Avalon was thriving. The cold sleep colonists from Earth had settled on a verdant, livable world. The fast and cunning predators humans named grendels were under control, and the mainland outposts well established. Avalon's new mainland hydroelectric power station was nearly complete, and when on-line would compensate for the nuclear power systems lost in the Grendel Wars. Humans would have power, and with power came the ability to make all the necessities for life. They would survive. They would not survive as a spacefaring people. What they were losing faster than they knew was the ability to get to space. But unbeknownst to the planet-bound humans, something was moving out there in the stars, decelerating at a rate impossible for a natural object. And its destination was Avalon. The most probable origin was Earth's Solar System. This is a novel of first contact-between the human Starborn and the self-named Godsons who followed on, between the first generation of Avalon born humans and their descendants, and between humans and the almost ineffably alien species native to their new world.... About prequel The Legacy of Heorot: Page-turning action and suspense, good characterization and convincing setting . . . may be the best thing any of those authors has written.-The Denver Post Outstanding! ...The best ever, by the best in the field . . . the ultimate combination of imagination and realism.-Tom Clancy Well written, action-packed, and tension filled ... makes Aliens look like a Disney nature film.-The Washington Post Spine-tingling ecological tale of terror.-Locus About prequel Beowulf's Children: Few writers have a finer pedigree than those here . . . As one might suspect, Beowulf's Children is seamless . . . absorbing, substantial . . . masterful novel.-Los Angeles Times Panoramic SF adventure at its best.-Library Journal About Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle: Possibly the greatest science fiction novel I have ever read.-Robert A. Heinlein on The Mote in God's Eye About Larry Niven: Larry Niven's Ringworld remains one of the all-time classic travelogues of science fiction - a new and amazing world and fantastic companions.-Greg Bear Our premier hard SF writer.-The Baltimore Sun The scope of Larry Niven's work is so vast that only a writer of supreme talent could disguise the fact as well as he can.-Tom Clancy Niven is a true master.-Frederik Pohl About Jerry Pournelle: Jerry Pournelle is one of science fiction's greatest storytellers.-Poul Anderson Jerry Pournelle's trademark is first-rate action against well-realized backgrounds of hard science and hardball politics.-David Drake Rousing. . . . The Best of the Genre-The New York Times On the cover . . . is the claim 'No. 1 Adventure Novel of the Year.' And well it might be.-Milwaukee Journal on Janissaries About Steven Barnes: Brilliant, surprising, and devastating.-David Mack Sharp, observant and scary.-Greg Bear Profound and exhilarating.-Maurice Broaddus, author of The Knights of Breton Court Barnes gives us characters that are vividly real people, conceived with insight and portrayed with compassion and rare skill?and then he stokes the suspense up to levels that will make the reader miss sleep and be late for work.-Tim Powers [Barnes] combines imagination, anthropology and beautiful storytelling as he takes readers to the foot of the Great Mountain, today known as Mount Kilimanjaro.-Durham Triangle Tribune on Great Sky Woman