Sebastian and Belladonna by Anne Bishop
Ephemera is a fractured world. Once shaped by the Guides of the Heart, evil touched it, in the form of the Eater of Worlds. The Guides broke the world to imprison the Eater. Now only Landscapers can shape an individual realm. Bridges, another type of magic user, can connect these pieces. When an ignorant apprentice Landscaper frees the Eater all of Ephemeral is endangered again.
Sebastian introduces our titular character, a young man accustomed to haunting the darker corners of Ephemera. Sebastian is an incubus and unwelcome in most of the lighter realms. While he feeds off of human dreams and desires, he isn't a killer, despite the legends to the contrary. He's really only half incubus and he confines his hunting to the Den, the twilight realm where he lives. The Den is seedy and tattered at the edges (imagine a night carnival or popular clubbing district), but mostly a harmless place for humans to indulge in a bit of sin. A string of murders and some strange dreams clue Sebastian in to the fact that something is wrong with Ephemera. With the arrival of Lynnea, an innocent young woman fleeing danger, Sebastian realizes that he must discover the root of this encroaching evil if he hopes to keep Lynnea and the Den safe.
Belladonna takes up the second part of the tale. Glorianna Belladonna, Sebastian's cousin, is the strongest Landscaper of her age, but she dabbled in dark powers when she was young. The Landscapers walled her up in her Garden (the magical space Landscapers use to shape Ephemera), a punishment meant to last for eternity, but Glorianna escaped and has roamed Ephemera ever since. With the Eater on the move, Glorianna uses all her powers, both Light and Dark, to hunt him. Alone, her powers won't be enough. While tracking the Eater, she meets Michael, a man who has visited her dreams. Michael has secret knowledge of his own and with his help, she may yet defeat the Eater of Worlds.
Anne Bishop creates excellent characters and moody, sensual settings. It's best not to dwell too much on the details, but instead let yourself be swept up in the tale. These are twilight realms where dark and light, good and evil blur into a sort of misty haze. Ultimately, that hazy quality is part of Bishop's appeal. The world-building is there, just unconventional, subtle and delicate. Her characters are more straightforward, lost souls seeking redemption through love and sacrifice. Overall, the Landscapes of Ephemera series offers a lovely mixture of magic, adventure and romance.
Those familiar with her other books should keep in mind that these are a bit lighter than her trademark Black Jewels series, despite the vile Eater of Worlds. (Note: the Black Jewels series, also known as the Realms of the Blood series, is worth checking out if you like your fantasy and romance dark.)
Ephemera is a fractured world. Once shaped by the Guides of the Heart, evil touched it, in the form of the Eater of Worlds. The Guides broke the world to imprison the Eater. Now only Landscapers can shape an individual realm. Bridges, another type of magic user, can connect these pieces. When an ignorant apprentice Landscaper frees the Eater all of Ephemeral is endangered again.Sebastian introduces our titular character, a young man accustomed to haunting the darker corners of Ephemera. Sebastian is an incubus and unwelcome in most of the lighter realms. While he feeds off of human dreams and desires, he isn't a killer, despite the legends to the contrary. He's really only half incubus and he confines his hunting to the Den, the twilight realm where he lives. The Den is seedy and tattered at the edges (imagine a night carnival or popular clubbing district), but mostly a harmless place for humans to indulge in a bit of sin. A string of murders and some strange dreams clue Sebastian in to the fact that something is wrong with Ephemera. With the arrival of Lynnea, an innocent young woman fleeing danger, Sebastian realizes that he must discover the root of this encroaching evil if he hopes to keep Lynnea and the Den safe.
Belladonna takes up the second part of the tale. Glorianna Belladonna, Sebastian's cousin, is the strongest Landscaper of her age, but she dabbled in dark powers when she was young. The Landscapers walled her up in her Garden (the magical space Landscapers use to shape Ephemera), a punishment meant to last for eternity, but Glorianna escaped and has roamed Ephemera ever since. With the Eater on the move, Glorianna uses all her powers, both Light and Dark, to hunt him. Alone, her powers won't be enough. While tracking the Eater, she meets Michael, a man who has visited her dreams. Michael has secret knowledge of his own and with his help, she may yet defeat the Eater of Worlds.Anne Bishop creates excellent characters and moody, sensual settings. It's best not to dwell too much on the details, but instead let yourself be swept up in the tale. These are twilight realms where dark and light, good and evil blur into a sort of misty haze. Ultimately, that hazy quality is part of Bishop's appeal. The world-building is there, just unconventional, subtle and delicate. Her characters are more straightforward, lost souls seeking redemption through love and sacrifice. Overall, the Landscapes of Ephemera series offers a lovely mixture of magic, adventure and romance.
Those familiar with her other books should keep in mind that these are a bit lighter than her trademark Black Jewels series, despite the vile Eater of Worlds. (Note: the Black Jewels series, also known as the Realms of the Blood series, is worth checking out if you like your fantasy and romance dark.)
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