What do you think?
Rate this book
Eternal Sky #3
Steles of the Sky
Elizabeth Bear concludes her award-winning epic fantasy trilogy
Re Temur, exiled heir to his grandfather’s Khaganate, has finally raised his banner and declared himself at war with his usurping uncle. With his companions—the Wizard Samarkar, the Cho-tse Hrahima, and the silent monk Brother Hsiung—he must make his way to Dragon Lake to gather his army of followers.
Temur has many enemies, and they are not idle. The sorcerer who leads the Nameless Assassins, whose malice has shattered the peace of all the empires of the Celedon Highway, has struck at Temur’s uncle already. To the south, in the Rasan empire, a magical plague rages. To the east, the great city of Asmaracanda has burned, and the Uthman Caliph is deposed. And in the hidden ancient empire of Erem, Temur’s son has been born and a new moon has risen in the Eternal Sky.
Re Temur, exiled heir to his grandfather’s Khaganate, has finally raised his banner and declared himself at war with his usurping uncle. With his companions—the Wizard Samarkar, the Cho-tse Hrahima, and the silent monk Brother Hsiung—he must make his way to Dragon Lake to gather his army of followers.
Temur has many enemies, and they are not idle. The sorcerer who leads the Nameless Assassins, whose malice has shattered the peace of all the empires of the Celedon Highway, has struck at Temur’s uncle already. To the south, in the Rasan empire, a magical plague rages. To the east, the great city of Asmaracanda has burned, and the Uthman Caliph is deposed. And in the hidden ancient empire of Erem, Temur’s son has been born and a new moon has risen in the Eternal Sky.
432 pages, Hardcover
First published April 8, 2014
40 people are currently reading
1769 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Bear
310 books2,455 followersWhat Goodreads really needs is a "currently WRITING" option for its default bookshelves...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 154 reviews
August 4, 2015
What a beautiful and satisfying finish to an amazingly well-written fantasy trilogy.
This series has a brain and a heart behind the guts and swords of regular fantasy fiction. The varied characters are so fleshed-out and developed.
And one of the main ideas of this fantasy world is that of the sky: in any given region, the sky above your head is the sky of the religion of the ruler or occupier of that region. So there may be multiple moons speeding across the sky, or a "hard" sun and a "soft" sun without a true night, or a sun that burns everything it touches so life may only happen at night. And then, if that region is taken over by an invading army, the sky changes, man. Such an original and fascinating aspect of this world.
I seriously cannot say enough good things about this series, and this close-to-perfect finishing chapter of it.
This series has a brain and a heart behind the guts and swords of regular fantasy fiction. The varied characters are so fleshed-out and developed.
And one of the main ideas of this fantasy world is that of the sky: in any given region, the sky above your head is the sky of the religion of the ruler or occupier of that region. So there may be multiple moons speeding across the sky, or a "hard" sun and a "soft" sun without a true night, or a sun that burns everything it touches so life may only happen at night. And then, if that region is taken over by an invading army, the sky changes, man. Such an original and fascinating aspect of this world.
I seriously cannot say enough good things about this series, and this close-to-perfect finishing chapter of it.
December 5, 2018
I normally don't indulge in hate-reading.
Unless it is the end of the year and I am finishing up the series.
Then, I do.
To cut the story short: no don’t read it. It is the third book in a trilogy that might be worthy of your time but only provided that you are stranded on a lonely island and there are absolutely no other books to read.
OK, even then, I think that watching the clouds go by might be more exciting.
It might be because I have waited several months after reading the perfectly mediocre predecessor of Steles of the Sky before I finally pushed myself into finishing this series (the end of the year resolutions, you know). I kind of remembered the grand design but forgot all the details, and the exotic names (most of them so similar to each other that they meld), and the nuances. Thankfully, there were not so many of these as Ms Bear is not a very sophisticated writer.
Why do I say so? Well, mainly, because after three books I still have not managed to be touched or intrigued in the slightest way by what is happening nor developed a bond with any of the protagonists even though the initial duo (Femur Temur and Samarkar) were quickly joined by other characters who initially had hovered on the margins of the story and then were given their own POVs.
