I bought this in error as I already had it with a different cover.

I've thoroughly enjoyed every book of Sheri Tepper's that I've ever read. I first bought this in hard back when it was first published in the UK. It starts off telling 2 stories. One story is about an american woman, the other about a group of people in a strange land. The plot twist when these 2 sets of charcters meet up is one of the most surprising I have ever seen. It was completely unexpected and left me chuckling. As ever, this book tackles enviromental issues and has a slightly feminist slant. Sheri Tepper never ceases to amaze me with how well she writes cracking good stories encompassing political issues. The political content doesn't detract from the story-telling at all. In my personal opinion her stories are modern day parables.

I acquired this paper back copy from Amazon.com when a friend bought me a gift certificate. The US blurb was quite different from the UK one in addition to the fact that I'm hopeless with names and can't remember what half my books are called. I was quite gutted when I started reading it and realised by the end of the 1st paragraph that I already had it! It makes me feel better about my mistake to know that this book will be passed on to people who will appreciate it. I hope you all enjoy this book as much as I have :)

Bookray Rules:

• Please journal when you receive the book, if only to note it's safe arrival.
  
  
• Please journal your thoughts and opinions on the book once you have completed it.
  
  
• When you have almost finished the book please PM the next person on the list to get their address details. If you get no response within a week and after 2 PMs please let me know and skip to the next person on the list.
  
  
• I would prefer it if people could complete the book within 1 month of receiveing it. If your TBR pile is huge and you're not going to get this book started within 1 month of receiving it I would ask that you skip this bookray or let me know so I can move you down the list (when it appears).
  
  
• Enjoy the book.
  

Post Order:

UK
Mytilusgirl International completed
GlasgowGal International completed
WistfulDragon Preferably UK completed
rainbowandrain completed
LeighBCD International completed
platypussj completed

Canada
IceAgent International

USA
spaceystacey International
kalipriestess Preferably US
WG International

Europe
suzen Preferably Europe

N.B. I have just realised that when I registered this book I assigned it to the wrong genre. Sheri Tepper writes science fiction

Released on Tuesday, February 24, 2004 at Wickersley Post Office in Rotherham, England United Kingdom.

Posted to Mytilusgirl

Sorry for not registering this book earler this week, but I've only internet access at work, and THAT went down on Tuesday; they only fixed the dratted thing yesterday...

Anyhow, in the interim, I've finished the book, and what a FANTASTIC book it was too. There is SO LITTLE that I can say about the plot that will preserve the mystery, that I'm not going to bother. Suffice to say, you'll be guessing to the end whilst fervently wishing that this marvellous book will not end.

I'm just about to pop this off to GlasgowGal, who is a friend of mine, that I was texting late last night to tell her how WONDERFUL this book is. Hope she enjoys it as much as me!

Posted today.

Received in the mail this morning. Currently 4th in the TBR pile.

Thanks ShelaghG/PennyF and Mytilusgirl
:-)

Well I'm sorry to say I just can't get into this book. I didn't realise it was a fantasy novel and thought it was a murder/mystery/detective novel with a twist. I'm afraid fantasy writing just isn't my thing and I'm really struggling to get into those chapters. I guess I should read the Amazon reviews more thoroughly before signing up to rings and rays in the future!

Thanks ShelaghG though for including me on the ray, and I'm sorry I can't journal more. I'll send it on to WistfulDragon as soon as I get her address.

Released on Thursday, March 25, 2004 at ... by mail :) in Sent to a fellow BookCrosser, Bookring Controlled Releases.

Thanks GlasgowGal, got it today! I have three books ahead of it (bad), but have nearly finished one of those (good), and one of them is a Grafton alphabet book (also good, as tend to finish those in at most two days), and I already have Rainbowandrain's details, so I reckon this one will hit the post office again a week on Saturday (my usual posting day). And I'm looking forward to this, as I DO like fantasy!

Wow! I love this book. Two great heroines, from two completely different backgrounds, in completely separate stories, with different ages and personalities even. In a lesser writer's work, when these two meet - however impossible that seems! - they would immediately connect, or fight to the death, or something focused on these two alone. Yet Sheri Tepper writes a story that is so big, it is perfectly right that these two heroines should be neither bosom buddies nor arch rivals, but should each play their own parts in the ensuing denouement, without the electric connection being either necessary nor missed.
I've done it! Written a detailed, hopefully intelligible, possibly even intelligent sounding paragraph saying something about the story, without giving it away.
Rainbowandrain, this is a beautiful book - enjoy! ShelaghG, thank you so much for sharing it with us.

Arrived in the post thank you!!! Looks a good one:)

Released on Monday, May 10, 2004 at ... by mail :) in Sent to a fellow BookCrosser, Bookring Controlled Releases.

Sent onto the next person. Sorry for the delay in sending been ill, had my mum down to visit and my head feels as if its full of cotton wool:)

Sorry I know I have done this in the wrong order!
I found this book difficult to get into first and nearly sent it on without finishing but I am so glad I persevered!

I have to agree that the plot twist when they meet was fantastic- I was just so suprised!

This book came at a perfect time for me because I had been thinking so much about issues such as the ones brought up in the book. Thanks a lot for the opportunity to read it.

I received this in yesterday's post... thanks for all the notes, I am so glad that previous readers enjoyed the book so much!! I will put this to the top of the TBR pile and I will be back!!

This was an interesting premise - nature turning evil. I am not good with books set in multiple universes, though. The book is very clever and the author extremely imaginative. I enjoyed trying this novel - thanks for setting up the ray ShelaghG! I will pass this book on to the next receipient once I have address details.

Released on Thursday, May 27, 2004 at to platypussj in Colchester, England Controlled Releases.

On its way to Colchester - I hope you like the book!

I haven't finished yet, so I won't rate it. Have been very naughty because I've had this book for some time and forgotten to register it (really sorry!). Will be preparing to send it on shortly.

I thoroughly enjoyed this. I wasn't sure to begin with, but as the story advanced and the different threads came together I was delighted! I would say a whole lot more but for the plot spoilers that I'd end up revealing.

Have had this book for a bit now and am about half way through. So far so good. I continue to fight the urge to skip the Opalears sections and just read about the weed ones...I will finish it though. I read the other comments and want to know what the ending holds!!