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In Her Name: The Last War #2
In Her Name Legend Of The Sword
Six months have passed since the destruction of the human colony on Keran by the alien Kreelan Empire. Earth and other human worlds band together to form the Confederation of Humanity to provide a mutual defense against the alien invaders. Unfortunately, not all human worlds want to join the Confederation. Some, like Saint Petersburg, would rather see it destroyed. With a powerful navy built in secret and armed with nuclear weapons, Saint Petersburg is preparing their own offensive against the Confederation when the Kreelans attack. Led by Tesh-Dar, an enigmatic Kreelan warrior priestess, the Kreelan Empire has begun its quest in earnest to find the One, an alien - a human - who might be able to lift the ages-old curse upon their race, a curse that will leave her species extinct in but a few more generations. But to find the One, they must bleed the humans in war...
320 pages, Paperback
First published February 18, 2010
208 people are currently reading
565 people want to read
About the author
Michael R. Hicks
29 books1,494 followersBorn in 1963, Michael Hicks grew up in the age of the Apollo program and spent his youth glued to the television watching the original Star Trek series and other science fiction movies, which continues to be a source of entertainment and inspiration. Having spent the majority of his life as a voracious reader, he has been heavily influenced by writers ranging from Robert Heinlein to David Weber, and many in between. Having finally retired from government service, Michael and his lovely wife, along with their Siberan cat, Nina, are enjoying life as expats in France.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
May 21, 2014
The great action continues in book 2. I enjoyed the first book, First Contact, a little better but that doesn't take anything away from this book. Tesh Dar is the main character in this one and her story is very interesting. Even though she is a ruthless human killer, you feel for her as much as the humans being slaughtered. I will definitely be finishing this trilogy and maybe move on to the next trilogy in the series.
September 13, 2012
The second book in the In Her Name series has me left in a bit of a quandary. I honestly feel like this story didn't know what it wanted to be. A cold war epic? A social commentary? A mythological & mystical journey? All of the above? There's a lot in here but it just didn't feel cohesive to me.
When reading about the spy situation on the ground with Valentina, I really liked it. When delving into the political dance between the Confederation & St. Petersburg over where the coal ash & nuclear weapons were & how Riga factored in, was enjoyable. Tesh-Dar's quest & angst for a successor just seemed really disconnected from everything, including the battle the Kreelans are bringing to bear on St. Petersburg. As with the first book, there were some convenient turns (so much so that I was disappointed that I was correct in having guessed them ). The point that the Messengers are so very revered has been made since book 1 so I'm wondering why the Kreelan seem so confused by Sato's reactions to their repeatedly singling him out to save while he watches his fellow humans slaughtered & left for dead. Surely, past Messengers the Kreelan have run into have had similar reactions over the thousands of cycles the war & decimations have been waged.
I still need to know more about the Kreelan but so far they, Tesh-Dar especially, just seem so surface & flat they aren't reading as "real" to me. Li'ara went a bit deeper what with all her introspection in this book & I really began to care but overall, the Kreelan leave me wanting. I mean, I get it. Epic warrior society, prophecy, destiny, Bloodsong, invincible & they make it all look good because they do everything with a dash of beauty to the glory of the Empress, while being all blue & badass. But it's not making me deeply empathetic to their plight. The only thing that makes that somewhat okay is that with the exception of a few "special" humans, the rest are dispatched relatively quickly & aren't written in a way that even if you liked them, you much mourn them. I wanted this to read like BSG but on a character empathy level, it's just not there. On the upside, St. Petersburg fared somewhat better than Keran in that they weren't left to utter decimation as sport to the Kreelan & left behind by humanity after the big battle.
There were long expository re-introductions to characters met in book 1, right in the midst of conversations that really broke continuity & seemed like unnecessary filler. Possibly it's just me though, I read the first book recently so I didn't need to be reintroduced to these people in depth. Honestly, I'm still interested in where this is going & I do like the political & diplomatic backdrop of this series, I think the story quite shines there, so I'll definitely go to the next. My understanding from the reviews I've seen is that for those who've read the original trilogy, it's fantastic but I can't help feeling that I should be able to pick up a series at what is its actual beginning & feel the epic.
