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Shadow of Victory - Quality of the Story / Plot?

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Shadow of Victory - Quality of the Story / Plot?
Post by SimonZerafa   » Mon Oct 10, 2016 2:38 pm

SimonZerafa
Midshipman

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Joined: Fri May 09, 2014 1:41 pm

Hi HH Fans,

I've been eagerly awaiting the release of the next novel but reading the reviews on the Baen Books site for the SoV eARC it's been almost universally greeted with negative comments and reviews.

Lots of disappointment that the storyline hardly moves forward and it reads more like a weaker novel from the Wages of Sin Series than the main series.

So for those who have read it, what do you think?

Does it advance the main story arc at all? Is it worth the $15 to read the eARC?

As a long time fan of HH I would be hugely disappointed to discover that the long anticipated next chapter wasn't worth reading. Has DW literally lost the plot?

I've cancelled my order for the hard back. I see no point in spending £21 (and waiting 2 months for delivery).

Comments and thoughts, no spoilers please! :-)

Kind Regards

Simon
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Re: Shadow of Victory - Quality of the Story / Plot?
Post by JohnRoth   » Mon Oct 10, 2016 2:50 pm

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As to whether buying the e-arc is worthwhile, I can't say. The disappointment is understandable. Cauldron of Ghosts ended on a cliffhanger, and while Shadow of Victory advanced the plot by a few hours (or days?) most of us expected a lot more.

I trust it's a necessary prelude to the final book in the series, projected for April 2018. Other than that, and foreclosing some options that we've been debating for a while, I'm not in a hurry to read the whole thing. To paraphrase the Chief in an old Tumbleweeds cartoon: "I'm not up for a battle today. I'm feeling more web-of-intrigueish."

I'm planning on buying the hardcover when it arrives at my local Barnes and Noble.
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Re: Shadow of Victory - Quality of the Story / Plot?
Post by Peregrinator   » Mon Oct 10, 2016 8:50 pm

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Shadow of Victory does not advance the plot much, no. It ends around the same place in the timeline as Cauldron of Ghosts, tying up some loose ends from that book.
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Re: Shadow of Victory - Quality of the Story / Plot?
Post by emphy   » Tue Oct 11, 2016 3:09 am

emphy
Midshipman

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It doesn't advance the timeline, but I still think its a fine read.

Imo there is no reason to want to get this book early, especially since you don't get the final (digital) version. However, the November monthly Baen bundle is an extremely attractive option to get it.
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Re: Shadow of Victory - Quality of the Story / Plot?
Post by WeirdlyWired   » Tue Oct 11, 2016 4:40 am

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From what I have pieced together, RFC collaborates with other authors. Apparently the final HH book [my hope for the title: "Yours is the Honor"] starts with people in various places with no possible way for us mere readers to figure out how, or even why, these fine starship captains and admirals got there in the first place.

As has been his MO in previous novels he is catching up the overall scene from the perspective of characters that were tangentially involved in the previous story, widening the scope of the story and giving us a firmer timeline.

Secondary to all of that is moving his little board pieces in place so that we [at last] understand the hows and whys implicit in "the follow up novel" [PPPPPP]

Baen does have the obligatory first 19 or so chapters posted. .whether or not it is worth investing in is a terribly subjective opinion. I, personally feel it (SoV) is worth while on its own merits, regardless of "advancing the plotline"
Helas,chou, Je m'en fache.
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Re: Shadow of Victory - Quality of the Story / Plot?
Post by justdave   » Tue Oct 11, 2016 1:46 pm

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SimonZerafa wrote:Hi HH Fans,

I've been eagerly awaiting the release of the next novel but reading the reviews on the Baen Books site for the SoV eARC it's been almost universally greeted with negative comments and reviews.Simon


IIRC when aRT came out the MWW told us it had become too big. So he removed what became SoV, it then parallels aRT and CoG. All three of which set the table for the planned finale in 2018
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Re: Shadow of Victory - Quality of the Story / Plot?
Post by JohnRoth   » Wed Oct 12, 2016 12:32 am

JohnRoth
Admiral

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Location: Centreville, VA, USA

justdave wrote:
SimonZerafa wrote:Hi HH Fans,

I've been eagerly awaiting the release of the next novel but reading the reviews on the Baen Books site for the SoV eARC it's been almost universally greeted with negative comments and reviews.Simon


IIRC when aRT came out the MWW told us it had become too big. So he removed what became SoV, it then parallels aRT and CoG. All three of which set the table for the planned finale in 2018


IIRC, when he was about a third of the way through the first draft of A Rising Thunder, he realized it would be better as two books. The second book was Shadow of Freedom, not Shadow of Victory. SoV seems to be mostly back-story for the final book, plus some additional interesting tidbits and closing off several entertaining possibilities.

What I want to know is whether Victor and Thandi survived.
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Re: Shadow of Victory - Quality of the Story / Plot?
Post by Bill Woods   » Wed Oct 12, 2016 2:32 am

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JohnRoth wrote: [Shadow of Victory] seems to be mostly back-story for the final book, plus some additional interesting tidbits and closing off several entertaining possibilities.

What I want to know is whether Victor and Thandi survived.
Blink. As of the end of Cauldron, they were surviving handily....
----
Imagined conversation:
Admiral [noting yet another Manty tech surprise]:
XO, what's the budget for the ONI?
Vice Admiral: I don't recall exactly, sir. Several billion quatloos.
Admiral: ... What do you suppose they did with all that money?
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Re: Shadow of Victory - Quality of the Story / Plot?
Post by Dauntless   » Wed Oct 12, 2016 8:56 am

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spoiler

that was before MAlign nuked 20% of the planet to cover their tracks.
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Re: Shadow of Victory - Quality of the Story / Plot?
Post by cthia   » Wed Oct 12, 2016 11:39 am

cthia
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Dauntless wrote:spoiler







that was before MAlign nuked 20% of the planet to cover their tracks.

Not that I particularly mind, but your "spoiler" warning has a very short fuse. They should be separated by some distance of line carriages. As I've done for you in this post. Pardon.

Son, your mother says I have to hang you. Personally I don't think this is a capital offense. But if I don't hang you, she's gonna hang me and frankly, I'm not the one in trouble. —cthia's father. Incident in ? Axiom of Common Sense
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