Sovereign

Meluch writes readable character driven scifi 'space opera'/'family drama' but with a scientific bent to it. Sovreign tells the story of an extremely conflicted man driven by his biology and desires for things he isn't allowed to have. In the end I think he realises that 'settling' for what he can have might not be that bad. There's also a lot of worldbuilding and political & quasi-religious machinations-subtle and complex you almost don't notice it and woven into the personal story of the protagonist Teal Ray. If you like scifi which is less technobabble and more about people who live in different contexts of our contemporary world then you might enjoy this.

She wrote a great story. An unusual hero, unusual circumstances, and great storytelling. The wild ride goes through many changes you don't expect. Highly recommended, along with her other books.

This novel is a great one partly because it operates on many levels: as a novel of the heart of an individual: as a novel about love in it's many forms and as a novel of how a seemingly powerful individual deals with his rele in the complex state. This novel at the beginning seems set to take us into Dune-like detail- but instead leads us to an intese focus on an individual- destined for rule- who challenges his inner weakness and is rewarded with respect- and ultimately love. this is not a novel for the close-minded, but neither is it's view on relationships offensive to the vast majority of readers.