David Brin’s Uplift series is among the best-known in Science Fiction, and with good reason. The series takes place in a universe where all sentient races are “uplifted” by other patron races, who breed and cultivate their client races for intelligence. Humans are a notable exception, as they somehow reached sentience without known help from outside. The Uplift War focuses on the invasion of a human-colonized world by a senior avian race, and combines the appeal of many war movies, where one roots for the ingenious underdogs, with a bit of political intrigue, some human drama, and a good dose of humor. Good reading; I’m looking forward to the rest of the series.