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The Saga of Shadows #3
Eternity's Mind
Eternity’s Mind is the climactic final book in Kevin J. Anderson’s Saga of Shadows Trilogy, which began with the Hugo nominee The Dark Between the. The Saga of Shadows, as well as its predecessor series, the international bestselling Saga of Seven, are among the grandest epic space operas published in this century.
Two decades after the devastating Elemental War, which nearly destroyed the cosmos, the new Confederation restored peace and profitable commerce among the peoples and worlds of the Spiral Arm. The ambitious, innovative Roamers went back to their traditional business of harvesting the vital stardrive fuel ekti from the clouds of gas giant planets, and the telepathic green priests of Theroc provided instantaneous galaxy-wide communication via their connection to the powerful and sentient worldtrees. The alien Ildiran Empire rebuilt their grand Prism Palace under the light of their seven suns, and their Mage-Imperator declared a new age of expansion and discover.
But peace was not to last. The malevolent Klikiss robots soon found an ally in the ancient and near-omnipotent Shana Rei, destructive creatures who are the personification of darkness and chaos … awakened after millennia of slumber to destroy all sentient life in the universe. The Confederation and the Ildiran Empire fought in every way possible, but the Spiral Arm itself seemed doomed.
All across the transportal network, space is tearing apart, the links between the gateways are breaking down, the fabric of space unraveling. The worldtrees are dying, entire planets are englobed in impenetrable black barriers erected by the Shana Rei, and the murderous taint has infiltrated the Ildiran race as well as Mage-Imperator Jora’h himself.
Desperate for stardrive fuel to power the military and all space travel, the industrialist Lee Iswander has been extracting ekti—the blood of the cosmos—from mysterious giant nodules found floating in empty space, draining these “bloaters” dry by the thousands. But in doing so, is he weakening the only ally that all of civilization may have against the Shana Rei?
A breathtakingly large canvas with a huge cast of characters, Eternity’s Mind is the grand finale of a story as complex as any Science Fiction epic you will ever read.
Two decades after the devastating Elemental War, which nearly destroyed the cosmos, the new Confederation restored peace and profitable commerce among the peoples and worlds of the Spiral Arm. The ambitious, innovative Roamers went back to their traditional business of harvesting the vital stardrive fuel ekti from the clouds of gas giant planets, and the telepathic green priests of Theroc provided instantaneous galaxy-wide communication via their connection to the powerful and sentient worldtrees. The alien Ildiran Empire rebuilt their grand Prism Palace under the light of their seven suns, and their Mage-Imperator declared a new age of expansion and discover.
But peace was not to last. The malevolent Klikiss robots soon found an ally in the ancient and near-omnipotent Shana Rei, destructive creatures who are the personification of darkness and chaos … awakened after millennia of slumber to destroy all sentient life in the universe. The Confederation and the Ildiran Empire fought in every way possible, but the Spiral Arm itself seemed doomed.
All across the transportal network, space is tearing apart, the links between the gateways are breaking down, the fabric of space unraveling. The worldtrees are dying, entire planets are englobed in impenetrable black barriers erected by the Shana Rei, and the murderous taint has infiltrated the Ildiran race as well as Mage-Imperator Jora’h himself.
Desperate for stardrive fuel to power the military and all space travel, the industrialist Lee Iswander has been extracting ekti—the blood of the cosmos—from mysterious giant nodules found floating in empty space, draining these “bloaters” dry by the thousands. But in doing so, is he weakening the only ally that all of civilization may have against the Shana Rei?
A breathtakingly large canvas with a huge cast of characters, Eternity’s Mind is the grand finale of a story as complex as any Science Fiction epic you will ever read.
608 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 13, 2016
97 people are currently reading
866 people want to read
About the author
Kevin J. Anderson
1,038 books3,105 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 66 reviews
September 17, 2019
And so we say goodbye to the Verdani, the Wentals and the Faroes. No more Roamers, Ildirans or green priests. I have enjoyed this series and its predecessor, The Saga of the Seven Suns, so much that the characters are like friends! They will be missed.
