| Metal Swarm, Kevin J. Anderson, Orbit Books, 2007, | | | | shown to all other former Earth colonies. |
| ISBN 0316021741 | | | | Meantime, the original Klikiss are a black, insectoid race |
| This book, part 6 in the series, takes place in the far | | | | that live in colonies (like a bee hive). They have an |
| future, after a brutal galactic war. Klikiss robots | | | | overwhelming desire to fight and destroy all other |
| pretended to be humanity's friend, building soldier | | | | colonies, called breedexes. They attack breedexes on |
| compies (battle computers) for the Earth Defense | | | | other planets through transportals, teleportation portals |
| Forces in their war against the hydrogues. The | | | | spread all over the galaxy. When there is only one |
| compies were all programmed to turn against their | | | | breedex left, it grows until critical mass is reached, and |
| human hosts at a particular moment, killing thousands | | | | that breedex spreads to other planets via the |
| and stealing many Earth battleships. Sirix, the leader of | | | | transportals, when the fighting resumes. The original |
| the robots, uses these Earth battleships to attack | | | | Klikiss were thought to have been extinct thousands |
| undefended Earth colonies. | | | | of years ago, leaving their mark on many, now |
| The leader of Earth, Chairman Basil Wenceslas, is | | | | inhabited, planets. They're back, and they want their |
| forced to abandon all of Earth's colonies, to | | | | planets back. The Klikiss have no problem at all with |
| concentrate whatever forces he has left on Earth's | | | | annihilating anyone, or anything, that gets in their way. |
| defense. The figurehead monarchy, King Peter and | | | | When reading a series, I am one of those who must |
| Queen Estarra, escape to a forest world called | | | | do it in order, so the summary in the front of this book |
| Theroc, to set up a rival confederation, which the | | | | is a big help. It also helps because there is a lot going |
| former Earth colonies gladly join. Now that the war is | | | | on in this book, perhaps too much. Having said that, if |
| over, Chairman Wenceslas wants those former | | | | the rest of the series is as good as this volume, it is |
| colonies back under his leadership. He makes an | | | | very much worth checking out. It is a very interesting |
| example of an average, undefended farming colony, | | | | story that will certainly keep the attention of the |
| by sending a fleet with orders to flatten and destroy | | | | reader. |
| everything. The whole event is filmed, and is to be | | | | |