Undercity

by Catherine Asaro

(Baen, December 2014, tpb, 292 pp.)

Reviewed by Dave Truesdale

Set in her long-running, popular Skolian Empire series, Catherine Asaro starts a new sequence with female protagonist Major Bhaajan, former Skolian military (Imperial Space Command), now private eye. Bhaajan takes on a new case (handsomely paid) from an unknown client on her distant homeworld of Raylicon (the historically important world upon which the Ruby Empire was founded and which features prominently in Catch the Lightning from 1996). Traveling to Raylicon, Bhaajan discovers her client is a member of the ruling matriarchal family—the House of Majda. Matriarchal ruling families are the norm here, with males sequestered and treated much like women in an Earthly harem, though not as harshly. In fact, they are treated quite well, given in-house educational opportunities and other “freedoms” within the palace confines. That said, they are not allowed out in the world alone and are kept away from females not in their own ruling family. Bhaajan has been called to find Dayj, one of the to-die-for handsome princes from the house of Majda, who has escaped and is now out on his own experiencing what he feels he has been missing. The situation is a critical one, in that the House of Majda has many enemies, and the missing prince, well-meaning but naive to the real world, fails to realize what a bargaining chip he might become if abducted. Thus, Major Bhaajan has been called in to find him at any cost.