L. E Modesitt

Young Lerris must find his place in the world. In Recluce this means taking one of two options: permanent exile from Recluce or the dangergeld, a complex, rule-laden Wanderjahr in the lands beyond. Many do not survive. Lerris chooses dangergeld. Lerris must learn to use his powers in an orderly way before his Wanderjahr, or fall prey to Chaos --

On a world called Heaven, the ten major religions of mankind each have its own land governed by a capital city and ruled by a Hegemon. Corvyn, known as the Shadow of the Raven, contains the collective memory of humanity's Falls from Grace. When unknown power burns a mysterious black image into the holy place of each House of the Decalivre, Corvyn must discover what entity could possibly have that much power. The stakes are nothing less than another...

"You can't militarize space. This one rule has led to decades of peaceful development of space programs worldwide. However, increasing resource scarcity and a changing climate on Earth's surface is causing some interested parties to militarize, namely India, the North American Union, and the Sinese Federation. The discovery of a strange artifact by Dr. Alayna Wong precipitates a crisis. What appears to be a hitherto undiscovered comet is soon revealed...