The Dark Between The Stars (The Saga Of Shadows book one) by Kevin J. Anderson (book review).

Kevin J. Anderson is probably best known these days for his collaboration with Brian Herbert, the son of Frank Herbert, on extending his father’s ‘Dune’ series. His work has included numerous prequels as well as using Frank Herbert’s original notes to complete his final series, which started with ‘Heretics Of Dune’ and ‘Chapter House: Dune’.

Anderson has also contributed prolifically to the ‘Star Wars’ genre with novels, graphic works and reference books. In addition, Anderson has written numerous original novels, sometimes under pseudonyms and sometimes in collaboration with other authors. It is probable that most SF readers have picked up something from Anderson over the years, even if they never realised it.

‘The Dark Between The Stars’ is the beginning of a new trilogy in the ‘Saga Of The Seven Suns’ sequence. The previous saga runs to seven books printed between 2002 and 2008. This new volume was nominated for the 2015 Hugo Best Novel award.

This new start spans a staggering 644 pages, excluding the glossary, and showcases a modern style of space opera, complete with intricate plots and a diverse cast of characters. Clearly, some of these characters carry over from the previous saga. Overall, Anderson does a fair job of making this volume standalone so that readers who have not read the previous books can manage to follow things reasonably well.

The problem with having so many stories at the start is that it can take a while to find out what happens to the first few characters. For example, in the first chapter, we meet the likeable rogue Garrison Reeves as he steals away in a spaceship with his ten-year-old son, Seth. Garrison’s wife, Elsie, is the ruthless advisor to Lee Iswander, who is a similarly ruthless capitalist. The Iswander business is based on processing lava fields, and Garrison has pointed out safety concerns with the operation. Iswander ignores Garrison, who feels he needs to strike out and keep his son from harm, an action which his wife clearly will not stand for. We get quite a bit of this intriguing story in the first 40 pages. But then the book branches out, telling other stories, and we have to wait another 80-odd pages to find out what happens next.

This kind of massive multi-stranded space opera calls to mind the works of Peter F. Hamilton. The book is of similar girth, and Anderson is pretty effective at the likeable characters that seem second nature to Hamilton. The first chapters give the reader the sense that much has happened before. Regardless of how well Anderson introduces the characters, there often seems to be something missing, as if the portrayal unintentionally suggests mysterious histories lurking in the background.

It is clear that Anderson did a lot of worldbuilding in ‘The Saga Of The Seven Suns’. We have humanity split between a kingdom advised by priests that commune with sentient trees and the ‘Roamers’, who take pride in their independent spirit as essentially space transients. The former achieves faster-than-light communication because of the telepathic trees. Simply bring a priest with his seedling, and all the other trees and priests will share whatever knowledge he possesses. The roamers pride themselves in taking on the most dangerous enterprises, and the aforementioned Lee Iswander attempts to be first and foremost of them.

Add to the mix the vast Ildiran humanoid alien empire, now at peace with humans but whom it is clear were at war with us in the previous saga. On top of this, there are distinctly non-humanoid aliens such as the Faeros, sentient fire-dwelling entities living in stars, and the Hyrdogues, who are much the same but living in the seas of gas giants. It is also clear that the previous saga saw off the insectoid Klikiss race and their vicious black robots, leaving behind only some useful portals left on their planets.

An ancient, implacable threat from Ildiran legend is likely to emerge in this mix, and perhaps those pesky black robots have not entirely disappeared after all. The metaphysical nature of the main threat in this volume is so inimitable to any form of organised matter, and thus life, that Anderson himself struggles to reconcile their motivations for declaring war on the more alive inhabitants of the galaxy.

Exact scientific plausibility rarely affects space opera. As long as the technology feels romantically plausible and remains consistent, then a space opera can fly between the stars without issue. Anderson knows these facts and manages to craft a technological setting that, strictly speaking, could not exist but which we really, really want it to. As such, the book is certainly a success.

Throughout, we do meet a bewildering number of characters, some of whom will be involved in providing a dramatic and climactic denouement. Others quietly go about their business in the background, presumably to have their conclusion in a subsequent volume. After all, the current book is just the first of a trilogy.

For this reviewer, Anderson has always had a rather neutral style. This is an advantage when collaborating with other authors or writing for subgenres. Anderson’s writing is also pleasingly easy to read, using multi-layered descriptions and getting us into the action rapidly. His chapters are usually four to six pages, so we have to swap between story strands rapidly. However, having a neutral style doesn’t really stand out. For example, the aforementioned collaboration with Brian Herbert may add much to the ‘Dune’ franchise, but the writing does not have the timbre or dramatic tone of Frank Herbert’s writing. The difference is fairly stark.

I have often considered Anderson to be a journeyman writer, skilled enough to handle various genres competently, but lacking standout brilliance. However, I believe I have enjoyed ‘The Dark Between The Stars’ somewhat more than Anderson’s other work. I can see why it was nominated for a Hugo. The style may still be neutral, but the level of creation on display is impressive. Clearly, Anderson writing his own creation is a step above the ‘Dune’ collaborations or the ‘Star Wars’ novels. If you enjoy huge tomes of modern space opera, then I do recommend giving the series a try. It might be easier to start at the beginning with ‘Hidden Empire’, the beginning of ‘The Saga Of The Seven Suns’, but failing that, ‘The Dark Between The Stars’ is perfectly workable, and once it grips you, you will want to see it out and probably think about the next volume, too.

Dave Corby

September 2025

(pub: Simon and Schuster, 2024. 660 page enlarged paperback. Price: £14.99 (UK). ISBN: 978-1-84983-677-7).

check out websites: www.simonandschuster.co.uk and www.wordfire.com