Berserker Throne, The

The Empress of the Eight Worlds has been assassinated on the planet Salutai. Prince Harivarman, an unwilling exile on the Templar Radiant, a vast spherical fortress constructed around an ancient, benign, starlike source of inverse gravity, suspects that he will be next. When he discovers an operable Berserker- one of the ancient, asteroid-sized, spacefaring war machines that had destroyed their makers and all other life they found in their path-his first instinct is to turn it in. But then the Prince discovers an ancient code that will either allow him to control the dreaded machines or lead him-and everyone else on the Templar Radiant-to certain death.

This novel's harrowing climax, set in the fortress's outer reaches where ancient and mysterious drawings cover the walls, will surpass the expectations of veteran Saberhagen fans and also delight all those savoring this author's otherworldly talent for page-turning suspense for the very first time. Fred Saberhagen takes the reader on a fascinating journey that is intergalactic space travel at its best. The Berserker Throne is a splendid addition to the now classic Berserker saga.