The first book in The Alien Chronicles trilogy, this story is set in a far distant universe where humans are unknown. For centuries, the empire of the beautiful, reptilian Viis has flourished, supported by many species of slaves. But time, plague, and the short-sighted arrogance of the Viis have taken their toll. An empire that once ruled scores of systems is now concentrated on one decaying homeworld.
When the Viis supreme ruler, the Sahmrahd Kaa, purchases a new pet for his young daughter, little does he know that tiny Ampris, an aaroun with a lovely golden pelt, is destined to be the liberator of her people … and the one who will bring about the downfall of the empire.
I think the hardest part of writing this book fell in the opening section when Ampris is just a baby, too young for story conflict or any kind of real viewpoint. As for developing the relationship between Ampris and her mistress Israi, a combination of friendship and owner/pet, I drew on my relationship with my scottie – a dog who was loving and adoring, yet incredibly stubborn and independent.
My inspiration for the first meeting between Ampris and Israi came from an incident I witnessed one spring morning while on my way to church. Sitting on the cement next to the church house door was a little girl with blond ringlets, about three years old, wearing an adorable dress, anklets, and patent leather shoes. She was cradling a small stray kitten that had obviously wandered up, and the two were bonding right there. The child wasn’t budging; it was almost time for services to start; and her harried mother stood helplessly looking on, clearly at a loss as to how to separate the two. I’ve always hoped that the mother took the kitten home with them; certainly in my novel Israi’s indulgent parent allowed her to keep Ampris.
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