Plot-wise, events continue to roll along, and we begin to see some of the handicaps to having a nearly omnisicient character amongst your cast - very few of the events actually manage to suprise, as a big part of the story is how Merlin is using the advanced technology at his disposal to keep the Charisians one step ahead of everyone else.
Thematically, Weber threw a twist into the proceedings that I'm not sure I 100% approve of, with the introduction of a secret-bearing cult within the church itself that knows the truth of their world's fabricated history. I need to see where the story leads before I can determine whether this works out or is just an easy way to try to ensure that the storyline wraps up in under a couple hundred years. I very much approve of Weber's decisions to discuss economics and economic innovation in the context of the larger wars being fought, recognizing that war is not an entity in and of itself, but very much tied in to the politics and economics of a state as well.
Though I am not expecting anything spectacular from the series at this point, I will continue reading it for those types of discussions, and watching the innovations being enacted in this world at such an accelerated pace.
