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Percheron #1
Odalisque
Captured by slave traders in the inhospitable desert, Lazar fought his way to freedom, earning the coveted position of Spur of Percheron. Charged with protecting his adopted city from enemies on both sides of its walls, he has led a charmed life as confidant to and protector of Zar Joreb for many years. But now Joreb is dead. . . .
Though Joreb's well-intentioned fifteen-year-old heir, Boaz, will take the title of Zar, the balance of power lies in the hands of his beautiful and cruelly ambitious mother, a former harem slave who rose to power by the Zar's favor. Aside from Lazar, whom Boaz trusts and respects, the young Zar's only friend is Pez, the court jester, a misshapen dwarf whose tricks and diversions are accepted only because he is known to be mad.
When a stunning young girl is brought to the palace to fill a space in Boaz's harem, both Boaz and Lazar are surprised by their unexpectedly strong reactions to her. But Ana, the odalisque, finds the closeted world of the harem stifling and unbearable. And unbeknownst to all, the gods themselves are beginning to rise in a cyclical battle that is just beginning, and will enmesh everyone in the palace in a struggle for the very soul of Percheron.
Though Joreb's well-intentioned fifteen-year-old heir, Boaz, will take the title of Zar, the balance of power lies in the hands of his beautiful and cruelly ambitious mother, a former harem slave who rose to power by the Zar's favor. Aside from Lazar, whom Boaz trusts and respects, the young Zar's only friend is Pez, the court jester, a misshapen dwarf whose tricks and diversions are accepted only because he is known to be mad.
When a stunning young girl is brought to the palace to fill a space in Boaz's harem, both Boaz and Lazar are surprised by their unexpectedly strong reactions to her. But Ana, the odalisque, finds the closeted world of the harem stifling and unbearable. And unbeknownst to all, the gods themselves are beginning to rise in a cyclical battle that is just beginning, and will enmesh everyone in the palace in a struggle for the very soul of Percheron.
480 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
About the author
Fiona McIntosh
66 books1,731 followersFiona writes best selling historical adventure-romance alongside the heroic-romantic, often brutal, fantasy she built her career upon. She lives in Australia but frequently roams the world meticulously researching the locations and gathering material for her historical novels that have international settings. Her books are published worldwide and in various languages.
Her most recent historical fiction has gathered such a following that she is now hosting a tour in 2014 to Paris and Provence so eager readers can walk in the footsteps of her characters.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Her most recent historical fiction has gathered such a following that she is now hosting a tour in 2014 to Paris and Provence so eager readers can walk in the footsteps of her characters.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 123 reviews
August 13, 2007
Let me start by saying that I'm an easy read. I read fast and I'm greedy, so I'll read pretty much anything in the absence of a better offer. I'm saying this because I got about 90 pages in to this book and just gave up.
It's riddled with clichés, which isn't in itself bad, but they're boring clichés. They're dull and tiresome and they leach the plot of any interest it might have.
There's no suspense to be found anywhere. The heroes and villians are painfully obvious. Manipulative, sexual, coldblooded and power hungry mother, check. Honourable warrior from foreign lands, check. Innocent and virginal (yet feisty!) beautiful slave, who alone among the new inhabitants of the harem is not happy to be giving up freedom for comfort and position, check.
It's not just obvious to us, but to the other characters. They know things. It's all, "And yet he could sense her purity" "his honourableness" "her greed".
I trudged through 90 pages of *work* and it just wasn't worth it. The writing is stiff, the characters two dimensional at best and the plot unoriginal. Even without anything else for me to read, it still wasn't worth a page more.
It's riddled with clichés, which isn't in itself bad, but they're boring clichés. They're dull and tiresome and they leach the plot of any interest it might have.
There's no suspense to be found anywhere. The heroes and villians are painfully obvious. Manipulative, sexual, coldblooded and power hungry mother, check. Honourable warrior from foreign lands, check. Innocent and virginal (yet feisty!) beautiful slave, who alone among the new inhabitants of the harem is not happy to be giving up freedom for comfort and position, check.
It's not just obvious to us, but to the other characters. They know things. It's all, "And yet he could sense her purity" "his honourableness" "her greed".
I trudged through 90 pages of *work* and it just wasn't worth it. The writing is stiff, the characters two dimensional at best and the plot unoriginal. Even without anything else for me to read, it still wasn't worth a page more.
March 31, 2009
ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.
When I picked up this novel, it looked very promising. Fiona McIntosh creates an interesting harem setting and some lively characters. Unfortunately, Odalisque doesn't live up to its potential.
The characters are almost totally one-dimensional. All of the good guys are nice and humble while all of the bad guys are cruel and ambitious. Lazar, the main (and most likable) character, is an amazing warrior, yet throughout the story he sits back, clenches his jaw, and watches all of the bad guys do bad things. He really feels bad about this, but he never stands up for justice. Even the young Zar, a good guy who's theoretically in charge, lets his cruel mother (a concubine) and a couple of servants run the show, brutally killing people who have gotten in their way. Why won't the Zar and Lazar stop them? Because it's the rules. Why don't they change the rules? Because they can't. Why can't they change the rules? They're not allowed to. Why not? Because it's the rules.
Most of the action is in the form of dialogue-driven political intrigue. I found this boring and had no urge to stay up late to keep reading, so it took me a long time to get through the book. Much of the plot was easily foreseen and too much of it was explained in advance, leaving the reader completely unimpressed by plot twists.
The writing was fine, but not exceptional. Again, too much was explained. I don't need to be explicitly told that what someone just said was a "cleverly couched yet nonetheless direct insult."
This novel didn't live up to my expectations. Ms. Fiona didn't make much use of her exotic setting; It could have been so fascinating. In fact, the entire novel felt like it was just a set-up for the sequel. Perhaps Emissary will be better. Certainly the setting and the characters have potential.
Read more Fiona McIntosh book reviews at Fantasy literature.
When I picked up this novel, it looked very promising. Fiona McIntosh creates an interesting harem setting and some lively characters. Unfortunately, Odalisque doesn't live up to its potential.
The characters are almost totally one-dimensional. All of the good guys are nice and humble while all of the bad guys are cruel and ambitious. Lazar, the main (and most likable) character, is an amazing warrior, yet throughout the story he sits back, clenches his jaw, and watches all of the bad guys do bad things. He really feels bad about this, but he never stands up for justice. Even the young Zar, a good guy who's theoretically in charge, lets his cruel mother (a concubine) and a couple of servants run the show, brutally killing people who have gotten in their way. Why won't the Zar and Lazar stop them? Because it's the rules. Why don't they change the rules? Because they can't. Why can't they change the rules? They're not allowed to. Why not? Because it's the rules.
Most of the action is in the form of dialogue-driven political intrigue. I found this boring and had no urge to stay up late to keep reading, so it took me a long time to get through the book. Much of the plot was easily foreseen and too much of it was explained in advance, leaving the reader completely unimpressed by plot twists.
The writing was fine, but not exceptional. Again, too much was explained. I don't need to be explicitly told that what someone just said was a "cleverly couched yet nonetheless direct insult."
This novel didn't live up to my expectations. Ms. Fiona didn't make much use of her exotic setting; It could have been so fascinating. In fact, the entire novel felt like it was just a set-up for the sequel. Perhaps Emissary will be better. Certainly the setting and the characters have potential.
Read more Fiona McIntosh book reviews at Fantasy literature.
October 31, 2018
For a fantasy that shares a name with a breed of horse, it has remarkably few horses. For a fantasy that takes it name form harem, there could have been more of a harem.
It has the makings of something. But then our heroine is so beautiful that our hero falls in love with her even though they have barely interacted. There are no surprises. Women are either evil sluts or pure priestess (or un-used harem wives).
Oh well.
It has the makings of something. But then our heroine is so beautiful that our hero falls in love with her even though they have barely interacted. There are no surprises. Women are either evil sluts or pure priestess (or un-used harem wives).
Oh well.
