Patternmaster

The fourth book in the Patternmaster series and it set some 400? years in a postapocalytic future. The Patternists are a small but powerful minority on the planet earth while the clayarks have a much larger seemingly tribal population and are at war with the Patternists. The clayarks are all infected with a virus that makes them strong, and has adapted them to a semi-four-legged existence although they maintain dexterous with their hands. Technology has regressed at least amongst the patternists who now travel from place to place on horseback and rely on “mutes” (non-telepaths) as servants. Our main character Teray has just completed his upper level schooling and now must make his way as an adult. The story revolves around the politics within the Pattern (an oligarchy where more powerful psychics are the bosses) as people struggle to become the successor to their chief, Rayal, who is dying. Long story short, Teray ultimately, surprise, surprise, becomes the successor to Rayal. I was not into to the plot, it seemed to exist only to illustrate the interesting features of the world. And to a greater or lesser extent, all plots in scifi are of that ilk, the skill of the author is in adding elements of the story, characters to make story compelling while at the same time explaining the world.