Publisher's Synopsis
- Sequel to The Heretic, Book 10 in the nationally best-sellingGeneral series.
- Duisberg is one of thousands of planets plunged into darkness and chaos bythe collapse of the galactic republic, but where other worlds have begun torebuild a star-travelling culture, Duisberg remains in an uneasy balance betweenmud-brick civilization and bloodthirsty barbarism. The people of Duisberg have agod: Zentrum, a supercomputer from the ancient past. Zentrum has decided toavoid another collapse by preventing civilization from rising from where it is.This is known as the Stasis. And because even a supercomputer and the powerfulreligion which it founded cannot block all progress, Zentrum has another tool:every few centuries the barbarians sweep in from the desert, slaughtering theeducated classes and cowing the peasants back into submission. These are theBlood Winds, and the Blood Winds are about to blow again. This time, however,there's a difference: Abel Dashian, son of a military officer, has received intohis mind the spirit of Raj Whitehall, the most successful general in the historyof the planet Bellevue - and of Center, the supercomputer which enabledRaj to shatter his planet's barbarians and permit the return of civilization.One hero can't stop the tide of barbarians unless he has his own culturesupporting him. To save Duisberg, Abel must conquer the very land of his originand attempt to destroy the computer A.I. "god" who has doomed hisworld to an everlasting Dark Age. Abel is a heretic, but now he must go beyondand become - The Savior.
