Books like In the Courts of the Crimson Kings by S. M. Stirling
S. M. Stirling’s second planetary romance veers from the legend of Venus to the dusty plains of Mars, where competing Earth factions vie for the remnants of the shattered Tollamune Empire. Archaeologist Jeremy Wainman, dispatched by the U.S. Aerospace Force to investigate the lost city of Rema‑Dza, falls in love with the enigmatic Martian mercenary Teyud za‑Zhalt. She is revealed as the heir to the vanished Crimson Dynasty, and together they rush to prevent an attempt to usurp the Ruby Throne. Their adventure leads them into battles against feral airship engines and a quest for the invisible crown of the first emperor. Stirling crafts an alien environment—featuring rugs that crawl to envelop the feet—and blends influences from Burroughs, Brackett, and Bradbury, while sprinkling moments of near‑parody such as pirate eye patches, armored guards on self‑propelled unicycles, and other whimsical inventions.
First publish date: 2009
Genre: Science Fiction/Space Opera
Authors: S. M. Stirling
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