Most Popular Books by Catherine Asaro

The Skolian Empire rules a third of the civilized galaxy through its mastery of faster-than-light communication. But war with the rival empire of the Traders seems imminent, a war that can only lead to slavery for the Skolians or the destruction of both sides. Destructive skirmishes have already occurred. A desperate attempt must be made to avert total disaster.

Follows Kelric, the heir to the Skolian Empire, as he flees his imprisonment on Coba only to find his kingdom in tatters.

A collection that includes the Nebula Award–winning titular novella and \"Light and Shadow,\" the story that begins the Saga of the Skolian Empire series. In \"The Spacetime Pool,\" recent MIT grad Janelle Aulair is hiking through the Great Smoky Mountains when a man appears out of nowhere to request her help. Shaken by his impossible appearance, she steps away—and falls through a portal onto a beach in another universe. That''s when Dominick, the man who waylaid Janelle, reveals she is part of a prophecy. It foretells a bizarre future: if Dominick marries Janelle, he''ll depose his twin brother and become Emperor of the land. If Dominick doesn''t marry her, his brother—a brutal tyrant who will do anything to keep his throne—will murder him. Janelle finds herself caught in a conflict that could destroy the realm. If that''s not mind-blowing enough, she discovers books that prove this civilization achieved interstellar travel five centuries ago. Yet now they''re living in a culture that doesn''t have electricity, riding two-horned creatures that definitely aren''t horses, and sword-fighting. To find her way home, Janelle must figure out what happened between then and now . . . The Spacetime Pool also includes Catherine Asaro''s first-ever published story, \"Light and Shadow,\" featuring Kelric, a popular character from the Saga of the Skolian Empire series, and an illustrated essay on the math in her fiction titled \"A Poetry of Angles and Dreams.\" Praise for Catherine Asaro \"Readers seeking the harmonious meld of hard SF''s rigor and human chemistry''s heat should read Catherine Asaro''s fiction.\" — SciFi Weekly

A new chapter in the saga of the Skolian Empire finds Kamoj Quanta Argali, a young noblewoman, agreeing to marry a powerful stranger in order to save her people from starvation.

\"''Skyfall'' goes back to the beginning, to the rebirth of Skolia, showing how a chance meeting on a backwater planet forges a vast interstellar empire.\"--Back cover.

Following her heart, she left Earth behind—and now only she can save it . . . Tina Santis Pulivok never thought anyone would make sense of the strange way her mind could become saturated with other people''s moods. But then she met Althor, an empathic starfighter pilot from hundreds of years in the future. As their love grows, she leaves her Earth to join his universe where she has no ties except to Althor and their vulnerable marriage. Althor comes from a race of rare psions whose abilities are vital to the survival of humanity, making him coveted by three interstellar civilizations. His enemies sabotaged his starfighter and never expected him to return. Now he faces betrayals from every side. He and Tina become the targets of a merciless enemy who thrives on pain—and who will do anything to destroy the budding alliance between Althor''s people and Tina''s Earth . . . The completion of the thrilling interstellar adventure that began with Earthborn. Praise for Lightning Strike \"From the L.A. barrios to the universe! Excellent.\" — The San Diego Union-Tribune \"A truly masterful accomplishment of world-building, an example of consummate craftsmanship and an impeccable feel for the technical and social possibilities that lie ahead of us. Hard science fiction fans can rejoice—the next superstar is here.\" — Romantic Times