The original arc (which is roughly to get back the kingdom and rescue the princess) is accompanied by the arc of redemption (abandoned two thirds into the novel), the arc of liberation (two of those actually), and the Lady of the Ring version.
Then there are also minor auxiliary POVs that don’t have any other rationale than to push the story onwards and the antagonist POV of the master and the source of all evil (you keep twirling that moustache, al-Sepehr).
Oh, and various forms of necromancy in case you are into dead people.
In theory: plenty to choose from. In practice, far-fetched upon boring upon redundant. That sums up the trilogy.
Each book in the series is named after a mountain range. And that indicates the main strength here that is the world building. The world is so rich it could put Disneyland to shame: citadels and abandoned cities, steppes and mountain ranges, Grave Roads and Erem of the Pillars, volcanoes and Gates of the Otherwise, jinns and ghoulim, and dragons with names which suggest that somebody was playing the roulette with a thesaurus (Joyful Dawn Agate Slumbering or a Great Compassion Turquoise Stone?) and then the ever changing skies. The Eternal Sky is one of the divinities, but it is also an innuendo to how the sky changes if a place is conquered (sadly, this fascinating idea is not explored as much as I’d love to).
In a sense, it is too much. When reading, I kept thinking that I’d prefer this series in a form of a graphic novel; it would have been so pretty to see this all painted in watercolour swirls and so much better than this jagged narrative (two last chapters were particularly disjointed jumping from one POV to another like in a bad movie unable to carry on in a smooth way through one POV because there are too many threads and ends that need to be tied).
And so the sad conclusion is that after reading this strong contender for the “worst series of the year”, the next Book by Ms Bear I might be tempted to try should be a comic. Otherwise, I will stay away from her.
---
Also in the series:
1. Range of Ghosts ★★☆☆☆
2. Shattered Pillars ★★☆☆☆
Unless it is the end of the year and I am finishing up the series.
Then, I do.
To cut the story short: no don’t read it. It is the third book in a trilogy that might be worthy of your time but only provided that you are stranded on a lonely island and there are absolutely no other books to read.
OK, even then, I think that watching the clouds go by might be more exciting.
It might be because I have waited several months after reading the perfectly mediocre predecessor of Steles of the Sky before I finally pushed myself into finishing this series (the end of the year resolutions, you know). I kind of remembered the grand design but forgot all the details, and the exotic names (most of them so similar to each other that they meld), and the nuances. Thankfully, there were not so many of these as Ms Bear is not a very sophisticated writer.
Why do I say so? Well, mainly, because after three books I still have not managed to be touched or intrigued in the slightest way by what is happening nor developed a bond with any of the protagonists even though the initial duo (
The original arc (which is roughly to get back the kingdom and rescue the princess) is accompanied by the arc of redemption (abandoned two thirds into the novel), the arc of liberation (two of those actually), and the Lady of the Ring version.
Then there are also minor auxiliary POVs that don’t have any other rationale than to push the story onwards and the antagonist POV of the master and the source of all evil (you keep twirling that moustache, al-Sepehr).
Oh, and various forms of necromancy in case you are into dead people.
In theory: plenty to choose from. In practice, far-fetched upon boring upon redundant. That sums up the trilogy.
Each book in the series is named after a mountain range. And that indicates the main strength here that is the world building. The world is so rich it could put Disneyland to shame: citadels and abandoned cities, steppes and mountain ranges, Grave Roads and Erem of the Pillars, volcanoes and Gates of the Otherwise, jinns and ghoulim, and dragons with names which suggest that somebody was playing the roulette with a thesaurus (Joyful Dawn Agate Slumbering or a Great Compassion Turquoise Stone?) and then the ever changing skies. The Eternal Sky is one of the divinities, but it is also an innuendo to how the sky changes if a place is conquered (sadly, this fascinating idea is not explored as much as I’d love to).
In a sense, it is too much. When reading, I kept thinking that I’d prefer this series in a form of a graphic novel; it would have been so pretty to see this all painted in watercolour swirls and so much better than this jagged narrative (two last chapters were particularly disjointed jumping from one POV to another like in a bad movie unable to carry on in a smooth way through one POV because there are too many threads and ends that need to be tied).
