is my friend.The conclusion will feature several battles that lead the way to victory. We will find out more about this mysterious enemy of the Terrans and how to eradicate them once and for all. The map which contains the space lanes will be your guide, your map, and your game board. It will show the movements of friend and foe alike, as they grope through the darkness. I found myself rather attached to that mind, looking at it and seeing how close the enemy was to a specific star system. Certainly it makes logistical sense.This book is fine space opera, featuring the battle of humanity vs the aliens combined with Weber's military sci-fi prowess.

Yopu have to read this book in the right state of mind. It's not a great philosophical treatise or a deep analysis of a character (neither of which I like to read anyway). It's about spaceships blowing up other spaceships. It's like a popcorn movie, only in book form. That's not necesarily a bad thing. If you're looking for some enteratinment in the hard science fiction format, this is your cup of tea

I understand that with the completion of the Shiva Option, David Weber has abandoned the StarFire Universe at least for the moment. If so this is a fitting coda to his Starfire collection. Not the last historically, of course, but certainly the most complete with nearly all loose ends tied up neatly. The Bugs are vanquished (sort of), their enslaved worlds set free, True Love has triumphed several times, and Weber has declared what a Golden Lion is really good for: Making the statement, "Ain't Gonna Study War No More" personal and touching.

Well, they did it. Weber and White wrote the book that was hinted at in Insurrection. But there is a little bit that most of the other reviewers seemed to have missed. We may not have seen the last of the bugs. Not giving anything away, but stay tuned for more.As far as the action, it is top-notch. If you liked In Death Ground, you're gonna love this. While some of the book is repetitive, it doesn't detract from the book. There is the usual Weber touch, making us feel something for the characters, sort of like the Harrington series. And Mr. White can write like nobodies business. I can't wait to see what comes next.Go out and buy this book, with the caveat that you should read the first book, "In Death Ground". But you will not be dissappointed.

I caught myself about quarter the way in realizing this is quite a stray from its ancestors. But at the same time I thought with all the miltary jargon, it is a more real attempt. I have noticed many authors lately being panned hard for dull writes, what I have concluded is that authors like this are trying to get closer to reality in terms of what actually could be scientifically speaking. These authors are attempting a great deal of reality of the could be in the war. I appreciate that and believe a good reader will realize this.I want to recommend a book that goes into the battle of Armageddon in an extremely real approach with new weapons, also has the first account of any book on the new F 35 Fighter in a real life dog fight, Karl Mark Maddox's paperback, SB 1 or God