Review: THE VOICE

The Voice by Anne Bishop
Novella in the Ephemera series
Genre: fantasy
Format: eBook short story

About The Voice:

An original novella from the New York Times bestselling author of Bridge of Dreams…

In a small village outside the city of Vision, the people know no sorrow or grief. But this seemingly idyllic community is hiding a terrible secret. As a young child, Nalah did not know why she was told to bring a cake to the mute girl known as the Voice whenever she was upset, only that doing so made her feel better. Now grown, Nalah understands the dark truth, and yearns to escape from the oppressive village that has been her life-long home. But it is only after visiting the city of Vision and discovering the Temple of Sorrow that Nalah understands what she must do to be free…

“Bishop’s talents lie both in her ability to craft a story filled with intriguing characters and in her flair for smoldering sensuality.”—Library Journal

“[Bishop’s] worlds are so fully realized and three-dimensional, they jump right off the pages.”—Fresh Fiction

Includes a letter from the author and a special preview chapter from the latest novel set in the world of Ephemera, Bridge of Dreams (available March 2012).

Source: Info in the About The Voice was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13456428-the-voice on 19/02/2012.

Review:

I bought this ebook because it's an Ephemera novella. However this book reads more like The Black Jewels series than the Ephemera series. The tone is quite dark and disturbing. The very reason why I stopped reading the The Black Jewels series. Anne Bishop has a very masterful author's voice which brings the story vividly to life. The down side of that is, it also brings to the forefront of the reader's mind, the dark and disturbing aspect of humanity and the evil humans can do to each other that is depicted in the story in vivid details. I read to escape, not to scare myself. So safe to say that this is not my kind of read. Although this novella plays in the world of the Ephemera series, it does not read like one. And this short story carries a completely different set of characters as oppose to that of Sebastian and Belladonna (Books 1 and 2). It also does not mention any of the old beloved characters from previous books. I would not recommend this book to readers who does not like horror and torture kind of reads. If not for the masterful story telling quality, I would give this book a rating of 1, as it is I would give it a 3 out of 5.

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 5
Character development = 4
Story itself = 1.5
Ending = 2.5
World building = 4
Pace = 3

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 cherries


Other Book(s) In The Ephemera Series:

Review: BELLADONNA

Belladonna by Anne Bishop
Book 2 of the Ephemera doulogy

About Belladonna:

In Sebastian, national bestselling and award-winning author Anne Bishop introduced a stunning new realm, a world of strange and magical landscapes connected only by bridges bridges that may transportt you where you truly belong, rather than where you wished to go. But only the magic of the Landscapers can protect this world from the entity determined to enshroud it in darkness...

One by one, the landscapes of Ephemera are falling into shadow. The Eater of the World is spreading its influence, tainting people's souls with doubts and fears, and feasting on their dark emotions. With each victory, the Eater comes closer to extinguishing Ephemera's Light.

Only Glorianna Belladonna possesses the ability to thwart the Eater's plans. But she has been branded a rogue, her talents and vast power feared and misunderstood. Determined to protect the lands under her care, Glorianna will stand alone against the Eater if she must regardless of the cost to her bodyy and soul.

But she is not alone. In dreams, a call has traveled throughout Ephemera: "Heart's hope lies within Belladonna." That call has traveled far from the landscapes Glorianna claims and reached Michael, a man with mysterious powers of his own. It awakens a fierce hunger within him to find the dark-haired sorceress he's dreamt of, over and over again a beautiful womann named Belladonna.

As Michael and Glorianna's hearts call out to each other across the Landscapes, together they may offer Ephemera the very hope it needs...

Source: Info in the About Belladonna was taken from the books' official website at http://www.annebishop.com/b.belladona.html on 24/05/2010.

My Review:
Fast-paced page-turner. Storytelling quality is 5 out of 5. The storytelling quality is very compelling. Anne Bishop is one of those rare story tellers who draws you away and run away with you that you forget the time. You forget to eat. You forget that you needed to have a break. She draws a reader in so deeply that you can feel and hear the vibration as the demon motorcycles go by... World building is incredible, a 4.5 out of 5. I imagined that it would be difficult to convince readers to believe in a world of shifting geography. I scoffed when I first encountered it. So it tells of the author's story telling skills that she has somehow managed not only to pull it off, but sell the book to boot! I'd give the "suspension of disbelief" a 4.5 out of 5. Character development? Is a 5 out of 5. Anne Bishop gives us characters who lingers on a reader's mind long after the book was read.

This book being the second book in a duology, is best appreciated if the first book is read first. I'm not sure how a reader's understanding would be if read on it's own or read first before the first book in the series. I would imagine it would be pretty confusing.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 cherries

SEBASTIAN

Sebastian by Anne Bishop

About This Book:

Her worlds have been described as “vividly painted” (Lynn Flewelling) and “lavishly sensual” (Library Journal). Now, award–winning, bestselling author Anne Bishop invites you into a new realm, one that is ever–changing, caught between the Light and Dark forces of the heart...

“Let your heart travel lightly. Because what you bring with you becomes part of the landscape.”

Long ago, to stop the onslaught of the Eater of the World, Ephemera was split into a dizzying number of strange and magical lands connected only by bridges—which may take you where you truly belong, rather than where you had intended to go.

Now, with the Eater contained and virtually forgotten, the shifting worlds of Ephemera have been kept stable by the magic of the Landscapers. In one such 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 prison of the Eater of the World has weakened—and Sebastian's realm may be the first to fall...

Intoxicating, erotic, and intensely romantic, Sebastian is for those who know on which side of the heart—Light or Dark—their passions lie.

Source: Info in the About This Book was taken from the author's website at http://www.annebishop.com/s.b.sebastian.html on 05/12/09.

Genre: fantasy

My Take On This Book:
This is a story about a young man trying to find his place in a fantastic world where the landscapes shifts according to the will of individuals called landscapers. The idea alone of a world of shifting geography is sooo fantastical that, to me, it would be difficult to pull through a story like that and sell the book as well. But by god, Anne Bishop had done it! Not only that, done it so well that readers are following through the series. Unfortunately there are only two books in the series. I was kinda hoping that Miss Bishop would write more books in this series. Her official website is at http://www.annebishop.com/ where you can email/contact her and get juicy tidbits on her works.

Anne Bishop is a master story spinner. She paints a world so vivid that I can almost taste the texture and color of that world. The story pulls you in that you forget and lose yourself in her world, away from reality for a time. And that my dear friends, is what entertainment is all about.

Cherry's Rating: 5 out of 5 cherries