Singer from the Sea

Rating:
Summary: Beautiful, complex but not entirely convincing...
Review: First, this book really has to be read in one sitting (two hours or more, depending on your reading speed, and your distractions). Secondly, the story follows the usual Tepper formula, in that there are a number of men who are *really evil* (the motive differing from book to book) and the heroine of the story is a woman. Of course, not all men are evil in this book. I just thought I should warn the unwary reader, who may not have read any of her other books.

What I love about Tepper is the intricacies of the worlds and the myths she crafts. SIX MOON DANCE featured a remarkable creation and destruction myth (which turns out to be real), a mystery, and several non-human species. SINGER FROM THE SEAS makes the creation myth less explicit (because it has been forgotten by some of the people who should have remembered it), and there is a definite mystery developing.

The very basic plot is that Genevieve, a noblewoman and the daughter of a high-ranking military commander, is left motherless and is packed off by her father to school. There she is to be trained to be a suitable wife, in a rigid and apparently unchanging society where women have virtually no rights, where the mortality rate among young women is surprisingly high, and where young women of her rank are forbidden to sing.

In the first part of the novel, Genevieve is very naive but quickly learns more and more about the complexities of her society, becoming an accomplished hostess (completely unappreciated by her father). She also falls for a commoner, her father's equerry, but knows that marriage between them is not according to tradition. Even a strange request from an older relative does not completely shake her sense of security, although she does begin to question some incongruities. Then, the Prince (heir to the ruler) asks for her hand, sending her into panic. To accept him means a) that she will be parted from her love, and b) that she might die young in childbirth, as do nearly all noblewomen. To refuse him means disaster for herself and her father. Her father is the stereotypical seasoned warrior, completely naive about court politics, but also completely indifferent to his daughter's feelings and aspirations.

So Genevieve runs away (i.e. begins her quest), and has a number of adventures, some resembling Bilbo Baggins's encounter with Gollum (THE HOBBIT). And then, she has a mystical experience with a creature in the seas who tells her to go back to the Prince. Before she does, she has an affair with her lover who has come to rescue her, and falls pregnant. To her puzzlement, the Prince does not stand in the way of their marriage, and even seems pleased by her pregnancy. And the couple, together with the Prince, her father and some other high officials, sets sail for the other major island on their world.

And there, events are set in motion leading to a horrific revelation about why so many young mothers die, and why the leaders of their world are so long-lived. By the end, the sinners are punished, and Genevieve emerges victorious and practically unscathed with her husband and new-born child. The quest has ended, or has it?

Parts of this novel are truly remarkable, including the prologue which might give you a wrong impression of who has married whom until the middle of the novel, the scenes in the desert, the penultimate confrontation between Genevieve and her father. Other parts are alas, less than satisfactory, including the transformation of the Marshal (Genevieve's father) from a not-very-smart but skilled warrior and leader into an inhumane man willing to sacrifice his own flesh-and-blood. The change is too quick, too easy, and too stereotyped. Furthermore, the motivation of the leaders is understandable, but they are all (with a few exceptions) stereotyped, in that they have sacrificed the lives and happiness of so many others without any qualms, and even, no nightmares. It would have helped, for example, to have shown more of the qualms faced by one youngish nobleman Willum who spares someone he loves - but has no qualms about killing others.

Making the leaders and their immediate followers a bit more multidimensional would have helped. The oldest leaders were clearly infantile, but showing the transformation of some others would have added so much more to this book.

I also admit to be one of those people who is not entirely happy with the metaphysical concepts advanced by Sherri Tepper to explain the rise and fall of worlds. It seems that worlds can be destroyed quite satisfactory through mankind's stupidity, without needing any abstract explanations. Also, for a greater sense of purpose, it would have been very interesting to see if Genevieve had been able to get out of her trouble alone (or with the help of her friends), rather than depending on the creatures from the seas.

Rating = 4.3

Rating:
Summary: Good, solid read from a great author
Review: Good read from a very talented author. Enjoyed a "mystery" in a rich fantasy setting. The exploration of sexist roles and the oppression of women is not a new area for her, but the characters, world, and story line are interesting enough to make this much more than a rehash of something she's written before. I was quite well entertained.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Story
Review: I found the story a wonderful blend of many themes and messages. I loved the strong female character finding her way in the midst of a VERY patriarchal society. I appreciated the strong environmental message woven into the tale. The intrigue at times kept me up late reading because I just couldn't go to bed without knowing how a particular portion of the story would come out.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing, Hard to Get Into, Retreads old Themes
Review: I hate to say this, but. Tepper's latest is, while good, nothing to really bother with, except for the true fans and the total newcomers.