And so the sad conclusion is that after reading this strong contender for the “worst series of the year”, the next Book by Ms Bear I might be tempted to try should be a comic. Otherwise, I will stay away from her.
---
Also in the series:
1. Range of Ghosts ★★☆☆☆
2. Shattered Pillars ★★☆☆☆
February 28, 2014
I wish I had an emergency six-star rating to go to for this book and trilogy. It was easily my favorite epic fantasy in decades, filled with wonders, interesting viewpoints, larger than life characters, and at least a dozen satisfying character arcs. At the same time it has an admirable compactness; a lot of authors would have spent three or four times as many pages telling the same story, and been less effective because of it.
A perfect story that I look forward to rereading again and again.
A perfect story that I look forward to rereading again and again.
May 7, 2015
A thrilling and heart-breaking conclusion to the trilogy. One of my favourite things that I've read this year - these books have it all.
March 24, 2021
An action-packed and heartbreaking finish to a fantastic series. The characterization just got better and deeper with each book, with Samarkar, and Edene, Hrahima and Temur all showing moments of such kindness, perception and strength.
That’s not to say that other characters are thinly characterized, as the wizards, scholars, supernatural beings and steppe people, as brought to life by Tsering, Hong-la, Brother Hsiung, Besha Ghul, and Toragana all have their own wonderful moments. I even grudgingly admired Saadet, whose time leading Qori Buca’s people give her the opportunity to begin to find her voice. And the stunning Banch and her foal Afrit!
The world here is wide and fascinating with all sorts of terrific details, with even the sky reflecting the events and changes in leadership.
I loved this series and can see returning to it at some time; it’s epic, personal, moving, and well worth the time.
That’s not to say that other characters are thinly characterized, as the wizards, scholars, supernatural beings and steppe people, as brought to life by Tsering, Hong-la, Brother Hsiung, Besha Ghul, and Toragana all have their own wonderful moments. I even grudgingly admired Saadet, whose time leading Qori Buca’s people give her the opportunity to begin to find her voice. And the stunning Banch and her foal Afrit!
The world here is wide and fascinating with all sorts of terrific details, with even the sky reflecting the events and changes in leadership.
I loved this series and can see returning to it at some time; it’s epic, personal, moving, and well worth the time.
August 1, 2014
Glacially paced and largely irrelevant for the bulk of the novel. The last ten percent picks up the pace, but it's completely predictable - or would have been, had I cared enough to predict.
There is a more interesting story to tell here, about a foreign culture with no connection to the world as we know it - past or present - which would challenge assumptions we make about everyday life. Except this book is laced with very familiar misogyny and curses, and so its determination to be different reads as an attempt to be edgy, rather than as successful worldbuilding. Also, I'm left feeling that the story should properly start where the book actually ends:
There's something to be said for Chekhov's gun: it suggests that every plot element be necessary to the story. Here, if you've read the first two books, you can skip to page 395 or so. You won't be missing anything.
Or you can avoid the book completely. I don't think you'd be missing anything making that decision, either.
There is a more interesting story to tell here, about a foreign culture with no connection to the world as we know it - past or present - which would challenge assumptions we make about everyday life. Except this book is laced with very familiar misogyny and curses, and so its determination to be different reads as an attempt to be edgy, rather than as successful worldbuilding. Also, I'm left feeling that the story should properly start where the book actually ends:
There's something to be said for Chekhov's gun: it suggests that every plot element be necessary to the story. Here, if you've read the first two books, you can skip to page 395 or so. You won't be missing anything.
Or you can avoid the book completely. I don't think you'd be missing anything making that decision, either.
April 21, 2014
What struck me over and over again through this trilogy is what a brilliant and original worldbuilder Bear is. In this world, the sky is different depending on what nation you're in, and it changes if the land is conquered. The whole sky. The sun, the stars, the moons. One sky has a moon for each prince of the ruling line. When one dies, there goes his moon. A new one is born? You have a new moon that night. One nation has no night at all. Just the rise of the big sun (Hard-day) and as it sets, the rise of the much smaller sun (Soft-day.)
