Space opera on an epic scale – as it should be. Part two of a violently energetic and energetically entertaining three-part mil-SF extravaganza.
John Birmingham was born in Liverpool, United Kingdom, but grew up in Ipswich, Queensland, Australia. Between writing books he contributes to a wide range of newspapers and magazines on topics as diverse as biotechnology and national security. He lives at the beach with his wife, daughter, son, and two cats.
Canters along at a good clip, dashing off insane cannibals,
exploding warships, detached heads, and cartwheeling body parts,
with occasional transfusions of dark comic relief. Some highlights:
McLennan appears stark naked to greet a bunch of pompous bigwigs;
in a riotous bar scene, Sephina and crew, Yakuza, and Sturm all
blaze away at each other; Booker's dismay at being loaded into a
mechanical hedge trimmer... Frenetic action viewed in a black
fun-house mirror'
*Kirkus Reviews*
There are few works of sci-fi today that put readers on the edge of
their seats as well as giving them food for thought, and Birmingham
succeeds at both
*New York Journal of Books*
PRAISE FOR JOHN BIRMINGHAM: 'Birmingham's gripping novel launches
readers into a genocidal interstellar war amid sudden violence and
dark humor... Birmingham alternates between gut punches and
laugh-out-loud humor, with some gore and thought-provoking
philosophy thrown in for good measure... Plenty of twists, sharp
turns, and fateful encounters will keep readers guessing and
turning pages. This jarring, engrossing story of a species-wide
fight for survival is recommended for all science fiction readers'
Publishers Weekly (starred review), on The Cruel Stars. 'Glorious
excitement and meticulous density' Sci-Fi.com, on Axis of Time.
'The action is nonstop, the characters very real – and very
different from each other – and, to coin a phrase, it makes you
think'
*S.M. Stirling, on Final Impact*
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