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The Saga of Shadows #2
Blood of the Cosmos
Blood of the the second book in Kevin J. Anderson's Saga of Shadows trilogy.
An epic space opera of the titanic conflict of several galactic civilizations against a life-destroying force of shadows, a dark cosmic force that has swept through the undercurrents of the human interstellar empire.
The intertwined plots, overflowing with colorful ideas, a large cast of characters, and complex storylines, span dozens of solar systems, alien races, and strange creatures.
As the second book of the trilogy opens, the humans and Ildirans, having narrowly escaped annihilation at the hands of the Shana Rei and their robot allies in Book One, are desperate to find a way to combat the black cloud of antimatter of the Shana Rei. The mysterious alien Gardeners, who had helped them previously, turn out to be a disaster in disguise and because of them, the world tree forests are again in danger. The allies believing they have found a way to stop their dreaded enemies, a new weapon is tested, but it's a horrible failure, throwing the human race and its allies to the brink of extinction.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
An epic space opera of the titanic conflict of several galactic civilizations against a life-destroying force of shadows, a dark cosmic force that has swept through the undercurrents of the human interstellar empire.
The intertwined plots, overflowing with colorful ideas, a large cast of characters, and complex storylines, span dozens of solar systems, alien races, and strange creatures.
As the second book of the trilogy opens, the humans and Ildirans, having narrowly escaped annihilation at the hands of the Shana Rei and their robot allies in Book One, are desperate to find a way to combat the black cloud of antimatter of the Shana Rei. The mysterious alien Gardeners, who had helped them previously, turn out to be a disaster in disguise and because of them, the world tree forests are again in danger. The allies believing they have found a way to stop their dreaded enemies, a new weapon is tested, but it's a horrible failure, throwing the human race and its allies to the brink of extinction.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
448 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 2, 2015
116 people are currently reading
1008 people want to read
About the author
Kevin J. Anderson
1,038 books3,107 followersYes, I have a lot of books, and if this is your first visit to my amazon author page, it can be a little overwhelming. If you are new to my work, let me recommend a few titles as good places to start. I love my Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. series, humorous horror/mysteries, which begin with DEATH WARMED OVER. My steampunk fantasy adventures, CLOCKWORK ANGELS and CLOCKWORK LIVES, written with Neil Peart, legendary drummer from Rush, are two of my very favorite novels ever. And my magnum opus, the science fiction epic The Saga of Seven Suns, begins with HIDDEN EMPIRE. After you've tried those, I hope you'll check out some of my other series.
I have written spin-off novels for Star Wars, StarCraft, Titan A.E., and The X-Files, and I'm the co-author of the Dune prequels. My original works include the Saga of Seven Suns series and the Nebula Award-nominated Assemblers of Infinity. I have also written several comic books including the Dark Horse Star Wars collection Tales of the Jedi written in collaboration with Tom Veitch, Predator titles (also for Dark Horse), and X-Files titles for Topps.
I serve as a judge in the Writers of the Future contest.
My wife is author Rebecca Moesta. We currently reside near Monument, Colorado.
I have written spin-off novels for Star Wars, StarCraft, Titan A.E., and The X-Files, and I'm the co-author of the Dune prequels. My original works include the Saga of Seven Suns series and the Nebula Award-nominated Assemblers of Infinity. I have also written several comic books including the Dark Horse Star Wars collection Tales of the Jedi written in collaboration with Tom Veitch, Predator titles (also for Dark Horse), and X-Files titles for Topps.
I serve as a judge in the Writers of the Future contest.
My wife is author Rebecca Moesta. We currently reside near Monument, Colorado.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
September 28, 2016
First Kevin J. Anderson wrote the Saga of the Seven Suns which consisted of seven books and now he has followed up with a further three called the Saga of Shadows about the same characters and their worlds. This is the second of those books so I feel I know the characters really well!
And you need to know them well because there are very many of them and the author moves his story to a different group of them in each chapter. As a result each chapter ends on a cliff hanger and the reader has to wait many pages until a resolution comes around. As a page turning technique this is brilliant.
As with all the others this was a very long book but I enjoyed it hugely and am looking forward to the next one.
And you need to know them well because there are very many of them and the author moves his story to a different group of them in each chapter. As a result each chapter ends on a cliff hanger and the reader has to wait many pages until a resolution comes around. As a page turning technique this is brilliant.
As with all the others this was a very long book but I enjoyed it hugely and am looking forward to the next one.