June 21, 2017
(Re-posted from http://theturnedbrain.blogspot.com)
First up, a disclaimer: I only made it through all of the first book and a bit of the second book of this trilogy. Which I guess give you a clue about what I thought of it.
Ah Fiona McIntosh, what do I do with you? Our relationship started out so well. I always love reading fantasy by Australian writers, partly because I’m as patriotic as the next gal, but also because it seems to a genre that Australian writers are good at. And certainty the first trilogy I read by McIntosh, The Quickening trio, was true to that. Those books put a nicely original spin on a reliable old fantasy story line, and the characters were complex and the plot well paced. The ending was a little to convenient for my liking, but not enough that it spoiled the books for me.
This was the second trilogy McIntosh had published, so of course I went out and got a hold of her first effort, The Trinity trilogy. It was… not so good. The characters were walking cliché’s and the plot treated logic like an untrustworthy stranger. But I was forgiving, there was such a difference in quality between The Quickening and these books that I simply assumed McIntosh was improving as a writer with every effort.
Having struggled though half the Percheron trilogy before giving up, I’m starting to think maybe The Quickening was a fluke. The Percheron trilogy, or at least the half I read, was terrible. The only positive thing I can think to say about them is that the cover art is truly spectacular. But then I just get all resentful that such poor books get to have such beautiful covers.
Let’s start with the most important element in a book: the characters. We have the Odalisque Ana, the beautiful girl with mysterious ancestry. Did I mention she was beautiful? Little chance of forgetting, as we are reminded almost every time she appears on stage, and other characters are forever stopping to marvel at just how gosh darn beautiful and captivating she is. She is also kind to small children and animals, and when she sees an old lady being ripped off in the street she immediately jumps in and helps her. (The old lady, natch, turns out to be a Goddess in disguise and gives Anna a magical trinket in exchange for her kindness).
We also have the head of the Zar’s security, Lazar (It's not a coincidence and not very clever that his name sounds so much Lazarus...). Lazar and Ana fall in love instantly, even though she’s barely a teenager and he’s well into his thirties when they first meet. Lazar is moody and mysterious and handsome, women want to be with him, men want to be him, etc. He’s also prone to self pity and petulance, but I think this angst is supposed to make us like him more. Spoiler: it does not.
The only character who is not two shades away from being a Mary Sue is Boaz, the young Zar. Unfortunately McIntosh devotes little time to Boez, and while I obviously don’t know how the book progresses it seems to me that we are supposed to dislike him because, gasp, he wants to have sex with Ana! How dare the Zar want to get it on with a member of his own harem, am I right?
And the plot? You could make an excellent drinking game out of it. Every time destiny gets mentioned, drink. I promise you’ll be seeing double before you’re half way through the first book. Characters who are meeting for the first time decide to trust each other because they sense it's destiny. They make huge leaps of understanding not because they uncover information but because they just know, somehow. It’s appallingly lazy writing. Oh, I can’t think of a reason why character A. would reveal his big secret to character B. I’ll just make it destiny!
In the end I announced to my boyfriend that if I read the word destiny one more time I was putting the book down for good. I barely made it another page.
Maybe the final book fully redeemed all of these flaws, but I doubt even Neil Gaiman could salvage something out of it. (I mean, I haven't even touched upon the the rampant Orientalism or Boaz's mother...)
First up, a disclaimer: I only made it through all of the first book and a bit of the second book of this trilogy. Which I guess give you a clue about what I thought of it.
Ah Fiona McIntosh, what do I do with you? Our relationship started out so well. I always love reading fantasy by Australian writers, partly because I’m as patriotic as the next gal, but also because it seems to a genre that Australian writers are good at. And certainty the first trilogy I read by McIntosh, The Quickening trio, was true to that. Those books put a nicely original spin on a reliable old fantasy story line, and the characters were complex and the plot well paced. The ending was a little to convenient for my liking, but not enough that it spoiled the books for me.
This was the second trilogy McIntosh had published, so of course I went out and got a hold of her first effort, The Trinity trilogy. It was… not so good. The characters were walking cliché’s and the plot treated logic like an untrustworthy stranger. But I was forgiving, there was such a difference in quality between The Quickening and these books that I simply assumed McIntosh was improving as a writer with every effort.
Having struggled though half the Percheron trilogy before giving up, I’m starting to think maybe The Quickening was a fluke. The Percheron trilogy, or at least the half I read, was terrible. The only positive thing I can think to say about them is that the cover art is truly spectacular. But then I just get all resentful that such poor books get to have such beautiful covers.
Let’s start with the most important element in a book: the characters. We have the Odalisque Ana, the beautiful girl with mysterious ancestry. Did I mention she was beautiful? Little chance of forgetting, as we are reminded almost every time she appears on stage, and other characters are forever stopping to marvel at just how gosh darn beautiful and captivating she is. She is also kind to small children and animals, and when she sees an old lady being ripped off in the street she immediately jumps in and helps her. (The old lady, natch, turns out to be a Goddess in disguise and gives Anna a magical trinket in exchange for her kindness).
We also have the head of the Zar’s security, Lazar (It's not a coincidence and not very clever that his name sounds so much Lazarus...). Lazar and Ana fall in love instantly, even though she’s barely a teenager and he’s well into his thirties when they first meet. Lazar is moody and mysterious and handsome, women want to be with him, men want to be him, etc. He’s also prone to self pity and petulance, but I think this angst is supposed to make us like him more. Spoiler: it does not.
The only character who is not two shades away from being a Mary Sue is Boaz, the young Zar. Unfortunately McIntosh devotes little time to Boez, and while I obviously don’t know how the book progresses it seems to me that we are supposed to dislike him because, gasp, he wants to have sex with Ana! How dare the Zar want to get it on with a member of his own harem, am I right?
And the plot? You could make an excellent drinking game out of it. Every time destiny gets mentioned, drink. I promise you’ll be seeing double before you’re half way through the first book. Characters who are meeting for the first time decide to trust each other because they sense it's destiny. They make huge leaps of understanding not because they uncover information but because they just know, somehow. It’s appallingly lazy writing. Oh, I can’t think of a reason why character A. would reveal his big secret to character B. I’ll just make it destiny!
In the end I announced to my boyfriend that if I read the word destiny one more time I was putting the book down for good. I barely made it another page.
Maybe the final book fully redeemed all of these flaws, but I doubt even Neil Gaiman could salvage something out of it. (I mean, I haven't even touched upon the the rampant Orientalism or Boaz's mother...)
July 9, 2018
Incredibly hard to put down.
Note: a lot of the negative reviews speak about cliches and tropes. It's true that this story has a lot of archetypes, and is in many ways a traditional ballad-style plot. So no, don't expect enormous surprises, but the book holds its own in other ways.
A well-fleshed-out fantasy universe, compelling characters, and an intriguing plot, yet still easy to read. The setting is loosely based on Istanbul, but with the addition of gods who meddle in the affairs of men. The descriptions are vivid, and I found it easy to immerse myself in this world. I was also impressed by some of the hard choices and mistakes the main characters made. They are strong, but not all-powerful, virtuous but not paragons.
Note: a lot of the negative reviews speak about cliches and tropes. It's true that this story has a lot of archetypes, and is in many ways a traditional ballad-style plot. So no, don't expect enormous surprises, but the book holds its own in other ways.
A well-fleshed-out fantasy universe, compelling characters, and an intriguing plot, yet still easy to read. The setting is loosely based on Istanbul, but with the addition of gods who meddle in the affairs of men. The descriptions are vivid, and I found it easy to immerse myself in this world. I was also impressed by some of the hard choices and mistakes the main characters made. They are strong, but not all-powerful, virtuous but not paragons.
May 13, 2018
Like The Hunger Games, this is written to be enjoyed by teens and adults alike. It's rapey and torturesome, but it's YA rapey and torturesome. Also like Hunger Games, the author feels the need to explicitly interpret everything the characters say and do and present it in simple terms: brave, proud, cruel, insulting, and so forth. This may be helpful to teens and new readers, but to me it makes the book feel quite overwritten. The book weighs in at 480 pages and it seems there must have been some ways to tighten it, as there were few characters and the story was not very complicated.
