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Reeling from a battle, pilot Kelric Valdoria crash-lands his Jag starfighter on Coba, the closest safe planet he can find after a Trader squad cripples his ship. Although the military of Kelric’s people have given Coba Restricted status, Kelric sees no reason for such draconian measures to isolate the seemingly benign world.
While recovering, the dashing Kelric becomes the target of affection for high-powered women in Coba’s matriarchal society, including Deha Dahl, an Estate Manager, and young Ixpar Karn, the chosen successor of the Minister. Distracted by their flirtations, Kelric doesn’t at first realize the Restricted status of the planet was their own choice—and that they can’t risk letting him go.
However, Kelric’s internal biomech system is failing, causing his brain to malfunction. His only hope is to escape. But when his attempt fails, ending in the death of a guard, he must face a trial that could mean his execution, unless he can win the trust of the people who both covet and fear him . . .
“Well-written, entertaining, classic science fiction fun.” —The Plain Dealer
“Impossible to put down.” —L. E. Modesitt, Jr., New York Times–bestselling author
“A smoothly absorbing space opera that mixes high-tech gimmickry with galactic politics and plenty of romance.” —Publishers Weekly
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Creators
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Series
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Publisher
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Release date
September 27, 2022 -
Formats
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Kindle Book
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OverDrive Read
- ISBN: 9781504079570
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EPUB ebook
- ISBN: 9781504079570
- File size: 3179 KB
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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November 3, 1997
In her third novel set in the embattled Skolian Empire, Asaro (Catch the Lightning) has settled into a smoothly absorbing space-opera formula that mixes high-tech gimmickry with galactic politics and plenty of romance. Kelric, heir to the Imperial throne, is stranded on the restricted planet Coba after he and his ship are badly damaged. The matriarchal society he finds himself in abhors killing, but, justifiably fearing the consequent loss of its autonomy, is unwilling to return him to his space-faring people. So, though the technology Kelric carries embedded in his body threatens to destroy him, he is held captive and treated as a pawn of planetary politics. Shuttled between various strong, ruling women, he becomes slave, lover, servant and savant as his special skills give him talents and abilities that threaten to unmake a world and a people he comes to love. The most original and intriguing aspect of the novel is the game of Quis, a mathematical model for interpersonal relationships that is played with rainbow-colored dice. Less touchy-feely than Asaro's first novel, this one packs in lots of action along with its many romantic interludes and diversions into speculative genetics.
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