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The Icarus Saga #5
The Icarus Needle
NEW ENTRY IN THE ICARUS SAGA FROM NEW YORK TIMES BEST-SELLING AUTHOR TIMOTHY ZAHN.
Ten thousand years ago, a mysterious people known as the Icari vanished from the Spiral, leaving behind a network of portals that can instantaneously transport passengers hundreds or thousands of light-years across the stars.
Gregory Roarke and his Kadolian partner Selene have been tasked with seeking out these alien artifacts and bringing them under the control of the Icarus Group. But the Group’s leadership has changed, and Roarke soon finds himself at serious odds with the new director’s plans.
The result: a counter-plan that lands Roarke and Selene on a distant world with a broken city, a dozen portals, and a group of aliens called the Ammei who dream of using the portals to bring back their own glory days.
But their ambitions will be costly, and not just for themselves. Roarke and Selene must put together the scattered clues and solve the riddle of the Ammei and their plans, while at the same time fending off the Patth and their bid to claim the city and portals for themselves.
Because the Icari are gone . . . aren’t they?
Ten thousand years ago, a mysterious people known as the Icari vanished from the Spiral, leaving behind a network of portals that can instantaneously transport passengers hundreds or thousands of light-years across the stars.
Gregory Roarke and his Kadolian partner Selene have been tasked with seeking out these alien artifacts and bringing them under the control of the Icarus Group. But the Group’s leadership has changed, and Roarke soon finds himself at serious odds with the new director’s plans.
The result: a counter-plan that lands Roarke and Selene on a distant world with a broken city, a dozen portals, and a group of aliens called the Ammei who dream of using the portals to bring back their own glory days.
But their ambitions will be costly, and not just for themselves. Roarke and Selene must put together the scattered clues and solve the riddle of the Ammei and their plans, while at the same time fending off the Patth and their bid to claim the city and portals for themselves.
Because the Icari are gone . . . aren’t they?
336 pages, Hardcover
First published December 3, 2024
43 people are currently reading
298 people want to read
About the author
Timothy Zahn
482 books8,540 followersTimothy Zahn attended Michigan State University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in physics in 1973. He then moved to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and achieved an M.S. degree in physics in 1975. While he was pursuing a doctorate in physics, his adviser became ill and died. Zahn never completed the doctorate. In 1975 he had begun writing science fiction as a hobby, and he became a professional writer. He and his wife Anna live in Bandon, Oregon. They have a son, Corwin Zahn.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
November 28, 2024
Timothy Zahn yet again turns in a good book. His Icarus Saga is perhaps the most consistently "Good" series I have read in Science Fiction. No book goes above or below a 4 star out of 5 on goodreads. Each one right smack dab on the "good" range.
This book has added flavor, because Gregory Roarke's father is present in this book. He's not in a ton of it, but it does make for a new and unique dynamic to this story. We still get the "As My Father Use to Say" aphorisms, and they're still delightful as ever. Zahn smartly only uses about 1 per chapter.
The book continues the puzzle box mystery that the other books have had, but this one didn't feel as exhausting to follow as the puzzlebox in "Twin", but it was a little more complicated than the puzzle boxes in "Job" and "Changeling".
The book does wrap up an individual story here, but for perhaps the first time in the series, has a significant opening for the next book (in this case an opening for the last book, The Icarus Coda). I had the realization that these books with the puzzle box method actually are more like Sherlock Holmes than I thought, in that they all have a self contain mystery, but still connect to other books and have the same characters each time just about.
For Gregory and Selene shippers...you will just have to read this book to find out. I'll say its addressed...in the most "not addressed" way. Stop the Tease Zahn!
Overall, a pretty good book again from Zahn. I'm hoping he sticks the landing and does something special with the finale. For right now, I'll give it a 7 out of 10.
