Decent installment but after Moon's Shadow the author is really just drawing this out for no reason. ( )

A great space epic.
The story of Jaibriol is very moving. A man put in an unbearable situation. I was very worried how he would react when he was tempted by unlimited power.
I can't wait to read the rest of the series. ( )

SPOILER

Okay, is anyone else out there dying to know if Jabriol ever finds out what really happened to his parents and siblings, instead of suffering silent, tormented loss and memories?

I like the entire Skolian Empire series, but especially the books focused on Soz and Jabriol (the dad) and on this Jabriol. The Kyle web/mesh stuff wasn't as detailed and difficult to follow as it was in some of Asaro's earlier books and I like the way she fleshed out the "humanity" of some of the Aristo characters.

The threads from her earlier novels are pretty well maintained, some storylines picked up (Kelric's, for example) and developed even further.

I don't know if the author will write more about this character, but he has become a favorite of mine in the Skolian family. I look forward to reading more - it's one of a very few series that has me on tenterhooks, waiting for the next book.


( )

Quis is back, the amazing dice/strategy/mathmatic/political game that Kelric first played in The Last Hawk (one of my favorite books in the series) which has become one of my favorite things in the whole series, actually.

The book centers around (Imperator) Kelric and (Emperor) Jabriol, two leaders of empires at war, who are linked through some rather interesting means and history. This book is definitely not a stand alone and should not be read without some background in the series, so I definitely cannot recommend it if you haven't read previous Skolian Saga books. But if you have - Awesome, this book rocks.

All in all, very tightly plotted, well paced, and very interesting. This book doesn't have anything in the way of romance (other than people reuniting) like the other books tend to, but the political intrigue and personal stories of the people in both the Eubian and Skolian systems more than makes up for it. ( )

Quis is back, the amazing dice/strategy/mathmatic/political game that Kelric first played in The Last Hawk (one of my favorite books in the series) which has become one of my favorite things in the whole series, actually.

The book centers around (Imperator) Kelric and (Emperor) Jabriol, two leaders of empires at war, who are linked through some rather interesting means and history. This book is definitely not a stand alone and should not be read without some background in the series, so I definitely cannot recommend it if you haven't read previous Skolian Saga books. But if you have - Awesome, this book rocks.

All in all, very tightly plotted, well paced, and very interesting. This book doesn't have anything in the way of romance (other than people reuniting) like the other books tend to, but the political intrigue and personal stories of the people in both the Eubian and Skolian systems more than makes up for it. ( )