Legends of the Riftwar
fantasy
Series · epic fantasy
The Pearl Saga
The Pearl Saga series by Eric Van Lustbader has 3 books and is best read in publication order, starting with The Ring of Five Dragons (2001).
- Books
- 3 books
- First published
- 2001
- Status
- completed
- Last checked
Start here: The Ring of Five Dragons (2001) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The order the books were released — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
The Ring of Five Dragons
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Ring of Five Dragons - Book 2:
The Veil of a Thousand Tears
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Veil of a Thousand Tears - Book 3:
Mistress of the Pearl
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Mistress of the Pearl
About The Pearl Saga
Eric Van Lustbader's main epic-fantasy trilogy trades his usual contemporary espionage settings for an invented world of warring races, ancient magic and a prophecy that refuses to resolve cleanly. The Ring of Five Dragons (2001) introduces Riane, a girl raised among the Kundalan people under the rule of the V'ornn, a technologically superior conquering race -- and reveals her as the unlikely key to an ancient power capable of overturning that occupation. The Veil of a Thousand Tears (2003) and Mistress of the Pearl (2004, published in the UK as The Cage of Nine Banestones) widen the conflict as old alliances fracture and the true cost of the power Riane carries becomes clear, pushing both Kundalan and V'ornn toward a reckoning neither side fully understands.
Where Van Lustbader's thrillers lean on research and procedural density, the Pearl Saga leans into invented cosmology, elemental magic systems and a genuinely alien conquering culture -- closer in spirit to genre fantasy's world-building tradition than to his espionage work, though his taste for court intrigue and divided loyalty carries over intact. It's a self-contained trilogy with a clear beginning, middle and end, distinct from everything else in his catalog.
Frequently asked questions
How many books are in The Pearl Saga?
Three: The Ring of Five Dragons (2001), The Veil of a Thousand Tears (2003) and Mistress of the Pearl (2004).
What order should I read The Pearl Saga in?
Publication order: The Ring of Five Dragons, The Veil of a Thousand Tears, Mistress of the Pearl. It's one continuous story across all three books.
Is The Cage of Nine Banestones a fourth Pearl Saga book?
No -- it's the UK title for the third and final volume, Mistress of the Pearl. They are the same novel.
Is The Pearl Saga connected to Van Lustbader's other series?
No -- it's a standalone invented-world epic fantasy trilogy, sharing no characters or setting with the Nicholas Linnear novels, China Maroc, or his espionage thrillers.
Is The Pearl Saga finished?
Yes, it's a complete trilogy concluding with Mistress of the Pearl (2004).
If you like The Pearl Saga
Reading order last verified .