Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting premise undermined by annoying characters., July 12, 2004
This review is from: Hades' Daughter (The Troy Game #1) (Mass Market Paperback)
I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, I liked it enough to finish it and to probably read the next volume in the trilogy. On the other hand, there were times that I couldn't wait to be done with it and move on to something better. I'll not summarize the plot here, except to say that "Hades' Daughter" is a historical fantasy built around the relationship of three antagonistic major characters and one villain. The three antagonists also form a romantic triangle, of sorts. The heroine has a love/hate relationship with the hero, who is in love with the third. There are enough hints given by Douglass that the hero and heroine really should be together, but one or the other always manages to say or do the wrong thing and make the other mad. At times, reading the book was like watching a soap opera where you want to figuratively bash the lead characters over the head because they're making so many dumb mistakes. Frankly, I didn't find any of the three major characters particularly likeable. Brutus, the hero, is best described by his name--brutal. He conquers the heroine's father's kingdom, forces her into marriage and rapes her, and then obsesses about another woman. Why Cornelia, the heroine, would ever care about him is beyond me, but she does. Genvissa, her rival, is manipulative and power-hungary. There were other minor characters that were more likable, but for me, the unpleasantness of the main characters destroyed much of the book's pleasure. That's a shame, because in many ways I like the way Douglass writes. She has the ability write long, involving stories with interesting motifs. The idea of magical mazes underlying cities is an intriguing one, for example, and Douglass can move a narrative along with good descriptions. I also liked the idea of the same characters interacting again and again in different lives. In the end, I'll probably read the next volume, but I'll wait for the paperback.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
25 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
"Des" Troy Game, June 9, 2003
Luckily, I listened to this book while I exercised rather than read it and found that Douglass's straightforward uncomplicated literary style directly complimented the mindless activity I strove to accomplish. This is not to say that I thought the book uninteresting or boring in any way. On the contrary, the storyline moves along, albeit the pre-historical plotline jars pathetically with the author's modern jargon leaving the reader no choice but to roll one's eyes upward in utter amazement at the blatant inconsistency. In a nutshell, the plot revolves around a somewhat undefined 'game' at which a labyrinth plays an integral part in protecting the city in which it is located. With the anger of a spurned woman, Ariadne of Crete beseiges her half-man half-bull brother Asterion to teach her the dark ways that will help her destroy the power of the labyrinth after Theseus throws her over for her younger sister. Of course, as mistress of the labyrinth, she leaves a backdoor for herself and her female progeny--a way in which to recreate the game in a future time and reclaim her power. Approximately 100 years later, Ariadne's heir Genvesa is all but ready, however she needs a King man to help her dance the mystical powers of the game back into being and forever trap Asterion in the center of the maze. Trojan Brutus, adept at the game, is her man and through a series of ploys and adventures, Genvesa lures him from Greece to the misty land of Albion--the southern portion of the British Isles. One crucial problem arises to snag Genvesa's plans when Brutus impulsively takes Cornelia, the daughter of a conquered king, as his wife and drags her along on his quest for the promised land of New Troy. In Albion, Genvesa has all but destroyed the old god and goddess that ruled the island. When the Albion mother goddess, Mag, Genvesa's chief foe, hides within Cornelia, Genvesa's plans to reconstruct the game are almost permanently foiled. As you can imagine, this tale is long and fraught with the machinations of all characters who seek either self-preservation or the heady power of pure domination. Douglass cleverly combines many myths to support her premise and to bring alive the baser natures of her creations. However trite, there is sex, gore and raw emotion galore, so much so that I found myself wincing with disgust at many of the too descriptive passages enlightening the reader to scenes of birth, death and utter savagery. The characters seem to be intentionally crafted as archetypes like the gods and goddesses of ancient Greece rather than real fleshed out personas. Brutus lives only for the power of kingship and possession of Genvesa. Cornelia, raped and torn from her family and country, somehow improbably forgets her grief and yearns for love from her brutal husband. Genvesa connives with a hallowe'en witch's malevolence while the rest of the cast are simply not finely drawn enough to not be categorized as either good or evil. All characters are either blighted with trite dialogue or overly long-winded emotional explosions. Bottom line: While the story will keep your attention, none of the characters are subtle enough to capture your emotions; they are stylized shadows which at times fail to elicit much response other than a shrug and a turn of the page. The literary style fails to recreate a feel for ancient times, rather it attributes modern day sensibilities to otherwise primordial savages. I don't know if I will read the second volume of this trilogy unless I could again listen to it while I engaged in something physically challenging.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Slow start to a great series, June 17, 2005
This review is from: Hades' Daughter (The Troy Game #1) (Mass Market Paperback)
The Troy Game as a series is phenomenal - the next two books are just amazing and well worth getting through this one for.
Not that this book is "bad". I'd say that the second quarter is where it drags...right about where it focuses on the Trojan fleet, the early descriptions of the place they landed on, and a huge focus on Brutus, one of the most unlikeable characters I've ever read about. The book quickly escalates, though, introducing well-written characters...characters who are not exactly likeable. Sure, there's a few that you'll root for, but the central three characters - Brutus, Genvissa, and Cornelia - are just not Good people. Brutus and Genvissa for obvious reasons - He's violent, selfish, and abusive to everyone around him, and She's trying to destroy her very land for her own ambitions. Cornelia, however, isn't doing anything wrong...she just lacks a backbone like nobody else I have ever heard about/read about/seen, and the way she keeps flinging herself at Brutus's feet, even after the terrible things he does to her...it just gets me angry when I read about it.
The book ends on a high note, though - a wonderfully bloody ending that's both incredibly satisfying, depressing, and disturbing...giving us a glimpse of what's in store in the next two volumes.
This book (and the series as a whole) is full of violence, terrible deeds, and unlikeable characters...that slowly begin to redeem themselves as time goes on. There's no other series I have ever read that's quite like the Troy Game...spanning thousands of years of our real-world history, full of characters that are extemely well-written and events that continue to surprise you. It's far, far more dark and depressing than any other fantasy series I have read, and it's not for everybody. But if you like to feel anger when you read, if you can stomach having terrible things happen to characters you love, and if you can live with endings that are anything but happy...then this series is for you.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