This book has added flavor, because Gregory Roarke's father is present in this book. He's not in a ton of it, but it does make for a new and unique dynamic to this story. We still get the "As My Father Use to Say" aphorisms, and they're still delightful as ever. Zahn smartly only uses about 1 per chapter.
The book continues the puzzle box mystery that the other books have had, but this one didn't feel as exhausting to follow as the puzzlebox in "Twin", but it was a little more complicated than the puzzle boxes in "Job" and "Changeling".
The book does wrap up an individual story here, but for perhaps the first time in the series, has a significant opening for the next book (in this case an opening for the last book, The Icarus Coda). I had the realization that these books with the puzzle box method actually are more like Sherlock Holmes than I thought, in that they all have a self contain mystery, but still connect to other books and have the same characters each time just about.
For Gregory and Selene shippers...you will just have to read this book to find out. I'll say its addressed...in the most "not addressed" way. Stop the Tease Zahn!
Overall, a pretty good book again from Zahn. I'm hoping he sticks the landing and does something special with the finale. For right now, I'll give it a 7 out of 10.
March 11, 2025
Another solid entry in the Icarus Saga. This novel continued to explore the wider implications of several discoveries made in earlier books while further revealing the mystery of the Icari. I think the next book (The Icarus Coda) might be the last in the series (based on the name at least), and I’m excited to finish it!
January 5, 2026
Not my favorite. Lots of reveals, but the overall plot felt messy and a bit half-baked.
December 16, 2024
Timothy Zahn is a master at intricate plotting, sudden twists, and character-driven action. Icarus Needle is the sixth book in the Icarus series (numbering varies by whether you count the original standalone book featuring recurring characters Jordan McKell & Ixil).
By book six, a number of the secrets have been unraveled. A good series is where the onion is peeled very slowly in each book, leaving more to discover in the next book. Also, in a good series, what happens in one book has CONSEQUENCES in the next book.
Our heroes are the human Gregory Roarke and his alien companion Selene, a Kadolian with an extraordinary sense of smell. Roarke and Selene began their partnership as independent bounty hunters. So, they are used to having to think on their feet when the situation changes suddenly.
Roarke & Selene have been tasked by their superiors to find portals and get control of them for their bosses. Yes, portals which means you enter on one planet and emerge lightyears away on a different planet. They tend to come in two flavors: Gemini portals (meaning that two of them are linked and you can ONLY go from that one planet to that other planet). The other flavor, of course, is general use portals (which Roarke & Selene have but their opposites the Patth do not yet have).
In some ways, this series reminds me of the spies in the Cold War. Roarke strikes deals with a powerful Patth boss. He has to be careful that the deal is beneficial ENOUGH to the powerful Patth operative so that it is in the Patth's best interest to agree to the deal. Roarke's superiors, of course, take a VERY dim view of such and in this book several times charge Roarke with treason.
I know that there is one more book for sure and that the next book is called Icarus Coda. I originally thought that meant that MOST of the story was over by the end of Icarus Needle. Having read the entire book now, not so much. So, I am absolutely looking forward to Icarus Coda, coming out in April 2025.
Highly recommended for LOTS of action, spies/derring-do, and you have to be REALLY careful what you say to BOTH your friends AND your enemies!
And highly recommended for series fans, Timothy Zahn fans, space opera fans, and spy vs. spy fans. I will definitely be sorry to come to the end of this series because I have enjoyed each book so much!
By book six, a number of the secrets have been unraveled. A good series is where the onion is peeled very slowly in each book, leaving more to discover in the next book. Also, in a good series, what happens in one book has CONSEQUENCES in the next book.
Our heroes are the human Gregory Roarke and his alien companion Selene, a Kadolian with an extraordinary sense of smell. Roarke and Selene began their partnership as independent bounty hunters. So, they are used to having to think on their feet when the situation changes suddenly.
