The Eternity War

Sawyer’s military science fiction series opener launches right into the action and doesn’t let up. Lt. Keira Jenkins is a longtime Sim Ops operator for the interplanetary Alliance, conducting warfare via remote-controlled, cloned, enhanced bodies in mechanized armor. As she molds her new squad into a functioning military unit, they have to chase the mystery of the threatening and elusive group called Black Spiral and its terrorist leader, Warlord. When the mission shifts to include working with a modified fishlike alien Krell, former enemies of the Alliance, the squad’s past experience, and petty bigotries come to the fore. Sawyer creates a universe rich with politics that stretch far beyond Earth and dotted with ancient alien artifacts. There are enough flashy ideas and quippy characters to cover a plot that’s occasionally driven by convenient incompetence and inexplicable poor decisions. (Oct.)