V: The Second Generation-Kenneth Johnson

V: The Second Generation
Kenneth Johnson
Tor, Oct 2007, $24.95, 448 pp.
ISBN: 9780765319067

They came to us as saviors, humanoid beings of such intelligence that their technology is given away freely and our water which is so polluted is taken up to their ships to be cleansed. They assured us that they only arrested people who didn’t want to change the status quo. They land nd it is found out, underneath their human faces are the skin of lizards, a carnivorous, aggressive race intent on conquering most of earth’s population., Since the purge of 1998, the remaining humans believe that they are benevolent.

Twenty years later, the visitors are in total control of the planet and the Commandant Diana is still second to the Leader in power. A new second generation rebel force has been formed with cells all over the planet. They need to win back earth but the humans for the most part don’t know there is a problem. This time, humanity has an ally; the Zedtis arrive, three of them with an invasion force waiting for the word to come in full force. They fought the Visitors and won but their insect evolved humanoid race believes they are using earth’s water to power their armies and are going to use earth’s people to fight using a weapon he Visitors developed to neutralize the Zeltis. However humans were burned once by aliens pretending to be friends now the rebels have to know for certain if liberation and freedom from the threat of The Visitors is all the Zedtis really want.

Reading this book is like coming home to anyone who has seen the original television series V. The characters stay true to form with Diana as the evil villainess who has the means and the power to back up her leadership. The various members of the resistance individually are shown to be heroes. The only quibble one might have is the new alien allies insert themselves into the resistance too easily.

Harriet Klausner