This story has really zoomed out to something totally different. In book 1, “The Event”, our main character, Dean Parker, managed to save the human race by wiping out an entire other race, the Kraski, who were bent on sending Earth humans into the sun! That race, the Kraski, were under the thumb of the delta who planned the extinction of humanity so they could have Earth. They even made the Kraski create hybrid humans who were planted on Earth to prepare for the invasion. Of course, Dean Parker and his friends managed to save the day, although millions of humans did die. That should have been the end of it.
Now, we find that after chasing down two hybrids that Dean thought were going to tell the Bhlat the location of Earth, he’s returned to an Earth he doesn’t know. Things have changed, like seven years of change! While they have been traveling FTL, time for everyone else has been moving along and now seven years have past for everyone, but Dean, Mary, Nick, Clare and Slate who were aboard the Kraski-built starship. They don’t like the changes on Earth nor the direction the current President is heading. So they decide to head for the colony world New Spero.
Their reception isn’t what they thought it would be at first. They seem to always get into some kind of trouble and this was no different. They arrive at the New Spero space station and are immediately taken into custody. You’ll have to read the book to find out how they got down to the planet.
This story doesn’t just end on New Spero. They find out that even after all their efforts, the Bhlat have found Earth. They also find out that the current Earth President has made a deal with the Bhlat which Dean Parker and friends know isn’t going to honored by the Bhlat. All the Bhlat want Earths resources and they will use humans to mine what they need. They also want Earths water and will take it by force if necessary. The Bhlat have conquered many, many other civilization and have done the same thing to their worlds. The earth is too ignorant of galactic events to understand they have basically doomed humanity if not for the colony world of New Spero.
So does New Spero own any allegiance to Earth? Should they be sending their armada to support Earth and attack the Bhlat? There’s not that many humans established on New Spero, but those they do have are very capable. They have turned a barren world into an oasis in just seven years. Still, Earth is home to humanity and they probably aren’t going to just let the Bhlat have it, or are they.
Dean and Slate, meanwhile, have gone looking for his sister who moved to New Spero with the original colonist. She has been taken by some intelligent animals as food for later. While attempting to rescue her, Dean stumbles across an unknown portal room and is instantly transported to a deserted planet. How he gets back is very fortunate, but it does lead to him finding a very hidden secret about the galaxy. This might change everything and finally put an end to the Bhlat.
The story is good, but the things that happen are kind of predictable. Additionally, something is always working out in favor of Dean Parker and his friends. The storyline seems a little simple and sometimes not very imaginative, but that’s just my opinion. There does seem to be a path now for the author to write many more books with Dean Parker and Mary involved.