The narrator warns readers of the first chapter that it is not for children, and for concerned parents this may be a good warning. For mature children more than ten years old, this is an exciting and moving book, presenting sensitively such themes as working with an unsympathetic teacher, finding one's own destiny and working toward it, dealing with racism, sexism, love, bullying, inner conflicts—all important issues of adolescence. Although less violent than Red Prophet, this novel does present frankly, though not graphically, the warped reasoning and sexual exploitation by Cavil Planter that leads to his making a program of using his female slaves to produce racially mixed children. And at the end of the novel, after seven years of such activity, Cavil is so corrupted morally that when his invalid wife turns the tables on him, his revenge, although not graphically portrayed, is...