The Last Green Tree

Three hundred years after the Conquest, the Great Mage rules humanity across multiple worlds connected by cybernetic links and vast Gates. Priests maintain order through chanted songs that subtly shape reality, while the empire's armies have enjoyed centuries of total victory. On the planet Aramen, where sentient trees enslave human symbionts, a rival power emerges. Unnatural creatures rampage across the planet, and an inhuman intelligence counters the priests' magic with its own strange music. The Anilyn Gate shuts down, isolating Aramen and ending the long era of peace. A small group of traumatized survivors must journey into hostile wilderness to discover the source of the enemy's power. The fate of the universe may rest on the untested abilities of one damaged child. The novel explores magic, science, and conflict between godlike forces across a richly complex universe.