July 30, 2018
Storyline: 3/5
Characters: 2/5
Writing Style: 2/5
World: 2/5
Sometimes a sequel makes you look back on the first in the series and hold it in higher regard. The sequel can enrich characters whose identities had yet been brought to fullness, it can provide further depth to institutions or technologies and their relationship to society, or maybe it will bring together storylines or viewpoints in such a way to show you that the author had been cunningly juggling complicated relationships and plots all along. On the other hand, there are sequels, such as Blood of the Cosmos, which sap the wonder and accomplishments from their precursor. So the characters are the same people doing the same things with with the added wrinkle that.... they're doing it someplace else. The technologies and the conflicts are the same except that.... they're bigger. The revelations and twists remain as a promised, the difference being that.... well, actually there's no difference; the same things are promised and the revelations put off until the next book. This second in the Saga of Shadows trilogy exhibits all these attributes.
The story still has some momentum and appeal; I very much doubt anything here would deter Anderson fans or Saga of the Seven Suns devotees. The author still manages to squeeze something additional from the mini-chapter format and shifting viewpoints perspective. There are enough plot developments and new problems and solutions to entertain. The single greatest flaw of the book is that it aspires to be an epic but lacks the complexity to pull it off. "The Story So Far" prologue was a several page summary of the events in the last book. One of the challenges of a sequel is how to re-familiarize the reader with the characters, boundaries, and stakes of the story in an aesthetically pleasing way while complementing the new story. The summary approach is a blunt, lazy device in any circumstance. This particular summary was especially hamfisted: overly long, odd details, simple prose with a choppy functionalism. It was additionally awkward, however, because it didn't replace the reviews and reminders in the story. Thus we get additional flashbacks, commentaries, musings, etc., that explain who the characters are and their relationship to others. There was no need, then, for the prologue; in fact, the experience would have been better without it. Anderson doesn't stop there, however, with the reviews and summaries. They occur throughout the book. Sometimes the exact same phrasing and description is used; one can see the copy/paste function at work. That is a reasonable way to write a first draft. You stick on some placeholders intending to come back and rework the descriptions, add a little nuance or a tweak that delivers something extra, but Anderson didn't come back for those revisions. This is something an editor should catch, and one has to be surprised that a publisher with the reputation of Tor didn't do more. Those writing and editing flaws are magnified, however, by Anderson's decision to keep the characters to a very limited two-dimensions and the conflicts nearly identical to what was written in book one. Nearly all of the characters are exactly who they were in book one. There's little attempt at growth or depth; in fact, what we get are repeated reminders of the singular qualities that we are supposed to know about them. So their dialogue reinforces a single trait: cold-bloodedness, indecisiveness, insecurity, genius, tenderness, militarism, etc. Then their actions reinforce those same traits. Then the omniscient narration reiterates those same traits. Over and over and over again. The worldbuilding, too, has this over and over and over again problem. I think now that I liked The Dark Between the Stars more than was warranted. Not having read the seven-part Saga of the Seven Suns, the world was new to me. In this second volume, I had already tired of revisiting the same places decorated with the same descriptions. If this is what the Saga of the Seven Suns was like, then readers could have skimmed much of this. One bonus that might have been available to followers of the full saga is the interactions with characters from the original series. They work fine in this story for readers coming to the series anew, but perhaps there was an added level of anticipation or satisfaction that I wasn't able to access. I'll read on to Eternity's Mind and finish the trilogy. I don't expect much from Anderson at this point, and if the final volume is like this, then he's not going to be an author I seek out. Still, the problem of repetition aside, there is little here to annoy a reader. The characters are two-dimensional, but there's so many of them that you get plenty of variety. Most of the environments are already familiar, but they're neat environments. The plot is recycled, but Anderson is capable enough at generating a mild tension. It was a mediocre book, and I'd much rather read one like this than a bad one.
Characters: 2/5
Writing Style: 2/5
World: 2/5
Sometimes a sequel makes you look back on the first in the series and hold it in higher regard. The sequel can enrich characters whose identities had yet been brought to fullness, it can provide further depth to institutions or technologies and their relationship to society, or maybe it will bring together storylines or viewpoints in such a way to show you that the author had been cunningly juggling complicated relationships and plots all along. On the other hand, there are sequels, such as Blood of the Cosmos, which sap the wonder and accomplishments from their precursor. So the characters are the same people doing the same things with with the added wrinkle that.... they're doing it someplace else. The technologies and the conflicts are the same except that.... they're bigger. The revelations and twists remain as a promised, the difference being that.... well, actually there's no difference; the same things are promised and the revelations put off until the next book. This second in the Saga of Shadows trilogy exhibits all these attributes.
