Omega continues on in much the same vein as the previous Academy books. Science fiction in a universe where life is remarkably rare and civilization even more so. This time though… we’ve found someone.

The Omegas (clouds coming in 8000 year waves from the center of the galaxy which have a tendency to seek out and destroy right angles) return in the book, pointing directly to a new civilization. It’s thousands of light years away, so there are only a limited number of ships that can possibly get there in time.

Hutch takes more of a backseat role this time, opening the stage to a few new characters. And just when I was finally getting to know her too. I like the new characters well enough and the death toll is at least lower this time. We’ll see if they stick around in the next two books.

Overall, despite an entire civilization at stake, this book someone doesn’t quite get as intense as those before it. Perhaps just because I’ve now read five of these in a row, but I can see from the outset which solutions are going to fail, which will partially succeed, and how they’re finally going to save the day. It’s not a problem per say, but it’s getting there.

Final oddity (and this might have had some impact on the previous paragraph): I’ve actually read this book before. I’m fairly impressed that I managed to pick up and read the fourth in a series without realizing it (even if this is one series where that’s not necessarily a problem) and that I didn’t notice I was rereading until about 20% of the way into the book. It must have been pre- GoodReads that I last read it. Amusing.