LYON'S PRIDE

Fourth in the series (Damia's Children, etc.) of far-future, galactic empire yarns in which the descendants of The Rowan— blessed with telepathic and teleportational abilities—carry on the usual multigenerational family activities while cooperating to investigate the threat posed by the Hivers, incomprehensible, expansionist, insect-like aliens utterly hostile to non-Hiver life forms. This entry is imaginative enough, with fairly involving family doings; the grandchildren Rojer, Thian, Clancy, Flavia, and so on, help to drive the Hivers back; the captive Hiver queen, meanwhile, ignores all attempts at contact. The main drawback is in telling the characters apart; even keeping their names straight is a headache. (Science Fiction Book Club Main Selection)