Metal Swarm - Kevin J Anderson

Published by Orbit Books/Hachette Book Group, Inc.: New York, NY, 2008 (2007).
Book Six of 'The Saga of Seven Suns' series: 'Hidden Empire'; 'A Forest of Stars'; 'Horizon Storms'; 'Scattered Suns'; 'Of Fire and Night'; 'Metal Swarm'; 'The Ashes of Worlds'.

In some ways I think The Saga of the Seven Suns might have been better wrapping up in the last entry. Of Fire and Night finished the hydrogue war and had King Peter and Queen Estarra finally escape from under Basil Wenceslas' control to the forest planet of Theroc. But the big twist at the end of the last book was the return of the insect-like Klikiss - the ancient race believed to be extinct - and now they have a massive presence in this book. So, where things were just wrapping up, now we have a new villain to face. At the same time, the insane brother of Jora'h, Rusa'h (who had flown directly into a star in Scattered Suns) has also returned, now as a 'Faeros Incarnate', and is laying waste to the Ildarian Empire. So we have two new villains to face.

If you haven't read this series all this plot will seem a bit bizarre. Having read this series I follow the plot, but am wondering where we are headed now. With the hydrogues gone, Peter and Estarra safe, Jess and Cesca together, Jora'h and Nira reunited, and even the Klikiss robot rebellion taking up less time, we are now focussed more on the survival of characters introduced later in the series - particularly a colony of humans trapped by the return of the Klikiss. With the insect-aliens focussed on warfare and 'absorbing new DNA' we are nervous for these humans, and with good reason. There are a few moments in this book that are a little bit darker than the previous entries.

The arc of Basil Wenceslas is also very obviously getting close to its end. He is now losing his grip on sanity, and the Hansa league is suffering as a result. With each misstep of Basil the breakaway Confederation is strengthened, and it seems only a matter of time before something happens to overthrow the chairman altogether.

Still an interesting series, but now one I am looking forward to see end.

Completed 2 June 2022.

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