The Black Jewels series and The Other series are definitely my favorite books by Anne Bishop but I think this series is a solid read. I find the characters to be the strongest part of the books. The story itself has define highs and lows but it is worth a read. ( )

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

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

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

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

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

I couldn't put this book down. I really like Bishop to begin with, but in contrast to what else I've been reading lately, this was a truly enjoyable and entertaining read. I am wondering what might come next for this series. ( )

Popsugar Challenge 2015 | Task 42: A book you own but haven't read

Not my favorite series by Bishop. All four of her series resonate with the same themes, but this one is a pale imitation of the Black Jewels world. The pacing was also a little off, sometimes plodding along and other racing to the finish. ( )

All of Anne Bishop's writing (that I've read) have the same themes: men vs. women, power, connection to the natural world. Someone said her writing is "Id-fueled." I'm not sure I agree, but I can't disagree either. Belladonna is engaging but a little slow. The Ephemera series doesn't read any differently from the Black Jewels or Tir Alainn series. Men work to destroy women (and their male allies). One woman hides a powerful secret AND holds the fate of the world in her hands. ( )