Sebastian is set in the world of Ephemera, which is really a bunch of little self contained worlds that are connected by (for lack of a better term) magical bridges. The worlds are called landscapes, and they are subject to alteration based on the emotions of their residents. Landscapers (as I understand them) are women who can channel the power of human hearts to help shape landscapes. Sebastian is an incubus who lives in a landscape called the Den of Iniquity. The Den was made by a rogue landscaper named Glorianna Belladonna (some people shouldn't be allowed to name characters), who created it as a home for demons. Sebastian has a unique heritage that gives him a unique influence over the Den. This becomes important when an ancient evil known as the Eater of Worlds is released from captivity and threatens all of the landscapes.Positive Comments:The ideas are really interesting. The multi-world concept is well thought out. The underlying message of the power of the human heart really resonated me, and it felt like their was so much potential in that idea. I was reminded of the Kingdom Hearts games. Laugh at this comparison if you must, but the idea of multiple worlds in a universe where hearts have magic is well paralleled between the two. So it's not a new concept, but it is an interesting one that I will always be pleased to explore.The language is pretty. The names and descriptions are incredibly vivid, and they really bring the story to life--even the boring parts. Yes, at times it strayed toward flowery. But overall, I could see that some genuine effort was put into this novel.Sebastian and the other characters had so much potential. I hate using that word, because it implies that they didn't actually live up to some standard. Truth be told, the characters were perfectly believable and entertaining, for the most part. It's the story they exist in that falls short. Sebastian is demon with a really strong human side, struggling to reconcile himself to exactly who and what he is. His journey is believable and, to the right reader, emotionally touching.Critical Comments:It's sloooow. For a book with a world eating monster, it gets pretty boring. It takes a long time for things to happen. A great deal of time is spent in talking, explaining, deciding, dreaming, thinking....It's not an action filled book by any means. If slower is to your taste, you will not have a problem.It's repetitive. The same objects and people are described multiple times, the same concepts are repeated, and worst of all the same problems are outlined over an over. It felt like the author was writing to people with memory loss.It's sexless. Yes, this is a fantasy novel and not a romance or erotica. And even if it were a romance, you can have a good romance novel without sex. However, the book is set up as though it's going to be filled with (or at least sprinkled with) sensual scenes. The main character is an incubus! He lives in a world full of other sex demons! They serve penis shaped bread! And, most importantly, there is a love interest, Lynnea, who really wants to get horizontal with him. But, when it comes down to that moment, we fade to black and cut to the next morning. I'm not asking for something graphic here. But, in my opinion, if you can't or don't want to write a sexy book, you shouldn't set up all these sexual themes. It builds expectations that it never delivers on.Overall, this is a nicely written collection of lots of pretty words that add up to very little. If you like your fantasy slow and brainy, you may like this one. I ran the gambit of feelings toward it, and they all add up to neutral. 2.5 stars.
A friend lent me her copies of Sebastian and Belladonna after we had trawled a bookstore looking for good fantasy. I’d tried to read the first book in Anne Bishop’s Black Jewels series several years ago and couldn’t get into it, so I was a little wary of the Ephemera books. She agreed that Black Jewels wasn’t her cup of tea, either, but she said that she loved the Ephemera series, so I decided to give it a try.I have to confess, I did some serious procrastination on school stuff so I could finish this book. It was beautifully written with well-developed, sympathetic characters and an engrossing plot. To put it simply, I enjoyed the hell out of it.I’ll start with my favorite thing to talk about in fantasy books: worldbuilding. Ephemera is one of the most unusual settings I’ve ever read, and it’s actually pretty difficult to describe. Bishop thankfully doesn’t give you an infodump at the beginning that explains everything; instead, you learn about the world by experiencing it with the characters. It is fragmented; different landscapes are connected by bridges, magical sort of portals that either connect one place to another based on where they want to go, or as in the case of resonating bridges, take a traveler to a landscape that resonates with their heart. The idea of landscapes resonating with people, either everyday folk or the Landscapers, women who draw upon the Light currents to connect and shape Ephemera, is central to the storyline, for Ephemera is in danger of being destroyed by the Eater of the World, a dark entity that has broken free from its prison.Sebastian, the title character, is the son of a wizard and a succubus who lives in the Den of Iniquity, a landscape where demons like Sebastian can live without fear of the humans who hate them. His cousin, Glorianna Belladonna, is a rogue Landscaper; she has more power than any Landscaper that has lived in a very long time, and when she demonstrated that power by creating the Den, she was cast out of the ranks and became an outlaw. Glorianna has the unique ability to actually create new landscapes out of Ephemera as opposed to simply changing existing ones, and her immense power frightens both the Landscapers and the Wizards, men who draw their magic from the Dark currents that run through Ephemera. When Sebastian discovers that the Eater of the World has been set loose, he must try to protect the Den and his new love, Lynnea, while Glorianna and her brother Lee try to find a way to protect Ephemera.The plot is far too complex to try to summarize here (which is why my above summary is terrible, haha). Its complexity, though, is part of what makes it so engrossing. The book takes a little while to get started, but once it does, it was almost painful for me to have to put it down and do things that I actually had to do, like write papers and read for class. Bishop’s writing style is rich and complicated, and she uses it well here, weaving a story that is incredibly sensual and beautiful. This book does not really end on a cliffhanger, but it definitely leaves me wanting more. I had to run out and buy my own copy of Belladonna, just in case I don’t get a chance to finish it before I move away from Texas. I don’t want to steal my friend's books, heh. And honestly, if I didn’t have a couple of other books that I need to read for reviews, I would have dived straight into Belladonna the second I finished Sebastian. This is good stuff, very good stuff.
