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mafiabadgers's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
First read 09/2024
Although this is the seventh Tanith Lee book I've read, it's the first since I signed up to Storygraph, so perhaps some background is in order. Lee steadily built up a name for herself in the 70s and 80s, writing primarily dark fantasy, dark sci-fi, and gothic horror, and was particularly known for her luscious, sensual writing (often called purple prose, but, in Lee's case, that was rarely a criticism). Her career struggled through the 90s and 00s as publishers became leery of her work, but began to pick up again before her death in 2015, thanks to the rise of small presses and internet sales. In an interview she went so far as to say that one editor-in-chief had told her, "I think this book is terrific. It ought to be in print. I can't publish it—I've been told I mustn't." So why the dropoff? My theory is that Lee's horror was too disquieting; rather than throwing in a few monsters and some gratuitous bloodshed, it often revolved around sexuality and power. The rapes are not dwelt on in detail, but neither are they elegantly insinuated and alluded to. They are an unmistakable blot upon the page, impossible to overlook. But her works cannot be neatly placed in the category of feminist fiction. The women are typically beautiful, delicate, and more-or-less passive. The rapes rarely lead into revenge plots, and when they do, vengeance comes not in the form of straightforward, enjoyable violence, but may well be more disturbing than the inciting event (I am thinking particularly of Jehanine from The Book of the Damned). When revenge comes from external sources, it seems less to be cosmic retribution than a continuation of the senseless violence that pervades the world (Johanos Martin, The Book of the Mad). But in both these cases, there are plenty of complicated sex/gender politics to be teased out.
Was Lee tapping into misogynistic fantasies by depicting the perpetration of sexual violence against highly sexualised women? Was she pursuing a feminist agenda all of her own, delving into messy mysteries of desire and eroticism in relation to femininity and victimhood? Was she a tasteless horror writer who churned out sensationalist books by the dozen? Perhaps a little of all of these.
I am overstating the sexual element of Lee's work, because it's an aspect I think particularly makes it stand out from the crowd—but it is only an aspect. She also has a knack for using Christianity, not in the evangelical mode of many Christian writers, but in the style of fantasy authors who plunder Celtic and Norse mythology for deeply rooted symbols and narratives, and this appears in full force in Sabella. The prose often seems to take on a brusque, punchy style reminiscent of crime noir, before slipping back into Lee's habitual descriptive habits. It works, as does Sabella's tendency to refer to herself occasionally in the third person. The setting is retrofuturistic, even by the standards of 80s sci-fi: the self-playing cassette tapes are typical of other books written at the time, but Christian Revivalism, ore-mining boomtowns, and mail delivered once a month to colonial houses all evoke the period of the American Wild West, a little way behind the frontier. Even the sci-fi fans who like to complain that the inaccuracy of writers' 'predictions' have tarnished their works should be willing to go along with this one. All the old Gothic staples have been given a fresh coat of pain: terrible passion, loss of control, revenge, day and night, light and shadow, inheritances (both mundane and supernatural), domination and manipulation, struggling against one's very nature, against one's faith... It's tremendously compelling, and the introduction to this edition gives away just the right amount of information. It plays constantly with sexual politics of power, and while I wouldn't say it gets it right per se, it never fails to be interesting.
I have to laugh every time the protagonist is referred to as Bella. I wonder what Stephanie Meyer and her Mormonism would have made of all this.
Although this is the seventh Tanith Lee book I've read, it's the first since I signed up to Storygraph, so perhaps some background is in order. Lee steadily built up a name for herself in the 70s and 80s, writing primarily dark fantasy, dark sci-fi, and gothic horror, and was particularly known for her luscious, sensual writing (often called purple prose, but, in Lee's case, that was rarely a criticism). Her career struggled through the 90s and 00s as publishers became leery of her work, but began to pick up again before her death in 2015, thanks to the rise of small presses and internet sales. In an interview she went so far as to say that one editor-in-chief had told her, "I think this book is terrific. It ought to be in print. I can't publish it—I've been told I mustn't." So why the dropoff? My theory is that Lee's horror was too disquieting; rather than throwing in a few monsters and some gratuitous bloodshed, it often revolved around sexuality and power. The rapes are not dwelt on in detail, but neither are they elegantly insinuated and alluded to. They are an unmistakable blot upon the page, impossible to overlook. But her works cannot be neatly placed in the category of feminist fiction. The women are typically beautiful, delicate, and more-or-less passive. The rapes rarely lead into revenge plots, and when they do, vengeance comes not in the form of straightforward, enjoyable violence, but may well be more disturbing than the inciting event (I am thinking particularly of Jehanine from The Book of the Damned). When revenge comes from external sources, it seems less to be cosmic retribution than a continuation of the senseless violence that pervades the world (Johanos Martin, The Book of the Mad). But in both these cases, there are plenty of complicated sex/gender politics to be teased out.
