CITY OF SLAVES
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Thomas Hill wants to know why he's so different from other people. He telepathically absorbs the complete knowledge and experiences of every person he encounters, so despite his eleven years of age, he contains more knowledge than any adult. He wonders why his unknown mother abandoned him to freeze to death as an infant, and he worries that he might not even be human. One day, a group of telepaths show up and use advanced alien technology to capture Thomas and his friends. These telepaths, known as Torth on the worlds they've conquered, use stolen knowledge to command their countless slaves. Thomas soon realizes that his people have found him, but they have an agenda other than embracing him. They condemn Thomas's foster family to a life of harsh slavery where they will surely die. And the Torth are especially determined to kill Thomas's loyal friend, a young giant named Alexander Dovanack. Thomas chooses to save the people he cares about by becoming one of the slave masters. In doing so, he gains access to the immense power of the Torth Empire, but he loses the freedom to keep secrets and make rescue plans. He learns that humans are inferior because they lack telepathy, that Alexander is dangerous, and that he has potential to rise high among the Torth and fulfill his most self-indulgent dreams. As Thomas juggles high-stakes machinations, his friends survive on the charity of a curious slave. They grow desperate in a society where their lives are disposable, where sound is prohibited, where thoughts can kill. Soon they must face Thomas's betrayal . . . and Thomas must confront himself, and make a choice between all the power and privileges he's gained, or the loneliness of being human. 
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THE TORTH EMPIRE is a spacefaring epic in the tradition of Dune and the Vorkosigan saga, with themes of freedom and oppression, betrayal and redemption, bigotry and idealism, during a massive slave revolution that begins in book 1 and ends in book 4. The first book is written. The last three are outlined in detail. Not your typical villains . . . The Torth believe themselves to be superior to all other life forms, and they're so certain, they've convinced everyone else. Their trillions of slaves view them as gods. They telepathically absorb knowledge from every civilization they encounter, growing stronger as they colonize planets. They're trained from birth to suppress their emotions, to further their Empire through logic and rational thought. But among telepaths, certain thoughts mean death, so they dare not examine their loveless lives or question their own superiority. All they want to do is survive in the most successful way possible. Is that so evil? Not your typical heroes . . . Thomas understands everyone except himself. In his quest to be understood, he switches sides in a war where allegiances cannot be changed, earning the title of Betrayer. He's torn between friendships and personal ambitions, humanity and godhood. Unable to settle on his own nature and unwilling to examine his own mind, he tangles himself in a web of self-deception that might destroy his sanity. Alexander suffers from the low self-esteem that an overprotective mother and a poor body image can bring. No one expects him to be a hero. But when the Torth put him through torture designed to break his spirit, he finds inner strength that he didn't know he had. His simple goal of survival becomes a journey that sparks hope in slaves. As Alexander goes from being a self-loathing doormat to leading a force that threatens the Torth Empire, he casts aside his insecurities and assumes a new role that even Thomas will bow to. |
YERESUNSA, THE TORTH EMPIRE, and all related materials were written by Abby Goldsmith, and no part of it may be distributed or sold without the author's permission.
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All material Copyright © 2008 Abigail Goldsmith, except where otherwise noted. All rights reserved. No part of this may be reproduced or reprinted without prior written permission from the author. Document updated: 06 September 2007 - 02:17:19 |
| [ Abby's ICQ: 139387316 ] |