Eternity's Mind is written in the same way as the earlier books, short chapters, each telling the story of one particular set of characters. Every time you settle into one story the author switches to another, leaving you hanging! It is certainly one way to keep the reader reading - you just have to keep going to find out what happens next.
I loved the world building especially Theroc and the World Trees and Ildira with the Mage Imperator and the thism. Many of the characters in this book have been in the series for some time and I really wanted to know what happened to them. Anderson decided to be kind to his readers and most of the important people survived - but not all. There were several sad endings.
I have enjoyed all ten books of the Sagas very much indeed. I am a bit sad it is all over!
Eternity's Mind is written in the same way as the earlier books, short chapters, each telling the story of one particular set of characters. Every time you settle into one story the author switches to another, leaving you hanging! It is certainly one way to keep the reader reading - you just have to keep going to find out what happens next.
I loved the world building especially Theroc and the World Trees and Ildira with the Mage Imperator and the thism. Many of the characters in this book have been in the series for some time and I really wanted to know what happened to them. Anderson decided to be kind to his readers and most of the important people survived - but not all. There were several sad endings.
I have enjoyed all ten books of the Sagas very much indeed. I am a bit sad it is all over!
October 7, 2016
I deserve five stars for finishing this...
I was suckered into starting the series thinking it was proper writing but unfortunately it just isn't. I then continued reading to get to the end, in the vain hope that all of the storylines would come together in an interesting, intelligent way. I was wrong. A series of miracles and coincidences was all I got for my time and my money, from two dimensional characters.
I can't remember ever being this disappointed and frustrated by any writing. Don't get me started on the quality of the writing, or the need to rehash each character's history using almost exactly the same words each time at the start of each chapter. It's lazy writing and the book would have been half as long (and perhaps more bearable) without it. And if I hear the word 'countless' used to describe what we were repeatably told were exactly one million ships ever again, I think I'll find something to throw myself off.
An author to avoid forevermore.
I was suckered into starting the series thinking it was proper writing but unfortunately it just isn't. I then continued reading to get to the end, in the vain hope that all of the storylines would come together in an interesting, intelligent way. I was wrong. A series of miracles and coincidences was all I got for my time and my money, from two dimensional characters.
I can't remember ever being this disappointed and frustrated by any writing. Don't get me started on the quality of the writing, or the need to rehash each character's history using almost exactly the same words each time at the start of each chapter. It's lazy writing and the book would have been half as long (and perhaps more bearable) without it. And if I hear the word 'countless' used to describe what we were repeatably told were exactly one million ships ever again, I think I'll find something to throw myself off.
An author to avoid forevermore.
January 2, 2020
Storyline: 2/5
Characters: 2/5
Writing Style: 2/5
World: 1/5
A will to awesomeness is not enough. Anderson wants to go big. He wants it all to be exciting, but it just is not there. The series seems to have long been leaning on characters and worldbuilding from the original Saga of the Seven Suns. What he’s tried to stick into this series feels like cheap add-ons, supplements only partially compatible with the original. The story is brought to a close, but one gets dragged along to the inevitable conclusion with the characters doing basically what they’ve been doing all along, only in slightly different manufactured crises. It is not a horribly written book, and the characters are not horrible. But it is all more of the same. Big things have been promised all along, but Anderson spent more of the wordcount telling us they were coming than he ever did actually developing or delivering them.
Characters: 2/5
Writing Style: 2/5
World: 1/5
A will to awesomeness is not enough. Anderson wants to go big. He wants it all to be exciting, but it just is not there. The series seems to have long been leaning on characters and worldbuilding from the original Saga of the Seven Suns. What he’s tried to stick into this series feels like cheap add-ons, supplements only partially compatible with the original. The story is brought to a close, but one gets dragged along to the inevitable conclusion with the characters doing basically what they’ve been doing all along, only in slightly different manufactured crises. It is not a horribly written book, and the characters are not horrible. But it is all more of the same. Big things have been promised all along, but Anderson spent more of the wordcount telling us they were coming than he ever did actually developing or delivering them.
November 26, 2016
Final edition of the Saga of shadows and hopefully the last of this universe as well. As usual the plot is full of massive holes and the timelines doesn't make much of sense. The constant need to repeat himself and reminding the reader about what happened throughout the entire series gets from a nuisance to downright annoying at some points.
