Belladonna (Ephemera, Book 2) [Mass Market Paperback]

Anne Bishop (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 6, 2012

The thrilling follow-up to Sebastian.The Eater of the World continues to spread its dark influence across the realm of Ephemera, corrupting people's souls with doubts and fears. Only Glorianna Belladonna possesses the ability to thwart the Eater's plans. But she has been branded a rogue, and must stand alone against the encroaching entity.But she is not alone. In dreams, a call has traveled throughout Ephemera-"Heart's hope lies within Belladonna"-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-a beautiful woman named Belladonna. Together, they may be Ephemera's only hope.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Mystifying forces of light and dark continue to rend Ephemera, a shattered world of extraordinary, interconnected landscapes that can be altered by strong emotions, in Bishop's challenging sequel to Sebastian (2006). The Eater of the World spreads its corrupting darkness, and Glorianna Belladonna, disdained and declared rogue for her powers that blend both the Light and the Dark, is the only one who can halt its evil influence. Caitlin Marie, a friendless young sorceress with dark blood, also faces great danger, while her brother, Michael the Magician, is drawn through many perils to Glorianna's side by dreams of a dark-haired lover. Even as their love is kindled, the key Michael brings to cage the Eater of the World may doom Glorianna and take her away from him. Readers encountering Ephemera for the first time may be confused by the complicated, fantastical world, but fans of the preceding installment will revel in Bishop's imaginative powers. (Mar.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Anne Bishop made her first short fiction sale in 1988. Her most recent work has appeared in White Swan, Black Raven and 365 Scary Stories. She lives in upstate New York.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Roc (March 6, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451461541
• ISBN-13: 978-0451461544
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #631,500 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Anne Bishop is a winner of the William L. Crawford Memorial Fantasy Award, presented by the International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 4 stars, March 14, 2007

By 

AK "Bro" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Belladonna (Ephemera, Book 2) (Hardcover)

The Eater of Worlds is on the verge of being unleashed and drowning Ephemera in a soul killing darkness. The only ones who can stop him and reclaim their world for the Light are a trio of beings united in love; Glorianna Belladonna, the most powerful of all Landscapers who has cut herself off from her own kind, Michael the Magician who loves her, and his sister, Caitlin Marie, who has her own gifts. Meeting Glorianna and her incubus brother, Sebastian, opens a new perspective on the world to Michael. He discovers that he did not know half as much as he believed about even the most basic things. One of them must face the darkness head on if they are to achieve victory.

**** I'm sure that those who have read Book I in the series will find the action a bit easier to follow. Yet, despite the lack of information, the poetry built into the prose reaches out and grabs you. Ms. Bishop has a gift of language and creating beauty with her words that is easy to appreciate. The world is peopled with interesting characters who make the plot flow rapidly. ****

15 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Confusing and dull, June 13, 2007

By 

Professor J (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Belladonna (Ephemera, Book 2) (Hardcover)

I read "Sebastian" when it first came out in hardcover and felt like I'd wasted my money, so this time around I checked out "Belladonna" from the library to decide whether it was worth the investment. It's not.

This is not to say it's terrible. The characterization that I found so annoying, even laughable, in "Sebastian" is much better here. Belladonna doesn't have the same Mary-Sue flavor that whatsername (sorry, she was that forgettable -- Sebastian's eventual wife) did in the last book; there's at least an attempt to make her a multifaceted character. Michael doesn't come off like a one-dimensional romance hero either, though unfortunately he's also a bit dull. The other characters are more iffy, and Bishop doesn't deliver on several developmental ideas that she introduces -- for example, Teaser yearns for the kind of love Sebastian has with whatsername, and Caitlin Marie devolves from a potential protagonist of her own into a sidekick for Belladonna. Even the Eater of the World, who gets some interesting (though far too late) development near the end of the book, gets left in the "what the heck was *that* all about?" bin.

There are three main problems with the story as I see it. One is the weak characterization noted above. Another is the weakness of the magic system. Having read most of Bishop's books now, I think she sometimes uses (and we the readers mistake) "confusion" for "complexity". That worked in the Black Jewels books because there was enough other interesting material around to distract us from the headscratchy bits. But in this story the confusion never clears up. Just when I thought I understood that there were Dark Guides (some containing light) and Light Guides (some containing dark) and Landscapers and Bridges and Wizards and Justice Makers, now we get Magicians and Anchors and Guardians and Borders and Boundaries and... ugh. My head hurts just thinking about it. And there's no internal consistency to any of it. In "Sebastian" it was established that Landscapers are female -- but along comes a male one in this book, and no one seems to find it strange that he exists. And so on.

The third problem is that the book is just plain *dull*. This story is probably 1/3 longer than it needs to be -- there are brief moments of agency among the characters interspersed with long stretches of what feels like weather reports. The Eater is strolling along through its landscapes being evil, tra la la. Belladonna is angsting because she's over 30 and doesn't have a man (::grinds teeth::), oh woe. Michael is yearning for Belladonna, sigh sigh sigh. Reader is falling asleep, yawn yawn yawn. Even the climactic ending is "not so much".

I can't tell if some of this is because there's another Ephemera book coming or not -- I can't see that there's anything left to resolve, but the author may surprise me. Anyway, if there is another book, I won't be buying that one either.

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Belladonna is a Wicked-Cool Dark Heroine, April 2, 2007

By 

Wantz Upon A Time Reviews (Chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Belladonna (Ephemera, Book 2) (Hardcover)

As the Eater of the World sets out to destroy the already-shattered world of Ephemera, the last-known Landscaper is also the most feared. Glorianna Belladonna is a woman who embraces both the Light and Dark currents through her landscapes [for a broader explanation of landscapes and Ephemera, please see my review for SEBASTIAN]. Shunned by those she must help, she is determined to save the world, for she understands that she is the only hope.

In another place, far away, the people know of nations and countries. They are unaware of the shattered landscapes that surround the area where the Eater of the World was imprisoned long ago. This is where Michael the Magician plays his tin whistle to bring the land into balance, and his younger sister tends a garden that holds more meaning than either of them can imagine.

Belladonna and Michael are thrown together by chance when the Eater appears in Michael's part of the world. Together, and with help from powerful family members and friends, they must piece together the puzzle that will allow them to defeat an evil darker than their worst nightmares. If they fail, it will be the end of all good things. Forever.

In the sequel to the stunning novel SEBASTIAN, BELLADONNA brings readers back into a world that has learned to cope with its shattered nature. Ephemera itself is semi-sentient, relying on heart wishes and desires to know how to shape its many landscapes. For readers who take the time to read and understand the nature of this world, there is a great deal they will find to like. There are more characters in this novel, but they seem to blend in to the preexisting cast quite well.

A few minor hitches and childish family banter might be a bit of a turnoff, but this truly is fascinating. This will appeal more to those who enjoy romance, but other fantasy fans are likely to enjoy this novel, as well.

Bishop's imaginary world of Ephemera is full of beauty and horror. With a few touches of needed humor, she presents an adventure unlike any you have ever experienced.

I highly recommend reading SEBASTIAN first. Sebastian (Ephemera)

Reviewed by Christina Wantz Fixemer
04/02/2007

4.5-Books on WUAT = 5-Stars on Amazon