Take a photo of a barcode or cover
cinnamonvortex 's review for:
On Basilisk Station
by David Weber
I read On Basilisk Station because a friend has been so enthusiastic about SciFi that it has really made me want to branch out of my typical Fantasy and read some SF. I have read some of David Weber's fantasy books before, and enjoyed them, and On Basilisk Station is free, so I decided to give it a whirl. In case you aren't privy to BAEN's policy, they have opted to make many titles from their catalog free to readers in order to promote interest in the line. I think this is an outstanding and effective policy. I recall gaining access to the New 52 Wonder Woman graphic novels through a library app and falling in love with the line. I have been a glad paying customer since that time, so the free sample worked out well for both parties in that case.
Concerning BAEN, I haven't bought any titles from them, but I appreciate the free titles they have released and anticipate reading others in the future.
As for On Basilisk Station specifically, I enjoyed it. Otherwise you wouldn't be reading about it on Goodreads, because I typically don't post about books I don't finish, and I don't usually finish books I don't like. Mercifully, that is a fairly rare occurrence. While I prefer the SF of Roger Zelazny, On Basilisk Station is worth the read. Nothing to write home about, but worth the read just the same. Honor Harrington is an empathetic protagonist, and she carries this one. Banished for doing the right thing, she has to navigate the backwards politics of the military and the government. Eventually her good works shine through and she gets her just rewards, but the journey to that point would make anyone else quit and just try to work the system.
One thing I really liked about this book was the author’s use of descriptions of what characters “sense” from others. Often one character will see something in someone’s eyes, or facial expression, or just a feeling they get that lurks below the surface of what’s being said. That actually made the descriptions stand out and it gave Basilisk a bit more feeling than I expected. I could look up an example and post it here, but I don’t have the book with me and I’m not feeling motivated to search it online. You’ll recognize it when you see it. Those descriptions are sprinkled throughout and I felt it was worth mentioning that I liked it. I may read another Harrington book in the future. 3 ½ stars.
Concerning BAEN, I haven't bought any titles from them, but I appreciate the free titles they have released and anticipate reading others in the future.
As for On Basilisk Station specifically, I enjoyed it. Otherwise you wouldn't be reading about it on Goodreads, because I typically don't post about books I don't finish, and I don't usually finish books I don't like. Mercifully, that is a fairly rare occurrence. While I prefer the SF of Roger Zelazny, On Basilisk Station is worth the read. Nothing to write home about, but worth the read just the same. Honor Harrington is an empathetic protagonist, and she carries this one. Banished for doing the right thing, she has to navigate the backwards politics of the military and the government. Eventually her good works shine through and she gets her just rewards, but the journey to that point would make anyone else quit and just try to work the system.
One thing I really liked about this book was the author’s use of descriptions of what characters “sense” from others. Often one character will see something in someone’s eyes, or facial expression, or just a feeling they get that lurks below the surface of what’s being said. That actually made the descriptions stand out and it gave Basilisk a bit more feeling than I expected. I could look up an example and post it here, but I don’t have the book with me and I’m not feeling motivated to search it online. You’ll recognize it when you see it. Those descriptions are sprinkled throughout and I felt it was worth mentioning that I liked it. I may read another Harrington book in the future. 3 ½ stars.