Schism (novel)

infobox Book |
name = Schism
title_orig =
translator =


image_caption =
author = Catherine Asaro
illustrator =
cover_artist =
country = USA
language = English
series = Saga of the Skolian Empire
genre = Sci-fi
publisher = Tor Science Fiction
pub_date = August 30, 2005
english_pub_date =
media_type = Print ()
pages =
isbn = ISBN 0765348373
preceded_by = Skyfall
followed_by = The Final Key

Schism is a novel (published 2004) in the Saga of the Skolian empire, a series of science fiction books by Catherine Asaro.

Plot summary

Schism takes place about 25 years after the events in the previous novel Skyfall. Eldrinson Valdoria and his wife Roca Skolia live happily on his homeworld Lyshriol and have ten children. Some of them have already left home, like the second oldest son Althor who is training to become a Jagernaut, or the firstborn Eldrin who at the request of Skolian Assembly had to marry his aunt, the Ruby Pharaoh Dyhianna Selei.

The sixth of Valdoria children, 16 years old Sauscony (Soz), wants to enter the Military academy to become a Jagernaut like her brother. But Eldrinson has other plans – he would rather prefer to see his "little girl" living safely on Lyshriol, married to a local landlord. When she disobeys, he disowns both her (for leaving) and Althor (for taking her off-world). Though he regrets his harsh words immediately, he has no chance to take them back any more. When soon after that his teenage son Shannon, unhappy about the family discord, runs away from home, the difficulties have just begun.

We see the events in the book from the perspective of several main characters – young Soz during her military training, Shannon searching for his lost kin, the mystic Blue Dale archers and their father Eldrinson, being captured, crippled and nearly tortured to death by a sadistic Aristo who infiltrated Lyshriol to destroy the Ruby Dynasty.

ee also

The Final Key - a direct sequel to Schism