Linda Evans (2) (1958–)

The Sharonians and the Arcanians have fought their first engagements and the honours lie with Sharonia at the start of this book. Back in their home universe the story of the slaughtered survey crew has enraged public opinion, especially the supposed death of Shaylar, the first woman to serve in a survey crew. This anger also propelled Sharonia to form its first unified world government based on the ancient Ternathian empire that was still the world's largest and most powerful empire. Out in the boondocks, the two parties are talking but the Sharonians realise that the Arcanians were not taking them very seriously but they don't realise the full scale of Arcanian duplicity, nor the full force of the Arcanian forces, especially the dragons, for Sharonia has no experience of airborne transport until death comes down from the skies. We follow the successful push forward of the Arcanian forces and the heroic defence of Fort Selsby by Sharonian forces, and the cost to Sharonia as it's Crown Prince is a victim of that attack. Due to the illness of Weber's writing partner, much of this book seems biased towards the Sharonian side with much of the non-fighting side of Arcanian life taken up by the journey of Shaylar and Jathmar into captivity many worlds to the Arcanian rear.… (meer)

The first book in the Multiverse series doesn't spend much time in setting the scene as we are dropped straight into the middle of the action as a Sharonian exploration team member makes an unfortunate first contact with a member of an Arcanian expedition. With both parties dead, working out who's fault it was would be impossible and neither side expected to meet another civilisation in the first place so both sides were afraid of what the other would do. It's not quite a 'cast of thousands' novel, but the book (and series) swaps points of view between those at the sharp end of the action, to those in political control (particularly on the Sharonian side), though this isn't as jarring here.

Although the two authors have their distinctive voices, they mesh quite well in this book though I suspect David rather preferred the Sharonian side to the Arcanians - both sides have different levels of technology and mental skills - the Sharonians have Talents that resemble 'traditional' psionic skills, and a level of technology around the late Victorian era, whilst the Arcanians employ magic and have developed creature out of legends such as dragons and unicorns, and a level of technology about the late medieval period and the inability of either side to come to terms with their opponents' skills is one of the drivers of the conflict that drives the series… (meer)