The previous novel, Pandora's Star, introduced the Intersolar Commonwealth, a star-spanning civilization of the twenty-fourth century. Robust, peaceful, and confident, the Commonwealth dispatched a ship to investigate the mystery of a disappearing star, only to inadvertently unleash a predatory alien species that turned on its liberators, striking hard, fast, and utterly without mercy. The Prime are the Commonwealth's worst nightmare. Coexistence is impossible with the technologically advanced aliens, who are genetically hardwired to exterminate all other forms of life. Twenty-three planets have already fallen to the invaders, with casualties in the hundreds of millions. And no one knows when or where the genocidal Prime will strike next. Against this backdrop, Captain Wilson Kime confides to Paula Myo, chief investigator at the Intersolar Serious Crimes Directorate, his belief that humans are being manipulated. For more than a hundred years, a shadowy cult, the Guardians of Selfhood, has warned that an alien with mind-control abilities impossible to detect or resist - the Starflyer - has secretly infiltrated the Commonwealth. Branded as terrorists, the Guardians and their leader, Bradley Johansson, have been hunted by Paula. But now evidence suggests that the Guardians were right all along, and that the Starflyer has placed agents in vital posts throughout the Commonwealth - agents who are now sabotaging the war effort. Is the Starflyer an ally of the Prime, or has it orchestrated a fight to the death between the two species for its own advantage? Caught between two deadly enemies, one a brutal invader striking from without, the other a remorseless cancer killing from within, the fractious Commonwealth must unite as never before.

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Series

Series

2 primary books3 released books

Commonwealth Saga

Commonwealth Saga is a 3-book series with 2 primary works first released in 2002 with contributions by Peter F. Hamilton.

Misspent Youth
Pandora's Star
Judas Unchained

Series

7 primary books8 released books

Commonwealth Universe

Commonwealth Universe is a 8-book series with 7 primary works first released in 1983 with contributions by Peter F. Hamilton.

Misspent Youth
Pandora's Star
Judas Unchained
The Dreaming Void
The Temporal Void

Reviews

Popular Reviews

Reviews with the most likes.

FALSE

January 30, 2015

Kinda boring compared to Pandora Star.

January 30, 2022
Jwilker
John WilkerSupporter

An excellent conclusion to the Commonwealth story! Man what ride!

July 20, 2008

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2,856 books

#2,856 in What are your favorite books of all time?

When you think back on every book you've ever read, what are some of your favorites? These can be from any time of your life – books that resonated with you as a kid, ones that shaped your personal...

#1
The Lord of the Rings
#2
Dune
#3
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
The Way of Kings
1984
Mistborn: The Final Empire
Pride and Prejudice
The Martian
The Hobbit
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Project Hail Mary
The Hunger Games