Rating: 
Summary: Outstanding once, outstanding twice.
Review: I've read all four Jaran books twice while eagerly waiting for number five. The characters and storyline are totally engrossing, and I was particularly impressed by how strongly I was stirred emotionally by what was happening in the story. One scene in particular put a lump in my throat as I read--both times! I also enjoyed the development of the alien culture, with its stylized elements and the unanswered questions provoked by it. I plan on reading the series again at some point, especially if Ms. Elliot gives us the fifth volume, and I know I'll enjoy it just as much as the first time.
Rating: 
Summary: Too much like Jean Auel, well written for Gay Fiction
Review: In style and characterization Miss Elliott's 'Jaran' is very much like Jean Auel's novels. It moves very slowly. Much of the action is only hinted at and the best part of the novel, the Chapalii plot against Tess Sorensen's brother Charles, seems nothing more than an excuse to place Tess in Jaran lands and have her meet Ilya. As in all Elliott novels she makes her obsession with homosexuality clear.
Rating:
Summary: The Best Sci-Fi I've Ever Read!
Review: It was by chance that I saw this book in the school library some few years ago. It was also the first science-fiction novel I've ever read that touched my heart as well as my mind. This is not a book that you can just read and forget about. The characters are real. The story is engrossing. I loved it. Sincerely, I loved it. If you are looking for a story that will take you away from reality and enter a land of strange customs, exotic people, and uncontrollable love, this is the book for you. Be prepared to adore it as much as I did. And you can take my word for it.
Rating:
Summary: a great trilogy
Review: It's always a gamble when you invest in a trilogy on whether itis worth the time spent reading and the investment of purchsing thebooks. I can highly recommend this one. Elliot has created a intreging envirnment and a deep cast of charecters that compel you to read on. She also adds enough novel twist on developing religions and politcal heirarchies to keep you thinking. Although I do hope that the series will continue, this is a work unto itself and highly satisfing to the end.
Rating:
Summary: Potential Unrealized
Review: Jaran is almost a very good book. Only almost, however, because despite an intriguing background story involving alien rule over humanity, Elliott chooses instead to plod, plod, and plod over a grassy plain with Mongol-like nomads who all have east-Slavic names. One reviewer compared Jaran to a fast-paced Robert Jordan novel. While, objectively, Jaran is nowhere near as slow to develop as the Wheel of Time series, it certainly *felt* slower. I tend to agree with all of the criticisms levied against the novel more than I can adopt the gushing praise. Of the two levels of the story, the intergalactic politics level is far more interesting than the wandering nomad one; unfortunately the wandering nomads consume over 5/6ths of the novel. Still, it is the intergalactic story that gives the novel its three star rating and which will drive me to read the next book, as well. Moreover, Elliott is by no means a bad writer. The problems with Jaran have nothing to do with her prose, but with her plotting. But what about the love story? I'm not adverse to a good romance, but this was not a good romance. It was obvious from the moment the male protagonist was introduced that he and the "heroine", Tess, would end up together and the road to that end was exceptionally unexciting, and the resolution of their relationship unconvincing.
Rating:
Summary: Potential Unrealized
Review: Jaran is almost a very good book. Only almost, however, because despite an intriguing background story involving alien rule over humanity, Elliott chooses instead to plod, plod, and plod over a grassy plain with Mongol-like nomads who all have east-Slavic names. One reviewer compared Jaran to a fast-paced Robert Jordan novel. While, objectively, Jaran is nowhere near as slow to develop as the Wheel of Time series, it certainly *felt* slower. I tend to agree with all of the criticisms levied against the novel more than I can adopt the gushing praise. Of the two levels of the story, the intergalactic politics level is far more interesting than the wandering nomad one; unfortunately the wandering nomads consume over 5/6ths of the novel. Still, it is the intergalactic story that gives the novel its three star rating and which will drive me to read the next book, as well. Moreover, Elliott is by no means a bad writer. The problems with Jaran have nothing to do with her prose, but with her plotting. But what about the love story? I'm not adverse to a good romance, but this was not a good romance. It was obvious from the moment the male protagonist was introduced that he and the "heroine", Tess, would end up together and the road to that end was exceptionally unexciting, and the resolution of their relationship unconvincing.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant anthropological science-fiction
Review: Jaran is the story of a young woman from a space-faring technology cast adrift on an interdicted planet whose culture resembles that of the Mongolian steppes. Elliot's characters are extremely well drawn and her plot is a successful blend of science fiction and anthropology. This whole series is worth reading, and keeping, and reading again
Rating:
Summary: Jaran
Review: Jaran was a great book. It was about a woman named Tess getting stuck on a foreign planet with no one that spoke her language. She had to travel with the Jaran, a nomatic tribe, untill she can reach a city called Jeds and contact her brother, the prince. This was a great book it was intriguing to see how Tess adapted to the Jaran way of life. I recommend this book to any one who likes si-fi and has some time to read. Once you pick this book up you might not be able to put it down!
Rating:
Summary: Out of the frying pan into the fire
Review: Kate Elliott caught my attention the first page of her first book with the classic story of a run away. She explains the reasons why, and not just what happened. She writes about her character's emotions, education, life, and romances. And why the person is running away and all the many mixed and changing emotions.
Elliott begins with the character of Teress Sorenson (Tess), who is running away from her responsibilities as an heir to the Dukedom of a chain of planets including Earth. And as she is traveling on a Kepellii ship to an interdicted planet (a planet that is still primitive and no technologies are aloud on it) were she got lost on it and the ship left her there with no modern tech and in the middle of a plane. She was then found by a tribe of Jaran who "adopted" her and took her in. The Jahar (a group of male Jaran warriors) went on a trip and she demanded go with them. They traveled to the shrine Morvia and then left to recruit all the different tribes of the Jaran to go against the Kaja King in the first and last strike to defend the Jaran way of life.
Rating:
Summary: Go Kate! Write an ending!
Review: Kate Elliott envlopes us in the world of Tess and men-who-embroider-shirts. The story is AWOSME! I just wish the last book had an ending. I read all the books over and over to find a clue to SOME SORT OF ENDING!!!! none was found.
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