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Triad #02: The Final Key
by Catherine Asaro

Triad #02: The Final Key Cover

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

Catherine Asaro has won numerous awards for her Saga of the Skolian Empire novels, including the Nebula Award and two Romantic Times awards for Best SF Novel. Combining cutting edge scientific theory with grand romantic adventure, this series represents space opera at its finest.

The Final Key is the second half of the story arc known as Triad, which began in Schism. Schism ended with the Skolian Empire torn asunder by personal conflict within the royal family. With The Final Key, the Skolian Empire comes under all-out assault from its nemesis, the Euban Concord, who have undermined the Empire via subterfuge and assassination, leaving it ripe for conquest. The Skolian Empire's only hope? A young woman barely out of her teens who hasn't even complete her training as a cadet.

Review:

"Given the complex world within Asaro's Skolian Empire saga, perhaps it's forgivable that the first third of her second Triad fantasy (after 2004's Schism) explains at tedious length the history of the Ruby Dynasty, a ruling tribe of telepaths who struggle with discord among themselves even as they fight off their dire enemies, the Euban Concord. Readers of this extensive chronicle will happily plunge back into the fray, but newcomers might stumble, feeling much like first-time viewers of a byzantine space soap opera. However, once the action heats up with an assassination attempt that disables the head of the Ruby Dynasty, rapid pacing and gripping suspense whisks away any confusion. Young Soz, an heir to the throne and a military cadet, seizes the book's spotlight with her combination of vulnerability and bravery as she steps up to responsibility. But with so many characters, this tale suffers from a lack of focus. Asaro's saga is a monumental work, but only a more careful honing of the individual novels will make the series masterful." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Synopsis:

Combining scientific theory with grand romantic adventure, this series represents space opera at its finest. With "The Final Key," the Skolian Empire comes under assault from the Euban Concord. The Empire's only hope? A young woman who hasn't completed her cadet training.

About the Author

CATHERINE ASARO received a doctorate in physics from Harvard University, has published a number of papers on theoretical physics and was a physics professor until 1990, when she established Molecudyne Research. A former ballerina, she has performed with ballets and in musicals on both coasts. She lives with her husband and daughter in Columbia, Maryland.

Product Details

ISBN:
9780765313539
Subtitle:
Part Two of Triad
Publisher:
Tor Books
Author:
Asaro, Catherine
Subject:
Life on other planets
Subject:
Young women
Subject:
Science Fiction - Space Opera
Subject:
Science / Space Opera
Series:
Triad
Series Volume:
02
Publication Date:
20051129
Binding:
HC
Language:
English
Pages:
352
Dimensions:
8.50x5.50x1.09 in. 1.11 lbs.