Rating: 
Summary: Fitting sequel
Review: The trio of authors involved in this have to be commended for not basically rewriting the first book with different characters, which I think is what a lot of people expected/hoped for considering the hostile reviews this (and "The Gripping Hand" another sequel in the same vein) have garnered. Of course they can't capture the magic of the first book because that was all about the shock of the new . . . but they gamely try here and almost succeed. If you haven't figured it out yet, reading this book is absolutely useless without first having at least a passing knowledge of the Legacy of Heorot, this expands the story twenty years beyond the end of that book (one of the problems is that there was no pressing need for a sequel, the first book wrapped itself up fairly well and neatly) and follows new and old characters as a new generation grows up on the planet of Avalon and gets ready to grab the torch and settle the planet. The Grendel Wars of twenty years ago are long forgotten and the generation gap is in full force here with the "Earthborn" and "Starborn" undergoing quite a bit of friction with each other. This book is highly entertaining and you'll find yourself devouring large chunks of it in a sitting, it's not a weighty philosophical book, mostly adventure with a bunch of science thrown in to dazzle the readers. Part of the problem is it tries to be everything at once and winds up being gigantic without really satisfying any of those parts. It's a scientific exploration of Avalon, delving into the flora and fauna with typical Niven zeal, and I have to admit his ideas are dazzling, the place feels both alien and familiar at the same time. But it's also a vague attempt at social commentary, with the more conversation adults warring with the far more liberal values of their children . . . however there's also a big focus on sex for no apparent reason. They handle the large cast well and while it's hard to get a feel for the newer group, a lot of the older characters are deepened by this treatment, especially Cadmann, who while being the hero was very one note at times. Lastly it's a tense adventure thriller but the tension never really develops until the end and while it is rewarding, you spend a lot of time wondering where this is all eventually going. The resolution is a tad fuzzy, especially when it comes to motivations but those are all just quibbles. The book may not win any awards but it's well crafted and enjoyable for all its bulk and a welcome revisiting of a fascinating planet. Those wanting to go beyond The Legacy may want to look here but don't expect a carbon copy.
Rating: 
Summary: A good sequel to Legacy of Herot
Review: This book explores how a new generation of children, born on an alien world, would act. There's a subliminal question in the text, that asks, how much of what we are, as humans, is due to just living on Earth, with millions of our own kind ? What might we become if we were, in essence, marooned on some far-away world ? Some other thoughts. This book is incredibly cruel to women. Throughout the story, women's children, their husbands, their loved ones, die horribly. There's a pervasive tone of sadness that comes to me from this. The colony is setup something like Walden II, with loose sexual arrangements. The main author, Steve Barnes, does have a problem with genetics. We are told that a black man has several "unacknowledged" children with women of different races, but everyone is apparently mystified as to who the father might be. (He's practically the only black male in the colony). The book is also about rebellion by teen-agers against their parents. It's got it all.
Rating: 
Summary: Beware Europeans
Review: This book is identical in content to 'The Dragons of Heorot' ISBN 1-85723-373-5
Rating:
Summary: Great Sci Fi Book!
Review: This book really explores the idea of what life in a coloney on another planet might be like. Easy to get lost in for a while. Also, there is a book that came before this one called Legacy of Heorot. Pick up both books and enjoy. I had the books in soft covers and when I finished I bought both books in hardcover to have in my library. I know I will be reading them again!
Rating:
Summary: WHAT'S UP WIT' DAT?!!!
Review: This book was a real let down. After being completely impressed and blown away by "The Legacy of Heorot" I had expected great things from this sequel. Pffft...not even close. There are so many more directions that this story could have gone. Imagine a world where religious cults worshipped the grendels and it was a right of passage to sacrifice oneself to the beasts...This one was written to take a few more dollars from hopeful readers without having to put in the effort of giving them something back for their investment. Don't bother!
Rating:
Summary: Wonderfully Entrancing
Review: This book was wonderful. I couldn't stop reading it. The Niven/Pournelle/Barnes triad is in top form here. Lots of great ideas and interesting ground covered. Only two disappointing parts: the "Big Mystery" is badly telegraphed part way into the book, and the ending is weak and a bit abrupt. Still, a great read and highly reccommended. Can't wait for the sequel.
Rating: 
Summary: Doubt if Niven and Pournelle wrote much of this.
Review: This continuance of the excellent story of The Legacy of Heorot is a huge disappointment, full of editing errors and downright sloppy writing. I was amazed that I considered not finishing a book with Niven's name on the cover, but after the zillionth dredging up of sexual mores among the colonists and useless paragraphs devoted to coffee (which contained glaring factual errors), I was almost fed up. I don't believe Niven nor Pournelle had much to do with this project and that their names appear solely to command $4 per word from the publisher. Their respective writing styles are absent except for some obvious cut and paste operations, and the book is a dismal failure. Barnes is written all over this book and it shows
Rating:
Summary: FANTASY AT ITS BEST!!!!
Review: This novel in my opinion is probably one of Niven best. The charachters where well wrote. Once you pick up this book your part of the story. It keeps you going all through the night and into the next morning.
Rating:
Summary: Good, but not Quite as Good as "The Legacy of Heorot"
Review: This sequel to "The Legacy of Heorot" is interesting and entertaining, but it seems a bit pale by comparison with the earlier novel. We do get a great deal more in-depth look at the ecology of Avalon, including various species of grendels and several other genera not encountered before. Humans have learned to cope with grendels, but now they must learn to cope with the mysterious "death wind," and meanwhile at least one grendel is learning to cope with humans. Reading this book just after reading Lois McMaster Bujold's "A Civil Campaign" led me to compare the more limited character development in "Beowulf's Children" to the extensive character development in "A Civil Campaign." Altho they may seem so by comparison to the Barrayarans, these are NOT cardboard characters. The characters in "Beowulf's Children" are developed to the extent appropriate for a story, the main focus of which is the ecological systems of an alien planet. Significantly deeper development of the human characters would have diverted attention from the alien ecologies of Avalon and the problems of both humans and grendels in learning to cope with the weirdnesses of each other.
Rating:
Summary: Good, but not Quite as Good as "The Legacy of Heorot"
Review: This sequel to "The Legacy of Heorot" is interesting and entertaining, but it seems a bit pale by comparison with the earlier novel. We do get a great deal more in-depth look at the ecology of Avalon, including various species of grendels and several other genera not encountered before. Humans have learned to cope with grendels, but now they must learn to cope with the mysterious "death wind," and meanwhile at least one grendel is learning to cope with humans. Reading this book just after reading Lois McMaster Bujold's "A Civil Campaign" led me to compare the more limited character development in "Beowulf's Children" to the extensive character development in "A Civil Campaign." Altho they may seem so by comparison to the Barrayarans, these are NOT cardboard characters. The characters in "Beowulf's Children" are developed to the extent appropriate for a story, the main focus of which is the ecological systems of an alien planet. Significantly deeper development of the human characters would have diverted attention from the alien ecologies of Avalon and the problems of both humans and grendels in learning to cope with the weirdnesses of each other.
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