Was Lee tapping into misogynistic fantasies by depicting the perpetration of sexual violence against highly sexualised women? Was she pursuing a feminist agenda all of her own, delving into messy mysteries of desire and eroticism in relation to femininity and victimhood? Was she a tasteless horror writer who churned out sensationalist books by the dozen? Perhaps a little of all of these.
I am overstating the sexual element of Lee's work, because it's an aspect I think particularly makes it stand out from the crowd—but it is only an aspect. She also has a knack for using Christianity, not in the evangelical mode of many Christian writers, but in the style of fantasy authors who plunder Celtic and Norse mythology for deeply rooted symbols and narratives, and this appears in full force in Sabella. The prose often seems to take on a brusque, punchy style reminiscent of crime noir, before slipping back into Lee's habitual descriptive habits. It works, as does Sabella's tendency to refer to herself occasionally in the third person. The setting is retrofuturistic, even by the standards of 80s sci-fi: the self-playing cassette tapes are typical of other books written at the time, but Christian Revivalism, ore-mining boomtowns, and mail delivered once a month to colonial houses all evoke the period of the American Wild West, a little way behind the frontier. Even the sci-fi fans who like to complain that the inaccuracy of writers' 'predictions' have tarnished their works should be willing to go along with this one. All the old Gothic staples have been given a fresh coat of pain: terrible passion, loss of control, revenge, day and night, light and shadow, inheritances (both mundane and supernatural), domination and manipulation, struggling against one's very nature, against one's faith... It's tremendously compelling, and the introduction to this edition gives away just the right amount of information. It plays constantly with sexual politics of power, and while I wouldn't say it gets it right per se, it never fails to be interesting.
I have to laugh every time the protagonist is referred to as Bella. I wonder what Stephanie Meyer and her Mormonism would have made of all this.
tizianabooks's review against another edition
2.0
Le ultime 15/20 pagine sono state la parte più interessante, tutto il precedente è dato da pare di scarso interesse (almeno per me) che avrebbero potuto lasciare molto più spazio all'idea finale.
Peccato.
Peccato.
s_everson's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
The female (vampire) protagonist is constantly assaulted and abused by men and even goes on to excuse the abuse. I was very unhappy with the relationship at the end of the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, Rape, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Sexual harassment
massmassmarket's review
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
One of the things I appreciate about Lee's stories is that she tends to go for endings or resolutions most other writers would shy away from, for any number of reasons.
courtney_saba's review against another edition
5.0
Wow, this was amazing. I've come very late to the Tanith Lee train, but I'm really glad I'm here.
Sensual loveliness. A slow build. Euphoria that's dialed down to a slow burn. A well organized and written story with just the right amount of every little thing to make this story unputdownable.
I could've done without the constant prose and poetry-like sentences, tho. It worked so well in some places, and in others, I wished Lee was a little more blunt and forthcoming.
Other than that: God, my love for vampires will never die. Especially when, after 100s of books read in that genre, I can still find gems like this one that turns the vampire genre on its head. I only wished it was longer.
Happy reading, Goodreads fiends.
Sensual loveliness. A slow build. Euphoria that's dialed down to a slow burn. A well organized and written story with just the right amount of every little thing to make this story unputdownable.
I could've done without the constant prose and poetry-like sentences, tho. It worked so well in some places, and in others, I wished Lee was a little more blunt and forthcoming.
Other than that: God, my love for vampires will never die. Especially when, after 100s of books read in that genre, I can still find gems like this one that turns the vampire genre on its head. I only wished it was longer.
