"Nothing ever goes the way I plan," laments Otah, long-suffering emperor of the Khaiem, concisely summarizing Abraham's melancholy and near-perfect conclusion to the Long Price Quartet. Fifteen years after the disaster that led to the sterilization of all Khaiem women and Galtish men in 2008's An Autumn War, Otah seeks an alliance between the two long-warring nations in hopes of there being a next generation, while former poet Maati tries to teach young women to summon andat, beings that embody and control concepts. Maati's student Vanjit harnesses the andat Clarity-of-Sight, but war trauma transforms her from possible savior into deranged dictator. Abraham shies away from the blood and swashbuckling of the previous novels, instead telling a tale of forgiveness and catharsis that concludes this complex saga with mixed notes of sadness and hope. (July)
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It’s March 2015, and I am standing on the bridge of a starship. The crew work stations look worn, the walls are covered with warning signs, and the grated floor looks like something designed to be functional. If I didn’t know better, I’d think that I was standing on a real ship, hurtling through space. Instead, I am on […]