Content levels
Trigger warnings
Positive tags
Protagonist archetypes
Tropes
Synopsis
From back cover Tor paperback June 1985: The ship was doomed. The host's body was dying. The only hope was to crashland on a nearby primitive planet which, unknown to its natives, hosted a galactic observation station; a station where he could find shelter and, ultimately, rescue. But with his host's last thread of consciousness, NK-2 saw that the city he expected lay in ruins. How could he find his fellow galactics in such chaos? How could an ancient being of pure energy survive, alone on such a world? Then salvation appeared in the form of a young boy, and NK-2 took his chance. Now slave and alien inhabit the same body, and the boy has become a spear, thrust at the very heart of the great Babylonian Empire. For NK-2's plan requires that he become a God.
Is Pretender appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 16 and up.
An ancient alien entity possesses a slave boy to survive and manipulate the Babylonian Empire. Contains body possession themes, implied violence in war/empire setting, and morally complex protagonist manipulating others.
What to know going in
This book has moderate violence, no sexual content, and mild language. Content notes include slavery, death, and possession (see the full list above).
Who'll love this
Teens interested in unique SF/fantasy mashups with ancient civilizations and alien consciousness will find this thought-provoking.