Emperor Swords Pentac

The story opens with a scene out of classic high drama: the young and beloved Emperor has been taken captive by the allies of his jealous twin brother, whose deformities of birth have left him jealous and scheming for the throne. Of course, this being the complex and colorful future universe of Phyllis Gotlieb, the setting is the planet Qsaprinel and the Emperor Spinel-alpha and all his subjects are large crustaceans of a philosophical bent, and there is more to the situation than meets the Emperor's compound eye. A conspiracy revolving around an enigmatic enzyme found in the bodies of the Qsaprinli and the rumors of an illegal human colony hidden somewhere on the world's single continent has entangled the planet; on the Emperor's request it falls to Dun Kinnear, Sector Co-ordinator and class-two ESP, to untangle the mystery and defend Qsaprinel from its attackers. "Emperor, Swords, Pentacles" is not a direct sequel to "A Judgement of Dragons," as it can be read without any prior knowledge of Gotlieb's world, but fans of the earlier novel will enjoy the reappearance of familiar characters and races. Where the main characters of "A Judgement of Dragons" were Khreng and Prandra, two members of a catlike, telepathic race known as the Ungrukh, here shifting viewpoints highlight various sets of characters who gradually join together as the story nears its conclusions. Khreng and Prandra's daughter Emerald makes an appearance as a protagonist in her own right; together with her lover Raanung, she will join Kinnear in detective work and defense. It's a tough task for the characters, but a delight for the reader. Every facet of Gotlieb's universe is fully detailed, comprehensible and believable, the scope of her imagination is breathtaking. The book is a joy to read. (The title, as well as all the chapter headings, derive from the names of the cards in a Tarot pack. Similarly, a Tarot reading serves as the framework for the story.) I had long been a fan of "A Judgement of Dragons" without knowing that it had a sequel; having found "Emperor, Swords, Pentacles" lurking on the shelf of a used book store, I was delighted. Being out of print this book might be hard to find outside of libraries, but those who have enjoyed Gotlieb's other works will find the effort well worth the expense: this is science fiction like Cordwainer Smith wrote science fiction (and for those of you who don't know who he is, you have another delight in store) and a sheer delight of a book.