Nublis is a wealthy world, and one which has not seen warfare or violent behaviour for many centuries. It is ruled by an Emporer and the Archon, the planet's supreme judge - a mysterious anonymous figure who decides the major legal cases and dispenses sever sentencing. The Archon's identity is known to only two people, the Major Domo (his guide) and the Emporer.

When Julian becomes Emporer following the sudden death of his father he is recalled to Nublis at a time when the future of Nublis in under threat. Following a recent guilty decision by the Archon and the subsequent execution of offworlder Damon, a relative of one of the Interplanetary Synod and his finding out that there are plots against his life from both within the imperial court and from the pirate who plague the trade routes, Julian seems to be in for a tough time.

This is a delightful read. Full of intrigue, suspicion as well as romance. The characters are fully formed and involving to the reader from page one. The world of Nublis is richly described and fully three dimensional - I have a liking for one aspect of Nublian law, that every Nublian citizen even the Emporer and the members of his court are required to work for a minimum of three hours everyday. This fits in well with the feeling f Nublian being a wealthy trading world populated by craftsmen and women.

I initially had concerns when starting this novel as it is the first in quite a long series and as such would require a fair amount of detail to set up the universe for the series, and a high level of description can often impede the flow of the story. I need nt have had any concerns here, for all such background information is introduced as part of the tale or in quick asides, short enough to keep the book flowing.

This is quite a quick read, and one which leads me to suspect that this is a series that will gather many fans.

Synopsis
DREAM REALM AWARD WINNER 2001 Edited by a master writer; Piers Anthony! No one sane wants either of the two most powerful positions on the planet Nublis. Emperor and archon, supreme judge, are slaves to 3,000 years of tradition. The emperor can abdicate. Only death can free the archon. But the planet of Nublis is rich and the ripe plum desired by a pirate who would be king. Can those who have pledged their lives to serve their world save their world? This incredible collection of books is composed of three trilogies: Nublian Chronicles I - The Julian Trilogy The Wages of Justice The Wages of Sin The Wages of Greed Nublian Chronicles II - The Felix Trilogy