Kevin J. Anderson is a great author, and his style really shines in Saga. It reads like a collection of short stories, all intertwined around a central plot, little glimpses of dozens of lives all effected by the wars. I bought the first early this year after seeing it in bookshops for years, and by the end of the book I was hungry for more. I wouldn't call it instantly captivating, but then it's not hard to get into either.
I find it a good one to read when you're busy, because each chapter takes a few minutes to read and you can get in one or two when you're rushed, then put it away without feeling like you're missing anything because each chapter manages to accomplish something while drawing the reader onward. It's hard to explain, but I'm reminded of some of Stephen Baxter's short story collections, which is high praise coming from me, 'Vacuum Diagrams' is still my favourite sci-fi novel (which I also picked up today (-:).
If you've read and enjoyed any of the Dune novels from the last 10 years, Kevin J. Anderson is the other half of the writing team there, and the style is pretty similar, so if you liked 'Paul of Dune' or 'The Winds of Dune', then you'd likely enjoy saga. If you don't want anything to do with the new Dune novels, check out Saga anyway. Because it's a good read. |
