A Forest of Stars
(Libby/OverDrive eBook, Kindle)

Bestseller Anderson turns up the heat in his second Saga of the Seven Suns installment (after 2002's Hidden Empire), proving he has firepower to burn. He weaves action, romance and science with a rousing plot reflecting the classic SF of Clarke and Herbert and the glossy cinematic influence of Lucas and Spielberg. Five years after the events in Hidden Empire, hydrogues, gas giant aliens, continue to plague the Terran Hanseatic League in retaliation for the Hansa's "accidental" destruction of a hydrogue planet. This time they're also eager to destroy their ancient enemy, the Verdani, an interconnected, semi-sentient worldforest far more dangerous to the quicksilver aliens than mere humans ("The roots of a tree can shatter mountains, given time"). EDF (Earth Defense Forces) have hidden enemies in the Klikiss robots, whose resolve to reprogram "compies" (short for "Competent Computerized Companions") into human-killing robots is just as alarming as covert alien experiments on humans. Anderson's well-drawn cast includes spy Davin Lotze, an exosociologist who discovers a new method of space travel; earthy space-trader Rlinda Kett; King Peter, a reluctant "puppet" who challenges power-mad Basil Wenceslas; and DD, the terrified friendly compy kidnapped by a ruthless Klikiss robot. Sparked with surprises, enriched by ecological issues that laypersons can appreciate, this saga soars as it exposes the inner and external roots of war. (July 17) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

This second installment in Anderson's "Seven Suns" series weaves interstellar politics, action, and even a bit of romance to excellent effect, though the audio format ensures that certain points (like ecology) are hammered to death. It's an epic space soap opera (e.g., long story arcs that frequently feel unconnected), centering on humans short on fuel and at war with poorly understood (and extremely hostile) aliens called hydrogues. We also find rebellion of some of the human colonies, the discovery of the Verdani species (who may aid the human war effort), and homicidal robots once thought to be helpful. As usual, narrator George Guidall is spot-on in portraying these well-drawn and wildly variant characters. This vivid and entertaining program is recommended for public libraries where the first in the series has been popular.-Douglas C. Lord, Connecticut State Lib., Hartford (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Ultraprolific Anderson has penned a forest of novels in the Star Wars, X-Files, and Dune, not counting entries with L. Ron Hubbard, Doug Benson, and the solo effort Hopscotch (2002). Most recently, Anderson kicked off his own SF series with Hidden Empire (2002), of which A Forest of Stars is volume two. Humans of the Terran Hanseatic Federation of Earth start a galaxy-wide war in the year 2427 when they ignite the gas-planet Oncier, a pastel globe of hydrogen five times the size of Jupiter, to illuminate and help power colonization of Oncier's four moons, with Oncier as a new sun. Unbeknownst to humans, Oncier is populated by the Hydrogues, whose home the Terrans have inadvertently wiped out, thus displeasing the Mage-Imperator of the dying-out Ildirans, who falsely intuit that Terrans want to take over a whole spiral arm of the galaxy. Thus war vibes arise between Ildirans and Terrans. Also on hand are the gypsy Roamers who mine ekti, the dwindling universal stardrive fuel, the Worldtrees and Green Priests of Theroc, all of them spelled out in Anderson's glossary of really weird words and titles, his Command Structure of the Earth Defense Forces, the Noble-Born Children of Prime Designate Jora'h (the Mage-Imperator's son), the Known Klikiss (insectoid robots), Planets in the New Hansa Colonization Initiative, the Ruling Family of Theoric, and Clan Tamblyn--all very necessary. Five years pass after the unwitting implosion of the home of the Hydrogues. Priests symbiotic with the Worldforest, a sentient computer with data stored in trees, warn that the Hydrogues have indeed turned mercilessly hostile toward Terrans. As all-out war looms, the Terrans join forces with water-based Wentals and sun-dwelling Faeros. Anderson models his darkening epic on Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series--now in its 11th volume. Quo vadis, Kevin? Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Five years after a scientific experiment aroused the anger of the hydrogues, a previously unknown race native to giant gas planets, the war between humans and hydrogues has resulted in a faltering economy for Earth and its colonies. With fuel for interstellar travel strictly controlled, the Terran Hanseatic League faces rebellion from some of its colonies. When Jess Tamblyn, an enterprising pilot of a nomadic group of spacefaring humans known as the Roamers, stumbles upon yet another new alien species, he discovers a potential ally against the hydrogues. Following the actions of a varied group of individuals, including the King of the Hanseatic League, a pair of archaeologists specializing in ancient alien civilizations, and a captive priestess of the World Trees, Anderson continues his epic tale of interstellar war and politics begun in Hidden Empire. Rapid-fire action and panoramic plotting make this a first-class space opera suitable for most sf collections. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Bestseller Anderson turns up the heat in his second Saga of the Seven Suns installment (after 2002's Hidden Empire), proving he has firepower to burn. He weaves action, romance and science with a rousing plot reflecting the classic SF of Clarke and Herbert and the glossy cinematic influence of Lucas and Spielberg. Five years after the events in Hidden Empire, hydrogues, gas giant aliens, continue to plague the Terran Hanseatic League in retaliation for the Hansa's "accidental" destruction of a hydrogue planet. This time they're also eager to destroy their ancient enemy, the Verdani, an interconnected, semi-sentient worldforest far more dangerous to the quicksilver aliens than mere humans ("The roots of a tree can shatter mountains, given time"). EDF (Earth Defense Forces) have hidden enemies in the Klikiss robots, whose resolve to reprogram "compies" (short for "Competent Computerized Companions") into human-killing robots is just as alarming as covert alien experiments on humans. Anderson's well-drawn cast includes spy Davin Lotze, an exosociologist who discovers a new method of space travel; earthy space-trader Rlinda Kett; King Peter, a reluctant "puppet" who challenges power-mad Basil Wenceslas; and DD, the terrified friendly compy kidnapped by a ruthless Klikiss robot. Sparked with surprises, enriched by ecological issues that laypersons can appreciate, this saga soars as it exposes the inner and external roots of war. (July 17) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.