Dek Valis, after suffering family tragedies, has sworn to survive the greatest test of all: The Labyrinth, an island complex of deadly mazes. Success means joining the ruling elite of the Sinkrus Empire, beset by treacherous political factions, threats from neighboring interstellar coalitions, and the galaxy-spanning Compnet and its cyborg clones. Val, within the Labyrinth, joins forces with the beautiful and dangerous Srinith Kavit, a female contestant of awesome physical prowess who becomes his lover. While they survive assault from men and beasts and solve the perplexing mazes, assassination, sabotage, and deep space military action intensify on the outside. In the mounting chaos, no one can be trusted, not even Val's lover, who has sworn to claim highest victory in the Labyrinth and will stop at nothing to achieve it. Part One of EMPIRES OF LIGHT. "A masterpiece " --Francine Mezo, Author of the Fall of Worlds Trilogy, Avon.