THE KNIGHTS OF THE BLACK EARTH

Weis returns to the universe of her Star of the Guardians series with this new outing for cyborg Xris and his crack team of mercenaries, Mag Force 7: flamboyant Raoul, the chemicals expert, and his sidekick, the Little One, an alien empath and telepath; pilot Harry Luck; weapons expert Jamil Khizr; Tycho, an alien with chameleon powers; and medic Bill Quong. They kill only bad guys. This time out, Xris is obsessed with tracking down computer whiz Darin Cowan, whose supposed betrayal of Xris on a previous mission resulted in Xris becoming a cyborg. But when the team finally discovers Cowan's whereabouts—a remote, heavily guarded Marine base—he, or rather she, turns out to be Darlene Mohini, the Navy's chief codemaker and codebreaker. Posing as pest-control operatives, Xris and the team gain access to the base, grab Cowan, and escape- -with Cowan a willing accomplice—only to realize that they've stumbled into a plot by the Knights of the title. These Knights, religious fanatics from Earth, are intent on assassinating Dion, King of the Galaxy, and eradicating his laid-back, new-fangled notions of worship. With Cowan's disappearance, the entire Navy takes itself offline in order to reset its codes, so Xris can't warn old friend Admiral Dixter, who's protecting King Dion. Eventually, Raoul and the Little One will confirm Cowan's innocence regarding Xris's betrayal, and Cowan's computer expertise uncovers the details of the Knights' plans. Lurid comic-book twaddle—but don't underestimate Weis's formidable, if inexplicable, selling power.