The story still has some momentum and appeal; I very much doubt anything here would deter Anderson fans or Saga of the Seven Suns devotees. The author still manages to squeeze something additional from the mini-chapter format and shifting viewpoints perspective. There are enough plot developments and new problems and solutions to entertain. The single greatest flaw of the book is that it aspires to be an epic but lacks the complexity to pull it off. "The Story So Far" prologue was a several page summary of the events in the last book. One of the challenges of a sequel is how to re-familiarize the reader with the characters, boundaries, and stakes of the story in an aesthetically pleasing way while complementing the new story. The summary approach is a blunt, lazy device in any circumstance. This particular summary was especially hamfisted: overly long, odd details, simple prose with a choppy functionalism. It was additionally awkward, however, because it didn't replace the reviews and reminders in the story. Thus we get additional flashbacks, commentaries, musings, etc., that explain who the characters are and their relationship to others. There was no need, then, for the prologue; in fact, the experience would have been better without it. Anderson doesn't stop there, however, with the reviews and summaries. They occur throughout the book. Sometimes the exact same phrasing and description is used; one can see the copy/paste function at work. That is a reasonable way to write a first draft. You stick on some placeholders intending to come back and rework the descriptions, add a little nuance or a tweak that delivers something extra, but Anderson didn't come back for those revisions. This is something an editor should catch, and one has to be surprised that a publisher with the reputation of Tor didn't do more. Those writing and editing flaws are magnified, however, by Anderson's decision to keep the characters to a very limited two-dimensions and the conflicts nearly identical to what was written in book one. Nearly all of the characters are exactly who they were in book one. There's little attempt at growth or depth; in fact, what we get are repeated reminders of the singular qualities that we are supposed to know about them. So their dialogue reinforces a single trait: cold-bloodedness, indecisiveness, insecurity, genius, tenderness, militarism, etc. Then their actions reinforce those same traits. Then the omniscient narration reiterates those same traits. Over and over and over again. The worldbuilding, too, has this over and over and over again problem. I think now that I liked The Dark Between the Stars more than was warranted. Not having read the seven-part Saga of the Seven Suns, the world was new to me. In this second volume, I had already tired of revisiting the same places decorated with the same descriptions. If this is what the Saga of the Seven Suns was like, then readers could have skimmed much of this. One bonus that might have been available to followers of the full saga is the interactions with characters from the original series. They work fine in this story for readers coming to the series anew, but perhaps there was an added level of anticipation or satisfaction that I wasn't able to access. I'll read on to Eternity's Mind and finish the trilogy. I don't expect much from Anderson at this point, and if the final volume is like this, then he's not going to be an author I seek out. Still, the problem of repetition aside, there is little here to annoy a reader. The characters are two-dimensional, but there's so many of them that you get plenty of variety. Most of the environments are already familiar, but they're neat environments. The plot is recycled, but Anderson is capable enough at generating a mild tension. It was a mediocre book, and I'd much rather read one like this than a bad one.
June 15, 2015
Another excellent installment by Kevin J. Anderson. My only complaint is that the constantly shifting viewpoints means it takes a long time to come to resolution; there's a portion in the middle where five consecutive chapters basically end with "something is coming..." The payoff is well worth it, though.
Also, Elisa is the worst.
Also, Elisa is the worst.
June 14, 2015
I still liked all of the characters, they're all well-drawn and almost all are actually likable too. Despite the multitude of characters I never had trouble distinguishing who's talking or keeping track of all of them, much less so than in many books with only two points of view. There's a glossary of characters and terms at the back of the book but I never needed it, despite the many points of view, locations, historical events, and everything else, including the year since the last book (which I don't think I liked quite as much?) and my generally terrible memory. I think that says a lot for the writing being good at giving me the clues I need to spark my memory, usually without info dumps. Though there was a very welcome extensive "The Story So Far," at the beginning that was just a huge info dump, but it wouldn't have been nearly enough for the 600+ page book without smart cues in the writing.
But it did bug me when the author made a character act like an idiot just to advance a plot point. The green priest who had the most to gain from protecting the bloaters just blurted out the secret of them to a Roamer (coincidentally a b-list character who's skymine was in trouble because of the ekti-x). The priest had reason to not be at his best but he also had many more reasons than most to know that that secret needed to be kept, he wasn't likely to comment on it with anyone casually, the whole scene was really unbelievable.
