The Savior

Duisberg is one of thousands of planets plunged into darkness and chaos bythe collapse of the galactic republic, but where other worlds have begun to

rebuild a star-travelling culture, Duisberg remains in an uneasy balance between

mud-brick civilization and bloodthirsty barbarism. The people of Duisberg have a

god: Zentrum, a supercomputer from the ancient past. Zentrum has decided to

avoid another collapse by preventing civilization from rising from where it is.

This is known as the Stasis. And because even a supercomputer and the powerful

religion which it founded cannot block all progress, Zentrum has another tool:

every few centuries the barbarians sweep in from the desert, slaughtering the

educated classes and cowing the peasants back into submission. These are the

Blood Winds, and the Blood Winds are about to blow again. This time, however,

there's a difference: Abel Dashian, son of a military officer, has received into

his mind the spirit of Raj Whitehall, the most successful general in the history

of the planet Bellevue — and of Center, the supercomputer which enabled

Raj to shatter his planet's barbarians and permit the return of civilization.

One hero can't stop the tide of barbarians unless he has his own culture

supporting him. To save Duisberg, Abel must conquer the very land of his origin

and attempt to destroy the computer A.I. “god” who has doomed his

world to an everlasting Dark Age. Abel is a heretic, but now he must go beyond

and become — The Savior.