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The worlds orbiting Cavanagh's Star are in turmoil.
Civil war on Umeh—ignited by outsiders—threatens to annihilate the teeming masses of a grossly overpopulated planet. On Bezer'ej, the handful of native aquatic creatures who survived extermination must take extraordinary and terrible steps to ensure the future of their kind . . .
And the interlopers from a distant planet called Earth can only watch the chaos they helped, in part, to create—knowing their home world will be next to suffer.
The day of reckoning is rapidly approaching when the powerful Eqbas will remake the Earth at the expense of its dominant species. And Shan Frankland—once a police officer, once human, now something much more—must decide where her loyalties truly lie: among the gethes, on a planet she once called home, or here, where a dying species presents her with a new and unexpected crisis.
388 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 27, 2007
24 people are currently reading
382 people want to read
About the author
Karen Traviss
130 books1,535 followers#1 New York Times best-selling novelist, scriptwriter and comics author Karen Traviss has received critical acclaim for her award-nominated Wess'har series, and her work on Halo, Gears of War, Batman, G.I. Joe, and other major franchises has earned her a broad range of fans. She's best known for military science fiction, but GOING GREY and BLACK RUN, the first books in her new techno-thriller series RINGER, are set in the real world of today. A former defence correspondent and TV and newspaper journalist, she lives in Wiltshire, England. She's currently working on SACRIFICIAL RED, the third book in the Ringer series, and HERE WE STAND, book three in the NOMAD series.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
December 31, 2011
Unfortunately, the series probably should have ended with The World Before, or at the latest, with Matriarch. The last three books in this series (Matriarch, Ally, Judge) felt as though they'd been written to outline, or to fulfill a book contract, rather than to tell the stories of the fascinating main characters and the endlessly inventive worlds explored in the first three books. The plots wandered; the same three or four situations/plotlines (alien parasite, ecological revisionism, and romance) drag through these three books without resolution. Each of the major plot points (deftly explored in the first three novels, with plenty of action) just sort of . . . petered out. The denoument is out of character and not particularly believable.
January 23, 2008
blah blah blah. Again, a novel in a series in which the first book (and even the second) are compelling, but the story takes too many twists and dilutes the original tension and themes. I am halfway through this book, and not sure I will complete it.
Update: I put it down, and will sell it back to bookmans.
Update: I put it down, and will sell it back to bookmans.
April 28, 2016
This one seemed weaker to me than the others, somewhat repetitive and a bit boring in some of the oft repeated tropes. Now on #6 - last one - back on earth. Still excited!
April 25, 2019
This entry in the series deals with the culling of the isenj population from their decimated homeworld of Umeh. Despite their ridiculously unequal technology, the isenj decide to try to fight the Eqbas Vorhi and each other to avoid annihilation with sadly predictable results. Minister Rit, the widow of Par Paral Ual who invited the wess'har to help the isenj rebalance their ecologically devastation world, brokers a deal that will keep the isenj from being eradicated from existence. Meanwhile, the Skavu, a group that Shan describes as eco-jihadim, threaten Shan, Ade, Aras, the bezeri and and the existence of c'naatat because of the Skavu's uncompromising attachment to all species remaining "within the cycle of life and death." Shan had originally not wished to return to Earth to keep c'naatat from the possibility of infecting humans who would use it destructively. The Skavu heading to Earth with the Eqbas Vorhi changes her views and she prepares to return to Earth with her husbands and the Royal Marines to make sure that humans are not the victims of Skavu genocide.
January 14, 2019
This book continues where the last one left off...The author's ability to build worlds and alien characters is remarkable. The environmental background of the main character, Shan, and the Wess'Har, give one pause. I could not help but think about Earth as it is now, and wonder how another race would view us, and what they would believe is the best remedy. Tough to put our own values into an alien culture, and yet it was impossible not to. The discovery that the Bezeri had eradicated another sentient race in their past surprised me in the last book. In this book, I was shocked by the fact that they felt no remorse whatsoever for doing it. As the Eqbas head for Earth to punish and correct, I wonder how it all will end.