I'm just blown away at the imagination that goes into something like this. Not just because it's interesting, but because, usually, magic and mythology in fantasy tends to be true to physics and astronomy and biology in general, so long as you account for certain things we can't do now, like, well, magic. But with a little bending of the rules, you can see how it works according to our understanding of the universe.
This isn't like that. Yet it's internally consistent and logical within itself. It doesn't need our science. It's a reality and truth of its own. Even more fascinating is that beside this complete diversion from astronomy as we know it, magicians operate their magic in a very scientific manner, and study the physical world relentlessly. And it all works together somehow.
Elizabeth Bear is the writer I want to be when I grow up.
Come to the trilogy for the excellent characters, storyline, the satisfying ending. It has all that. But it does so much more that I was left in awe of her craft as much as the story I'd just experienced.
I'm just blown away at the imagination that goes into something like this. Not just because it's interesting, but because, usually, magic and mythology in fantasy tends to be true to physics and astronomy and biology in general, so long as you account for certain things we can't do now, like, well, magic. But with a little bending of the rules, you can see how it works according to our understanding of the universe.
This isn't like that. Yet it's internally consistent and logical within itself. It doesn't need our science. It's a reality and truth of its own. Even more fascinating is that beside this complete diversion from astronomy as we know it, magicians operate their magic in a very scientific manner, and study the physical world relentlessly. And it all works together somehow.
Elizabeth Bear is the writer I want to be when I grow up.
Come to the trilogy for the excellent characters, storyline, the satisfying ending. It has all that. But it does so much more that I was left in awe of her craft as much as the story I'd just experienced.
April 22, 2019
Wizards, dragons and poets—not to mention ghuls, demonlings, blood ghosts and horses. What’s not to like in this rousing conclusion to Elizabeth’s Bear’s Eternal Sky trilogy?
“Just keep walking.”
Quite a bit actually. But for her smashing climax, the rest of the book merits three stars … at best. It suffers a terrible case of sideways: lots of talking, lots of maneuvering, but little development of the story. Fans of Bear, and no one should start reading any series with the last book, will enjoy her writing. Her overuse of “that” becomes intrusive. Lots of Robert Jordan influence; that's not a complement. Too large a cast to keep straight, especially with all the head hopping. The shifts in point of view were well executed but confusing.
“From a woman’s strength came we all.”
For those who decry the dearth of female heroic characters, Eternal Sky is full of them. In fact, though the central conflict involves two men, all the really interesting and significant characters are female.
“Comforting thoughts should be questioned no less stringently than any others for they are more likely to lead us astray, as we wish to believe them.”
For an adventure fantasy, Eternal Sky swims upstream on the prevailing heroic empire theme which it seems to start in. Bear’s characters question the standards and structures of their day even as they serve them. Lots of self-reflection and angst.
“The stories we believe shape how we act.”
A few quibbles: A character suffers a back full of shattered glass, then continues traveling and fighting with no apparent discomfort or diminution of ability. Traveling by rowed long boat on a broad river belittled compared with a multi-week horse-back journey or walking as far? A breech-loading, flintlock rifle? Intrusion of “modern” technology--nineteenth in our world versus the pervasive thirteenth-century technology? Move to the other side of the world, just follow a ghost path? Too convenient.
“If you get away with it, it’s no crime.”
Elizabeth Bear tells a great tale. I will read more of her work.
“We are who we pretend to be, when we stop we’re nothing.”
“Just keep walking.”
Quite a bit actually. But for her smashing climax, the rest of the book merits three stars … at best. It suffers a terrible case of sideways: lots of talking, lots of maneuvering, but little development of the story. Fans of Bear, and no one should start reading any series with the last book, will enjoy her writing. Her overuse of “that” becomes intrusive. Lots of Robert Jordan influence; that's not a complement. Too large a cast to keep straight, especially with all the head hopping. The shifts in point of view were well executed but confusing.
“From a woman’s strength came we all.”