I've been a fan of Tepper since I was 13, and I've read everything she's published (I've read her Oliphant/Orde/Horlak stuff, her early 60s stuff, and everything she's published in the past 16-17 years). The repression of women is something she's done before (Gibbon's Decline and Fall), the world Spirit is something she's written about before (in the True Game), some of the words are words she's written before (Genevieve's tirade against a certain group of people who didn't do anything (I'm trying not to spoil this) is the same tirade of Jinian against the Eesties, Mavin against the people in the town with the Wolf or Nela/Bertran against the Enforcers and Curvis against the Arbai).

While Tepper's writing is always a charm and delight to read, her themes are getting tediously repetitive. This book was just everything old mixed up in a new stew, with no new spices added.

Rating:
Summary: Started re-reading it as soon as I was done
Review: I have been reading sci-fi and, to a lesser extent, fantasy for many years and have found some books that just grab me (where I lock myself in the bathroom to have undisturbed reading time). But this book has achieved something that no other book has ever don - two days after I finished the book I started to read it again.

Too often I skim through novels because I get sucked into the plot - this was definitely the case with Singer from the Sea. Rereading it again has given me a better appreciation of the style of writing, the pace of the story and characterizations. I am enjoying it even more the second time through!

Rating:
Summary: I have to disagree with the rest....
Review: I have been reading Tepper for many years. This is by far one of her most predictable plot-lines. Anyone familiar with feminist thought will know exactly what is happening and why. The symbolism is too obvious. I like Tepper for her unusual connections and creations of complex new ways of viewing old worn out ideas. This book is sorely lacking in either. :o(

I love Tepper, but not this book. I left it in a common room at a local college dormatory in a small Mormon town for whom ever wished to read it. I figured, knowing the lack of feminist education in the area, that the teen age girls who might pick it up might actually be enchanted or at least educated.

Rating:
Summary: I have to disagree with the rest....
Review: I have been reading Tepper for many years. This is by far one of her most predictable plot-lines. Anyone familiar with feminist thought will know exactly what is happening and why. The symbolism is too obvious. I like Tepper for her unusual connections and creations of complex new ways of viewing old worn out ideas. This book is sorely lacking in either. :o(

I love Tepper, but not this book. I left it in a common room at a local college dormatory in a small Mormon town for whom ever wished to read it. I figured, knowing the lack of feminist education in the area, that the teen age girls who might pick it up might actually be enchanted or at least educated.

Rating:
Summary: Extremely entertaining, ranks with my favorite books
Review: I loved this story. It has many sub plots, and until halfway through the book, I was unsure what the P'Naki really was. The story seems to have too many loose ends to tie up, but Tepper does it perfectly. All of the unfinished sub plots are tied up into one nice knot.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful writing!
Review: I noticed that one review described this book as "dull." It is true that Tepper has certain themes that recur in all her books, i.e., men oppress women, and as a species, we all seem willing to oppress nature. But, really, I don't need to agree with every one of her opinions to enjoy her wonderful stories. It's the old "Willing suspension of disbelief" that the true book lover is willing to engage! Ms. Tepper's stories are the best as far as my family is concerned. We look forward with eager anticipation to each new book. And this most recent one was among the best. I couldn't stop reading once I started and read straight through to the end! I highly recommend this story to anyone who loves fantasy/science fiction, or just a good story with a real surprise at the end!

Rating:
Summary: Could not put it down
Review: I really enjoyed this book. I read everything of Tepper's that I can get my hands on. She has an unbelievable imagination. Even though she repeats themes, each story she tells is fresh and interesting. Each world is new, original, and meticulously detailed. And there is always a mystery to solve or a secret to uncover. Those who have read many of her books know that she comes back to ideas such as the repression of women and the superiority of nature but she does not allow these to overshadow the plot and become "preachy"--although, I admit, she does come close a few times. She usually pulls herself back from the brink by using one of her delightfully ridiculous characters to "tell" us not to take it all so seriously. The worlds she creates and the events that occur are logical and believable. Her main characters are well rounded and the peripheral players are amusing, three dimensional and do a good job of moving the plot forward. I was pleasantly surprised with the ending of this book because it is atypical of Tepper in many ways. Not to give anything away, but I often find myself a bit disturbed and depressed with her endings. This ending was more hopeful, although perhaps a bit too pat in its resolution. I think it would be a great book for those getting started with this genre or with Tepper. Both can be a bit convoluted and confusing, but this story is pretty straight forward as long as one understands that Tepper loves to foreshadow and hint at secrets. But that is the best part!