Sebastian (Ephemera) 
asked by bigwinner on November 14, 2006 12:04 AM
National bestselling author Anne Bishop's provocative hardcover debut, set in a darkly romantic, ever-changing world.
A world of shifting lands connected only by bridges, Ephemera has been kept stable by the magic of the Landscapers. In one land where night reigns and demons dwell, the half-incubus Sebastian revels in dark delights. But then in dreams she calls to him: a woman who wants only to be safe and loved-a woman he hungers for while knowing he may destroy her.
But a more devastating destiny awaits Sebastian, for in the quiet gardens of the Landscapers' school, evil is stirring. The nearly forgotten Eater of the World has escaped its prison-and Sebastian's realm may be the first to fall.
A world of shifting lands connected only by bridges, Ephemera has been kept stable by the magic of the Landscapers. In one land where night reigns and demons dwell, the half-incubus Sebastian revels in dark delights. But then in dreams she calls to him: a woman who wants only to be safe and loved-a woman he hungers for while knowing he may destroy her.
But a more devastating destiny awaits Sebastian, for in the quiet gardens of the Landscapers' school, evil is stirring. The nearly forgotten Eater of the World has escaped its prison-and Sebastian's realm may be the first to fall.
Reviews
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Anne Bishop is easily one of my favorite authors. The Black Jewels series is original and captivating, and the Pillars of the World--a complete departure and almost as thrilling. Sebastian seems to be the black sheep sibling, showing great promise but without the effortless brilliance of its predeccesors.
The concept of Ephemera, a shattered realm built on heart's desires, connected by a chosen few, is a glittering example of the kind of facinating creativity we can expect from Bishop. The characters she has chosen to populate her world, however, lack the spark of life she's breathed into previous bodies. The main character, Sebastian, seems like a shallow shadow of Daemon--a reluctant prostitute with a heart of gold, immense power, and an admiration for fiery wenches with innocent depths. Lynnea is Jaenelle all over again, without the facinating family history, and well developed cadre of exotic friends and allies.
I have no doubt that there will be a sequel to Sebastian, and as with all new phases of black sheep children, this could be a good or a bad thing. Ephemera is a wonderful backdrop, here's hoping the characters within it can keep up.
The concept of Ephemera, a shattered realm built on heart's desires, connected by a chosen few, is a glittering example of the kind of facinating creativity we can expect from Bishop. The characters she has chosen to populate her world, however, lack the spark of life she's breathed into previous bodies. The main character, Sebastian, seems like a shallow shadow of Daemon--a reluctant prostitute with a heart of gold, immense power, and an admiration for fiery wenches with innocent depths. Lynnea is Jaenelle all over again, without the facinating family history, and well developed cadre of exotic friends and allies.
I have no doubt that there will be a sequel to Sebastian, and as with all new phases of black sheep children, this could be a good or a bad thing. Ephemera is a wonderful backdrop, here's hoping the characters within it can keep up.
reviewed by hooked on November 19, 2006 3:56 AM
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A half Wizard, half demon incubus resides in a district called the Den of Iniquity and stalks humans. He is bored, jaded, drinks coffee. Pretty interesting, huh? Then he changes somehow, becoming shy, gauche, and hesitant after encountering a child described "the rabbit". They are soul mates. They are also bland beyond description. There is also some sort of predictable battle between good and evil.
The Den of Iniquity, which could have been that memorable exotic "dark carnival" with a little exposition, but turns out to be filled with kindly folk, no more naughty than a weekend in Las Vegas.
Although the concept of a fractured world with irregular connections is very original, development was lacking. It is unclear how Landscapers (always female) work---they plant small gardens to serve as anchor points to connect non-contiguous areas. Bridges (always male) can somehow make the connections. Their work and training is left to the reader's imagination, but apparently sincerity and heart's desire and focused wishing has a lot to do with it. Too much of the book describes unpredictable travel from one section to another.
Many words are written about Light and Dark in a kind of emotional shorthand, as if these concepts were mutually exclusive. Light is prettier and sincere. Dark is undefined. The dark arch villain is reminiscent of Chthulu.
Anne Bishop has done better. I confess that I plowed through 400+ pages of repetitious verbiage waiting for something dramatic to happen. Nothing sparkled, nothing resonated. Sigh.
The Den of Iniquity, which could have been that memorable exotic "dark carnival" with a little exposition, but turns out to be filled with kindly folk, no more naughty than a weekend in Las Vegas.
Although the concept of a fractured world with irregular connections is very original, development was lacking. It is unclear how Landscapers (always female) work---they plant small gardens to serve as anchor points to connect non-contiguous areas. Bridges (always male) can somehow make the connections. Their work and training is left to the reader's imagination, but apparently sincerity and heart's desire and focused wishing has a lot to do with it. Too much of the book describes unpredictable travel from one section to another.
Many words are written about Light and Dark in a kind of emotional shorthand, as if these concepts were mutually exclusive. Light is prettier and sincere. Dark is undefined. The dark arch villain is reminiscent of Chthulu.