For those who decry the dearth of female heroic characters, Eternal Sky is full of them. In fact, though the central conflict involves two men, all the really interesting and significant characters are female.
“Comforting thoughts should be questioned no less stringently than any others for they are more likely to lead us astray, as we wish to believe them.”
For an adventure fantasy, Eternal Sky swims upstream on the prevailing heroic empire theme which it seems to start in. Bear’s characters question the standards and structures of their day even as they serve them. Lots of self-reflection and angst.
“The stories we believe shape how we act.”
A few quibbles: A character suffers a back full of shattered glass, then continues traveling and fighting with no apparent discomfort or diminution of ability. Traveling by rowed long boat on a broad river belittled compared with a multi-week horse-back journey or walking as far? A breech-loading, flintlock rifle? Intrusion of “modern” technology--nineteenth in our world versus the pervasive thirteenth-century technology? Move to the other side of the world, just follow a ghost path? Too convenient.
“If you get away with it, it’s no crime.”
Elizabeth Bear tells a great tale. I will read more of her work.
“We are who we pretend to be, when we stop we’re nothing.”
May 8, 2015
This was a real powerhouse finish to the trilogy. What I liked most about these books as a whole was how the characters became more and more complex as the story proceeded. They were never simple. Reexamination of loyalties and personal roles, slightly shifting motivations, changes in direction, all of these wove together to make a highly nuanced story that still maintained a fairly quick pace. The ending was emotional and yet also satisfying, and left me feeling that the time I had spent with these characters was well worth the effort.
April 8, 2019
Ahoy there me mateys! This here be a combined review of the last two books in the Eternal Sky trilogy. While I try to post no spoilers, ye have been forewarned and continue at yer own peril . . .
I have to review these books together because I read them back to back and thus they have blended into one whole. The books follow Temur and Samarkar and friends as they try to destroy a cult and save the world. This series continues to be odd in that the plot sort of plods along. The pacing is uneven and the action is varied and doesn’t always make sense in terms of storytelling and flow.
This is one of those tales where book two is all the various players traveling about. I normally hate those. However, the imagery of 12th and 13 century Asia and the character growth kept me reading. I still absolutely love Hrahima, Temur, Samarkar, and Brother Hsiung. However I also fell in love with Saadet, Hong-la, and Tsering. I very much enjoyed the newer perspectives. Saadet was on the “bad” side and yet I sympathized with her more than I expected. And as in the first book, the pacing picked up in the second half and I liked it much better than the beginning.
In book three the sides have hunkered down to prepare for the grand battle. I was not as excited about the battle plan parts. Most of what I thought would happen during the battle did even if all the details weren’t guessed correctly. In fact the entire battle was lacklustre and there never seemed to be any urgency to it. Most of the planning happened off the page. And yet I was immersed once again in the characters and was mostly content reading along. One of the best parts about these two books was Edene. Her role was the one where there were multiple surprises in store. Actually, the females in this book win hands down.
The ending of the book was kinda weird and didn’t tie up lots of loose ends. A small sampling – Namri Songstan, Lady Dio, the dragons, Woman-King Tzitzik and the artifact, the glass demons, the blood ghosts, etc. There is no real closure. I mean I didn’t hate what happened. I just need to know what comes after the great battle has ended. I mean it was plain that women were going to set the future in motion. But how!?!
All the criticism of pacing and plot aside, I really did enjoy the story for the setting and characters. I love watching women gain and keep agency. I have no regrets. One series down! Arrr!
Side note: I think Ümmühan would make a great wizard in the future.
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordp...
I have to review these books together because I read them back to back and thus they have blended into one whole. The books follow Temur and Samarkar and friends as they try to destroy a cult and save the world. This series continues to be odd in that the plot sort of plods along. The pacing is uneven and the action is varied and doesn’t always make sense in terms of storytelling and flow.
This is one of those tales where book two is all the various players traveling about. I normally hate those. However, the imagery of 12th and 13 century Asia and the character growth kept me reading. I still absolutely love Hrahima, Temur, Samarkar, and Brother Hsiung. However I also fell in love with Saadet, Hong-la, and Tsering. I very much enjoyed the newer perspectives. Saadet was on the “bad” side and yet I sympathized with her more than I expected. And as in the first book, the pacing picked up in the second half and I liked it much better than the beginning.
