The Pearl Saga

The Pearl Saga is the name of an incomplete series of science fiction / fantasy novels by Eric Van Lustbader. 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.

For information about Daniel Pearl, see Daniel Pearl.
The Pearl Saga
First editions (UK)
AuthorEric Van Lustbader
Cover artistKeith Parkinson
LanguageEnglish
GenreScience fiction
PublisherTor Books (US)
HarperCollins (UK)
Published2001-2004
Media typePrint (hardcover)

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[1] (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.[2]

Five Sacred Dragons

The five dragons[3] created Kundala under the direction of the Goddess Miia.[4]

  • 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.[5]

  • Pyphoros
  • Horolaggia
  • Myggorra
  • Sepseriis[6]
  • 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 Abbeys, by the Ramahan. Kundalans practice at least two different kinds of sorcery, Osoru and Kyofu.

They speak one common language, with two older languages - the Old Tongue and Venca, the language of sorcery[7] - 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.[8] V'ornn culture is centered on castes. 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[9]) )
  • Deirus - Physicians (morticians and psychotherapists)

The V'ornn lack hair entirely and have pale yellow skin.[10] V'ornns view all other species as soulless animals.[11] Despite different origins, they can interbreed with Kundalans.

Druuge

A nomadic people that live in the Great Voorg, a desert. They speak Venca.[7] Some aspects of Druuge cosmology parallels V'ornn mythology.[12]

Sarakkon

Inhabitants of the radioactive Southern Continent. They worship an androgynous being, Abrasea.[13]

Centophennni

The only race to have stood against the V'ornn, the one thing they fear.[12] 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.[14]

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
#TitleAuthorPublisherDateGenreLengthAlt. Title
1The Ring of Five DragonsEric Van LustbaderVoyager Books/Tor Books2001Science fiction616 pp (first edition)None
The Kundalans have long suffered under the rule of the V'ornns. The psyche of a fleeing V'ornn and a mysterious amnesiac girl named Riane are united to form the Dar Sala-at. Only her finding of the Ring of Five Dragons can avert a countdown to planetary doom.
2The Veil of a Thousand TearsEric Van LustbaderVoyager Books2002Science fiction/fantasy630 pp (first edition)None
Disaster has been averted by Riane finding of the anachronistic Ring of Five Dragons, but the spell that created the Dar Sala-at also breached the Abyss, releasing the daemons imprisoned there aeons ago by the Goddess Miina, after they finished building Kundala. Only The Veil of a Thousand Tears can banish them.
3The Cage of Nine BanestonesEric Van LustbaderVoyager Books2003Science fiction/fantasy629 pp (first edition)US title: Mistress of the Pearl
A group of evil sorcerers called Sauromicians seek to bind a dragon.

Incompleteness

Van Lustbader has stated that, due to the popularity of the Bourne series, The Pearl Saga was put on hold.[15] He says the series is expected to run to six or seven novels.[16]

References
  1. Ring of Five Dragons, p. 275
  2. "Exclusive Bonus: Prologue to the Pearl Series". Eric Van Lustbader. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved 23 April 2011.
  3. Ring of Five Dragons, p. 570
  4. Ring of Five Dragons, p. 101
  5. Ring of Five Dragons, p. 484
  6. Thousand Tears, p. 171
  7. Ring of Five Dragons, p. 367
  8. Ring of Five Dragons, p. 65
  9. Ring of Five Dragons, p. 42
  10. Ring of Five Dragons, p. 32
  11. Ring of Five Dragons, p. 47
  12. Ring of Five Dragons, p. 306
  13. Mistress of the Pearl, p. 187
  14. The Veil of a Thousand Tears, p. 173
  15. "Eric Van Lustbader - FAQ". Archived from the original on April 20, 2016. Retrieved 23 April 2011. Q: Is there any new info on the forth [sic] installment of The Pearl Saga?
    A: The answer is: no. Ideally, I would have liked to have the fourth book out long ago, but life has a way of being unpredictable. To be candid, the explosive success of my Jason Bourne books, along with my two recent thrillers, The Testament and First Daughter make a return to The Pearl series an impossibility at the moment. I know this is disappointing news for all you fans of the series. Please try to be happy with the three books you have. Sensing this might happen, I redesigned Mistress of the Pearl (Tha [sic] Cage of Five [sic] Banestones outside the United States) for a satisfying ending. If I were an octopus with four computers, I'd be able to write the fourth book at the same time as my thrillers. Alas, I only have two hands and one brain, so for the moment the series stands at three books.
  16. "Eric Van Lustbader - FAQ". Archived from the original on April 20, 2016. Retrieved 23 April 2011. Q. How many books do you envision for the Pearl series?
    A. From the outset, I designed the series to run for six or seven books. I say six or seven, because something happens near the end of the series and right now I'm not certain whether it will take one book or two to resolve. There has also been some talk recently about my doing a prequel that takes place before the V'ornn invade Kundala. I think that would be fun to do.
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