From a Mayan village to an L.A. barrio to a chance to reach the stars . . . Part One of “a space adventure for the twenty-first century” (Nancy Kress, Hugo and Nebula Award–winning author). Not much surprises waitress Tina Santis Pulivok on the streets of East LA—until the night when, on her way home from her waitressing job, she meets a man working on a strange, glowing box. Still, she thinks he must be one of those Caltech students who’s into role-playing games. Until his mind reaches out to hers . . . Althor is definitively in the wrong place at the wrong time. An Imperial Space Command pilot, he was headed to a reception in Washington DC and somehow ended up here, though he’s not quite sure where here is. As Tina helps Althor get his bearings, they realize he’s in more trouble than he thought. He left his home base in 2328—and now it’s 1987. At least he still has his starfighter, shrouded and in orbit above the Earth. But when the military gets their hands on the ship, he and Tina must race to reclaim it before it detonates itself—taking a huge chunk of California along with it . . . Praise for Lightning Strike “From the L.A. barrios to the universe! Excellent.” —The San Diego Union-Tribune “A truly masterful accomplishment of world-building, an example of consummate craftsmanship and an impeccable feel for the technical and social possibilities that lie ahead of us. Hard science fiction fans can rejoice—the next superstar is here.” —Romantic Times

DUST KNIGHTS: A NEW SERIES IN CATHERINE ASARO’S SKOLIAN EMPIRE A CITY DIVIDED For centuries The City of Cries—one of the most desired locales in the Skolian Imperialate—has existed by the thinnest of threads. On the dying world of Raylicon, the “haves” live in great luxury in Cries while the “havenots” scrape by, eking out a marginal existence in the notorious Undercity beneath the desert. Major Bhaajan, formerly of the Pharaoh''s Army, knows both worlds. Born into the Undercity, she nevertheless has made a name for herself in the Imperialate. And now, she has the chance to help her people. HOPE FOR RECONCILIATION For the first time, a member of the Royal class wants to extend an olive branch to the Undercity. Hoping to build bridges, Colonel Lavinda Majda recruits Bhaaj and her Dust Knights to act as guides and bodyguards on a mission of goodwill to those who live below the surface of their parched world. THE DOWN DEEP But the problems of the Undercity run deeper than anyone knows. To help find peace, the Dust Knights must reach the most hidden rungs in that mysterious underground world, a place known only as the Down Deep, where the scars from centuries of distrust are greatest. There they will face an unseen enemy that may destroy the lives of everyone they know—and threaten interstellar civilization. At the publisher’s request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).

The Nebula Award–winning author \"continues to dazzle us with brilliance in combining science, romance and adventure.\" — Romantic Times MIT professor Megan O''Flannery is one of the world''s leading research scientists on artificial intelligence for androids. Most of her work consists of working with computer simulations, so when the company MindSim gives Megan an opportunity to work with an android, she jumps at the chance. Hidden and secret, an underground compound in the Nevada desert offers Megan a spectacular lab where she can live and work, mostly alone except for robotic assistants—and the android. Although it appears physically indistinguishable from a human man, Megan realizes she has a lot of work ahead if he is ever to think and act like a human, let alone the superspy that MindSim wants him to be. She loosens the controls on his behavior, allowing the android—who soon chooses the name Ander—the freedom of more independent thought. However, when Raj Sundaram, the reclusive genius of robotics, arrives at the compound to work with the android, Ander''s behavior takes a strange turn, causing Megan to distrust Raj. As Ander''s development spins out of control, he throws the project into chaos, going rogue even as he becomes stronger—and more dangerously human. \"This novel is clearly science fiction first with a dynamic climax that will stun the unsuspecting audience who will fail to break The Phoenix Code before Ms. Asaro reveals the ending of this keeper.\" — Painted Rock Reviews \"Cinematic energy and the ease and confidence of a seasoned bestseller.\" —SFReviews.net

With no teacher to guide her, no mentor to discourage her from the impossible, Mel Dawnfield pushed her magic to its limits — and surpassed them. Only to find that her powers aren''t enough to halt burgeoning rebellion within her husband''s fledgling realm — or a plot devised to strike at the very heart of Mel''s family. The lines have been drawn. Mel''s mage strength has become greater than any power ever known, but dare she forge her spells into weapons to protect her people, her husband? For her magic might transform the brutality of war into the birth pangs of a peaceful empire…unless it proves the death blow to her world.

