When chaos happens, associations with prominent people can be dangerous. The family Lomae is beautiful, brilliant, and talented, dedicated to the arts and sciences, diplomacy, and human rights. But they find themselves entangled in, perhaps the very cause of, the destruction of their country. Chadasca, the student of Chaos, wins the Antorhan election. Unfortunately, his financier, Korda, actually controls much more than campaign funds and lusts for Chadasca's beautiful wife, Esiala. But at his very own inaugural celebration, Chadasca's wife publicly abandons him for yet a third man, Myar a Lomae, the inventor of a powerful new physics. The untoward consequences of biology, jealousy, and Myar's new math ensnare the gentle family Lomae and others in the Obliteration of Antorha and Korda's unspeakable campaign of terror.
Korda uses the chaotic unspeakable device to destroy Antorha and enslave what remains of the population. The family Lomae is scattered across two continents. A few family members are trapped on Kimminae, safely out of Korda's initial reach. On Antorha, Esiala and Myar manage to survive the Obliteration only to discover that they are themselves responsible, not just for Korda's wrath, but his power. Lea, Myar's artistic, tender-hearted sister-in-law, is kidnapped by Korda and forced to assume the brutal role of Governor while he begins a decades-long assault on neighboring continents. Lea's daughter comes of age under Korda's control, rejecting Lea's concerns and participating in his evil Take, the campaign he calls The Reunion of Humanity. On Kimminae, Kenna, the synthete, recreates the unspeakable technology for Kimminaen civil defense, heedless of the dangers of creating computers that must control reality.
But there is hope in the stalwart and sensitive character of the Lomaes, who eventually succeed in redeeming what is left of Antorha from Korda's chaos. Individually, their brave actions, arising from profound feelings of moral responsibility, even guilt, result in a crescendo of reunion and the regained freedom of the world.
What readers have said about Chaos and Reunion:
"It's something that will appeal to everyone, not just science fiction readers."
"Top notch. As good as anything on the shelves....It's so imaginative--who would have thought of a political theory based on chaos?"
"I loved it. I wanted to keep reading to find out what happened."
"It's a good book. I put it right up there with Ringworld. There's so much there. The first 'book' would have been a whole book by itself, by anybody else."
"It works as a mystery, as a story about people, and as science fiction. I had to finish it. I had to find out what happened to Esiala. This has a very interesting ending."
"It's a good read. All the characters are well developed. The scene at Landovinio was very emotional. There were a couple places like that toward the end. I'm a big crier, but I was reading it on the train, so I couldn't cry."
"As I closed the book I thought--OK, where's the next one?"
