The Orphaned Worlds

Humanity's Fire #2

by Michael Cobley

The fight is on. So let the battle begin.

Darien is no longer a lost outpost of humanity, but the prize in an intergalactic struggle. Hegemony forces control the planet, while Earth merely observes, rendered impotent by galactic politics. Yet Earth's ambassador to Darien will become a player in a greater conflict as there is more at stake than a turf war on a newly discovered world.
An ancient temple hides access to a hyperspace prison, housing the greatest threat sentient life has never known. Millennia ago, malignant intelligences were caged there following an apocalyptic struggle, and their servants work on their release. Now a new war is coming.

Genres: Science Fiction, Space Opera, Fiction, Audiobook, Aliens, Space, Fantasy

480 pages, Paperback

First published April 22, 2010

About the author

Mike Cobley was born in Leicester and has lived in Scotland since the age of seven. Although the Scottish cultural heritage informs much of his own outlook (egalitarian, argumentative yet amiable, and able to appreciate rain), he thinks of himself as a citizen of the world.

While studying engineering at Strathclyde University, he discovered the joys and risks of student life and pursued a sideline career as a DJ, possibly to the detriment of his studies. The heady round of DJ'ing, partying and student gigs palled eventually, but by then his interests had been snagged by an encounter with Pirsig's 'Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance' which led him off on a philosophical and political odyssey which continues to this day.

The desire to write had its first burgeoning when he was 20/21, resulting in the creation of a short fantasy novel (that has never seen the light of day!). He later wrote a string of articles/rants for the campus paper at Strathclyde University under the pen-name Phaedrus, at the same time as he began writing short stories. Mike harbour much affection for the short story form, but has had little opportunity to write them since beginning work on the Shadowkings trilogy.

The 1st 2 volumes of the trilogy - Shadowkings and Shadowgod - have been published by Simon & Schuster's now-defunct imprint Earthlight, and the 3rd part - Shadowmasque - will be published by Simon & Schuster-Pocket at the end of 2004. Mike has a number of ideas and concepts for his next big project but they're being kept on the backburner for the time being. The publication of Iron Mosaic will be a personal milestone for him, as well as a showcase of the topics and techiques which have intrigued him since the publication of his first short story back in 1986. And just recently, he has had appeared in the Thackery T Lambshead Guide to Eccentric and Discredited Diseases, with a monologue upon the malady known as 'Parabubozygosia', which is not for the faint-hearted!

Reviews

[Dirk Grobbelaar · Rating 5 out of 5]

My metal skin is cold and pitiless, unforgiving vacuum of space presses in upon me. My old alloy bones bend and crack, my flexar veins degrade and constrict, my neural network burns with damage and pain. But I am not dead! Convergence is strength, convergence is the only path. All else is weakness

I enjoyed The Seeds of Earth. I also vastly underestimated the scope of the overall story. The Orphaned Worlds sets that record straight, and then some. It is not the easiest book to get into, initially, but patience is rewarded in spades. There are several points of view, and you’ll need to keep your wits together to get the most out of this saga. The problem, of course, with this POV approach is that you will inevitably find yourself drawn to some characters (and their circumstances) more than others. The story features a bewildering array of beings and factions, from humans and aliens to post-humans, AIs and drones, and other more abstract entities. Also, a few fantasy elements (although these are mostly of some “scientific” origin, i.e. externally created rather than intrinsic). Certainly, going for the “more is more” approach. With everything that is going on here, and given the epic sweep of the story, there is less room for deep character development. The narrative is almost entirely plot-driven, which isn’t so anomalous for genre fiction.

Gazing into the distance, through a maze of glittering strands, he could see something that might have been a tilted, towerlike city hanging at the nexus of innumerable gleaming cables. Or it might have been an immense ship, caught in the meshes, woven about and held fast…

One of the aspects of the story that I particularly enjoyed is the premise that Hyperspace contains entire levels of space (or “pocket universes”, if you will). It’s mind boggling in scope (a requirement for me when it comes to Science Fiction in general). An exercise in world-, or universe-building, and some fascinating imagery. Given that this is big concept Space Opera, some appropriate foreshadowing softens deus-ex machina-like moments. And yes, I know this isn’t Hard SF, so relax already.

