RULERS OF THE GALAXY

Tameem’s SF/fantasy novel takes readers on an outer-space wartime adventure featuring an amnesiac on a mission to protect a very powerful child.

Gen. Daaken is ready to lead the Imperial troops to war against the Elementals, planning to kill their royal family and especially the new heir, who’s just an infant. Just when he’s about to plunge his dagger into the child’s heart, a powerful force emanates from the youngster, causing Daaken to disappear and laying waste to the palace that surrounds them. A woman named Salarin later wakes up in the middle of the palace grounds, surrounded by bodies, but she remembers nothing but her own name—not even what side of the battle she was on. Finding a baby left alone, she does the only thing she can think of: She grabs him and fights her way to a nearby escape pod. After crash-landing on the planet Elventar, Salarin meets a raider named Bosco who agrees to help her find the baby’s parents, and maybe some of Salarin’s memories along the way. After speaking with the high priest on Elventar, they learn that the baby is an Elemental and that he belongs on another planet, but they lack additional details. Now Bosco and Salarin must find their way to the Elemental home world while dodging deadly Imperial troops. Meanwhile, Salarin may have a larger mission than she could have imagined. Tameem presents a fantasy tale that spans the galaxy, but the story, as intriguing as it is, can be very hard to follow due to the narrative’s tendency to jump backward and forward in time. Scenes even appear multiple times but from different perspectives. That said, readers who stick with the jumbled story will be rewarded with characters and interactions that stick with them; Bosco and Salarin’s burgeoning partnership is one of the biggest draws. The epilogue will leave readers eager to find out what happens next.

A disjointed but ultimately entertaining spacefaring tale.