Empire Trilogy
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The Empire Trilogy is a collaboration between Raymond E. Feist and Janny Wurts. Written from a female perspective, it traces the story of Mara of the Acoma's rise to power from a convent novitiate to the most powerful woman on Kelewan. These three books are contemporary to the original Riftwar Saga and feature some crossover characters, mainly from Magician (Pug, the protagonist of Magician, appears twice in Servant of the Empire). Mara struggles to rule her family after her father and brother are killed in a trap by the Minwanabi, one of the most powerful families. Mara quickly learns how to play the Game of the Council with skill and challenges the binding traditions of her world.
Despite many requests from fans, both authors have ruled out any further novels featuring these characters.
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[edit] Novels
[edit] Daughter of the Empire
In the first book, Mara becomes Lady of the Acoma after her Father and brother are murdered. She tries to survive and learn how to wield the reins of power. This book is about her personal growth from child to adult, from subject to ruler. This is an introductory novel to the world and to Mara. As such, it focuses on the inner workings of a Great House.
She recruits Grey Warriors - warriors who have been shamed and were traditionally outcast - to refill the decimated ranks of the Acoma. She makes an alliance with the cho-ja, an insectoid species. Mara also arranges a political marriage with one of her family's enemies, the Anasati. Given a choice between the second and third son, she makes the surprising choice of the third one, Buntokapi, who is generally seen as incompetent and brutish; especially when compared with his older brothers. Buntokapi soon proves to be both an abusive husband and an inept ruling lord. Later in the book, Mara arranges the death of Buntokapi after she becomes pregnant. Her first born child is a son named Ayaki. By the end of the book, Mara has secured her family from immediate destruction and gotten revenge by contriving the 'honourable' suicide of Lord Jingu of the Minwanabi - her Father & brother's effective murderer.
[edit] Servant of the Empire
In the second novel, Mara battles the Minwanabi again. Though Servant of the Empire continues to chronicle Mara's rise to power, it also takes a deeper look at Tsurani society. There is a more revolutionary approach to the story. Though Mara challenged her society's norms in Daughter of the Empire, she is still a product of her culture and doesn't question many of her beliefs and actions. In Servant of the Empire, those beliefs are shaken by Kevin of Zun, a Midkemian slave she buys. He becomes her lover and acts as a catalyst for Mara's growth. Just as Mara learns that she is pregnant with Kevin's child, the Emperor orders all Midkemian slaves to return to their home world. Mara gives birth to her second child, Justin, after Kevin has left Kelewan. She learns to not only be a great Lady of the Empire, but starts to take part in her nation's politics.
[edit] Mistress of the Empire
In the last novel of the series, Mara's actions in the first two books come back to haunt her. Although revered by the general population as the Servant of the Empire, people whom she had angered take revenge. Her son Ayaki is killed. A later attempt on her life takes the life of her unborn child and leaves her able to only bear one more child. Her last child, with her consort, Hokanu, is a daughter name Kasuma. The revolution of Tsurani traditions and society is completed in this novel as the Emperor is killed and Mara battles the Great Ones, a symbol of stagnation within the Empire.
Arakasi, Mara's Spymaster, is focused upon more in this novel.
The series ends with Mara placing her twelve-year-old son, Justin, onto the Imperial throne. She acts as his regent and is given the title Mistress of the Empire. She is reunited with Kevin of Zun at the end.
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