The Bottom Line: This trilogy is an amazing space opera; it handles much more complex themes than Star Wars, darling of the space opera subgenre. Hard SF fans, stay away.
The spine on my copy is hopelessly creased from the number of times I've read this gem. The sense of wonder that drove me to read the entire series back-to-back the first time I picked them up and left me wanting more of these tragic characters when I finally finished has never left me. At least once a year I pick up this series and remind myself again why I fell in love.
The Lost King is book one of Weis's Star of the Guardians series (books 2 and 3 being King's Test and King's Sacrifice, respectively). The series is futuristic, but it is space opera, not true science fiction. Weis's style is very engaging; I found this solo series even better than her collaborations with Tracy Hickman.
Every chapter has a carefully chosen epigraph that hints at the tone and characters examined in the chapter. The "guardians" from the series title refers to Plato's Republic. Philosophy and history lovers will appreciate the links Weis has made (a mentor named Platus, his young student Dion). Other epigraphs honor Milton, Shakespeare, Tennyson, Donne, Euripedes...the list goes on.
The story is moving and complex. The galaxy is in a state of political turmoil; the main character is coming of age; his two guardians are dealing with a troubled past and an uncertain future: Weis packs quite a bit of action into the story, but never neglects the intricacies of character development.
Young Dion has no knowledge of his past. He has grown up on a small backwater planet (not unlike Tatooine of Star Wars fame), raised by his mentor Platus Morianna (imagine Luke Skywalker living with Obi Wan Kenobi instead of Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen). Platus has taught Dion the gentlemanly arts: poetry, music, literature and philosophy. Their contact with the outside world is minimal until the unthinkable happens. After seventeen years in hiding, Platus and Dion have been discovered.
Dion finds himself on the run with the man Platus has arranged to care for him, a mercenary who calls himself Tusk, and his wise-cracking ship's computer, XJ. On their way to a "safe" place to stash Dion, the gang is distracted by a nice little war run by an old comrade--General John Dixter. But Dixter's little war has drawn the attention of a bigger fish, and Dion may just be in more trouble than he bargained for.
Derek Sagan is a powerful warlord with a loyal army and a desire for vengeance. It was his betrayal that paved the way for the current galactic Democratic Republic; it was Sagan who once brought down the monarch he was blood sworn to protect. In a lesser writer's hands, Sagan would be unredeemably evil. In Weis's, he is a complex predator with secrets he must keep hidden even from himself, lest he be toppled from his alpha position in the wolf pack of galactic politics. As a former Guardian of the monarchy, Sagan has had much to prove in the new order--and hunting down his former companions, including one Platus Morianna, is both his privilege and his shame.
Maigrey Morianna, sister to Platus and one-time lover to Sagan, has been lost these seventeen years, presumed dead by the Democratic Republic leaders and left unpursued by Sagan. But now he will come for her, the last of the Guardians, the last who can help him make of Dion a figurehead for their own governmental coup or a true king to correct a seventeen-year mistake. Maigrey is cynical; broken and defeated by Sagan's betrayal and haunted by what she cannot remember, she plays a dangerous game and keeps her ultimate goals close to her vest.
Although the first book in a series is often nothing more than a set-up for future events, The Lost King stands well on its own while tugging at strings that become important later. I would not suggest this series for anyone who wants to focus on only one main character; Weis develops four primary characters and numerous secondary characters. If Romeo and Juliet or Tristran and Iseult (or romantic tragedy in general) make you choke, then skip this book. Even if you enjoy The Lost King, you won't enjoy the sequels, so you might as well skip the heartache. The one rule in this universe seems to be that no one can both meet his or her destiny and find happiness with the person they love.
This book is perfect for people who enjoy revisiting the same universe time and time again to pick up on subtle nuances of character and theme.
Recommended:
