It's a difficult thing to write from the point of view of an alien; either you end up with characters entirely impossible to empathise with, or characters too similar to seem anything but human. Asprin does an admirable job of walking the line, writing of an alien race with absolute dedication to their Empire, and few human concerns. As the book progresses, Asprin seems to use this to examine exactly what does make us human, by looking at the changes the characters go through as their society evolves. It would have been nice if he had taken these thoughts a bit further and deeper, but The Bug Wars is still an enjoyable - if disposable - take on military SF.