Anne Bishop has done better. I confess that I plowed through 400+ pages of repetitious verbiage waiting for something dramatic to happen. Nothing sparkled, nothing resonated. Sigh.
reviewed by jbritt on November 28, 2006 11:02 PM
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It always saddens me when an author I thought was good turns out to be...well, not so good. I was willing to forget about Anne Bishop's previous trilogy and go into Sebastian with her original Black Jewels Trilogy in mind.
This just was not a good book. It was not a fantasy novel, so much as a romance novel with some fantasy concepts. And they are interesting concepts, as Bishop's often are (although a bit confusing until you get far enough into the book to make the right connections). But she seems to have no idea how to truly utilize them. The balance between fantasy and romance is horribly off kilter, with romance winning out.
It's your typical soulmates, meet-each-other-and-fall-in-love-without-knowing-each-other type of romance. The kind that makes my head hurt. If the characters were better one might be able to root for the romance, but they're not.
First is Sebastian, your typical dark, brooding bad boy with a bad past etc, etc. Now, I am as much a fan of this type as a number of other women, but Bishop has too many of them in her stories. While not entirely unlikable, Sebastian just isn't terribly interesting. Been there, done that. Making him a half-incubus really does nothing to add to his appeal, either.
Lynnea is irritating as hell. I'm not asking for every female lead to be headstrong and tough as nails, but she's SO sweet and SO innocent and SO naive that it made me want to puke. And then, somewhere in the middle of Bishop trying to balance her elements, Lynnea turns into this tough little sex kitten. Huh? That sure came out of left field.
Some of the other characters are mildly interesting. Glorianna Belladonna (a nominee for Most Ridiculous Name Ever in the Fantasy Genre) is just like Jaenelle from the Black Jewels Trilogy: powerful beyond all others like her, hated and feared by almost every other person, an outsider who takes the burden of the whole world on her shoulders. The only difference being that Bishop actually goes into Glorianna's mind, making her motivations a bit easier to understand.
Teaser, Sebatian's incubus friend, has the potential to be a lot of fun but that potential isn't realize. Glorianna's brother Lee is a source of some amusement, because the two of them have a decent dynamic together.
Overall, though, it was simply a mess, plagued by A Strong Need to Use Pretty Words: ephemera, aurora, sanctuary, belladonna, etc. Too romancy and slightly ridiculous, too.
I'd read the second one (though I wouldn't pay hardcover price; nor did I on this one) out of curiosity. Which is more than I can say for her previous trilogy. But Biship will need to strengthen the fantasy aspects, spin deeper, more interesting characters, and write a romance that is actually believable. Otherwise I doubt I'll ever want to read another one of her works again.
This just was not a good book. It was not a fantasy novel, so much as a romance novel with some fantasy concepts. And they are interesting concepts, as Bishop's often are (although a bit confusing until you get far enough into the book to make the right connections). But she seems to have no idea how to truly utilize them. The balance between fantasy and romance is horribly off kilter, with romance winning out.
It's your typical soulmates, meet-each-other-and-fall-in-love-without-knowing-each-other type of romance. The kind that makes my head hurt. If the characters were better one might be able to root for the romance, but they're not.
First is Sebastian, your typical dark, brooding bad boy with a bad past etc, etc. Now, I am as much a fan of this type as a number of other women, but Bishop has too many of them in her stories. While not entirely unlikable, Sebastian just isn't terribly interesting. Been there, done that. Making him a half-incubus really does nothing to add to his appeal, either.
Lynnea is irritating as hell. I'm not asking for every female lead to be headstrong and tough as nails, but she's SO sweet and SO innocent and SO naive that it made me want to puke. And then, somewhere in the middle of Bishop trying to balance her elements, Lynnea turns into this tough little sex kitten. Huh? That sure came out of left field.
Some of the other characters are mildly interesting. Glorianna Belladonna (a nominee for Most Ridiculous Name Ever in the Fantasy Genre) is just like Jaenelle from the Black Jewels Trilogy: powerful beyond all others like her, hated and feared by almost every other person, an outsider who takes the burden of the whole world on her shoulders. The only difference being that Bishop actually goes into Glorianna's mind, making her motivations a bit easier to understand.
Teaser, Sebatian's incubus friend, has the potential to be a lot of fun but that potential isn't realize. Glorianna's brother Lee is a source of some amusement, because the two of them have a decent dynamic together.
Overall, though, it was simply a mess, plagued by A Strong Need to Use Pretty Words: ephemera, aurora, sanctuary, belladonna, etc. Too romancy and slightly ridiculous, too.
I'd read the second one (though I wouldn't pay hardcover price; nor did I on this one) out of curiosity. Which is more than I can say for her previous trilogy. But Biship will need to strengthen the fantasy aspects, spin deeper, more interesting characters, and write a romance that is actually believable. Otherwise I doubt I'll ever want to read another one of her works again.
reviewed by axelrose on November 29, 2006 6:00 PM