A Roll of the Dice

This is somewhat of a sequel to The Last Hawk, and may be a bit spoilerish for that novel, but it is a standalone story.

A male scholar has traveled to the planet Coba to study its feudal matriarchy and the unique dice game of Quis which uses pieces in different shapes and colors to tell stories about history and politics. This "game" is so powerful that it can affect the thoughts and decisions of rulers and influencers.

As with centuries of the patriarchical structure on Earth, there is much about the ruling matriarchy's customs which subjugate, use, and abuse the members of the opposite sex. There is a lot in this story which is of dubious consent or entirely non-consensual. As with historic Earth customs and gender roles, there are things that are ugly and brutal, but there is also some kindness and beneficence.

Not recommended for those who are dealing with coercion trauma.