Rating: 
Summary: Far, far away and far fetched
Review: I won't go into a book summary because you've already read that surely, but I agree with the reviewer who stated this is a Regency England storyline, just reversed. I had thought this very same thing with all the "Lordene", "Duchene" etc. titles. I've read Ms. Joy's works before and enjoyed them. I expected this book to be fantasy, and the idea of a society where men are only valued for their looks, taking a woman's name in marriage, being subjected to a woman's rule is an entertaining one, but this book teeters on the border of being laughable. Especially considering the Ritual of Proof - a male undergoes an inspection to make sure he's still "intact" - I leave that to your imagination and your guess would be right. Everything is reversed as to what would be expected in past Regency times. It was so distracting for me, that I had trouble getting into the romance aspect of it. As it were, the chemistry wasn't bad between Jorlan and Green, but it wasn't spectacular enough to over ride the far fetched ideas Joy portrays in her latest. And if you have to use a glossary at the back of the book, it disrupts the flow of the read. I, too, recommend one of her previous works rather than this one.
Rating: 
Summary: What a great title for such a BAD book
Review: I think I am going to give up on Dara Joy. I started reading her matrix books and loved them! The problem is her last matrix book in the series so far was a lousy read. When this book 1st came out I thought the idea was interesting and was tempted to buy the hardback. I am so glad I only wasted money on the paperback. I got to page 150 and finally stopped torturing myself and put it down. It was ridiculous! I disliked all of the characters. The whole premise that these strong men would be led around and treated so poorly by the weaker sex (Yes we may be the smarter sex - but I hate to admit we are the weaker) and the idea of a society where men are treated like children is stupid! Also, I am 33 and yes I have dated men younger than me and even married one that is 4 years my junior but I still can't get into the whole ten year age difference between the female and the male character in this book. And come on not since the clockwork orange have I had to refer to the back of the book for a gossary of terms! STUPID!!! I'm sorry to say that maybe Dara Joy's days as an author are numbered. Maybe a person only has so many good books in them to write and she has already written them all. I really don't even think I am going to waste my time reading any otther books by her - even if a new matrix comes out.
Rating: 
Summary: Best book I've read this year
Review: I don't know how she managed to write such a complex story but then that's Dara Joy. If you are a fan of hers or have ever read any of her books you know what I mean. She can take the impossible and draw you right into it. This story seems impossible to start, by the third page you have completely bought the it hook line and sinker. It's a wonderful book. I reccomend it very highly.
Rating:
Summary: This story rocks!!!
Review: If you are open to new things and like the idea of the true female fantasy you will positively love this book. People are trying to anaylize and pick apart this book which is good because it shows how much the story grabs you but you know what? You can just read to enjoy it. It's hot, it's so cool! Once I started, I couldn't put it down. You won't be able to either. It's THAT good!
Rating:
Summary: I enjoyed it, but
Review: I enjoyed the romance and the characters, Like other books by Dara joy this one sizzles. But,I would hope that if a group of women colonized a new world, they would have enough sense and grace not to act like men. Female chauvanists is the term that comes to mind.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing Book
Review: This book was dismal, I am writing this just to say how disappointed I was in this book. I purchased other books by Ms. Joy. I have enjoyed them, so I began with Rituals of proof. This Futuristic/past novel takes Regency England and tries to make it into a female based society, with males although taller and stronger than the females are the 'weaker' sex. The premise does not work, the over done words 'name-giver', 'name-Bearer' instead of husband and wife. Instead of just using Lady to give status the term 'She-Lord' or 'Lordene' was not only an affront to intellect, but shows the male 'Lord' intimates that the male is superior. There was a word glossary at the end of the book, this book was pedantic, banal, and predictable, the very need for advanced people to still use horse like conveyance is just the stuff that makes this book a yawn. Why the need to take Regency England to Science Fiction? And the total Female being right did not work in the book as the male lead ended up with all of the power. Need I say more? If you want to read a good book try some of Ms. Joy's others books for they are worth your time. Or pick this book up at a second hand store. Don't buy it at full price it is not worth it.
Rating: 
Summary: A good concept doth not a good novel make.
