- Paperback: 389 pages
- Publisher: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group; First Edition edition (1 Dec 1999)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0553568922
- ISBN-13: 978-0553568929
- Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 2.2 x 17.5 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,378,824 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
Timothy Zahn, Hugo Award-winning author of The New York Times best-selling Star Wars trilogy, blazes a spectacular new path across the sky in an epic original novel of star-spanning action adventure, mystery and intrigue. A long era of peace and prosperity in the interstellar Commonwealth has suddenly come to an end. Four alien starships of unknown origin have attacked, without provocation, an eight-ship Peacemaker task force, utterly destroying it in six savage minutes. The authorities claim there were no survivors. But Lord Stewart Cavanaugh, a former member of Parliament, has learned through back channels that one man may have survived to be captured by the aliens: his son, Commander Pheylan Cavanaugh. A large-scale invasion appears imminent, and the strictest security measures are in effect . . . measures that Lord Cavanaugh has no choice but to defy. He recruits Adam Quinn, who once flew with the elite Copperheads--fighter pilots whose minds are literally one with their machines--to rescue his son. Quinn assembles a crack force of Copperheads to steal out of the Commonwealth security zone and snatch Pheylan Cavanaugh from the conquerors. Depending on the outcome, Quinn and his men will retum home as heroes or as the galaxy's most despised traitors--if they come home at all.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Like all of the Zahn books I have read, it is a little slow in starting. However, stick with it - the rewards are great!
I can honestly say that I have never read a better trilogy before this, and I have yet to find anything as good since.
I thought the idea of telling the tale from the point of the humans in book one, followed by the alien's point of view in book two was such a great idea. It made me want to reach into the book, and grab hold of the characters and bang their heads together! A strange reaction, I know, but once you have read all three, you will know exactly what I mean.
Read them all!
Format:Paperback
This book is one of a trilogy, which takes you through a first contact experience gone very badly wrong.
The way in which the story unfolds, initially through he eyes of the humans, then in the next book through the eyes of the aliens, clearly has been carefully thought through. In fact, the trilogy's structure challenges you to rethink your views of the aliens and humans alike as you progress from one book to the next. In fact, its hard not to take a firm stance on who's fault the whole mess was in one book and then reverse that stance in the second.
I happened to start on the second book, so initially read the story from the aliens point of view...and i was thinking "tsk..just like humans...pah!", but then as i read the first book i could understand why the humans acted and reacted in the way that they did.
The third book, ties it all together and pretty much everyone lives happily ever after.
The only criticism I would give of this book, is that there is a particular species who seem to be deeply involved in everything, but their motivations are never really explained and civilisation never really explored. It left me thinking...."so why are they doing that? Whats in it for them? Who are these people?"...which pulled me a little out of the story
I guess if i had to give it another criticism, it would be the structure of the story, which ironically for me is also one of its great strengths. What i mean is this. Its very difficult to pick up one of these books and go "oh that was a nice story...but not sure ill bother with the rest of the books".
The problem is, either of the first two books only give one side of half the story...so you arnt given the tools to judge whether the whole story is nice or not. To fully understand the story you definately have to read the first two books. I guess then you can make your mind up on whether you want to read the third and see how it ends...
Mind you...i really enjoyed them all...so what do i care? :)
The way in which the story unfolds, initially through he eyes of the humans, then in the next book through the eyes of the aliens, clearly has been carefully thought through. In fact, the trilogy's structure challenges you to rethink your views of the aliens and humans alike as you progress from one book to the next. In fact, its hard not to take a firm stance on who's fault the whole mess was in one book and then reverse that stance in the second.
I happened to start on the second book, so initially read the story from the aliens point of view...and i was thinking "tsk..just like humans...pah!", but then as i read the first book i could understand why the humans acted and reacted in the way that they did.
The third book, ties it all together and pretty much everyone lives happily ever after.
The only criticism I would give of this book, is that there is a particular species who seem to be deeply involved in everything, but their motivations are never really explained and civilisation never really explored. It left me thinking...."so why are they doing that? Whats in it for them? Who are these people?"...which pulled me a little out of the story
I guess if i had to give it another criticism, it would be the structure of the story, which ironically for me is also one of its great strengths. What i mean is this. Its very difficult to pick up one of these books and go "oh that was a nice story...but not sure ill bother with the rest of the books".
The problem is, either of the first two books only give one side of half the story...so you arnt given the tools to judge whether the whole story is nice or not. To fully understand the story you definately have to read the first two books. I guess then you can make your mind up on whether you want to read the third and see how it ends...
Mind you...i really enjoyed them all...so what do i care? :)
2 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I read this a while back, having picked it up at a 2nd hand bookshop. Its a book with potential, but like a lot of Zahn's work, it ends with a trailer for the next book in the series rather than a satisfactory conclusion. I've not yet been able to locate the sequel.
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