Torch of Freedom

David Weber, Eric Flint
ISBN: 1439133050
Buy, Paperback, New

Mrs. Bugbear generally is a bit disappointed to hear that a new David Weber book has been released because it increases the load on the bookshelves.  Unlike most books by David Weber I didn't immediately open the book up and start reading.  I decided to save it until my Christmas Holidays so that I could read it in a day rather than trying to read it in dribs and drabs over the course of a week.  To quote Robbie Burns, "The best laid schemes o' mice and men gang aft a-gley; and leave us naught but grief and pain for promised joy".  Well I might have ended up reading the book in snatches over the last couple of days but while I am a bit disappointed with the book I certainly don't feel pain or grief for not reading it in one go.

Torch of Freedom is the sequel to Crown of Slaves and parallels some events in Storm From the Shadows and I believe At All Costs.  Overall it's a good book with all of the good qualities of writing, pacing and characterization that you would expect from the coauthors of the stature of Weber and Flint.

So given the quality of the authors why doesn't Torch of Freedom get a better rating.  I have some problems with how the authors have dealt with genetic slavery in the book.  On one hand you have the hand-wringing over a trade in genetically designed slaves and then on the other you have an unreasoning prejudice towards people with genetically engineered traits.

Overall it's a decent book and if you like Weber or Flint's writing then this book will be pretty satisfying.

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