What do You think about Sebastian (2007)?
Sebastian focuses on a fantasy land called Ephemera that was broken up into different "landscapes." One of the landscapes is called the Den of Iniquity, home to incubi, succubi, and other demons. It's also home to Sebastian, a half-incubus who longs for something other than carnal pleasures. Now, a great evil has returned to Ephemera, and Sebastian and his powerful cousin, Glorianna Belladona, are to play a pivotal part in stopping it.I didn't expect to love this book when I started it, but I'd recently read Bishop's latest Black Jewels novel and enjoyed it, so I figured I'd at least be entertained by this novel, even if it wasn't a page-turner. Sadly, I wasn't entertained at all. I still do like the straightforward, occasionally-dramatic way that Bishop writes and how she seems to have no inhibitions when it comes to touchy subjects that other authors will skirt around. There were also a few moments where characters--never the main ones, though--touched me. So, I liked the writing and the rare bits that I connected with, but unfortunately, this novel didn't work for me on many levels. The dynamics of the main couple--Sebastian and Lynnea--were very cliched and a little dull, to be honest. The characters shared a stage with the larger plot, but that plot seemed to move along too slowly to really engage me. Even the Den as a setting wasn't particularly compelling. It was portrayed as being a place of "dark delights," but I personally didn't find anything particularly dark or delightful about it, and I know Bishop can write dark and delightful dynamics and prose. Bishop also has such a knack for humor to the point where I laugh out loud, but there wasn't much of that in this novel.In the end, I think I'll be sticking to novels written in the Black Jewels universe. Sebastian, as a whole, didn't work for me.
—Ashley
I really love Anne Bishop's Black Jewell series of books, but wasn't as enthralled by the Tir Alain series. So, when she started in this third setting, I wasn't sure if I should try it or not. I finally got a deal on both books and boy am I glad. This book is excellent...ok, I am prejudiced toward the Black Jewell series, so I still rank them tops, but this work is very close. Maybe it's just that I like the mix of darkness and light, with the firm idea that "dark" doesn't necessarily mean evil and "light" isn't necessarily all that good. That plus just the right amount of humor...just a great mix that appeals to me.
—Tracy Dobbs
Há muito tempo que eu queria ler esta saga de Anne Bishop. Conheci o Mundo Efémera quando li o conto "A Voz". Gostei desse pequeno conto, mas não me tinha apercebido do quanto ia adorar o primeiro livro desta saga.Sabem o que é ficar obcecada por alguma coisa e não conseguirem fazer mais nada, nem pensar em mais nada? Pois. Eu senti-me assim relativamente a este livro.Completamente viciante.Anne Bishop cria um mundo completamente diferente de tudo aquilo o que já li. No início foi complicado perceber este mundo. Um mundo completamente desfragmentado em que, ao atravessar uma simples ponte, poderia ir parar a um pedaço do mundo completamente diferente. Isto mostra uma capacidade de criação que ultrapassa tudo o que já vi até agora. Há medida que as páginas iam passando foi entendendo melhor e melhor este mundo até não o conseguir largar. A escrita de Anne Bishop é de um vício inacreditável e as suas personagens são maravilhosas e únicas.A única coisa de que não gostei no livro foi Lynnea. Não consigo explicar bem porquê, mas não fui muito à bola com ela. Pareceu-me demasiado frágil para ser protagonista e companheira de Sebastian (ahhh, Sebastian).Depois de terminar esta leitura fiquei a salivar pela continuação "Belladona" que está ali na estante a olhar para mim. Mas tenho outros compromissos e não posso ceder a este desejo. Pelo menos para já!Anne Bishop é uma escritora a seguir e, com toda a certeza, que vou tentar adquirir os outros volumes que estão publicados cá em Portugal.
—Liliana Pinto