When reading about the spy situation on the ground with Valentina, I really liked it. When delving into the political dance between the Confederation & St. Petersburg over where the coal ash & nuclear weapons were & how Riga factored in, was enjoyable. Tesh-Dar's quest & angst for a successor just seemed really disconnected from everything, including the battle the Kreelans are bringing to bear on St. Petersburg. As with the first book, there were some convenient turns (so much so that I was disappointed that I was correct in having guessed them ). The point that the Messengers are so very revered has been made since book 1 so I'm wondering why the Kreelan seem so confused by Sato's reactions to their repeatedly singling him out to save while he watches his fellow humans slaughtered & left for dead. Surely, past Messengers the Kreelan have run into have had similar reactions over the thousands of cycles the war & decimations have been waged.
I still need to know more about the Kreelan but so far they, Tesh-Dar especially, just seem so surface & flat they aren't reading as "real" to me. Li'ara went a bit deeper what with all her introspection in this book & I really began to care but overall, the Kreelan leave me wanting. I mean, I get it. Epic warrior society, prophecy, destiny, Bloodsong, invincible & they make it all look good because they do everything with a dash of beauty to the glory of the Empress, while being all blue & badass. But it's not making me deeply empathetic to their plight. The only thing that makes that somewhat okay is that with the exception of a few "special" humans, the rest are dispatched relatively quickly & aren't written in a way that even if you liked them, you much mourn them. I wanted this to read like BSG but on a character empathy level, it's just not there. On the upside, St. Petersburg fared somewhat better than Keran in that they weren't left to utter decimation as sport to the Kreelan & left behind by humanity after the big battle.
There were long expository re-introductions to characters met in book 1, right in the midst of conversations that really broke continuity & seemed like unnecessary filler. Possibly it's just me though, I read the first book recently so I didn't need to be reintroduced to these people in depth. Honestly, I'm still interested in where this is going & I do like the political & diplomatic backdrop of this series, I think the story quite shines there, so I'll definitely go to the next. My understanding from the reviews I've seen is that for those who've read the original trilogy, it's fantastic but I can't help feeling that I should be able to pick up a series at what is its actual beginning & feel the epic.
June 13, 2015
3,5 Stars
June 4, 2011
The real rating of this book is 3.5 stars rather than four stars.
The book should be focused on Tesh-Dar, and indeed the stories about Kreelans are wonderful, and much better than their humans counterparts. The battles scenes were really well done. The characters are very well developed (and this is true for all the other books in the series). It is impossible not to like some of the Kreelans, and not to hate some of the humans; there are not good guys and bad guys, every character has his own qualities and flaws.
However, I found the "cold war" from Saint Petersburg planet described in too many details, and I didn't care about it. From my point of view, this part should be cut in half (and have more about Kreelans and Kreelan - humans interaction). And again, as in “First Contact” the book has too many references to present and it has a too US centric view.
To conclude, the whole "In Her Name" series is a great read, one of the best sci-fi I've read.
The book should be focused on Tesh-Dar, and indeed the stories about Kreelans are wonderful, and much better than their humans counterparts. The battles scenes were really well done. The characters are very well developed (and this is true for all the other books in the series). It is impossible not to like some of the Kreelans, and not to hate some of the humans; there are not good guys and bad guys, every character has his own qualities and flaws.
However, I found the "cold war" from Saint Petersburg planet described in too many details, and I didn't care about it. From my point of view, this part should be cut in half (and have more about Kreelans and Kreelan - humans interaction). And again, as in “First Contact” the book has too many references to present and it has a too US centric view.
To conclude, the whole "In Her Name" series is a great read, one of the best sci-fi I've read.
July 5, 2012
I'm loving everything about this storyline. Sad to see some of the characters die. Can't wait to see where this is heading. Just bought book 3.
September 28, 2025
I've felt much less invested in this iteration than in the first book in the series. I don't know if it's that I feel Hicks did a lot more telling over showing in this volume, or if it's the human vs. human scuffles over the tension between them and the Kreelans, but I struggled more to pay attention to what was going on.
Granted, there is more worldbuilding, which makes sense for the continuation of a series. Tesh-Dar is ready to mate and we learn more about the process and the males of their species.
The Russian rulers on Saint Petersburg are unfortunately painted similar to how Russian rulers are now. I like the history behind the Saint Petersburg War, and how the sister planet of Riga is now independent (at least in name), but the leaders are building a nuclear arsenal despite the Kreelan threat.