June 16, 2018
I had a bit of a harder time with this book. There has been a lot of repetition of the same elements in the story, how it developes, and the characters in general. So reading this book was slog in the beginning. No real resolution of some of the story elements, so I am left to wonder if the last book will be split between events in two different locations.
March 30, 2018
The penultimate novel of the Wess'har Wars sets up even more pieces. A species mutates, and yet another species is introduced. Things are set up that aren't really resolved. I'm looking forward to the finale.
August 1, 2017
I don't agree with the moral actions of the characters but it is a good book to read.
February 17, 2019
A key part of the Wess'Har series. I am continually fascinated with the interplay between the very different forms of moral philosophy between the different races in the book and humans.
January 7, 2023
I kept putting this book down because our heroine made a choice I wouldn't have. A very painful one and perhaps a needed one but it stalled me for a bit.
July 3, 2023
Fine, but not great. I’m not enjoying the series as much as I did in the earlier books, but I still like it enough to want to read the final installment.
August 14, 2024
Intense! A great series. Taking a short break but looking forward to book 6 soon.
March 6, 2013
“Ally” is the fifth and penultimate book in Karen Traviss’ science fiction series known as the “The Wess'har Wars”. As with my previous reviews of the books in this series I once against advise people to avoid reading this review unless you have read the previous books. This is because most of my commentary on the plot will in all likelihood spoil some aspects of the previous books. If you are interested in giving this series a try however, then feel free to read my review of the first novel which is entitled “The City of Pearl” and can be found here on goodreads.
The story basically continues the events unveiled in the previous novel, “Matriarch” with the Eqbas continuing to prepare for their future journey to Earth alongside trying to rebalance the Isenj home world. As a civil war between the Isenj drags on the Eqbas soon realise that unless something different is done, they may be stuck dealing with the Isenj for the long term when their main goal was to get to Earth. Therefore, a new alien species known as the Skavu are called in to help deal with Isenj and free up the Eqbas so that they may start the journey to Earth. These fanatical ecological warriors soon cause more issues and before long the Wess’har and Isenj realise that they may need to set aside some of their differences and come to an agreement on the future to ensure that the Skavu can be removed from the picture. Meanwhile Lindsey Neville has unleashed the C’naatat virus into the remaining Bezari population which causes a whole new range of issues for the various alien species to deal with.
If the initial sentence in the above description of plot sounds rather similar to what occurred in “Matriarch” then this would be because the first half of the novel doesn’t actually progress the story much. The first few chapters mainly seem dedicated to discussions, inaction and contemplation to the point that the whole thing could drag a little bit and it didn’t offer anything new. Luckily, though as the novel progresses the storyline does pick up and I began to feel like there was some development in both the main plot lines and the rather interesting sub-plots. I am now much more confident that in the next novel I will finally get to see the Eqbas arrive at Earth which I have been looking forward to throughout the previous two novels.
The characters and their development continue to be one of the most interesting and engaging aspect of the series with Aras’ internal struggle against his guilt and other personal demons being a particular plus point in the novel. However, I do have to add that some of the character interactions do appear to have become a little bit repetitive. For example, I don’t know how many more times I can stand reading about Shan’s outright hatred for Rayat or her firm belief that Lindsey Neville is quite simply an idiot. It just means that whilst I got to see some interesting progress in the development of some characters such as Ade, Eddie and Aras there are others like Shan & Lindsey that seem stuck in a rut.
Overall, whilst a lot of this review does come across as being slightly negative, I still enjoyed the novel and was happy to see that there is some real progress being made in the plot by the finale. It really is a book of two halves, both in relation to the initial slow plot progress and in how some characters are developed well whilst others have become quite stagnant in relation to their growth. Personally, I enjoyed the book and am now looking forward to the final book in the series although I have no idea how it is going to conclude as I am finding it hard to envision any sort of happy ending.
