Asaro, Catherine
ASCENDANT SUN
Catherine Asaro
TOR 2000
Pb 371 pages (Time Line and Dynastical Family Trees in back six pages)
ISBN # 37145-00699
This book is best read after Asaro's The Last Hawk (see review), where telepath Prince Kelricson Garlin Valdoria Kya Skolia, Im'Rhon to the Rhon of the Skolias, Jagernaut Tertiary, Tenth Heir to the throne of the Ruby Dynasty, once removed from the line of Pharaoh, born of the Rhon, Eighth Heir to the Web Key, Tenth Heir to the Assembly Key, descended from the Valdor's line, Fifth in the line of the Dalvador Bard, and Widower Dowager to the House of Majda ... gets lost in space.
Eighteen years later he makes his way back to civilization (Ascendant Sun) only to find it dramatically changed from the way he left it. The war between his people--the Skolian Imperialate--and the Trader Empire has come to an end with both leaderships fatally toppled. Chaos reins with all communications webs, including the psiberspace web, collapsed. Now even the Allieds from Earth are moving in to get their share.
Damaged from his eighteen years on the planet Coba, Kelric stumbles onto the planet Edgewhirl seeking medical assistance. Instead he finds that, in the collapse, many of his family members have been either killed or put into "protective custody" by the Allieds (political prisoners). Kelric is now Imperator Presumptive--that is if he can live to claim that throne.
Through ordeal after ordeal, getting sicker and more damaged along the way, Kelric once again becomes a high-priced sex slave--this time in the painful roll of a Trader Provider. He learns first-hand why the Skolians and the Traders have been at war for so many years: the cultural differences are so extreme they haven't been understanding each other.
The title Ascendant Sun means Kelric's ascension to the Skolian throne. He is a "sun" because his physical and empathic qualities literally radiate warmth. People are subconsciously drawn to him. I enjoyed this book because Asaro doesn't jump around between characters the way many other authors do. Oh, she might dip into other heads occasionally, but always with the focus on the one plot-line, the one main character. Though there were a few annoying typos and a couple of places where the passage of time could have been better explained, I highly recommend this book for anyone who has read and enjoyed any of Asaro's other Skolian Empire books.
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