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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gaea by Robina Williams - A Must Read!, August 12, 2010
This review is from: Gaea (Paperback)
I was very interested to see what this book had to offer. It is a fun, easy read with a very strong environmental theme ~ that doesn't beat you over the head. I like the detailed descriptions of some of the things that Man is doing to the planet for which there are other, less damaging options ~ if only we humans would take heed of them.
The characters were very personable and fun to follow along with. The Earth Goddess, Gaea (Mother Earth) is quite outspoken in her need to make humans sit up and take notice of what they're doing to HER. She is quite funny at times with her temper and sarcastic wit. My favorites were the poor Friars who were being teased mercilessly by Quant - a seraph who masqueraded as their pet cat Leo. The Friars are trying to become more green and are learning to care for a garden and be self-sufficient where possible. (While trying to explain the strange sightings of a disappearing/re-appearing cat..)
I applaud the explanations and interweaving tales of the gods and goddesses, the Titans, the Christians, and the Lord. The author plyed her words in such away that anyone can receive the important message of this book while still enjoying a truly lovely story. It is a very readable book that covers the issues of ecology, faith, spirituality, myths, and history all at once.
Gaea's discussions with legends such as Poseidon and Triton were humourous and informational. The friendship between her and the seraph Quant is very warm, especially since she knows the Lord has sent him to keep an eye on her. When she and Quant had a "meeting" with the Almighty Creator, he shows her his love for all of his creations, including the pesky humans and admonishes her that HE is the only one who owns and dispences vengeance.
This is the 3rd book in Ms. Williams' Quantam Cat series. I'm looking forward to reading the others: Jerome and the Seraph and Angelos (Quantum Cat) as soon as I can. I'm happy to have discovered this wonderful author.
I HIGHLY recommend this book to all. I do believe there is a message for everyone residing in its pages.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Well-done novel, July 30, 2010
This review is from: Gaea (Paperback)
Third in a series, this fantasy novel is about Quant, a house cat who can cross between physical dimensions (and do a lot more than that).
Gaea (Mother Earth) has had it with mankind's wanton destruction of her resources, including plants and animals. After being physically attacked by a man, and left in a ditch, Gaea is ready to wipe mankind off the map. Quant, now in the form of a humanoid seraph, takes Gaea to visit God, the Lord of All (the Big Boss). God allows Gaea to warn mankind, or otherwise kick him in the rear end, but if there is any vengeance or smiting to be done, He will do it (and no one else). The pair gather a few friends, including Briareos (with fifty heads and one hundred arms), Cerberus, the three-headed Hell Hound, Demeter, Zeus and Triton, to see if they can change mankind's thinking.
Meantime, the brothers at a rural friary are entering the world of green living on the orders of their leader, Brother Polycarp. Their initial reaction is reluctant, at best, but they soon get into the spirit of starting a vegetable garden, baking with fruit from their own orchard, and occasionally walking instead of always taking the car. Quant uses them as an example to Gaea that some humans are trying to live the right way.
When those giant factory fishing vessels, with the nets that destroy the ocean floor, are at sea and about to deploy their nets, they are suddenly best by huge storms that come out of nowhere. They speed back to port to try again tomorrow. The same thing happens time after time; clear skies instantly turn stormy. The sonar systems on all submarines suddenly and permanently malfunction, for no apparent reason. Large parts of the world experience bizarre weather patterns, like dust storms and snow in summer, while those that are living in harmony with nature, like the friary, experience beautiful weather. Does mankind start to get the idea? Does he realize that using the resources of Earth in moderation is actually a good idea?
This is a really well-done novel with a strong, but not overdone, environmental message. The next time you litter or waste resources, just think, Gaea is watching.
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3.0 out of 5 stars
Repetitive and preachy, May 24, 2011
While I enjoyed the first two Quantum Cat books very much, and found them an easy and enjoyable read, I felt I was being hit over the head with an environmental message that kept repeating. While I expected an environmental message based on the description, I felt that Robina got a little too preachy for a book that is supposed to be entertainment, not a treatise on the ways in which mankind is abusing the planet.
What I didn't like: 1) The complaints by Gaea against Man were repeated enough to be preachy. 2) The first part of the story which dealt with plans for life on a new planet, seemed to have very little to do with the main story. Most of it could have been left out. 3) For me, the story seemed to drag. There were too many descriptions of nectar sipping and honey cake-eating.
What I liked: 1) When Gaea is visiting some of her family of gods, Robina wisely chose to NOT repeat everything. She just told us that Gaea repeated the story to whomever. 2) I still enjoy the idea that the ancient gods and goddesses are real, yet subject to the Almighty Lord; that they are still alive and well, just hidden from our sight most of the time. 3) The notes at the end are, once again, helpful and informative. 4) I enjoyed the revelations regarding Quant, as Robina peels back the layers of mystery.
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