There are spies on both sides of the humans (Russians and Confederates), and McKenna is determined to prevent a nuclear war. Ichiro and Stephanie are married and end up on separate missions, but I love them together. A woman named Valentina works with a new spy from Riga to infiltrate Saint Petersburg military to learn the truth of the weaponry. And the Kreelans don't give two whits about the nukes since they can negate the effects.
A lot with Ichiro's story is as heartbreaking here as it was in the first book.
Because, of course Tesh-Dar randomly targets Saint Petersburg.
I do think it's great to see her character growth regarding Ichiro and not wanting him, as the Messenger, to be destroyed. I also like that Tesh-Dar realizes more and more she may want Li'ara-Zhurah to be her successor.
There is some awesome (and not-so-awesome) treason that occurs from some of the sides.
The Mills vs. Tesh-Dark fight made me first think of Ganner Rhysode vs. the Vong in "Star Wars" but really felt more Kaladin vs. Leshwi in "Stormlight Archive."
Some of the deaths here hit harder than expected (and leave some people on a berserker warpath).
Voroshilov really grows on me.
Granted, there is more worldbuilding, which makes sense for the continuation of a series. Tesh-Dar is ready to mate and we learn more about the process and the males of their species.
The Russian rulers on Saint Petersburg are unfortunately painted similar to how Russian rulers are now. I like the history behind the Saint Petersburg War, and how the sister planet of Riga is now independent (at least in name), but the leaders are building a nuclear arsenal despite the Kreelan threat.
There are spies on both sides of the humans (Russians and Confederates), and McKenna is determined to prevent a nuclear war. Ichiro and Stephanie are married and end up on separate missions, but I love them together. A woman named Valentina works with a new spy from Riga to infiltrate Saint Petersburg military to learn the truth of the weaponry. And the Kreelans don't give two whits about the nukes since they can negate the effects.
A lot with Ichiro's story is as heartbreaking here as it was in the first book.
Because, of course Tesh-Dar randomly targets Saint Petersburg.
I do think it's great to see her character growth regarding Ichiro and not wanting him, as the Messenger, to be destroyed. I also like that Tesh-Dar realizes more and more she may want Li'ara-Zhurah to be her successor.
There is some awesome (and not-so-awesome) treason that occurs from some of the sides.
The Mills vs. Tesh-Dark fight made me first think of Ganner Rhysode vs. the Vong in "Star Wars" but really felt more Kaladin vs. Leshwi in "Stormlight Archive."
Some of the deaths here hit harder than expected (and leave some people on a berserker warpath).
Voroshilov really grows on me.
December 22, 2017
A masterpiece
I have read the entire series through once already and am pleased to say that upon starting again I am even more impressed with Mr. Hicks command with not just words but with the ability to weave worlds. I have never read anything comparable to the intricacy, majesty, fluidity, totality, and, yes, magic, in his more than ease in taking you on a wild and joyous ride into other worlds. Gratitude comes to mind, for this series is a once in a lifetime read. I would give it "fifty" stars if the ratings went that high. An absolute must read!
I have read the entire series through once already and am pleased to say that upon starting again I am even more impressed with Mr. Hicks command with not just words but with the ability to weave worlds. I have never read anything comparable to the intricacy, majesty, fluidity, totality, and, yes, magic, in his more than ease in taking you on a wild and joyous ride into other worlds. Gratitude comes to mind, for this series is a once in a lifetime read. I would give it "fifty" stars if the ratings went that high. An absolute must read!
June 1, 2017
Invasion of Human Space Continues
The battle between humans and the aliens continues but in an unexpected manner. Not only the unusual nature on the aliens but the occasional stupidity of humankind are on full display. Hicks fields his characters effectively but this Volume lacks the depth and heart of the first. I will continue to read the next, Book 3, and hope for greater things.
The battle between humans and the aliens continues but in an unexpected manner. Not only the unusual nature on the aliens but the occasional stupidity of humankind are on full display. Hicks fields his characters effectively but this Volume lacks the depth and heart of the first. I will continue to read the next, Book 3, and hope for greater things.
August 5, 2020
Legend of the Sword follows Ichiro Sato as the war against the Kreelans progresses, with the administration of a rogue planet confounding the whole situation.
Hicks makes a giant step forward in his writing here; better plot, better dialogue, more fleshed-out characters that make a much more cohesive story that's more enjoyable to read than the first in this series. An additional proof-reading/editing would not hurt.