That being said, it's still enjoyable and it's an easy read. I like some of the ideas and concepts. But Kevin need to work on Character development.
That being said, it's still enjoyable and it's an easy read. I like some of the ideas and concepts. But Kevin need to work on Character development.
July 13, 2017
Disappointed. Reads like he found out with 90 pages left to write that he wasn't getting a fourth book.
February 19, 2018
Bringing to a conclusion a superb science-fantasy space opera epic, Eternity’s Mind delivers much more of that we've seen in the previous books of the Saga of Shadows (see my reviews of books one and two). Told in the same style as those and also Anderson's prior seven-volume Saga of Seven Suns, the story moves along at a good pace, being fast-moving yet not causing me to become lost or disoriented at any point. In fact, the rapid switching between character viewpoints is one of the features of this series that I've really enjoyed. It's a fitting finale to the saga that has been some of the most entertaining fiction that I've ever read in recent years of any genre. It's not for the intellectual or hard sci-fi crowd (not to diminish the storytelling) who will be able to pick holes in many aspects, I'm sure. But if you are a reader who relishes being entertained by tales of massive scale, getting lost within myriad story threads and the wonder of it all then this is a series to which you must give some serious thought.
As in the previous books, the world building is spectacular. Readers familiar with the series will know exactly what I mean and will enjoy the continuation story of the Bloaters and the strange Onthos aliens who come to the forest planet of Theroc to “care for” the huge Worldtrees that contain the enigmatic Verdani mind. As events unfold, some foes from earlier times also make a return but this time there are some surprising results. Things initially continue to get worse for the humans and Ildirans of the Spiral Arm, but then discoveries are made and elements begin to awaken which turn the course of events around completely and lead to a conclusion that is awesome. I felt that the ending was great, and it built up at a steady pace then concluded nicely over the final chapters without any cliff hangers at the very end. That said, there is certainly room left for us to see more of this universe, although the authors says in his Dedication that Eternity’s Mind “is the end of the Seven Suns universe, for now”. We'll see, but I would like to see more because it really is a spectacular setting.
Despite being a moderately long volume (576 pages in hardback form), at no point did I even come close to losing interest which is testament to the excellent entertainment and escapism qualities. This was the same for the other books of the series as well. Anderson sure knows how to spin an entertaining yarn, that's for sure. Characterization is (typically for this series) very good, and perfect for the genre. This time, my firm favorite was one of the least likeable in an idealistic sense, but I thought she was great. Readers of the series will recall Elisa Enturi, the extremely loyal deputy to big-hitting Roamer businessman Lee Iswander. Her devotion to Iswander and his empire is admirable but she doesn't always know where to draw the line between hard-line business practice and plain insane behavior. This is exactly why I liked her, she had good depth and the most interesting motivations. This is no where near the first time that I've liked a baddie the most – says a lot about me maybe?
This is a fine conclusion to the series which contains two other novels and also two shorter works, the first of which is a prequel novella that lays the platform for this series and providing a link to the prior Saga of Seven Suns. If you're a fan of rollicking space opera and value the entertainment aspect of a story, you should read this series. I think you'll find what you like.
As in the previous books, the world building is spectacular. Readers familiar with the series will know exactly what I mean and will enjoy the continuation story of the Bloaters and the strange Onthos aliens who come to the forest planet of Theroc to “care for” the huge Worldtrees that contain the enigmatic Verdani mind. As events unfold, some foes from earlier times also make a return but this time there are some surprising results. Things initially continue to get worse for the humans and Ildirans of the Spiral Arm, but then discoveries are made and elements begin to awaken which turn the course of events around completely and lead to a conclusion that is awesome. I felt that the ending was great, and it built up at a steady pace then concluded nicely over the final chapters without any cliff hangers at the very end. That said, there is certainly room left for us to see more of this universe, although the authors says in his Dedication that Eternity’s Mind “is the end of the Seven Suns universe, for now”. We'll see, but I would like to see more because it really is a spectacular setting.
