Righteous Anger: Part Two of the Okal Rel Saga by Lynda Williams

Synopsis

In the Okal Rel universe, life and land are viewed as precious – and indiscriminate warring is viewed as okal'a'ni – or against Okal Rel. As a result, differences are solved by sword law – duels fought on the "challenge floor" by a single champion, either for first blood, or death. This is the tale of one such champion – Horth Nersal.

Conceived in a "peace making" arrangement between the House of Nersal and the Nesaks, Horth was never accepted by either. Instead, he was taunted as a "half-breed" and a "rejak't" due to is inability to articulate himself verbally in an appropriate court manner.

Where words failed, Horth learned to negotiate with a sword. And his skill with the sword and his spatial brilliance as a pilot changed both houses' views and made him their champion.

Once it was discovered that Prince Amel suffered "atrocities" at the hands of the despised alien Reetions, Horth's father issued a call to arms that he hoped would unite the splintered alliances in a single act of Righteous Anger. In this intricate tale of power, passion and politics, Horth Nersal must consider all odds, weighing familial duty against what he believes to be right.

VOYA

Although Horth Nersal is a man of few words, he knows right from wrong. Inheritor of the blood and traditions of two cultures, the child of a peacemaking pact, he struggles with language but his sure sense of okal rel (honor) is his guide and comfort. It comes in handy when fighting duels but less so when learning about sexual urges. When his instincts inevitably lead him into dangerous political territory, he is faced with the prospect of breaking family ties and upsetting balances of power. One can only hope that sometimes swords speak even louder than words. The second book in The Okal Rel Saga, this volume is contemporary with the previous book The Courtesan Prince (Edge, 2005/VOYA April 2006), but it focuses on the politics and cultures of the Sevolite people rather than on their interaction with the distant Reetions. Williams provides a closer look at the hierarchical structures of these people, as well as at the racial and cultural divides that threaten their empire, by focusing on the Nersal family with Horth as the reader's touchstone. Although she sneaks in a great deal of history, social system, and language, the world building feels natural rather than forced and leaves one wanting more. The actions of a few characters who appeared in the first book are viewed from a different perspective. Williams builds a very deep universe that could easily be off-putting in its level of detail, but it is so populated with interesting characters and moves along so breezily that the only problem might be keeping track of all the threads.

Biography

Lynda Williams holds two post-graduate degrees and has worked in fields as diverse as crisis counseling and educational technology. The Okal Rel Universe has been part of her life since high school. Since the release of Throne Price in 2004, co-authored with lifelong friend Alison Sinclair, it is also been becoming more a part of the world, with each publication. Lynda lives in Prince George, B.C., with husband David Lott and their three daughters, Jennnifer, Angela and Tegan.