Shield of the Sky

Rating:
Summary: Interesting mesh of different ideas...
Review: Another Luna fantasy, written well, with well-developed characters and worldbuilding.

The story takes place in an 'alternate' history, which means it feels like early european history but the elements of the story begin with that and take it somewhere our history has never been.

At the beginning it felt very native americanish... when it was actually supposed to be Amazonian. However, the story is gripping and I got a real sense of Rhenna very early on.

As we encounter more of the world, and different cultures (or 'spirits'), the story begins to piece itself together. It is the first of a series and you really do feel like the story is really getting somewhere at the end. It will be difficult to wait for the second installation, now that I finally understand what's going on.

There are elements of Greek, Egyptian, and Carthage in culture and feel... and elements of early religion (if you really peel back the layers).

I did enjoy this book and would recommend it. Another great addition to the Luna line.



Rating:
Summary: Amazingly disappointing!
Review: I love Susan Krinard books, so may be I expected too much. The book is actually OK, but I was expecting a romance. This is more a sf/fantasy than romance. If you want romance you don't get ANY. As a fanatasy the book is OK, but the ending leaves you frustrated. You feel like you just spent hours having the scene set for the next book and you really didn't get anything of value out of this one. I won't make this mistake again. I'll get the sequel from the library.

Rating:
Summary: epic fantasy
Review: The free People of the Shield of the Sky are all women, a self-sustaining community that only uses males to get pregnant so their community will have fresh blood. The chosen that are selected mate with the Aliuri, shapeshifters that are children of the Deva spirits of the sky, water, and earth. Rhena was not called but went up to the mountain anyway where a shapeshifter permanently scarred her cheek. When Rhena came down from the mountain she was sent into exile until the powers of the Aliuri weakens and many of the Devas disappear, leaving the Free People without any protection.

Rhena is recalled and assigned to find out what happened to the Devas and the Aliuri. Along the way she meets the seer Tahvo and she rescues the Aliori Cian. They cross paths with Qustis; together they make Four, a fighting unit that travels to Karchedon, the heart of the evil Arrihidaean Empire where the worship of the Stone is at its strongest. Each member of the quartet has a different reason to go to Karchedon but when they arrive they discover it is their destiny to destroy the evil entity that is in the stone which seeks to bring all mankind under its domination.

SHIELD OF THE SKY is epic fantasy unlike other works this author has written as the shapeshifting romances that made Susan Krinard is only a small start of this work. Four individuals are on a quest to destroy the stone and bring down the empire; although they doubt their worthiness, all of them agree to play their part even if it means their death. Character driven but with plenty of action scenes, this romantic fantasy will give the reader hours of enjoyable pleasure.

Harriet Klausner



Rating:
Summary: Shield of the Sky by Susan Krinard
Review: This is a first of a series writtern by Krinard, that is an alternate history of ancient Mediteranean Areas. In the area of Science Fiction/Fantasy it has it all, magic, romance, war between good and evil, etc. The characters are well developed and plot is easy to follow and it leaves you wanting the next book that is due out Oct 2005. I especially liked the links between the Amazons and Native Cultures as described. I highly recommend this book for fantasy fans.

Rating:
Summary: OMGoddess!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: This is a great great book!!!!! The Free People so similiar to the Amazons, the shapshifters, the Stone God People. Such great imagination. A the love scenes aren't that descriptive. I LOVE IT!!!!!! Can't wait until the next one. I don't want to give anything away though. Plus might I add that Cian looks totally sexy on the cover.