Despite being a moderately long volume (576 pages in hardback form), at no point did I even come close to losing interest which is testament to the excellent entertainment and escapism qualities. This was the same for the other books of the series as well. Anderson sure knows how to spin an entertaining yarn, that's for sure. Characterization is (typically for this series) very good, and perfect for the genre. This time, my firm favorite was one of the least likeable in an idealistic sense, but I thought she was great. Readers of the series will recall Elisa Enturi, the extremely loyal deputy to big-hitting Roamer businessman Lee Iswander. Her devotion to Iswander and his empire is admirable but she doesn't always know where to draw the line between hard-line business practice and plain insane behavior. This is exactly why I liked her, she had good depth and the most interesting motivations. This is no where near the first time that I've liked a baddie the most – says a lot about me maybe?
This is a fine conclusion to the series which contains two other novels and also two shorter works, the first of which is a prequel novella that lays the platform for this series and providing a link to the prior Saga of Seven Suns. If you're a fan of rollicking space opera and value the entertainment aspect of a story, you should read this series. I think you'll find what you like.
November 24, 2020
Pfffffinished.
Finally, this story came to an end. If you've enjoyed the "Saga of the Seven Suns", stay away from "The Saga of Shadows" where it should have stayed).
The quality between the two stories is such that you can't believe it does come from the same author. Where the Seven suns gave you a giant view of the galaxy and the interaction of its inhabitants, this sage only closes the doors and show near empty characters.
But the worst part of these books are the endless repetition. If you want to experience what it is to entertain your Alzeihmered grand-mother, have a try. Every five chapters, welcome to the wonderful world of "Remember what I wrote 15 pages ago?". By the way, I enjoyed my circling conversation with my grand-mother much more. Seriously, are you paid by words?
I'm so acid because I really loved the Seven Suns and it was very difficult for me to read this one. I could have stopped, but once you start a series...
Finally, this story came to an end. If you've enjoyed the "Saga of the Seven Suns", stay away from "The Saga of Shadows" where it should have stayed).
The quality between the two stories is such that you can't believe it does come from the same author. Where the Seven suns gave you a giant view of the galaxy and the interaction of its inhabitants, this sage only closes the doors and show near empty characters.
But the worst part of these books are the endless repetition. If you want to experience what it is to entertain your Alzeihmered grand-mother, have a try. Every five chapters, welcome to the wonderful world of "Remember what I wrote 15 pages ago?". By the way, I enjoyed my circling conversation with my grand-mother much more. Seriously, are you paid by words?
I'm so acid because I really loved the Seven Suns and it was very difficult for me to read this one. I could have stopped, but once you start a series...
November 15, 2016
78% in of the audio version. Normally a fav author. This book is not sci-fi its pretty bland fantasy with a not so fleshed out magic system. It is so boring I keep wondering why I was reading it. In the end even author loyalty died. I don't care how the book ends...
January 4, 2019
And with that, another saga comes to a close.
Overall, I can say I enjoyed this final chapter. I enjoyed getting to re-visit his "Spiral Arm" universe set in humanity's future. As I mentioned in the review of the second book, I really like the way Kevin J. Anderson tells the story through character centric/POV chapters. It makes for an interesting narrative that is rather compelling, as it puts you inside of the characters and their interactions.
But I will admit KJA's writing did get a tad repetitive. Now this might be due to the speed in which I read the book, but some of the character's chapters rehashed previously made plot points or thoughts unnecessarily. Again, I think someone who took a more leisurely approach to the book may not have noticed but I figure since I am writing a review, I would share that insight.
I will also say that there was some decent resolution to the characters with whom I grew to loathe. I'm annoyed that I even felt sorry for one of them--I cannot decide whether KJA completely reversed course and unnecessarily undercut the character to achieve this or if the story-arc was actually realistic. But in the end, just desserts were served. Some went out with a bit of a whimper, while others went out with a very large bang.
I also would have preferred KJA to be a bit more overt in the labeling of character's relationships. I am fairly confident the two characters I enjoyed the most were a homosexual couple, but because they were business partners as well as what I read as romantic partners, the use of the term partners exclusively while offering very little overt references to actual romantic relations was annoying. Many other science fiction writers have free written compelling characters of all identities and orientations and I was a bit saddened that he didn't take the opportunity to be more explicit. Or maybe that wasn't his intention at all and they really were just best friends and business partners. I sincerely hope, though, that isn't the case, and KJA was just not wanting to put our time-period's labels on things.
