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Red Serpent: The Prophet's Secrets, Delson Armstrong, 2010, ISBN 9780982952337 This is part 2 of a projected 14-book far future science fiction epic. It is all about humanity fighting to return to Earth from which they were exiled by a race of humanoid vampires. In part 1, mankind, living on a giant space station in orbit, fought a major battle against the vampires, and was victorious. Also, Alexander Howe, grandson of John Howe, newly-appointed dictator of humanity, learned that he is The Falsifier, the long-prophesied savior who will defeat the vampires, once and for all. In this novel, both sides are making all-out preparations for the war that everyone knows is coming. Humanity's priprity is to build an immense energy weapon on the Moon that will destroy any and all ships that the vampires can launch against them. They are also creating enough room under the Moon's surface to hold all the people, because they know that when the vampires attack, the space station, called the Regnum, will be the first target. Humanity is also building thousands of ships, and gathering an army in the millions. The vampires are not standing still, either. Their top-priority plan invloves creating thousands of genetically-modified werewolves. Meantime, Alex is learning more about his destiny as The Falsifier. He has gained the power to bring the dead back to life, which he uses more than he should. He watches disks left by his father, who died the day Alex was born; disks which tell Alex a lot more about where he actually came from. Part of the prophecy says that Alex is supposed to die three times, and be brought back to life three different ways, one of which has already happened. Alex also learns things about himself from communicating with his grandmother, in a hospital in an irreversible coma. The human attack catches the vampires off guard. It turns into one of those grand space opera battles, full of beam weapons, energy shields and sword fights. This is more of a politics and revealing of secrets type of novel, and the author does a fine job at it. It touches on themes like cultural intolerance, it's interesting and is very much worth reading. Paul Lappen is a freelance book reviewer whose website, Dead Trees Review, has over 800 reviews on all subjects, with an emphasis on small press books.
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