Hand of Prophecy

by Severna Park

Paperback, 1998

Call number

813.54

Publication

Eos (1999), Paperback

Pages

320

Description

With her highly acclaimed first novel, Speaking Dreams, Severna Park has emerged as a powerful new voice in thought-provoking science fiction. In Hand of Prophecy, she once again launches readers into a spellbinding universe of brutality, betrayal, triumph, and love. A galaxy whirls in conflicts as tyrant slavers prepare to roar back and realm the frontier planets wrested from them generations ago. Living on one of the forfeited worlds they covet most in Frenna, bred for bondage and given a virus that guarantees tow decades of youth for servitude, followed by an agonizing death. But then she learns an amazing secret: the end is not inevitable. It seems impossible, but there is an escape. An antidote. A cure. Yet Frenna's escape is into an exotic, bloodswept world, a fierce arena where muscled slaves wage brutal battle for their masters' amusement. Frenna has become a medic: her job is to administer a mercifully quick end to the mortally wounded. Nut she still carries the secret of unfathomable freedom. And as warships arrive in conquest, this last hope must endure in a murderous domain of monstrous holograms and irresistible deadly potions. In the final frenzy, sisters and lovers, killers and saviors, all will be swept together in a maelstrom of annihilation, survival--and redemption. With her highly acclaimed first novel, Speaking Dreams, Severna Park has emerged as a powerful new voice in thought-provoking science fiction. In Hand of Prophecy, she once again launches readers into a spellbinding universe of brutality, betrayal, triumph, and love. A galaxy whirls in conflicts as tyrant slavers prepare to roar back and realm the frontier planets wrested from them generations ago. Living on one of the forfeited worlds they covet most in Frenna, bred for bondage and given a virus that guarantees tow decades of youth for servitude, followed by an agonizing death. But then she learns an amazing secret: the end is not inevitable. It seems impossible, but there is an escape. An antidote. A cure. Yet Frennas escape is into an exotic, bloodswept world, a fierce arena where muscled slaves wage brutal battle for their masters amusement. Frenna has become a medic: her job is to administer a mercifully quick end to the mortally wounded. Nut she still carries the secret of unfathomable freedom. And as warships arrive in conquest, this last hope must endure in a murderous domain of monstrous holograms and irresistible deadly potions. In the final frenzy, sisters and lovers, killers and saviors, all will be swept together in a maelstrom of annihilation, survival--and redemption.… (more)

Awards

Otherwise Award (Shortlist — 1998)

Language

Original language

English

Physical description

320 p.; 6.79 inches

ISBN

0380791587 / 9780380791583

User reviews

LibraryThing member anderlawlor
The sequel to Speaking Dreams, set in the same universe in which slavers have a List of people from 18-22 who they are free to enslave if they can find them. When they do find people on the List, the slavers inject them with a virus which keeps them young for 20 years and then kills them. This book
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is primarily about an underground slave-freeing movement and also features offhandedly queer characters. It's a tiny bit dated, maybe, and prone to wince-inducing erotic passages, but I think it holds up.
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