Belladonna (Ephemera, Book 2)

by Anne Bishop

Paperback, 2008

Status

Available

Call number

813

Series

The Ephemera Series (2)

Genres

Publication

Roc (2008), Paperback, 464 pages

Description

Anne Bishop's "erotic, fervently romantic, [and] superbly entertaining" (Booklist) novel Sebastian introduced readers to the realm of Ephemera. Now, the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author continues her tale of light and darkness... The Eater of the World is casting its shadow over the landscapes of Ephemera, tainting people's souls with doubts and fears. Only Glorianna Belladonna possesses the ability to thwart the Eater--but she is not alone. In dreams, a call has traveled beyond the Landscapes--"Heart's hope lies within Belladonna"--and reached Michael, a man with mysterious powers of his own. Together, they may offer Ephemera the very hope it needs.

User reviews

LibraryThing member surreality

Plot: Two main plotlines that stay separate for most of the book and are brought together in a bit of a hurry at the end. The story never really moves, and the climax is quite predictable. The second plotline would be interesting in a later book in a series, but not in the second half of a duology.

Some earlier plots from Sebastian are wrapped up in a hurry and not developed anymore.

Characters: A new set is introduced, and none of them truly add anything that wasn't there before. The old characters get some development, but it is shoved into your face in most cases. There's a distinct lack of a truly likable character.

Style: The writing doesn't draw you in and generally feels very perfunctory. It's easy to skip a page here and there and to skim across others, since there's too much description at times and dialogue can be drawn-out. Again, phrases get repeated to a point where they become tedious.

Plus: A reasonably good ending to the story. Occasional good scenes.

Minus: The worldbuilding isn't well done at all. Stereotypical romance, flat characters.

Summary: It doesn't truly add much to Sebastian and doesn't have to be read, even though it is the second part of this duology. I'm reluctant to call books boring, but this one would qualify.

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LibraryThing member Eilantha_Le_Fay

Sometimes this book was amazing, sometimes it was too long. Maybe because I read it right after Sebastian and had payed so much attention to the «rules» of Ephemera that I didn’t need to read about them all over again. Maybe that stuff was written to appease some skeptical readers, but to me

was quite unnecessary. I don’t ask many questions about fantastic worlds, I don’t try to make them more «real». What would be the fun in that?

That said, this book is about love. While the others always had a strong sexual component, I find this one sweet and romantic in a way that almost drove me to tears. Still tracing a parallel with certain characteristics from the Black Jewels trilogy, these new characters have become new friends of mine in a glimpse. That’s Anne Bishop just for you.

«Travel lightly.»

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LibraryThing member SunnySD

Although she's strongly backed by her family in her fight against the Evil One, Glorianna Belladonna is alone. Only she can stop It, and she knows and fears the sacrifice necessary to do so.

When a stranger offers her a chance for happiness, will she be strong enough to walk away? And will he be

strong enough to let her?

The conclusion to the Ephemera series is... a bit ephemeral. I didn't find either book as engrossing as Bishop's Black Jewel series. It's not quite as sharply drawn and the characters aren't as developed. Still, it makes for an enjoyable few hours escape from reality.

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LibraryThing member cherrymischievous

Fast-paced page-turner. The storytelling quality is very compelling, a 5 out of 5. Anne Bishop is one of those rare story tellers who draws you away and run away with you that you forget the time. You forget to eat. She draws a reader in so deeply that you can feel and hear the vibration as the

demon motorcycles go by... World building is incredible, a 4.5 out of 5. I imagined that it would be difficult to convince readers to believe in a world of shifting geography. I scoffed when I first encountered it. So it tells of the author's story telling skills that she has somehow managed not only to pull it off, but sell the book to boot! I'd give the "suspension of disbelief" a 4.5 out of 5. Character development? Is a 5 out of 5. Anne Bishop gives us characters who lingers on a reader's mind long after the book was read. This book being the second book in a duology, is best appreciated if the first book is read first. Overall Rating: 5 out of 5

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LibraryThing member LisaMaria_C

Belladona is the sequel and conclusion to Sebastian, which should be read first. I do love Anne Bishop's Black Jewels series--I could find fault with them, sure, but they featured characters and a world I love to return to, and I've read those books more than once with pleasure. The two Ephemera

books just don't rise to that level--I can't see ever rereading them.

