Part of Lord Valentine
First published 1996
Hissune, Lord Valentine's protégé, descends into the great Labyrinth to unlock the mysteries buried in Majipoor's vast historical archives. Through the Registry of Souls, he experiences the lives of those who came before him: corrupt dukes and ambitious generals, desperate thieves and cold murderers, alien Ghayrogs and shapeshifting Metamorphs. Each recorded consciousness reveals another piece of the exotic planet's sprawling history. Hissune witnesses a woman's encounter with a mysterious Ghayrog, survives the catastrophic Time of the Burning, and follows criminals through the markets of Ni-moya. He walks alongside soul painters who capture human essence and desert wanderers who lose their dreams to the sands. As Hissune absorbs these fragments of memory and experience, he begins to understand the forces that shaped Majipoor across the centuries. The wisdom he gains from these ancient lives will forge his own destiny and prepare him for the role he must play in Valentine's world.
Genres: science-fiction, adventure, fantasy, space-opera, epic-fantasy, historical-fantasy
Vibes: contemplative, expansive, immersive, lyrical, mysterious, thought-provoking
Tropes: chosen-one, found-family, mentorship, multiple-perspectives
Setting: Majipoor, The Labyrinth, Ni-moya
400 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Voyager