The Empress of the Eight Worlds has been assassinated. Prince Harivarman, exiled on the Templar Radiant, suspects that he will be the next victim. Help is scarce: Anne Blenheim, the fortress’ clear-eyed, fair commander, is favorably disposed toward the Prince, but her first responsibility is to the Templar High Command. And Chen Shizuoka, a Templar recruit sympathetic to Harivarman’s cause, is being stalked by planetary security forces. When Prince Harivarman discovers an operable Berserker—one of the asteroid-sized, spacefaring war machines that once destroyed their makers and all other life in their path—his first instinct is to turn it in. But then he finds an ancient code that will either allow him to control the dreaded machine or lead him—and everyone else on the Templar Radiant—to certain death.
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"Twists of fate that twist about -- while trying to survive berserkers? Complex and thoughtful. And a frighteningly accurate assessment of mankind."
— Robin (4 out of 5 stars)
“Barrett Whitener’s wide range, depth, and scope of language bring every character to life…Whitener makes them all instantly recognizable, leaving the listener mesmerized and free to enjoy the surprising twists and turns of the story. If you’re a lover of science fiction and fantasy, this book should be at the top of your list.”
— AudioFile" Gripping story, superb plot twists and very original ideas. Great storytelling style with multiple angles and first person perspectives. "
— Void, 8/3/2013" I read this as a free download from Baen Books. It had a bit of a slow start, but got really good in the middle and end. T "
— Jan, 12/4/2012" Sci-Fi Rel. 1985, house copy, like Terminators, "
— J, 10/23/2012" An interesting book -- rather better than I had expected, with a nicely twisty plot. "
— Bard, 9/4/2012" Solid story with some nice twists. Decent (but not spectacular) characterization. "
— Kevin, 4/26/2011" A solid expansion of the berserker world. "
— Heather, 2/14/2011" An interesting book -- rather better than I had expected, with a nicely twisty plot. "
— Bard, 8/13/2010" Sci-Fi Rel. 1985, house copy, like Terminators, "
— J, 1/17/2010" I read this as a free download from Baen Books. It had a bit of a slow start, but got really good in the middle and end. T "
— Jan, 1/17/2009" re-read this book <br/>classic Sci-fi <br/>a good read but a little thin on plot and character development "
— Eugene, 3/7/2008Fred Thomas Saberhagen (1930–2007), a native of Chicago, served with the US Air Force then worked as an electronics technician and as a science writer and editor for the Encyclopaedia Britannica. He began writing science fiction for Galaxy in 1961. His first novel, The Golden People, was published in 1964. He is most renowned for the Berserker series of stories and novels.
Barrett Whitener has been narrating audiobooks since 1992. His recordings have won several awards, including the prestigious Audie Award and numerous Earphones Awards. AudioFile magazine has named him one of the Best Voices of the Century.