A Night Without Stars is the latest novel in Peter F. Hamilton’s Commonwealth series of space opera / science fantasy novels. You’ll be excused if that’s not readily apparent, as the novel is far removed in both time and space from the Commonwealth as depicted in the series’ inaugural novel, Pandora’s Star.
The book picks up where its immediate predecessor, The Abyss Beyond Dreams, left off. Once trapped in the Void, a pocket universe dominated by mental powers, the planet Bienvenido has been expelled from its prison and into the larger universe. It’s stranded in an isolated star system drifting between the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies. Worse yet, it’s under assault by Fallers, ruthless alien bodysnatchers who hate all other forms of life.
The novel takes place several centuries after its predecessor, and I’m finding it a little difficult to get back into the universe because there aren’t many callbacks to The Abyss Beyond Dreams or the larger Commonwealth universe. That said, Hamilton hasn’t disappointed with this series, so I’ll take the leap of faith and continue on with this book.