The world-building is wonderful, and in that regard matches or surpasses in imagination the Black Jewels novels with its shifting landscapes that resonate with your soul. As with Black Jewels I like the ways that Bishop plays with concepts of good and evil, light and dark in unexpected and creative ways.

I think part of the problem for me is that Sebastian is too reminiscent of Black Jewels' Daemon and Belladona of that series' Jaenelle, but neither feel as fresh or as engaging or as well-developed. That said, I enjoyed both books, and I think this is the stronger of the two.

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LibraryThing member wagner.sarah35

A gripping sequel to Sebastian, Anne Bishop continues the story of the characters who inhabit Ephemera, a fantasy land where the land reflects the hearts of those who influence it. The powerful Landscaper Glorianna Belladonna, cast out during her training from her fellow Landscapers, struggles with

her mission to cast out the Eater of the World and to protect the places of Light. She finds help from her family and from two siblings who find their way into Glorianna's landscapes. With her signature style, Anne Bishop creates a fun read full of emotion.

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LibraryThing member hoosgracie

This is the second book in this highly enjoyable series about a world of separate landscapes of light and dark. This title features Belladonna, who is a guide of the heart and the man of her dreams (literally), Michael.

LibraryThing member amf0001

I understand the theme, purity wants to be pure without any evil in it, but reality is the tao, with both good and evil having energy and balancing each other out. However the writing is so heavy handed and predictable, and there is no tension in the book (you know Belladonna will win out, there is

no doubt in my mind, and thus no fear or even interest) I read 80 or so pages but haven't finished, and my return it to the library unfinished, because I've picked up 2 other books in the interim, which is always a bad sign.
So, intense world building, but not great writing, weak plot and not very exciting characters. I give it 2.5 stars.

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LibraryThing member JanaRose1

The eater of the world has killed most of the landscapers and bridges, leaving the world unstable and subject to the whims of human desire. Belladonna, a rogue landscaper may be the only one who can save Ephemera and prevent the darker side of the human heart from taking over.

This is the second

time I've read this book and it was much better than I remembered. Anne Bishop is a wonderful story teller. Her characters are fascinating and lovable. Overall, this book was a home run.

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LibraryThing member jshillingford

I truly enjoyed Sebastian (Ephemera, Book 1), but forgot about this sequel since it came out a year after I finished book one. I finally picked it up and found it to be just as good, and I'm sorry I waited so long to read it. Though another book is expected, Bridge of Dreams in March 2012, this

book provides enough closure that the series could end here (but I am glad it doesn't!).

A few reviewers felt that Sebastian was more paranormal romance than fantasy. I disagreed. However, I do feel that this sequel does fall more firmly into that genre. And it is extremely well done, with a richly detailed plot and world-building that the genre sometimes lacks. Paranormal romance can be more than vampires and werewolves, as exemplified here. Belladonna knows that she alone must fight the Eater of the World. Yet, her heart longs for love and companionship. What happens when Ephemera manifests her heart's desire right before she may die to save her world? The aspect I enjoyed most about this series is the strong family Bishop has created with Belladonna, her cousin Sebastian, her brother Lee and her strong-willed mother Nadia. They are so alive and real that I was caught up in their lives, and the fantasy and magic was just a bonus. Each character is well defined, and the extended supporting characters add to the fullness. The world-building is expanded upon, as Belladonna discovers parts of Ephemera that are not as broken and where Landscapers are reviled as "magicians." The story is fast paced, and the final battle is cleverly managed.

Overall, a strong sequel that has me looking forward to the next book.

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LibraryThing member rocalisa

Belladonna - Anne Bishop (10/10)
Fantasy; book 2 of Ephemera.
This book follows Sebastian's cousin, Glorianna Belladonna, as she faces up to the face it is her job/destiny to defeat The Eater of the World. Along the way she learns more about the nature of the world, meets up with a very nice man and

makes a huge sacrifice to save the world. This is a great book that pulls ahead of Sebastian just a little and beautifully finishes the story. Glorianna is a good character, and Michael is just lovely. There were two ways it could have ended, and while I would have been sad but happy with what seemed to be happening at first, I was also happily content with the way Bishop did finish it. I still liked the Black Jewels series best, but these were also excellent.