Happy reading, Goodreads fiends.
serru's review against another edition
5.0
Oct 2018, 3rd read, 5 stars: Liked it even better the third time around! Upgraded to 5 stars.
Oct 2015, 2nd read, 4 stars:
This has to be one of the strangest and most unique vampire stories I've read (though admittedly, I haven't read that many vampire stories). Sabella Quey is a reclusive young woman living on her own in Novo Mars when she receives an invitation to her aunt Cassi's funeral. Cassi has left her some money, some items, and an ominous letter stating that she found out Sabella's secret and that is where everything begins... It's really hard to talk about this story without giving away a lot of its twists and intrigue. The plotline is pretty unexpected as Tanith Lee makes a lot of unusual choices and I could not predict what would happen at the end (though it's my second time reading it, I had forgotten much of the story).
At the core, this is a story about self-discovery, acceptance, and redemption. The main character deals with a lot of emotional issues and has to come to terms with herself. I was really impressed with how Tanith Lee pulled off such an usual tale (downright bizarre at times!) about a bloodsucking creature and yet made it so relatable. Sabella herself is a very compelling character. Alluring and cynical, she has a weird sort of sinister appeal and like her victims, you can't help but be drawn in. She's essentially a predator, a killer-- her exploits are often simultaneously sensuous and horrifying-- and yet everything about her reads as incredibly emotionally true. Lee manages to make us sympathize with her and feel for her.
The setting is very unique-- it's a vampire story that's also a science fiction, taking place on a future, human-colonized Mars. The technology reflects what people in the 80s thought the future would be like-- there are self-driving cars and electric flash-guns, but there are also mailmen who deliver letters and packages. Meanwhile, wolves with champagne-coloured fur live in the Martian wilds, and the planet is not without its own long history: "There are genuine ruins (beware tourist traps) here and there. Thin pillars soaring, leveled foundations crumbling, cracked urns whispering of spilled dusts-- all the Martian dreams that old Mars denied to mankind. Though this prior race, whose wreck men inherited, left small self-evidence beyond their architecture. Maybe men find it, anyway, more romantic to guess."
I really enjoyed reading this one again and foresee myself picking it up again in the future.
Oct 2015, 2nd read, 4 stars:
This has to be one of the strangest and most unique vampire stories I've read (though admittedly, I haven't read that many vampire stories). Sabella Quey is a reclusive young woman living on her own in Novo Mars when she receives an invitation to her aunt Cassi's funeral. Cassi has left her some money, some items, and an ominous letter stating that she found out Sabella's secret and that is where everything begins... It's really hard to talk about this story without giving away a lot of its twists and intrigue. The plotline is pretty unexpected as Tanith Lee makes a lot of unusual choices and I could not predict what would happen at the end (though it's my second time reading it, I had forgotten much of the story).
At the core, this is a story about self-discovery, acceptance, and redemption. The main character deals with a lot of emotional issues and has to come to terms with herself. I was really impressed with how Tanith Lee pulled off such an usual tale (downright bizarre at times!) about a bloodsucking creature and yet made it so relatable. Sabella herself is a very compelling character. Alluring and cynical, she has a weird sort of sinister appeal and like her victims, you can't help but be drawn in. She's essentially a predator, a killer-- her exploits are often simultaneously sensuous and horrifying-- and yet everything about her reads as incredibly emotionally true. Lee manages to make us sympathize with her and feel for her.
The setting is very unique-- it's a vampire story that's also a science fiction, taking place on a future, human-colonized Mars. The technology reflects what people in the 80s thought the future would be like-- there are self-driving cars and electric flash-guns, but there are also mailmen who deliver letters and packages. Meanwhile, wolves with champagne-coloured fur live in the Martian wilds, and the planet is not without its own long history: "There are genuine ruins (beware tourist traps) here and there. Thin pillars soaring, leveled foundations crumbling, cracked urns whispering of spilled dusts-- all the Martian dreams that old Mars denied to mankind. Though this prior race, whose wreck men inherited, left small self-evidence beyond their architecture. Maybe men find it, anyway, more romantic to guess."