Although the city of Percheron is fictional and the story contains a smattering of "Percherese" words for food, clothing, wildlife, and household gods that do not exist in the real world as well as a touch of magic here and there, the setting is overall quite faithful to the actual Turkish harem of several hundred years ago, and the author acknowledges this in her endnote. In fact, it is so faithful to the historical details captured by European travel writers that anyone who has read much of that literature (fiction and non-fiction) can predict much of the setting, relationships, and interactions between characters. It smacks of true-crime TV show — the names have been changed, but the stories are real — when the featured crime is famous and the viewer recognizes the issue involved.
I read this book to see the treatment of the eunuch character, who did not disappoint insofar as he is a monstrosity of a stereotype (as I have blogged on Disruptive Dissertation with spoilers for all three books in this series). His pure sociopathy reminds me of the depiction of the real Aga Mohamed Khan in the 19th-century novel Zohrab the Hostage. I am always fascinated when people activate these stereotypes, and in The Percheron Saga I got what I came for.
Although the city of Percheron is fictional and the story contains a smattering of "Percherese" words for food, clothing, wildlife, and household gods that do not exist in the real world as well as a touch of magic here and there, the setting is overall quite faithful to the actual Turkish harem of several hundred years ago, and the author acknowledges this in her endnote. In fact, it is so faithful to the historical details captured by European travel writers that anyone who has read much of that literature (fiction and non-fiction) can predict much of the setting, relationships, and interactions between characters. It smacks of true-crime TV show — the names have been changed, but the stories are real — when the featured crime is famous and the viewer recognizes the issue involved.
I read this book to see the treatment of the eunuch character, who did not disappoint insofar as he is a monstrosity of a stereotype (as I have blogged on Disruptive Dissertation with spoilers for all three books in this series). His pure sociopathy reminds me of the depiction of the real Aga Mohamed Khan in the 19th-century novel Zohrab the Hostage. I am always fascinated when people activate these stereotypes, and in The Percheron Saga I got what I came for.
June 8, 2011
She nodded, understanding only too well. "But why are we friends? Why have we chosen each other? How is it that I know you are perfectly sane whilst the palace believes you are the opposite?"
"You question life too much, old woman, " he replied gently, cuppingg his deformed hands around the cooling bowl of half- drunk tea. " You and I are both seeking the same thing-- we recognize it in each other; it's why we are friends."
"What is it we search for?" Zafira heard the plea in her voice and wondered at it. Why did she think Pez would have an answer for her?
The jester shrugged. "We shall know it when it presents itself. And to answer your other question, I keep my sanity a secret because the semblance of madness protects me. It is my only defense in a highly dangerous place."
You know, I have been putting this off for a while now, thinking that I might not like this. But of course, I have been wrong on several occasions.
The writing, considering that this is my first book by the author, could be compared to that of Melani Rawn with a touch of Robin Hobb. Pez, one of the characters I have been rooting for, is similar to Fool in Hobb's Realm of the Elderlings. Well, more like a combination of Fool and George RR Martin's Tyrion Lannister.
Easy to read, Fantasy cliché told in a billiant brilliant way! You've got to read this!
September 8, 2014
This book sucked me in at first but then spit me out. I am amazed that I made it all the way through the thing. I read in another review that the characters are one dimensional and that puts it perfectly. Plus, it never really goes anywhere. I hoped and hoped (the eternal optimist), but no such blessing. I can't say I'm especially driven to read the next book. I do love some of her imagery, and I can tell she has tremendous potential as a writer. This book just didn't deliver for me.
May 31, 2013
I don't generally like to give out bad reviews of books but I will have to make an exception for _Odalisque_ by Fiona McIntosh. I respect authors and the hard work it takes to write a novel and get it published, particularly for writers who are not well established. I read _Odalisque_ to the very end, hoping it might become better, that it might have some interesting cliffhanger perhaps that would somehow redeem the book, maybe even convince me to read the book's sequel. Alas it was not to be and the book was something of a chore to finish.
I thought the book's premise was promising. The setting is Percheron, a city with a culture clearly inspired by the Ottoman Empire at its height; a very old city, powerful politically and economically, seen by both its inhabitants and outsiders as being highly cultured and very influential, a city built with an excellent harbor and at a great crossroads of trade. The culture has many of the trappings associated with the Ottoman Empire; huge palaces, a powerful ruler (in Perchereon the ruler is referred to as a Zar), served by among others a vizier as well as eunuchs, the latter of which guard a harem of women, who like many of the woman of the setting wear a veil except in private.
The main characters are the Zar of course, first the aging Zar Joreb, who dies early on in the book and is replaced by his son, the young teen-aged boy Boaz, his mother, Herezah, favorite of the late Zar and who is ostensibly at least going to rule Percheron in Boaz's name under the title Valide Zara, Lazar, a foreign-born individual who serves as the chief of the Zar's security with the title Spur of Percheron, the scheming Vizier Tariq, the equally scheming Grand Master Eunuch Salmeo, in charge of the harem, and the court jester Pez, a "mad" dwarf who was given special protection and privileges by Joreb and is one of the best friends (along with Lazar) of Boaz.
The book is really two books, neither of them very good in my opinion. The main story is the course of events in which Boaz ascends to the throne, establishes himself, and deals with the political maneuvering and sometimes outright treachery posed by the various powers in the palace in order to be the secret power behind the throne (these people being Herezah, Tariq, and Salmeo), often opposed by Lazar. Much of the plotting centered around the treatment of a new odalisque by the name of Ana, brought to the new harem created for Boaz by Lazar, with Lazar having fallen in love with Ana, trying to find a way to still see her - legally - even though she is to be locked away within the harem and Salmeo eager to keep his standing intact and to oppose the hated Lazar by seeking to reign in and even punish Ana.
A key player in all of this is Pez, who is not really mad at all, but a very intelligent and thoughtful individual, his sanity only known to a select few (at first only Lazar and Boaz), able by the order of the previous Zar to go anywhere in the palace he wished at any time, even the harem. Unfortunately, the author tiredly and doggedly reminded the reader again and again that Pez is not insane or an imbecile (and that he is allowed to go pretty much everywhere he wanted to) largely through the words of other characters. In addition to be annoying, I found it hard to believe that in a world of cloistered intrigue, where every member of the palace is continually seeking political advantages and plotting to get more power and to be a favorite of the Zar, that Pez was able to keep his sanity secret for twenty years! Further, as the book progresses, more and more people are let in on Pez's big secret. Hardly a secret anymore!
The other plotline was less well explained, but is a familiar idea from other fantasy books; the gods are about to rise again in a cycle that repeats itself again and again in this world. On the one side is the downtrodden Goddess Lyana, barely worshipped anymore, and her servant and herald Iridor (apparently a big and intelligent owl), and the other side the male god Zarab, the opponent of Lyana, and his demon servant Maliz (who unlike Zarab is clearly evil), who can only exist by inhabiting and manipulating bodies he was invited into.
I don't think the two plotlines meshed well and seemed to have little to do with one another. Apparently Pez, Lazar, and others will play pivotal roles in the coming struggle between the gods, either as their chief agents in the mortal world or as physical reincarnations of some of these beings. Talk of these gods felt to me too much like wordy exposition and almost a shoe-horned in distraction from the palace intrigue that formed the majority of the novel.
Other complaints include that the characters seemed pretty one-dimensional at times. Lazar read like he was some refugee from a romance novel as the author continually described how stoic and mysterious he was, how handsome he was, how all the women from slaves to the highest officials of the palace desired him, of his little known past. Ana was the over earnest youth, described several times as having an "old soul" but seeming to me a doe-eyed innocent most of the time, very happy when she was happy, very sad when she was sad.
I have no plans to continue reading this series
I thought the book's premise was promising. The setting is Percheron, a city with a culture clearly inspired by the Ottoman Empire at its height; a very old city, powerful politically and economically, seen by both its inhabitants and outsiders as being highly cultured and very influential, a city built with an excellent harbor and at a great crossroads of trade. The culture has many of the trappings associated with the Ottoman Empire; huge palaces, a powerful ruler (in Perchereon the ruler is referred to as a Zar), served by among others a vizier as well as eunuchs, the latter of which guard a harem of women, who like many of the woman of the setting wear a veil except in private.