Hicks makes a giant step forward in his writing here; better plot, better dialogue, more fleshed-out characters that make a much more cohesive story that's more enjoyable to read than the first in this series. An additional proof-reading/editing would not hurt.
January 12, 2019
Excellent continuation of the series
The second novel in the series takes some of the more memorable plot lines from the first book and successfully builds on them. The action scenes are engaging and the characters continue to evolve in a way that made me buy the next book in the series.
The second novel in the series takes some of the more memorable plot lines from the first book and successfully builds on them. The action scenes are engaging and the characters continue to evolve in a way that made me buy the next book in the series.
April 22, 2024
After a few years gap this is my 2nd time reading this book, im re- reading the whole series again. Wish Netflix or somebody would make a series out them.
Author has a great way of giving both perspectives "human & alien" his descriptions make it easy for my minds eye to imagine the fast paced scenes of this page turner.
Author has a great way of giving both perspectives "human & alien" his descriptions make it easy for my minds eye to imagine the fast paced scenes of this page turner.
July 23, 2024
Non-stop action. Empathy for both the humans and kreelans at same time. Will definitely follow-up with Dead Soul. Would like to see peace but that’s probably not going to happen. Also a universal translator would open up interesting conversations but also not likely to happen. Can’t wait to see how the Messenger replaces his katana.
November 5, 2025
I really enjoyed how this story explored not just the battles, but also the moral struggles behind them. The human-on-human conflict before the Kreelans even show up was brilliant, it shows how divided humanity can be even in the face of extinction. My only wish is that the world-building had been fleshed out a bit more early on, but overall, a thrilling and thought-provoking read.
July 23, 2018
I'm really enjoying this series. I like both the human side and the bad guys. I'm hoping the author has a decent plan on where he is taking this as it seems like it could be possible to go off the rails. On to book three.
September 21, 2019
Part of a series but it stands on it's own as well. Good strong characters who keep on being developed. You feel for them but also you feel what they do as it happens to them.
I have read and reread all the series and really wish there were more books.
I have read and reread all the series and really wish there were more books.
November 12, 2019
Give us a film!
I’m rereading the ‘In Her Name’ series for a second time. It’s truly an epic tale and one which deserves to be made into a film, provided they stick to the story line and don’t do number on it like they die with Lord of The Rings.
I’m rereading the ‘In Her Name’ series for a second time. It’s truly an epic tale and one which deserves to be made into a film, provided they stick to the story line and don’t do number on it like they die with Lord of The Rings.
November 18, 2019
This the second book in the series didn't disappoint me and continued to be an enjoyable reading experience and worth the time and money spent. If you like alien viewpoints and military conflict of invading aliens, this should be at the top of your to-read list.
May 21, 2020
As good as the first!
This is a series I am going to enjoy reading. The first two books were awe-inspiring. I haven't felt that an alien was REAL so deeply outside the novels of Cherryh.
This is a series I am going to enjoy reading. The first two books were awe-inspiring. I haven't felt that an alien was REAL so deeply outside the novels of Cherryh.
December 11, 2021
The last of Tesh-Dar?
I really enjoyed how the author continues to flesh-out the "philosophy" of the aliens, more so than of the humans. Also, I really liked how the characters at the end of the book carry forward to Book There.
I really enjoyed how the author continues to flesh-out the "philosophy" of the aliens, more so than of the humans. Also, I really liked how the characters at the end of the book carry forward to Book There.
August 20, 2017
The story continues to be fast paced with a lot of action and a good dose of adrenaline. I can't wait to see what is in the third book of this series.
February 16, 2018
Gre at read
Hard-hitting characters and story. Very real in the description of battles and struggles. The realism was very moving, especially during the hand-to-hand fighting.
Hard-hitting characters and story. Very real in the description of battles and struggles. The realism was very moving, especially during the hand-to-hand fighting.
June 14, 2018
Just as good as the first. I powdered though this & got book 3
September 23, 2018
Sci-fi
Another great book in the trilogy, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I can't wait to see how it all ends.
Another great book in the trilogy, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I can't wait to see how it all ends.
November 1, 2024
Such a great storyline
Second book in a long series but worth every moment spent reading. What drew my attention was further evolution of the Kreelans.
Second book in a long series but worth every moment spent reading. What drew my attention was further evolution of the Kreelans.
