Sebastian

`Sebastian' is the first book I have read from Anne Bishop, and I must say her writing style and imagery are excellent. This book was an enjoyable read with a deep message. On the surface `Sebastian' is a novel about a world- Emphera- that has been divided by the emptiness and negative emotions of people. The main character, Sebastian, is an Incubus and powerful Justice Maker. He is in charge of a town called the Den of Iniquity and is the cousin of the most powerful Landscaper in all of history, Glorianna Belladonna. Through the character of Sebastian, and later on through Lyenna a young woman who wanders into The Den and catches the attention of its caretaker, we see how Emphera is lead to the brink of war against the evil power of the Eater of the World. However, when we dig a bit below the surface, the novel reveals the truth about the affects people have on the world around them. In the land of Emphara, a person's emotions can alter the reality of their land- they can change it knowingly or unknowingly. If people can change, the world can change; this is the general thrust of the novel and it is beautifully executed in the characters of Sebastian and Lyenna. They both give up a part of themselves in order to save those they love and reveal to the audience that true love conquers over all obstacles and blind to prejudices.

Sometimes an author gets it absolutely, wonderfully right. Anne Bishop's Sebastian is one of those stories that will resonate with you long after you finish reading and leave you with the feeling that alternate universes must exist because Ephemera is real. Ephemera is an amazing example of world building. In Ephemera's distant past, the Landscaper's won a terrible war between the Light and Dark; sealing away It, the Eater of the World. Creating the magic to bind evil in It's prison fractured Ephemera. The Landscapers and their companion Bridges build the links that allow the splintered landscapes access to each other. All beings need a home so the young Glorianna creates the Den of Iniquity, a Dark Landscape as a place for her cousin Sebastian, who is a half-incubus demon. Sebastian is the anchor for the Den of Iniquity and his growth and romance with Lynnea, a young human, is the theme that drives the book's title. One of the interesting things about this book is that the heroine isn't the love interest. Glorianna Belladonna, the strong female lead, is Sebastian's cousin. Glorianna's story is as important in this book as Sebastian's is. The interplay between the two characters is central to creating this fantasy world. However, Bishop skillfully weaves other important story arcs into a whole as complex as a medieval tapestry. The Eater of the World and Its landscapes are horrific and there is human greed and evil enough for It to grow strong. The insidious nature of despair and its origins within our minds is creepy. Bishop balances these Dark themes with the stories of several of the secondary characters and with the effects of kindness in the world. The secondary characters delight and you will want to know more about many of them. Bishop draws some of them with a very humorous pen; others are more serious. You will want to see most of them again but a few may haunt your nightmares. Teaser, another incubus and Sebastian's best friend, is a delight as are Nadia and Jeb. The ending leaves you with a strong need to know what happens next but isn't a cliffhanger. You could walk away from this book satisfied with a remarkable tale, but you will eagerly await the next installment. I thank you, Ms. Bishop for a creating a heart's delight.

After reading the House of Gaian Trilogy, I was loathe to pick up Sebastian, worried that it might turn out similar. I was thrilled to find out that Sebastian is completely unlike the House of Gaian, and far more similar to Bishop's first trilogy, Black Jewels. Sebastian is the story of Ephemera, a luscious, complex, fully-formed world that pulls you in and refuses to release you. The Eater of the World has been inadvertently released back into the landscapes by the hot-headed Landscaper, Nigelle. It quickly begins Its quest to suck Ephemera's landscapes of all hope and Light, leaving them deserted and desolate wastelands. The only person who can stop It is the Landscaper Glorianna, called Belladonna, and her cousin the incubus Sebastian. But Glorianna is supposed to be walled into a garden, and Sebastian is probably too concerned with Lynnea, the sweet country girl he just met, to care. The first thing you will think when you open Sebastian is "What the hell?" The narration plunges you headfirst into the thick of the story, not stopping to explain the nature of Ephemera's worlds and power structure. Although this could be detrimental to the story, it turns out to be quite the perk. Piecing together the way Ephemera functions is half the fun in this story. What I loved most about this story is that it is the first of all Anne Bishop's story that is more than just fantasy, action, adventure, and romance. This story has a message. When you strip away all the trappings of a fantasy story, Sebastian, and hopefully its sequel Ephemera, is a story about the human heart and the effect that it has on the world around it. Even though, in our world, squabbling teenage girls won't cause rocks to drop from the sky, their attitudes have an obvious effect on the people around you. The Landscaper's greeting and farewell "Travel lightly" should mean as much to the reader as it means to the characters. Be careful of what baggage you carry in your heart, because that baggage will effect the people and world around you.

I got this book the day it came out and I loved it. Sebastian is a great character. This book is as original as the Dark Jewels Trilogy is. It seemed to merge the ideas of dark jewels and her witch series. It is not as dark or as erotic as her dark jewels trilogy but it is well thought out, has great characters, and is richlly detailed. Once again she brings us soem very intersting stories and leaves us waiting for more! I can't wait for the next one in this new series of hers!