Dawn of Vengeance

Kendig weaves suspenseful intergalactic intrigue in the entertaining second space opera in the Droseran Saga series (after The Brand of Light). Bounty hunter Marco Dusan returns to his home planet of Drosero to be crowned as the ruler of Kalonica. When tension arises between him and his brother, Prince Darius, who is now married to Marco’s ex-lover, Marco retreats from court to tour the outskirts of his realm. But in the course of his travels, he’s abducted by the Irukandji, a Droserian tribe colluding with the planet-invading Symmachians. Meanwhile on Symmachia, LCpl. Eija Zacdari trains for the hyperjump program, a military operation to open up a space gate, but her instincts tell her that something’s amiss. After uncovering the program’s ulterior motives, Eija forms an unlikely alliance with Marco to save humanity from alien annihilation. Kendig smoothly interlaces Marco’s and Eija’s narratives as they each grapple with treacheries on their planets, and though the plot is slow to develop, ample chase scenes and sword fights create tension along the way. Series readers will be pleased. Agent: Steve Laube, the Steve Laube Agency. (Dec.)