Rating: 
Summary: An insult to the intelligence
Review: Where to start... I felt personally offended and affronted by this book. The plot, while hailed by some as terribly inventive and clever was dull, trite, and not the least bit compelling. The 'role reversal' of the sexes was done in such a way I often wondered if it was written by a five year-old. Books like this are the reason women are still oppressed in half the world. Please, God, do not waste your money on this frivilous romp of fantasty garbage.
Rating: 
Summary: Topsy-Turvy Fun
Review: I'm usually a fantasy reader, but the startling premise of the book and the sci-fi setting caught my eye. This book is more than just a romance, it's a yarn that pokes fun at society, gender roles, and romance novels in general by flipping all the most commonly conceived notions on their heads. The treatment of men on this planet is clearly absurd - but no more than the way women are treated in the Regency society that this book is modeled after. In this society it is the males who are jealously guarded and whose sexual pasts are so carefully scrutinized.I got a giggle from the scene of Jorlan's fastening. Surely the author must have read my mind at how tired I was of reading books (of any genre) that had the obligatory "wedding night" scene of the frightened woman being initiated into the mysteries of married life by the more experienced man. It was somewhat refreshing to see a complete turn around on that scene. I enjoy when an author creates their own world and puts a lot of love and effort into making it real, so I liked the index of terms in the back of the book and the slang people used on their planet. (I especially got a kick out of the term "veil" being used to describe an unwedded male, it was a fitting counterpart to our term "maiden" for females, since the "veil" was just another version of a "maidenhead.") I had a bit of a hard time with the silly sounding "klees" and "kloos" though, even though I liked them well enough as animal creations. This is fun book, and one you need to read with an open mind. If you enjoy the theme of a women ruled world and want to really delve deeper into the subject though I would highly recommend Anne Bishop's "Jewels" trilogy, starting with "Daughter of the Blood."
Rating: 
Summary: Ritual of Proof- Not Your Usual Romance
Review: Dara Joy has a fantastic imagination as can be seen in her fantasy series beginning with "Knight of a Trillion Stars." However, if you are looking for any similarity in this book, then you are in for a surprise. "Ritual of Proof" is set on a planet whose culture is similar to that of Regency England only with a twist. The women dominate and enjoy the same freedoms and pleasures that were available to men of that era. While, the men are expected to remain virgins and behave with decorum. I had to read the book twice before I could change the paradigm for how I perceive men in general and appreciate the story for what it was. The redeeming factor is the hint that men are going to be liberated in future books. I cannot wait for the sequel.
Rating:
Summary: So great I read it again, right away
Review: I don't usually go for stories of female world domination, but this story was unusual, to say the least. When you read a lot of romance novels, there are a lot of cliche's, and this book turns them all on their head. It is extremely imaginative, and quietly hilarious. True, the man might not be as tough as I usually like, but he was a believable product of his culture (and hey, I'd take him!). The women still felt like women, which is also unusual in this kind of novel. This is a love-it-or-hate-it book, and I loved it. Dara Joy obviously spent a lot of time creating this world and the life forms that inhabit it. How wonderful, compared to another off-world series that merely called animals names like cat-dogs, for Pete's sake. Oh PLEASE let there be a sequel!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Ritural of Proof
Review: First of all Ritural of proof is a great book. It makes you wonder what if it was like that. The whole male being the lower class than the women. Who are the rulers. It is a great book, it was erotic and exciting. Jorlan was very lucky to have married Green. From the beginning he didn't want to get married. I can't wait for her next book.
Rating:
Summary: Horrible
Review: Where do I begin! This book was so bad I could barely finish it. I read each of the Matrix of Destiny books on pins and needles. I love them so much I own two copies of each, yet this book was something else entirely. Unfortunately I can't state it quite the way I would like to because I doubt if Amazon[.com] would post my comments then. The characters were flat and uninspiring, especially the main characters. The concept of the story is interesting, but I find it hard to feel any sexual tension with a male character who is completely dominated by women. I mean lets keep it real here. We read romance novels for the men. If there aren't hot then the story isn't going to work. Jorlan was cute, but he seemed more like a boy then a man and I simply do not get off on boys. I give this book one star because as a few have suggested there seems to be a veiled reference to the Matrix of Destiny series.
Rating: 
Summary: a disappointment!
Review: I have to agree with the previous reviewer who was hunting for some missed creativity in this book. I couldnt find it either. The idea of a race where men are the subjugated ones was definitely interesting but I found that the book kept falling back to the old formula of "Big strong man in charge". An intriguing idea but not developed well.
Rating:
Summary: oh my god this was painful
Review: Wooden dialogue, pallid descriptions and characters that would need an air pump to become even one-dimensional.
If the author had made that idiot Jorlan the secret villain and gotten Green Tamryn together with her 'arch rival' Claudine(who makes a last minute rescue to save Green from the demented psychopathic Jorlan), that might have made a story. Unfortunately the author's apparent homophobia (or lack of ability) prevented that.
Rating:
Summary: I tried very hard to finish this book...
Review: alas, I could not. I adored Dara Joy's "Matrix of Destiny" series and was looking forward to "Ritual of Proof". However, I will have to agree with most of the reviews stated here. Not worth reading. I read many, many romances (as well as other genres) and often find good things to say about even the most horrid of books. That is not the case here. The main characters were flat and uninteresting. The entire idea of the male being 'breached' in a painful ritual just did nothing for me. I really tried to finish this book, but just couldn't. I won't recap the plot here, as many reviewers already have. I just felt so strongly about NOT liking this book, I had to put in my two cents.
Rating:
Summary: I LOVE Dara Joy's work, but this book was a MAJOR letdown...
Review: While the concept is interesting - a matriarchal society where the women dominate and the men are subservient, I don't think it makes for a good romance novel to portray the male I'm supposed to be panting over as the 'weaker sex'. True, Jorlan fights that stereotype, but not terribly well. I didn't find him particularly compelling in a sexual way due to his passivity. Then she builds the book to this big climax over the 'secret' he was hiding - and it turns out to be no big deal. I also have a real problem with this super-advanced, far-in-the-future group of radical feminists who arrived via spaceship on their planet, made great advances in genetic engineering, have 'natal acclerators' that can condense a pregnancy to 3 months and all other manner of wonders but still ride around on horses to get anywhere. Where's the continuity, here? I can see by the way she left it wide open that Dara Joy plans on other books in this series. My advice for her is "don't bother". Get me back to the Matrix of Destiny and I'll be a happy woman.
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