From Publishers Weekly
In this far-future novel of planetary colonization and alien first contact, Hugo and Nebula Award-winner Kress (Probability Sun) offers a satisfying thought experiment in science and philosophy, despite a slow start, relatively stock characters and prose less lyrical than her usual. Jake Holman, founder of the Mira Corporation, leads 6,000 private citizens in flight from a troubled Earth to the planet Greentrees, where the expedition gets caught in the crossfire between two alien races: the Furs, DNA-based humanoids who first settled the planet; and the Vines, sentient plants who arrived after the Furs, their deadly enemies of long standing. Shipley, the leader of 2,000 Quakers, sympathizes with the Vines, while his estranged daughter, Naomi, sides with the Furs as victims of Vine bioengineering. Various philosophies, notably Libertarianism as extolled by Jake and New Quakerism, vie with one another. Fans of serious SF will enjoy this tale of bravery, travel, adventure, and personal and social crisis, though the inconclusive ending may annoy some readers, whether or not there's a sequel.Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
The first book in a new multivolume work sets up a somewhat familiar situation: interstellar colony financed by benign billionaire is filled by groups seeking room to achieve their identities. Said groups have barely reached the planet Greentrees, however, when they discover it already has sentient, alien inhabitants called the Furs. The groups discover soon thereafter that the local Furs were created as experiments in biological warfare by another sentient race, the Vines, who are, basically, plants and are at war with the technologically advanced, warlike ur-Furs, who subsequently show up and kidnap a number of humans. Caught in the crossfire, the humans need to foil Furs' and Vines' plans if they are to survive. Drawing on their mixed talents and personalities, they succeed for the moment. Kress operates up to her usual high standards in most respects, and she also makes ethical dilemmas as gripping as laser fights, and the results of human-alien contact rather depend on which human contacts which alien. Choice stuff. Roland Green
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Book Description
Caught in the Crossfire
A human colony settles on a distant planet, a colony formed by Jake Holman-- a man trying to escape a dark past. But as this diverse group of thousands comes to terms with their new lives on a new world, they make a startling discovery: primitive humanoid aliens. There are only a few isolated villages, and the evidence seems to indicate they aren't native to the planet--despite the aliens living in thatched huts and possessing only primitive tools.

When a handful of human colonists finally learn the truth, they will face the toughest decision of their lives, a decision that could determine not just the fate of their new home, but the fate of all humanity.



From the Inside Flap
*"Life-sized characters with personal and cosmic preoccupations, tense and knotty plotting, and Kress's usual abundance of ideas: gripping, challenging work, a reassuring return to top form."--Kirkus Reviews starred review

"Kress operates up to her usual high standards, and she also makes ethical dilemmas as gripping as laser fights and the results of human-alien conflict rather than depend on which human contacts which alien. Choice stuff."--Booklist

"A satisfying thought experiment in science and philosophy. . . . Fans of serious SF will enjoy this tale of bravery, travel, adventure, and personal and social crisis."--Publishers Weekly

"Kress's aliens are convincing, and her colonists are all fascinating, developed individuals. This thought-provoking book is highly recommended . . ."-VOYA

"In this latest thrilling offering by Kress, world-building and character development are flawlessly executed in a thought-provoking conjunction of passivity and morality."-Romantic Times Book Club



About the Author
Nancy Kress was born and raised in upstate New York, where she spent most of her childhood either reading or playing in the woods. She earned a bachelor's and master's degree in education, as well as an M.A. in English. While she was pregnant with the second of her two sons, she started writing fiction. She had never planned on becoming a writer, but staying at home full-time with infants left her time to experiment.