The main characters are the Zar of course, first the aging Zar Joreb, who dies early on in the book and is replaced by his son, the young teen-aged boy Boaz, his mother, Herezah, favorite of the late Zar and who is ostensibly at least going to rule Percheron in Boaz's name under the title Valide Zara, Lazar, a foreign-born individual who serves as the chief of the Zar's security with the title Spur of Percheron, the scheming Vizier Tariq, the equally scheming Grand Master Eunuch Salmeo, in charge of the harem, and the court jester Pez, a "mad" dwarf who was given special protection and privileges by Joreb and is one of the best friends (along with Lazar) of Boaz.
The book is really two books, neither of them very good in my opinion. The main story is the course of events in which Boaz ascends to the throne, establishes himself, and deals with the political maneuvering and sometimes outright treachery posed by the various powers in the palace in order to be the secret power behind the throne (these people being Herezah, Tariq, and Salmeo), often opposed by Lazar. Much of the plotting centered around the treatment of a new odalisque by the name of Ana, brought to the new harem created for Boaz by Lazar, with Lazar having fallen in love with Ana, trying to find a way to still see her - legally - even though she is to be locked away within the harem and Salmeo eager to keep his standing intact and to oppose the hated Lazar by seeking to reign in and even punish Ana.
A key player in all of this is Pez, who is not really mad at all, but a very intelligent and thoughtful individual, his sanity only known to a select few (at first only Lazar and Boaz), able by the order of the previous Zar to go anywhere in the palace he wished at any time, even the harem. Unfortunately, the author tiredly and doggedly reminded the reader again and again that Pez is not insane or an imbecile (and that he is allowed to go pretty much everywhere he wanted to) largely through the words of other characters. In addition to be annoying, I found it hard to believe that in a world of cloistered intrigue, where every member of the palace is continually seeking political advantages and plotting to get more power and to be a favorite of the Zar, that Pez was able to keep his sanity secret for twenty years! Further, as the book progresses, more and more people are let in on Pez's big secret. Hardly a secret anymore!
The other plotline was less well explained, but is a familiar idea from other fantasy books; the gods are about to rise again in a cycle that repeats itself again and again in this world. On the one side is the downtrodden Goddess Lyana, barely worshipped anymore, and her servant and herald Iridor (apparently a big and intelligent owl), and the other side the male god Zarab, the opponent of Lyana, and his demon servant Maliz (who unlike Zarab is clearly evil), who can only exist by inhabiting and manipulating bodies he was invited into.
I don't think the two plotlines meshed well and seemed to have little to do with one another. Apparently Pez, Lazar, and others will play pivotal roles in the coming struggle between the gods, either as their chief agents in the mortal world or as physical reincarnations of some of these beings. Talk of these gods felt to me too much like wordy exposition and almost a shoe-horned in distraction from the palace intrigue that formed the majority of the novel.
Other complaints include that the characters seemed pretty one-dimensional at times. Lazar read like he was some refugee from a romance novel as the author continually described how stoic and mysterious he was, how handsome he was, how all the women from slaves to the highest officials of the palace desired him, of his little known past. Ana was the over earnest youth, described several times as having an "old soul" but seeming to me a doe-eyed innocent most of the time, very happy when she was happy, very sad when she was sad.
I have no plans to continue reading this series
September 12, 2011
What is an 'odalisque' you ask? (At least, I hope you do because that will make me feel less silly!) According to Wikipedia, and therefore of course The Trust, an odalisque is:
"Odalisques were ranked at the bottom of the social stratification of a harem, serving not the man of the household, but rather, his concubines and wives as personal chambermaids. Odalisques were usually slaves given as gifts to the sultan, bought or given by wealthy Turkish men"
You live, you learn! So an odalisque got to hang out with the Sultan's fancy-women and one day might even get to be an actual love-object herself if she's lucky! Oh, to have something to aspire to...
Perhaps that little tidbit (and this review) will help you make a more informed decision than I did! ANYway, this book is about a harem and by golly do you know it! All aspects of the physical *ahem* rituals receive unflinching . If you've ever wondered how a eunuch was "made", you're in luck! If you're squeamish, you are most definitely not...Personally, though I by no means enjoy reading about brutality, I thought that it worked in the context and does lend something other than shock value to the story. The atmosphere is brutal and the culture barbaric but that's the world that McIntosh wants us immersed in, from the safety of our armchairs or duvets; a magical slant on ancient civilisation.
This isn't the kind of fantasy where you'll have warring mage factions on every corner and faeries lending a hand. It's the kind of fantasy where something huge is definitely coming but you can't put your finger on what. There are malevolent powers abound and simmering, slightly odd ladies in churches on hills that seem to know more than everyone else and enjoy prophesising, fierce warriors and damsels in distress. Oh, and odalisques, naturally.
So, can a madman, a soldier and a concubine keep a king safe from a whole host of seriously twisted and dark foes? That, my friends, remains to be seen!
Overall: I'm going to reserve my usual gushing recommendations or damning indictments for the time being; at least until I have read the second. That should indicate my feelings enough, I hope. This was an interesting and certainly unique story and has enough going for it that I shan't be abandoning the series but had some flaws that make me reluctant to urge you all to rush off and buy it straight away....soooo...rain check?!
"Odalisques were ranked at the bottom of the social stratification of a harem, serving not the man of the household, but rather, his concubines and wives as personal chambermaids. Odalisques were usually slaves given as gifts to the sultan, bought or given by wealthy Turkish men"
You live, you learn! So an odalisque got to hang out with the Sultan's fancy-women and one day might even get to be an actual love-object herself if she's lucky! Oh, to have something to aspire to...
Perhaps that little tidbit (and this review) will help you make a more informed decision than I did! ANYway, this book is about a harem and by golly do you know it! All aspects of the physical *ahem* rituals receive unflinching . If you've ever wondered how a eunuch was "made", you're in luck! If you're squeamish, you are most definitely not...Personally, though I by no means enjoy reading about brutality, I thought that it worked in the context and does lend something other than shock value to the story. The atmosphere is brutal and the culture barbaric but that's the world that McIntosh wants us immersed in, from the safety of our armchairs or duvets; a magical slant on ancient civilisation.
This isn't the kind of fantasy where you'll have warring mage factions on every corner and faeries lending a hand. It's the kind of fantasy where something huge is definitely coming but you can't put your finger on what. There are malevolent powers abound and simmering, slightly odd ladies in churches on hills that seem to know more than everyone else and enjoy prophesising, fierce warriors and damsels in distress. Oh, and odalisques, naturally.
So, can a madman, a soldier and a concubine keep a king safe from a whole host of seriously twisted and dark foes? That, my friends, remains to be seen!
Overall: I'm going to reserve my usual gushing recommendations or damning indictments for the time being; at least until I have read the second. That should indicate my feelings enough, I hope. This was an interesting and certainly unique story and has enough going for it that I shan't be abandoning the series but had some flaws that make me reluctant to urge you all to rush off and buy it straight away....soooo...rain check?!
July 17, 2015
This book has many main characters (hence the hefty 480 pages) and a good number of subplots as well.
After his father dies, 15 year old Boaz take the throne. Right in the middle of a huge power struggle between his manipulative, coldblooded and power hungry mother, Herezah, the manipulative, power hungry and cold-blooded Vizier Tariq and the Grand Master Eunuch, Salmeo who is...you guessed it, manipulative, cold-blooded and power hungry. It's a trifecta of pure evil.
Boaz' allies include Spur Lazar who is the protector of the realm; a seemingly insane dwarf who plays the role of court jester and Ana, the newest addition to the royal harem. Of course, the three great idiots (Herezah, Tariq and Salmeo) despise all three of these people and do their best to remove Boaz' allies so he doesn't have anyone to lean on except them.
