King of Dreams
by Robert Silverberg
Form: Novel
Year: 2000
ID: 626
Publication history:
- 2000: Fictionwise, Fictionwise Online
- 2001: The King of Dreams, Voyager Trade paperback, ISBN 0002247453, 400 pp.
- 2001: The King of Dreams, Eos Hard cover book, 451 pp.
- 2002: The King of Dreams, Voyager Mass market paperback, 514 pp.
- 2002: The King of Dreams, Eos Hard cover book, 480 pp.
- 2002: Le Roi des rêves, Laffont Hard cover book, ISBN 222109459X, 477 pp., in French
- 2004: Die Legenden von Majipoor 03: König der Träume, Heyne Trade paperback, ISBN 3453861728, in German as König der Träume
Blurb:
(from Voyager 2001)
At last Prestimion prepares to take his place in the subterranean Labyrinth where the Pontifex must dwell. He has named Prince Dekkeret to succeed him as Coronal. Once a commoner, Dekkeret brings new blood to the aristocratic Starburst Throne, and a popular wisdom. Another prosperous joint reign should begin.
But the diabolical Mandralisca is the éminence grise behind a declaration of independence from distant Zimroel. Coolly proclaiming the five debauched nephews of the treacherous Dantirya Sambail to be the Five Lords of Zimroel, Madralisca is preparing to destroy the unity and peace of Majipoor.
The soothsayer Su-Suheris predicts that a new power is loose in the world, a power equal to any other, but Dekkeret has no faith in omens. Only when Mandralisca avails himself of a sinister device that destroys the mind of Dekkeret's own High Counsellor does the ne Coronal begin to see a threat. But without THE KING OF DREAMS, how can he combat the sinister power emanating from Zimroel?
Other resources:
[None on record]
Comments:
This is the completion of the Majipoor trilogy involving Prestimion (Sorcerers of Majipoor and Lord Prestimion). Silverberg says this will be And, much as I love the big planet, I can't blame him for wanting to move on.
Lord Prestimion has reigned for twenty years, and Confalume Pontifex is getting very old, which means the inevitable move from Castle Mount to the Labyrinth will come soon. After a long and prosperous rule (barring the difficulties detailed in the first two books), Prestimion is ready to move on, and Dekkeret is ready to assume the Starburst Throne. But trouble is of course brewing, and it follows from the earlier conflicts, since that nasty Count Mandralisca managed to escape the fate of his master.
Unlike Lord Prestimion, which started a bit slowly, this one gets going pretty quickly. Chapters alternate between a number of characters, including Prestimion, Dekkeret (the Coronal-apparent), Thastain (a young man in the service of Mandralisca), Varaile (Prestimion's wife), Mandralisca himself, and others. All are vivid and captivating, and Silverberg (as usual) gives even the hideous Mandralisca a measure of depth, with a tragic childhood dominated by an abusive alcoholic father. One of my favorite characters is Keltryn, the younger sister of Dekkeret's lover Fulkari, who comes to the Castle and starts fencing lessons with Septach Melayn.
SciFi.com published a review in their Issue #222.