Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
One of the better sci-fi/fantasy/romance novels I've seen in a while!, May 30, 2006
This review is from: The Compass Rose (Paperback)
I'll tell you the truth. At first I was very hesitant to start this book. I was slightly intimidated by what I had heard from some of the other reviews listed at Amazon. Luckily I was never one to follow the so called "crowd" and I picked up this fabulous book!
I will say that this book is not for everyone. If you like only romance I would not read this book, if you like only sci-fi/fantasy I would not read this book. However, if you are like me and enjoy a skillful melding of both then I highly recommend this book.
The world building is fabulous! Gail Dayton builds a world that is unique and without flaw. The only thing that keeps this book from a full 5 stars is that some problems were resolved too quickly. Dramatic tension was not allowed time to build and turn into those full-blown awkward and near-impossible situations that allow readers to stay on the edge of their seat as the hero (or in this case heroine) just nearly escape with the expected bumps and bruises and either piece of mind or a new understanding of themselves.
Otherwise though, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and look forward to reading the sequel. :)
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
New concepts in sci-fi- romance, but too little dimension, June 13, 2005
This review is from: The Compass Rose (Paperback)
This was a new writer with a new world...Arikon is the land of peace and Tibre is the land of evil. A naitan (say magician, witch, what have you) discovers she has even more power than has ever been thought possible. Kallista's power is there to conquer evil...except she will need more power to do what she is destined to do. The One (the supreme power) sends companions to Kallista. Each one does not have magic until they meet Kallista. She ignites their powers, tying all six members of the band together with devotion, power and sex. They must then set out to find and destroy the demon that is holding power over Tibre.
I especially liked...
Gail Dayton eagerly allowed a female dominant society to flower. The intertwining of family and power was depicted nicely.
I didn't like...
This land was two dimensional. Good was good, evil was evil. Shades of grey were few and far between. This is her first work for Luna. I'm hoping that new depth to characters and plots will develop in the future.
I would read a sequel, and the final chapter clearly sets up the next adventure.
I'll recommend this Book because...
A new twist in the Sci-Fi world. A story clearly aimed at the female audience, with its focus on family and relationships. I enjoyed that part of it.
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Satisfying new fantasy, March 18, 2005
This review is from: The Compass Rose (Paperback)
I really enjoyed this book. I won't go into a synopsis of the story here because others have already done a pretty good job of that. I will say, however, that this is a writer who knows what she is doing. Her prose is well-crafted, her point-of-view work excellent, and her worldbuilding very well thought out. At no point in the story did she leave me in any doubt that I was in the hands of an expert. Her take on magic is interesting, and while somewhat similar to other magic systems, has enough little quirks and tweaks that give it its own unique flair. Her portrayal of two opposing cultures with their similarities and differences is intriguing and fun, since we get to view it through the eyes of one or more members of each culture. We also get to watch people from both of the opposing cultures come together in growing harmony, which is refreshing in and of itself as it shows that things are not always as simple as "us" against "them".
She has a gift for showing (not merely telling) the subtle nuances of relationships. I love the fact that she was not only willing to explore the polygamy and polyamoury angle, but she did it extremely well. Adara sounds like a very sensible place to live and love. The relationships between Kallista, her husbands and sister-wife are very well done and you see them grow and change over the course of the story even while they're on a dangerous mission to destroy a warmongering demon who has taken over the King of Tibre. Bravo! I look forward to additional books in the series, and may I just say...thank you, Ms. Dayton. It's about time someone wrote a fantasy with this sort of background and did it this well!
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