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Sara Douglass
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Wayfarer Redemption Jess: I have a love/hate relationship with Sara Douglass' books (and I know I'm not the only one), which includes this series, but I think that's what makes her books so great. She does the totally unexpected. Think you know who the guy is going to end up with? Guess again! Think all the main characters are flawless? Ha, never! Axis, the main guy in these books, and sort of a main character in Sinner, is a complete and utter jerk. Problem is, you can't completely hate him since you understand his motives, and after all he is on the good side. Douglass also likes to beat up on women, so if you're a super-strong feminist, don't read these (although maybe you'll let it slide because it is written by a woman). And by the time you're done, you'll be so sick of women suckling babes at their breast, I promise. But despite all this, these books are fascinating. Its got the magic, the political intrigue, the romance, and three separate races fighting against each other. The second half of this series begins with "Sinner," recently released in paperback. For those of you who have read the original series but not "Sinner," I think you'll be presently surprised. Her character building grows in this book, and the only characters I want to smack are the old ones. 5/16/05 Pilgrim Update: I had one serious problem with this book. It is starting to get overly violent. I don't mind violence when reading, but when it starts to overwhelm the story I get irritated. I got highly irritated here. That being said, I'd like to point out that the story has gotten better. Faraday lovers rejoice- she has quite a bit of fun this time. Drago isn't doing too bad himself either. Zenith gets shoved into the background, bickering back and forth with her grandfather (insert sigh), and Caelum becomes absolutely grating. If you're hoping Douglass' characterization gets better, you'll be disappointed. But even after that, the story itself is enthralling. The plot gets better and better, with surprises, twists, and a hell of a lot of suspense. And best of all- Axis gets put in his place (woohoo!). If you've liked the books up to this point, you should be a-ok with "Pilgrim." 9/14/05 (Jess)
The Troy Game Jess: A lot of what I wrote above about Wayfarer goes here. Same nuances, same loves. At first I was hesitant to pick up this series since it starts with Greek mythology, and too many people kill that stuff (breaks my heart). But pick it up a did, and she kept to the history very well. Same goes with "God's Concubine." I loved how she ties history in fantasy, she made it almost seem possible. I haven't yet read "Darkwitch Rising" (currently out in hardcover), but I will soon. I'll leave it at that because I know Karen has a lot to say about this series (she's the British history buff so its twice as exciting for her, plus I'm pretty sure she's got a few choice words for Ms. Douglass). 5/17/05 Darkwitch Rising Update: Ok I finally read it. Right off the bat I need to tell you do NOT read any of the reviews on amazon.com (yes, even the magazine ones) unless you want some serious spoilers (and now I'm convinced Harriet Klausner does not read any of the books she reviews). Wow, the characters just keep getting better and better! There's some serious revelations in this book, as well as some major things you would never expect- I know I didn't. But I'll leave it to Karen...Jess- 5/20/05 Karen: Darkwitch Rising is the third installment of Sara Douglass’ epic Troy Game series. This series is a blending religious and alternate history fantasy. I recommend that you read the first two books in this series before trying this book, but having said that I assume that most of you already have. I love the alternative view of, so far, three major historical eras, ancient Greece, 1066 year of conquest, and now the Restoration(of Charles II to England’s throne). It is also a great way to change the personalities of the main characters in small ways, through reincarnation, to keep the reader from becoming bored as sometimes happens with series that depict the same characters the same ways throughout many books. It also allows for and enables personal growth. Speaking of personal growth, I would like to talk about some of the main characters and their growth, or lack of. It’s great how all of the main characters evolve, become nicer and much less selfish. However, this is all with one notable exception, Brutus. Oh, to be sure, he does improve a little, but on the whole he maintains all of the qualities that I hated in his previous incarnations. Brutus is by far one the most annoying characters in any of the books I have ever read. He combines everything I hate about the alpha males of romance novels, arrogance, smugness, unfailing belief in his own rightness, with total brutality, self righteousness, and bullying. The man is completely unlikable. So why do I like this series and this book? Well, I really enjoy the other characters, and I enjoy whenever Brutus is thwarted. I also love the author’s world concept and her use of magic, as well as her use of the ancient mythologies of Britain and Greece. So please overlook my rant about Brutus, and keep reading! 5/30/05 NEWS: "Saving Grace," the final of this series, should be released in hardcover in January 2006 ("should" being the key word).
Jess: "Threshold" is a standalone fantasy about a slave girl and her struggle to cope with a destructive magical object and the man who wants to create it. Once again, Douglass has a despicable male character who likes to beat on women, but this time, he actually grows a real heart (oh yes, romance people). The world is Egyptian in its style, but not with its gods and myths, just the atmosphere. If you've read Douglass before and didn't like her, I wouldn't recommend this book since a lot of the things you probably hate are still here. But if you're less picky and like Douglass, this book is a worthy read. It has a better outcome than her other books, a redeeming characteristic, and its good if you don't feel like picking up a new series. Out in mass market paperback. 5/30/05 Other
books by Sara Douglass: "Beyond the Hanging Wall |
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