Rating: 
Summary: An insightful and moving book
Review: I was intrigued when I saw that Anne Perry had written a book billed as a fantasy. I'm not sure I would classify it as a fantasy, but it rather defies any other definition. It's a wonderful story of a spiritual journey, based very closely on the doctrinal beliefs of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It's a deep book- be warned. You have to be in a certain frame of mind to really enjoy it. It makes you think- there's no avoiding that. It'll make think hard. Writing this book must have been exhausting. Nearly every line in that book had to be thought out for its allegorical, spiritual, and philosophical symbolism. I think that Tathea ranks up there with the best of C.S. Lewis's allegories.
Rating: 
Summary: Just wading on through
Review: I'm a big fan of Perry's Victorian detective novels, and a big fan of sci-fi and fantasy books. When I saw this novel in the sci-fi/fantasy shelf of my local library, I couldn't resist.I shall try to give as fair a review as someone only half-way through a novel can be. I have no beef with Mormonism, and I'm not going to attack this book because it's a thinly-veneered exposition of Mormon theology. I'm actually interested in other religious beliefs, and in how their adherents view the world. This is the only reason I'm sticking with the book, to tell the truth. You see, 'Tathea' is boring. I'm sorry, Ms Perry, I truly am, but it is. Some books manage to pull of the trick of creating characters who exist solely to facilitate the flow of philosophising. 'Tathea' isn't one of them. In 'Tathea', the sheer lack of character depth means that I am consciously wading on through this book purely out of curiosity about Mormon ideas, not because I care one whit about Tathea (completely wise, compassionate, and good in every way) or her adventures (passing quickly and easily, with no sense of real drama to pull me in) or her world (a not very imaginative use of ancient civilisations). If only the characters felt more real, more raw, more interesting, I could go with this happily. But they're not, and I have to say I'm disappointed.
Rating: 
Summary: Mormon propaganda
Review: Do not buy this book expecting a fantasy novel. It is a thinly-veiled Christian allegory that the world could do just fine without. One of the more interesting (purely from a philosophical standpoint) parts is when an adulterer sees the error of his ways after reading "God's word," which is especially ironic bearing in mind that the woman who now calls herself Anne Perry brutally beat a woman to death with a brick when she was younger. The last thing I want to read is a moral discourse written by an admitted murderess.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful, Inspiring
Review: I, fifteen years old, was pleasantly surprised to find this book in our small local library. Once I started to read, it was very difficult to put it down. I was able to read it in less than a week, during finals. It is a beautiful fantasy that takes place on another world created after our earth. Anne Perry uses her exceptional writing skills to make the book come alive, to help us feel the hatred of Satan and the love of God. In answer to "Kevin, in South Africa," if you only read 50 pages you barely made a mark in it. The first 125 (out of 525) are a spiritual journey, almost a vision, that Tathea takes on. It is an allegory filled with symbolism of what will come later. The beginning makes much more sense if one imagines what is being alluded to each situation. After she is given a golden Book filled with the words of God, Tathea shares it with the world. The rest is much more easy to understand and accurately portrays human nature so that one feels as if they know the characters. At the end of the novel is the text of the Book. It filled me with such awe, such love as I read it, and helped me better understand God's plan. I applaude Anne Perry for taking the stand to write this, one of the most beautiful books I have ever read, exempting the scriptures. Many people think that the definately Christian, yet very different philosophy found in the book was created by Anne Perry. However, it actually reflects the doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, of which she is a member. I encourage, even plead with, everyone to read this awe-inspiring, spiritual novel. It will make you a better person; if everyone in the world read it and believed what it says the world would be at peace. I feel certain that our Heavenly Father smiles upon this book.
Rating:
Summary: pedestrian pilgrim's progress
Review: This book promised far more than it was able to deliver. What started as a beautifully phrased story of a woman's journey to discover herself swiftly descended through thinly veiled religious allegory, a la "Pilgrim's Progress," to out and out homily. Ms. Perry's lovely phrasing was soon lost in repititious plot developement and pedantic moralizing. If you are looking for a moving story of one woman's struggle to overcome the many obstacles facing her, you won't find it here, at least, not after the first 75 pages or so. After that, you become numbed to Tathea's plight and frustrated by the shallow allegory. The many characters often become far more idealized than is comfortable and the insistence upon growth through pain soon dulls any sympathy the reader might otherwise feel. I find it ironic that in several telling scenes, Ms. Perry talks about the insubstantiality of drama without realization of humanity, drama which embodies only the ideals of a specific group or culture. Perhaps if she had followed her own advice, this would be a novel worth reading.