Roarke & Selene have been tasked by their superiors to find portals and get control of them for their bosses. Yes, portals which means you enter on one planet and emerge lightyears away on a different planet. They tend to come in two flavors: Gemini portals (meaning that two of them are linked and you can ONLY go from that one planet to that other planet). The other flavor, of course, is general use portals (which Roarke & Selene have but their opposites the Patth do not yet have).
In some ways, this series reminds me of the spies in the Cold War. Roarke strikes deals with a powerful Patth boss. He has to be careful that the deal is beneficial ENOUGH to the powerful Patth operative so that it is in the Patth's best interest to agree to the deal. Roarke's superiors, of course, take a VERY dim view of such and in this book several times charge Roarke with treason.
I know that there is one more book for sure and that the next book is called Icarus Coda. I originally thought that meant that MOST of the story was over by the end of Icarus Needle. Having read the entire book now, not so much. So, I am absolutely looking forward to Icarus Coda, coming out in April 2025.
Highly recommended for LOTS of action, spies/derring-do, and you have to be REALLY careful what you say to BOTH your friends AND your enemies!
And highly recommended for series fans, Timothy Zahn fans, space opera fans, and spy vs. spy fans. I will definitely be sorry to come to the end of this series because I have enjoyed each book so much!
May 23, 2025
The fifth or sixth book in the "Icarus Saga" (the official numbering begins at 0, and this is volume 5), and apparently the next-to-last (given that the next volume is titled
The Icarus Coda
).
I'm not going to go into plot right now. It's a space intrigue/adventure story, sitting somewhere in the conceptual space somewhere near Robert A. Heinlein. There are moments of high action, but large parts of the book are taken up with dialogue, and especially with people explaining things to each other. Plus, the narrator constantly quotes his father's quips as if he were Lazarus Long.
Zahn is, fortunately, a good enough storyteller to carry this expository talkiness off, and the action sequences are really quite good. The two main characters (Roarke and Selene) have a well-defined and interesting relationship. He's human and she's an alien, and Zahn does not make the all too common (especially since the advent of Trek ) mistake of setting them up as a romantic couple -- they are close friends and partners, but there's nothing sexual going on between them: or, really, anywhere in the book*.
Though the ending clearly sets up the next book, it isn't a cliffhanger. The various plots and intrigues of this book are adequately resolved, but Roarke's and Selene's situation remains messy. This kind of ending makes me happy, because, though I found it satisfactory, it's in a sort of static way that doesn't leave me wanting to chase those
In fact, I don't think I'll go into the details of the plot at all. I think I've said enough that readers who like this sort of book can tell that it is, indeed, this sort of book.
_____________________
* To be clear, I like a good sex scene, a good sexual relationship, in my fiction. But some books just don't need them.
I'm not going to go into plot right now. It's a space intrigue/adventure story, sitting somewhere in the conceptual space somewhere near Robert A. Heinlein. There are moments of high action, but large parts of the book are taken up with dialogue, and especially with people explaining things to each other. Plus, the narrator constantly quotes his father's quips as if he were Lazarus Long.
Zahn is, fortunately, a good enough storyteller to carry this expository talkiness off, and the action sequences are really quite good. The two main characters (Roarke and Selene) have a well-defined and interesting relationship. He's human and she's an alien, and Zahn does not make the all too common (especially since the advent of Trek ) mistake of setting them up as a romantic couple -- they are close friends and partners, but there's nothing sexual going on between them: or, really, anywhere in the book*.
Though the ending clearly sets up the next book, it isn't a cliffhanger. The various plots and intrigues of this book are adequately resolved, but Roarke's and Selene's situation remains messy. This kind of ending makes me happy, because, though I found it satisfactory, it's in a sort of static way that doesn't leave me wanting to chase those
In fact, I don't think I'll go into the details of the plot at all. I think I've said enough that readers who like this sort of book can tell that it is, indeed, this sort of book.
_____________________
* To be clear, I like a good sex scene, a good sexual relationship, in my fiction. But some books just don't need them.
January 20, 2025
This story needs to hurry up and end... I loved The Icarus Hunt, but have had problems with this sequel series from the get-go with The Icarus Plot...