This leads to an unbelievably bloody and violent rein of terror: executions, torture and castration. In this Ottoman-like setting, these actions are horrific but also a normal part of society which is the only reason this book didn't get 5 stars. I absolutely hate this subject matter and had I known this was where this book was headed, I think I would have skipped it entirely. That is not to say that I didn't enjoy the story. I did, though a great deal was gringe-worthy and truly horrifying. I really liked Boaz, Ana, Pez and Lazar. The bad guys were extremely bad and really needed a swift kick in the pants (and then some).
Oh and lets not forget the main conflict. The whole religious thing. Every thousand years or so, the Goddess Lyana is resurrected and her opposition, Zarab (a male god) fights tooth and nail to be the One God. Lyana's messenger, Iridor plays a big part in the conflict that is hinted at in this installment and I imagine, given full rein in book 2.
I felt grief-stricken reading parts of this book and honestly had to put the book down and do something else to remove these gruesome images from my mind. I honestly don't know how people in the Ottoman Empire survived this type of dictatorship and cruelty for cruelties sake. What a truly horrifying society.
After his father dies, 15 year old Boaz take the throne. Right in the middle of a huge power struggle between his manipulative, coldblooded and power hungry mother, Herezah, the manipulative, power hungry and cold-blooded Vizier Tariq and the Grand Master Eunuch, Salmeo who is...you guessed it, manipulative, cold-blooded and power hungry. It's a trifecta of pure evil.
Boaz' allies include Spur Lazar who is the protector of the realm; a seemingly insane dwarf who plays the role of court jester and Ana, the newest addition to the royal harem. Of course, the three great idiots (Herezah, Tariq and Salmeo) despise all three of these people and do their best to remove Boaz' allies so he doesn't have anyone to lean on except them.
This leads to an unbelievably bloody and violent rein of terror: executions, torture and castration. In this Ottoman-like setting, these actions are horrific but also a normal part of society which is the only reason this book didn't get 5 stars. I absolutely hate this subject matter and had I known this was where this book was headed, I think I would have skipped it entirely. That is not to say that I didn't enjoy the story. I did, though a great deal was gringe-worthy and truly horrifying. I really liked Boaz, Ana, Pez and Lazar. The bad guys were extremely bad and really needed a swift kick in the pants (and then some).
Oh and lets not forget the main conflict. The whole religious thing. Every thousand years or so, the Goddess Lyana is resurrected and her opposition, Zarab (a male god) fights tooth and nail to be the One God. Lyana's messenger, Iridor plays a big part in the conflict that is hinted at in this installment and I imagine, given full rein in book 2.
I felt grief-stricken reading parts of this book and honestly had to put the book down and do something else to remove these gruesome images from my mind. I honestly don't know how people in the Ottoman Empire survived this type of dictatorship and cruelty for cruelties sake. What a truly horrifying society.
March 9, 2009
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The land has a new Zar, 15 year old Boaz take the throne after his father dies, and by his side is his mother who will do anything for the power this brings her. In a cut-throat court he must reign, and see who is wants him harm and who is his friend.
The warrior, the Spur Lazar, the old kings jester Pez, and a beautiful odalisque Ana, purchased in the foothills will prove to be the only true friends the young king has, and can trust in the beginning of his reign.
And the world will also herald the coming of the gods themselves to do battle again against each other.
What am i to say?! I borrowed this book from a friend, and she loved it. But I couldn't begin to imagine how boring and icky it would be. I speeded through it just to finish it.
Boaz was an idiot, he could have done what he wanted cos in the end he was the ruler, but no let innocents get executed and his old friend castrated.
Lazar, ok, dunno about 35 or so falling madly with some fresh 15 year old. And she should learn to hold her tongue.
I didn't hate anyone, but I didn't like anyone either. I guess you were supposed to like Lazar and Ana, but...no. Nothing in them made me like them, or anyone for that matter.
I am not saying this was bad fantasy, it was exotic, and my friend loved it. That just shows that her and I have different taste in fantasy. I like mine more epic, high fantasy, and this one at times could have been some harem in Turkey, if it wasn't for a tiny bit of magic.
Not the fantasy for me, but she did write well so it's up to each to decide.
The land has a new Zar, 15 year old Boaz take the throne after his father dies, and by his side is his mother who will do anything for the power this brings her. In a cut-throat court he must reign, and see who is wants him harm and who is his friend.
The warrior, the Spur Lazar, the old kings jester Pez, and a beautiful odalisque Ana, purchased in the foothills will prove to be the only true friends the young king has, and can trust in the beginning of his reign.
And the world will also herald the coming of the gods themselves to do battle again against each other.
What am i to say?! I borrowed this book from a friend, and she loved it. But I couldn't begin to imagine how boring and icky it would be. I speeded through it just to finish it.
Boaz was an idiot, he could have done what he wanted cos in the end he was the ruler, but no let innocents get executed and his old friend castrated.
Lazar, ok, dunno about 35 or so falling madly with some fresh 15 year old. And she should learn to hold her tongue.
I didn't hate anyone, but I didn't like anyone either. I guess you were supposed to like Lazar and Ana, but...no. Nothing in them made me like them, or anyone for that matter.
I am not saying this was bad fantasy, it was exotic, and my friend loved it. That just shows that her and I have different taste in fantasy. I like mine more epic, high fantasy, and this one at times could have been some harem in Turkey, if it wasn't for a tiny bit of magic.
Not the fantasy for me, but she did write well so it's up to each to decide.
January 31, 2010
Clichés and flat static characters galore! But I love the middle eastern setting, despite the amalgamation of a made up polytheistic religion and monotheistic Islam. Does McIntosh know what she's talking about?
In anycase it rivaled and in some ways beat Twilight for terribly written, but in the end, when I finally discovered I had no idea who the main character was (despite focusing on one major character and then naming the title for another major character, who I believe will later manifest in a very obvious way) it wasn't so bad. In fact, once I knew the ends goal, the last couple of chapters were semi-enjoyable.
Okay, breakdown: The clichés are killer. The abuse of the Muslim influenced middle east to fit a twisted (but interesting) fantasy world, was very uncomfortable for me. I like my harems and reinventions of Byzantium with a heaping dose of 'May Allah bless you and keep you in his wonderful kingdom, with all the wonders he has given us, and may he rule us forever in his auspiciousness.' The feminist turn is cool, and there came a point where the plot just dropped off the face of the planet for me, I had literally no idea what McIntosh would do next. She likes to deviate from the main point though, and there are a lot of extraneous words and scenes (Just to up the page count, I wonder?) that I really would have liked to be without.
I read this because I enjoyed middle eastern fairy tales as a child, and fantasy set in arab settings are few and far between, and obviously not always well written. I don't think I'll be looking for the rest of these books, the genre hasn't been killed for me yet, however.
In anycase it rivaled and in some ways beat Twilight for terribly written, but in the end, when I finally discovered I had no idea who the main character was (despite focusing on one major character and then naming the title for another major character, who I believe will later manifest in a very obvious way) it wasn't so bad. In fact, once I knew the ends goal, the last couple of chapters were semi-enjoyable.
Okay, breakdown: The clichés are killer. The abuse of the Muslim influenced middle east to fit a twisted (but interesting) fantasy world, was very uncomfortable for me. I like my harems and reinventions of Byzantium with a heaping dose of 'May Allah bless you and keep you in his wonderful kingdom, with all the wonders he has given us, and may he rule us forever in his auspiciousness.' The feminist turn is cool, and there came a point where the plot just dropped off the face of the planet for me, I had literally no idea what McIntosh would do next. She likes to deviate from the main point though, and there are a lot of extraneous words and scenes (Just to up the page count, I wonder?) that I really would have liked to be without.
I read this because I enjoyed middle eastern fairy tales as a child, and fantasy set in arab settings are few and far between, and obviously not always well written. I don't think I'll be looking for the rest of these books, the genre hasn't been killed for me yet, however.
Shelved as 'couldnt-finish'
December 1, 2009I got to page 279 in this book and gave up. It should be used as the perfect example of 'telling and not showing', because almost every line was TELLING us how everyone was feeling and thinking without revealing it by being well written.
