Like his fictional predecessor Vanye of The Book of Morgaine (1976-1988), Niun is a warrior prevented by circumstance from proving himself as his tradition demands. As the last of the mri Kel remaining on Kesrith, he must avert the extinction of his people by assuming a responsibility for which he has had no training but the Kel heritage that now seems impossible to use.

His growth through The Faded Sun as he adapts to necessity and suffering offers a pattern for the survival of the mri, who will serve as the "Face that Looks Outward," "a sharp sword, to part the Dark" for men.

Melein, the she'pan Niun serves, embodies not only Cherryh's concept of leadership; Melein is also a messianic figure born to lead the mri out of their devastating bondage to the regul, through a long initiation voyage home, and finally into a new phase in...