The Radiant Seas: The Skolian Empire Book 4 by Catherine Asaro
The Radiant Seas is the fourth installment in the Saga of the Skolian Empire and it takes off right with a bang where Primary Inversion left off.
Soz and Jaibriol II are on Prism-the planet they live on in exile from both of their respective, warring Empires. The novel breaks its time focusing on Jaibriol and Soz on Prism, Ur Qox-Jaibriol's father-the Emporer of Eube, and Soz's family on Skolia.
Soz and Jaibriol get to know each other, forge a relationship, build a house and start a family on Prism-which is what they eventually name the planet of their exile. They have both escaped their familial duties and never ending war by faking their deaths at the end of Primary Inversion. Their first born son-Jaibriol III (Jai) is followed by RocaLisa, Vitar and Kelric. They live an idyllic empathic-centered family filled with love, tenderness and support. Jai is about 16 when things change drastically over night. He has always realized that one day he will have to leave Prism, but he naively thinks he will find some wonderful woman, marry her and rbing her back to live with his empathic family in total bliss. Sadly, as his mother is pregnant for the 5th time, his father is suddenly stolen by Eube who has managed to locate his father-now the Eubian Emporer on Prism. Jai and his surviving siblings are taken to Earth where they are fostered by Seth Rockworth-the ex-husband of the Ruby Pharaoh, Dehya. As his father-Jaibriol II-assumes the Eubian throne as Emporer-under duress. His mother-Soz- returns to Skolia and assumes the role of Imperator left vacant by the death of her brother Kurj-who also killed Ur Qox-and the capture of her brother Althor by the Skolians.
As Jaibriol and Soz are setting up house keeping on Prism, Kurj is taking stock and evaluating his life. He begins to see-and express in a very limited way-how his pursuit of the Eubians as well as his early childhood trauma-involving the death of his father and the abuse of his mother at the hands of his step-father as well as the revelation that his beloved father was actually his genetic father- have served to shape him into a less than ideal person. He marries his true love, fathers a child on her, apologizes to his mother and then is capptured by the Eubian Emporer Qox. Kurj manages to kill himself and destroy his ship with the Eubian Emporer on it.
Prior to Kurj's death, Althor-Soz's brother not Tina's husband from Catch The Lightening-finds some disturbing evidence that his sister Soz and Jaibriol II may not have died after all. He confronts his father and the truth of his sister's escape into exile with her Eubian husband is confirmed. Athor mourns for his sister and agrees to honor his father by keeping their secret. Then Althor is captured by the Eubians-they torture him for information which causes his brain to begin to erase all of the information it holds. It is harrowing to follow Althors decline, he eventually does not even know who he is-but before he slips that far he does give the information about Jaibriol II in exile on Prism.
Meanwhile, Soz returns to Skolia, assumes Imperator and is on a mission to rescue her husband, pick up her kids and return her family to the relative safety of their self-imposed exile on Prism. Soz has to hide the identity of her children and husband from her family-difficult to do in a family of empaths. Soz is ultimately who I enjoyed the most about this book. Her single-minded pursuit of her husband against staggering odds, all while not being able to share her turmoil with a single soul in her family-not even her own mother. I never doubted for one instant that Soz would rescue Jaibriol.
This novel is fast-paced and enjoyable from begining to end. It is my favorite of the novels so far and is only passed or equaled by Moon Shadow's-the story of Jaibriol III's assumption of the Eubian Throne.
~~~~Where ever you go, There you are!
Soz and Jaibriol II are on Prism-the planet they live on in exile from both of their respective, warring Empires. The novel breaks its time focusing on Jaibriol and Soz on Prism, Ur Qox-Jaibriol's father-the Emporer of Eube, and Soz's family on Skolia.
Soz and Jaibriol get to know each other, forge a relationship, build a house and start a family on Prism-which is what they eventually name the planet of their exile. They have both escaped their familial duties and never ending war by faking their deaths at the end of Primary Inversion. Their first born son-Jaibriol III (Jai) is followed by RocaLisa, Vitar and Kelric. They live an idyllic empathic-centered family filled with love, tenderness and support. Jai is about 16 when things change drastically over night. He has always realized that one day he will have to leave Prism, but he naively thinks he will find some wonderful woman, marry her and rbing her back to live with his empathic family in total bliss. Sadly, as his mother is pregnant for the 5th time, his father is suddenly stolen by Eube who has managed to locate his father-now the Eubian Emporer on Prism. Jai and his surviving siblings are taken to Earth where they are fostered by Seth Rockworth-the ex-husband of the Ruby Pharaoh, Dehya. As his father-Jaibriol II-assumes the Eubian throne as Emporer-under duress. His mother-Soz- returns to Skolia and assumes the role of Imperator left vacant by the death of her brother Kurj-who also killed Ur Qox-and the capture of her brother Althor by the Skolians.
As Jaibriol and Soz are setting up house keeping on Prism, Kurj is taking stock and evaluating his life. He begins to see-and express in a very limited way-how his pursuit of the Eubians as well as his early childhood trauma-involving the death of his father and the abuse of his mother at the hands of his step-father as well as the revelation that his beloved father was actually his genetic father- have served to shape him into a less than ideal person. He marries his true love, fathers a child on her, apologizes to his mother and then is capptured by the Eubian Emporer Qox. Kurj manages to kill himself and destroy his ship with the Eubian Emporer on it.
Prior to Kurj's death, Althor-Soz's brother not Tina's husband from Catch The Lightening-finds some disturbing evidence that his sister Soz and Jaibriol II may not have died after all. He confronts his father and the truth of his sister's escape into exile with her Eubian husband is confirmed. Athor mourns for his sister and agrees to honor his father by keeping their secret. Then Althor is captured by the Eubians-they torture him for information which causes his brain to begin to erase all of the information it holds. It is harrowing to follow Althors decline, he eventually does not even know who he is-but before he slips that far he does give the information about Jaibriol II in exile on Prism.
Meanwhile, Soz returns to Skolia, assumes Imperator and is on a mission to rescue her husband, pick up her kids and return her family to the relative safety of their self-imposed exile on Prism. Soz has to hide the identity of her children and husband from her family-difficult to do in a family of empaths. Soz is ultimately who I enjoyed the most about this book. Her single-minded pursuit of her husband against staggering odds, all while not being able to share her turmoil with a single soul in her family-not even her own mother. I never doubted for one instant that Soz would rescue Jaibriol.
This novel is fast-paced and enjoyable from begining to end. It is my favorite of the novels so far and is only passed or equaled by Moon Shadow's-the story of Jaibriol III's assumption of the Eubian Throne.
~~~~Where ever you go, There you are!
posted by Laileanah | 10:48 AM
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