The story basically continues the events unveiled in the previous novel, “Matriarch” with the Eqbas continuing to prepare for their future journey to Earth alongside trying to rebalance the Isenj home world. As a civil war between the Isenj drags on the Eqbas soon realise that unless something different is done, they may be stuck dealing with the Isenj for the long term when their main goal was to get to Earth. Therefore, a new alien species known as the Skavu are called in to help deal with Isenj and free up the Eqbas so that they may start the journey to Earth. These fanatical ecological warriors soon cause more issues and before long the Wess’har and Isenj realise that they may need to set aside some of their differences and come to an agreement on the future to ensure that the Skavu can be removed from the picture. Meanwhile Lindsey Neville has unleashed the C’naatat virus into the remaining Bezari population which causes a whole new range of issues for the various alien species to deal with.
If the initial sentence in the above description of plot sounds rather similar to what occurred in “Matriarch” then this would be because the first half of the novel doesn’t actually progress the story much. The first few chapters mainly seem dedicated to discussions, inaction and contemplation to the point that the whole thing could drag a little bit and it didn’t offer anything new. Luckily, though as the novel progresses the storyline does pick up and I began to feel like there was some development in both the main plot lines and the rather interesting sub-plots. I am now much more confident that in the next novel I will finally get to see the Eqbas arrive at Earth which I have been looking forward to throughout the previous two novels.
The characters and their development continue to be one of the most interesting and engaging aspect of the series with Aras’ internal struggle against his guilt and other personal demons being a particular plus point in the novel. However, I do have to add that some of the character interactions do appear to have become a little bit repetitive. For example, I don’t know how many more times I can stand reading about Shan’s outright hatred for Rayat or her firm belief that Lindsey Neville is quite simply an idiot. It just means that whilst I got to see some interesting progress in the development of some characters such as Ade, Eddie and Aras there are others like Shan & Lindsey that seem stuck in a rut.
Overall, whilst a lot of this review does come across as being slightly negative, I still enjoyed the novel and was happy to see that there is some real progress being made in the plot by the finale. It really is a book of two halves, both in relation to the initial slow plot progress and in how some characters are developed well whilst others have become quite stagnant in relation to their growth. Personally, I enjoyed the book and am now looking forward to the final book in the series although I have no idea how it is going to conclude as I am finding it hard to envision any sort of happy ending.
January 17, 2016
The bezeri subplot was tiresome in the last book, and it's even more tiresome in this one; is unnecessary at best, and filler material at worst. Many of this book's problems, in fact, are the same as those of the last book - dragging plot, no action, out-of-character reactions - and this has now gone on for long enough that I fear Traviss has royally screwed over her own series.
I've finally put a finger on what's been bothering me in both this and the previous book of the series ( Matriarch ): the reason why these books have become so much less fun to read lately is because the entire tone of the series seems to have taken a sharp left turn. After three books of building characters up to be flawed but still likeable heroes, Traviss seems to have embarked on a crusade to deconstruct what little heroism is left for all characters. The hidden gray areas of Shan's morality come into sharp contrast (which was fine, and expected), but when Aras and Ade begin to make moral compromises as well (specifically, their decisions concerning Lindsay and Rayat in Book 4 were nonsensical and bizarrely out-of-character), the whole construct feels like it's on the verge of falling apart. Eddie is the last character who's remained in-character and relatively unscathed by the morality firestorms (and therefore the reader's last chance for a relatable hero)... but even he disappears for the equivalent of an entire book (last half of Book 4, first half of Book 5) for no particular reason at all that I can remember.
In short, I'm starting to lose hope for this series ever ending in a satisfying manner. I don't know if Traviss forgot to take her antidepressants or what after the third book, but I'm pretty sure that these plotlines are now screwed beyond salvagability. These books were fun when there was still enough of a black/white dichotomy that you still had heroes - but in drawing all the storylines and thematic concepts out to their final depressing extremes (as seems to be the unfortunate norm for most science-fiction writers looking to be "edgy"), she's also alienated readers from caring about characters or the conclusion - and midway through the series, no less. All of this is made worse by the fact that plot holes which could be forgiven when this was still a fantastic setting are now beginning to become inescapable under the scope of increased "realism" (). I can think of a whole spectrum of creative answers to even this small sampling of questions, and all of them could have been far more interesting ways to explore the universe and expand the story than the route that Traviss has picked.
