Synopsis: As a young man, Pol Tyrees was the toughest of the
Cadre, elite police who mercilessly kept law in the Regnum. Then he learned the
mystical way of the Seers and, with extraordinary physical powers at his
command, wiped the Regnum clean of corruption. Now worshipped as a god, Tyrees
rues the galactic empire he once served. His New Covenant order, spread by
Seers, maintains the Regnum in unity and peace. But tranquility cannot last.
For two Seers have been murdered and an enemy of the New Covenant is on the
loose Now, with the fate of the Regnum in his hands, the invincible Pol Tyrees
must search the galaxy for a killer….a traitor whose powers match his own! (from the back of the book)
Review: This book disappointed me. It started well, with
Tyree facing personal demons and the burden of ruling an empire. Add to that a
murder of similar power who is murdering the Seers, the messengers of the
faith. This is an excellent conflict to start a novel with. But from there, it
spirals into angst-ridden nonsense and disjointed vignettes.
First, Tyrees acts stupidly. The previous novels demonstrate
his power at observations, but twice in this book, he is just dumb, completely
missing the obvious. It was nonsensical
to spend two novels to convince the reader of his awesome ability only to have
them disappear. It made the villain seem less intense or evil, and more, just a
person prospered because Tyrees was an imbecile.
Second, Tyrees’ obsession with Shaamlik and with Cubas
seemed a plot device with no purpose. What did they teach us about his
character that we didn’t already know? Nothing.
Third, the ending. It was as if O’Riordan got tired of
writing, dumped in a few half-formed ideas and ended the book. No closer. No
redemption. No understanding of Tyrees, who he was and who he is. Nothing. Like the last few pages of the book were
missing. I felt cheated.
A sad end to an interesting series, really. So much
potential, wasted.
Bookmarks: 6 of 10
Awards: None
ISBN: 0-441-09016-8
Year Published: 1988
Date Finished: 12-28-2016
Pages: 204
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