The Ancient Pain

The Eden Chronicles #6

by S.M. Anderson

The exciting conclusion to the Eden Chronicles. The battle for Chandra is going well for the EDF and the Jema, maybe too well. The EDF is falling into old habits inherited from Earth; managing the conflict instead of trying to win it. The Jema are in no hurry either, as their long-term survivability on Chandra can only be helped by the continuing close alliance the war offers. Kaerin control of Chandra is starting to slip, and the most forward thinking among them can see their blood-soaked future all too well. The thing about rough neighborhoods. . . they can always get worse. Nobody knows what a newcomer can do to mess up a good thing better than the Kaerin. It's a lesson the EDF is going to have to learn.

Genres: Science Fiction

502 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 15, 2024

About the author

Small town kid born in Idaho, raised in Eastern Oregon. I left the Northwest for the CIA. Twenty eight years and a ton of travel mileage later, I am living in Northern Virginia with my wonderful family and still writing. You can follow my progress and blog at www.smanderson-author.com

Reviews

[Daniel Shellenbarger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good end to a good series, not a perfect resolution, the ending is a bit abrupt and I would've liked a bit more resolution concerning the Earth side of things, but that's not really a surprise since from the beginning the whole idea in book 1 was "let's get out of Earth while all these dystopian dolist police state psychos are taking over and come back once the apocalypse has settled down and help rebuild", and given that the apocalypse still seemed to be in early days, it's fair to leave that as a possible plot for a sequel series (I mean, they do have ~20 years before the gates stop working) . Something I really liked about this series was how much thought Mr. Anderson gave to how you'd run a war if you actually had the ability to make portals between worlds (well, parallel universes), which I found fascinating. He also built a good-size cast of interesting characters, even some from amongst the "bad guys" and he kept the plot moving well with plenty of action. While I wouldn't quite put it on the same level as the Destroyermen or Lost Regiment books, it's not far off the mark and is a good bet for anyone who enjoys that sort of mil-scifi "isekai" (which i do).

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think that, at this point, the series has run out of steam. A new element is introduced to spice things up, but it turns out that the newcomers are just like the Edenites, only with an array of superior technology. We get a glimpse of how this technology is used in conflict, but we don't get a sense of how it could be used in community building. I see that as a missed opportunity in the book.

It does contain an interesting idea about how our future selves would interpret how we behave now. If we could go back 1000 years, what would we make of society? Would we be over-critical? Or would we understand the constraints that our previous selves face in doing the best job possible? The book touches upon these issues, but doesn't really handle them well. Everything is judged through the lens of 21st Century American thinking, and that delineates 'good' from 'bad'.

There is a degree of melodrama in the story, with clear heroes and villains. I don't think that worked all that well, to be honest, simply because I stopped rooting for the Edenites. Perhaps this is a good place to leave the series? There are some unresolved issues, but maybe they are best left unresolved?

[denise hodges · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoroughly engrossing series

+ A great outer edge what if- plot
+ great characters
+ familiar points of reference but a lot of strange and difference for interest
+ unsaid but a look at our world without humans messing it up
+ A great gesture of rebellion towards our perceived status quo.
+ 6 volumes in the series but with no significant cliff hangers (I hate those)
Minor,minute negatives
- Publishing time between book volumes caused me to go at least halfway back through the previous book to maintain continuity
- more time on old Earth (Earth#1??????) Showing the effects on society/civilization when their brightest and best depart for new challenges.
A definite author to check on in the kindle unlimited but I am going to buy the series to reread it in it's entirety.
A great job sir thank you
Bill Hodges

[Christopherfxdb · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic read. Quite lengthy compared to the rest of the series, as was necessary to wrap up the story. The Eden Chronicles is by far now in my top 5 series of all time. The author clearly shows his expertise and extensive background experience in the storytelling, no plot point is left unfinished, and the character development resonated with me. I hope we get an offshoot or continuance later on, as I already miss the Edenites and the Jema!

Thank you, Mr. Anderson, for this incredible journey you took us on. I look forward to your next work!

-some dumb 11b

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading book 6 of the Eden Chronicles... and yes, maybe a 7th. BUT once again, S.M. Anderson needs to either hire an editor or get Grammarly. I counted over 100 errors, and I'm not just talking about grammatical errors; I'm referring to instances where the word "he" should have been replaced with "him". Numerous incorrect words in the wrong places. It prompts you to step back and reread, adding the proper word to get through the sentence.

PLEASE GET AN EDITOR... I like your books otherwise.

