The Prime are the Commonwealth’s worst nightmare. Coexistence is impossible with the technologically advanced aliens, who are genetically hardwired to exterminate all other forms of life. Twenty-three planets have already fallen to the invaders, with casualties in the hundreds of millions. And no one knows when or where the genocidal Prime will strike next. Nor are the Prime the only threat. For more than a hundred years, a shadowy cult, the Guardians of Selfhood, has warned that an alien with mind-control abilities impossible to detect or resist–the Starflyer–has secretly infiltrated the Commonwealth. Is the Starflyer an ally of the Prime, or has it orchestrated a fight to the death between the two species for its own advantage?

I started Peter F. Hamilton’s “Judas Unchained” immediately after finishing “Pandora’s Star” which was a good thing since “Judas” picks up immediately where the previous book ended without any intro or recap. The Commonwealth is still reeling from the initial Prime invasion which claimed 23 planets after the barrier fell. The new Navy is re-lifing suspended criminals for soldiers and building warships and super-weapons as fast it can to fight off the Prime threat. All of the characters from the first book (plus a few more with some surprises), along with their complicated back-stories and plot lines are back in the conclusion of the Commonwealth Saga.

The escalation, action, and intrigue continue up until the final chapters, in which (most) questions are finally answered. Who was the Starflyer agent on the Second Chance mission?  Who erected the barrier around the Dyson pair and how was it shut down? What is the Starflyer? What have the Guardians of Selfhood been planning on Far Away? Is genocide against the Primes the only way to save the human race? (and countless others).

The sheer number of characters, locations, astronomical distances, and ultra-powerful weapons in “Judas Unchained” made it difficult to follow at times (especially since I was only reading bits and pieces over the course of three months), but it was a very enjoyable read. The end was satisfactory, although I was surprised at what characters seemed to drop out of the story line about halfway through and which ones emerged as more important players near the end. I might have to revisit Hamilton’s universe (and apparently some of the same characters) in the Void trilogy in the near future.