elusivity's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this one. Light, but not fluffy.
Theodora--product of a planet akin to a western democracy--is stranded in a planet akin to modern arabesque. Here where magic works (lightly, barely explained); where assassination is casual and normal; where technology is limited only to aircars and the Net.
She meets a handsome and rich scion of a wealthy family who is also a sorcerer for hire. Family politics ensue.
Somewhere in between fantasy and SF, with very subdued hint of romance.
The world is not particularly well-fleshed out (for example I cannot visualize how the planets look like; how far apart they are; any historical or current background; any interplanetary or even on-planet economies; or even the actual level of technology). However, individual places are well-described, and the characters exist solidly within them.
I like how Theo actively appreciates the good-looking men she sees all about her (like a real person!) without the trope of every single man somehow falling for her. Her realistic self-confident and awareness of her flaws and limitation is refreshing.
In general, the people described are fairly multi-dimensional, capable of being both crafty and kind, both sweet and murderous, both forthright and secretive, and have complicated relationships with one another.
It is also quite funny at bits.
A fun read. Recommended!
Theodora--product of a planet akin to a western democracy--is stranded in a planet akin to modern arabesque. Here where magic works (lightly, barely explained); where assassination is casual and normal; where technology is limited only to aircars and the Net.
She meets a handsome and rich scion of a wealthy family who is also a sorcerer for hire. Family politics ensue.
Spoiler
Ran's disabled elder brother Eln is bitter and bitterly jealous of Ran, who usurped his place in the family. He embroils Theo in assassination attempts, and while Ran and Theo are off in the provinces trying to hide and/or discover the reason, he takes over and manipulates the family to disown Ran. The two eventually fights a sorcererous duel, but Eln cheats and seem likely to win. Theo kills him with a dagger to the heart.Somewhere in between fantasy and SF, with very subdued hint of romance.
The world is not particularly well-fleshed out (for example I cannot visualize how the planets look like; how far apart they are; any historical or current background; any interplanetary or even on-planet economies; or even the actual level of technology). However, individual places are well-described, and the characters exist solidly within them.
I like how Theo actively appreciates the good-looking men she sees all about her (like a real person!) without the trope of every single man somehow falling for her. Her realistic self-confident and awareness of her flaws and limitation is refreshing.
In general, the people described are fairly multi-dimensional, capable of being both crafty and kind, both sweet and murderous, both forthright and secretive, and have complicated relationships with one another.
It is also quite funny at bits.
A fun read. Recommended!
lyrrael's review against another edition
5.0
Why have I nevet heard of this book? Awesome. Loved it.
wazbar's review
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
About 2/3 of the way through the book, I was feeling frustrated that the protagonist narrator handn't been allowed to grow out of being rescued and kept in the dark by the male lead. However, having finished it I think it works better than I would have given it credit for earlier. Not that her incomplete growth isn't a fact of the book, but that it's kind of the point of the book; it's about a young person gradually coming into her own and recognizing her own ability to grow and that strikes a chord for me.
ebgracie77's review against another edition
4.0
It’s good. The world is fantastic. The characters are phenomenal. But I leave confused. I’ll probably try the 2nd and give it a chance but I just don’t know what to think. There’s a relationship here but it’s so murky and confusing.
midlifehedgewitch's review against another edition
3.0
Three and a half stars. Being an anthropologist, I'm a sucker for anything where the main character is an anthropologist in sci-fi, especially if it's written by a woman (am yet to see a man write a book with an anthropologist as the main POV).
In that regard, the book was a let down. There's almost nothing about the influence of the discipline on Theodora's character or her story.
Whilst I enjoyed the book enough to decide to chase down secondhand copies of the other two books in the series, I have two major critiques of the book.
The first is that the writing style is, well, half done. In the hands of someone like Kate Elliott or CJ Cherryh, this would have been awesomeness plus. The writing is sparse and too economic. Whilst I'm not a fan of Jordan-esque, bloated, self-indulgence in speculative fiction when it comes to description, Egan's prose is a little too Hemingway for the genre...
