Books in the The Safehold series series

In the nine centuries since the creation of the world, the Church of God Awaiting has grown all-powerful as the keeper of men's souls. It rules the planet of Safehold with the imprimatur of God Himself . . . and with an iron fist.Lately, the island kingdom of Charis has rejected the Church's authority. Charis has repelled the Church's first attack and is preparing to strike back. Yet not all those who support the Church are corrupt, and the Church stands ready to use the faith and belief of those blameless souls for its own cynical ends. The gauntlet has been cast down, and full-scale religious war - the ugliest war of all - looms over Safehold.To prevail, King Cayleb of Charis has one ally with resources not even he can imagine: the mysterious warrior monk called Merlin, who holds the secret knowledge Charis may need to survive. Merlin is Cayleb's adviser, protector, and friend . . . and, secretly, also the cybernetic avatar of a young woman named Nimue Alban, who died before the day of creation itself. Who was born on a murdered world called 'Earth'.

Here is the saga of humanity reduced, by an implacable alien enemy, to inhabiting a single colony on the distant world of Safehold. To avoid drawing the attention of the enemy through the busy signals of an industrial civilization, the human rulers of Safehold have taken an extraordinary measure. With mind control and hidden high technology, they have built a religion in which every Safeholdian believes, one designed to keep Safehold society medieval and unnoticed forever. After disagreement about the wisdom and justice of this course, the dissenters were ruthlessly eliminated. Centuries have passed and now, in a hidden chamber on Safehold, an android initiates a rebirth set in motion centuries before. A rebirth that will provide the only remaining humans with their last chance to learn the truth and to rejoin the universe. It is destined to be a tremendous undertaking, unfolding a story of deception and ignorance, freedom and tyranny, and the liberating power of the truth. 'Nobody does space opera better than Weber' Publishers Weekly

The battle for the soul of Safehold has begun.Charis and Chisholm have joined together, pledged to stand against the tyranny of a corrupt Church. The youthful Queen Sharleyan of Chisholm has wed King Cayleb of Charis, forging a single empire dedicated to the defence of human freedom.Crowned Empress of that empire, Sharleyan has found with Cayleb the love she never dared hope for in a 'marriage of state'. And in Cayleb's cause - his defiance of the ruthless Group of Four who govern the Church - she has found the task to which she can commit her mind, her courage, and her life.Yet there are things Sharleyan does not know, secrets Cayleb has not been permitted to share, even with his beloved wife. Secrets like the true history of humanity on Safehold. Like the intricate web of lies, deception, and fabricated 'religion' which have chained humanity for almost a thousand years.And so Empress Sharleyan faces the great challenge of her life unaware of all that task truly entails . . . and of how the secrets Cayleb cannot share may threaten all they have achieved. And may threaten her life itself.