Banner of Souls (Mass Market Paperback)

by Liz Williams (Author)
Key Phrases: crater plain, haunt engine, hito bashira, Dreams of War, Knowledge of Pain, Embar Khair (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Williams's (Nine Layers of Sky) talent for intricately moody world-building may have taken her a bit too far in this postapocalyptic vision of the struggle to preserve what is human. In the far future, when the only males are dangerous "men-remnants" hunted by Martian warriors, and women are not born but made, what counts as human is far different from what we would think today. On the planet Nightshade, a mysterious clan of humans has joined with aliens to become stranger still. The women of Earth and Mars mainly know of the sinister doings on Nightshade through the use of "haunt-tech"—powerful objects possessed by spirits of the dead. While Lunae, an Earth girl with special gifts, tries to manipulate time and save humanity from an unnamed threat, an experimental woman, Yskatarina Iye, is sent from Nightshade to destroy her and the warrior Dreams-of-War sets out from Mars to protect her. Within this universe there are a great many grand, creepy creations, such as weather-controlling Dragon Kings and the murderous scissor-women. Readers who aren't put off by the mind-bending oddness of Williams's universe will find themselves rapidly flipping the pages, though they may feel let down by the decidedly convenient ending.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Martian warrior Dreams-of-War is sent by her Matriarchy to protect Lunae, a child on Earth. As she matures--and because she is a made-person, she matures terribly fast-- Lunae becomes ever more curious about her ability to move outside of time and what it means that she is to be a woman-who-holds-back-the-flood. As her curiosity becomes dangerous, the Grandmothers send her north to hide from the Kami, spirits who possess human bodies and fear what Lunae is to be. Meanwhile, Yskaterina Iye is sent by her aunt, Elaki, to kill Lunae and destroy the Matriarchy's power. This intrigue is linked to haunt-tech, which is powered by spirits, and the Kami. Finally freed from Elaki's influence, Yskaterina has her own agenda and proceeds to destroy the Matriarchy for her benefit rather than Elaki's. Lunae, at last realizing what her ability to move through time can do, sets out to keep Yskaterina from destroying everything humanity has left. The world Williams has created is endowed with great depth and a satisfyingly inventive history. Regina Schroeder
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Spectra (September 28, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553586769
• ISBN-13: 978-0553586763
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 3.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #694,995 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars For those who delight in the truly strange..., May 1, 2005

By	Nicole Lowery (WI) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

In this future world men are all but gone and the main characters are women -- and that is one of the least noteworthy things in a truly strange book. The settings span from the harsh landscape of Mars to the tiny pocket left of Earth to the nightmare depths of the galaxy. The stakes are no less than the fate of humanity. The characters are human, yet clearly alien. Her gothic themes are offset, however, by Williams's clear (and excellent) prose. Unlike most gothic fiction, there is no lugubrious writing -- or worse, language so dense (or just bad) that you can't even tell what is happening. If you like richly imagined science fiction by someone who knows how to write, pick up this book.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars powerful but bleak futuristic sci fi , September 29, 2004

By	Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews (#1 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

In the far distant future, the surface of Earth is almost totally destroyed with most of the remaining survivors living under the sea. Mars is thriving, but few men live there and these are considered freaks. Women rule with an iron hand. Most people on Mars believe they are the mother planet and earth is the colony.

Martian warrior Dreams-of- War is sent to earth to guard a special child Lunae, who has the ability to shift through time. Yskaterina of Nightworld on the edge of the galaxy is sent to kill the child. The Kami scientists, who were able to separate mind from body, want human hosts so that they can explore the physical realm again. Lunae tries to stop them while Dreams-of War and Yskaterina fight to the death over the only person who can save humanity in the war that might be coming.

In BANNER OF SOULS earth is a bleak place with no hope for much of a future while Mars feels optimistic about is outlook. There are various subplots that add complexity to the tale and at times make it difficult to follow, but each one enhances the prime theme as they seamlessly merge into the story line. The characters are incredible as they are believable products of their environment coming from varying societies so that though the reader may not understand motivations, we can comprehend that consistency of each key player as decisions are made from a respective societal values' set. Futuristic sci fi fans will appreciate this powerful novel.

Harriet Klausner

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars best sci-fi I've read in a long time, July 21, 2005

By	Megan N. Woodrum "quiet bookworm" (Ohio, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is one of the best books in general I've read in a very long time. It's hard to find original fantasy or science fiction anymore, but this book is not only original, it's deeply engrossing. There are so many small details that make this book more than just a good story, including the slightly Asian flavor. The characters are brilliant and vivid; even now, months later, they're still stuck in my mind. This is a brilliant gem of a novel.