Every character in here is one-dimensional and the entire thing as a whole is incredibly boring. I have a vast bookshelf of 'to-read', and continuing with this is simply a waste of my time when I could be reading something so much better.
I wanted to love this. Australian Fantasy authors are something I strive to collect and love, but this is just appalling. How it got published, I'll never know.
If anyone loved this book, I highly suggest they read some Jennifer Fallon or Sara Douglass, to see how fantasy SHOULD be done.
Very disappointed. I wanted to like this series so much :( It's my first Fiona McIntosh I've read, and now I don't want to read anything of hers...
However, she's tried to write crime now (Bye Bye Baby) and maybe that'll be better...
Every character in here is one-dimensional and the entire thing as a whole is incredibly boring. I have a vast bookshelf of 'to-read', and continuing with this is simply a waste of my time when I could be reading something so much better.
I wanted to love this. Australian Fantasy authors are something I strive to collect and love, but this is just appalling. How it got published, I'll never know.
If anyone loved this book, I highly suggest they read some Jennifer Fallon or Sara Douglass, to see how fantasy SHOULD be done.
Very disappointed. I wanted to like this series so much :( It's my first Fiona McIntosh I've read, and now I don't want to read anything of hers...
However, she's tried to write crime now (Bye Bye Baby) and maybe that'll be better...
November 12, 2009
I picked this book up off a clearance table and bought it solely on the strength of Robin Hobb's recommendation. The beginning was so cliche I despaired of ever developing any interest in the book. After several weeks of letting it languish on my nightstand, I picked it up again and devoured the remainder in its entirety. And I'm not sure why; maybe just because I read the Twilight saga so recently and was reminded of just HOW bad terrible fantasy can be. Certainly this isn't in the same category, for me, as Robin Hobb's Farseer/Tawny Man books. The characters are one-dimensional for the most part, but I still find myself attached to them and wanting to read the next book.
Then again, I DID read almost all four of the Twilight books, so I'm not really sure what that says.
Then again, I DID read almost all four of the Twilight books, so I'm not really sure what that says.
February 18, 2009
As a part time employee of a bookstore I saw this when ringing up a customer. I've given up on the fantasy genre, mostly, and it takes something extremely interesting and with no more than 3 books in the series to pull me back in. Plus, a female author is another draw. I was intrigued with this series because of the female author factor and that I was recently in Istanbul and can definitely see Percheron as an alternate setting. It's mildly entertaining, but no great shakes. But I'm also enjoying for the length alone...it's not one of those 1000 page fantasies with too many characters and plotlines. I'll stick with the series.
November 12, 2010
I'm a picky reader, and this book didn't even come close to its grandiose title, or the seemingly rave reviews. Basically, this book is about...well, it's about...well, nothing, really. There is no main characters, and I started and re-started this book about 5 times before I finally put it down once and for all. This book lacks any suspense, or depth for that matter. It starts out at a snail's pace, and continues that way.
I really don't recommend this book - it's just not interesting!
I really don't recommend this book - it's just not interesting!
July 21, 2012
I have enjoyed previous and recent work by this author but was more than a little disappointed with this trilogy. Where it works it is well written, and flows but when it misses I'm afraid it's a bit like wading through treacle. The characters are little clunky in their representation and development. Nothing happens then all of a sudden a whole new aspect appears. It's one of the very few books I felt like I'd really had to try hard to read.
March 23, 2009
I honestly can't remember the last time I read something so awful (Juliet Marillier's Blade of Fortriu came close though) and no, I am not saying this for the sake of being vindictive. Direction of entire series is disclosed literally within the first 100 pages with many to spare. Writing style is almost painful to read. Bland, dull, insipid. Just don't do it.
December 17, 2011
Cardboard characters. Clichés a gogo. A modern-day soap opera in ye olde costumes. I didn't make it past page one hundred.
June 16, 2014
In a Nutshell:According to Fiona McIntosh, this book has three different layers to its plot. At its very core, it is a forbidden love story between the characters Lazar (who is the Spur and head of Percheron's army) and Ana (a peasant from the goathills who gets sold into the Zar's newly formed harem by Lazar). Then there are the other layers, such as the political intrigues between our antagonists - the Valide (Boaz' mother), Salemo (Grand Master Enunch) and Tariq (Vizier) - who are doing everything in their power to make sure they maintain their position and ursurp one another since the crowning of their new Zar Boaz. Then there is, in my opinion, the most interesting plot of the prophecized rising of the goddess Lyana, her demigod messenger Iridor and our villain, the demon Maliz.
What I liked and didn't like (because these categories have a bit of both, really)
Plot
As much as I loved the romantic plot, it did not get as much focus nor time to expand upon it. Well as much as the wohle subplot with the goddess Lyana and such did - which was what I really like and found it FAR more intriguing than the typical political intrigues going on in the Percheron "castle". I liked Maliz as a villain, because we can really see how much of a smooth, charming and manipulative character he is in order to achieve his goals and how determined he is to prevent Lyana from ever rising again - which would then remind the now ignorant people of their worship of her and the empowerment of women. Lyana was more mysterious and she just came off as a very nuturing, motherly kind of goddess and I didn't like how we didn't get enough information as to understand WHY it is so important/good that Lyana should rise again.
The first half of the book is pretty slow-paced, and not a great deal does really happen - we just have Boaz crowned Zar and preparations for his new harem and everyone trying to claw at each other to maintain power and such. I found that there was just a lot of waffling in this book, and there were just paragraphs and even SCENES which could have been cut out and we would have lost nothing to the plot. However, I found that the pacing of the book gave it the illusion that a lot of time has passed throughout the book - when in all actuality, it had been a few days!
Like the whole prologue, I thought, was unncessary and we're led to believe that Lazar was going to be the sole, main protagonist. What we got from the prologue was that Lazar is an arrogant, recently captured slave with a constant scowl on his face, defiant, strong character who was a highly skilled fighter and obviously has some past, if he wanted to badly assimilate to Percheron as his new home. I didn't see the point of having all this, if they are constantly just affirmed and told to us again consistently throughout the book by some other characters.
Another case is the backstory regarding Lyana, Iridor (her owl messenger and best friend) and her nemesis, the demon Maliz. Why do we have it info-dumped in conversation between Lazar and Zafira, when later on - we have Pez explaining the exact same story to Boaz anyway?
Prose
One of the BIGGEST problems with this book was that there was WAY too much telling than showing, and it was repetitive. All throughout the book. I'll admit, the first time I read the book - it irked me a bit but I didn't pay too much mind. But it wasn't until my second, and third reading did this become more of a nusiance and it just really bogged down the reading experience for me, because things were just CONSTANTLY becoming repeated in my face, as if I was going to forget three pages later that Ana was simply "too beautiful for words" or how much Herezah wanted to bump Lazar's uglies.
I didn't mind the world building of this book, it seemed pretty believable as the world which this series is set in. The whole hierachy and system with the harem women and enunch just reminded me a lot of Debbie Taylor's The Fourth Queen.
The characters
My OT4 = Lazar, Pez, Jumo and Zafira. I could actually buy them being friends, especially the close bromance between Lazar/Jumo. Although Lazar is just my favourite character in this book. Period. For me, aside from Boaz - he is the closest thing we are getting to a developed character. Okay, maybe not as complex as we may get from Boaz, who is just a reluctant kid pushed into position of power as Zar, he's still hurt and grieving over the death of his father/half-siblings and wants to rule with compassion/still be a strong good respected leader but still! Lazar is my sexy, brooding, loyal, honorable and sweet Spur of Percheron and there is no more needed to be said on this!And it is totally Fiona McIntosh's fault for describing him to be some sex God or some sorts!
And no, this is totally not a picture of sexyI would love to tumble with you in a haystack and run my hands down your abs Sam Claflin, who I would cast as Lazar in my dream cast or something. You guys are clearly mistaken here!
Erm, what I meant was...
One the major flaws of this book is that all the characters are just playing out their archetype and that's it. They remain pretty static and one-dimensional throughout the book. Like power hungry, manipulative, beautiful and ambitious Herezah - who is just using her son Boaz as a stepping stone to power, or cruel, sadistic Salemo and simpering, snide Vizier.
Ana had potential in this book because she is reasonably intelligent, compassionate, and maybe even a strong character but to be honest, she's pretty uninteresting through the latter half of the book and is cautiously treading Mary Sue territory.
Main Romance: Lazar and Ana
I love the romance between Lazar and Ana. Maybe it's because I'm a sucker for a forbidden romance and actually seems to be - an ACTUAL forbidden romance! Maybe I'm easily persuaded by hot brooding men who don't "believe in love" but find the one who changes everything and he's decided that he shall always have a steadfasted, fiercely monogamous love for her. Whatever it was, I totally shipped this couple. I thought it was totally adorable - and the eerie age difference doesn't bother me as much anymore! I mean, if I can ship this
Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester (Jane Eyre)
or this
Daenyes and Jorah (Game of Thrones)
this
Zabuza and Haku (Naruto)
or even this
Ninth and Tenth Doctor and Rose (New Series Doctor Who)
- then this should be nothing. Right? Although to be honest, when I try to picture them in our reality, with their age differences - it does creep me out just a bit. :(
However, what really bugged me about it was how the romance was portrayed. At first, I was okay with their initial and mutual attraction, although I must have missed the bit where Lazar and Ana just suddenly decided that after only knowing each other for the span of a day, they are totally and utterly in love with each other, and there will be no one else! God I thought that trope was only made for Disney couples. I just wished we had far more scenes between them, and that their relationship was actually expanded and developed before they were suddenly pushed to the forefront as some epic true love that only REAL romantics would understand. Maybe I'm just an old, bitter and lonely hag here - but I like my relationships with a bit more substance thanks.
Also, we only really know how much Lazar becomes attracted to Ana (against his will). We're not so much shown as we are just told REPEATEDLY how he feels this 'indescribable' gravitation and connections towards Ana. We don't get to spend enough time with Ana, who kind of just stands around looking pretty and sprouting some lies just to show us how spunky she is and not just a pretty face. Therefore, I never really understood how she came to suddenly think that she was totally and utterly in love with him. Hey, at least with Lazar - his actions later on in the book made it pretty clear that he was really starting to care for her.
Recommended for: Fiona McIntosh fans, fantasy fans who have a lot more patience, people who can overlook prose and plot for engaging and likable characters
Rating:Even with all that I've said about this book, you may be wondering - why would I have given it a 4/5 stars? Well I'll tell you why. Because screw logic - I freaking love this book to bits. Call it a guilty pleasure, but I love every aspect of it. I love all the characters, I love the plots going on, I hate the antagonists. I want Lazar and Ana to just be together forever because goddamn it, I just want my Disney-esque happy breeding couple to get their happy ever after.
What I liked and didn't like (because these categories have a bit of both, really)
Plot
As much as I loved the romantic plot, it did not get as much focus nor time to expand upon it. Well as much as the wohle subplot with the goddess Lyana and such did - which was what I really like and found it FAR more intriguing than the typical political intrigues going on in the Percheron "castle". I liked Maliz as a villain, because we can really see how much of a smooth, charming and manipulative character he is in order to achieve his goals and how determined he is to prevent Lyana from ever rising again - which would then remind the now ignorant people of their worship of her and the empowerment of women. Lyana was more mysterious and she just came off as a very nuturing, motherly kind of goddess and I didn't like how we didn't get enough information as to understand WHY it is so important/good that Lyana should rise again.
The first half of the book is pretty slow-paced, and not a great deal does really happen - we just have Boaz crowned Zar and preparations for his new harem and everyone trying to claw at each other to maintain power and such. I found that there was just a lot of waffling in this book, and there were just paragraphs and even SCENES which could have been cut out and we would have lost nothing to the plot. However, I found that the pacing of the book gave it the illusion that a lot of time has passed throughout the book - when in all actuality, it had been a few days!
Like the whole prologue, I thought, was unncessary and we're led to believe that Lazar was going to be the sole, main protagonist. What we got from the prologue was that Lazar is an arrogant, recently captured slave with a constant scowl on his face, defiant, strong character who was a highly skilled fighter and obviously has some past, if he wanted to badly assimilate to Percheron as his new home. I didn't see the point of having all this, if they are constantly just affirmed and told to us again consistently throughout the book by some other characters.
Another case is the backstory regarding Lyana, Iridor (her owl messenger and best friend) and her nemesis, the demon Maliz. Why do we have it info-dumped in conversation between Lazar and Zafira, when later on - we have Pez explaining the exact same story to Boaz anyway?
Prose
One of the BIGGEST problems with this book was that there was WAY too much telling than showing, and it was repetitive. All throughout the book. I'll admit, the first time I read the book - it irked me a bit but I didn't pay too much mind. But it wasn't until my second, and third reading did this become more of a nusiance and it just really bogged down the reading experience for me, because things were just CONSTANTLY becoming repeated in my face, as if I was going to forget three pages later that Ana was simply "too beautiful for words" or how much Herezah wanted to bump Lazar's uglies.
I didn't mind the world building of this book, it seemed pretty believable as the world which this series is set in. The whole hierachy and system with the harem women and enunch just reminded me a lot of Debbie Taylor's The Fourth Queen.
The characters
My OT4 = Lazar, Pez, Jumo and Zafira. I could actually buy them being friends, especially the close bromance between Lazar/Jumo. Although Lazar is just my favourite character in this book. Period. For me, aside from Boaz - he is the closest thing we are getting to a developed character. Okay, maybe not as complex as we may get from Boaz, who is just a reluctant kid pushed into position of power as Zar, he's still hurt and grieving over the death of his father/half-siblings and wants to rule with compassion/still be a strong good respected leader but still! Lazar is my sexy, brooding, loyal, honorable and sweet Spur of Percheron and there is no more needed to be said on this!
And no, this is totally not a picture of sexy
Erm, what I meant was...
One the major flaws of this book is that all the characters are just playing out their archetype and that's it. They remain pretty static and one-dimensional throughout the book. Like power hungry, manipulative, beautiful and ambitious Herezah - who is just using her son Boaz as a stepping stone to power, or cruel, sadistic Salemo and simpering, snide Vizier.
Ana had potential in this book because she is reasonably intelligent, compassionate, and maybe even a strong character but to be honest, she's pretty uninteresting through the latter half of the book and is cautiously treading Mary Sue territory.
Main Romance: Lazar and Ana
I love the romance between Lazar and Ana. Maybe it's because I'm a sucker for a forbidden romance and actually seems to be - an ACTUAL forbidden romance! Maybe I'm easily persuaded by hot brooding men who don't "believe in love" but find the one who changes everything and he's decided that he shall always have a steadfasted, fiercely monogamous love for her. Whatever it was, I totally shipped this couple. I thought it was totally adorable - and the eerie age difference doesn't bother me as much anymore! I mean, if I can ship this
Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester (Jane Eyre)
or this
Daenyes and Jorah (Game of Thrones)
this
Zabuza and Haku (Naruto)
or even this
Ninth and Tenth Doctor and Rose (New Series Doctor Who)
- then this should be nothing. Right? Although to be honest, when I try to picture them in our reality, with their age differences - it does creep me out just a bit. :(
However, what really bugged me about it was how the romance was portrayed. At first, I was okay with their initial and mutual attraction, although I must have missed the bit where Lazar and Ana just suddenly decided that after only knowing each other for the span of a day, they are totally and utterly in love with each other, and there will be no one else! God I thought that trope was only made for Disney couples. I just wished we had far more scenes between them, and that their relationship was actually expanded and developed before they were suddenly pushed to the forefront as some epic true love that only REAL romantics would understand. Maybe I'm just an old, bitter and lonely hag here - but I like my relationships with a bit more substance thanks.