It's still primarily a series for fans of the original Saga of the Seven Suns series though. It isn't that you couldn't read this trilogy and enjoy it. It's just that you wouldn't understand the significance of most of it. Most of the characters are either from the first seven books or kids of characters from the first seven books. And even when Anderson recaps or briefly explains who they are you can't really get a feel for that kind of history in just a few short sentences. Like the Exxos, the evil robot who is a major character in this series. He just does not seem scary or even particularly significant in this book. There's no sense of the long history of his people or the role that they played in the last war. He feels like a toady. Fans of The Saga of the Seven Suns would know that that is really not what the Klikiss robots are all about, would have a whole different sense of them.
Some things did come across quite well though. I thought the verdani and the worldtrees and the idea of the green priests were explained very well and felt as vivid and realistic here as ever. It's one of those ideas that I can never decide if I'd like or not. I always wonder how a survey of readers would go on that. All of the information in the world available at a touch, instant communication too. But it seems to have put books, at least reference books, out of business. I'm not sure that would/could actually happen with the numbers of low number of priests and costs the author seems to be suggesting though. Anyway, they come across with that sense of magnificence and alienness and familiarity at the same time. I think everything about the forest and the trees should really work even for new readers.
There are other things that work as well, I'm not suggesting that new readers won't enjoy the action and adventure, the interesting characters, etc., etc. It's just that the characters aren't all that deep because despite being the second huge book in the trilogy, there are tons of characters and there's only so much you can tell about each with this style of many short point of view chapters. So without really knowing the background it might be hard to really feel the connection to them that someone who read the other seven books first would be able to feel. But it might still be a fun series for them. Space opera light would probably be how I'd describe it. It's definitely easy reading, despite the size of the book. It's kind of nice to have an alternative to some of the heavy, dark, military space operas that have been coming out so much lately. My general preference might be for something in between, a bit more character oriented but still on the lighter side, but that's neither here nor there. It was a fun book. It's always enjoyable to watch Anderson do his juggling act with his points of view with he's really on the ball and I thought he was mostly was here, there were only a few times when I got annoyed that a character was repeating him/herself a lot. Overall it was a book that fans should enjoy and new readers might well enjoy as well.
But it did bug me when the author made a character act like an idiot just to advance a plot point. The green priest who had the most to gain from protecting the bloaters just blurted out the secret of them to a Roamer (coincidentally a b-list character who's skymine was in trouble because of the ekti-x). The priest had reason to not be at his best but he also had many more reasons than most to know that that secret needed to be kept, he wasn't likely to comment on it with anyone casually, the whole scene was really unbelievable.
It's still primarily a series for fans of the original Saga of the Seven Suns series though. It isn't that you couldn't read this trilogy and enjoy it. It's just that you wouldn't understand the significance of most of it. Most of the characters are either from the first seven books or kids of characters from the first seven books. And even when Anderson recaps or briefly explains who they are you can't really get a feel for that kind of history in just a few short sentences. Like the Exxos, the evil robot who is a major character in this series. He just does not seem scary or even particularly significant in this book. There's no sense of the long history of his people or the role that they played in the last war. He feels like a toady. Fans of The Saga of the Seven Suns would know that that is really not what the Klikiss robots are all about, would have a whole different sense of them.
Some things did come across quite well though. I thought the verdani and the worldtrees and the idea of the green priests were explained very well and felt as vivid and realistic here as ever. It's one of those ideas that I can never decide if I'd like or not. I always wonder how a survey of readers would go on that. All of the information in the world available at a touch, instant communication too. But it seems to have put books, at least reference books, out of business. I'm not sure that would/could actually happen with the numbers of low number of priests and costs the author seems to be suggesting though. Anyway, they come across with that sense of magnificence and alienness and familiarity at the same time. I think everything about the forest and the trees should really work even for new readers.
There are other things that work as well, I'm not suggesting that new readers won't enjoy the action and adventure, the interesting characters, etc., etc. It's just that the characters aren't all that deep because despite being the second huge book in the trilogy, there are tons of characters and there's only so much you can tell about each with this style of many short point of view chapters. So without really knowing the background it might be hard to really feel the connection to them that someone who read the other seven books first would be able to feel. But it might still be a fun series for them. Space opera light would probably be how I'd describe it. It's definitely easy reading, despite the size of the book. It's kind of nice to have an alternative to some of the heavy, dark, military space operas that have been coming out so much lately. My general preference might be for something in between, a bit more character oriented but still on the lighter side, but that's neither here nor there. It was a fun book. It's always enjoyable to watch Anderson do his juggling act with his points of view with he's really on the ball and I thought he was mostly was here, there were only a few times when I got annoyed that a character was repeating him/herself a lot. Overall it was a book that fans should enjoy and new readers might well enjoy as well.
