Best Fiction book 2012 and 1st in science fiction, Reader Views.
Roi and his best friends from slavery are taking a challenge journey
on Falaron, a planet terraformed from Earth during the Ice Age. They
look forward to a vacation of dog sledding, hang gliding, horseback
trekking, sailing, whitewater rafting, and rock climbing—but the friction
developing within the group is adding its own level of challenge to the
trip.
Their guide, Penny, finds the four a refreshing change from her usual
spoiled clients. She is worried, however, by the unusual number of
accidents the group is experiencing. Even though they are vacationing
on a wilderness planet, this foursome seems particularly accident prone.
But they aren’t all accidents.
Roi’s half-brother Zhaim, a brilliant and malicious sociopath, has decided
that the journey is an ideal opportunity to rid himself of his rival. He
is capable of manipulating not only the weather but affairs on distant
planets. His schemes distract the only two adults who would be able to
protect the young people and draw them far enough away that they can
be of no help. He has even managed to plant an unsuspecting agent in
the party.
As the group travels, their journey becomes a far more serious challenge
than any of them could have imagined
