Rating: 
Summary: Looks like Kevin is doing something right....
Review: ....because i've now read both of these novels now and am looking foward to number three! And that's despite the fact that with every chapter told from a different perspective of the many characters involved it sometimes makes it a bit of a challenge to read. All in all though i'm starting to feel that that just might be a good thing. After all I can understand when you're reading for entertainment you might resent it if the book doesn't have an easy "flow". But on the other hand it does cause you to think some more and pay closer attention. And if you didn't really want to think while reading you might just as well watch re-runs on TV I suppose. In this book Kevin seems to have revealed all of the "elemental superbeings" that will be the major players throughout the series and while in my opinion this does lend a bit of "hokieness" to it i'm willing to see how it plays out before making any final judgements. And it's not like being hokie in sci-fi is uncharted territory, sometimes it's what makes it endearing and some series just absolutely revel in it. I do think that Kevin does a great job with the characters, especially considering how many there are, I found myself being really interested in how what was happening in the universe affected them and how they'd react. Yeah sure some of them are obvious and uncomplicated but it gives the "average person" characters they can relate to and understand as these characters try to make sense out of their lives as the universe is spinning out of control around them. Kevin has also created a very interesting universe to use as a backdrop for those characters. All those years of playing in other people's universes seem to have given Kevin all the tools he needs to construct his own and i'd say he's putting them to good use. So far so good, I guess the best compliment I can give is as long as Kevin keeps writing this series he's got me hooked so that i'll keep reading them.
Rating: 
Summary: More of an excellent series
Review: Anderson has built quite an interesting universe. However, while much is revealed in this second book of the series, bring so many plot threads together, much still remains to be resolved at the end of this book. I was going to wait for the third book to come out in paperback, but I'm not sure I can hold off.
Rating:
Summary: Four Stars for this Forest
Review: Book 2 in the Saga is a great read. The plot thickens, new mysteries and characters are introduced, book 1 characters get added depth. They act like real humans (and Ildrians), not comic book heroes. Nira, Tasia and Estarra are the kind of girls that actually exist -not some Lara Croft wet dream. Jess, Robb, King Peter are guys you could have a beer with and live to tell about it -not sci-aryan socio-pathoids. Two of the better heroes of Book 2 are older married archaelogists!Forest of Stars' writing is unpretentious and the story is plausible. Unlike many sci-fi writers, Anderson doesn't seem to be in a contest to snow you with grisly violence, inane dialog, fantasized technology, cultic drivel, and heroes you'd be afraid to meet.
A few plot inconsistencies? Man, what were those reviewers reading with, a microscope? I'm most intrigued by the Saga's four sentient being- Earth (the World Forest Trees Verdanis), Air (the gas planet Hydrogues on the rampage), and at the end of Book 2 --the introduction of water and fire beings. Hopefully Book 3 explains these ancient forms without slipping too much into the mythological-mystical-astrological pseudo-religious murk from whence these four "elements" have emerged. I'm also wondering if Kevin will introduce the so-called FIFTH Element? ...Spirit... Or maybe he already has in the Roamers, Cesca, Jess, Tasia, Estarra, King Peter and Jorah the new Mage-Imperator? Looking forward to Book 3. -NM
Rating: 
Summary: flaws of the first without quite the fun factor--weak 3
Review: Forest of Stars, the second book in Anderson's series, is a chip off the old block with regard to the first. Unfortunately, one would have hoped for a bit more improvement in the second book. All the flaws of the first are here: the too-quick shifts from scene to scene, relatively shallow characterization, implausible (even for space opera) plot events, some weak writing/dialogue, and the still maddening habit (though at least less often) of repeating previous exposition as if the reader can't be trusted to remember a few chapters back. The first book overcame these flaws with its robust ingenuity and simple sense of fun. This book doesn't quite match the verve of the first, however, and so the flaws are magnified, affecting the reading experience more. Too much of what happens here we've seen already in the first, such as King Peter chafing under Basil's restrictions, the inventiveness of the Roamers, etc., which takes away a bit of the spark as well.
There are some good scenes in here, and a few of the characters manage to stand out as more sharply drawn and more compelling than others. Applying the same level of characterization to others would have greatly helped, as would streamlining the book a bit to cut down on repetitive action or dialogue. As it was, I kept reading to see what would happen but I can't call it very compelling. Having read the third book I can say that it too shares the same flaws without the balancing positives. One hopes as a series continues that we're treated to more than an unspinning of the plot--deeper characterization, improved writing style, a sense of a more full story. Unfortunately, Anderson seems stuck a bit in the same gear as book one. The potential is there, but is so far unmet. He hasn't dropped off much, but I'll need more than holding course in book four to continue. Recommended for those who read and liked the first with the warning not to expect much more, but at this point I wouldn't recommend the series to new readers.