Review: _Ritual of Proof_ intrigued me, based on the cover blurb and a brief thumbing-through in the store. "Ah," I thought, "here is a good concept; it's bound to be a good book." The concept is this: women travelers from Earth settled, centuries ago, on the moon of Forus, where they set up a society where women ruled, and then used genetic engineering to create men for pleasure and reproduction. Set in this world, long after its founding, is the love story of Green Tamryn, a titled lady, and her chosen name-bearer (husband, except that in this world the man takes the woman's name), Jorlan. Jorlan is a rebel, convinced that males should be allowed an equal place in society. He marries Green, both because he has no real choice and because he secretly desires her. Yet he remains committed to changing the world. Sounds pretty good, huh? Unfortunately, _Ritual of Proof_ falls down on two levels, and given its flaws I found it impossible to finish. First, the society the author sets up doesn't make much sense. Dara Joy seems to have set up a society that was the exact mirror image of Regency society, rather than pondering what a woman-ruled world really would be like. I'm not referring to any maudlin notions that women are the gentler sex, and wouldn't be so oppressive. I'm talking pragmatic stuff here. There is a reason why patriarchal culture became so obsessed with the chastity of brides. It wasn't because they consciously decided "Hey, let's oppress some women." It was because they wanted to make sure their heirs were really their children, that they weren't passing on their names and their fortunes to someone else's kids. When a child is born, it's pretty obvious who its mother is. Its father, in the days before genetic testing, would be less clear. Thus, women were expected to be virgins at their marriage and faithful ever after. But in Joy's world, males have been genetically engineered to grow a hymen over their genitalia, and must display it before witnesses to prove their virginity at the time of marriage. This is said to ensure the purity of the man's wife's bloodline. Huh? First of all, this society is more concerned with the maternity of a child than the paternity. The man just provides the sperm. Any child born of a certain woman's body is hers, by common sense. And if they're so concerned about paternity, they can do paternity testing. This is a world where everything is based on genetic engineering! Is it plausible that they don't know how to do a paternity test? The foundation of the plot, the "Ritual of Proof" of virginity, is utterly pointless. Joy was clearly more interested in turning sexism upside down than in designing a world that made sense. Second, the prose is awkward. When the writing is a pain to read, it becomes hard to care about the characters. They can never seem more than words on a page, when the style is as messy as this. Ever heard of "As you already know" dialogue? That's where the characters sit around talking about stuff they all know already, just because the author can't think of any other way to impart that info to the reader. Heard of info-dumping? In historical fiction, it's what happens when the author decided to show off her research by launching into dry historical detail at the expense of plot; in this case, the author is launching into dry made-up detail about her invented world. The world of Forus is bigger than this book; if she wants to tell us all about it, she should have written more than one book about it rathet than trying to cram the history of a planet into a romance novel. And, of course, we have the tried-and-true telling-not-showing. Joy wants us to think of Green as a strong and intelligent woman. How does she indicate this? By saying that Green is a strong and intelligent woman. Ditto for the descriptions of Jorlan as rebellious, willful, and psychically gifted. Instead of showing us the characters through the story, we're just told what they're like and that's that. Like I said, I couldn't finish this. The sex is pretty steamy; it might be worth reading for that. Don't approach it looking for insightful sci-fi or serious feminist fiction.
Rating:
Summary: Another Terrible Disappointment
Review: Dara Joy has been one of my favorite authors, and her Matrix of Destiny series has been one of my all time favorites.I have read " Mine to Take" several times and will probably read it again.When I saw this book on the shelf, I could hardly wait to get home and read it. This book , however, is a terrible disappiontment and is even worse than the last one. (The totally ridiculous one with Zanita and Tyber that was so bad that I can't even remember the name.)I did something that I almost never do, I put it down without finishing it. The bizarre role reversal of turning women into cold,emotionless rakes and virile young men into weak, simpering,virginal young misses was just too much for me to stomach. It seemed like the women had the Testosterone and the men had the Estrogen on this planet. I wish that I had saved my money and I'm glad that I didn't waste even more on the hardcover edition.
Please,Dara,please, stick to what you do best and give us some more Matrix of Destiny!
Rating:
Summary: New and Refreshing!!
Review: This premise was totally new to me - a society run by women and the men are all pampered and innocent and submissive (I love it!). I wasn't sure if I would like this book at first but my interest was piqued after reading the description. When I actually started reading it, I couldn't put it down. The story is so engrossing, and this surprised me since I've never been a fan of fantasy. The love and passion that grows between Green and Jorlan is so sweet! I really hope Dara Joy will write more like this one!
Rating:
Summary: She's an atom bomb!
Review: Man, can this lady write! If you are into techno, alt. fantasy, this is one book you don't want to miss. I'm a college student and this is flying through campus. We've staged ROP parties in the dorm and even nicknamed one of the dorms the House of She-Lords. The men DO like this fantasy, ladies! Joy rocks!!
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