The Empress of the Eight Worlds continues to be assassinated. Prince Harivarman, exiled over the Templar Radiant, suspects that he’ll be another victim. Help is scarce: Anne Blenheim, the fortress’ clear-eyed, fair Commander, is certainly favorably disposed toward the Prince, but her first responsibility is towards the Templar High Order. And Chen Shizuoka, a Templar recruit sympathetic to Harivarman’s trigger, has been stalked by planetary protection causes. When Prince Harivarman discovers an operable Berserker’one of the asteroid-sized, spacefaring war devices that once ruined their makers and all other life within their path’his first instinct is to turn it in. But then he finds an ancient code that will either allow him to control the dreaded machine or lead him’and everybody else in the Templar Radiant’to specific death.

‘Barrett Whitener’s wide variety, depth, and range of language bring every character to existence’.this book ought to be at the top of your list.”AudioFile