Millennia ago, the planet Darkover, a cold world orbiting a giant
red sun, was settled by a lost colony ship from the Terran
Federation. Alone on a new world, survivors interbred with the
native "chieri," psychically Giften alien humanoids. The children
of these matings were Gifted with telepathy and other psychic
abilities, and their descendants, the aristocratic Comyn, forged a
civilization in which the arts of the mind were cultivated and
cherished.
When the Terrans rediscovered Darkover, the seven Domains of Comyn
struggeld to maintain their unique culture and independence, often
at a terrible price. More than once, assassins and environmental
saboteurs from the Terran Empire attempted to bring Darkover to its
knees and erode the native culture for the benefit of the
Federation -- seing Darkover as nothing more than a port of call
for Terran military and trade. Eventually, a vicious interstellar
war forced Federation forces to withdraw from Darkover, but
Darkovans knew that it was only a matter of time before they would
return.
Prince Garth Elhalyn has grown up in the shadow of his legendary
grandfather, Regis Hastur, one of the greatest leaders Darkover has
ever known. But he is also haunted by fear of the insanity that is
prevalent in his Elhalyn family line. His world has become an
unbearable counterpoint of meaningless aristocratic frivoloty and
dangerous political schemes -- plots in which powerful lords
attmept to use him to further their own ambitions. He tries his
best to better himself through the study of languages, swordplay,
and training his psychic "laran" with his grandmother, Linnea
Storn-Hastur, Keeper of Comyn Tower. But Gareth cannot stop
dreaming about a future without fame or family.
In a desperate attempt to remove himself completely from the
restricted life of the Comyn, Gareth confesses his desire to his
powerful grandmother, and with her blessing, disguises himself as a
simple trader and travels to Carthon, on the border of the
barbarous, warklike Dry Towns. The Dry Towns do not live under the
rule of the Comyn, and no one in this isolated part of Darkover
will recognize a Comyn lord.
In Carthon, protected by his guise of anonymity, Gareth overhears
rumors of deadly, illegal Terran blasters being used in the barren
lands beyond Shainsa -- one of the main Dry Towns. If the
Federation has returned and is now arming the bellicose Dry Towners
with banned technology, it will mean a disastrous conflict for the
Comyn of the Domains, who have long sworn themselves to the
Compact, an oath of honor that forbids the use of distance
weaponry. Venturing deeper and deeper into the desert lands, Gareth
stumbles upon a terrible reality no one could have suspected and he
is ill-prepared to deal with.
But in fact, Gareth holds the key to protecting his world, if he
can only stay alive in the deadly Dry Towns long enough to discover
what it is....
"The Children of Kings" follows "The Alton Gift "and "Traitor's
Sun" in the Darkover timeline.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
