Captain of Empire by S A Melia is the continuation of the Dodecahedral series. The narrative follows the journey of Guy Erma on his desperate search for his friend, King Teodor of Earth, who is believed to be dead. With the help of his mentor, Professor Taliesin, they find clues that Teodor was kidnapped by the Scavengii privateer but is now being held hostage by the YunGard, a tribe of Spider Riders. On the other hand, Teodor's quest to survive among the Spider Riders earns him recognition amongst the tribesmen. Through several tournaments, he emerges as a leader of the YunGard tribe. With help from Guy's allies, they discover a series of deceits orchestrated by Tomas, a distant relative of the king, to kill Teodor and take the throne for himself. Now Guy must get to Teodor first and protect him from Tomas's mischievous plans.

I was impressed by how S A Melia was able to maintain two narratives at a time, alternating between Guy's desperate search for his friend and Teodor's intense struggle for survival and recognition. Melia did a remarkable job in the development of the characters; Guy's and Teodor's loyalty to each other, despite their previous differences, was truly inspiring. The author also has an engaging writing style, especially with the unique use of spiders and their bond with their riders, which was beyond my imagination. The plot is centered around themes of loyalty, quest for power, and survival. The pacing was smooth with lots of action and suspense. I was fully invested and can't wait to get my hands on the next book in this series. I recommend Captain of Empire to readers who enjoy fast-paced action, adventure, and a story about friendship and loyalty. It was truly a riveting read.

S.A. Melia's Dodecahedral Space Empire series moves forward with book four, Captain of Empire. In book one, orphaned Guy Erma trains at House Jewel and earns Dome Militant entry, while Prince Teodor is abducted by cyborg Battle Borgs during a Cathedral attack, prompting a rescue mission. In book two, Teodor’s captivity destabilizes the twelve-planet empire as Guy guards dangerous knowledge; both face impossible trust decisions. In book three, Guy survives a dragonship assault and searches Sas Darona for answers, unaware that King Teodor is enslaved in a crystal mine, threatening the empire and life. Now, King Teodor is trapped in a hostile alien world, and Guy leads a team across Sas Darona through dangerous terrain and knavery, in a race against time to reach Teodor and the only path that prevents empire-wide conflict.

“You never stopped believing...” Captain of Empire by S.A. Melia is another amazing adventure, and we move forward with Guy’s careful approach, Des’s decisiveness, and Prof’s analytical yet impulsive tendencies, all of an early team who feel natural and believable under stress. The world Melia paints around everyone has huge sensory detail, from the expansive spider webs surrounding a tipi to the scents of incense and the cozy arrangement of bedrolls and rugs, while a climb to a high ledge offers sweeping views of the river delta and distant sea. Scenes like Charliki pushing through rapids are almost surreal. We do see reunions, but also some huge changes. The combination of supernatural and science fiction, when paired with everyday moments, is part of why this series stands out. The ending again promises more to come, so fans of Dodecahedral will be happy to know the adventure continues.