Sebastian (Ephemera Book 1)

A different take on the fantasy genre with a touch of romance. A story that didn't star 'perfect' heroes, all were flawed and could be related to. I couldn't put the book down till I read the last page!

I loved The Black Jewels Trilogy, was mildly dissapointed by the carboard characterization in Dreams Made Flesh, but enjoyed it nonetheless... Sebastian... um, well, was absolutely horrible drivel written in a style favoured by 13 year old goth girls.

First of all, what is with Bishop and rape or attempted rape? Jaenelly, Marian, Lynnea, is it a fetish or is she unable to come up with a better plot device to indicate urgency or help events forward? Why do all of her heroines automatically come from horrible abused childhoods? Is it hard to write interesting characters whose parents dont' hate them for no apparent reason? It seems hard for Bishop even WITH the abuse!

Secondly: characterization, WHAT characterization?? Lynnea and Sebastian are the epitome of walking lifeless carboard with no emotion, intillect, motivation, or anything redeemable to make me care one iota if they wind up together or even survive! The book describes them as meeting in dreams and calling out for one another - um? You mean that one dream Sebastian had when he heard some pathetic, needy, waif whine in her sleep? Yeah, that's ... really ....not erotic or mildly sensual, not to mention not keeping with the book jacket. We keep getting told how dark and dangerous and sexy Sebastian is but we are never shown this. That's another major problem here, we are constantly TOLD things without being SHOWN. His whole "I cannot be with you Lynnea! You are the light and I am dark...no really I am! I'm DARK I tells you! Can't you see it? Look how I brood constantly! Look how often I drink black coffee...I mean "Koffea".... Look at the copious amounts of black denim I wear! NO ONE wears black denim! Not since the 80's...it's cause I'm a rebel though! FEAR ME!! FEAR ME!! I'm SEXY" And so forth and so forth. Talk about a majorly watered-down, pansied-up, version of Daemon! And yeah it's just SO suspensful wondering if he and the redneck will actually get together.

Oh and Belladona? All she ever does is walk around and talk! What does she look like? What does she do when she takes a break from all the inter-dimensional travel? Ugh!

Other annoyances:

Phallic Delights - stop describing them in EVERY chapter. We GET it! Oooh!

Ma and Pa: This is fantasy not the Little House on the Prairie, people don't like to read those words, they sound stupid!

Fart jokes: Are you serious? Is this a YA novel?

Sex: As in complete and utter lack of!

Villains: CARBOARD!

Keffea/Illictricity: No comment needed.

Good Things:

The world was very creative and well thought out.

The cover is hot.

If you've enjoyed reading other Anne Bishop series, you won't be disappointed in this one either. Ms. Bishop has a gift for characterization and detail, and that again shines through in this book. The story of the Landscapes of Ephemera is original, and the characters draw you into the story almost immediately. Sebastian will delight readers who enjoy a character whose humanity tempers a dark and sometimes violently sensual nature, while Belladonna provides mystery and power. I look forward to reading the final installment in this duology!

(For those readers looking for other books to fill their time while they wait, consider trying the Kushiel's trilogy by Jacqueline Carey - it too is sensual and dark, yet mysterious). Happy reading!

this book was a nice surprize.

i loved anne bishop's jewels and fea books but for some reason i didn't want to read sebastian.

however... once i got started i couldn't quite put it down.

i can't wait to read the next book in the ephemera books (and i defenetly won't wait untill it will come in the paperback edition)

Anne Bishop should stick to the kind of storytelling she does best. Everything she wrote based in the world where the Black Jewels Trilogy took place is wondrous. The Pillars of the World series read as if she was trying to write an interesting series. Sebastion was a waste of time and money, I cancelled the others in that set. Sebastion is just too contrived, there's no heart and soul to the writing.