It all stems from the MC and his repetitive "like my father always says" quotes, but once that grates enough I can find plenty of other things to complain about: leaps of logic in plot, slow moving overarching plot, repetitive book plotting, plot convenience, etc...
As me and my buddies have noted, this series could end in 1-2 more books, or continue for 50 more books, easy... I hope it's the former... I get annoyed with each book quickly, but keep sticking with it...
The high point of this book was in the early parts of the plot, when the quotable father actually showed up, and even said "like I always say"... led to some interesting deviations from the normal quote habits, but it quickly got annoying later in the book, as usual...
Dreading the release of The Icarus Coda in April :D
It all stems from the MC and his repetitive "like my father always says" quotes, but once that grates enough I can find plenty of other things to complain about: leaps of logic in plot, slow moving overarching plot, repetitive book plotting, plot convenience, etc...
As me and my buddies have noted, this series could end in 1-2 more books, or continue for 50 more books, easy... I hope it's the former... I get annoyed with each book quickly, but keep sticking with it...
The high point of this book was in the early parts of the plot, when the quotable father actually showed up, and even said "like I always say"... led to some interesting deviations from the normal quote habits, but it quickly got annoying later in the book, as usual...
Dreading the release of The Icarus Coda in April :D
October 24, 2024
This is the 5th book in Timothy Zahn's Icarus Saga series, which follows Gregory Roarke and partner Selene (a Kandolian), former bounty hunters. This continues the story of their work with the Icarus Group in their search for portals, which are an alien technology that creates the two ends of a worm hole for individuals to travel instantaneously.
There is another race of aliens, the Paathe, which are competing with humans to control this technology. While the book can be read as a standalone, I believe it is best to read the series in order. The books are action packed with numerous dilemmas and mysteries. Each book wraps up a number of mysteries, and comes to a conclusion (there are no cliffhangers) while opening the door to future adventures.
This book has a number of returning characters: Roarke, Selene, Ixil, McKell, Nash, among others, new characters are introduced keeping the story fresh. We get to meet Roarke's father.
The series stays fresh and all the many twists and turns keep the pages turning. I received this eARC from Baen for an honest review. The book's publication is expected in December.
There is another race of aliens, the Paathe, which are competing with humans to control this technology. While the book can be read as a standalone, I believe it is best to read the series in order. The books are action packed with numerous dilemmas and mysteries. Each book wraps up a number of mysteries, and comes to a conclusion (there are no cliffhangers) while opening the door to future adventures.
This book has a number of returning characters: Roarke, Selene, Ixil, McKell, Nash, among others, new characters are introduced keeping the story fresh. We get to meet Roarke's father.
The series stays fresh and all the many twists and turns keep the pages turning. I received this eARC from Baen for an honest review. The book's publication is expected in December.
July 9, 2025
🌀💬📡
“The portals might be ancient. The drama? Brand new.”
🌀💬📡
4.2 out of 5 Dad Quotes That Actually Land
The Icarus Needle doesn’t just thread the plot—it finally pulls. Roarke and Selene are still dodging Patth, chasing relics, and quote-sparring with Roarke’s dad (yes, that dad), but this time Zahn tilts the chessboard. New players arrive. Old loyalties fracture. And the portal mystery? It opens up, both literally and thematically.
It’s talkier than usual, and the plot occasionally wobbles under all the exposition—but Zahn knows his beat. The vibe is Cold War intrigue meets alien anthropology, wrapped in a very Zahnian package: dadisms, high-stakes puzzles, and zero sex, just vibes.
Best for: Long-haul fans of the series looking for real narrative payoff and surprising emotional notes.
Skip if: You tapped out at quote #37 back in book two.
👀 Worth noting: Selene continues to be the unsung MVP. Roarke continues to flirt with depth but dodge emotional clarity. The portals? Still cooler than warp drives.