October 24, 2016
"Blood of the Cosmos" is the second novel in Kevin J. Anderson's space-opera series, "The Saga of Shadows." This series is supposed to be a trilogy, and is actually a sequel to the previous seven-novel series, "The Saga of Seven Suns."
Yes, it's a long story. It all takes place in a future time, when humans have developed an empire spreading out into the "spiral arm" of the galaxy. Along the way, they have run into alien races, some of which are pretty powerful and pretty crazy.
I find these stories engagingly complex and fun to read. I know some readers don't like Kevin J. Anderson, so maybe I'm just easily entertained.
Cleanness Rating: * * _ _ _
This novel only gets two stars out of five. There's some profanity, but the main issue is a fair amount of violence, some of which gets gruesome.
ARK -- 23 October 2016
Yes, it's a long story. It all takes place in a future time, when humans have developed an empire spreading out into the "spiral arm" of the galaxy. Along the way, they have run into alien races, some of which are pretty powerful and pretty crazy.
I find these stories engagingly complex and fun to read. I know some readers don't like Kevin J. Anderson, so maybe I'm just easily entertained.
Cleanness Rating: * * _ _ _
This novel only gets two stars out of five. There's some profanity, but the main issue is a fair amount of violence, some of which gets gruesome.
ARK -- 23 October 2016
May 13, 2017
The continuing adventures in the Saga of Shadows trilogy and this picks up right where the Dark Between the Stars left off. This one might suffer a little from middle book syndrome as you see lots more war, death and destruction happening between the Confederation/Ildiran alliance and the Shana Rei but nothing really gets resolved yet. Still a quick and fun read and really looking forward to the last novel in this series.
4 stars for a fun read and recommended for space opera fans along with those following the Seven Suns/Saga of Shadows books.
4 stars for a fun read and recommended for space opera fans along with those following the Seven Suns/Saga of Shadows books.
July 23, 2017
Another great installment of this exciting space opera trilogy from one of the genre's finest exponents. It continues the series immediately from where The Dark Between the Stars left off, and gives further truck-loads of the same fast-paced action and bigness which are hallmarks of Anderson's epic stories.
Like the previous books, for a kick off we're given a decent story recap which is a great feature of the series, one of the key things which make these books so readable. You can come back into it after some time away and quickly pick up the story again, brought back up to speed with key events and plot elements that jog the memory sufficiently to enthusiastically get right back onto the roller coaster. That's exactly what this series is, a fast-paced action science-fantasy space opera with most of the tropes that make this type of thing so appealing. It's fantastic science fiction, full of the sense of wonder that the genre is famous for and there are so many things to help you get lost in it.
All of the familiar players return and many of them begin to take on larger roles in the story, which evolves at a breathtaking rate. We learn more about the dark and insane Shana Rei and their diabolical plan for the universe, aided still by the murderous Klikiss robots who are now seeing things for what they really are. The enigmatic Bloaters, the strange organic nodules found in deep space and abundant source of ekti-x stardrive fuel, remain an anomaly for the moment. A few more subtle clues are offered about their essence and I'm very eager to learn what these are all about. I'm anticipating something big from them. The background to many of the characters continues to be fleshed out, recounting much of what was presented on the Saga of Seven Suns which will further help readers who haven't read that earlier series. The action is practically non-stop and I was always eager to return to the book after having put it down, always treated to something spectacular whenever I did. The world building is nothing short of spectacular.
The large science-fantasy elements to this story are superb; the magical realm of the worldforest on Theroc with the trees' instantaneous communications across the universe, facilitated by the fascinating green priests, the inter-dimensional and matter-manipulating abilities of the Shana Rei and the mind-bending Faeros who, along with the Hydrogues, are again going to play pivotal roles in the story. The Onthos aliens, who made their grand entrance at the end of book one, once tenders of another ancient worldforest, are sheltering on Theroc and take on a new more sinister role. Big things are going to happen with the worldforest and the green priests in book three.
As you can see, there really is so much going on in this story and I'm assuming that any reader of this would have at least read The Dark Between the Stars and maybe even the Saga of Seven Suns. If so they'll know exactly what to expect. The large scale of the story makes this a superb escapism read and I usually found myself reluctant to "snap out of it" after a session in the pages. Huge marks for pure entertainment that's for sure.