[Douglas Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

Last book in the series

I would like to say this series is an awesome story and enthralling to read. It captured me, I thought of it as syfi, it is but, in a good way, not in a lazy way. What I mean by, "The lazy way" of some stories., are outlandish alien beings, doing incredible, unfathomable, and ridiculous stuff, Only the mind can imagine that makes zero sense. This series is not like that. It is plausible, human, and it makes sense with good moralistic value attached to it. Thank you Kevin Reglin, for telling me about this book series!

[Vicky Lyons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Space, aliens and starting over

This series is hard to describe, but its very good! I loved the characters and fast paced story. Running from the military to carving out a new life on an alien earth, the main character, Kyle Lassiter finally gets to live a semi normal life. It's the five and a half books before that will keep you up late reading about his exploits. Mr Anderson does not disappoint.

[Eric Corsaro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome series!!!

I couldn’t help but wish there was truly a world where people that haven’t lost their minds could go as I read this series. This was a truly thought provoking series of where our country/world seems to be hurtling with reckless abandon. I really hope there are more books in store to continue this story. Definitely going to follow and read everything he puts out.

[Bob Gilbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great series! Would make a great Netflix series!

Very interesting series, it kept me interested throughout all six books. One of the good things about the series is you don’t really have to suspend belief to believe the “science” involved. Not quite hard, science fiction, but very believable. I’m hoping a book 7 comes out.

[Pat Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written and researched, can't put it down

I have been reading SF to over 70 years and this is top notch. The characters are real and well developed. The technology is rational and the progression of the civil, political and military is believable. The tactical and battle description. Are detailed and I for one could feel like I was there. Good job

[James G. Settle · Rating 5 out of 5]

hold on tight

How different can human cultures be from one another? SM does a great job portraying a moral high ground and telling a great story. I can only wish our nation would cling to the values of the Edenites.

[Chuck Woodbury · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Finish

Interesting premise, parallel universes containing parallel earths. And a whole lot of fighting for control. I enjoyed the series but like the Edenites, I began to grow weary of the constant fight. This was a satisfying conclusion to the series.

[John T Mills · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding book

I have been waiting for this book to be published. Oh, boy it was the wait. Mr Anderson as usual knocked it out of the park. A real page turner, hard to put down. Good job , Sir.

[martin smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well done Me anderson.

I read the first five books consecutively, had to wait a while for the finale. It was worth the wait. I am no well educated critic I just like what I like, this series I liked. Give it a go it is worth it.

[Charles Francis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic

Another great book in the series. Action, intrigue, friendship, brotherhood, humor and the harshness of war are all touched on. The ending, without spoilers leaves so many more possibilities. I hope there is a continuation of the series!

[James Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book.....interesting twist and turns

Lots of questions on the basic moral questions all of us must answer in dire times........to what standards do we hold ourselves and each other....

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good series. . . Needs an editor

It's a really great series. I think it needs some proof reading to correct the issues in most of the books with spelling and using the wrong names.

[chuck sumner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!!!

Just finished book six. This is one of those books the I hated to come to the last page. Character development is what truly stands out in this series. Please don't end here. Your creativity is beyond words. Truly excellent!

[Louis Bartalot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Want more Eden!

One of the best near term SF series I've ever read, if not the best. If you haven't read the other five you are in for a treat. While this is the end of this part of series I can't wait to see what he writes next.

[dag roshaven · Rating 5 out of 5]

just read again

I honestly think that SM anderson is one of my favorite writers.

I read all of his books multiple times and hope that he continues to pump out good series for years to come .

[Michael l L. Griggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best read

This book is as good as the first book, I rated this one best because in it finally tied everything together even to the guardians from the home world. Only hope for more in the future.

[Bruce Griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great end to a great story

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was nice to get an actual ending as so many series just continue until the books don't sell then just stop. A little sad to read the end, knowing there will not be continued stories. It was a great trip, thank you.

[Dan Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally

Read it straight through over the course of 24 hours. It was a great read and a great wind up to the series.

[Steve Olive · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprising twists across worlds

A great story with some surprising twists along the way to a satisfying ending. The 6 books have been a fantastic journey across worlds.

[Shelly Mahar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series

This is one of my all time favorite series ever. I hope it's not really over and there is more to come.

[Dale (Aus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

great series

I have read them all and really enjoyed the stories and the characters. They are now permanently stuck in my head in a good way.

[Debbie Vest · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great series!

Really enjoyed these books. One of the best sci-fi series I’ve read. The characters are well developed. Lots of twists and turns.

[Jim Purcell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This excellent series concludes with many bangs as the Bloods fight to the end. Will reason prevail? It is well worth reading to find out.

[James P Adair · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent work.

A well thought out ending (?) to a great series. Well thought out characters that you can relate to. Thanks.

[Steven Stinnett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book, as were the first five. Hope book seven follows ASAP.