The Sea of Iden by A. A. Smith

Downtrodden and weary man whose motivation has been taken away. Conrad R. Slade only has but his memories to keep him company. Memories of a time when being out in the field serving his nation satisfied him. Now he was deactivated and he had quit trying at life. This is until one fateful day when he was reactivated and inserted into the Nom’ido community.

Seven months prior, a ship carrying five scientists vanished. The Jarufani denied any knowledge of it. The Earth Defense Forces tried their best to recover the hostages but to no avail. One soldier was injured, first of many. 

Communication barriers can easily lead to war. Simple misunderstanding can be fatal. The Jarufani desperately search for an ancient birthright. It is incredibly valuable and important to their culture. It is common belief in the community that the humans are hiding it.

A disgruntled man is also searching for the Quilcanju. He will stop at nothing to get it. He will bypass the rules of morality and humanity to be in possession of this. 

What will become of the reactivated Agent Slade? How many have to die in the quest for the Quilcanju? Will Alondra save the day?

This third installment of the Constellation series introduces more threats to the welfare and peace within the United Earth Alliance. The plot is action filled with exciting and interesting twists. 

A . A. Smith does a good job of moving along the story. However, the hurdles are too easily overcome. This does not take too much away from the story. The use of real world political scenarios is well worth the ride. The Sea of Iden is an interesting read deserving of four stars.