Annihilation (Star Force Series Book 7)

I liked that not everything went Riggs' way in this book. I also liked how the Eden system is coming together as a viable place for biotics to coexist.

I do think Riggs is a bit too arrogant at times which I find annoying.

This book and series is for anyone who likes a good space battle with a good story line.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this series.I cant wait for the next book,I'm a Kyle Riggs junkie! Here i am at 2am exhausted but finished... Marvin the maniacal robot and the host of other characters make this a rollicking sci fi action series.. I see at least two more books maybe more..

This is the best series that Larson does. This is the best book in the series. I felt like the series was being tired, starting to follow the same formula in the last two books. He really changed my mind.

Finished book 7 and felt that the character development is improving mostly with Riggs, the females are still on the weaker side and too simplistic. Why does every female want to sleep with Riggs? There's no chase involved in the relationships between Riggs and all his women, it really dose not matter how badly he communicates with women since they all want to jump in the sack. Kwon's a simple character with zero depth, same as Kerr. What are their background motivations, personal lives like? We get a lot of Riggs, but basically he is pretty shallow also like a video game character 2 dimensional. Not looking for Ann Rice, just more character background, motivations, texture. It's getting too big to have Riggs running from one end of the system to the other with no down time. Miklos's ship development is a real good addition, Riggs can't do everything. What can the other characters do? Marvin is the best character, never sure of his motivations, but his similarities to humans and his lack of human ethics makes him the best alien.

This series would be wonderful if the author would simply allow the main character to either die, or have the main character let ANY other character make ANY decision EVER. Every decision is either altered, rebuffed or ignored by the main character, who let me remind everyone, is a professor with NO military training prior to the first book. Kyle Riggs is killing these novels.

I'm sure nothing I could possibly say would dissuade fans at this point, but I did feel like this novel lost the thread a little, plot wise, and I'm not sure I'll be continuing. My issues were as follows:

(1) Riggs big mistake (leading to consequences which have led other reviewers to call this book "dark") was just too blindingly and glaringly obvious;

(2) For a few volumes, I have felt like the various races of aliens are just cut-outs, like Larson said "hmmm, ok how can I make this race really different" and came out with a central attribute without developing a fully realized race. The Worms talk with pictures, the Centaurs think like a herd and talk in long-winded hyperbole and the Crustaceans think they are professors. One or two characteristics does not make for a fully realized race. While no new races are introduced, this aspect of it just seemed worse with more time devoted to the "Crustaceans" during which they grow in annoyance without becoming more fully fleshed out;

(3) when Riggs has an issue with Sandra, his girlfriend (not a spoiler, doesnt he always have issues with her?) the immediate flirting by other females feels contrived;

(4) no one seemed to be acting all that logically, from the machines vacillating between annihilation and land-based conquest, to Riggs landing *before* he tries an insta win tactic, to discussion of the Crustaceans trying to be "neutral" during attempted conquest/annihilation, on and on, I just felt like there was less effort made here to make things make sense;

(5) no new races, new technologies, or new ideas of real significance.

(6) was bothered by the command structure of Riggs organization. He repeatedly talks about how at least three different people are basically cowards, but says he values "survivors" and promotes one for this reason. No one is promoted because of good ideas, bravery or anything of that sort;

Bottom Line: Ambivalent. Delivers more of what fans have come to expect, but somehow left me with the impression that quality has drifted in the wrong direction.

As always awesome story by Larson! Keep them coming!

*SPOILER*
Some characters had to die a bit earlier than now, if Larson had kept that character alive (with all that happened) I would probably give it 4 stars.

Once again Larson show's his skills at defining sci-fi in a 'new light', some of his ideas may seem preposterous yet he carries it off without any hint of humor.
He is, without doubt an excellent writer and his imagination always shines.