In A Forest of Stars, the second book in Kevin J. Anderson's sprawling science fiction epic Saga of Seven Suns, an experiment involving an ancient technology accidentally wipes out an entire colony of powerful aliens (hydrogues) and ignites an intergalactic war, placing the very survival of the human species at risk.

Now, several years after the event, the hydrogues have absolute control over the galaxy's gas-giant planets -- the only source of ekti (stardrive fuel) -- and the subsequent embargo is slowly squeezing the life out of human colonies across the galaxy. But there are other, less-apparent dangers facing humanity: The supposedly peaceful humanoid race of Ildirans is secretly conducting heinous breeding programs on human captives, and sentient alien robots are programming their human-created counterparts to overthrow their masters.

Like Anderson's Dune prequel novels (coauthored with Brian Herbert), the Saga of Seven Suns is epic in every sense of the word. With hundreds of characters (human, alien, and robotic), dozens of plotlines unfolding on just as many planets across the Spiral Arm, and diverse thematic threads involving ecology, religion, mythology, xenophobia, and sentient rights, this saga is easily Anderson's best work to date.