Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Publication
Roc Trade (2005), Paperback, 368 pages
Description
Fantasy. Fiction. Suspense. Thriller. HTML:Like her half-breed mother, young Zarq Darquel can�??t always hold her tongue. A peasant on a large dragon estate, she goes unnoticed by the Temple of the Dragon�??until she accidentally captures the attention of an eccentric and dangerous dragonmaster, unleashing a storm of tragedy. Her clan is plunged into destitution, her beautiful sister, Waivia, sold into slavery, and her mother lost to madness. Desperate to find Waivia, Zarq and her delirious mother flee through the underworld of their land. Consumed with the desire for revenge, Zarq develops a taste for the highly addictive venom of the dragons she has been taught to revere�??and with this poison, she imbibes their memories and glimpses a plot for social revolution. But to achieve it, she must defy not just sexual taboos and patriarchal conventions, but the Emperor who rules he… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member EmmMIB
mega mixed feelings on this one. Great writing, but so many bad things happen to the main character that it seems very hopeless.
LibraryThing member amf0001
First in a trilogy. Complex world beautifully written. Family dynamics played out against a backdrop of brutality and magic. The second book is even better. Worth investing time and energy in.
LibraryThing member flemmily
This is the best of the series, as an introduction to a weird, dark, and fascinating world. The events are pretty disjointed and rambling, but learning about the world was interesting enough to hold my attention.
LibraryThing member scott.neigh
Not sure what I think about this one. There are neat things about the world that Cross has created, including a refusal of the usual tendency in fantasy novels to romanticize feudal and patriarchal social relations -- this one shows them in their full brutality, as well as showing how people on the
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receiving end survive and resist in such circumstances. On the other hand, there were plenty of moments where the story felt over-the-top purely for the sake of over-the-top-ness. Show Less
LibraryThing member jasmyn9
Set in a strange land where dragon masters rule over vast areas of the kingdom called dragon estates, Zarq is a young girl in a pottery clan. Their small clan draws the eyes of the dragon master and their peaceful lives are turned upside down. Zarq's sister is sold into slavery and her mother is
A very odd tale, and one that I came close to putting down several times. The beginning sequences were almost to fantastical, and I had a difficult time falling into the story. The characters, while changing, did not seem to have very many dynamic qualities to them. Their circumstances changed their actions, but their personalities or thoughts.
The land itself was well thought out and interesting. The locations each had their own unique charm without ever being perfect. The plot was easy to follow, once you figured out the ways of the kingdom. I'm going to give the series one more book to see if I can get into them a little bit more before giving up on it.
2.5/5
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slowly losing her mind. Zarq makes a run for it, dragging her mother with her. Their journey takes them to a variety of areas, including a home for the dead and a convent built for the care of elderly dragons. She blames the dragon masters for her mother's condition and her sister's disappearance and will do anything as she seeks her revenge.A very odd tale, and one that I came close to putting down several times. The beginning sequences were almost to fantastical, and I had a difficult time falling into the story. The characters, while changing, did not seem to have very many dynamic qualities to them. Their circumstances changed their actions, but their personalities or thoughts.
The land itself was well thought out and interesting. The locations each had their own unique charm without ever being perfect. The plot was easy to follow, once you figured out the ways of the kingdom. I'm going to give the series one more book to see if I can get into them a little bit more before giving up on it.
2.5/5
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LibraryThing member cindywho
I was worried that this one would be overly grim - and it was in its way, but also adventurous and overwrought (without the glamour of the Kushiel series, this world is a bit more grotty) - and I *do* want to know the further adventures of Zarq the venom junkie. I hope she sets the dragons free!
LibraryThing member cindywho
I was worried that this one would be overly grim - and it was in its way, but also adventurous and overwrought (without the glamour of the Kushiel series, this world is a bit more grotty) - and I *do* want to know the further adventures of Zarq the venom junkie. I hope she sets the dragons free!
LibraryThing member PhoenixTerran
Okay, I'll admit it. Part of the reason I chose this book was because of the cover. Even though I knew it was inaccurate. (And it is quite, other than the fact that there are dragons and the protagonist is a woman. But she certainly doesn't look anything like that!). Touched by Venom is the first
The story follows the life of Zarq, a nine-year old girl with a boy's name, and how she survives the horrible fate that befalls her pottery clan. A fate that was partly caused because of her own actions. Things go from bad to worse for Zarq when she and her mother are forced to flee, and then from worse to...well, whatever is worse than worse. Her life is certainly not a happy one.
Janine Cross has created a fascinating world. An extraordinarily misogynistic wold, but a fascinating one. Sexism, racism, and classism are all used to create a complex culture. However, it's almost unrelentingly bleak with little hope or opportunity for things to ever change. Even the relationships between individuals seem hopeless, filled with manipulation, selfishness, and unhappiness. Is this really realistic? Probably, even if it comes across rather heavy handed.
Overall, I guess I enjoyed the concept of the book more than I enjoyed the book itself. Although I originally didn't think I would bother with the next two books, the ending caught my interest and I'd like to know how things turn out. And for those who are wary, there is bestiality, and it's not just hinted at.
Experiments in Reading
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book of the three books in the Dragon Temple Saga. I enjoy reading about the tension between religion and sexuality, and the addition of dragons was a definite bonus, so I figured I might as well pick it up. The story follows the life of Zarq, a nine-year old girl with a boy's name, and how she survives the horrible fate that befalls her pottery clan. A fate that was partly caused because of her own actions. Things go from bad to worse for Zarq when she and her mother are forced to flee, and then from worse to...well, whatever is worse than worse. Her life is certainly not a happy one.
Janine Cross has created a fascinating world. An extraordinarily misogynistic wold, but a fascinating one. Sexism, racism, and classism are all used to create a complex culture. However, it's almost unrelentingly bleak with little hope or opportunity for things to ever change. Even the relationships between individuals seem hopeless, filled with manipulation, selfishness, and unhappiness. Is this really realistic? Probably, even if it comes across rather heavy handed.
Overall, I guess I enjoyed the concept of the book more than I enjoyed the book itself. Although I originally didn't think I would bother with the next two books, the ending caught my interest and I'd like to know how things turn out. And for those who are wary, there is bestiality, and it's not just hinted at.
Experiments in Reading
Show Less
Subjects
Awards
Otherwise Award (Long list — 2006)
Original publication date
2005
Physical description
384 p.; 6.46 inches
ISBN
0451460480 / 9780451460486