And as the bridge quivered around them, space distorted, star positions sliding outwards as a huge, incredible form emerged into solid reality directly behind [his] ship, staring down at it with blank stone-grey eyes.

The whole premise of the series is quite fascinating, focusing, as it does, on “orphaned” human colonies that have been founded from old colony ships and cut off from Earth for centuries. During this time, they were exploited in various ways by other races who form part of the hegemony to which Earthsphere (Earth and its other, more current offshoots) has recently been introduced. A culmination of events (portrayed in Seeds Of Earth) have now thrusted these colonies to the fore, in terms of Galactic politics, with interesting ramifications. At the same time, forces have been awakened that are unimaginably ancient and powerful, each with their own agenda.

[It] was a showcase of failed stellar engineering, the extinguished remains of miniature stars orbiting a megaplanet, itself a cold, dead tombworld, its face scarred by the inhabitants’ final paroxysms of violent despair. Other arrays and patterns of suns were visible in the distance, chains and bracelets, magnified by the lounge’s viewing system, the rest were burnt-out husks hanging in an ashen firmament.

The book starts a bit subdued, but picks up nicely! I personally felt that the intrigue and politics were well balanced with sequences of high excitement, drama and action. There is certainly no shortage of wonder in this book. Expect immensities, exotic locales, far-fetched science, adventure, planetary guerilla warfare, space combat, mech warfare, ship boarding, side-switching, political shenanigans, flexible verisimilitude, and just about everything in between. Again, I’m surprised by all the negative reviews here (reviews elsewhere on the net are much kinder); not sure if I’m missing something obvious, but I am finding these books (as far as Space Opera is concerned) well written and very entertaining. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, of course.

‘Such an affront requires that pursuit is swiftly undertaken with the aim of procuring an appropriate apology. The appropriateness, of course, will not be inconsequential.’

Recommended if you enjoy Space Opera (or Space Fantasy, if you will) on a grand scale. Or if you’re looking for something with a bit of a Mass Effect vibe and more gimmicks than you can shake a stick at. In fact, I’m going to give it 5 stars, because I was entertained, and because I can!
Best read in 3D.

[Phil · Rating 3 out of 5]

The sophomore in the series picks up right where the first installment left off; really this feels like one big story artificially cut into book length chunks by the publisher, but so be it. Cobley spins quite a yarn here, with so many opposing factions it gets dizzying at times. We know from the first volume that humanity, facing an awesome invasion by the Swarm, sent off three colony ships, one of which landed on Darien. The Orphaned Worlds enlightens us to the fate of the remaining two. One landed on a 'garden planet' and began a colony only to have the planet claimed by the Hegemony and the humans made into mining slaves; one ship escaped but its survivors became indentured servants to the Roug in return for protection. The other human ship also successfully colonized a planet, but, with the not-so subtle help from the Hegemony, became basically mercenaries for the Hegemony...

Cobley continues with his format of having each chapter told from a different POV and hence we have many protagonists. First, we have the humans and Uvovo on Darien and its moon, struggling under the boot of the hegemony's occupying forces. Then we have the ancient cyborg knight hoping to free the million or so cyborg warriors imprisoned in a deep level of hyperspace; to do this, he must travel to Darien and access the ancient artifact there. Catriona (a human) on the moon of Darien and now in mental touch with the sentient forest there. Kao Chin, a human from the Roug 'protectorate' who was sent to Darien to see if the humans under their protection could be relocated to Darien (and his many adventures along the way). Chel, the Uvovo seer on Darien and many more.

The background for all these folks is the resurgence of an old war between an AI that seeks to exterminate biological life and the 'alliance' of beings seeking to stop them; while this happened millennia ago, the Knight demonstrates that it is not quite over yet. Then we have the Hegemony, also somewhat in the control of the AIs (they are all linked somehow via hyperspace). Finally, we have other alien empires/realms with an interest in Darien. Darien it seems is the key for the future of the galaxy!

Colbey keep up the frenetic pacing here, loading with cliffhangers at the end of each chapter. The near miraculous escapes by many of the protagonists forces a little belief suspension, but so be it. This is a fun read, and indeed, a fun series so far. I like the wheels within wheels plot and the action sequences are done well. Be warned, however, this is lots of flash without much depth. 3 stars!!!

[Kara Babcock · Rating 3 out of 5]

It has been almost two years since I read the first book in this series, and nearly a year since I bought books 2 and 3! I’m very glad Michael Cobley includes a brief synopsis of the first book; it helped with my terrible recall. The Orphaned Worlds is probably better than Seeds of Earth in terms of both story and organization. As with the first book, there were elements that made me want to dislike this book, but I just couldn’t. It’s unabashedly fun space opera with AI elements reminiscent of Iain M. Banks and complex, nefarious interstellar schemes reminiscent of John Scalzi. All in all, it’s a pretty good time. As usual, spoilers for the first book but not so much for this one.

There is no middle book syndrome here. The Orphaned Worlds gets to profit from all the groundwork the first book had to spend setting up. So Robert Horst is already on his intense mission “deep into hyperspace” for the Construct; Greg is still fighting a guerrilla war on Darien; Kao Chih soon has a chance to return to his people, and so on. Multiple storylines intersect, converging and diverging in interesting ways that remind us that this universe of Cobley’s making is incredibly intricate and interconnected. The Sendrukans’ and Brolturans’ presence in Darien has multiple levels, as we discover when Kuros receives a visit from a superior whose orders don’t quite make sense…. And then there is the race against time, with the Knight of the Legion of Avatars freed from its deep sea prison and slowly lumbering towards Darien and the warpwell it wants to use to free its masters.

This series reminds me a little of A Song of Ice and Fire, just because there are so many POV characters. Each chapter is titled with a character’s name, and it follows them for a little, before the next chapter jumps to another character. Cobley is a little shyer about killing off main characters—then again, compared to GRRM, who isn’t? A few characters get some development, but one of my critiques of this book would simply be that for all the plot that happens, the characters change precious little. Theo, Greg, Kao Chih, etc., spend too much time running around to stop and process the friends they are losing and the way the balance of power has shifted. Hopefully we get a lull in book 3 that will make up for it.

Characterization troubles aside, though, Cobley does a remarkable job of balancing the sheer number of subplots. I mentioned a handful of them above, and there are still more. It seems like there’s a subplot for everyone: millennia-old AI shenanigans, alien–human politics, human–human politics … it’s all here, and it’s all connected. So even while some of the plots (like Greg on Darien) didn’t hold my interest, and while I found others more confusing (I’m still not sure I understand this whole “levels of hyperspace” thing), there was still plenty for me to enjoy. I particularly liked it when the Roug showed up and kicked some Ezgaran ass just because those Ezgara were so cocky. Likewise, I love that despite the very powerful assistance many of our protagonists have, they come close to defeat several times.

As I mentioned in my review of the first book, Cobley doesn’t so much advance new ideas as recombine old ones. That’s still the case here. There are some great philosophical themes surrounding the nature of consciousness and selfhood, particularly when it comes to Horst’s journey, or Catriona’s relationship with Segrana. Cobley doesn’t manage to present these ideas in new or exciting ways that make me think a lot on them, but it was nice to see him develop them within the context of this story. The Orphaned Worlds reminds me a little of The Expanse in that it could be a good SyFy series: perhaps not the most groundbreaking use of science fiction, but a great “smart” form of entertainment.

At the end of the day, when a book this long keeps you turning pages, other complaints don’t matter: it’s a good read. Definitely going to pick up the third book more quickly than I did this one!

My reviews of the Humanity's Fire series:
← Seeds of Earth | The Ascendant Stars →

[Dylan Harris · Rating 1 out of 5]

The language in this book is so appalling I found the thing impossible to read.

Most people, when they buy a cliché dictionary, use it to find annoying phrases to avoid. Mr. Cobley seems to have used one as a resource. Let me give you an idea of just how awful the thing is ... here are clichés from the preface:

- In the title, "has gone before"
- "ruthless ... enemy"
- "far away star system"
- "fertile ... world"
- "swathed in ... forest"
- "ancient secrets"

And that's just the first paragraph. Seriously, the first paragraph! There are so many clichés here that he's achieved cliché meltdown: I really, genuinely, cannot read this book. I don't know if this guy is deeply lazy or deliberately being irritating by writing so badly. Whatever, it's impossible to see the story through the awful awful language. This is Douglas Adams' "small lump of green putty found under my armpit one morning".

I reckon he's trying to copy the style of early pulp science fiction, but he's not realised that, then, the language may have been rushed and thrown out of a typewriter like smoke from a wheelspin (see, copies are horrible, aren't they), but the atmosphere of that time made the language fresh and exciting, then. Emphasis on the then. But it's been copied, copied, copied, so much so that now it's bloody irritating. It's descended to deepest cliché: any writer who knows anything about his tradecraft should know how clichés build: they're once exciting phrases that have grown tired, so tired they've fekkin' annoying. It's why you have to be wary when reading Fleming: Bond's not written in clichés, they're the utterly copied originals. The same goes for pulp sci-fi, except that was never quality writing in the first place.

I should never have bought this book; I was in Foyles at St Pancakes with not much time. It's the second book in a series, and I bought the original because Iain M Banks recommended it, according to the cover. Don't touch it; don't for a moment presume this book has anything like the quality of Banks' works. I haven't got a clue why he recommended it. I tried to read that first book, but the language so irritated me that I ended up skimming it just to sneer and giggle at all the fekkin' clichés this desperately lazy writer invoked. The plot is clichéd too, as I remember, but nothing like in as appalling a way as the language: with non-annoying language it might have earned 2 point something stars.

Now, of course, the guy might be using dire language deliberately. He might so hate his readers he wants to annoy them intensely by pelting them with stuff he's grabbed out of his grandmother's toilet. Well, sod that, he can bugger off. The language is so awful that this series, so far, is the worst I'm come across in 40 years of reading SciFi.

[Matthew Hester · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not sure what's more upsetting; the fact that Cobley seemed to be trying to channel Kevin J Anderson in the way he tells this story, or the fact that he failed miserably.

I was very nervous coming into this book after finishing the first in the series, and it would seem my fears were justified. Not only was this a let down from the already mediocre debut, but his attempt to set up additional story-lines stumbled and failed.
Though the only positive I can say about the way he did create new situations, is that it was leaps and bounds above how he resolved things.

It almost feels like Cobley went into this series with the attempt to figure out how he can solve every single problem with a Deus Ex Machina. I can't recall a single problem that came up which was actually solved through the use of cunning and ingenuity.
What is amusing about the entire thing though, is that the only real character development we seem to get, is when someone previously left undeveloped, swoops in out of nowhere to solve the problem of another underdeveloped character, and manages to grow a little bit as a person in the process.

Maybe that's entirely the point. Perhaps this is a brilliant attempt to show the concept of a Deus Ex Machina as a theme/character of itself, and it is so smart that it completely went over my head.

I doubt it though.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

The troubled sequel to a better book. Not as good as the previous, but hopefully providing lots of 'set up' for the third and final part.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Mike Cobley's first epic space opera book, Seeds fo Earth, prior to its release last year and thoroughly enjoyed it. The Orphaned Worlds, the sequel and part two of the trilogy, was a highly anticipated release for this year and upon getting a copy through the post I made sure it was high on the list of to-read books. While not quite on the same level as Seeds of Earth, The Orphaned Worlds delivers a whole lot of action, adventure and politics on a canvas even bigger than the first novel!

The foundation laid down in Seeds of Earth gets us introduced to the lost colony world of Darien, the surprise arrival of an Earthsphere ship and the discovery of an ancient and powerful relic on Darien as well as delivering an excellent cast of characters that kept the story focused. The Orphaned Worlds picks things up without holding its breath and delivers very much more of the same sensawunda that I got from the first book. The characters return and we follow the trouble and strife they now must struggle through in the face of powerful adversaries.

Widescreen isn't quite the term I'd use to describe this book, it goes far beyond that in many ways! From the guerrilla conflict on Darien to the immense journey through the ancient hyperspace layers, The Orphaned Worlds certainly doesn't take things lightly. The characters are also relatable and enjoyable to read, especially as we start to get glimpses of Legion and it's own quest. Greg and Theo are left on Darien trying to survive and lead the attack on the invaders; Robert is on a mission to the ancient Construct deep in hyperspace; Kao Chich is journeying to try and find help for the colony of Darien; Catriona and Chel are learning more of the ancient ways of the Uvovo and the secrets the forest moon of Segrana; Legion is slowly fighting it's battle to free the ancient evil that was imprisoned thousands of years ago. There are also a host of other characters supporting these main ones, including Julia who is a little out of the action after being captured in Seeds of Earth.

However, The Orphaned Worlds loses it's focus slightly because of the sheer number of plot threads we follow. While all individually adding to the bigger picture, the pages pass without much feeling of urgency. For instance, the first seven chapters are each from a different perspective and last 90 pages, so when we finally catch up again with the characters it's with a feeling of detachment. I sometimes had to stop reading and go back to remind myself of the situation they were in last time they had some page time - it can be a frustrating read because of this.

Don't get me wrong though, The Orphaned Worlds was very enjoyable and delivers a good story on a huge canvas with more than its fair share of great scenes and interesting developments. Being the middle book of the trilogy hasn't helped matters and much of the time it feels like a big build up to a grand finale - without the payoff. Because of this it's very difficult to say how successful the novel is as part of the series, but it certainly gives the reader more than enough to come back for the third installment, The Ascendant Stars.

Humanity's Fire is definitely a series worth reading and I'll be eagerly anticipating the final book next year!

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprise surprise, I actually liked this book better than the first book in the series, 'Seeds of Earth' The pace of the book is steady, except near the end where it seems a bit rushed. Mr Cobley does an admirable job filling in additional details, giving us a richer view of this big, complex universe he has created.

There are plots within plots, and it's amusing to see various groups of villains getting in the way of each other at times. There are hints here also, of a far more dangerous foe, one dating back far further than the ones we as readers have been exposed to so far. I have my suspicions, but rather than speculate here, I'll read the third book, 'The Ascendant Stars', and see if I'm right.

The only thing that really bothers me in this book, (and I'm trying to avoid spoilers here) is that the same technology used to protect one protagonist, was not used to save another protagonist a few chapters earlier. There is a possible explanation, but for whatever reason, Mr. Cobley has left us in the dark.

[Liviu · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I had very high expectations for the series debut, only to be partially fulfilled after an intriguing beginning followed by an almost fatal descent in costume-aliens pulp, my expectations were tempered for this one; still the novel managed to under-perform them with occasional snippets of brilliance with Banksian overtones and a lively engaging style, but with a very 50's like content which is far from the modern space opera standards

The many threads of the novel are uninspiring and with too little attention devoted to most; I think that the main failing technically is precisely this spread into way too many stories for the page count/depth; a 800 page novel would make it work, a 400+ page no way

I am not sure I will read the next volume - if it comes my way maybe - since I could not care that much overall about what will happen next

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely good read, I would recommend anyone of a harder sci-fi bent to read this series

This was an excellent middle book, it advanced the story nicely and never felt bogged down or reserved, there were some well executed reveals and there's enough foreshadowing for me to want to jump straight into the next one.
The characters are all well rounded and even minor characters generally have enough detail to relate to and none of them feel throw-away, even if they do catch it in short order.
The galactic / multiverse intrigue and plotting is multi-tiered and well executed and feels very well thought out.

Overall an excellent middle book for a trilogy and I'm really looking forward to reading The Ascendant Stars, which is book 3

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

An acceptable second. The first book enaged me not because it was novel (pun), but because it did tick all the 'right boxes'. Apocalyptic, galaxy spanning, mythical, organic vs. high tech, a 'cyber space', multiple dimensions, interwoven character narratives.
This carried on all these themes, but it feels a little flat. At this point, I probably will read the conclusion, and vaugley enjoy doing so in order to conclude the threads. That said, this is a suitable, casual, read. It's not a genre defying revolution, it's not going to be a well respected classic, but it was simple escapism, which is really all I needed from it :)

[Jane Plumridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book heavy going at the start mainly because there is so much to try and keep up with. Although I'd read the first book there was much more to get to grips with as the plot develops in numerous different ways and locations.

It continues the Work of the first book in weaving and latterly bringing everything together nicely so that the scene is set for the final book. The more you read, the more you begin to piece things together and really begin to care about the main protagonists.

l can't wait to get started on the final book in the trilogy to see what happens in what is a classic good versus evil drama. It's going to be a bumpy ride I think!

[Crusader · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I ended up enjoying this, I struggled with the pacing. There are some brilliant ideas at work here with a complex array of cultures and alien civilizations engaged in a struggle to take control of Darien and the technology it holds. The pacing just seemed off. As soon as I was drawn in the viewpoint would switch, diminishing the tension and flow of the story. It's only in the last third of the novel when things starting ramping up that the story became truly engaging. The ending is satisfying, but is largely used to set up the groundwork for the next installment. I'm still interested enough to want to see where this is going.

[Allan Heron · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in the Humanity's Fire trilogy by Michael Cobley who, in the interests of transparency, I'll declare as a friend of mine.

I enjoy sci-fi in movies but have never read much in the genre (but, then again, I don't read overly much fiction) so this Space Opera represents jumping into the deep end.

It's a complex story but it does manage to capture the imagination and kept me interested up to the inevitable climax setting up the final part of the tale. The story jumped from the perspective of one character to the next in a seemingly disjointed fashion until the final section.

Looking forward to reading the concluding part.

[Lawrence · Rating 1 out of 5]

Alrighty, started this one instead of the first book because this was more highly rated. But, I'm sorry if I'm too harsh on this, I draw the line at any book that wastes about 10 pages on "what has come before." I mean, seriously? We have to be dragged through 10 characters, 5 worlds, many spaceships to get to the Prologue? Any good writer would make that a moot point through the storytelling. So, yeah, not gonna read this one.

[catweaseloz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book that has a lot going on. Multiple plot lines, different concepts casually thrown in at random moments, extra races everywhere. I might have to reread it when i get the third in the series just so i don't miss important bits.

[Kirk · Rating 4 out of 5]

operatic. in the best way. still not sure about the ultimate powers at war here.

[Eamonn Murphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

In 'Seeds of Earth', Book One of 'Humanity's Fire' we learned that when insectoid aliens invaded Earth colony ships were sent out to preserve the race. Earth was saved from the swarm by the Sendrukan Hegemony and became its ally, or puppet. The ships founded colony worlds that had no contact with the home planet. Then an Earth ship found Darien and it has become the centre of a budding galactic conflict involving several humanoid species and also ancient powers that fought a great war a hundred millennia ago.

Like Book One this tome uses third-person narration of several different characters to tell the big story. Greg was an architect on Darien, investigating an ancient mysterious temple, but is now fighting for freedom against the forces of the Sendrukan Hegemony. His uncle Theo is similarly engaged but gets carted around the galaxy by Tygrans, military men from another lost Earth colony. Catriona, Greg's unrequited love, is on Darien's moon where she is psychically linked to the sentient forest which covers that world so that the creatures in it are her eyes and ears. She is also trying to fight off invading hordes. Robert is an ambassador from Earth who has been sent on a mission deep into hyperspace to contact the Godhead and get its help. Kao Chih is an Asian chap from the third lost Earth colony and he has tied up with Baltazar Silveira, a secret service agent from Earth, also fighting the good fight. He is especially concerned with freeing his own people from slavery on a mining world. Kuros is the evil overlord of Darien for the Sendrukan Hegemony and is aided and advised by an artificial intelligence. The AI's have distinct personalities and are always there for a chat and advice, sort of tied into your brain. They are catching on with high ranking Earthmen too, and ambassador Robert used to have one. Some think the AI's are too influential and might even have a secret agenda of their own. Some Sendrukan's, called the Clarified, have let their AI's take them over. Clarified Teshak is Kuros' superior and makes life hard for him.

There is lots of action, well-described and entertaining. There is tons of invention and a nicely simmering sense of impending doom for the good guys. There are likeable heroes and dastardly villains to cheer and boo. There is one gigantic flaw: no summary of the last book. If like me, you read the last book a few months ago, you will remember most of the characters and have some idea of what is happening. But not a very clear idea. It's easy enough to follow the action but I was never quite sure why they were doing it and read the whole book with a nagging sense of irritation. There's a lot of sound and fury signifying...what? Well, something pretty cosmic, man.

An editor should have sat Michael Cobley down and told him that the readers do not live with this mighty work day in and day out as he does. Readers have read other books since 'Seeds of Earth' and even have lives, too. A summary is needed. Those who have an eidetic memory and like Book One should enjoy this too. Those who have lots of time can re-read 'Seeds of Earth' before starting this one. Everyone else is probably going to find it entertaining and annoying in equal doses and really this is an editorial error. Mister Cobley is obviously far too close to his magnificent octopus to have any perspective on such matters. He needed help and he didn't get it. A shame.

[Mike · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up this series because I was quite intrigued by the description of the first book - 3 colony ships are sent out from earth to escape a devastating attack and so that humanity can continue on and establish a foothold somewhere else in the galaxy. Sounded really intriguing.
Unfortunately this plot line quickly became rather minor as the plot expanded and expanded to become grander and grander and to include more elements, more species, civilizations and characters. I think for me, I eventually started losing interest in most of the major plots - they just started becoming a little to surreal. Also meant that less time could be spent really developing that initial plot line and the characters involved in it.
At the end of the day, the bits of the book that interested me most were still the bits hinted at by the original description of the trilogy ... the tale of those 3 earth colony ships. If the book had kept to this with a bit of Sendrukan intrigue to spice up the plot, I would have enjoyed the book a lot more.
( Caution spoiler below....
And the whole warpwell prison concept seemed to have a rather large hole in it ... why did the legion need the warpwell to escape from hyperspace, when so many ships seemed capable of flirting back and forth between the various levels of hyperspace anyway?)

[Mike Franklin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Orphaned Worlds is the second volume in Cobley’s expansive space opera series, Humanity’s Fire. It continues what is proving to be space opera writ on a huge galactic canvas including multiple levels of inhabited hyperspace. With its slightly mystic overtones it is in some ways comparable with the Star Wars films and, although I find myself a little uncomfortable with those aspects, I am enjoying it, in particular its enormous and engrossing plot complexity, where I would also draw comparison with some of Peter F Hamilton’s Commonwealth books. And a bit like some of Hamilton’s works it takes a bit of getting into. I was a little ambivalent after the first book; the writing is sometimes a little cumbersome, I really could do without the (dated) Scottish accents and the very large cast of characters took a very long time to feel properly filled out, but, as the galactic picture fills out and solidifies in this book, the whole story has grabbed me more strongly. I enjoyed this book and am enjoying the series, but it took a while for me to be convinced.

[Henry Gee · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the second part of a sci-fi trilogy that started with Seeds of Earth and concludes with The Ascendant Stars. Here the braw and brawny human colonists of the planet Darien (who read like a collection of extras from Outlander) are assailed on all sides — by the brutal Hegemony (in which the home planet Earth is a junior partner); their even more brutal allies, the Brolturans — and, joining in the fray, a fleet of religious maniacs, together with opponents from a conflict that played out aeons before — all for control of an ancient matter-transference device beneath the planet’s surface. The author throws everything and the kitchen sink into this enjoyable space-operatic romp. But Peter F. Hamilton does this sort of thing much better.

[Danny Seipel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked Book One. This one is okay, but not great. It's a bit slow, seems to be mainly setting up for the finale.
The main problem for me was the cast of thousands and the huge number of threads the author is twining into one plot.

Every new chapter would be about one of the many players and I would have to remember what they were up to the last we heard of them.

And so very many coincidences, fortuitous or otherwise.

But I wanted to see how it all ends so I persevered. And, like I said, it was okay. You certainly wouldn't bother reading it as a stand-alone novel but then, that's not what it is.

[BobA707 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: Huge scope, intricate and convoluted plot, great characters (human and otherwise), and a very workable premise. Classic Science Fiction at its best, highly recommended. Same as book 1 really. Looking forward to book 3

Plotline: Multiple threads run through the story bringing diverse aspects together all gathered around an inspiring central premise

Premise: At it's heart a good vs evil premise in plain sight but cleverly hidden. Much more to come

Writing: Descriptive, the reader is right there in the action

Ending: The bad guys are ascendant, a bad place to end book 2

Pace: Never a dull moment!

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read part 2 and 3 of this series back to back so it's a bit blurry what happened in which of the two books.

After the first book the next parts impressed me a bit less. Still high stakes and lots of action, cool aliens and galaxy building. But plot wise there were some parts that felt either rushed or unnecessary: a whole sub plot through the layers of hyperspace (which is an awesome concept in Cobley's universe which deserved more attention than just the hunt for a mcguffin which petered out at the end.

I'll definitely pick up more of his books especially if they are in this universe, though.

[Chris Lynch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Undisappointingly builds on the previous book in the series. Cobley laughs in the faces of readers who may have hoped that the various layers and plot threads started in "The Seeds of Earth" would all nicely tie up into some sort of resolution by continuing to branch yet more subplots exponentially. I have a side bet placed on Cobley blowing up the entire Universe in order to resolve them all nicely by the end of Book 3. This isn't criticism, because I love this shit and it's just the kind of RPG I run. ;-)

Looking forward to "The Ascendant Stars", which would make a nice stocking filler this Christmas.

[Jojo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loving this series and writer! I originally read book 5 first and enjoyed that but it would have been more understandable if I had known about the first three books in this series and started with book #1.

This is complex writing, jumping all over the galaxy and down into the depths of hyperspace (as defined in the book) for different characters and pieces of the plot, It can take a while but by the end of the book, all the pieces come together nicely. The good and bad guys are clearly delineated.

I look forward to starting book #3.

I can't understand how anyone can rate these books at less than 4 stars!

[Xeddicus · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I was wrong- Vash is just mind controlled. Takes off and jumps off a cliff.

Legion takes over the warpwell and send his 2 scions in and reverses it, because the Sentinel was destroyed because it was a raging world class moron or a traitor.

Greg gives Cat the magic Z AI and they take things apart. But not on the planet? Useless. Cat disintegrates.

Theo shows up with Gideon and asks after Greg and Vash picks up.

Cal wakes up in the autofactory and the Pathmaster tells him to get some upgrades, stop resisting and use the machines.

[Ian Massey · Rating 2 out of 5]

(Two and a half stars)

Is anybody else reading this and, in places, thinking "Ewoks"? I certainly am.

I didn't enjoy this volume as much as the first, mainly because I can't get straight in my head what everybody is doing, what their "missions" are and, being honest, much of what is actually going on. All the characters are splintered across the galaxy, some seeming (to me) to be not doing much to further the story. And it's a story that feels like it should be epic, but isn't coming across that way.

Still, I stuck with it and I will finish this trilogy. I will, dammit!

[Sascha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Where the first felt so large, always expanding ideas, characters, and places this one felt so small. Characters needing to move plot and constantly crossing paths in a universe of trillions, while never really changing their mind or learning.

Maybe I missed these problems in the first or missed the depth of this second one, but while it was still a fun space opera, the story is not as original as I thought.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Orphaned Worlds is the second book in the "Humanity's Fire" series. Although the first book was very good this one suffered from second book syndrome. It was very erratic through most of the first half and I struggled to keep reading it. Then about halfway through things started to come together and it ended up being a good read from that point on. I am on the fence about whether to continue this series. I will put it on the back burner for now and reconsider it at a later date.