As I reflect on the story-arc of The Saga of Shadows, I do not think I can really compare accurately between this one and that of The Saga of the Seven Suns. I don't know if I remember all of the finer points of that series to really decide. Was this trilogy an enjoyable, worthwhile read? Most definitely! Would I recommend it? For sure! The second and third volumes of this trilogy were captivating enough for me to blow through them in record time. I could not put them down. And for me, that's as much an endorsement as anything.
Overall, I can say I enjoyed this final chapter. I enjoyed getting to re-visit his "Spiral Arm" universe set in humanity's future. As I mentioned in the review of the second book, I really like the way Kevin J. Anderson tells the story through character centric/POV chapters. It makes for an interesting narrative that is rather compelling, as it puts you inside of the characters and their interactions.
But I will admit KJA's writing did get a tad repetitive. Now this might be due to the speed in which I read the book, but some of the character's chapters rehashed previously made plot points or thoughts unnecessarily. Again, I think someone who took a more leisurely approach to the book may not have noticed but I figure since I am writing a review, I would share that insight.
I will also say that there was some decent resolution to the characters with whom I grew to loathe. I'm annoyed that I even felt sorry for one of them--I cannot decide whether KJA completely reversed course and unnecessarily undercut the character to achieve this or if the story-arc was actually realistic. But in the end, just desserts were served. Some went out with a bit of a whimper, while others went out with a very large bang.
I also would have preferred KJA to be a bit more overt in the labeling of character's relationships. I am fairly confident the two characters I enjoyed the most were a homosexual couple, but because they were business partners as well as what I read as romantic partners, the use of the term partners exclusively while offering very little overt references to actual romantic relations was annoying. Many other science fiction writers have free written compelling characters of all identities and orientations and I was a bit saddened that he didn't take the opportunity to be more explicit. Or maybe that wasn't his intention at all and they really were just best friends and business partners. I sincerely hope, though, that isn't the case, and KJA was just not wanting to put our time-period's labels on things.
As I reflect on the story-arc of The Saga of Shadows, I do not think I can really compare accurately between this one and that of The Saga of the Seven Suns. I don't know if I remember all of the finer points of that series to really decide. Was this trilogy an enjoyable, worthwhile read? Most definitely! Would I recommend it? For sure! The second and third volumes of this trilogy were captivating enough for me to blow through them in record time. I could not put them down. And for me, that's as much an endorsement as anything.
February 24, 2017
It is over! Do you ever feel sad that a great series has come to an end and there will be no more stories about the people you learned to care for, hate, or just not understand? That is my feeling after finishing Eternity's Mind which is the last book in The Sage of Shadows series by Kevin J. Anderson. And yes, I also read the other seven book series based on the same world and characters called The Saga of Seven Suns.
After ten books I have come to realize that the basic plot of each book is basically the same yet with different major villains. Villains isn't exactly the correct word since people end up teaming up with or fighting elemental forces that can be simply beyond comprehension. In other books the elemental forces have been water or fire elementals and in this book they are shadows that represent chaos and entropy. After seemingly hopeless catastrophic losses to these shadows and their robot lackeys the humans find new powerful allies in Eternity's mind.
I don't expect many readers to start with this last book in the series but you could if you wanted since there is an excellent synopsis at the beginning of each book. It will quickly become apparent that you have missed a lot however.
While the epic scope of the series and the sheer number of characters are impressive and entertaining I have come to realize it is the struggles and perseverance of the people that are most memorable. The Roamers show several examples of their mental toughness just in this book alone. They lose businesses to disaster after disaster but always are willing to start all over and come up with ingenious ways to develop new products and amazing inventions.
But not everyone has the best intentions. Some develop cures with no intention of ever sharing them while others blindly exploit natural resources with no desire to understand the impact on the universe. I would be blind if I didn't see the parallels to our own struggles to take risks while grow our personal wealth and knowledge versus the potential harm these risks can create for the planet and others.
