Review: A very good first effort.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 12 13, 2011
This is an interesting blend of sci fi with swords and sorcery, based on the fairly common theme of a decadent empire suffering from ruthless corporate exploitation.Protagonist Steg de Coeur, deep in the line of his planet's royal succession, becomes a key to his planet's future when most of his family is executed.  He reveals new abilities and gains powerful allies as he bounds from crisis to crisis, with corporate assassins hot on his heels.The writing and pacing are good, and the main characters are likeable.  Some folks complain that our hero seems unaffected by the deaths of those close to him, and thus seems shallow, unlikeable or incomplete.  However, it may be better that he soldiers through his crises rather than wallowing in grief.  I can't criticize the author for taking that approach.I look forward to the next installments.