The Darkside War

The pseudonymous Brown opens an SF series with a novel that can%E2%80%99t quite figure out where it%E2%80%99s going or what it%E2%80%99ll do when it gets there. A group of aliens occupying Earth, called the Accordance, is battling another group known as the Conglomeration. Devlin Hart, the son of human protestors, is told he must serve in the Accordance army if he wants to save his parents from execution. When he stands up to an alien who%E2%80%99s about to kill a human child, he is sent to train for his fate as cannon fodder. Devlin%E2%80%99s training and first encounter with alien enemies show him to be more fallible than the average action hero; his choices are split evenly between intelligent and disastrous. The various aliens aren%E2%80%99t distinguished particularly well, usually only described by comparison to some terrestrial animal. Devlin%E2%80%99s adventures have the feel of a young adult coming-of-age novel, but some of the language and situations feel too strong for that audience. Perhaps future installments will find more of a groove. (Mar.)