I still plan to read and report back after the final book of the series, but I am no longer optimistic that this will end well. This has all the feelings of a trainwreck in the making.
I've finally put a finger on what's been bothering me in both this and the previous book of the series ( Matriarch ): the reason why these books have become so much less fun to read lately is because the entire tone of the series seems to have taken a sharp left turn. After three books of building characters up to be flawed but still likeable heroes, Traviss seems to have embarked on a crusade to deconstruct what little heroism is left for all characters. The hidden gray areas of Shan's morality come into sharp contrast (which was fine, and expected), but when Aras and Ade begin to make moral compromises as well (specifically, their decisions concerning Lindsay and Rayat in Book 4 were nonsensical and bizarrely out-of-character), the whole construct feels like it's on the verge of falling apart. Eddie is the last character who's remained in-character and relatively unscathed by the morality firestorms (and therefore the reader's last chance for a relatable hero)... but even he disappears for the equivalent of an entire book (last half of Book 4, first half of Book 5) for no particular reason at all that I can remember.
In short, I'm starting to lose hope for this series ever ending in a satisfying manner. I don't know if Traviss forgot to take her antidepressants or what after the third book, but I'm pretty sure that these plotlines are now screwed beyond salvagability. These books were fun when there was still enough of a black/white dichotomy that you still had heroes - but in drawing all the storylines and thematic concepts out to their final depressing extremes (as seems to be the unfortunate norm for most science-fiction writers looking to be "edgy"), she's also alienated readers from caring about characters or the conclusion - and midway through the series, no less. All of this is made worse by the fact that plot holes which could be forgiven when this was still a fantastic setting are now beginning to become inescapable under the scope of increased "realism" (). I can think of a whole spectrum of creative answers to even this small sampling of questions, and all of them could have been far more interesting ways to explore the universe and expand the story than the route that Traviss has picked.
I still plan to read and report back after the final book of the series, but I am no longer optimistic that this will end well. This has all the feelings of a trainwreck in the making.
December 12, 2025
One of the most impressive aspects of this series is how smoothly the scope and stakes have expanded with every addition. With Ally, this has finally reached a breaking point.
Between the intended reconstruction of the isenj homeworld of Umeh, the advent of c'naatat-infected and land-dwelling bezeri, and the distant but inevitable task force heading for Earth, this novel has so many plates spinning that it's incredible none crash to the ground. Despite the complex weave of major and minor plot threads, Traviss finds plenty of room to utilize and further develop the core trio of Shan Frankland, Ade Bennett, and Aras, as well as the plethora of supporting characters who both simplify and complicate things along every step and yet another species to throw a wrench in the mix. All in all, the narrative is fraught and seemingly unsustainable — until the final reveal that , giving everything a final focus going into the final novel. I have very little idea what to expect from the final entry, but I feel confident it will be the strongest yet.
4/5 (B+), an excellent penultimate novel to lead into the finale.
Between the intended reconstruction of the isenj homeworld of Umeh, the advent of c'naatat-infected and land-dwelling bezeri, and the distant but inevitable task force heading for Earth, this novel has so many plates spinning that it's incredible none crash to the ground. Despite the complex weave of major and minor plot threads, Traviss finds plenty of room to utilize and further develop the core trio of Shan Frankland, Ade Bennett, and Aras, as well as the plethora of supporting characters who both simplify and complicate things along every step and yet another species to throw a wrench in the mix. All in all, the narrative is fraught and seemingly unsustainable — until the final reveal that , giving everything a final focus going into the final novel. I have very little idea what to expect from the final entry, but I feel confident it will be the strongest yet.
4/5 (B+), an excellent penultimate novel to lead into the finale.
September 2, 2007
Karen Traviss is another of those classically-educated British sci-fi writers that's captured my attention lately.