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LibraryThing member bookwormteri

A rich, beautiful fantasy novel. In a bid to save their world, a family may have to give up what is most precious to them. However, I will say that I enjoyed the first in this series more than the second.

LibraryThing member Black_samvara

Not as interesting as I wanted it to be, has a great premise but over explains and makes it more technical than is warrented. I'm reminded of Anne Rice - starts well, finishes in excessive detail.

LibraryThing member Ilithyia

Wonderful sequel to Sebastian! This was fabulous fantasy series, very thought provoking insights into the human conditions. I highly recommend it to everyone. Definitely not your garden variety cookie cutter story. I will love this story forever.

LibraryThing member TheOneTree

With Belladonna being one of my favourite characters of Anne Bishop, it was lovely to have a book which solely revolved around her.
Loved it and it's now on my 'top shelf' listing, to read again when the mood strikes me.

LibraryThing member La-Plume

Well, there was almost no romance in that one. Anne Bishop focused much more on the Ephemera universe, which I greatly appreciated because once I had finished reading Sebastian, I felt there were too many things about the way Ephemera worked I hadn't fully understood. In fact, it occurred to me the

concept was far more fascinating than I originally thought it was. The end was surprising... or rather I'd say the feelings I felt for don't-wanna-say-who-or-what came as a surprise. That's Anne Bishop's magic touch for you! All in all, that was a wonderful conclusion she brought to the duology. On one side I know the story is good enough left as it is now, but on the other I can't help but wish she's planning to write something else about that universe, or at least its main characters. Would be nice if she did like the Black Jewels Trilogy and wrote an anthology of short stories like she did with Dreams made Flesh. I'm especially curious about Lee and Teaser, bit more on Teaser. He's one of the most funny character I've read about in ages, it's a pity he had so little space in Belladonna.

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LibraryThing member crashingwaves38

I liked Sebastian as much as I like this one, but I gave this one a slightly higher rating because it didn't have as much of the couple of things that drove me nuts with the first one in it. Once again, I wish we could have more detail on the magic system, but the first problem with that is that

the characters themselves don't know what they're doing most of the time, particularly two of the newcomers in this book, and the second issue is that how the magic feels and responds is different for each user. This book helped me understand just how personal the magic system is by showing the differences between the way Michael and Belladonna use their magic. With a little bit of effort, she can understand how he uses his magic, but she still uses it differently. Seeing those differences helped me like the magic system more.

Once again, Bishop proves that one of her favorite themes is the idea of one strong woman sacrificing everything that makes her who she is to save the world. She did it in the Tir Alainn trilogy, she did it in the Black Jewels trilogy, and she does it here. This theme would bother me if she didn't do it as well as she does. But the way that each woman gives up herself is different in each book, and being saved by those who love her happens differently as well, so I enjoy reading it because only the very basic theme is predictable.

I loved discovering parts of Ephemera that we didn't know existed previously and that didn't know what Ephemera truly is. I loved watching the relationship between Michael and Belladonna and the family bloom. It made me cry, watching Michael wait for Belladonna and try to reach her. I loved how the Eater of the World ended up. I loved the way the theme of every being having both the Light and the Dark in them and needing both was woven into the story in so many places.

Despite how much I loved various aspects of it, I gave it 4.5 stars instead of 5 because it is not quite up to the standards Bishop set in the Black Jewels trilogy. It doesn't have the depth or the darkness that the Black Jewels trilogy does. It's still an entertaining read, and I would recommend it to readers who don't like overly complicated plots.

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LibraryThing member kmartin802

This is the second book in the Ephemera trilogy and focuses on Glorianna Belladonna this time. She is still battling the Eater of the World and feeling very much alone and over-matched. She wants someone of her own to love and share the burden with.

Michael is a Magician in his country. Magicians

are feared because they can bring ill-luck. Of course, they can also bring good luck. Michael has traveled his circuit of places trying to keep the world in balance but has been dreaming on someone to love.

Michael and Glorianna do meet and find that they have the same sort of job in their worlds. But there are differences too. Michael's world wasn't sundered nearly as badly in the first war with the Eater of the World. He knows things from old stories that have been passed down in his family that were lost in the landscapes the Glorianna Belladonna knows.

He knows a way that she can defeat the Eater of the World but the cost to her and to their relationship might be more than he is willing to pay.

The story was exciting and entertaining. It builds an interesting world peopled with all sorts of characters.

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