Isis Rising

This book was first published in 1993. I just read it for the first time in 2005. Better late than never! I thought the first book in the series, 'Return to Isis,' was good, but this one is much better. Whit and Kali have convinced the council to let them rebuild Isis. As they start to make this happen, the council appoints three new leaders to ensure their success. Tensions (sexual, power struggles, revenge) build throughout the book until the dam breaks, but I won't hint to the conclusion. If you like science fiction and lesbians, you'll like this book. If you don't care for science fiction, you'll still like it. The SF isn't overly done, it just provides a setting for the story. Highly recommended. I'm looking forward to reading the third book, 'Warriors of Isis,' this weekend.

The women of Freeland are back in a stirring sequel to Jean Stewart's wonderful book, Return To Isis. It is now time to rebuild the devastated city of Isis. Along with a host of new characters, Whit and Kali work to rebuild what was lost. But there is trouble brewing in Freeland as old demons from the past resurface in the budding colony of Isis. From small mishaps to major tragedies things are going wrong and there seems to be no explanation as to why. Whit, Kali, and their friends must solve the mystery if they are ever to build the city of their dreams. It is a struggle right from the start and it just gets worse as time goes on. But amidst all the turmoil the reader is allowed to watch the love between Whit and Kali grow and deepen as the two mature and find their true place in the world. As was the first book, this is a love story posing as a sci-fi novel. All the action takes the focus off the underlying truths about love. As you read this book you will be caught up in the action, you're heartbeat will quicken, but you will have an inexplicable warm and fuzzy feeling deep inside! Jean Stewart combines action and warmth here with such skill and finesse. She is a master of the craft and I, for one, hope she never stops writing!

This book, the sequel to Return to Isis, is not as good as the first, but that could be due to the fact that the characters are already familiar. There's none of the drama of the first book of discovering who these people are, unless you count the villain who shows up in this book and you don't see enough of her to get a feel for her except for pure evil. The third book in the series probably has the excitement as Kali has to deal with the villain and Whit has to deal with that. There is some development of other characters, so this very much has the feel of a transition piece. It seems as if this was a two book idea that got divided into three. The story is interesting though and has the comfort of familiar figures and watching them develop. Like any series, you have to read it to understand where the next one is going.

This book, the sequel to Return to Isis, is not as good as the first, but that could be due to the fact that the characters are already familiar. There's none of the drama of the first book of discovering who these people are, unless you count the villain who shows up in this book and you don't see enough of her to get a feel for her except for pure evil. The third book in the series probably has the excitement as Kali has to deal with the victim and Whit has to deal with that. There is some development of other characters, so this very much has the feel of a transition piece. It seems as if this was a two book idea that got divided into three. The story is interesting though and has the comfort of familiar figures and watching them develop. Like any series, you have to read it to understand where the next one is going.

A must have if you're into sci-fi. It continues the adventures of Kali and Whit as they rebuild the destroyed city of Isis. As they discover more of Kali's past there is one who already knows it and is determined to distroy them for a price. Both spiritual and sci-fi, the Isis series flows with Jean's writing. (This is the sequel to "Return to Isis")