Cover of Mistress of the Empire

Mistress of the Empire

core novel 1992 Riftwar Cycle

Record

First published1992
Original language EN
Work typenovel
Canon statuscore
Reader rating4.36 (29,073 ratings, collected 2026-09-13)
Page count676
First-edition ISBN0-385-24719-2
First-edition date1992-03
Internal chronology10

Synopsis

Mistress of the Empire concludes the Empire Trilogy, picking up with Mara of the Acoma now one of the most powerful nobles on Kelewan, married to Hokanu and served by her spymaster Arakasi. Her prominence has made her a target for a widening circle of enemies, including the Hamoi Tong's hired assassins, rival houses' spy networks, and the Assembly of powerful magicians who regard her influence as a threat to the political order they have long controlled. Lord Jiro of the Anasati works against her from the shadows, and Mara's own children, Justin and Ayaki, become vulnerable simply through their nearness to the imperial throne. As personal loss and political danger converge, Mara is drawn toward a confrontation with the very foundations of Tsurani society and the Assembly that stands above the Emperor's law.

Where it sits

Notes

  • From the series record (The Empire Trilogy): Co-written throughout with Janny Wurts; narrative runs concurrent with the Riftwar Saga and Riftwar Legacy.

Neighbouring works

Publication order and internal chronology are tracked as two separate orderings and are never conflated: a book's place in one says nothing about its place in the other.

Sources

← Riftwar Cycle dossier · All universes

Part of the Library. Fields without an identified source are omitted, never guessed.