The aliens ARE among us! So begins Hamilton’s latest series, the ‘Salvation Sequence’. With the arrival on Earth of seemingly benevolent alien scouts, some indeterminate time after the 1940s, their intent seems to initially be to remain undetected and observe humanity. Skip forward to 2204CE as Feriton Kayne, Exosolar Security Director for Connexion Corp (the largest wealthiest corporation in the history of the Galaxy), brings together a group of uniquely qualified and skilled individuals to explore the wreck of an alien spacecraft found on a planet 89 lightyears from Earth; a spacecraft whose cargo will have dire repercussions.

Skip forward yet again to the Far Future where the remnants of humanity survive. Here they build and despatch generation ships to the far-flung corners of the universe, hoping that some seeds of humanity will survive the genocides as they are pursued by their ancient alien enemy. As they flee they train battalions their best and finest from the cradle to resist and take the fight to the enemy.

It takes a moment or two to wrap your head around Hamilton’s flip-flopping between the two timelines and to understand the connections between them. This is a brave new future posited here; Connexion portals which can teleport you anywhere in the Galaxy, gender re-assignment is normal, suns have been harnessed to provide unlimited power.

As always, Hamilton’s world building is superbly imaginative, providing space opera at its best.

Reviewed by Brooke Walker