That was excruciating.After about page 120, I started skimming. The further in, the more lightly I skimmed, and yet it still felt interminable.Morris is a competent writer. I've read books by people with less skill at stringing words together. But the content...the content.I was reminded of John Norman's Gor books, and not just because this book also concerned itself with women being bound and humiliated. Like Norman, Morris has over-stuffed the book with world-building. In my own writing, I am ...

Her heritage is stronger than her love. In this second volume, Silistra is learning of her powers and her most distant past. The beautiful courtesan who can unleash the power of he gods faces terrible dilemmas and questions in her demanding, challenging life, while action never slacks, never slows its pace, leaving us readers as breathless and craving as the characters, addicted to the happenings.

Call it what you like: science fiction, space opera, sword and planet or erotic fantasy . . . The Golden Sword is all these things, and so much more. A highly intelligent and sensual novel filled with ideas and revelations, this is a gripping story that explores human sexuality and the role it plays in politics. Although the memorable characters are bisexual, toss away all your preconceived notions, for there is a humanity, a strength of will and determination, a realism and depth of emotion to ...

THE GOLDEN SWORD is the second book in the SIlistra Quartet. Having read the first book, THE HIGH COUCH OF SILISTRA, I was thrilled to meet the heroine, Estri, and have her adventurous, fun character revealed to me anew. Telling her story, she has a unique way of forging her volunrability and misfortune into strength. “I had found myself, naked but for cloak and chald, upon my back in the Parset desert, looking up at the constellations of the night sky of Silistra.”Told by Estri herself, this is...

The Golden Sword continues the exploration of moral dilemmas in a world populated by people whose philosophies and beliefs are very different to our own. A place where society's main focus is on the restoration of their race's genetic vitality and exuberance.Reenter Estri - High Couch of Silistra. Having completed the "chaledra of the mother" - a journey to find her godlike father - Estri returns to Silistra under very different circumstances than when she left. At a whim - it would seem - she h...

High Couch of Silistra (The Silistra Quartet Book...
Janet Morris

Pure excellence.

High Couch of Silistra unfolds revealing a complex and visionary story to grasp any enquiring mind, whilst turning these pages of pure genius. The historical and mythical details created by the author thoroughly tease the imagination of the reader. Without doubt, the works of Morris are to be taken, held and captured as nothing more than great literature.

A heroic quest of this highest calibre.

I am deeply tempted to simply write, five stars, place a period, no, an exclamation mark after the word “stars”, and thusly be finished with my review. Tempted, yes, but I won’t do that. Not just yet. Let me put two questions to you, dear reader(s):1. Is there anything I can say in this review, that would dissuade you to not buy this book, if you have already decided to buy the book?2. Conversely, is there anything I could possibly say in this review, to persuade you to buy this book, if you had...

The Golden SwordLet me start by saying this is the SECOND book in the SIlistra Quartet – and it helps to have read the earlier book, although I think you could get by without it.The action starts immediately, and thus some prior knowledge of the world and the main character is useful. That said The world building, like Janet Morris’s other books is superb and there is a helpful glossary at the back for the unfamiliar alien terms. When Morris creates a world she doesn’t hold back and this darkly ...

15

The second in the series about the future courtesan. Not really my cup of tea, although I liked the first one in the series OK. I didn't read anymore in this series after this book 2, but I have very much enjoyed much of Morris's other work.