I've been waiting for a while to read Michael R. Hicks'
work, and finally had the opportunity to begin through Empire, the first book
in the In Her Name: Redemption trilogy.
We are introduced to the primary character, Reza, as he is
witness as a young boy to the death of his parents through the invasion of the
Kreelans, and ancient and powerful warrior race now clashing with humanity.
Somehow, in the process of trying to escape, Reza manages to come face-to-face
with their warrior priestess, and in his defiance and will to live, he manages
to slash at her with his lone knife. This act of defiance manages to convince
the priestess to allow the boy to live.
Years later, Reza is an orphan living on an agrarian planet
utilizing "free" orphan labor to handle manual chores such as
removing rocks from soil to provide more arable ground. Now twelve years old,
Reza saves the life of a girl named Nicole from the treacherous advances of an
adult overseer, and finds himself with his first true love interest. But the
Kreelan presence is felt again; they come to the planet to collect the children
for an experiment, and Reza is allowed to live, for among those in the invasion
party is the priestess who spared his life years earlier. Many others are not
so lucky; the Kreelans thoroughly destroy the planet once they leave with their
human cargo.
Reza, like the other, younger orphans, is part of an
experiment by the Kreelans: do these lowly animals, known as humans, possess
souls? Are they worthy of inclusion in The Way, the Kreelan religion? The human
children are thrown into the Kreelan warrior boot camp and given a chance to
show themselves worthy. Naturally, only Reza survives long at all.
The true heart of the story, however, begins at this point,
as Reza fights for acceptance on a world and in a culture and society which
believes everything about him - including the fact that he is a "him"
- is wrong. He is thought a mere animal, lacking the blue skin and talons of
the Kreelans. He is male in a society in which males have been discarded and
hidden away. And, in the ultimate insult, his blood does not sing, the Kreelan
means of detecting a soul. He is smaller, weaker, slower, and ill-trained. And
his trainer/keeper, a girl named Esah-Zhurah, holds all of these prejudices
against him.
We see in Reza's story the spirit of those who fight to
survive, and even thrive, against great odds. Reza is fighting not just for his
survival, but for acceptance and respect. He must learn to fight, must learn
societal customs and mores, must learn The Way, and must learn to see the
Kreelans as something other than the monstrous creatures who left him orphaned
and apart from his first true love, even as he fights for the reputation of
humanity among those who would see humanity destroyed. In the process, he may
well find his true calling and his true home, as well as his own true love. And
he may well have to decide exactly what he's willing to sacrifice to be true to
his own nature, as he discovers what that truly is.
I found myself saddened when the
story ended, wishing it had continued, and pleased to know that there are two
sequels and even other trilogies set in this universe. Thus, more enjoyable
reading awaits. Highly recommended for sci-fi fans.
Rating: 5.0 of 5 stars
Rating: 5.0 of 5 stars
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