Catherine Asaro is a popular SF writer, combining her diverse talents to blend hard science fiction and heartrending romance into a sweeping epic known as the Saga of the Skolian Empire. This is her trademark series. Ever since Primary Inversion, her very first novel, this series has continued to grow, building a significant readership and receiving widespread praise. All of Asaro''s considerable talent is on display in Spherical Harmonic, the direct sequel to The Radiant Seas. Separated for decades by circumstance and political machinations, the Ruby Dynasty, hereditary rulers of the Skolian Empire, struggle to bring together the tattered remnants of their family in the shadow of a disastrous interstellar war. Too many have died, others are presumed lost, yet they must move quickly if they are reassume their rightful place as rulers of Skolia.

\"A near-future layering of East and West, of religion and technology . . . and of love and its loss—all woven into an intriguing tapestry.\" —Diana Gabaldon, bestselling author of the Outlander series Winner of the Homer Award for Best Science Fiction Novel A renowned prima ballerina, Lucia del Mar is far more comfortable expressing herself through dance than with words. Shy and introverted, she spends most of her spare time on her laptop. Still, Lucia''s job forces her out of her comfort zone, which is how she winds up at a White House reception where she meets Rashid al-Jazari, the wealthy CEO of a multinational corporation. Although attracted to him, Lucia can''t help but feel awkward and shrugs off their encounter as a one-time event. Not realizing he feels a similar attraction, she never imagines Rashid will seek out her performances; he is the last person she expects to see when her dance company travels to Italy. Their reunion takes an even more unexpected turn when they''re both drugged and kidnapped. Although they overcome their abductors, it leaves them stranded in North Africa. For her own safety, Lucia agrees to marry Rashid, at least for the time being. As she recovers at his family compound in Morocco, reeling from their brush with danger, she struggles to fit into a culture she knows nothing about—and to deal with her growing feelings for Rashid. At the same time, at his secret office there, Rashid is developing a dramatic leap forward in artificial intelligence combined with virtual reality. He finds himself plunged into a fight for control of his work against powerful international forces, and caught in the middle, Lucia is swept into that battle . . . \"A terrific novel, ripping a path from today''s headlines to tomorrow''s realities.\" —Robert J. Sawyer, Nebula Award–winning author

MAJOR BHAAJAN RETURNS. Book three in the Skolian Empire Major Bhaajan series by Catherine Asaro. SURVIVE THE CITY OF CRIES Bhaajan grew up in the Undercity, a community hidden in the ruins buried beneath the glittering City of Cries. Caught between the astonishing beauty and crushing poverty of that life, and caught by wanderlust, she enlisted in the military. Now retired, Major Bhaajan is a private investigator who solves cases for the House of Majda, a powerful royal family centered in Cries. The powerful elite of the City of Cries are disappearing, and only Bhaajan, who grew up in the Undercity, can find them—if she isn’t murdered first. At the publisher''s request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management). About the Major Bhaajan series: “. . . riveting. . . . The world is rich and vivid, with two distinct cultures in the Undercity and the aboveground City of Cries. This exciting novel stands alone for anyone who enjoys science fiction adventure.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review) \"Asaro plants herself firmly into that grand SF tradition of future history franchises favored by luminaries like Heinlein, Asimov, Herbert, Anderson, Dickson, Niven, Cherryh, and Baxter . . . They don''t write em like that anymore! Except Asaro does, with . . . up-to-the-minute savvy!\"—Locus \"Baahjan, who starts out keeping an emotional distance from the people in the Undercity soon grows to think of them as her community once more. Asaro . . . returns to the Skolian empire''s early history to tell Bhaajan''s story.\"—Booklist \"Asaro delivers a tale rich with the embedded history of her world and bright with technical marvels. Her characters are engaging and intriguing and there is even a bit of romance. What really touched my heart was Bhaaj''s interaction with the children of the aqueducts. I spent the last fifty pages of the book sniffling into a tissue.\"—SFcrowsnest \"I''m hooked, both on her writing and her Skolian universe. This book had everything I wanted: strong characters, a new and unique world, and a plot that isn''t as simple as it first appears.\"—TerryTalk About the Skolian Saga: “Entertaining mix of hard SF and romance.”—Publishers Weekly “Asaro’s Skolian saga is now nearly as long and in many ways as compelling as Dune, if not more so, featuring a multitude of stronger female characters.”—Booklist “Rapid pacing and gripping suspense.”—Publishers Weekly

Asaro returns to the interstellar Skolian Empire in Catch the Lightning to tell a tale of politics, love, and war, the story of a young girl from Earth taken into the future and made the focus of a murderous plot to bring down the empire.

