Of Honor and Treason [Paperback]

C. J. Merle (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 2, 2000

Four hundred years in the future, mankind has spread to the stars and new empires rule. The most powerful of these are the Klimar Empire, a human Imperial oligarchy, and the Norda Homelands, which is inhabited by a race of humanoid aliens who prefer to be left alone.

The threat of war looms between the stars. A mad Emperor dreams of conquests, and the Norda scientist-rulers have decided to destroy the encroaching humans. Two beings, together, can stop the coming carnage. The Norda warrior-messiah can hold the Homelands at bay by defecting to the Human Lands. The richest man in three empires can thwart the Emperor's ambitious dreams--if he can keep his vast estates from the madman's control.

This is the beginning of a series of books about two beings, one human, one not. They need each other to survive and succeed, but trust does not come easy.

Editorial Reviews

Review

...the lead cast shows much of the inner selves to allow the readers to believe they are real... -- Harriet Klausner, Midwest Book Review

Space opera, for sure, but more. Action? Interaction? Good plot? Interesting characters? Incredible worlds made credible? Yes to all... -- Patricia White, Crescent Blues

About the Author

C. J. Merle has had a variety of careers during her life. She has done graphic layout design, been a laboratory technician, and has done career counseling and tutoring to under-privileged kids. She currently runs her own business, which has a variety of interests, including investments, real estate, and business development consulting.

She has been a member of a medieval reactment group for the last 25 years, and has enjoyed science fiction for even longer. She loves to travel and her three favorite places are Delphi, Greece; Paris, France; and St. John's Island, US Virgin Islands.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Speculation Pr (July 2, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0967197937
• ISBN-13: 978-0967197937
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,274,031 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Dark Edge of Science Fiction, January 5, 2003

By 

Sires "I enjoy mysteries, historical and proc... (Chesapeake, OH, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Of Honor and Treason (Paperback)

Buying from a small press is a gamble. Sometimes you get diamonds, sometimes you get mud. I've very glad of two things, one is that I did not see a close up of the cover before I bought the book-- very amateurish with wrong proportions. The second is that I didn't read the blurb on the back that suggest this was a cross between Star Wars and Star Trek. Someone has a tin ear for fiction because any similarities between these two works and this book are purely superficial. As long as you are not trying to find a cross between Star Wars and Star Trek this book is well worth buying.

This is a story of two empires on the verge of revolution. One empire is human, descended from old Earth, destroyed in a bitter civil war. The Emperor is mad, his Court depraved, his heir a daughter who is as mad and depraved as the Emperor and his Court could make her. The other Empire is that of the Norda, a long lived humanoid appearing race who have been engaged in a centuries long breeding program to produce the perfect member of their warrior class, the genetic Messiah. They have succeeded.

The Norda culture is quite well developed. There is strict segregation of the sexes and the males of the warrior class tend to bond sexually with one another. Blood and battle are considered foreplay. However, there is enough variation to make this more than a caricature of a warrior culture. The viewpoint character from this culture, Zar't'lac, the genetic messiah, is not at all what his breeders intended. For one thing he is not under their control. The Council who governs the Norda wants to invade the human empire and enslave it's members. Zar't'lac refuses to lend his leadership to this proposal, but instead intends to travel to the human empire and attempt to influence events from within it.

On the human side is Eivaunee Dorlan, the object of the emperor's insane desire and hatred. He has been emotionally and physically damaged by the emperor but he struggles to survive and keep the emperor from laying hands on his family's vast wealth.

For a first effort this is quite good, in places surpisingly good. I already have the sequel to hand and I hope that the author perservers.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Double dose of interstellar political intrigue, November 5, 2000

By 

Edward S. Tonry (DeKalb, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Of Honor and Treason (Paperback)

Two beings, one human and one alien, are each plotting treason and revolution. Their reasons and methods are vastly different. Initially, they aren't even aware of each other's existence. Neither can apparently do anything to help the other. Yet, they come to realize they need each other to succeed. The characters are all well drawn, with real personalities complete with odd twists and flaws. The aliens are amazingly real and complex. This is going to be a great series, one that focuses not just on the action, but also on the political and psychological bases for the action.

2.0 out of 5 stars Could be much better, October 26, 2011

By 

balaklava - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Of Honor and Treason (Paperback)

"+"
Plot is good, but a bit like the one in "Dune"
Characters are likable

"-"
This is a SF book, so "S" should be taken more into the account.
The bone of contend are vast holdings of Dorlan family, with its thousands of people... In a Empire which spans numerous planets? Shouldn't it be millions or even billions of people?
The Homelands have a breeding program to produce a warrior messiah (QUITE like "Dune"...), and they have alive bio-space-ships, but are not capable of combining genes to get what they want? Not likely.
Homelands have a very peculiar society with highly developed bio-engineering, but there is no indication of such group of people (bio-engineers) or their social status. Also factories are described as having many workers in them, more like a manufacture, which really does not go with a space-faring race.
The connection between two main Hsassan characters is well done, but with to many sex scenes that do not serve the plot or character/relationship building.
Humans destroyed Earth to free the colonies - it happened quite a few times before, and never was the mother country destroyed. It simply is not necessary, and quite a waste of resources. Hmmm, but destroyed how? Killed people (and even now there are 7 billion of us here), or annihilated the whole planet? If the second one is correct, Homelands fear humans with some reason, and I do not see how hand-to-hand combat will help against something like that....
Also Dorlans are trying to kill the Emperor Hazdel Toneki for quite some time, and with a space-ship, no less, but there are shields that are SO good that it can't be done? And are willing to die to do this? Well both father and son had the means AND the opportunity to do so, and did not...