March 7, 2017
Riviting
I am enjoying this series tremendously...reading the story from both points if view is extremely enjoyable. I am lookijng forward to the next book
I am enjoying this series tremendously...reading the story from both points if view is extremely enjoyable. I am lookijng forward to the next book
September 11, 2018
A gave up on this entire series (despite having bought all of the books in advance) after the invisible dinosaur attack about 28% through. What utter rubbish. The first book was interesting, but this is not for me. If I could donate the series to someone else, I would. Don't even want this in my library.
December 21, 2012
It had been a long time since I read science fiction, but I decided to expand my reading to new genres and picked up Empire (In Her Name: Redemption, #1) by Michael R. Hicks. I found it to be a wonderful blend of epic fantasy and sci fi.
So read it, loved it, and immediately bought Confederation, and Final Battle.
Michael Hicks created the world of Earth after it had taken to space, having built far-flung, loose colonies that behaved similar to our own nations here on Earth - mistrusting, not necessarily ready to help or support one another, and having fierce differences of opinion.
Humans were not sure they were the only sentient species in the universe and had not given up looking.
I love the characters, which Michael Hicks is a master at creating, a massive number of them as the series progressed, and some wonderful key players such Ichiro Sato.
But the best characters in the series were among the Kreelans, a society whose ideals were so foreign that it was easy to hate them. And yet, the author managed, at a point, to gain my understanding for them and even empathy. Imagine a society of female warriors, whose lives were totally dedicated to battle. And they were so skilled at war that there was no one left anywhere to conquer - they have taken on every sentient society they found and annihilated them.
To die in battle was the ultimate glory to the Empress. So they fought and were happy to die in her name. Until they found the humans, they had the problem of having no more wars to win. So this war-like society was excited to have a new game of war to play with what they felt were somewhat worthy opponents. Even though the humans were Neanderthals when it came to technology. Nor did they have their powerful magical skills. So the Kreelans had to use ancient technology to even the odds. Because if the win was easy, it was not honorable.
You ask, were there only females in this strange society? Well, no. But to tell you about that would be a spoiler.
So we had a clash of two completely different societies - the Kreelans who had terrible powers, and who did not find killing immoral, and the humans who found killing abhorrent but a necessary evil of war - a war in which they were powerless to win.
I was riveted to the entire exciting series.
So read it, loved it, and immediately bought Confederation, and Final Battle.
Michael Hicks created the world of Earth after it had taken to space, having built far-flung, loose colonies that behaved similar to our own nations here on Earth - mistrusting, not necessarily ready to help or support one another, and having fierce differences of opinion.
Humans were not sure they were the only sentient species in the universe and had not given up looking.
I love the characters, which Michael Hicks is a master at creating, a massive number of them as the series progressed, and some wonderful key players such Ichiro Sato.
But the best characters in the series were among the Kreelans, a society whose ideals were so foreign that it was easy to hate them. And yet, the author managed, at a point, to gain my understanding for them and even empathy. Imagine a society of female warriors, whose lives were totally dedicated to battle. And they were so skilled at war that there was no one left anywhere to conquer - they have taken on every sentient society they found and annihilated them.
To die in battle was the ultimate glory to the Empress. So they fought and were happy to die in her name. Until they found the humans, they had the problem of having no more wars to win. So this war-like society was excited to have a new game of war to play with what they felt were somewhat worthy opponents. Even though the humans were Neanderthals when it came to technology. Nor did they have their powerful magical skills. So the Kreelans had to use ancient technology to even the odds. Because if the win was easy, it was not honorable.
You ask, were there only females in this strange society? Well, no. But to tell you about that would be a spoiler.
So we had a clash of two completely different societies - the Kreelans who had terrible powers, and who did not find killing immoral, and the humans who found killing abhorrent but a necessary evil of war - a war in which they were powerless to win.
I was riveted to the entire exciting series.
January 25, 2013
I was actually not overly thrilled about the first book in this series. It was still good enough for me to want to try and read another one though. After all I really hate starting on a series and not finishing it. In this case I was rewarded with a pleasant experience.
This book was really enjoyable to read. As I mentioned in my review of the first book, there’s a lot to like in this book series. There are plenty of action, both in space and on the ground, an alien invasion of giant blue amazons and some interesting characters. As in the first book the action, the fleet maneuvers and science in general are quite well written and generally believable. Well the believable part starts to get a bit thin when these überwarriors and priestesses of the Kreelans gets going of course.
