Victory on Janus

 

By Andre Norton

Sequel to Judgment on Janus.

Ayyar (the former human Niall Renfro) and his Iftin companions awake from their winter hibernation to the unwelcome knowledge that the forest they call home is under attack. They hurriedly pack up what they can and flee. Trying to figure what is going on, they are surprised to discover that not only are the settlers attacking the forest, but they have been joined by the men from the spaceport who have brought in heavy equipment and blasters to destroy all the possible hiding places of the Iftins. Investigating further, the Iftins discover that robots disguised as Iftins have been attacking and murdering humans, obviously the work of their old enemy, THAT WHICH ABIDES.  Which is devastating news because they believed THAT had been nullified when the flood poured over its lands. 

But THAT is active once again, sending its Iftin-looking robots against the humans settlers. And also once again against the native people of Ift, the green-skinned forest dwelling Iftins. Once again Ayyar and his Iftin companions must take on THAT to save the forests they need to live and to save the humans from being used as pawns against the Iftins by THAT WHICH ABIDES.

This story is pretty much a repeat of the first book, Judgment on Janus. The Iftins, mainly Ayyar, sneak into THAT's desert and face various enemies and finally discover how to defeat their enemy.  I did like that the enemy turns out not to be some implacable ancient evil, but simply a machine whose programming has gotten a bit messed up.