Also, we only really know how much Lazar becomes attracted to Ana (against his will). We're not so much shown as we are just told REPEATEDLY how he feels this 'indescribable' gravitation and connections towards Ana. We don't get to spend enough time with Ana, who kind of just stands around looking pretty and sprouting some lies just to show us how spunky she is and not just a pretty face. Therefore, I never really understood how she came to suddenly think that she was totally and utterly in love with him. Hey, at least with Lazar - his actions later on in the book made it pretty clear that he was really starting to care for her.
Recommended for: Fiona McIntosh fans, fantasy fans who have a lot more patience, people who can overlook prose and plot for engaging and likable characters
Rating:Even with all that I've said about this book, you may be wondering - why would I have given it a 4/5 stars? Well I'll tell you why. Because screw logic - I freaking love this book to bits. Call it a guilty pleasure, but I love every aspect of it. I love all the characters, I love the plots going on, I hate the antagonists. I want Lazar and Ana to just be together forever because goddamn it, I just want my Disney-esque happy breeding couple to get their happy ever after.
March 9, 2017
I utterly enjoyed this book. I'm not a fantasy reader so it was a challenge for me to myself to be able to read something like this.
After having read The Chocolate Tin, also by McIntosh (she predominately writes historicals with a romantic twist now) and loving it quite a lot, I was really interested to read the books which got her noticed in the beginning. I was a little put off by the amount of negative or ambiguous reviews, but the premise of the story and the series itself was enough for me to discount most of the published goodreads reviews.
I have discovered, that at least for now, I like my fantasy light. Odalisque is the set up novel for the three book Percheron series, so I implore you to read this expecting unanswered questions. This is probably not a book for seasoned readers of fantasy, it is perhaps barely a fantasy novel and more historical (fictitious obviously) with a hint of fantasy.
The writing style was easy to follow and the storyline was right up my alley, it almost reads like and alternate history. I love all the characters, even the villains, Herezah is one of the most conniving characters I've ever read, and due to her status as concubine and then absolute favourite, she literally slept her way to the top, but she definitely brings a new meaning to the phrase.
Ana is actually a very frustrating character to read, but I like her spiritedness and feisty attitude in the face of adversity and a truly horrible destiny.
I am very interested to see where the story line with Lazar goes in future books, he was way too interesting a character to be killed off in the first book. I don't believe him to be dead, but everyone else in the book is under that impression.
Being that this is quite an old series, I'll have to wait for the library to be able to get it for me, so I can have a break in between books, but I can almost guarantee I'll be thinking about what happens next the whole time.
After having read The Chocolate Tin, also by McIntosh (she predominately writes historicals with a romantic twist now) and loving it quite a lot, I was really interested to read the books which got her noticed in the beginning. I was a little put off by the amount of negative or ambiguous reviews, but the premise of the story and the series itself was enough for me to discount most of the published goodreads reviews.
I have discovered, that at least for now, I like my fantasy light. Odalisque is the set up novel for the three book Percheron series, so I implore you to read this expecting unanswered questions. This is probably not a book for seasoned readers of fantasy, it is perhaps barely a fantasy novel and more historical (fictitious obviously) with a hint of fantasy.
The writing style was easy to follow and the storyline was right up my alley, it almost reads like and alternate history. I love all the characters, even the villains, Herezah is one of the most conniving characters I've ever read, and due to her status as concubine and then absolute favourite, she literally slept her way to the top, but she definitely brings a new meaning to the phrase.
Ana is actually a very frustrating character to read, but I like her spiritedness and feisty attitude in the face of adversity and a truly horrible destiny.
I am very interested to see where the story line with Lazar goes in future books, he was way too interesting a character to be killed off in the first book. I don't believe him to be dead, but everyone else in the book is under that impression.
Being that this is quite an old series, I'll have to wait for the library to be able to get it for me, so I can have a break in between books, but I can almost guarantee I'll be thinking about what happens next the whole time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 18, 2019
Other reviewers aren't wrong- it can take a bit to get into the flow of the story. It can't be consumed quickly but I'm a speed reader. I love to consume books as fast as I possibly can.
I couldn't do that with this book. I had to take my time and really read it properly from start to finish.
This book (and the trilogy as a whole) is rich, cruel, human and fascinating. As time went on I really started to root and care for the main characters, even felt empathy for the worst of them, and held my breath till the last book in the trilogy. The pace really starts to build up as the plot starts to pull together all the points. Despite having to take my time with the books I ended up reading all three over four days.
I'm extremely glad that I got the trilogy as a set because waiting for another book would have taken away the momentum of it all. I'm even rereading the set again.
I couldn't do that with this book. I had to take my time and really read it properly from start to finish.
This book (and the trilogy as a whole) is rich, cruel, human and fascinating. As time went on I really started to root and care for the main characters, even felt empathy for the worst of them, and held my breath till the last book in the trilogy. The pace really starts to build up as the plot starts to pull together all the points. Despite having to take my time with the books I ended up reading all three over four days.
I'm extremely glad that I got the trilogy as a set because waiting for another book would have taken away the momentum of it all. I'm even rereading the set again.
April 24, 2019
In the tradition of Book One in any fantasy series, this title spends a lot of time creating characters for readers to love or loathe giving them a wide range of capabilities. We come to love the young Zar and the beautiful young odalisque Ana who has been bought for his harem. We admire the courage of the mysterious and handsome Lazar. We are curious about the jester Pez who is clearly more than he seems. And, there is no shortage of villains and their - at times -grotesque actions. As the action builds towards the end of this book there are many unresolved situations. Fortunately Book Two, Emissary, is on the bookshelf just waiting to be read.
January 24, 2023
This book initially passed the 50 page test. Then stalled. Then picked up again. Then stalled again at the end. I know there’s two more books to read but the ending hasn’t given me any reason to continue.
I also have huge problems with how Lazar was killed, off screen so to speak. A character like that being killed should send ripples through the rest of the story but none of the scale of the repercussions for the other characters came through.
Neat idea with gods rising again to fight for dominance but it was more of a political palace drama than anything else.
I also have huge problems with how Lazar was killed, off screen so to speak. A character like that being killed should send ripples through the rest of the story but none of the scale of the repercussions for the other characters came through.
Neat idea with gods rising again to fight for dominance but it was more of a political palace drama than anything else.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 21, 2019
I had it for a long time, and couldn't remember why I haven't read it.. I should have thrown it out.. While the story is intriguing, it falls flat when "the romance" begins.. First of because it sounds like a 12 year Olds idea of love and written as a 12 year old would, and second.. A 30 year old man who wishes to have sex with a 14 year old, and it's claimed to be instant love... Seriously? So that's a no from me
September 3, 2023
Not my favourite Fiona McIntosh book, but still likable. Set in an Arabian type setting with a king and his harem, we follow Lazar, the captain of the army; Pez, the kings fool: Ana, one of the harem girls and Boaz, the new king. There is plenty of court intrigue and evil going on. The premise of a female god rising and a male trying to stop her seems odd, but I will continue with the series to see what comes next.
January 2, 2017
This book started interesting. The front page and the short summary intrigued me to pick it up of the old goats bookshelf. But after a while it became very repetitive. The whole *SPOILER* story of Maliz and Lyana was always told in a quick version but several times, neither time Gabe any new information.
Anyways, I knew Lazar was alive. Cool cool.
Probably won't read the next books.
Anyways, I knew Lazar was alive. Cool cool.
Probably won't read the next books.
September 29, 2017
I loved this book, such creativity and the lovely Harem setting and the beautiful Percheron with the Beloch, Ezram, Crendel and Darso statues, the Lyana goddess temples and Spur Lazar and of course the beautiful Ana and the cold but beautiful Herezah pining for the Spur. Fiona MCintosh, you Nailed it in this book and the two sequels!
July 21, 2021
I was so looking forward to yet another Fiona McIntosh book. But by Chapter 5 I just found it had nothing to hook me at all. And to be honest I’m not really into the ‘fantasy’ genre, and did wonder how I’d enjoy it. But somehow it’s not for me, especially with all its macabre happenings- so I’m shelving this one and its sequel for something that might peak my interest.
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