In 1990 she went full-time as an SF writer. The first thing she wrote in this new status was the novella version of Beggars In Spain, which won both the Hugo and the Nebula Award. She is the author of more than twenty books, including more than a dozen novels of science fiction and fantasy, as well as three story collections, and two books on writing. Of her most recent novels, Probability Space (Tor, 2002) won the John W. Campbell Award for Best SF novel. Her short fiction has appeared in all the usual places, garnering her one Hugo and three Nebula Awards. Her work has been translated into Swedish, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Polish, Japanese, Croatian, Lithuanian, Romanian, Greek, Hebrew, and Russian. She is also the monthly "Fiction" columnist for Writer's Digest Magazine and she teaches writing regularly at various places, including Clarion and The Writing Center in Bethesda, Maryland. She currently resides in Rochester, New York.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

"Crossfire is the story of a human colony settling on a distant planet, a colony formed by Jake Holman - a man trying to escape a dark past. But as this diverse group of thousands comes to terms with their new lives on a new world, they make a startling discovery; primitive humanoid aliens. There are only a few isolated villages, and the evidence seems to indicate the aliens aren't native to the planet - even though they live in thatched huts and possess only primitive tools. When the humans finally learn the truth, they find themselves caught up in an interstellar war." In the end, a handful of human colonists will have to choose sides in the struggle. A lot is riding on their decision - not just the fate of their new home, but the fate of all humanity.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

In this far-future novel of planetary colonization and alien first contact, Hugo and Nebula Award-winner Kress (Probability Sun) offers a satisfying thought experiment in science and philosophy, despite a slow start, relatively stock characters and prose less lyrical than her usual. Jake Holman, founder of the Mira Corporation, leads 6,000 private citizens in flight from a troubled Earth to the planet Greentrees, where the expedition gets caught in the crossfire between two alien races: the Furs, DNA-based humanoids who first settled the planet; and the Vines, sentient plants who arrived after the Furs, their deadly enemies of long standing. Shipley, the leader of 2,000 Quakers, sympathizes with the Vines, while his estranged daughter, Naomi, sides with the Furs as victims of Vine bioengineering. Various philosophies, notably Libertarianism as extolled by Jake and New Quakerism, vie with one another. Fans of serious SF will enjoy this tale of bravery, travel, adventure, and personal and social crisis, though the inconclusive ending may annoy some readers, whether or not there's a sequel. (Feb. 26) Forecast: One of the strongest voices in SF today, Kress is sure to pick up added momentum with this solid entry. She is the widow of the late Charles Sheffield. Copyright 2003 Cahners Business Information.

VOYA - Marsha Valance

Kress offers an interesting premise in this first novel of the Cosmic Crossfire series. The planet Earth has only a century left as a life-sustaining biosphere, so a varied group of people who can afford to do so-New Quakers, the deposed Arabian royal family, Chinese workers, and descendants of the Cheyenne-fund a corporate starship and fly off to establish a colony on the world that they have named Greentrees. After a seventy-year voyage frozen in cold sleep and as the diverse group of colonists begins their exploration of their new home, they make a startling discovery-primitive humanoid aliens. There are only a few isolated villages, and the evidence seems to indicate that the aliens are a lost colony, not native to the planet and reverted to a primitive lifestyle because of brain damage caused by engineered viruses. When a second, plant-based race, the Vines, arrives, the human colonists must choose sides in an interstellar struggle. A lot is riding on their decision-not just the fate of their colony, but possibly the fate of the human race. Kress's aliens are convincing, and her colonists are all fascinating, developed individuals. The New Quakers embody their tenets: truth, simplicity, silence, and conscience. Dr. William Shipley, an aged, overweight, troubled father and New Quaker, is the moral center of the book. Together with colony leader Jake Holman, a troubled exec who bankrolled the colony with embezzled funds, the doctor determines the future of both alien species and humanity as well. This thought-provoking book is highly recommended for high school libraries and young adult collections in public libraries. VOYA Codes: 5Q 4P S A/YA (Hard to imagine it being any betterwritten; Broad general YA appeal; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12; Adult and Young Adult). 2003, Tor, 368p,

Kirkus Reviews