Saga of the Skolian Empire Books In Order

Publication Order of Skolian Empire Books

Chronological Order of Skolian Empire Books

Publication Order of Skolian Empire: Ruby Dynasty Books

Publication Order of Skolian Empire Anthologies

Saga of the Skolian Empire is a series of science fiction fantasy novels written by Catherine Asaro. The books take readers to a future where mankind has taken to space.

+The Story

The Saga of the Skolian Empire series is a massive story that constitutes novels and novellas which explore the battle between the Skolian Empire and their rival, Eubian Concord.

The books explore multiple characters and timelines, with some of the stories spanning several generations. Though, every plot almost always circles back to the Skolian Empire’s war with the Eubian Concord.

The Skolian Empire and the Eubian Concord are both descended from the Ruby Dynasty which can, in turn, trace its roots back to earth.

A race of unknown aliens descended upon the Earth of the Saga of the Skolian Empire Series several thousand years ago. They took a selection of Mayans and transported them to Raylicon, a distant planet.

It was from these Mayans that the Ruby Dynasty was born. The aliens who kidnapped them stranded them on Raylicon with the remnants of three starships. The Mayans reverse engineered the technology of the starship and used it to build a massive civilization on Raylicon.

With their technological advancements reaching unexpected heights, the Mayans eventually achieved interstellar travel. They took to space and colonized every planet they could find, first in the dozens, and then the hundreds.

Their dominance was further cemented when they discovered ancient alien technology that allowed them to instantaneously transmit information across the vastness of space. In time, they took upon themselves the moniker of ‘The Ruby Empire’.

However, their supremacy did not last. Ruled by a matriarchy, specifically a powerful figure known as the Ruby Pharaoh, the Ruby Empire encountered internal and external strife and eventually collapsed.

Their failure was imputed to the fact that they only sparsely understood the space-faring technology upon which they relied. The result was an age of darkness and chaos during which the planets of the Ruby Empire were isolated from one another for millennia. The Ruby Dynasty eventually rose from the ashes, re-discovered space-faring technology and begun to rebuild its empire. Much of their knowledge was lost in the process but they succeeded in re-establishing their dominance.

By the time the Saga of the Skolian Empire Series begins, the Ruby Empire is primarily known as the Skolian Empire and they rule a considerable portion of the galaxy. They are led by an elected parliament.

The Ruby Dynasty still exists but power ultimately lies in the hands of the Assembly. The Ruby Pharaoh is still a hereditary title that holds some power. But that power is governed by the Assembly which constitutes thousands of delegates.

Even though the Assembly is technically sovereign, a comfortable balance of power exists between the Assembly, the Ruby Pharaoh—who stands at the head of the Ruby Dynasty—and the Imperator.

The Imperator is a military title awarded to that individual that stands at the head of the military in the Skolian Empire. Like the Ruby Pharaoh, the Imperator is a hereditary title. The Skolian Empire exists in a constant state of war against the Eubians.

The Skolians are much smaller than their rivals. However, they have telepathic and empathetic abilities granted to them by special technological advancements that allow them to use faster-than-light communication.

This one advantage has allowed them to compete militarily against the Eubians. Like the Skolians, the Eubian Concord consists of thousands of planets. They can trace their origins all the way back to the Mayans on the planet Raylicon.

They walked alongside the Skolians during the rise of the ancient Ruby Empire. But they broke away from the ideals of the dynasty, went their own way and created a new civilization ruled by a psionic warrior queen.

The Eubians have thrived on the concept of slavery. They take pleasure from the pain and suffering of others.

A significant player in the Skolian Empire’s war with the Eubians is the Allieds. The Allieds are the equivalent of contemporary mankind. They took to the stars expecting to encounter unknown life forms.

They were more than a little surprised to stumble upon even more humans in space, many of them highly advanced and engaged in a brutal war for domination. The Allieds have since formed their own empire, though they are quite small.

They always play a neutral role in the conflict. Their goal is to bring all the fighting to an end.

The books in the Saga of the Skolian Empire series tend to stand on their own. Catherine Asaro is constantly introducing readers to new characters living in the same old locations but in different universes and timelines.

Her books are designed to explore the different corners of the Skolian Empire one section at a time. The novels have been criticized for leaning a little too heavily into the math and the science.

The author has a science background and her enthusiasm for the subjects practically leaps off the page.

+Primary Inversion

The Skolians and the Eubians are two massive interstellar empires locked in a conflict that seems to have no end. The Skolians have managed to compete favorably on the battlefield because they have mastered instantaneous information transfer.

They also have the Jagernauts to lean on, highly-trained operatives that they can rely upon to beat back the Eubian invasion. The Skolians believe that they are in the right and that the Eubians are clearly the villains of the story, especially when one takes into account their penchant for deriving pleasure from the infliction of pain.

Soz Valdoria is a Jagernaut. Her loyalties lie with the Skolian Empire. As such, she knows that her attraction to Jabriol is unacceptable. Jabriol fills a position of importance in the Eubian Empire. Soz and Jabriol are forced to combine forces to overcome the hostile forces seeking their destruction.

+Catch the Lightning

The Skolian Empire is a massive entity that rules up to a third of the galaxy. The Empire is ruled by a family of powerful telepaths that has been charged with fighting off the Eubians, an even larger empire that seeks to destroy them.

A girl from earth who falls for a handsome stranger is drawn into a game of galactic proportions.