"A one sitting reading experience"

By the middle of the twenty-fifth century, humanity has proven its adaptability by accepting that we are not alone and in fact are the third sentient space travelers in our galaxy. The Ildirans have explored space for centuries finding the abandoned ruins of the Klikiss back in the mid twentieth century earth time. The Ildirans have shared science and technology speeding up humanity's journey in the galaxy.

In 2427, xeno-archaeologists Margaret and Louis Colicos know how to use a Klikiss device to convert a gas giant planet into a sun. They choose a hydrogen giant five times the size of Jupiter with numerous moons to create a new solar system for commercial venture. However, the implosion arouses a fourth intelligent race previously unknown to humanity and the Ildirans, the even more advanced Hydrogues, dwellers of the gas giants and now the victims of unintentional genocide making war imminent.

Science fiction fans need to set aside plenty of time as the first book of The Saga of Seven Suns: Hidden Empire is a one sitting reading though well over four hundred pages. The tale grabs the audience from the start as Kevin J. Anderson does not just introduce the several races and the orbs, but blends the players and worlds into the thrilling plot. Thus, the audience does not receive an extended prologue as often seen in first novels. Instead readers obtain a powerful futuristic epic that contains a robust stand-alone story line yet provides a puissant cliffhanger that will keep the audience wanting to continue non-stop with Book Two, VEILED ALLIANCE.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted July 15, 2002

Summary

In our galaxy's distant future, humans are one of three known intelligent races. Having had the ability to navigate star travel for only a few centuries, we are considered "the new kids on the block" in a long- established universe. The second intelligent race is the Ildirans, who are ruled by their Mage-Imperator; and the third race, the Klikiss, seems to have vanished and left behind a world full of artifacts and remarkable technology, which humans are now beginning to find and utilize. One such piece of technology is a device that has the power to turn a gaseous and useless supergiant planet into a small sun, thereby creating a new solar system in which humans can live. But when the device is tried for the first time, it awakens the wrath of a previously unsuspected fourth race, the Hydrogues-and a galaxy-spanning war that threatens all life begins.