Review: Unlikely Prophet (Sword’s Edge Chronicles) by L. S. King

Their world is dying. Is hope too much to promise?

Long before Sword’s Edge, Children of the Enaisi, Laws and Prophecies, The Reluctant King, and Ranger’s Heart, there was a dying world. Teledhar, a planet once verdant, has for centuries been home to domed enclaves. This is where and how the human Teldheri survive in an otherwise inhospitable climate; poisonous gasses and ash is regularly belched into the sky, so to go “out-dome” without an environmental suit is to court immediate death. If you stay out too long even with a suit, you are likely to die as well.

Security Chief Avadhron of Ch’shalna clan manages security for the remaining domes and specifically for Palace Dome. Home of the king, Janadhan, Palace Dome is not a tranquil place in part due to the sovereign’s appetites, but also because the avenues of escape from this desolate situation are few. Avadhron despises Janadhan, who is a self-serving fiend; the king does not care about his people or anything else so long as his desires are met. Even the imminent demise of his world does not bother him – though attempted bombings of his palace naturally get his attention.

Zaidhron, the king’s half-brother and Avadhron’s cousin, does his best to help the Security Chief minimize their liege’s depredations. But between Janadhan’s behavior and the world dying beneath their feet, there is no hope of true reform or safety. Avadhron recognized this long ago and gave up on matters ever improving, yet still his mind torments him with dreams of a world where there are no domes, where trees grow, where the wind is free, and where water laughs over rock….

Then a portal opens – a portal left by the Elders. An alien by the name of Mattan steps through this it, promising help to the Teldheri. But why has he come now? Why not return earlier? What isn’t he telling them?

The Story

Avadhron is one of the few people not thrilled to have an Elder – or an Enaisi, as he and the others learn the aliens call themselves – in Palace Dome. Mattan learns their language too quickly, speaks it too well, and is too solicitous. His help cannot be purely altruistic. There is also the fact that he is lying; he knows why Avadhron’s people were left on Teledhar by the Enaisi, he just isn’t telling them.

Teledhar translates as “Abandoned.” The original colonists were children, so the stories say, whom some Elders left on the world of Teledhar after making sure they could take care of themselves. While they have adapted and built upon the technology initially left to them by the Elders, the Teldheri are still behind the Enaisi in this area. The Teldheri also used the technology they were given in ways that exacerbated Teledhar’s natural instabilities, which Mattan claims that the Enaisi who left them here didn’t know about when they placed their ancestors on this world.

Yeah, right. Avadhron wasn’t born yesterday, and he is not going to buy that excuse. Besides, the violence in the cities is increasing by the hour. So are the earthquakes threatening to collapse the domes and drive his people extinct. Neither Avadhron nor his race have time for riddles. They need a solution. They need hope, and neither Aavadhron nor Mattan have any real hope to give them.

Or do they? When Mattan provides an escape route, Avadhron recognizes the world of his dreams. A race against time begins to settle his people in this new safe haven. But will they get enough people through in time? Will Avadhron embrace his dreams? Is Mattan actually telling the truth? Or are they all doomed to perish in the fires of Teledhar’s death throes?

The Characters

Avadhron is an idealist jaded and disappointed by humanity, one who has managed not to give up his idealism in spite of his constant disenchantment. Too stubborn to quit, too knowledgeable of mankind’s propensity for sin to take someone’s statements at face value, he is fair but brutally honest. This means that even if people do not like him, they know that they can trust him because he will not lie. He may not directly answer the question, he may not be able to stop something bad from happening, but by heaven Avadhron will try to protect his people, no matter the cost to himself.

Zaidhron shows a great deal of his descendant Alcandhor’s naivete in addition to his wisdom as he works hard to help save his people. He also has his many great-grandson’s facility with languages, the truth, and history. While he may not lie, Zaidhron will keep certain things to himself, which is not always a good thing.

Younger than he is in the later books, Mattan proves to have much the same temperament in Unlikely Prophet, just without the seasoning of age and heartbreak to help him navigate this new situation. Avadhron’s distrust is not returned, but Mattan appreciates the man’s determination to recognize that the Enaisi are not gods nor perfectly trustworthy. Though that does not stop him from wanting desperately to earn the Security Chief’s trust, proving there is a good heart in the Enaisi. He just hasn’t quite learned how to use it to everyone’s best advantage.

The World

There are two worlds, and they could not be more different. Teledhar is a dying planet that would give Krypton the shivers, with volcanic gasses and ash being pumped into the air on a daily basis. Everything is gray, there are no animals, and the only thing that lives besides humans are the plants they manage to grow in agricultural domes.

Elyria, the world of Sword’s Edge, is by contrast a world of thriving nature. But it is nature that is getting out of hand, with herds of prey animals multiplying and destroying the vegetation. It needs a human touch, one it has not had in a long, long time….

Politics

None.

Content Warning

There is death, a moment where Janadhan bluntly suggests raping a woman, as well as descriptions of genocide and human experimentation. The death throes of Teledhar claim many lives in unpleasant ways as well. On a happier note, there are some romantic interludes between Avadhron and his wife, but these are tastefully allowed to fade to black. The descriptions are not beyond a PG-13 level, and the book is safe for any teen to read.

Who is it for?

Fans of L.S. King and especially the Sword’s Edge Chronicles will want this book, as it reveals things so far only hinted at throughout the series. Readers who want good, old-fashioned sci-fi in the vein of “the world is dying, we need a new one” will enjoy Unlikely Prophet, as will anyone seeking a book to inspire hope. Anyone who wants an adventure sci-fi novel with just a dash of fantasy would be wise to pick up Unlikely Prophet. Those who want a hero worth cheering for no matter how grouchy he is should consider it as well. Fans of Andre Norton, of course, would be remiss if they did not complete their reading of Sword’s Edge with this novel. The Grande Dame of Science Fiction would applaud this story and heartily approve of it, just as she would the rest of the series.

Why buy it?

It is fun, hopeful, and it is part of a great ongoing series. If you want a light read that will bring a smile to your face, Unlikely Prophet will fit the bill. Do not wait, get it today!