Harmony — C.F. Bentley

The world of Harmony, along with its close-knit colony planets, had long ago isolated itself from the rest of the universe. Whether you were of human or alien descent you could not enter Harmony space.

But in a universe where the human-based Confederated Star System fleet found itself hard-pressed to stand against ever-increasing attacks by the alien Marillon Empire. the Harmonic Empire couldn't be left alone. For if the CSS could not win an alliance with Harmony, the Marils would surely find a way to invade Harmony and seize control of the unique and invaluable metal which only the Harmonites could produce.

Yet invasion was far from the only threat the people of Harmony faced. The very structure of their society was on the verge of crumbling. The population was divided into a seven-part caste system -- with one's lot in life determined by the caste marking they were born with -- ruled over by the High Priest and High Priestess of the Crystal Temple. And the gulf between rich and poor, rulers and ruled was nearly impassable. What was even worse was that the planet itself seemed to be becoming increasingly unstable. In this time of crisis one young woman, a member of the working class yet born with the marks of all seven castes, might prove Harmony's best hope or the catalyst for total collapse.

Could Harmony survive both the external dangers to its empire and the internal political, social, religious, and ecological upheaval that threatened to tear the world apart?