Rating: 
Summary: Overly Long - Many Holes
Review: I like this new series by Kevin J. Anderson. I enjoyed the first book of the series. The second book of the series is even better and moves at a better pace than the first one did. I enjoy his characterizations and descriptions. He writes just the right amount to give a clear picture without becoming tedious. Personally, I want to see more from Jess Tamblyn's POV but I'm not the author so I'll just have to like what I get. :) Very original plot and creation of tension between races! Recommended to anyone who is looking for good scifi/fantasy.
Rating:
Summary: Book Two of the best sci fi series to come along in years
Review: It has been many years since I have been this excited and emotionally attached to a science fiction series. In A Forest of Stars: The Saga of Seven Suns Book 2, Kevin J. Anderson not only builds upon the galactic epic begun in Hidden Empire, he makes the incredible drama detailed in the first book seem like a warm-up act to the real performance. You have to commit yourself to the story; there is just too much happening to too many characters for you to read this novel in dribs and drabs and expect to keep up, but that should not be a problem because A Forest of Stars is all but impossible to ever put down in the first place. Five years have passed since the Earth-based Terran Hanseatic League used ancient alien technology to turn a gas giant into a brand new star, thereby incurring the wrath of the unknown and seemingly unstoppable race of hydrogues who call the gas giants home. Almost every race and planet in the Spiral Arm has suffered both mentally and physically at the hands of the hydrogues, while the deadly enemy's refusal to allow ekti (the source of stardrive fuel) mining in the atmospheres of their home planets has crippled the galactic economy. Even the impressive Solar Navy of the might Ilderan Empire has been proved embarrassingly inferior to the destructive hydrogues. The ominous events detailed in Hidden Empire barely hint at the things to come in the pages of this second entry in the series. A Forest of Stars will take your breath away again and again. I could never begin to describe all of the momentous and oftentimes shocking things that take place in this novel. The improved military might of the Hansa's Emergency Defense Force remains ineffective against the hydrogues, and the growing scarcity of stardrive fuel has resulted in the breakdown of Hansa control over a number of its colonies. The Roamers, descendants of earth-based pioneers, continue to maintain their independence and nomadic lifestyle among the stars, but the Roamer economy struggles as its very foundation, the mining and selling of ekti for stardrive fuel, collapses. On Theroc, home of the sentient worldforest, life goes on much as normal for some time, but even the Therons will not emerge from this book unscathed. On Earth, young King Peter, a king in name only, matures and begins to assert himself, all but openly rebelling against the true source of Hansa power - Chairman Basil Wenceslas. Across the Spiral Arm, the true intentions and plans of the Mage-Imperator of the Ilderan Empire are made known, invoking great emotional pain among several important characters as well as the reader. Power changes hands on almost every central civilization involved before A Forest of Stars ends. Beloved characters die, incredible new plot elements (as well as unexpected, mysterious forces) are thrown into the mix, the destructive hydrogues still seem unstoppable, and romance in all its forms tears at the heart-strings of the reader. Kevin J. Anderson holds nothing back. Two lengthy books into this saga, the story is amazingly even more refreshing and promising than ever; I get the distinct feeling that "I ain't seen nothin' yet." The very nature of the awful war changes in these pages, as we learn that this is an ancient war between elemental forces never before imagined by the humans and Ilderans who now find themselves dragged into the apocalyptic conflict. Only now do we begin to understand just who the real enemies of the hydrogues are. Only now do we learn of the Ilderans' secret plans for survival and their total subjugation of select humans in barbaric breeding grounds. Only now do we gain insight into the disappearance of the ancient Klikiss race and begin to learn the truth about the incredible robots they left behind. The Saga of Seven Suns is such a fantastic science fiction series that I would almost recommend waiting until the series is complete before reading it. Having just read both of the first two novels, I am dying to learn what happens next - the wait for succeeding entries in this saga will be almost painful. Oftentimes, science fiction characters are rather cold and distant from the reader, but Anderson brings each of his characters to life and, through their triumphs and sorrows, brings the reader intimately into their world. No one (apart from the hydrogues) is starkly good or evil. Best of all, I have no idea how events will play out from this point forward. I may only be two books into this open-ended epic science fiction series, but I can already say that The Saga of Seven Suns is the most impressive, exciting series I have read since Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.
Rating:
Summary: Why so patronizing?
