Sebastian - A Review

Sebastian by Anne Bishop - A Review

Since I really love Anne Bishop’s wonderful characterization, as well as her amazing creations of different fantasy worlds, I started reading her Ephemera series. The first book was Sebastian, with Belladonna the second book. The third book of this series “Bridges of Dreams” was released last week.

Bishop has a wonderful imagination, and in each of her series, Black Jewels, Tir Alainn and Ephemera, she creates complex and different worlds. Each one of these series is totally different. Anne also has a wonderful way of creating characters you become so endeared to. Ephemera is no different, as we will meet Sebastian, then Belladonna, and then in Bridge of Dreams, we spend time with Lee.

Sebastian started a bit slow for me, but mostly because this was a completely different world, though most of what Bishop does is different; this was way different then previously. I did like some of the characters she was introducing, but was not crazy about the villain, Eater of the World. Maybe because the villain represents many vicious types of bugs or whatever, and I hate bugs. Lol so this creeped me out a bit.

The world of Ephemera is divided into many different landscapes, mostly small and disconnected from each other. There are bridges that connect some of the places, all by the discretion of the Landscaper who builds them. The landscapes in Ephemera are driven by the hearts of the people who live there. Needless to say, some are the good side..light, and others are dark. The Eater of the World, had been locked in one landscape for centuries, and now has escaped to begin his dark deeds to capture and destroy all of Ephemera.

Sebastian is the hero of this book, but the main heroine is Glorianna Belladonna, who is a rogue landscaper, but the most powerful of her kind. She is the only one who could possibly beat the dark, as she is pure good and truly the heart of Ephemera. The wizards are portrayed as bad, since they want to destroy Glorianna, as they are afraid of her powers. Sebastian is her cousin, and he is an incubus, who lives in a demon landscape made by Glorianna for him and those like him. They are not bad, just demons who need a place for themselves. But Sebastian, finds his true love…Lynnea and begins to change, and realize his own powers.

Though the story was slow a bit early on, with all the confusing landscapes, and meeting all the characters, as well as seeing how bad this monster was. The last half of the book was so much better. I really enjoyed Sebastian’s romance with Lynnea, loved his relationships with his family (Nadia, Lee and Glorianna), his friendships (Teaser, Philo) in his landscape (Den of Iniquity), who they became dependent on him as their leader. It was a good story with an exciting ending. I really did enjoy this great ending.

I look forward to reading Belladonna, because Glorianna is a great character, which Bishop does so well in all her books.

Barb