While I will miss the series and enjoyed the successes and struggles of the characters the basic storyline of humans fighting elemental forces has run its course in my mind. Good luck to you all and thank-you for the series. I give this last book four out of five stars. Those that like epic SciFi with great characters that show perseverance against all odds should check it out or the earlier Saga of Seven Suns series where it all started.
After ten books I have come to realize that the basic plot of each book is basically the same yet with different major villains. Villains isn't exactly the correct word since people end up teaming up with or fighting elemental forces that can be simply beyond comprehension. In other books the elemental forces have been water or fire elementals and in this book they are shadows that represent chaos and entropy. After seemingly hopeless catastrophic losses to these shadows and their robot lackeys the humans find new powerful allies in Eternity's mind.
I don't expect many readers to start with this last book in the series but you could if you wanted since there is an excellent synopsis at the beginning of each book. It will quickly become apparent that you have missed a lot however.
While the epic scope of the series and the sheer number of characters are impressive and entertaining I have come to realize it is the struggles and perseverance of the people that are most memorable. The Roamers show several examples of their mental toughness just in this book alone. They lose businesses to disaster after disaster but always are willing to start all over and come up with ingenious ways to develop new products and amazing inventions.
But not everyone has the best intentions. Some develop cures with no intention of ever sharing them while others blindly exploit natural resources with no desire to understand the impact on the universe. I would be blind if I didn't see the parallels to our own struggles to take risks while grow our personal wealth and knowledge versus the potential harm these risks can create for the planet and others.
While I will miss the series and enjoyed the successes and struggles of the characters the basic storyline of humans fighting elemental forces has run its course in my mind. Good luck to you all and thank-you for the series. I give this last book four out of five stars. Those that like epic SciFi with great characters that show perseverance against all odds should check it out or the earlier Saga of Seven Suns series where it all started.
March 22, 2025
Tome 3 de la saga de la nuit
Lu en anglais
Cette série fait suite à la série " La saga des 7 soleils".
C'est le roman final de la série.
Les assauts du Shana Rei et des robots Klikiss s'accentuent. Il s'attaquent maintenant à des planètes très peuplées, et névralgiques de la fédération terrienne et de l'empire Ildiran, et exterminent toute âme qui vive. En plus, leurs infiltrations ont contaminé la forêt pensante de theroc ainsi que le réseau qui unit les Ildirans à leur empereur-mage. Les Faeros, des élémentaires du feu qui vivent dans les étoiles, pourraient aider, mais leur nombre a diminué suite à la guerre des élémentaires (voir la saga des 7 soleils. Mais le Shana Rei a peur d'une intelligence extrêmement puissante qui est en train de s'éveiller. Et les robots Klikis savent que leur alliance avec le Shana Rei n'est que temporaire et cherchent un moyen de l'éliminer. Comment tout cela va finir ?
Et là, on recolle les morceaux et on accélère le rythme. L'histoire est plus linaire et on est impatient de découvrir comment tout cela va finir. Donc, j'ai plus apprécié ma lecture. Par contre, la fin laisse un peu à désirer à cause de l'utilisation d'une intervention qui vient de nulle part (Deus ex machina). De plus, deux personnages m'ont semblé peu réalistes : une psychopathe qui tue sans scrupules et une collectionneuse de maladies infectieuses, et de leurs remèdes, mais qui ... refuse de permettre leur utilisation. Mais, somme toutes, la série finit sur une bonne note.
J'ai beaucoup aimé.
Lu en anglais
Cette série fait suite à la série " La saga des 7 soleils".
C'est le roman final de la série.
Les assauts du Shana Rei et des robots Klikiss s'accentuent. Il s'attaquent maintenant à des planètes très peuplées, et névralgiques de la fédération terrienne et de l'empire Ildiran, et exterminent toute âme qui vive. En plus, leurs infiltrations ont contaminé la forêt pensante de theroc ainsi que le réseau qui unit les Ildirans à leur empereur-mage. Les Faeros, des élémentaires du feu qui vivent dans les étoiles, pourraient aider, mais leur nombre a diminué suite à la guerre des élémentaires (voir la saga des 7 soleils. Mais le Shana Rei a peur d'une intelligence extrêmement puissante qui est en train de s'éveiller. Et les robots Klikis savent que leur alliance avec le Shana Rei n'est que temporaire et cherchent un moyen de l'éliminer. Comment tout cela va finir ?
