The Pax Comitus, rulers of Earth, send a spy, Kostas, into the heart of the Empyrean colonies, who have long resisted the power of the Pax, to investigate the mysterious "angels," particles emitted by a nearby black hole, which the Empyreans use to ensure the ethical behavior of their officials. How does Hugo-winner Timothy Zahn turn an otherwise straightforward SF page-turner into something truly interesting? With one of the oldest shticks in the book: the good ol' black-hole-that-spits-out-quantum-particles-of-human-goodness trick. Of course, that's not exactly an old sci-fi shtick, but the essence of it (and its effect) is: the ever-clever Zahn has taken a very cool idea--what if there were quantum particles (or whatever) that compelled people to act ethically--and then explored the impact that might have, in this case on a society and its internal and external interactions. The particles in question are called "angels," and the interstellar alliance known as the Empyrean has been blessed with Angelmass, the eponymous black hole that emits them. The greedy, Earth-based Pax empire sees these angels as a brainwashing alien invasion and threatens to invade the Empyrean itself to set things straight. Thrown into the fray to explicate the implications are a bumbling but earnest Pax scientist-spy, a pretty young grifter, a brother-sister pair of grizzled space vets, and an Empyrean High Senator who fears the complacency that angels have bred into his society. Fast, fun, and thought-provoking, Angelmass combines Star Wars -style action (which Zahn knows well) with enough substance to satisfy a more serious reading. --Paul Hughes A newly trained spy for the Pax Comitas against the rebellious colonies of the Empyrean, Jereko Kostas arrives on the planet Seraph to investigate the mysterious "angel" particles emanating from the black hole known as Angelmass. When his path crosses that of Chandris Lalasha, a thief on the run from a murderous colleague, Kostas becomes involved in a daring scheme that calls into question his true loyalties and leads to a decision that can change the balance of power in the universe. The latest novel by the award-winning author of the first published Star Wars trilogy, this combines fast-paced action with believable characters to produce a first-rate sf space adventure that belongs in most libraries. Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. This bubbling stew of a space opera has been prepared in the classic mold, as one might expect Star Wars hand Zahn to do. It features an innocent young academic inveigled into espionage, a young con woman fleeing a violent protector, an aggressive and expansive empire complete with a spectacular flagship, and an opponent of the empire. It also has angels --particles emitted by the black hole, Angelmass--that make it impossible for the high officials of the empire's opponents to behave unethically while wearing them. The question that drives the plot--will the good guys hold off the bad guys long enough?--is familiar and simple, and the characters are rather broadly drawn. But the action is abundant and vivid, and there are absorbing subplots about the search for the angels' secret and the conflict between the empire's line officers and its auditors. Altogether, this is not quite up to Zahn's par. It won't, however, alienate his large and loyal fandom. Roland Green Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved