The Damned Trilogy
The Damned Trilogy is a set of three
Plot summary
Two major
Most of the fighting takes place on planetary surfaces, and is relatively restrained in terms of destruction, the purpose of the war being to convince and control one's opponents rather than destroy them. However, most sentient species in the galaxy have evolved to be incapable of committing violence against other sentients (violence of any sort being most uncivilized, but against another sentient being a [literally] unthinkable crime), which leaves a shortage of warriors on both sides. The Amplitur, with their mind-controlling abilities and therefore ease with which they control conquered populations, have gradually been pushing the Weave back for centuries and seem to be on track for final victory.
On a mission to find new resources and allies, a Weave scout ship discovers
When humans are unleashed upon the battlefield, all inhibitions against killing other humans are disregarded. Humans have no problem hunting and slaughtering non-humans, and some seem to enjoy it. This is appalling to the civilized races of the Weave, but they cannot deny the efficacy of human combat troops.
Humans have the potential to become fearsome allies for the Weave and are also physiologically immune to the Amplitur mind control abilities.
After the Weave scouts convince volunteers (
The first book deals with the Weave and humans trying to come to terms with each other, the first humans begin to fight in the war and the Amplitur attempt to capture Earth to deny the Weave their new allies.
The second book details the outcome of the capture of some humans by the Amplitur, who
The third book, set a few hundred years later, follows the research of a Wais scientist, Lalelelang, studying humans. The Wais are a delicate, highly civilized ornithorp race and are the most averse to violence of all the Weave species. Some members of this race can be shocked into a catatonic state at the mere sight of violence, which makes Lalelelang's friends, family, and colleagues all the more fearful for her chosen subject of study. During the course of her research, she comes to the conclusion that unless humans can be 'civilized' somehow, they will eventually turn on the rest of the Weave races once the war is over. She embarks on a quest to keep this from happening, and is joined by one of the descendants of the 'altered' humans from the second book. Unknown to Lalelelang, she will discover shocking things about not only the telepathic humans, but a couple of alien species from the first two books as well as herself.
Significant parts of the action of the novels take place between the various non-human species that make up both The Weave and the Amplitur's allies, giving an outside perspective of "normal" human interactions and events as the author's apparent commentary on current events.
Reception
Kirkus Reviews criticized the first book as having no plot or action.[2]
Publishers Weekly praises the second book in the series as being an improvement over the first and having more depth. [3]
References
- ^ "Fiction Book Review: A Call to Arms by Alan Dean Foster, Author Del Rey Books $18.95 (341p) ISBN 978-0-345-35855-4". PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved 2020-07-15.
- ^ A CALL TO ARMS | Kirkus Reviews.
- ^ "Fiction Book Review: The False Mirror by Alan Dean Foster, Author Del Rey Books $19 (277p) ISBN 978-0-345-35856-1". PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved 2020-07-15.