Galen's Way by Richard Paolinelli
In the distant future, humanity is still full of terrible people and courage is still found in the most unlikely places.
The story
Galen is a rogue, a mercenary, and a smuggler, the most dangerous man in humanity’s little corner of the Andromeda Galaxy. And he has just been recruited to rescue Princess Rhiannon from a fortress that no sane man would dare even approach, much less infiltrate. Galen, however did not get to be the most dangerous man alive by playing it safe.
When he makes it to the surface of the fortress world, he finds it manned only by the outlaw Dunstan Vedastus. The two have a history and Galen is more than happy to kill Vedastus as part of the rescue. What he finds though is not one princess, but four, each in pods hooked up to an outlawed mental torture device. Things get interesting though when Galen realizes that he’s been set up by Harmool, the chief advisor to King Iodocus, Rhiannon’s father. Had Galen not arrived early, he likely would have been blown up along with Vedastus, the princesses, and the entire planet. As he tries to figure out what to do, Galen uncovers a plot that threatens the entire Alliance.
The characters
Galen Dwyn is a virtual archetype of the virtuous outlaw. Found living on his own in a slum, the young Galen was trained by the elite bodyguard of the Alliance’s chancellor, the Bata’van. Already a gifted leader, the Bata’van made him incredibly hard to kill. So hard that after Galen deserted, the legendary force eventually gave up trying to bring him in.
Galen may be a mercenary but he has a highly developed sense of right and wrong, one that never lets him walk away from a fight that needs fighting. He is incredibly resourceful and single-minded. Yet, he is not a loner, no matter how much he might fancy himself one. For one, Cass, his snarky ship’s AI keeps him company on his travels between the stars, all while clipping his wings with her sharp tongue. Sort of the Alfred to Galen’s Bruce Wayne.
Then there is Lir Fiachra, Galen’s mentor when we was still one of the Bata’van. After Galen has deserted, Lir retired and started a new life as a history professor, passing along the ancient stories of humanity as it left the Milky Way behind for Andromeda, being forced out by an unexplained enemy that killed every star in the galaxy. Lir is a romantic, and he saw in Galen even at a young age the qualities of a knight, qualities he carefully encouraged. Because of their relationship, Galen still goes to his old friend for advice when he can’t find a way out of a situation, advice that he very much needs when he realizes the depths of Harmool’s plot.
Naturally, Rhiannon becomes the love interest for the lonely Galen. Yet, she is no mere damsel, nor is she a typical woke Xena. Her strength lies in her character, in her ability to adapt to her situation when Galen removes her from the sleep pod and fills her in on what is going on. The two develop a back and forth relationship that blossoms into romance despite Galen’s attempts to suppress his feelings for the princess.
Going too much into the villains would give away the plot but let me assure you, Harmool is the least of Galen’s problems.
The world
Paolinelli did a fantastic job building the world for Galen’s Way. In many ways, the specific location in the Andromeda Galaxy and how far in the future it is don’t matter to the primary story. However, references to the ancient war that led to the death of the Milky Way and the fact that it has been so long since the last star there went out that many people don’t even believe it existed add depth to the world.
It’s also interesting that humanity, no doubt in part due to the struggles of intergalactic travel and the subsequent perils of getting the race re-established in a strange world, has gone back to monarchy as their government for the most part. While the Alliance appears to be somewhat of a republic, the individual worlds operate like kingdoms. There is also a lot of thought given to the technology available and how it would work. Especially a certain piece of ancient alien technology that comes into play at the end.
The politics
The politics of the story itself are largely monarchical as described above. That also means the story is full of its share of court intrigue, especially when we learn the real plot behind Rhiannon’s kidnapping. While Galen himself is mostly apolitical, his disposition is very traditional. He won’t hurt innocents, doesn’t appear to randomly hook up with women, even trying his best to not look at the princesses when exposed in their pods, and when he falls in love with Rhiannon, he doesn’t think twice about sacrificing himself so she can live free. That places this book squarely into the conservative and traditional end of the spectrum.
Content warning
Paolinelli doesn’t get very graphic at any point, though there is definitely plenty of violence, one torture scene and some off page sex. At most, it’s a soft PG-13.
Who is it for?
There some obvious comparisons to Dune to be made here. There is the hierarchical nature of the planetary governments and the intense political intrigue and depravity that will remind anyone of Herbert’s work. However, Galen Dwyn is perhaps best compared to a character like Batman – the not-quite-lone badass who uses a combination of skill and intelligence to ruthlessly overcome what should be overwhelming odds. If you like Dune, Batman, Solomon Kane, and Han Solo you’ll very much enjoy Galen’s Way.
Why read it?
Why read Galen's Way? Because it is a story about a total badass that hasn't lost his humanity. It's one man willing to take on an empire for the woman he loves and winning. All wrapped up in political intrigue and hints of far more dangerous enemies to come.