Her series, that begins with City of Pearl, is an unusual blend of vegeterianism, ecological responsibility, mutating symbionts, and interspecies war. Humans are, for the most part, the bad guys here, though it takes a while to figure that out. And our protagonist chooses her sides very quickly, putting her at odds with her people.
As with many of other female science-fiction writers, there's more of the what-I'm-feeling and how-this-affects-my-relationships than I like in my novels, but she does weave it into the story well. I'm looking forward to the concluding book in this six-part series.
Her series, that begins with City of Pearl, is an unusual blend of vegeterianism, ecological responsibility, mutating symbionts, and interspecies war. Humans are, for the most part, the bad guys here, though it takes a while to figure that out. And our protagonist chooses her sides very quickly, putting her at odds with her people.
As with many of other female science-fiction writers, there's more of the what-I'm-feeling and how-this-affects-my-relationships than I like in my novels, but she does weave it into the story well. I'm looking forward to the concluding book in this six-part series.
October 7, 2010
Good sci-fi by a British author (and you can tell she's British from the language used). Enjoyed this book even though I haven't read the preceding 4. There's a large emphasis on environmentalism, with the most advanced species being vegan genocidal pragmatists .... and the human protagonists are mutants due to bacterial contamination. Even though there was more emphasis on the interior motivations, moral dilemnas etc of the characters than I would have liked, the book stiill held my interest. Interested to see how the story ends.
May 22, 2008
I enjoyed this book (and the series) a great deal. My only complaint is that the copy editor did a horrible job. There are many errors throughout the book. The worst error I saw was at one point they were on Umeh which is the Isenj planet and there is a slip up in mentioned the Bezeri standing there which is an alien race from Bezer'ej that has no way of even getting to Umeh. That should have been caught.
October 20, 2008
I'm definitely still enjoying these. This one irked me sometimes because it had a lot of errors, and I always notice those kinds of things and want to go in and fix them. At least one instance where they said someone's name but meant someone else, and several instances where they said one type of alien but meant another. Silly things, but the kind of thing that brings me out of the book for a while, which removes the immersion.
June 22, 2012
The strength of this series is the alien cultures. I get a little aggravated with all of the ethical delimmas that are sprinkled through out the book. Mainly because of the inconsistent conclusions that our protagonist make. However, I began to feel that was the point I was supposed to see. The action seemed to pick up a little, but no where near the first book.
Looking forward to reading the next one.
Looking forward to reading the next one.
December 5, 2012
This series is getting rather bogged down for me. A lot of the action is talking about the action they are going to take, which is rather boring. Plus, the whole bezeri and idiot Lindsay is very annoying mostly because it is completely predictable. And I for one hate books where characters do dumb things, repeatedly, and you are forced to read about it, then wait some more while people don't do what they should do to fix the problem.
April 13, 2008
Wess'har War #5. Good reading. At the end of this book, I'm just not sure how the ending of this series can be a happy one... I'm pretty sure it'll have to end by killing everyone off, including all the humans on earth. So, I am very interested in reading the last book of the series, just to see how it goes.
November 20, 2010
I really enjoyed this fifth book in the series - the storyline on Bezer'ej with Lindsey is fascinating and horrifying. Shan and her husbands are fabulous as usual, and I love their relationship - all the dynamics between the characters in this series are really well done.
Re-read - November 2010
Re-read - November 2010
July 8, 2010
The previous book in the Wess'har Wars series was my least favorite. However, this book I would easily chalk up as my favorite. This book is awesome. Very intense with lots of mind blowing images. Great book!
January 11, 2010
Traviss came back with some action in Ally. This is my favorite of the series after City of Pearl. The tension really builds and I can't wait to read Judge.
March 2, 2012
Too introspective! Became boring! Author seems to have attempted to "stretch" the book to fill pages. This series will be continued by another book. Don't buy it!
March 23, 2017
Way too many editing problems with this book to keep me anchored in it. Words missing from sentences. Several occurrences of the wrong species being mentioned. Grrrrrr.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews