Saga of the Skolian Empire: Book 2
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Liked It “Good old fashion space opera and romance. I also have the audio version which is great for hearing the Mayan pronunciation.” see full review » see other reviews » |
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“Good old fashion space opera and romance. I also have the audio version which is great for hearing the Mayan pronunciation.”
Kate Savage wrote this review Sunday, April 20 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“CATCH THE LIGHTNING is the second book in the Saga of the Skolian Empire. Over half a century has gone by in their world since the debut novel PRIMARY INVERSION. Much is alluded to that will be filled in by subsequent books including the upcoming release SPERICAL HARMONIC (Tor; Nov. 2001). The hero, Althor Vyan Selei kya Skolia is the son of Soz's oldest brother Eldrin and Dyhianna Selei, her aunt and a Key of the Skolian Triad.
PNRGroupManager wrote this review Tuesday, November 6 2007. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
The story is written in the first person, as a memoir of sorts, by the story's heroine 'Akushtina (Tina) Pulivok. The tale begins in the year 1987 on an alternative earth.
Tina, seventeen, had been born in a simple Mayan Village in Southern Mexico. Her mother had been a healer, her father a stranger who had briefly bonded with her mother before leaving, never to return. When Tina had been nine her mother had taken her and her orphaned cousin Manuel to search for him. They never found him but finally relocated to gang torn Los Angeles. To Tina it was like living in another universe. Now both her mother and Manuel are gone. Tina is alone and doing the best she can to survive.
Returning home one night from her job as a waitress, Tina meets an intriguing stranger. She is wary, for his appearance is rough. His purple hair, black clothing, etc. suggest gang affiliations. Yet she is inexplicably drawn to him.
He is Althor Valdoria, a Jagernaut of the Imperial Space Command who had been on his way to attend a diplomatic reception held by the President in honor of his mother. His crippled ship had come out of inversion here, not in the 24th century as anticipated, nor even in the same universe. He needs help and recognizes Tina as a kindred spirit. "Like knows like". Tina has had abilities from birth that she has kept hidden. She is an empath, able to taste, smell, see the emotions of others.
Her common sense tells her not to trust him; her instincts tell her otherwise. When he saves her from attack by a gang leader, she allows him to walk her home. The next morning she finds him asleep outside her door. For the first time in a long time, she feels protected and cherished. As Althor reveals his plight, Tina decides to aid him in any way she can. The deep connection they feel for each other rapidly blooms into a physical and emotional relationship.
Althor's Jag has been confiscated by the military, he needs it in order to go home. While researching the possibilities, Tina is attacked again. Althor runs afoul of the law trying to protect her, and soon the two are on the lam. With help from their friends they evade the law and breach security at the Air Force Base. Will Althor evade capture and recover his ship? Does Tina care for him enough to once again adapt to a completely foreign world? Who is responsible for sabotaging his ship, sending him four thousand years into the past?
This story is rife with complex emotions. Althor the warrior is both very strong and very vulnerable. He must come to terms with his past and reconcile his relationships with the reality of what has since occurred. He must learn to cope with a gross betrayal of trust, and mend fences with those who love him most. Tina is mature beyond her years. She is courageous, loyal, and extremely loving. She must learn not only to cope with yet another lifestyle change, but also to the realities of becoming a member of the ruling family of Skolia.
Even though this is a personal story, the Eubians also have a hand in testing their mettle. The reader will get an up close and personal look at the Raylicans, the descendants of the pure original Earth seed, and through Tina learn of their ancestry for the first time. She just might be the only thing standing between the Rhon and certain extinction. So much for the reader to discover about these fascinating people, yet so much still to be filled in by successive novels. Ms. Asaro has created a fascinating world that makes the reader yearn for more.
Reviewed for PNR Reviews”
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