by Kevin J Anderson Book list *Starred Review* Here's the backstory: Anderson's Saga of Seven Suns is a seven-part series (published in the early and mid-2000s) in which humanity, with the assistance of a much older alien race, the Ildirans, had moved into the stars, colonizing various worlds around the galaxy and accidentally triggering a war that threatened to destroy both races. The series delivers space opera in the grand tradition, and Anderson's new trilogy, set in the same universe, promises to be similarly epic in scope. As the first installment of this new saga begins, humans and Ildirans are working to repair their relationship (which was strained to its limits over the course of the previous series). A joint exploratory mission to the edge of the galaxy is meant to represent a first step in the long process, but when an alien presence is discovered, one so powerful that it could conceivably wipe out all life in the galaxy, the two races must come together a lot quicker than planned. Anderson hits it out of the galaxy again: space opera doesn't get much more exciting, or much more richly populated with alien races, technologies, and cultures, than it does in this sprawling, engrossing epic.--Pitt, David Copyright 2014 Booklist From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission. Library Journal A sequel trilogy to Anderson's popular "Saga of the Seven Suns" series (which finished with 2008's The Ashes of Worlds) begins in the Spiral Arm 20 years later. The Ildirans and humans are still at peace, having together won the Elemental Wars. But an old threat from Ildira's distant past has resurfaced that could swallow the galaxy and all the sentient races in it. Making matters worse, the remnants of the Klikiss robot army are strangely immune to the shadowy enemy. If these two races ally, humans and Ildirans have little hope. -VERDICT Although the narrative picks up speed when the enemy finally appears midway through this long novel, Anderson devotes a large portion of the book to setting the stage. There are perhaps too many point-of-view characters and the short chapters mean that the reader doesn't engage with them before switching again. Patient readers will be rewarded as the narrative progresses and each character's story begins to fit together. (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. (c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. Publishers Weekly At the start of this follow-up to Anderson's epic Saga of the Seven Suns series, the Elemental War has just ended, the Confederation has replaced the corrupt Terran Hanseatic League, and an era of amity between human and the alien Ildirans seems assured. These dreams are foredoomed; not only are the malevolent Klikiss robots even now rebuilding their forces for another attack on the living beings they despise, but an ill-fated Ildiran and human joint expeditionary mission forces the robots to ally themselves with a mysterious evil force: the Shana Rei, personification of the void itself. Unfortunately, this novel replicates the original series' flaws. The multitudinous characters offer more variety than depth, the world-building strains for verisimilitude, and the complex plot comes to feel meandering and grandiose. Anderson's fans will be satisfied, but other readers looking for their space opera fix may want to go elsewhere. Agent: John Silbersack, Trident Media Group. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved |
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