In Conquest Born Book

4.5 stars. This was my first C.S. Friedman book and I just got done re-reading it to see if it was still as good as I remembered it. Short answer: yes it was. In general, I would describe this as smart, plot-orientated, "psychological" space opera. The story revolves around two generals (generals isn't exactly correct but close enough) from two very different cultures that have been a war for a very long time engaged in a very "personal" vendetta. Anzha, an Azean, is an exceptional telepath from a very reserved society that manipulates genetics in order to breed for mental superiority (reminding me a little bit of the Union government in C. J. Cherryh's Cyteen). Zatar, a Braxana, has been bread with superior mental and physical attributes as a member of a "class-ruled" warrior society that beleives in racial purity and looks down upon all of races.

Early on in the book, these two individuals become "personal" enemies and the book follows them as they rise through the ranks of their society, acquire more power, and seek to use that power to destroy the other.

So much for plot synopsis. What really sets this book apart from lesser works of space opera, in addition to the excellent writing, is the way the different plot threads come together at the end to create a "much bigger story" than the surface plot of two "super generals" fighting an interstellar war. An excellent read and one that I HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!