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cdcsmith's review against another edition
5.0
This book reminds me a lot of The Game of Thrones. Lots and lots of characters/kingdoms and atthe end of the rather long book, it's really just the begining. I'm hooked.
emeriereads's review against another edition
4.0
I would recommend this book to people that like epic science fiction about an intergalactic universe like in Dune. Only the first of seven books in the series.
doelleri's review
1.0
Turns out, despite this being a well-recommended book, I'm really not a fan of Anderson's writing style. He leaves little to your imagination, preferring to explicitly say what each character is thinking and perceiving, rather than letting his writing show you. I struggled through this just to finish it. The plot started to pick up by the end but it's not enough that I would consider finishing The Saga of Seven Suns (or likely any other books by Anderson for that matter).
humuhumunukunukuapuaa's review
5.0
Possibly my favorite sci-fi series of all time. Very good books individually, but as a series they're amazing. Great ending as well.
spacenoirdetective's review
1.0
This book is largely lacking in good character development. It's space opera heavy on the opera. It's a soap opera with some originality but like any soap it's the same old, same old.
Things I liked:
* Trees that like to be read to
* the hydrogues themselves (who we see for only a page or two)
* pretty much all of the stuff on tree people's planet, Theroc.
* space gypsies that would live in difficult environments
* um...
And now for what I didn't care for. The space militaries in this book do not seem realistic to me. They seem poorly drawn compared to a lot of military scifi. Most of it was just boring.
Also the boringness of the characters. Big fat black woman space captain that likes to cook. I don't see her doing much captaining but hearing her talk about food so much was not terribly exciting. Next. The space military commander who shuts people out of airlocks. I just kept picturing Zap Brannigan from Futurama, only he actually has MORE depth than Kurt. The old king, boring. The executive really in charge who is really evil and cruel? Oh wow, I've NEVER seen that before! Young space cadet who wins over hearts by being so perfect? Bleh.
The only characters I liked were Jess Tamblyn, because I picture him as the lead actor from Spaceballs and Raymond/King Peter. Raymond/Peter is the only character worth reading, and he is the only one complex enough for me to care about. Not enough to really entice me to read further.
The problem with these books is they are written as if for a younger audience but marketed to an older one due to some kinky alien sex. Which brings us to the Ildarans, who I picture as looking like the aliens for Invader Zim. See, when books have poor descriptions of everything, I tend to fill in the blanks with my own choices. While this can be amusing it is also annoying. What do the Ildarans look like? The author describes them as humanoid, some with claws, some with topaz eyes, feathery hair, all of the different subtypes have different features but I can't picture them well. They are led by a bad Jabba clone, and while I kind of want to know how things will turn out, I am so overcome by indifference towards the dry and flavorless cultures surrounding these people that I found it difficult to embrace. Silly and melodramatic, very much wanted to love it but found very little I haven't seen done before, much better.
Things I liked:
* Trees that like to be read to
* the hydrogues themselves (who we see for only a page or two)
* pretty much all of the stuff on tree people's planet, Theroc.
* space gypsies that would live in difficult environments
* um...
And now for what I didn't care for. The space militaries in this book do not seem realistic to me. They seem poorly drawn compared to a lot of military scifi. Most of it was just boring.
Also the boringness of the characters. Big fat black woman space captain that likes to cook. I don't see her doing much captaining but hearing her talk about food so much was not terribly exciting. Next. The space military commander who shuts people out of airlocks. I just kept picturing Zap Brannigan from Futurama, only he actually has MORE depth than Kurt. The old king, boring. The executive really in charge who is really evil and cruel? Oh wow, I've NEVER seen that before! Young space cadet who wins over hearts by being so perfect? Bleh.
The only characters I liked were Jess Tamblyn, because I picture him as the lead actor from Spaceballs and Raymond/King Peter. Raymond/Peter is the only character worth reading, and he is the only one complex enough for me to care about. Not enough to really entice me to read further.
The problem with these books is they are written as if for a younger audience but marketed to an older one due to some kinky alien sex. Which brings us to the Ildarans, who I picture as looking like the aliens for Invader Zim. See, when books have poor descriptions of everything, I tend to fill in the blanks with my own choices. While this can be amusing it is also annoying. What do the Ildarans look like? The author describes them as humanoid, some with claws, some with topaz eyes, feathery hair, all of the different subtypes have different features but I can't picture them well. They are led by a bad Jabba clone, and while I kind of want to know how things will turn out, I am so overcome by indifference towards the dry and flavorless cultures surrounding these people that I found it difficult to embrace. Silly and melodramatic, very much wanted to love it but found very little I haven't seen done before, much better.
andyg's review
3.0
Too much foreshadowing. Every character that seems like they should be a well-fleshed-out main character, but isnt, then dies about 6 scenes later. Its like when there's a new ensign on the original star trek. Also the technology (magic) doesn't seem to hang together well. (tractor beams?!?) That said, its got thriller pacing, and some great imagery, and its a space opera, so i'm pretty much going to read all 7 books.
conalo's review
4.0
An entertaining and fun read that really has me looking forward to the rest of the series. Recommended for anyone who enjoys the space opera genre.
