"On a faraway planet called Radiget, in the capital Rilap, forces were coming together scheming up a plan for expansion."
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Dark Crossing to the Black Temple by Frank Omar Trafford Publishing
book review by Peter M. Fitzpatrick
Set in the far future after mankind has ventured far out into space, the story commences with the coming of age of two young Cyelians, post-human descendants who inhabit the planet Cyel. They undergo a rite of passage in a forest and chance upon a strange cat-like creature that is in suspended animation. Woken, she accompanies them back to their home where the elders inform them that they must escort her to The Black Temple on the planet H'Sac, in order to avoid warfare with Radiget. Radiget is an extremely overpopulated planet ruled by the mysterious Sovereign who employs super-sophisticated robots to do her bidding. The two boys accompany the feline character together with a Katerian, another robot creature from a different planet, Nanaar. They fly in a special ship captained by a Seraphim, another line of space-faring humans that have evolved to grow wings on their backs. Filled with interstellar war and political machinations that span across deep space, the journey to the Black Temple is an epic tale of courage and self-discovery.
The author is extremely inventive in the creation of this huge tableau of planetary intrigue. Exposition of all the history and setting is fairly well integrated into the flow of the storytelling. He does not lose sight of the characters' importance in enriching the texture of the narrative. The highly detailed plot is enriched by his descriptions of motivations and purpose. This Space Opera may have spaceships and aliens. It is the human element that rivets.