Two emperors navigate an uneasy peace, while a powerful trader guild does everything in its power to bring on war. And as if Kelric, the Skolian Imperator, didn''t have enough problems, his own brother¾who happens to be a rock star of galactic proportions¾has a hit song that calls the traders out as the hidebound blueblood jerks they are, and pleads for an end to centuries of war. Kelric and his Eubian Trader Empire counterpart Jabriol attempt finally to meet in a public summit and sign a treaty that will save billions of lives and end the grinding, millennium-long war. But assassins lurk everywhere, and intrigue is afoot as the baroque old order has no intention of giving up its war-bought privilege and power without a fight to the death¾and they don''t care if they take the rest of galactic civilization down with them. At the publisher''s request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).

Four tales of magic, adventure and love by award-winning author Catherine Asaro are yours in one great bundle! The Lost Continent Collection includes The Charmed Sphere, The Misted Cliffs, The Dawn Star, and The Fire Opal.

In 2002, Catherine Asaro won the Nebula Award for The Quantum Rose, the sixth novel in her Saga of the Skolian Empire. This very same novel was also named Best SF Novel by the Romantic Times. Schism: Part One of Triad is the tenth novel in this multiple award-winning series, and represents an excellent entry point into the series. For Schism harkens back to the early years of the Skolian Empire, back to the beginning of the war between Skolia and the Euban Traders. Twenty-three years have passed since the fateful vote in the Skolian Assembly that Roca missed in Skyfall. It created the first open hostility between Eube and Skolia, which has only deepened over the ensuing years. Now, Eube senses an opportunity, for strife has riven the first family of the Skolian Empire. Sauscony, the daughter of Roca and Eldrinson, is ready to seek her fortune as an officer-in-training in the Skolian military. When her father forbids her to undertake such a dangerous path, a wedge is formed as Soz chooses duty over family. Eube hopes to make this permanent, a divide that will leave the Skolian Empire ripe for conquest. And they''re willing to kill anyone to make it happen. Revel in the latest adventure of this Nebula Award-winning series.

A space warrior lands his damaged ship on a planet run by women and is enslaved by them. He is Kelric Valdoria, a prince of the Skolan Empire and he is put to work as a political adviser, and as a lover.

Once Chime had been the most promising mage in the land, feted and celebrated for her potential and future role in the kingdom. Then Iris, her young competitor, made a stunning leap in skill and turned Chime''s world upside down. Now no longer the most powerful, no longer promised to a prince-- and still unable to harness her magic properly-- Chime was set adrift. As was the new king''s cousin-- and former heir-- Lord Muller. Yet when the neighboring kingdom threatened war, Muller and Chime were tasked with uncovering the plot. Both were flawed, yet unwilling to accept a lesser destiny than they had once known. Could this quest be the opportunity for redemption-- or would it lead them to their deaths? Award-winning author Catherine Asaro, creator of The Skolian Empire, creates her first full-length fantasy novel in a world rich with magic and power. Fans who caught a glimpse of the kingdom of Aronsdale in \"Moonglow\" from the Charmed Destinies collection are...

In the distant future, the Skolian Empire rules one third of the human galaxy, and is the most powerful of all. For the ruling family has the power of telepathy, and through it, the ability to communicate faster than light across interstellar space. But their most determined enemy, the traders, who thrive on human pain, need to interbreed with a Skolian to gain their powers. And now they have.