Empyrion: The Search for Fierra

Take a colony on an alien planet, throw in a plague and a civil war, and cut off all contact from its parent organization for about three thousand years. Don't forget, they still have their atomic weapons. Result: Empyrion, split into Fierra and Dome, with a wasteland in between.In Part One: After landing on Empyrion, the four companions Treet, Yarden, Pizzle and pilot Crocker are literally stunned. Apparently, the colony established four years ago (by Earth's reckoning) has somehow gone terribly wrong; a backward, almost Orwellian government has taken over and the society and technology have degenerated. Without the clear guidance of their earthly parent corporation (Cynetics), the humans reverted to a rigid caste system to keep order. Erecting their own form of religion came next - essentially a kind of demon worship. Paranoia ruled their leaders' decisions, and individual human welfare was not a consideration against the status quo. A true dystopia, the fruit of fragile human understanding untempered by love.Orion Treet is our main interface to Empyrion. A historian and a writer, he is able to maintain some emotional distance from what is happening around him; his friends are not so fortunate. Yarden, a sympath, is traumatized by her stay in Dome . She is able to sense a malevolent presence that the others cannot. Pizzle, a genius, had a backbreaking, filthy job in the lowest caste and couldn't wait to leave. Crocker was severely injured at first contact, comatose for most of his stay, but even still there is a hole in his memory during which something sinister happened... Part Two: the companions have somehow made it across the wasteland to the smaller human settlement. This is Fierra, a true utopia and a foretaste of Heaven in this life. Fierrans have relied on the Infinite (God) for guidance and wisdom for over a millennium, ever since the atomic Holocaust. The results were not only a beautiful city in harmony with nature but a beautiful people in harmony with each other. Their vow of non-aggression may now backfire on them as Dome turns a paranoid eye toward Fierra once again...Empyrion was not perfectly plotted and written. The first half drags in areas, has a generally unsatisfying feel to it which I believe is because author Stephen Lawhead offers a hasty sketch of the main characters and then neglects them to explore the wonders of the alien world; their inner lives are largely unexplored until the second half. A pet peeve of mine surfaces in the form of a romantic subplot between Treet and not one but three knockout females, but don't get excited - I don't think I'm spoiling much by revealing that they come to nothing and serve no real purpose in the plot. Worse, the reader is left wondering what they saw in him to begin with; Treet seems to have the EQ of a jackrabbit. Finally, Lawhead resorts to some generic descriptions of what is by all accounts supposed to be an exotic and interesting world. He could have spe

Firstly, I should say that the omnibus version, containing both books, is available. It is humongous, but you can get it and save some cash. These books have a lot of depth to them and aren't the average sci-fi "lets see how many futuristic ways we can kill people" approach. Lawhead's character's are developed over time. Sometimes they will surprise you. The standard first chapter synopis of main characters is absent. You have to follow the development of the individuals throughout the books. Lawhead writes with a different sense of pace and buildup than you may be used to from his other series. I read this series as a kid and have always liked it for its uniqueness. The books create a believable world and a complex society while leaving the thinking reader plenty of mysterious clues and hints to ponder. Lots of fun elements of political science, anthropology and sociology undergird this first book,which takes place mostly in Dome. Don't expect everything to be spelled out right away, and don't expect wholesale slaughter and gigantic battle scenes. The great sci-fi epics like "Dune", and "Lord of the Rings" succeed because they give a reader a sense of reality. Events seem like real history. The "Dome" books don't reach the level of Herbert or Tolkien; few if any books do. However, they have an element of this same reality that allow the reader to become immersed and enter a new world and, after all, isnt that the point of sci-fi?

I love Lawhead's Empyrion Saga. I have read it twice over because it's so incredible. I prefer this set to any of his other books. You feel the characters, you understand their pains, their frustrations. The settings are dynamic and captivating. Sometimes the plot was predictable, but not often. The ending is spectacular. I have not been so satisfied by a book in my life. Instead of leaving you asking questions at the end, he answers all in a summary of the rest of the characters lives. Apart from Terry Goodkind's "Sword of Truth" books, Empyrion is the best reading you will probably have. A must.

I am a big sci-fi buff. And with all the unbelievable sci-fi coming out now it is refreshing to see a good read like this. The Empyrion series is top notch. Be sure you have both volumes ready because as soon as you finish the first (The Search for Fierra) you will want to read the next (The Siege of Dome). Orion Treet is someone you can relate to as a person without all the usual Hollywood nonsense in books and movies that plauges us now.

in some ways lawhead has a style reminicent of CS Lewis. i would recommend for those who liked CSL's space trilogy to read this book. However SL can not compare to such greats as JRRTolkien or CSLewis but he comes closer than any other writer I've heard of. Check out the Song of Albion--definitely influenced by CSL and pretty darn good too. the pendragon cycle is also worthy of being looked at but not the Dragon King trilogy