The Saga of Seven Suns

It's been a long while since I picked up a real book, so it was on a whim that I decided to buy Book one of Kevin J Anderson's series, "The Saga of Seven Suns". But once I got started, I couldn't put it down, and in a short span of 2 months, I've finished all seven books in the series. I've enjoyed his previous Star Wars novels, and I've heard praise for his work on the Dune series, so the decision to jump into a fictional world of his own creation was not hard to make. If you are a sci-fi fan, and love big, sprawling space operas, this is one to pick up.

The story, told from the perspectives of multiple characters, really helps to layer and weave a complex storyline together. While seemingly unfocused in the beginning, the story slowly becomes ever more coherent, and flows smoothly from one character switch to another. By jumping from character to character, Anderson allows us to see events through different eyes, as well as enticingly reveal new information that continually keeps you hooked in. Through this form of story-telling, Anderson draws a fascinating backdrop, filled with truly unique alien races, and political intrigue.

As with any space opera, the focus is always on the characters, and Anderson paints his with believable motivations and actions. And all the space battles and tech and politicking only serves to enhance the characters' personalities, revealing their strengths and weaknesses.

I really enjoyed the series, and I would highly recommend it. Book 1 may start off slowly, but it builds up to an resounding crescendo, and by the end of the series you will be throughly satisfied.