Brian Herbert, Webdancers

Webdancers

Brian Herbert

Five Star, Dec 2008, $25.95

ISBN: 15941542181

The Timeweb that links time and space in the galaxy is rapidly deteriorating. If this cosmic transportation infrastructure should disintegrate as the trends currently seem, the galaxy could collapse into something not much removed from the Stone Age; that is if it survives as nobody knows what the devastation will be.

While galactic ecologist Noah Watanabe tries to prevent the cosmic eco disaster, his interactions with the Timeweb has changed him from human to something else. At the same time Noah heroically works on saving the Timeweb, war is imminent between the Hib-Adu Coalition and the newly formed allies the Merchant Prince Alliance humans and the Mutati Kingdom shape-shifters, who were enemies before their mutual cooperation to stop their common foe. Time is running out on all fronts as Noah struggles to keep the web from destruction which would release unknown energy forces across the galaxy leaving behind nothing but dust.

The third and final Timeweb Chronicles outer space adventure (see 'Timeweb' and 'The Web And The Stars') is an exciting tale that never slows down as the two major subplots begin to merge into what looks like a cataclysmic end to the galaxy. The fast-paced storyline is diminished somewhat by having two significant threats in which either could turn the galaxy into dust; the parts overwhelm the sum so that neither comes across as cosmic as intended. Still Brian Herbert finishes the Timeweb Chronicles with a doomsday scenario with the only hope to avoid the Big Crunch being Noah.

Harriet Klausner