Research scientist Samantha Bryton lives on the beach and conducts cutting edge research in artificial intelligence, or AI. Her life changes dramatically when she helps Turner, an injured stranger who washes up on her beach. She has no idea he has escaped from an experiment run by Charon, a practitioner of illegal android research. Sam and Turner soon find themselves on the run from the deadly Charon–and only an underground group of rogue AIs can help them.
“The plot is an epic chase across a near-future landscape, enlivened by twists, complicated puzzles to solve, plenty of intriguing technology, and a strong element of romance.” —Christine C. Menefee, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Two rulers navigate an uneasy peace: Kelric Skolia, the military commander of the Skolian Imperialate, and Jaibriol Qox III, the emperor of the brutal Trader empire. Kelric and Jaibriol seek to meet in a summit and sign a treaty that will save billions of lives and end the grinding, centuries-long war, but their work founder the depths of the political intrigue that surrounds them both. Assassins lurk everywhere, and intrigue is afoot. The baroque old order has no intention of giving up its war-bought privilege and power without a fight to the death—and they don’t care if they take the rest of galactic civilization down with them.
About Carnelians:
“[T]he ending satisfied. . . a solid and worthwhile entry into the saga. . .it can be read as a standalone novel…” –SF Crowsnest
About Catherine Asaro’s Skolia saga:
“Asaro’s Skolian saga is now nearly as long and in many ways as compelling as Dune, if not more so, featuring a multitude of stronger female characters.”—Booklist
“Rapid pacing and gripping suspense.”—Publisher’s Weekly
Space Adventure with a Holo-Rock Beat by Catherine Asaro. The Saga of the Skolian Empire Continues with this stand-alone novel.
Del Valdoria is an heir of the Ruby Dynasty, rulers of the interstellar empire called the Skolian Imperialate. But he had no interest in being associated with the draconian measures his family uses to maintain power. He just wants to sing holo-rock—not a respectable activity for a Ruby prince. To make matters worse, he is on Earth, far from home, and their government doesn’t want to let such a valuable bargaining chip leave.
Then Ricki Varento, the acquiring agent of a major entertainment corporation, hears him sing.
Del’s mix of unsophisticated innocence and sensual wickedness turns into commercial dynamite. Singing as Del Arden, he became a major hit, the hottest new act in holo-rock. It is a nightmare for the Earth government, inviting the attention of assassins, kidnappers, and who knows what else. If anything happens to Del, Earth’s Space Command might as well just walk up to the Skolians and say, “Let’s have a war.”
Enter the third interstellar civilization, the Eubian Traders, warlike enemies of the Skolians. Del’s millions of fans on Earth might not know that their idol is a Ruby prince, but if the Traders discover his identity, it would spell disaster for the Ruby Dynasty.
And certain songs, if sung by a Ruby prince, could become an act of war . . .
Charon is dead.
Long live Charon!
Charon, the creator of a malicious network of rogue AIs and androids, has been destroyed, his multiple copies deleted. Except for one—Alpha, a female android who may or may not possess a conscience. Now on the run, and with her former captor as her hostage, Alpha moves to activate a long dormant master-plan — a plan that may well include the end of humanity and the violent transformation of the world as we know it!
A stand-alone sequel to Nebula Award winner Catherine Asaro’s moving cyber-thriller, Sunrise Alley.
Major Bhaajan, a former military officer with Imperial Space Command, is now a hard-bitten P.I. dealing with more baggage than any traveler through life needs. She takes clients whose woes can be personal or galaxy-shattering, and often both. Bhaaj search takes her deep into the mysterious and deadly Undercity—beneath the capital of a interstellar civilization. What she discovers could change the course of a star-spanning empire.
Survive the City of Cries
Bhaajan grew up in the Undercity, a community hidden in the ruins beneath the glittering City of Cries. Trapped between the beauty and poverty of that life, and caught by wanderlust, she enlisted in the military in her youth. Now retired, Major Bhaajan works as a private investigator, solving cases for the royal House of Majda. She has a new case to solve—why are the powerful elite in Cries disappearing? Only Bhaajan, who grew up in the Undercity, can find them—if she isn’t murdered first.