Et là, on recolle les morceaux et on accélère le rythme. L'histoire est plus linaire et on est impatient de découvrir comment tout cela va finir. Donc, j'ai plus apprécié ma lecture. Par contre, la fin laisse un peu à désirer à cause de l'utilisation d'une intervention qui vient de nulle part (Deus ex machina). De plus, deux personnages m'ont semblé peu réalistes : une psychopathe qui tue sans scrupules et une collectionneuse de maladies infectieuses, et de leurs remèdes, mais qui ... refuse de permettre leur utilisation. Mais, somme toutes, la série finit sur une bonne note.
J'ai beaucoup aimé.
July 10, 2021
I've rarely been so annoyed with the writing of a book. By the time you get to this book you have read 1000 pages of the story. If it's been a while since reading the second book, there is a summary of the story up to this point at the beginning of the book. So why is it that most chapters includes full summaries of the characters and their histories. Half of some chapters are dedicated to reminding you of everything that has brought some character up to this point. I don't need a 3 page reminder why Zoe Alakis does what she does or why keeps her discoveries to herself 1200 pages into the story! Nor do I need chapters that seem to only exist to say, "Remember this character? Well they're doing the same thing as last time you saw them. But I needed to say something about them about now. So here's their personal history again."
Had this series been half as long, it would have been twice as good.
Had this series been half as long, it would have been twice as good.
February 7, 2017
Kevin Anderson is a solid and dependable author. You will always get an intriguing yarn from this guy. This one's space opera, vast and illuminating, and it wraps up Anderson's Saga of Shadows. How he can make such a lengthy tome such a quick read is Anderson's gift. His characters jump off the page, and the action sequences are thorough. I would suggest that Faster-than-Light travel has more than one meaning for Anderson. Plotting a reasonable timeline for the story might be impossible. Either that, or everything happens very quickly! Anyway, this has everything you have come to expect from the Saga of the Seven Suns. Some fifty main characters, numerous subplots and just desserts, a nefarious, all-powerful enemy (using entropy as a weapon), mysterious prophecies and miraculous technology. This is a fun read.
September 25, 2020
This is the third and final book of Kevin Anderson's trilogy, The Saga of Shadow. It is a fitting conclusion to a very entertaining and riveting story. If you read the first two books you have by now become very familiar with all of the main characters and their motivations. It is the conclusion of a story about the various races and their struggle to defeat an enemy that seems unconquerable. The conclusion is nicely done and you could see it coming by paying attention to the various hints throughout the story prior to this book . It wraps up all the individual threads rather nicely, and for the most part in a satisfying manner. If you like sci-fi novels this trilogy is something you should really plan to read.
June 18, 2020
The Saga of Shadows shouldn't have happened. It was not a good series and didn't really seem to hold a place in the Saga of Seven Suns Series. But it was written and I can't believe Kevin Anderson wrote it.
Finishing this book was a feat. The whole book failed to capture my interest and the cheap hand waving conflict resolution happened through whole book. There are plenty of other reviews dissecting this book but lets just leave it at this is by far the worse Kevin Anderson book I've ever read. It will take me a while to recovery from it and read another.
Finishing this book was a feat. The whole book failed to capture my interest and the cheap hand waving conflict resolution happened through whole book. There are plenty of other reviews dissecting this book but lets just leave it at this is by far the worse Kevin Anderson book I've ever read. It will take me a while to recovery from it and read another.
June 7, 2017
The content is rich. The plot builds up really good! However, towards the end, it seems pretty abrupt and tad convenient. I feel that the ending could have been much better.
I believe this trilogy doesn't do Kevin J. Anderson justice. He thrives better at longer space opera series when given the chance; I was awe stricken when i read, Saga of Seven Suns. That series was paced out nicely and was a fast page turner.