I really enjoyed reading this one again and foresee myself picking it up again in the future.
duriangray's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
moirwyn's review against another edition
5.0
This review originally appeared on my blog, Books Without Any Pictures:
http://bookswithoutanypictures.com/2016/05/05/sabella-or-the-bloodstone-a-science-fiction-vampire-novel-by-tanith-lee/
Sabella is a science fiction vampire novel written by Tanith Lee. Sabella is your stereotypical vampire: she drinks blood, is sensitive to sunlight, and is beautiful and seductive. Much like Anne Rice’s vampires, Sabella struggles with regret because she is a predator by nature. She doesn’t want to kill people, but finds it difficult to stop herself. And yet, she’s also motivated by survival, and does what she has to in order to get by.
Near the beginning of the novel, Sabella travels to her aunt’s funeral, only to receive a cryptic note from her aunt’s will stating that she knows what Sabella is, and that God will judge her. Sabella is emotionally thrown off by the note, and as she’s trying to work through her thoughts and feelings, she stumbles upon the handsome Sand Vincent, upon whom she feeds. She tries and tries to get rid of Sand, but he keeps coming back to her for more orgasmic blood-sucking, until finally she accidentally bleeds him dry and he dies as she’s trying to save him. She hides the body and moves on with her life, until Sand’s brother Jace comes knocking on her door. Jace is the first man who doesn’t fall under Sabella’s spell, and is incredibly handsome. Sabella sees Jace as more than just prey. She runs from him, and he follows.
I grew up on Tanith Lee’s Claidi Journals, but have only recently started exploring her adult writing. I had mixed feelings on The Birthgrave, but am happy to report that Sabella is a vast improvement. Sabella had a sense of agency that the protagonist in The Birthgrave did not. But as in The Birthgrave, I found with Sabella’s ending a compelling twist that made me see everything that came before it in a different light.
Tanith Lee is one of the few writers I know whose writing always seems to evoke a particular atmosphere. (Patricia McKillip is another, with her knack for ethereal and lyrical prose.) Lee evokes a raw sensuality, an alien seductiveness, which draws you in and haunts you and makes you want her books to never end. Her words are dark and beautiful and lovely, and tease you on an intellectual level.
http://bookswithoutanypictures.com/2016/05/05/sabella-or-the-bloodstone-a-science-fiction-vampire-novel-by-tanith-lee/
Sabella is a science fiction vampire novel written by Tanith Lee. Sabella is your stereotypical vampire: she drinks blood, is sensitive to sunlight, and is beautiful and seductive. Much like Anne Rice’s vampires, Sabella struggles with regret because she is a predator by nature. She doesn’t want to kill people, but finds it difficult to stop herself. And yet, she’s also motivated by survival, and does what she has to in order to get by.
Near the beginning of the novel, Sabella travels to her aunt’s funeral, only to receive a cryptic note from her aunt’s will stating that she knows what Sabella is, and that God will judge her. Sabella is emotionally thrown off by the note, and as she’s trying to work through her thoughts and feelings, she stumbles upon the handsome Sand Vincent, upon whom she feeds. She tries and tries to get rid of Sand, but he keeps coming back to her for more orgasmic blood-sucking, until finally she accidentally bleeds him dry and he dies as she’s trying to save him. She hides the body and moves on with her life, until Sand’s brother Jace comes knocking on her door. Jace is the first man who doesn’t fall under Sabella’s spell, and is incredibly handsome. Sabella sees Jace as more than just prey. She runs from him, and he follows.
I grew up on Tanith Lee’s Claidi Journals, but have only recently started exploring her adult writing. I had mixed feelings on The Birthgrave, but am happy to report that Sabella is a vast improvement. Sabella had a sense of agency that the protagonist in The Birthgrave did not. But as in The Birthgrave, I found with Sabella’s ending a compelling twist that made me see everything that came before it in a different light.
Tanith Lee is one of the few writers I know whose writing always seems to evoke a particular atmosphere. (Patricia McKillip is another, with her knack for ethereal and lyrical prose.) Lee evokes a raw sensuality, an alien seductiveness, which draws you in and haunts you and makes you want her books to never end. Her words are dark and beautiful and lovely, and tease you on an intellectual level.
mgalvan's review
4.0
Reading this book is like facing a blinding light, unleashed for a short period of time, which then makes you look at the darkness differently.
P.S. Cool writing. Love the style.
P.S. Cool writing. Love the style.