"Intelligent and complex SCI-FI with excellent writing continues the Skolain Saga."

Although the Radiance War has ended, violence still erupts between the Skolian Empire and the Eubian Traders. Their moralities light years apart, peace remains not only out of reach, but undesirable, to many on both sides. Now Eube is to have a new Emperor, Jaibriol III, and for once peace seems a real possibility.

Jai has been raised in isolation so comes to the Eubian world a stranger. Although he's the true son of Jaibriol II, Jai's mother was Soz Valdoria, a powerful Skolian leader and psion (empath), a slave in the minds of the Eubians. Soz married Jaibriol II in secret and escaped with him into exile. When he was "rescued" and returned to rule his empire, Soz hid her four children on Earth and came for her husband, destroying all who stood in her path. It's imperative that Jai keep his maternal lineage a secret. If discovered to be an empath himself, he'd be reduced to pleasure-slave status, if even allowed to live.

The Aristo culture poses many problems for Jai, and his inexperience causes him to make powerful enemies in a short time. Luckily, he also has friends in high places, including Tarquine Iquar, his Minister of Finance, whom he's chosen to be his Empress. Wealthy, influential and ruthless, Tarquine is pleased to expand her power base through marriage. When the military attempts to assassinate her husband, Tarquine comes to his rescue, fighting not only for their lives and status, but also for the man she's come to love and admire against her better judgement.

Intelligent and complex, this is the 8th book in the Skolian Saga. As Asaro's readers have come to expect, the books are part space opera, family saga, romance and military sci-fi. The Eubian culture is really explored in this volume. Their mistrust and double dealings, their language with all its nuance and hidden meanings, their preoccupation with the empaths, it all makes for fascinating reading. For new readers, this may not be the book to start with, but Asaro does offer explanations all the way through and there's a time-line and family trees for both the Skolians and Eubians in the back to refer to. Her next book, SKYFALL is due in September. I can't wait!

Reviewed by Sue Burke
Courtesy Old Book Barn Gazette
Posted May 18, 2003

Honorable Mention for 2003 PEARL Award
- Best Science Fiction Romance

Summary

At the age of seventeen the young nobleman named Jaibriol Qox becomes ruler of a vast galactic empire - and loses everything he has ever valued. Born of a clandestine liaison between a renegade daughter of the Skolian Imperialate and a scion of the genetically engineered Eubian Traders, Jai Qox grew up in exile, unaware of the powers that coursed through his noble blood.

In the waning days of the bloody Radiance War that ravaged the galaxy, Jai was captured and returned to the Traders to play a role as a puppet Emperor in their scheme to consolidate their domination of space.

Now Jai must walk a razor's edge, to seize the power that is his by birthright without succumbing to its dark seduction and wield it for the good of all, and to avert a conflagration that threatens to engulf a thousand worlds.