4.5 stars
4.5 stars
mlfowler's review
4.0
Fantastic page turner, it caught my imagination and kept me glued. First book I've read in many years that has had me so captivated!
tachyondecay's review
4.0
Replete with political intrigue, a powerful alien aggressor, and parables of human folly, The Saga of Seven Suns has everything a reader wants from an epic science fiction adventure. Kevin J. Anderson has created a vision of humanity's future both comfortable and unique. While adhering to many established tropes in space operas, including a handwaved FTL drive and form of instantaneous communication (sort of), Anderson has crafted interesting political entities and distinct cultures with often-conflicting agendas.
I first read Hidden Empire several years ago, but I lost track of the series after a couple of books, so now I'm re-reading them from the beginning. Some of the blurbs on the back of this edition compare Anderson to [a:Frank Herbert|58|Frank Herbert|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1168661521p2/58.jpg], but Hidden Empire is no [b:Dune|234225|Dune (Dune Chronicles #1)|Frank Herbert|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172968533s/234225.jpg|3634639]. (And any of the Dune books written by Kevin J. Anderson aren't technically Dune either, because they're actually Kevin J. Anderson books!) Anderson is certainly a capable storyteller, but he's not in the league of Frank Herbert, and he's only an average writer at best. Hidden Empire consists of more telling than showing than I'd like to see--i.e., Anderson's omniscient third-person narrator often relates what characters think or desire instead of showing us through actions and specific scenes. Nevertheless, the plot of Hidden Empire makes up for any deficiencies in its characters.
This time, the aliens aren't invading Earth. Instead, in igniting a gas giant into a star, humans accidentally decimated a settlement of an alien species known as the "hydrogues", who live in the mega-pressure depths of gas giants. Interpreting this as an act of war, the hydrogues retaliate with their superior technology. And this isn't the first time the hydrogues have lashed out against "rock-dwellers," as we learn from disparate discoveries by human archaeologists and an unfortunate Ildiran historian. Yet Anderson makes it clear that even if the hydrogues don't ultimately destroy humanity, the machinations of its various cultures during the war may be humanity's undoing.
The plot of Hidden Empire is simply delightful. Predictable at times? Sure. Occasionally trite? Of course. It's got a nice balance of action and introspection, with a touch of romance and the necessary tragedy to accompany it. There are almost too many characters, but for an "epic" space opera, this is forgivable. Some you dismiss almost immediately, or write off as villainous. Others will eventually die, if not in this book, then the next, or maybe the one after that. A couple remain dear to your heart--I've a soft spot for the spunky Roamer Tasia, and for the green priests Nira and Beneto as well. Chairman Basil Wenceslas is a necessary antagonist, although the Mage-Imperator seems rather cardboard at times (again, Anderson's weak point lies in characterization).
Anyone who reads science fiction, especially space operas, needs to give Hidden Empire a try.
I first read Hidden Empire several years ago, but I lost track of the series after a couple of books, so now I'm re-reading them from the beginning. Some of the blurbs on the back of this edition compare Anderson to [a:Frank Herbert|58|Frank Herbert|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1168661521p2/58.jpg], but Hidden Empire is no [b:Dune|234225|Dune (Dune Chronicles #1)|Frank Herbert|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172968533s/234225.jpg|3634639]. (And any of the Dune books written by Kevin J. Anderson aren't technically Dune either, because they're actually Kevin J. Anderson books!) Anderson is certainly a capable storyteller, but he's not in the league of Frank Herbert, and he's only an average writer at best. Hidden Empire consists of more telling than showing than I'd like to see--i.e., Anderson's omniscient third-person narrator often relates what characters think or desire instead of showing us through actions and specific scenes. Nevertheless, the plot of Hidden Empire makes up for any deficiencies in its characters.
This time, the aliens aren't invading Earth. Instead, in igniting a gas giant into a star, humans accidentally decimated a settlement of an alien species known as the "hydrogues", who live in the mega-pressure depths of gas giants. Interpreting this as an act of war, the hydrogues retaliate with their superior technology. And this isn't the first time the hydrogues have lashed out against "rock-dwellers," as we learn from disparate discoveries by human archaeologists and an unfortunate Ildiran historian. Yet Anderson makes it clear that even if the hydrogues don't ultimately destroy humanity, the machinations of its various cultures during the war may be humanity's undoing.
The plot of Hidden Empire is simply delightful. Predictable at times? Sure. Occasionally trite? Of course. It's got a nice balance of action and introspection, with a touch of romance and the necessary tragedy to accompany it. There are almost too many characters, but for an "epic" space opera, this is forgivable. Some you dismiss almost immediately, or write off as villainous. Others will eventually die, if not in this book, then the next, or maybe the one after that. A couple remain dear to your heart--I've a soft spot for the spunky Roamer Tasia, and for the green priests Nira and Beneto as well. Chairman Basil Wenceslas is a necessary antagonist, although the Mage-Imperator seems rather cardboard at times (again, Anderson's weak point lies in characterization).
Anyone who reads science fiction, especially space operas, needs to give Hidden Empire a try.
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