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Schism (Triad book 1 and The Skolian Empire book 10) by Catherine Asaro
01/07/2006 . Source: Joules Taylor 
pub: TOR. 398 page hardback. Price: $25.95 (US), $35.95 (CAN). ISBN: 0-765-30951-3. Buy Schism in the USA - or Buy Schism in the UK  check out website: www.tor.com
Two decades on from the events of Skyfall, Roca - Ruby psion and next in line to be Imperator of the Skolian Empire and Eldrinson - bard of Dalvador, empath and titular 'king' of the planet Lyshriol (Skyfall )- are still married. They have produced ten children, all of them psions to a greater or lesser extent. Kurj, son of Roca and (unbeknownst to her at the time) her father, is still Imperator and one of the two 'Keys' of the Dyad.
The Skolian Imperialate, comprising thousands of settlements and billions of people, relies on the Dyad to control the Kyle web, the vast and ever-growing communication mesh that exists outside of normal space-time and which holds the Empire together. Without it, the Eubian Concord, whose vast wealth is based on slavery, would have the opportunities it needed to make war on the Imperialate, enslaving its people.
The Dyad consists of the Military Key: Kurj, the fist of the Kyle web, and the Assembly Key, its mind. Kurj's aunt Dyhianna, a woman of extraordinarily sensitive psion abilities and also the Ruby Pharaoh, is the Assembly Key. Together they maintain order throughout the Imperialate, but the stress of the task is increasing all time. Dya has already chosen her heir, her son Tanaquil. 'Schism' is, in part, about Kurj's choice of heirs, his half-brother and sister Althor and Sauscony (Soz) respectively and their introduction to the military.
Both join the military, to their mother Roca's sadness and their father Eldrinson's horror. In fact, Eldrinson goes as far to disown them, an act that leads via convoluted paths to his own torture at the hands of an Aristo, the privileged upper caste of the Eubian Concord and the group of humans who experience ecstasy from the pain of psions. The events surrounding his capture and its aftermath form another strand of the story.
Then there's the Eubian Concord itself, the Trader Empire, a shadowy but by the end of the book anything but shadowy presence in the background, a threat against which the Imperialate must be forever vigilant.
'The Skolian Empire' series as a whole is a complex entity, as are each of the books. There are subtle comparison throughout of the inhumanity of the Traders and the callousness of the Empire, yet it's not always straightforward. By their own standards, the Eubian Concord, which is stable and has lasted for centuries, see themselves as right and just, their people prosperous and well-cared for. The Skolian Imperialate, on the other hand, will even stoop to covert incest to ensure their continuation, although they consider it justified given the immense size of the civilisation they safeguard. Need is contrasted with love (and usually comes off worst), with the demands of a galaxy-spanning culture as a backdrop. The acceptance of bio-technical augmentation, an essential part of those who serve the Empire in the military or as operators and controllers of the Kyle web, is contrasted with the distaste of such artificial enhancements felt by the 'simpler' folk of Lyshriol, who nevertheless depend on it to maintain their health. The different and often conflicting demands of family and duty are also skilfully woven into the narrative.
The science is fascinating. The explanations in the main an integral and reader-friendly part of the prose.
The book ends with a number of questions unanswered. How did the Aristo penetrate the Imperialate defences around Lyshriol, the irritatingly pretty artificially-created world that is the home of the Ruby psions? What did Redstar's 'download' meant? Is Althor to become literally a part of his spacecraft? 'Schism' is book one of Triad, so presumably we will find out in subsequent works.
Overall, a fine read with strong and well-delineated characters, although Eldrinson still annoys me intensely, selfish, blinkered man that he is. The fact that I feel so strongly is proof of the quality of the characterisation!
Joules Taylor
http://www.wavewrights.co.uk
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