sentences:  It is a direct sequel to the first novel in the series, "Expendable", in that it picks up the dual story of Festina Ramos, Explorer turned admiral, and the transparent glass woman Oar, where the earlier novel left off.Through the course of "Ascending", Gardner adds depth, detail, and perspective to the conceptual background he has established for the "League of Peoples" series.In particular, he explains how human beings and other species in the galaxy are contacted by, and become a part of, the larger galactic community.