Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Det Mangefarvede Land | 1981 | Julian May | N/A |
| 2 | The Many-Colored Land | 1981 | Julian May | Buy |
| 3 | The Golden Torc | 1982 | Julian May | Buy |
| 4 | The Nonborn King | 1983 | Julian May | Buy |
| 5 | The Adversary | 1984 | Julian May | Buy |
The Saga of Pliocene Exile is Julian May’s most celebrated work, consisting of four novels: The Many-Colored Land, The Golden Torc, The Nonborn King, and The Adversary. The premise is simple but brilliant: a one-way time gate in 22nd-century France sends people to the Pliocene epoch, where they expect to find a pristine wilderness. Instead, they discover a feudal society ruled by two races of alien exiles with advanced mental powers.
The books blend science fiction concepts like time travel and psychic abilities with fantasy elements including tournaments, quests, and political intrigue. The large cast of human and alien characters makes for complex storytelling that rewards careful reading. The series connects directly to May’s Galactic Milieu trilogy, which tells the future-set side of the story.