Orion Among the Stars

This book continues the saga of Orion the Hunter (Orion and the Conqueror, etc.), as he seeks to wrest control of his soul and destiny from the Creator, Aten, and be joined with his beloved Goddess and lover, Anya. In this volume, the stakes have escalated. Orion, who is sent by Aten to fight in wars throughout the vast continuum of space and time, is now a soldier in an intergalactic war, commander of a troop of cloned humans whose sole reason for existence is to serve the rest of humanity as cannon fodder. Gradually, Orion realizes that just as these clones are pawns in a fight that's not really theirs, he is a pawn of Aten and the Creators. As his power and independence develop, Orion realizes that all the wars in which he fights are battles in an epic conflict among the Creators. He is contacted by the Old Ones, an ancient race which threatens to destroy the younger, sentient species if they do not cease developing their ultimate weapon of destruction. Six-time Hugo winner Bova tells a suspenseful tale in workmanlike prose, keeping things simple enough to be enjoyed even by those unfamiliar with the earlier books in the saga. (Aug.)