The Empire Trilogy — Reading Order

Raymond E. Feist and Janny Wurts' Empire Trilogy is a remarkable collaboration that tells the Riftwar story from the other side. While Feist's main Riftwar Saga follows events in the Western-inspired Kingdom of the Isles, the Empire Trilogy follows Mara of the Acoma on the Tsurani homeworld of Kelewan — a rigid, honor-bound society inspired by feudal Japan, Korea, and China. Mara, a young woman forced to become Ruling Lady of her family after political betrayal, must navigate the deadly Game of the Council to survive.

Read the three books in order: Daughter of the Empire, Servant of the Empire, and Mistress of the Empire. While familiarity with the Riftwar Saga enhances the experience, the Empire Trilogy works as a standalone series.

The Empire Trilogy is often considered superior to the main Riftwar Saga, and Janny Wurts' influence is likely a major reason. Mara is a brilliant protagonist — she wins not through magic or martial prowess but through intelligence, political maneuvering, and sheer determination. The Tsurani culture is richly detailed, with an honor system that creates impossible choices and deadly consequences for missteps. The series is essentially a political thriller set in a fantasy world, and Mara's gradual accumulation of power through strategic marriages, alliances, and calculated risks is utterly compelling. It is also one of the earliest examples of a major fantasy series centering a woman's political agency, making it a pioneering work that deserves wider recognition.