...which leads me to my other point.
The book is too short, probably by about 80 pages of better written prose, world building and characterisation.
Otherwise, I enjoyed the ideas, the family intrigue, the cards and the magic system enough to want to read the other books in the series.
In that regard, the book was a let down. There's almost nothing about the influence of the discipline on Theodora's character or her story.
Whilst I enjoyed the book enough to decide to chase down secondhand copies of the other two books in the series, I have two major critiques of the book.
The first is that the writing style is, well, half done. In the hands of someone like Kate Elliott or CJ Cherryh, this would have been awesomeness plus. The writing is sparse and too economic. Whilst I'm not a fan of Jordan-esque, bloated, self-indulgence in speculative fiction when it comes to description, Egan's prose is a little too Hemingway for the genre...
...which leads me to my other point.
The book is too short, probably by about 80 pages of better written prose, world building and characterisation.
Otherwise, I enjoyed the ideas, the family intrigue, the cards and the magic system enough to want to read the other books in the series.
wordnerdy's review against another edition
4.0
https://wordnerdy.blogspot.com/2021/06/2021-book-133.html
So Egan wrote this SFF trilogy in the 90s before pivoting to life as a tv writer/producer, which honestly I find kind of a bummer because I liked this first volume a lot! It’s a fun mix of sci fi and fantasy, set on a planet where there’s magic (but no one knows why). Our heroine is a student who’s been stranded there after being robbed, whose recruited for a job by a prominent and mysterious sorcerer. Soon attempts have been made on her life, she’s hanging with his family and learning life lessons, and interesting adventure ensue. But this wasn’t really action packed, it’s more about her adapting to a new way of life, and figuring out a way forward when things get tough. Really great characters (and the romance is kind of on the backburner but I was here for it) and I’m psyched to see what they do next. A-.
So Egan wrote this SFF trilogy in the 90s before pivoting to life as a tv writer/producer, which honestly I find kind of a bummer because I liked this first volume a lot! It’s a fun mix of sci fi and fantasy, set on a planet where there’s magic (but no one knows why). Our heroine is a student who’s been stranded there after being robbed, whose recruited for a job by a prominent and mysterious sorcerer. Soon attempts have been made on her life, she’s hanging with his family and learning life lessons, and interesting adventure ensue. But this wasn’t really action packed, it’s more about her adapting to a new way of life, and figuring out a way forward when things get tough. Really great characters (and the romance is kind of on the backburner but I was here for it) and I’m psyched to see what they do next. A-.
mlejoy's review
5.0
Loved it. It's a little science fiction, a little fantasy, a little romance with characters that are likable and a bit of humor thrown in too. Don't expect anything dark or bloody or even complicated. Just a good, entertaining read.
I can't remember where I heard about this one - and no one on my Good Reads friend's list has read it or even marked as "to read" - and I admit, I was a bit skeptical - books written in the 80s can be cheesy. I'm adding this one to my favorites list.
I can't remember where I heard about this one - and no one on my Good Reads friend's list has read it or even marked as "to read" - and I admit, I was a bit skeptical - books written in the 80s can be cheesy. I'm adding this one to my favorites list.
marjolaine_lafreniere's review
DNF at 9%.
The first chapter was a study in infodump. The second chapter was a collection of life moments that do not move the story forward in any noticeable way. And that was as far as I got.
The first chapter was a study in infodump. The second chapter was a collection of life moments that do not move the story forward in any noticeable way. And that was as far as I got.
msjenne's review
4.0
Strangely cozy, for a science fiction novel. Not so much about Big Ideas--I really liked how it focused on mundane things like baths or how to get a bank account or a job when you've lost all your regular support system. It just happens to be on a planet where there's magic, and the magic isn't especially mystical, it's just how things work, you know?