| The Exiles Trilogy | |
| Books: | |
| Author: | Melanie Rawn |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
| Genre: | Fantasy |
| Pub Date: |
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| Media Type: | |
The Exiles trilogy is a fantasy novel series originally planned as a trilogy, written by American author Melanie Rawn. The series consists of two published booksThe Ruins of Ambrai (1994) and The Mageborn Traitor (1997)and the unwritten final novel The Captal's Tower.
Exiles is set in Lenfell, a world with a matriarchal based society. The rebellion known as the Rising is expanding to combat the unjust Tier system and treatment of men and Mageborns. There are predominantly three facets of power vying for control, each represented by a daughter of the House of Ambrai. Glenin, the oldest, represents the Lords of Malerris, Mageborn following the Weaver. Sarra, the second daughter, represents politics as First Daughter of Blooded adoptive family. Cailet, the youngest, represents the once-powerful and thought to be extinct, Mage Guardians.
A Mageborn is a person born with magical aptitude. A Mageborn must learn to control their magic or have it warded; otherwise, it could become wild.
There are two warring factions of Mageborn, the Mage Guardians and the Lords of Malerris. The war between these factions escalated greatly until it nearly destroyed all of Lenfell in the Waste Wars. This battle released Wild Magic and created the Waste. After the war, most people distrusted and became hostile towards Mageborn. As a result, many Mageborn were hunted and killed until they were thought to be extinct.
The Mage Guardians had been the protectors of the people of Lenfell, but after the Waste Wars many were killed and the few survivors had to go into hiding.
Most Mages follow the Captal, who has the knowledge of all previous Captals. There are three different specializations of Mage Guardians: Warrior Mage, Healer Mage, and Scholar Mage. The Warrior Mages use magic and swords in combat. They are led by the First Sword, second in command to the Mage Captal. Healer Mages are trained to use magic and wards to heal wounds, both physical and mental. They usually excel in defensive warding as opposed to offensive. Mage Guardians do not need a specialization, but they make-up the majority of all Mages. Mageborn who are still in training are referred to as Prentice Mages.
The Lords of Malerris believe that their patron saint, the Weaver, has a plan for Lenfell woven into the Great Loom. The First Lord rules the Lords in the hidden Malerris Castle. They guide the others in weaving/revealing the Weaver's tapestry. The Fifth Lord acts as the scissors, cutting the strings no longer need or knotting the weaving. The strings are usually people's lives. A woman cannot become a lady of Malerris until she has born a child.
The order of command for the Lords of Malerris goes as such
Warden of the Loom- First Lord | Master Weaver- Second Lord, Threadkeeper- Third Lord, Master Spinner- Fourth Lord, Seneschal- Fifth Lord | Lords and Ladies of Malerris | Lower Malerris
Lenfell is the fictional world portrayed in the series. The capital is Ryka Court, and the land is divided into Shirs. It is a federal system governed by the Council, which seats a representative from every Shir, and is led by the First Councillor.
One of the defining events in Lenfell's history was the Waste Wars, in which two factions of magic, the Malerissi and the Mage Guardians, fought and set loose cataclysmic magic. The resulting outburst of magic let loose upon the world caused many deaths and birth defects that lasted for generations. Because of the war, women of particular bloodlines rule Lenfell, due to the difficulty in giving birth and the need to repopulate. The Bloods and Tiers, a forced class system, were also created due to the war.
The Malerissi and the Mage Guardians continue to be antagonistic.
Lenfell is a corruption of the term "Land-fall" used by the early, Catholic refugee settlers of the world.
| Name | Tier | Shir | Sigil | Colors | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ambrai | Blood | Ambraishir | octagon | black/turquois | |
| Rosvenir | Second | Dindenshir | crossed daggers | dark grey/turquois | |
| Rille | Third | Domburronshir | --- | grey/green | |
| Feiran | First | Ambraishir | leaf crown | green/grey | |
| Liwellan | Blood | Sheve | hawk | blue/turquois | |
| Ostin | Blood | Waste | oak tree | grey/orange | |
| Slegin | Blood | Sheve | rose crown | blue/yellow |
As the importance of women increased, men lost prominence and all power in the aftermath of the Waste Wars. After a time, men became akin to slaves in society's eyes. A Tierless woman is considered above a man. First Daughters can marry their male family members off for political and business gains. A man is supposed to lower his eyes for women and always wear coifs in public to cover their hair. The prestige, power, and political influence a woman can have is often based on her Tier. A man of a higher Tier will be sought after for a consort to enrich or preserve a bloodline.
The Tier system was seemingly abolished upon the marriage of the Lady Glenin Feiran (née Ambrai) to Garon Anniyas. Although officially there are no more Bloods or Tiers, the people of Lenfell have long memories of their status and that of others.
The First Councillor presides over the Council of Lenfell in the capital, Ryka Court. Each Shir is represented by a Senior and Junior Councillor. Councillors are women or men, usually a Blood.
Each Shir is ruled by the First Daughter of the ruling Blood family. Some Shirs have ruling families with titles from before the Waste Wars, such as the Grand Duchess of Domburronshir.
Several notable cities dot Lenfell's landscape. There is the capital, Ryka Court, where the Council meets.
Ambrai, capital of Ambraishir and former center of culture and Mage Guardians, was destroyed by Auvry Feiran and the Council Guard but is being rebuilt.
Other cities are known for various things, including beautiful Saints murals, gardens, and ironworks, among other things.
The Rising is the rebellion formed in large part by the Ostins. The Rising opposes the growing power of the First Councillor, the Tier system, and the unfair treatment of men. The introduction of mandatory identity disks greatly strengthens the ranks of the rebellion. The disks stated the name and Tier of its owner and were required to be worn at all times.
The Rising uses a matrix of communications created by Sarra Liwellan to keep members safe from traitors. A similar system comprising minstrels is organized by Collan Rosvenir to gather information.
The peoples of Lenfell believe in a Calendar of Saints. Each Saint has a dedicated week in the thirty-six-week calendar. There is also Wraithenday, which commemorates the fallen of the past. Given names are almost always variations of a Saint's name (their Name Saint) and each person has a Birth Saint for the Week of their birth. Each Saint is a patron of various abilities or characteristics. A person is free the follow and/or pray to whichever Saint they choose, the exception being the Lords of Malerris, who only follow the Weaver.
| Saint | Week | Week Name | Patronage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delilah the Dancer | 26 | Wolfkill | Warrior Mages | |
| Chevasto the Weaver | 35 | Weaver's Moon | Lords of Malerris | |
| Velenne the Bard | 34 | Neversun | minstrels | |
| Feleris the Healer | 15 | Healer's Moon | Healer Mages | |
| Sirrala the Virgin | 9 | First Flowers | young girls | |
| Gelenis First Daughter | 3 | Lady Moon | First Daughters | |
| Miyrenne the Guardian | 31 | Candleweek | Mage Guardians |
The Captal's Tower is the unreleased planned third novel in the Exiles trilogy.[1] Personal issues prevented Rawn from finishing it when originally planned in the late 1990s.[1] In 2014, she said she would complete the book after the fifth book in the Glass Thorns series.[1]