“The portals might be ancient. The drama? Brand new.”
🌀💬📡
4.2 out of 5 Dad Quotes That Actually Land
The Icarus Needle doesn’t just thread the plot—it finally pulls. Roarke and Selene are still dodging Patth, chasing relics, and quote-sparring with Roarke’s dad (yes, that dad), but this time Zahn tilts the chessboard. New players arrive. Old loyalties fracture. And the portal mystery? It opens up, both literally and thematically.
It’s talkier than usual, and the plot occasionally wobbles under all the exposition—but Zahn knows his beat. The vibe is Cold War intrigue meets alien anthropology, wrapped in a very Zahnian package: dadisms, high-stakes puzzles, and zero sex, just vibes.
Best for: Long-haul fans of the series looking for real narrative payoff and surprising emotional notes.
Skip if: You tapped out at quote #37 back in book two.
👀 Worth noting: Selene continues to be the unsung MVP. Roarke continues to flirt with depth but dodge emotional clarity. The portals? Still cooler than warp drives.
December 28, 2024
I know there's at least one more book after this one, The Icarus Coda, but I have no idea how Zahn plans to conclude this series. The Icarus Needle ends with some major changes, but I am also apparently bad at guessing Zahn's plot twists and turns.
We learn a little bit more about the portals and the hypothetical Icari past, but Roarke also pulled an awful lot of assumptions and ideas out of thin air, at least to me as the reader. I enjoyed getting to meet his dad, though--especially because I had assumed from all the "as my dad said" quotes that he was dead!
We learn a little bit more about the portals and the hypothetical Icari past, but Roarke also pulled an awful lot of assumptions and ideas out of thin air, at least to me as the reader. I enjoyed getting to meet his dad, though--especially because I had assumed from all the "as my dad said" quotes that he was dead!
December 17, 2025
The Gold Ones.
They were working for the Icarus Group until they weren’t. Gregory Roarke and his Kadolian partner Selene are now under the command of the Alien Portal Agency, with a new boss that likes neither Roarke nor aliens. Roarke’s counter-plan could leave them executed for treason or stranded on an alien world with the Ammei.
The sayings of Roark’s father could fill their own book. They are priceless observations. Great sci-fi action. I am fascinated by Pix and Pax. I received a free copy, but my review is honest and voluntary.
They were working for the Icarus Group until they weren’t. Gregory Roarke and his Kadolian partner Selene are now under the command of the Alien Portal Agency, with a new boss that likes neither Roarke nor aliens. Roarke’s counter-plan could leave them executed for treason or stranded on an alien world with the Ammei.
The sayings of Roark’s father could fill their own book. They are priceless observations. Great sci-fi action. I am fascinated by Pix and Pax. I received a free copy, but my review is honest and voluntary.
February 3, 2025
The Icarus Group gets re-organized and Roarke et al are on their way out. While dealing with the fallout of all of this they end up on a planet inhabited by people who had direct dealings/worked with the Icari.
This story was slow slow to develop, but the second half was pretty well told.
This story was slow slow to develop, but the second half was pretty well told.
October 1, 2025
We finally get to meet the famous father behind all the quotes!
I liked this one better because it finally addresses the mystery of who built the portals as well as their history. Though it doesn't answer everything. However, it made this book a little more interesting than the previous books.
I liked this one better because it finally addresses the mystery of who built the portals as well as their history. Though it doesn't answer everything. However, it made this book a little more interesting than the previous books.
December 11, 2024
Sifi not something that interests me
December 30, 2024
3.5 stars
January 3, 2025
Another great entry! This series is incorporating more and more of the overarching thread the further it goes, and now I can't wait for the next one to come out.
March 7, 2025
Good series, but it is starting to drag. Especially this book. I will not complete the series.
March 27, 2025
As always, just a good sci-fi adventure romp.
October 17, 2025
Gregory and Selene have their work cut out for them. Portals, portals everywhere.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews