Gold Dust

Dust Knights, Book 2

By: Catherine Asaro

Narrated by: Morgan Hallett

BORN TO RUN; BORN TO FIGHT, A PAIR OF STAR-CROSSED LOVERS COMPETE IN THE OLYMPIC GAMES

COMPETITORS IN THE INTERSTELLAR OLYMPICS MUST OVERCOME POVERTY AND INTRIGUE

Three interstellar civilizations vie for honors in the Olympics, including the Skolian Imperialate. The thriving, populous worlds of humanity have always dominated the Games. The team from Raylicon, a dying world of scorching temperatures, has never won honors.

IS CHANGE COMING?

Mason, the coach for the Raylicon track and field team, makes a startling discovery: The Undercity, an ancient culture hidden in ruins beneath the desert, carries a secret. In a place where crushing poverty exists alongside a culture of dramatic beauty, a group of spectacular runners has existed for centuries, even millennia, unknown to the outside universe.

The Dust Knights are the best of those marvels. With the help of Major Bhajaan, an Undercity native, he recruits the Knights. And so change sweeps their world. The Undercity faces a civilization they've never trusted, one that sees them as barely even human. Now, they must all learn to work together.

THE KYLE UNIVERSE

Skolia needs the Undercity to trust them—for hidden within its enigmatic population is one of humanity’s greatest resources. Their inbred population has created a large concentration of Kyle operators, an otherwise almost extinct group of humans. Kyles can do more than run; only they have the neurological makeup needed to utilize a vital technology, one that gives Skolian its sole advantage over their conquering enemies. The army wants the Kyles to work for them, but after centuries of being despised and left to die by the rest of humanity, the Undercity wants nothing to do with them.

Until Angel, one of the top runners among the Knights, joins the Kyle Corps—and dives into a world of neurological marvels, including star-spanning networks that access a dimension with dramatically different laws than our space-time universe.

THE STAKES COULD NOT BE HIGHER AS THE DUST KNIGHTS COMPETE FOR THEIR WORLD—AND THE FREEDOM OF HUMANITY

©2025 Catherine Asaro (P)2025 Recorded Books

I really enjoyed this

A very well written and narrated. One I will be listening to several more times.

I loved this one more than any other by Catherine Asaro.

A polished, poetic, and Undercity, Ms Asaro imagines hope and peace in her universe. Ironically, Amazon requires “too many words.”

enjoyable offshoot

To really enjoy the Dust Knights series, I strongly urge you to read all 4 of the Major Bhaajan series. But, to enjoy that series, I urge you to read at least 3-4 of the Skolian Saga books. My fave is still Major Bhaajan.
All the books have really interesting world building with likable characters. Part scifi, part fantasy, part physics, the triple whammy of an interesting book.

Possible Spoilers:
My favorite storyline has Angel interacting with human trainers at her new job as a Kyle Operator in Soleil Tower.
The primary storyline involves Mason Qazik, coach of the Raylicon Olympic Running Team has recruited Angel, which brought onboard Major Bhaajan as an assistant coach, which brought in several recruits from Undercity. They go on to overcome challenges of prejudice, ignorance, and outright obstruction in qualifying for, and competing in, the Interstellar Olympics.
There is a secondary storyline of Scorpio Corporation trying to accomplish a hostile buyout of Abyss Associates, which interests The Majda. Another thread has questions about the parentage of several team members. And a surprise thread of Bhaajan having unexpected results from her recent exposure to the latest Carnelian Rash variant in the Down Deep.
Hallett does a decent job of narration.