Sebastian

Starred review from December 5, 2005
Sweeping onto the scene with flair and grace, this latest page-turner from bestseller Bishop (Dreams Made Flesh
) flutters its eyelashes at you like a shy country maid and then sinks its teeth in like a hungry succubus. The maid is Lynnea and the succubus is Sebastian, and their unlikely romance is at the heart of the impressively unclichéd battle between light and dark raging through the world called Ephemera, where the land changes in response to the deepest desires and fears of the inhabitants. When the Eater of the World came into being, the Guides of the Heart shattered Ephemera into myriad pieces, each shaped by the will of a Landscaper and linked to other pieces by Bridges; they also cornered the Eater in a Landscape unconnected to the rest of the world. Now a foolish student has set it free, and Sebastian must help his cousins, Glorianna and Lee, a Landscaper and a Bridge of unusual power and talents respectively, to trap or destroy it. Bishop's pure originality and lyrical prose bolster the occasionally uneven characterization, and the tender romances and friendships will delight fantasy readers tired of gore and lust.

Starred review from January 15, 2006
The world of Ephemera exists in the form of many magical landscapes, guarded over by Landscapers, women who shape these worlds into their myriad forms, and Bridges, men who act as transition points. When an ancient evil known only as the Eater of the World finds a way to escape its long imprisonment and begins its destructive onslaught within the many landscapes, only a few of Ephemera's residents still remember this creature's existence or know how to fight it. At the center of the battle is an incubus, a half human -half demon named Sebastian, whose powers over the land -and over himself -have yet to be unlocked. The author of the -Black Jewels - paperback series (Daughter of the Blood; Heir to the Shadows) makes her hardcover debut with a dark romantic fantasy series in which reality is shaped by desire and each person finds the world they deserve. Bishop's talents lie both in her ability to craft a story filled with intriguing characters and in her flair for smoldering sensuality that recommends her to fans of Tanith Lee, Storm Constantine, and Anne Rice. Highly recommended.

Copyright 2006 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2006
Welcome to Ephemera, full of thousands of magical landscapes interconnected by bridges that may or may not take a traveler where he wants to go, for here the destination is always determined by the heart's true desire. One such landscape is the Den, a town of perpetual twilight inhabited by creatures of the night because it shelters all things hidden, secret, and dark. Half-incubus Sebastian and his friend, Teaser, have lived in the Den for years, happily plying their trade to lonely women in the flesh and in their dreams. But something evil roams among humans, trolls, waterhorses, and other creatures, and the corpses of heinously murdered victims are found with alarming regularity. When that evil enters the Den wearing Teaser's and others' faces, Sebastian must perilously journey to Wizard City for help. There, another, more insidious evil awaits. With the help of cousin Glorianna Belladonna, Teaser, and his love, Lynnea, Sebastian will risk everything to save Ephemera. But will everything be enough? Erotic, fervently romantic, superbly entertaining, " Sebastian" satisfies.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)