It's looking like it's going to be one hell of a climactic conclusion to the trilogy because the story is still building. I'm preparing myself for quite a ride in book three Eternity's Mind. I highly recommend this book and series to lovers of space action and adventure. Sure, there are more "intellectual" space opera works out there, but for pure entertainment (which is exactly what this is intended to be) it cannot be beaten.
Like the previous books, for a kick off we're given a decent story recap which is a great feature of the series, one of the key things which make these books so readable. You can come back into it after some time away and quickly pick up the story again, brought back up to speed with key events and plot elements that jog the memory sufficiently to enthusiastically get right back onto the roller coaster. That's exactly what this series is, a fast-paced action science-fantasy space opera with most of the tropes that make this type of thing so appealing. It's fantastic science fiction, full of the sense of wonder that the genre is famous for and there are so many things to help you get lost in it.
All of the familiar players return and many of them begin to take on larger roles in the story, which evolves at a breathtaking rate. We learn more about the dark and insane Shana Rei and their diabolical plan for the universe, aided still by the murderous Klikiss robots who are now seeing things for what they really are. The enigmatic Bloaters, the strange organic nodules found in deep space and abundant source of ekti-x stardrive fuel, remain an anomaly for the moment. A few more subtle clues are offered about their essence and I'm very eager to learn what these are all about. I'm anticipating something big from them. The background to many of the characters continues to be fleshed out, recounting much of what was presented on the Saga of Seven Suns which will further help readers who haven't read that earlier series. The action is practically non-stop and I was always eager to return to the book after having put it down, always treated to something spectacular whenever I did. The world building is nothing short of spectacular.
The large science-fantasy elements to this story are superb; the magical realm of the worldforest on Theroc with the trees' instantaneous communications across the universe, facilitated by the fascinating green priests, the inter-dimensional and matter-manipulating abilities of the Shana Rei and the mind-bending Faeros who, along with the Hydrogues, are again going to play pivotal roles in the story. The Onthos aliens, who made their grand entrance at the end of book one, once tenders of another ancient worldforest, are sheltering on Theroc and take on a new more sinister role. Big things are going to happen with the worldforest and the green priests in book three.
As you can see, there really is so much going on in this story and I'm assuming that any reader of this would have at least read The Dark Between the Stars and maybe even the Saga of Seven Suns. If so they'll know exactly what to expect. The large scale of the story makes this a superb escapism read and I usually found myself reluctant to "snap out of it" after a session in the pages. Huge marks for pure entertainment that's for sure.
It's looking like it's going to be one hell of a climactic conclusion to the trilogy because the story is still building. I'm preparing myself for quite a ride in book three Eternity's Mind. I highly recommend this book and series to lovers of space action and adventure. Sure, there are more "intellectual" space opera works out there, but for pure entertainment (which is exactly what this is intended to be) it cannot be beaten.
April 26, 2019
I don't know if I just like characters who succeed in adversity - all the POV characters (protagonists) in the saga of the seven suns were rather relatable and likeable (other than Patrick Fitz-what's-his-name). But somehow in this book they are rather irritating - Prince Reynald - oh poor prince with the rare disease. Princess Arita - oh poor princess who was spurned by the verdani and lost her beloved because he is a green priest and she's not.
Antagonists wise, I'm not sure if reusing the klikiss robots as the villains is a good idea. By this book, everytime I see Exxos POV chapters there's not much new things to learn as the Psycho robots are just always psycho. Shana Rei are crazy too, but they are the epitome of entropy, so I take it that this should be their role, so be it.
For Zoe and Tom Rom, so much time is spent on their crazy antics too that I suppose they will play a big part in the last book, but they are just not likeable. Unlike Davlin in Saga of the Seven Suns, who is a good person, Tom Rom is too mercenary to be likeable
Antagonists wise, I'm not sure if reusing the klikiss robots as the villains is a good idea. By this book, everytime I see Exxos POV chapters there's not much new things to learn as the Psycho robots are just always psycho. Shana Rei are crazy too, but they are the epitome of entropy, so I take it that this should be their role, so be it.
