The Empress of Earth

Roads of Heaven: 3

ISBN: 0-671-65364-4 Order from: Amazon.com Barnes & Noble.com

Conclusion of space adventure with three-dimensional characters in a background of politics and odd but self-consistent alchemy.

Reviewed by David on November 26, 1998

Genre: Science Fiction (Space Opera, Weird Science)

Synopsis: Silence Leigh, the star pilot and the first woman Magus introduced in Five-Twelfths of Heaven, together with her husbands and her teacher Dr. Isambard, are still trying to reach legendary Earth, the birthplace of Man. With the new prestige and support of the Hegemon, Silence & co. get a lucky break and receive information on how to break through the Rose Worlds' ring of siege engines blocking the approaches to Earth. However, when the friends embark on this voyage, breaking the blockade seems like the beginning of their challenges. Silence and her crew will have to fight for their lives, as well as the future of Mankind.

Full Review: Scott builds a fascinating universe. In what could be our own future, Mankind turns away from technology in favor of the more capable discipline of the Magi's Art: an alchemical system build on Platonism. The Magi, capable of manipulating the Ideas (in Heaven), and forcing Forms onto the raw chaos (in Hell), enable the far-flung civilization to travel between the stars and manipulate knowledge.

Silence begins this novel in very different circumstances. Now a well-respected Magus, in favor of the Hegemon, she embarks on the third attempt to reach Earth with the full support of the powerful monarch. However, both magical and political challenges will only multiply when the small starship reaches the cradle of humanity. Earth seems strangely backward, still relying on mechanics and computers instead of the Magi's Art. Not to mention that the Rose Worlders are trying their very competent best to kill Silence and her friends. Or that there are several rebellious factions on Earth, all capable of killing strangers. Perhaps most unsettling of all, some identify Silence with a mystical figure predicted long ago—the Empress of Earth.

Silence Leigh is a well crafted character, ambitious, intelligent and courageous without being improbably perfect. The supporting cast is suitably solid, providing plausible relationships for Silence. The world with its own political struggles, greed, and the use of slightly archaic but correct vocabulary resembles some of Vance's creations; but Scott's universe is more defined and the characters are more varied and realistic. (On the other hand, Scott is not nearly as good at satire as Vance). One of the most refreshingly pleasant attributes of this series are the adult characters. Silence seems to be in her late twenties: she is sensible without being stolid, and avoids the all-too-common pluckiness endemic in teenage heroines.

The best part of the novel (and the trilogy) is the solid and plausible system of Magi's Art, achieving the nearly impossible goal of plausible interstellar travel using music and incantations.

This book ends the Roads of Heaven trilogy, which started in Five-Twelfths of Heaven and continued in Silence in Solitude.

Overall: 7; Plot: 6.5; Characters: 7; Style: 7; World-building: 7; Originality: 7.5;

ISBN: 0-671-65364-4 Order from: Amazon.com Barnes & Noble.com