The broken Sky

Lore & Background

The story takes place across three years and focuses on the twin worlds of the Dominions and Kirin Taq, which are widely seen as parallel universes, and deals with issues of race relations, resistance movements and the coming of age of its main characters, Ryushi and Kia. The plot revolves around the journeys and trials of twins Ryushi and Kia, who are forced to flee from their home during a violent and seemingly unprovoked attack by the forces of the King they adored.

They are pressed to reconsider their naive world-view as they are caught up in events beyond their control, starting with an underground resistance that develops into a full-fledged rebellion against the tyrannical King Macaan and his equally malicious daughter Aurin. The setting spans two worlds: the Dominions, a sun-bathed continent ruled by King Macaan, and Kirin Taq, a land beset by twilight due to its sun existing in a perpetual eclipse. A third plane called the Netherfane is rumored to exist, but very little is known about it.

Spirit Stones are implanted along the spine of newborns during a ritual called the pah'nu'kah, granting command over certain abilities; colors include deep red (earth control), pale blue (air control), black (construction), green (machine affinity), charcoal black (blacksmithing), and colored tiger stripes (perception manipulation).

Reader's Guide

The Dominions are a single, sun-bathed continent with mountainous rocky plains to the north, arid deserts in the south, green steppes in the east, wind-swept craggy grasslands to the west, and a fertile central mass, surrounded by a massive sea called Deepwater. Kirin Taq is a land of twilight where the Kirins have ashen grey to midnight blue skin and pale eyes, with natural nightvision. Spirit Stones are extracted as inert, colorless gemstones and only take on color after implantation by a Deliverer. The stones forge a connection with ley lines. In the Dominions, people possess an average of two or three stones; in Kirin Taq, Princess Aurin outlawed the purchase and implantation of Spirit Stones.

Did You Know?

• The name 'Broken Sky' stems from a myth that Kirin Taq and the Dominions once existed on the same physical plane, and the sky was then 'split' or 'broken', forcing the worlds to separate.
• The first nine original books became rare as they were phased out by re-released counterparts after the decision to combine three parts into each new book.
• Resonants like Elani can jump between the Dominions and Kirin Taq at will, bringing objects and other people along with them.