The Roads of Heaven by Melissa Scott
"The Roads of Heaven" is a science fiction narrative set in a future where traditional science and technology have been supplanted by a magical system rooted in alchemy and astrology. The story follows Silence Leigh, who embarks on a quest to break a blockade around Earth imposed by a powerful galactic empire known as the Hegemony, which enforces a patriarchal society with women under the control of men. As Silence navigates this oppressive environment, she marries two men, Denis Balthasar and Chase Mago, both involved in criminal activities, which enables her to continue her work as a pilot after her grandfather’s death.
Throughout the series, Silence discovers her potential as a magus and engages in various adventures, including rescuing hostages and battling the Hegemony's forces. With the help of allies like Isambard, they seek a way to bypass the blockade, ultimately leading to a struggle for Earth's liberation. The narrative explores themes of empowerment, resistance against oppressive systems, and the intersection of magic and authority. The culmination sees Silence and her companions working with an underground movement to free Earth, redefining their roles in a newly established order. This intricate tale combines elements of fantasy and social commentary, inviting readers to reflect on issues of power, gender, and autonomy.
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Subject Terms
The Roads of Heaven
First published: 1988 (previously published as Five-Twelfths of Heaven, 1986; Silence in Solitude, 1986; and The Empress of Earth, 1987)
Type of work: Novel
Type of plot: Science fiction—galactic empire
Time of work: An indeterminate time in the future
Locale: The Hegemony
The Plot
The Roads of Heaven was first published in three parts, but the plot is a single extended story. It concerns the efforts of Silence Leigh to break a blockade established around Earth by the Rose Worlds. Most of the story takes place on various planets in the Hegemony, an expanding galactic empire with a culture that places women under permanent male guardianship. A magical system based on principles from alchemy and astrology has replaced science and technology in this future.
In Five-Twelfths of Heaven, Silence marries Denis Balthasar and Chase Mago so she can continue to work as a pilot after her grandfather dies. Her husbands are part of a criminal underground, and the three of them are ordered to take part in a raid. When they are captured by the forces of the Hegemony, they are placed under a “geas,” but Silence manages to break the geas and free them from slavery. The three ally with a mage, Isambard, and steal a ship. They try to find a way to Earth but find that the “star roads” are blocked. In their attempt, Silence learns that she has the potential to become a magus, and Isambard agrees to teach her.
Silence in Solitude begins with Silence as an apprentice magus on Solitudo Hermae, the magus’ artificial planet. When representatives of the Hegemony arrive, Silence, her husbands, and Isambard escape. They make another attempt to break the blockade around Earth, but they fail. Isambard says that they must go to the planet Inarime for a portolan, a guide to the old star roads. The satrap is planning a revolution to overthrow the current Hegemon and offers them the portolan in exchange for freeing his daughter Aili from the Hegemony. Only a woman who is a magus could succeed because all the female hostages are magically guarded in the Women’s Palace on Anshar’ Asteriona. Silence succeeds in the rescue, and as they flee the planet they encounter the battle with the Hegemon’s forces. Silence is able to destroy the “tuning,” the propulsion, of the Hegemon’s ships, allowing the satrap to win.
In The Empress of Earth, Silence and her husbands, Isambard, Aili, and her fiancé Marcinik attempt to reach Earth. They break through the blockade, using information from a captured Rose World spacer and the older method of travel described in the portolan. They are attacked near Earth and manage to escape, but their ship crashes. They must retune their ship before they can leave Earth, but the Rose Worlds have suppressed any knowledge of the astrological and alchemical methods of the rest of the galaxy, substituting technology instead. When they attempt to find the black market, they stumble on an underground movement that believes Silence’s coming as the “Empress of Earth” has been prophesied. Silence and her companions ally with the underground movement to free Earth from the blockade. Silence’s powers are affected by the technology on Earth, but she is able to destroy the siege engines that isolate Earth, allowing her to break the Rose World monopoly and bring Earth under control of the new Hegemon. Aili, by accompanying them to Earth, becomes the ruler of Earth, and Silence, Denis, and Chase are free to trade and travel in the Hegemony.