For Zoe and Tom Rom, so much time is spent on their crazy antics too that I suppose they will play a big part in the last book, but they are just not likeable. Unlike Davlin in Saga of the Seven Suns, who is a good person, Tom Rom is too mercenary to be likeable
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 25, 2020
This is the second book of Kevin Anderson's trilogy, The Saga of Shadows. It is the continuation of the story started in his first book, The Dark Between the Stars. As I mentioned in that review, it took me a while to adjust to Anderson's chosen style of storytelling which relies heavily on familiarity with a large cast of characters and the ability to follow their individual storylines while relating them to the overall plot. For those who enjoy sci-fi this should be a first choice. Anderson doesn't give any sugarcoating to his story. While there are some admirable characters here, there are a few self-serving ones as well, the ones you unconsciously find yourself waiting for karmic justice to catch up to them. The overall storyline is very engaging as well: people who find themselves pitted against an enemy who seems too powerful to conquer. It will keep you engaged and longing for more until you can read the final book of the series.
June 22, 2018
Well, I'm sad to say that this saga is disappointing compare to its prequel. If the "Saga of the Seven suns" was a revelation, wonderfully written, K.J. Anderson has somehow missed something in this one.
Pay attention that the Universe in which we're evolving is still amazing, but the literature style don't make it easy to red. Each time the book switch from characters, we're rewarded with its biography so far, even if we've been reading those events it 50 pages ago. I start to mind it at the end of the first book, the eagerness to read the sequel of the first Saga being strong, but the second book has totally dissolve that.
I started to skip the first 5 pages of each new chapter to avoid the revival of the same event I've already read 5 times.
Even it makes it more difficult to read, I repeat it, the Universe is still very pleasant and refreshing.
Pay attention that the Universe in which we're evolving is still amazing, but the literature style don't make it easy to red. Each time the book switch from characters, we're rewarded with its biography so far, even if we've been reading those events it 50 pages ago. I start to mind it at the end of the first book, the eagerness to read the sequel of the first Saga being strong, but the second book has totally dissolve that.
I started to skip the first 5 pages of each new chapter to avoid the revival of the same event I've already read 5 times.
Even it makes it more difficult to read, I repeat it, the Universe is still very pleasant and refreshing.
March 15, 2025
Tome 2 de la saga de la nuit
Lu en anglais
Cette série fait suite à la série " La saga des 7 soleils".
Le Shana Rei, l'ombre, continue ses ravages, maintenant allié aux rescapés des robots Klikiss. Même si les Ildirans ont découvert les plans d'anciennes armes qui avaient été utilisées lors de l'ancienne invasion du Shana Rei, elles sont insuffisantes pour anéantir l'ennemi. Sans compter que le Shana Rei peut contaminer de l'intérieur des formes de vie pour les retourner contre eux-mêmes.
On suit encore une panoplie de personnages, de planètes et de mini histoires. Dans ce cas, on est plutôt impatient car les intrigues des histoires secondaires sont peu importantes comparées aux combats face au Shana Rei qui met en péril l'existence même de l'univers; donc on est porté à sauter ces chapitres pour suivre l'avancement de l'intrigue principale. Ce qui nuit, car on a une impression de roman avec du remplissage peu pertinent, ce qui baisse notre intérêt.
J'ai aimé, et j'enchaine sur le roman qui clôt la trilogie.
Lu en anglais
Cette série fait suite à la série " La saga des 7 soleils".
Le Shana Rei, l'ombre, continue ses ravages, maintenant allié aux rescapés des robots Klikiss. Même si les Ildirans ont découvert les plans d'anciennes armes qui avaient été utilisées lors de l'ancienne invasion du Shana Rei, elles sont insuffisantes pour anéantir l'ennemi. Sans compter que le Shana Rei peut contaminer de l'intérieur des formes de vie pour les retourner contre eux-mêmes.
On suit encore une panoplie de personnages, de planètes et de mini histoires. Dans ce cas, on est plutôt impatient car les intrigues des histoires secondaires sont peu importantes comparées aux combats face au Shana Rei qui met en péril l'existence même de l'univers; donc on est porté à sauter ces chapitres pour suivre l'avancement de l'intrigue principale. Ce qui nuit, car on a une impression de roman avec du remplissage peu pertinent, ce qui baisse notre intérêt.
J'ai aimé, et j'enchaine sur le roman qui clôt la trilogie.
June 4, 2017
Just could not bring myself to finish this book. The first book was long and has tons of characters with their own story lines in it and a bit slow at times but did keep moving forward. The second book however just felt like more of the same, stuck in the middle and going nowhere. I don’t mind long books but this felt just like a rehash of the first with nothing to move the story forward I felt. Now the third books is out. Do all the character story lines come together in the end, Ill never know at this time. I am not going to spend anymore money on this series at full price to find out. Ill wait till it goes on sale or see it on Bookbub.