Rating:
Summary: I've been tricked!
Review: I thought I was reading a fantasy novel... No, it's an adventure quest novel... Egad! It's really a religious proselytizing text.
It's also boring.
It starts out ok, basic plotline of betrayal & murder of the royal family, of which Ta-thea (empress) is the only survivor. She escapes to the homeland of her mother where she begins a quest to find herself, truth, reason for living, etc. She takes THE BOOK, aka Word of God and flees to another country where she is welcomed with open arms by their royal family who immediately are converted to her new religion. There's some noise about her returning to reclaim the throne, but she's more focused on spreading The Word. And boy, do we read a lot of it! Finally, she regains her throne, but is quickly banished by a henchman of The Adversary, so she begins wandering, converting nearly all she comes accross. More of THE BOOK's wisdom for us. Of course, any differing beliefs are turned into an expression of The Word Of God. Blah Blah Blah.
I gave up. If I wanted to read a religious text, I would have. If I had intended to read Christian fantasy, I'd have checked out the Left Behind series, I hear that's popular and well written.
The epic struggle between good and evil has been and will be written about in much more interesting ways.
Rating: 
Summary: A journey of the mind and soul
Review: I found Tathea a very interesting book to read. The author is very descriptive in her detail of suroundings and layout of the world in which the story takes place in. I could easily imagine myself caught up in the scenes taking place. Tathea brings to the world a Book containing the words of God with His plan in it. She attempts to share it with the people, but, along with bringing the truth it contains, she also brings evil. She eventually must make decisions to remove to book from the populace so that the truth will not be fully distorted. I do wish Tathea was not totally left alone in her quest to accomplish all that she must do. Every time she makes a friend, he or she dies for the cause of truth so Tathea can succeed with the next step of her destiny. There is another book, and I anxiously await it. Maybe in the sequel Tathea will find the happiness and peace that she deserves in this life, without having to wait for the one to come.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting, but not a fantasy novel
Review: It is true as both professional reviewers and book readers alike have said, that "Tathea" is not a fantasy novel. The novel has been incorrectly marketed. Perhaps that is because the publishers weren't sure exactly how to market it. The novel begins with Ta-Thea an empress barely escaping her home land after her husband, the emperor of Shinabar and her son are murdered in an uprising. The first few pages do indeed seem like a fantasy novel, but as one continues to read on, the novel is simply a broad mix of characters and situations which symbolize a woman's search for spiritual enlightment. Tathea is trusted with a mysterious "Book" which is said to completely explain God's plan for mankind. To be perfectly honest, the book was a bit too long, and the characters, with their unusual "fantasy" names, were simply players to point out good and evil, accepting the law of God or not, and how they related to Tathea's quest to share her new-found knowledge of God with others. The book is not the best I've ever read, and I have to admit that I struggled through it. Using unusual names and exotic locations, Ann Perry's publishers have attempted to pass this book off as a fantasy work. This novel would be much better accepted by the public if it were simply marketed more truthfully. I was disappointed, and am now sorry that I bought the sequel, "Come Armageddon" before I had finished reading "Tathea." If you do plan to buy this book, expect an introspective novel which looks very closely at the frailties of human beings and how they react to spirituality. If you are expecting traditional fantasy fiction, you will be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Be Warned
Review: All I want to say is this book is misclassified. This is not a fantasy novel; this book is a work of Christian fiction. I am not commenting on how well or poorly written it is. Nor am I commenting on how enjoyable it may or may not be. I just want readers to know ahead of time that it is Christian fiction, not fantasy.
Rating:
Summary: Long Long Journey
Review: I wish I had read the other reviews before trying to plow my way through this book. I like fantasy, I like Anne Perry. But, I just could not finish this book. By the first fourth I really did not care what happened to Tathea (or anyone else for that matter). Very one deminsional. Not up to her usual standard.
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