The Phoenix in Flight — Sherwood Smith; Dave Trowbridge

Humans have colonized a thousand worlds and empires have risen and fallen. Now the Phoenix House rules the Thousand Suns from their planet Arthelion. And now the Emperor Gelasaar has won the mortal enmity of Eusabian, Lord of Vengeance, Avatar of Doi, the Ruler of Dol'jhar.

In one swift instant that has taken more than twenty years to plan, Eusabian will strike, slaying Gelasaar's sons and taking the Emperor himself captive. And then Eusabian will sit on the Emerald Throne, and Dol'jhar will rule the Thousand Suns.

But Brandon nyr-Arkad, the Emperor's scapegrace youngest son, has chosen this moment to defy protocol and evade a ceremonial duty. And so he escapes the death pr pared for him, and lives. Now the hope of the Thousand Suns rests in the sensual, surprisingly capable hands of an aristocratic fugitive with an agenda all his own.