Review: Normally, this is the type of sci-fi that I like - a broad opera covering many events that lead up to a grand conclusion. However, Anderson's writing style makes getting through these books a chore, with only paragraphs here and there that bring it to life and make it worthwhile. It seems like every time he describes anything he has to lug out the thesaurus and ensure to include at least three adjectives. In addition, you are constantly reminded in depth of events that took place just a few chapters back. Overall, I get the sense that Anderson doesn't think too highly of his audience - that or he's shooting for the wrong audience altogther. The dialogue is trite and unrealistic - no one that I know speaks like his characters, especially when they are relating to intimate friends. I kept reading for the story line, but I have to admit, I put this book and the previous down a few times, promising that I wasn't going back.
Rating:
Summary: a truly spectacular space opera!
Review: once again Kevin anderson has astonished me with his storytelling ability in his second novel in his epic Saga of the seven suns. This novel is sequel to Hidden empire in which 25th century mankind unknowlingly started a terrible interstellar war with a ancient and advance race called the Hydrogues. This terrible war in seen through the eyes of some memorable characters both human and alien and across the expand of space.King Peter-the young monarch of Earth who in a deadly power struggle with the ruthless Basil Wenceslas, chairman of Hanseactic Terran league who rulers the human empire behind the scenes and uses King Peter as his puppet. Tasia Tamblyn-the roamer woman who joins the terran army to vengeance against the hydrogues and who sees the Hanseactic league brutal treatment of it's colonies. Prime Designate Jora"h the soon to be Mage-Imperator of IIdiran empire.Jess Tamblyn-the roamer businessman who will make a incredible first-contact with a alien race that might help the humans in their tragic war against the hydrogues.
Nira-the girl from Theroc who is enslaved by the IIdirians in their sinister breeding program!
Anderson's world-building skills are incredible once again as he takes you worlds like the green planet Theroc where world-trees communicate beyond the vastness of space and IIdiran empire where shocking secrets threaten this alien realm and it's leaders will take terrible steps insuring the survivial of their empire! Anderson's plot twists are wonderful as you watch the machinations of it's villians such as Klikiss robots who aid earth in their war but secretly plot to destroy the human race and the battle scenes in this book are sweeping in their intensity as you see the cause of lives.Now my own drawback is waiting another year for the next book in this powerful series!
Rating:
Summary: Better than the first
Review: This is, like the first in the series, somewhat predictable. Still, both books remain very fun space operas. One major improvement that this book has over it's predicessor is that the characters are finally acting intellegently. While not brilliant, innovation has changed from something as obvious as kimokazi attacks, to knew methods of mining that might actually take some brain power to come up with (not brilliance, but thought none-the-less). He also explains why they don't just have compies do the kimokazi attacks (aside from the fact that the human's and Ildirans have less ships, compies aren't capable of military work, which I presume means they aren't capable of sufficient decision making to manuver a ship around the hydrogue fire). I have two main problems with this book, but they aren't enough to cost it a star when judged by it's own standard. One is the inconsistency with naming at the beggining of the chapters (i.e. Jora'h is "Prime Designate Jora'h" and later "Mage-Imperator Jora'h", but Udru'h is just "Dobro Designate", and Cyroc'h is just "Mage-Imperator"). The other problem are these elemental aliens. While it has yet to cost the series to much believability, it does seem a bit far fetched that World Tree roots are harder than any metal despite being organic, and hence requiring semi-permeable membranes for their cells, and their should be at least a slight difference in analysis between Wentals and H2O. I hope KJA thought ahead, or I see "Storms" on the "Horizon" (the next book is "Horizon Storms" which I hope to read soon).
Rating:
Summary: Better than the first
Review: This is, like the first in the series, somewhat predictable. Still, both books remain very fun space operas. One major improvement that this book has over it's predicessor is that the characters are finally acting intellegently. While not brilliant, innovation has changed from something as obvious as kimokazi attacks, to knew methods of mining that might actually take some brain power to come up with (not brilliance, but thought none-the-less). He also explains why they don't just have compies do the kimokazi attacks (aside from the fact that the human's and Ildirans have less ships, compies aren't capable of military work, which I presume means they aren't capable of sufficient decision making to manuver a ship around the hydrogue fire). I have two main problems with this book, but they aren't enough to cost it a star when judged by it's own standard. One is the inconsistency with naming at the beggining of the chapters (i.e. Jora'h is "Prime Designate Jora'h" and later "Mage-Imperator Jora'h", but Udru'h is just "Dobro Designate", and Cyroc'h is just "Mage-Imperator"). The other problem are these elemental aliens. While it has yet to cost the series to much believability, it does seem a bit far fetched that World Tree roots are harder than any metal despite being organic, and hence requiring semi-permeable membranes for their cells, and their should be at least a slight difference in analysis between Wentals and H2O. I hope KJA thought ahead, or I see "Storms" on the "Horizon" (the next book is "Horizon Storms" which I hope to read soon).
|
