The Outcast: Tribe of One Trilogy, Book One, Dark Sun

Hawke's ``Tribe of One'' trilogy opens with the youth and early adventures of Sorak, who is part elf and part halfling; he possesses psionic (mind-reading) talent as well multiple personalities, the latter the result of early childhood trauma. Found abandoned in the desert, Sorak is raised by benevolent villichi, or psionic human priestesses, who have educated him in the responsible use of magic. Athas, his home, is a dying planet whose resources have been ruthlessly exploited by sorcerer-kings, but there is a belief that a savior is coming. Armed with two gifts from the priestesses--an ancient elvish sword called Galdra and the Wanderer's Journal, stocked with information on people and places--he leaves the villichi temple to learn about himself and his past. Sorak's quest becomes a search for the savior and takes him to Tyr, a city rife with political intrigue where one can contact the Veiled Alliance, a secret group opposed to the sorcerer-kings and who receive messages from the savior. Hawke ( The Reluctant Sorcerer ) more than intimates that Sorak himself is the long-awaited savior. His yarn offers fans of the fantasy genre some interesting themes to ponder. (Dec.)