The story is essentially plot driven. Even though there are several dozen characters introduced in the story, none really takes on a leading role. As such nobody really stands out or is developed to the point that they are more than two-dimensional devices. We never really get to witness any cleverness or cunning or bravery. The dialog is often at the level of trite quips or banter. The chapters jump back and forth from one group of the resistance to another, but the peeks into their actions, their emotions, or their plans are so quick that we never get a chance to develop any sort of relationship with them. The antagonist is not well developed and the story never really builds up to that edge-of-your-seat crescendo of suspense and action that is necessary to push this one over the threshold. Of course, this is certainly a criticism, and I feel a weakness of the entire series. However, in the last two books it was more glaring. Yet, I still enjoyed my time with these books and will continue to read through the Koontz library.
