THE ROYAL TRIALS

Yared and friends return in this sequel to The Last Gate of the Emperor (2021).

Reunited with his parents, the emperor and empress of Axum, an Ethiopian-inspired space empire, wisecracking Yared is settling into his new life after discovering he’s actually a prince. With his entourage, consisting of Uncle Moti, the Ibis (his friend and Royal Trials partner), and bodyguard Besa (who is a bionic lioness), in tow, Yared heads to New Amba. He’s scheduled to give an important speech at the Royal Trials, a galaxywide competition. When an attack separates him from the others, he learns that all is not as it seems, and he’ll need to decide what kind of leader he will be. One character brings up the systemic oppression of space workers who are stuck eking out a living in Debris Town; the subject is not explored in depth, and Yared responds by emphasizing personal responsibility. Later developments offer a feeling of restorative or rehabilitative justice and, combined with Yared’s own growth, handle the subject with greater nuance. This volume suffers from issues with inconsistent worldbuilding, choppy pacing, and an abundance of unexplained in-world vocabulary, but the ending offers a neat setup for a third in the series. Main characters are assumed Black.

Fans of the first volume will enjoy diving into this sequel.