I was really bugged by the Kreelans and their mysterious ways in the first book which led me to give it a less than stellar rating. I’m still bugged by them in this book but not so much as before. Part of this is probably because I knew what I was getting this time so it was not as much of a surprise as in the previous one.
The thing that really annoys me though is that these Kreelans could crush the humans like they were insects but they have chosen to downgrade their technology for a more “honorable” fight while, at the same time, they are looking for their mythical savior. I’m still not super thrilled by this background story but okay…I go for it. But then, every time the humans seems to get some upper hand, the Kreelans cheat and bring out some super technology, or downright magic, to neutralize this advantage. What the f…?
Anyway, I definitely enjoyed this book more than the first one. It is really well written, as was the first one, and with plenty of action. I’m looking forward to read the next one now. Much more so than after the first one.
This book was really enjoyable to read. As I mentioned in my review of the first book, there’s a lot to like in this book series. There are plenty of action, both in space and on the ground, an alien invasion of giant blue amazons and some interesting characters. As in the first book the action, the fleet maneuvers and science in general are quite well written and generally believable. Well the believable part starts to get a bit thin when these überwarriors and priestesses of the Kreelans gets going of course.
I was really bugged by the Kreelans and their mysterious ways in the first book which led me to give it a less than stellar rating. I’m still bugged by them in this book but not so much as before. Part of this is probably because I knew what I was getting this time so it was not as much of a surprise as in the previous one.
The thing that really annoys me though is that these Kreelans could crush the humans like they were insects but they have chosen to downgrade their technology for a more “honorable” fight while, at the same time, they are looking for their mythical savior. I’m still not super thrilled by this background story but okay…I go for it. But then, every time the humans seems to get some upper hand, the Kreelans cheat and bring out some super technology, or downright magic, to neutralize this advantage. What the f…?
Anyway, I definitely enjoyed this book more than the first one. It is really well written, as was the first one, and with plenty of action. I’m looking forward to read the next one now. Much more so than after the first one.
November 12, 2015
The In Her Name series are great. Probably, the first one I read, From Chaos Born (First Empress), would have resulted in my not continuing the series as it was a bit closer to fantasy rather than hard science fiction from my perspective. First Contact (The Last War), the first book of which I also received free, made me reevaluate and I ended up purchasing all the ebooks in the series. This is the 2nd book in the Last War series.
The Last War series is about human's first contact with the Kreelan and the Kreelan bringing war to the humans. Each book introduces us to a different planet and brings in new characters but continues with prior characters, creating a thread throughout the stories. I know other reviewers have described the stories in each series, so I won't. My recommendation as to why you should read this book and all of them in each series is because the author has done a wonderful job of writing characters, world building, and dialogue. We experience the story and it moves forward jumping between the perspective of humans and the alien Kreelan.
Significantly, the author in the Last War series provides us with contact with an alien species and a war in which their actions are not attributable to human motivations and responses. While it is first and foremost a huge story, the questions of - How do you fight an enemy that doesn't play by the rules you are used to? When an alien looks at humanity and doesn't see them as "people" by their criteria then what governs their rules on how you are treated. Can a herd animal earn respect? When another species' abilities are so far advanced do we see it as science or magic? Can we stop fighting between ourselves long enough to fight a bigger threat? The 9 books in this 3 series story is a huge tapestry, well written, with a balance of ideas and action.
The Last War series is about human's first contact with the Kreelan and the Kreelan bringing war to the humans. Each book introduces us to a different planet and brings in new characters but continues with prior characters, creating a thread throughout the stories. I know other reviewers have described the stories in each series, so I won't. My recommendation as to why you should read this book and all of them in each series is because the author has done a wonderful job of writing characters, world building, and dialogue. We experience the story and it moves forward jumping between the perspective of humans and the alien Kreelan.
Significantly, the author in the Last War series provides us with contact with an alien species and a war in which their actions are not attributable to human motivations and responses. While it is first and foremost a huge story, the questions of - How do you fight an enemy that doesn't play by the rules you are used to? When an alien looks at humanity and doesn't see them as "people" by their criteria then what governs their rules on how you are treated. Can a herd animal earn respect? When another species' abilities are so far advanced do we see it as science or magic? Can we stop fighting between ourselves long enough to fight a bigger threat? The 9 books in this 3 series story is a huge tapestry, well written, with a balance of ideas and action.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews