2015 Reading Challenge [Closed] discussion

I had planned to read new-to-me books, but since my life has taken a turn for the stressful, I'm choosing to reread some long time favorites these three weeks instead. This is book one of the first in a group of connecting trilogies set in the same science fiction universe. In November, the first book of the third trilogy is coming out, so I thought it'd be a good time to refresh my memory on the events in the others.