I believe this trilogy doesn't do Kevin J. Anderson justice. He thrives better at longer space opera series when given the chance; I was awe stricken when i read, Saga of Seven Suns. That series was paced out nicely and was a fast page turner.
January 19, 2023
Skillfully written but lacks heart
I don't understand why Sci Fi writers have a fetish of killing off Earth and then making it seem like not a big deal. "OMG they destroyed Earth, I am so sad..OK let's move on" It's almost like South Park "They killed Kenny, those bastards!" The lack of emphasis on the actions and empathy of not only that but of several deranged characters lessens the novel. It's a shame.
I don't understand why Sci Fi writers have a fetish of killing off Earth and then making it seem like not a big deal. "OMG they destroyed Earth, I am so sad..OK let's move on" It's almost like South Park "They killed Kenny, those bastards!" The lack of emphasis on the actions and empathy of not only that but of several deranged characters lessens the novel. It's a shame.
May 22, 2017
An ok end, but the book could have been much shorter. The author seemed to assume that we had not read the previous books and so kept providing details regarding past events, and this would happen several times during a chapter.
But it was an interesting story arch, and a universe i hadn't seen before, and I would recommend it to others.
But it was an interesting story arch, and a universe i hadn't seen before, and I would recommend it to others.
September 1, 2017
It's crazy that one human can construct a fiction that is so vast, interconnected, and exciting.
The only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars was that the end was that the conclusion was a bit too sugarsweet/cut-and-dry.
Also, I wanted the protagonists to work a bit more for the rosy conclusion.
It was exciting to the end, though. If you've read 1 and 2, definitely dig into #3.
The only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars was that the end was that the conclusion was a bit too sugarsweet/cut-and-dry.
Also, I wanted the protagonists to work a bit more for the rosy conclusion.
It was exciting to the end, though. If you've read 1 and 2, definitely dig into #3.
January 27, 2018
Kev knows how to pull off scenes as awesome as they are epic. This concluding chapter was no exception. The only thing I struggled with during this series was the ratio of characters you loved to read about vs. the ones you could not care less to read about. It felt like 50:50 for the most part. Although, if you loved the Saga of the Seven Suns, this is a must.
March 19, 2019
Was so looking forwards to this trilogy after the first books, but was more dissapointed with the way it was written than the storyline itself. Whilst the summaries at the start of each book are excellent to get your mind back into the plot, the continual back referencing to plots and characters were becoming a real annoyance and by the end i just wanted the book to end so i could move on.
May 25, 2017
I loved it, but it did seem a little rushed to the end. Loose ends seemed to get wrapped up very abruptly. Nevertheless it was a welcome return to the universe of the Seven Suns. I can only hope we have not seen the last of it!
August 16, 2020
I love the world of the human Confederation and the Ildiran Empire. However, the Saga of Shadows was not of the same caliber as the Saga of Seven Suns. I just never felt the same possibility that things may not turn out rosy in the end.
January 15, 2023
final
The final book in this epic space opera as forces come together in a series of confrontations that defeat the dark forces of the universe to ensure the continuation of all life as we know it. Wraps the series up nicely.
The final book in this epic space opera as forces come together in a series of confrontations that defeat the dark forces of the universe to ensure the continuation of all life as we know it. Wraps the series up nicely.
July 14, 2017
Found this one a disappointing way to end off - slow/bloat(er)ed and repetitive in parts/explaining character motivations.
August 28, 2017
Only gave this book two stars, it was what I expected.
But I had to find out how it finished...
But I had to find out how it finished...
September 8, 2017
Completely average. Or a bit below. Exactly as expected, just as The Saga of Seven Suns was.
And that's exactly what I was looking for, to rest my brain from thinking too much.
And that's exactly what I was looking for, to rest my brain from thinking too much.
September 29, 2017
To much closure in the end..
October 12, 2017
i really should give it only 1.5 stars cause for some reason i finished it
June 23, 2018
Eternity Mind
What an excellent addition and finale to the Saga of the Seven Suns and the Saga of Shadows. Highly recommend both of these series. You will not be disappointed.
What an excellent addition and finale to the Saga of the Seven Suns and the Saga of Shadows. Highly recommend both of these series. You will not be disappointed.
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