Righteous Anger: Part Two of the Okal Rel Saga

by Lynda Williams

It is about Horth Nersal, who, as a language-impaired child, learns to compensate for his shortcomings with an inborn "talent" ... which turns out not to be only useful in achieving his personal conquests but also for settling family disagreements - often with fatal results. In Horth s world, bio-engineered humans (Sevolites) dominate the rest of humanity in a curiously neo-feudal socio-political system. Horth s genius for combat and reality skimming...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1894063384
• ISBN13: 9781894063388
• Release Date: June 2007
• Publisher: Edge
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.8" x 1.0" x 6.3"

Customer Reviews

The Political Is Personal

RIGHTEOUS ANGER, the second book in Lynda Williams' Okal Rel Universe, highlights tensions between father and son. As we follow the son, Horth, on his journey we are drawn into a universe where Nesaks want to unite with Nersallians, English is a dead language, Amel is mind-raped by Reetions, soul-theft and man-rape occur. As always, Williams depicts duels convincingly and illustrates how tensions between houses are mirrored on the home front. The personal is political and the political is, in the end, personal as Horth has to decide what is really righteous anger and at what cost. The author maintains suspense and tension not only in each scene but also within and between characters. Like all good science fiction/fantasy authors, Williams gives us a lens to re-examine our world: "... he did not see how they could ever teach the Reetions to live within the limitations set by Okal Rel if they started by breaking their own laws to conquer them!" (292). Throughout the book, there are frequent reminders that there is a need to move beyond differences and determine what unites diverse groups.

A fast-paced fantasy of action results.

In the Rel universe life and land are precious and warring is against accepted practice - differences are solved by duels fought by a single champion- and RIGHTEOUS ANGER provides the story of champion Horth, never accepted by either side of two warring houses. A fast-paced fantasy of action results. Diane C. Donovan California Bookwatch

More than Swords, Sex, and Sevolites

Lynda Williams' Okal Rel series has the uncanny ability to draw you in and hold you fast. The very worst thing about these books is that they are not all yet sitting on my shelf, completely finished, and ready to be absorbed again and again, beginning to end; end to beginning; and middle outward. It must be said that the richness and vibrancy of the entire universe Williams has created is so intricate and well-planned that sometimes, it takes a couple of readings to get your head completely around some of the sub-themes and off-screen action. That being said, each time you read one of these books, it's a different journey, a different experience; almost a different story. Each Book in this series (Throne Price and The Courtesan Prince: Part One of the Okal Rel Saga (The Okal Rel Saga)) highlights a different aspect of life in Okal Rel. Each book draws you in completely. And the more books you read in this series, the greater your discovery becomes. You recognise characters from afar; you know things they don't know. You find yourself shouting out to warn the characters, "Don't do that! You don't understand!" Perhaps Williams' greatest strength in Righteous Anger is her ability to truly portray characters from inside their own psyches, without sounding too narrative. She manages to 'show without telling', which is one of the most difficult tasks any writer can learn. She presents you, from the perspective of one character at a time, **entire universes**. No slouch to action, Williams offers fisticuffs, swordfights, space battles, and the threat of another all-out war. Horth Nersal and his brothers must learn to recognise (and, in some cases, control and hide) their passions. In telling Horth's story from the time he is a toddler to the time he must shoulder the weight of many 'hearths' (and we hardly notice how fast the time flies!), the reader comes to understand that Okal Rel is much more than 'another fictional space-universe'. It becomes real. These characters must go on. And you must read their stories.

A spellbinding tale of power, honor and deceit

The second installment in the Okal Rel Saga, Righteous Anger is a compelling coming-of-age story with intergalactic repercussions. It follows the tribulations of Horth Nersal, a genetically enhanced Sevolite highborn. Affected by a speech impediment, young Horth compensates for his lack of verbal skill with an uncanny ability with the sword. In a society ruled by Sword Law, where disputes are settled by duels, such ability is a precious gift. One Horth must rely on for his survival. The plot revolves around the uneasy coexistence between two races: the bioengineered Sevolites, whose strict rules of conduct are dictated by a theological doctrine and feudal rights, and the natural human Reetions, commoners who place their faith into science. When news of an abomination committed by the Reetions reaches the Sovelites, a conflict erupts and Horth is thrown in its midst. Faced with the prospect of war, young Horth must make a difficult decision, one that will not only affect his own life, but also the life of everyone he loves. A well-crafted blend of swashbuckling fantasy and high-tech science fiction, this book is filled with action and drama. However, despite this adventurous side, Righteous Anger has a dark undertone. The story addresses the complex social and cultural issues associated with a universe torn by feudal conflicts and divided by genetic differences, titles, races, classes and ideologies. As such, this is the sort of tale that needs to be savored slowly, as it is the only way one can fully appreciate the intricacies of this far-reaching epic.

A Fully Realized Universe

Williams creates a multi-layered culture that is detailed and compelling. Her accounts of cultural difference (ritual, sexuality, hierarchy, honour, allegiance, history, gender, family, etc.) make the text an act of negotiation and discovery for the peoples involved and the reader. SF, for me, is always about its political comment on the here and now and Williams does this in multiple and complex ways. There is a lot going on in this novel and series; it is a gratifying read for its intellectual engagement. Williams builds her universe around a unique combination of sword challenges (which are represented with great detail), space travel, cultural contact, and family ties. It will easily take ten books to fully explore this rich and expansive universe.