February 2, 2022
The second book in the series, and the ninth book overall. It remains a fascinating world Anderson has created, and the drama and conflict is ongoing. A strong middle book, with enough headaches going on, that I wonder how he will conclude all the different storylines in a satisfactory manner. Of course with so many characters running around, he has to choose which characters get more limelight than others. It will not be to everyone's liking. If you liked the series up until now, you' ll continue to do so. If not, stay away since the style continues in full. I do love this series
November 11, 2022
The enemy is growing in power
Other than the ramblings of a mad Green tree protector we still have no idea what the “Blood of the Cosmos” is. The black robots are making major advances in finding new ways to kill sentient life as they continue being the fighting force for the chaos seeking Shana Rei. I personally don’t like the way Anderson is raising the stakes for the (IMHO) simple purpose of making things look ever bleaker as people & places are being killed off seemingly at random. Otherwise the story remains interesting.
Other than the ramblings of a mad Green tree protector we still have no idea what the “Blood of the Cosmos” is. The black robots are making major advances in finding new ways to kill sentient life as they continue being the fighting force for the chaos seeking Shana Rei. I personally don’t like the way Anderson is raising the stakes for the (IMHO) simple purpose of making things look ever bleaker as people & places are being killed off seemingly at random. Otherwise the story remains interesting.
May 5, 2018
The writing definitely has shortcomings. It’s repetitive and not particularly stylish. Things are largely explained in third person omniscient instead of demonstrated or covered in dialogue. However, I like the characters, and I always wanted to learn what would happen next. The world and plot are interesting and engaging. It’s enjoyable.
Note: I listened to one of the series as an audiobook, and it may suit that format better since the repetition makes it forgiving for distracted listeners.
Note: I listened to one of the series as an audiobook, and it may suit that format better since the repetition makes it forgiving for distracted listeners.
October 4, 2018
A brilliant sci-fi story, dispersed among many memorable characters and worlds. Robots who seek to destroy sentient species align themselves with near-omnipotent creatures living in dark clouds in space, leading to interstellar war. Exciting stuff, and the ending promises even greater conflict in future volumes.
March 26, 2021
I'm a huge KJA fan, and the reason why is simple. It's books like this one and the rest of the series he writes! This 2nd installment in the Saga of Shadows was great, from start to finish. The writing was masterful and the story flowed well. I was invested in the characters from the 1st book and the 2nd nailed that even tighter. I cannot wait to see what happens next!
November 9, 2016
There is a lot of repetition in this series, but I am listening to the audio version and can get distracted, so the repetition isn't a bad thing. The Saga of the Seven Suns and this series are good enough to ignore the repetition, and keep listening. On to Book 3......
May 19, 2017
I like the overarching story, but the story is so fragmented that you only get around 4 pages per person before it switches to another character. I will still read the last one but I feel frustrated while reading it.
June 22, 2018
Blood of the Cosmos
Another excellent book from Kevin J Anderson. I absolutely love this author. He gives you an excellent space opera that doesn't get confusing with technical jargon.
Another excellent book from Kevin J Anderson. I absolutely love this author. He gives you an excellent space opera that doesn't get confusing with technical jargon.
December 27, 2022
dark
This installment maybe the darkest of the series and it is awesome. The battle continues to save the universe from robots and a dark entity bent on the destruction of all life. You learn more about some of the newer characters and discover some disturbing things.
This installment maybe the darkest of the series and it is awesome. The battle continues to save the universe from robots and a dark entity bent on the destruction of all life. You learn more about some of the newer characters and discover some disturbing things.
May 12, 2017
Always a pleasure reading Kevin J Anderson.
August 19, 2018
I'm enjoying this series a lot more than the Saga of the Seven Suns. In this book, I can really sense the stress that the characters have from all sides of the story.
September 8, 2018
I am glad I bought all three before starting. The Second One ends with a stunning blast.
February 19, 2020
Good enough I'll read his next one. This is to be continued.
February 29, 2020
I definitely like the series. I have to find the next book so I know what's going to happen!
August 2, 2020
I used to like Roamers. But now I just think ugh. They are just like Americans.
This is what 2016-2020 has done to my appreciation of this series.
This is what 2016-2020 has done to my appreciation of this series.
June 13, 2023
Still in that classic old-school space-opera style!
Second of three books in this series...
Moves right alone!
On to number 3!
Second of three books in this series...
Moves right alone!
On to number 3!
September 13, 2020
Quality of writing inexplicably divebombs after the first in the series. Not much else to say.
November 19, 2022
The first book was a build up. The second book was a let down.
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