Shannah Biondine,
Sheri L. McGathy
&
Jeanine Berry
Twilight Crossings
First Published 2003
??? Pages
ISBN:
1-894841-89-1 (eBook Jan 2003)
1-894841-90-5 (pb March 2003)
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Jeanne Allen, Shannah Biondine, Sheri L. McGathy & Jeanine Berry Twilight Crossings First Published 2003 ??? Pages |
This book can be purchased from the publisher,
ISBN: 1-894841-89-1 (eBook Jan 2003) 1-894841-90-5 (pb March 2003) |
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Date Read December 2002 Lesley |
Isadora – Jeanne Allen Sonneret and her family were different. They are Dorshans living in a world populated by Huymans. Although their ways are tolerated by the majority they are still considered to be outsiders. Not truly accepted into the huyman society. As Empaths they found, when they first arrived on Arth, that the huymans could not control their thoughts and emotions so to escape they fled to the far north of the land. But even here they were hunted down and many of the Dorshans were massacred. The survivors were sold into slavery. The ruler of Arth, the Akhilesh, had become displeased with his Lifemate. She had dared to disobey a direct order so he divorced her and was looking for a new Lifemate. In order to try and chose a more suitable mate the Akhilesh orders all women of marriageable age be brought to the palace. He would then spend a night with each of them until he found his true Lifemate. Despite being Dorshan, Sonneret is taken to the palace to be trained in the ways of pleasing a royal lover and to await her "turn" with the Akhilesh. Never in her wildest imagination did she believe that the Akhilesh would choose her... Eidolon – Shannah Biondine When Azubah Malet arrived she came with nothing. She just walked into town. Soon she is working as a costumer, making dresses for the girls in the local saloon/bordello. She seems to know just what to say to enchant people. Her only permanent companion seems to be a small mouse named Cat. When her friend, Alwyn, arrives in town it becomes clear that Azubah's arrival is no mere coincidence. She is there to fulfil a bet between herself and her brother, Luce. She is to entrap a human. He must be fully capable of attaining whatever Azubah offers without outside aid. In order to win the wager she must persuade the "victim" to accept her offer without there being any true need. This wager has been running for many years – will Azubah win this time? Thief of Dreams – Sheri L McGathy Nerys, the daughter of Lord Jamys Devi is in love with Cody O'Neal. However, she has been promised to Gerard Regan. Regan sees the marriage as a great political alliance and the chance to possess the beautiful Nerys. O'Neal just knows that he loves Nerys with all his heart. In order to resolve the apparent impasse, Lord Devi decrees that over the forthcoming year both O'Neal and Regan should try to win Nerys' heart. At the end of the year, the man who Nerys chooses would then be permitted to marry her. Suspecting (correctly) that he could not win the competition fairly, Regan decides to do whatever is necessary to prevent O'Neal from seeing the year out. After all, if he is the only suitor left at the end of the trial then Lord Devi will have no choice but declare him the winner. Twilight Crossings is a collection of 4 stories based around a common theme – the idea of people passing between different worlds. The stories are of very different styles but the theme binds them together beautifully. They could have been published separately but I feel that they benefit from being grouped together. Isadora is essentially a love story set in a post-apocalyptic restrictive society ruled by a fanatical council who base all laws on the Bible – as defined by word-of-mouth doctrine. Free investigative thought is frowned-upon. Obviously, when a young woman shows an "unhealthy" interest in the world (leading to anti-doctrine ideas) what else can she be but a witch. Twin Star is another love story where true soulmates find each other across an ethnic divide. It follows the classic romance route: girl meets boy, girl hates boy, girl falls in love with boy, boy thinks girl doesn't love him, girl thinks boy doesn't love her but it all turns out well in the end! Eidolon is a story of human desire. Wanting something without wanting to do the work necessary to get it and how this can be exploited in order to take advantage of the situation. Finally, Thief of Dreams is another romance. Two people who love each other are separated but with determination on both sides it basically says that love can defy all barriers to bring soulmates together (hey, who ever said I can't be an old romantic when I want to!). Having read these shorter works by the four authors I would like to see how their styles develop with a full novel. |
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Synopsis: ... ISADORA by Jeanne Allen: On an earth where nuclear war destroyed the old world, Isadora must fight for the freedom to explore truth. |