Sira di Sarc, from the cover
◊ of To Trade the Stars, by Luis Royo.
◊ of To Trade the Stars, by Luis Royo.The Clan Chronicles is a series of science fiction novels by Canadian author Julie E. Czerneda, revolving around a race of Telepathic Spacemen called the Clan.
The series currently consists of six books in two trilogies. In order of publication:
- Trade Pact Trilogy: The original series, revolving around the adventures of Sira di Sarc.
- A Thousand Words for Stranger (1997): Czerneda's debut novel tells the story of a woman on the run from the law, her own people, and an unknown pursuer. With Sira's memory blocked by Applied Phlebotinum, she must stay alive long enough to regain her identity and her telepathic abilities. Failure may not just cost her own future, but that of her whole race.
- Ties of Power (1999): Sira, the most powerful member of the Clan, has defied her entire race by allying with (and falling in love with) a human. But can she hope to carve a new life for herself when the Clan is determined to reclaim her genetic heritage ... at any cost?
- To Trade the Stars (2002): Sira has now become the Speaker for the Clan, which has joined the Trade Pact. The stage is set for a possibly cataclysmic confrontation in non-space-and the Speaker for the Clan Council and her human mate are about to find themselves in the heart of the conflict...
- Stratification Trilogy: A prequel series chronicling the origins of the Clan.
- Reap the Wild Wind (2007): The series begins in a time before the Clan learned to manipulate the universe to travel between worlds. Aliens have begun to explore the world of Cersi, upsetting the delicate balance between the Clan and the two other powerful races who coexist by set rules.
- Riders of the Storm (2008): As the Clan learn to harness the power of the M'hir, the book focuses on Om'ray Aryl Sac, one of those gifted with this forbidden Talent. While trying to rebuild the divided village of Sona, Aryl must also safeguard the secret of her Talent from other arriving Om'ray who seek to use her power. Aryl becomes Clan Speaker to negotiate the peace, but tensions escalate, blood is spilled, and her fate-as well as Sona's-hangs in the balance.
- Rift in the Sky (2009): Despite good intentions, the Om'ray of Cersi can't resist moving through space using the M'hir dimension. To prevent the disruption of the Agreement and the destruction that it would unleash, the M'hiray, as they now call themselves, agree to leave Cersi forever to establish their own haven within the Trade Pact worlds—only to learn that not everybody wants peace.
Unrelated to the genetically-engineered Proud Warrior Race from BattleTech and MechWarrior.
The Clan Chronicles provide examples of:
- Bizarre Alien Biology: One of Czerneda's specialties, given she's a biologist by training. Just for starters, female Clan retain a telepathic bond with their mothers until the mother leaves long enough for the bond to break, at which point they enter a sexually immature state called "Chooser". They promptly grow into full adults and gain Expressive Hair when they touch minds with the right fellow telepath, a process called "commencing," then bond with that telepath for life. The fact that Sira commenced for a human rather than a fellow Clan is of great importance.
- Expressive Hair: The hair of commenced adult female Clan has a mind of its own and tends to act in response to their moods.
- Half-Human Hybrid: Downplayed. There are exactly three species in the entire galaxy that humans are known to be inter-fertile with. In all cases it requires medical intervention and the child is sterile. It is implied but never confirmed that Sira and her love interest Morgan may also be inter-fertile.
- Human Aliens: The only way you'd know an adult Clan female from a human female is because they have Expressive Hair with a mind of its own.
- Interspecies Romance: Between Sira, a M'hiray, and Morgan, a human.
- Telepathic Spacemen: The Clan are telepaths and can also teleport.
