Publisher's Synopsis
Star Clans of Corduwaine is a far future science fiction novel - a symphony of love, war, loss, and rebirth in a distant future time place in the galaxy. It's a powerful love story set against a sweeping background - an SF Doctor Zhivago more than 7000 years from now. Stunning and poetic far-future history by John Argo in the tradition of Cordwainer Smith's Classic Norstrilia and other tales of the Instrumentality. Zara is the Crown Princess Upholder, of the ruling clan on the Tellerine world in the Corduwaine system. Ranay is a gifted commoner, with whom she falls in love, and he falls in love with her. He gives up his future to marry her on her home world. At first, everything looks wonderful and promising, despite her gruff father the Lord Trask, Upholder of Corduwaine and Tellerine. We meet Zara's sisters and other members of a strong, resilient frontier world. Humankind has entered a fabulous age known as ManTime or the Renaissance of Man. After thousands of years of suffering and near annihilation, the human race is stronger and wiser, living in peace with other races. But a terror lurks beyond the dust clouds and dim light years of far space, threatening to destroy civilization and humankind. The enemy is so powerful, so implacable, so filled with hate, that its very name inspires chills: The Kaarrk Swarm, a militant hive culture whose only emotion is a relentless hunger to be vicious. A dying hive scorpion's only emotion is rage because it will no longer live to hate. Just when life seems perfect for Ranay and Zara, the Kaarrk Swarm attack in force, including a behemoth mothership that almost literally eats planets. Tragedy and horror rip through the peaceful Corduwaine System. Suddenly, it's all about life and death, demanding courage and duty. Fighting alongside military priestesses, mystical abbesses, time-traveling HM Sacred Agents, and other denizens of this future world, Ranay and Zara confront their ultimate fates--and surprises beyond imagination. This gripping new novel in the Empire of Time series joins a sweeping cosmic history--the Empire of Time Series by John Argo. Its lyrical, at times poetic language reminds us of the atmosphere, epic story telling, larger than life characters, and lyric poetry of science fiction classics - think of Frank Herbert's Dune, Cordwainer Smith's The Planet Buyer, and A. E. Van Vogt's Weapon Shops of Isher. The story takes us through love and war on a grand scale (systems and stars) and on a very personal level (Ranay and the women in his life). Ultimately, we arrive at a beautiful, bittersweet, yet emotionally fulfilling resolution that leaves the door open for further explorations (books yet to come). The Empire of Time series has been in work for many years, and continues to add far future history novels. The series already includes over half a dozen novels plus short works: e.g., Mars the Divine, Time Train, Lantern Road, and Runners: Escape from Prison World or Die. The planet name Tellerine comes from a Turkish legend, expressed in an old folk song popular across the region, Telgrafin Tellerine. Learn more at the Clocktower Books webplex (linked websites).
