''The Pearl Saga'' is the name of an incomplete series of science fiction / fantasy novels by
Eric Van Lustbader
Eric Van Lustbader (born December 24, 1946) is an American author of thriller and fantasy novels. He has published as Eric Lustbader, Eric V. Lustbader, and Eric Van Lustbader.
He is a graduate of New York's Stuyvesant High School and Columbia ...
. The series centers on Kundala, a planet conquered by the V'ornn, a race of aristocratic, militaristic humanoids; themselves ruled by the Gyrgon, a cabal of mysterious androgynous technomages. The main character is Riane, a prophesied redeemer known as the Dar Sala-at, born at both ends of the cosmos.
Characters
* Annon Ashera - outcast V'ornn
* Riane - amnesiac girl
* Lady Giyan - lover of Annon's father
* Miina - creator Goddess
* Thigpen - a Rappa, a talking, six-limbed creature
* Eleana - woman loved by both Annon and Riane
* Kurgan, V'ornn rapist of Eleana, sire of her child
* Marethyn Stogggul, Kurgan's defiant sister, an artist who joins the Kundalan resistance
* Sornnn SaTrryn, chief trader and Marethyn's lover
* Krystren, a Sarakkon woman from the mysterious southern continent
* Rekkk Hacilar, former Pack-Commander, now Transcended (part Gyrgon)
* Nith Sahor, renegade Gyrgon
* Minnum, curator of the Museum of False Memory
Kundala
Kundala is a planet with five moons and nine seas.
Five Sacred Dragons
The five dragons created Kundala under the direction of the Goddess Miia.
* Eshir - air / Forgiveness
* Gom - earth / Renewal
* Yig - fire / Power
* Seelin - water / Transformation
* Paow - wood / Vision
Daemons
The daemons constructed and shaped Kundala. When they finished, they did not want to leave and were banished to the Abyss, a sorcerous void.
* Pyphoros
* Horolaggia
* Myggorra
* Sepseriis
* Tzelos
Cultures
Kundalan
Kundalan culture is based roughly around the worship of the Great Goddess Miina, creator of Kundala. Kundalan society was once patriarchal, but is currently matriarchal. Worship is conducted in
Abbey
An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christian monks and nuns.
The conce ...
s, by the Ramahan. Kundalans practice at least two different kinds of
sorcery
Sorcery may refer to:
* Magic (supernatural), the application of beliefs, rituals or actions employed to subdue or manipulate natural or supernatural beings and forces
** Witchcraft, the practice of magical skills and abilities
* Magic in fiction, ...
, Osoru and Kyofu.
They speak one common language, with two older languages - the Old Tongue and Venca, the language of sorcery
[''Ring of Five Dragons'', p. 367] - being less common. The Venca language has 777 letters, ten times that of the Old Tongue.
V'ornn
The V'ornn are a nomadic, space-faring race, ostensibly searching for a new homeworld. V'ornn culture is centered on
caste
Caste is a form of social stratification characterised by endogamy, hereditary transmission of a style of life which often includes an occupation, ritual status in a hierarchy, and customary social interaction and exclusion based on cultura ...
s. They do not (currently) worship anything. The Mesagggun previously worshiped the War God Enlil, now dead.
;The Greater Castes
* Bashkir - Merchants
* Gyorgan - Technomages
* Genomatekks - Physicians
;The Lesser Castes
* Khagggun - Warriors
* Mesagggun - Engineers
* Tuskugggun - Females (as artists, musicians, artificers, prostitutes(Looorm) )
* Deirus - Physicians (morticians and psychotherapists)
The V'ornn lack hair entirely and have pale yellow skin. V'ornns view all other species as soulless animals. Despite different origins, they can interbreed with Kundalans.
Druuge
A nomadic people that live in the Great Voorg, a desert. They speak Venca.
Some aspects of Druuge cosmology parallels V'ornn mythology.
[''Ring of Five Dragons'', p. 306]
Sarakkon
Inhabitants of the radioactive Southern Continent. They worship an androgynous being, Abrasea.
Centophennni
The only race to have stood against the V'ornn, the one thing they fear.
They inflicted a punishing defeat upon the V'ornn fleet at Hellespennn 250 years previously, in revenge for the V'ornn invasion of their world 300 years before that. Their weapons use a Goron
particle beam
A particle beam is a stream of charged or neutral particles. In particle accelerators, these particles can move with a velocity close to the speed of light. There is a difference between the creation and control of charged particle beams and neu ...
.
Items
The novels revolve around these items and the quest to find them.
* Ring of Five Dragons - Ring carved from red jade. Enables the opening of The Storehouse Door.
* The Pearl - Item formed during the creation of Kundala.
* The Veil of a Thousand Tears - Transformed outer shell of The Pearl.
* Nine Banestones
Bibliography
Incompleteness
Van Lustbader has stated that, due to the popularity of the ''Bourne'' series, ''The Pearl Saga'' was put on hold. He says the series is expected to run to six or seven novels.
References
External links
Eric Van Lustbader - Fantasyat Green Man Review
The Pearlat Macmillan
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pearl Saga, The
Science fiction book series
Novels by Eric Van Lustbader
Tor Books books
Science fantasy novels
Novels about extraterrestrial life