In book three the sides have hunkered down to prepare for the grand battle. I was not as excited about the battle plan parts. Most of what I thought would happen during the battle did even if all the details weren’t guessed correctly. In fact the entire battle was lacklustre and there never seemed to be any urgency to it. Most of the planning happened off the page. And yet I was immersed once again in the characters and was mostly content reading along. One of the best parts about these two books was Edene. Her role was the one where there were multiple surprises in store. Actually, the females in this book win hands down.
The ending of the book was kinda weird and didn’t tie up lots of loose ends. A small sampling – Namri Songstan, Lady Dio, the dragons, Woman-King Tzitzik and the artifact, the glass demons, the blood ghosts, etc. There is no real closure. I mean I didn’t hate what happened. I just need to know what comes after the great battle has ended. I mean it was plain that women were going to set the future in motion. But how!?!
All the criticism of pacing and plot aside, I really did enjoy the story for the setting and characters. I love watching women gain and keep agency. I have no regrets. One series down! Arrr!
Side note: I think Ümmühan would make a great wizard in the future.
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordp...
March 30, 2016
Steles of the Sky is the final book in the epic fantasy series the Eternal Sky, which starts with Range of Ghosts. Temur is raising his banner as Great Khan and gathering allies against the plot to raise an ancient evil.
Thankfully, the synopsis for Steles of the Sky differed from the formula set out by the last two books. On the other hand, I don’t think my problems with the last book were just mid series slump. I think this entire trilogy suffers from poor plotting and pacing.
While the end of the book did bring everyone together for the expected Final Battle, the beginning of the book maintained the pattern of people traveling from point A to point B that I’d complained about with the previous books. The plot feels very standard and completely unoriginal, and the only villain to be at all interesting is Saadat. There’s many elements I liked about the trilogy, but with such a weak plot line and poor pacing, it really suffered.
Yet there are many elements I enjoyed. The foremost is the sheer beauty of the Eternal Skies. Bear has imbued her setting with grandeur, awe, and wonder all brought to life by her magnificent prose. I love how she takes her inspiration from Asian cultures instead of European and how the magic fits so deeply into the landscape, with the skies that change with the fate of empires.
The other high point of the series is the inclusion of multiple important women, of many different sorts. I know both Hrahima, the tigeress warrior, and Samarkar, a wizard of the Citadel, will stick with me for a long time. The trilogy overall had a number of mother queens ruling as regents, and I wonder if it’s either inspired by history or has some deeper thematic meaning. I’d probably need to reread to say more on the subject, but what I noticed this first time around was interesting.
I didn’t find the ending completely satisfying, as it seemed like there were a lot of unresolved plot threads (what was up with that Lady Dio subplot for instance?). I was more emotional about it than I expected, which led me to realize just how much I’d gotten attached to some of the characters.
Other than its Central Asian setting, the Eternal Skies trilogy is very much a traditional, non-grimdark epic fantasy story. It’s not a trilogy I would reread or strongly recommend, but if nothing else I don’t regret reading it because of the beautiful world building and prominent female characters.
Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
Thankfully, the synopsis for Steles of the Sky differed from the formula set out by the last two books. On the other hand, I don’t think my problems with the last book were just mid series slump. I think this entire trilogy suffers from poor plotting and pacing.
While the end of the book did bring everyone together for the expected Final Battle, the beginning of the book maintained the pattern of people traveling from point A to point B that I’d complained about with the previous books. The plot feels very standard and completely unoriginal, and the only villain to be at all interesting is Saadat. There’s many elements I liked about the trilogy, but with such a weak plot line and poor pacing, it really suffered.
Yet there are many elements I enjoyed. The foremost is the sheer beauty of the Eternal Skies. Bear has imbued her setting with grandeur, awe, and wonder all brought to life by her magnificent prose. I love how she takes her inspiration from Asian cultures instead of European and how the magic fits so deeply into the landscape, with the skies that change with the fate of empires.
The other high point of the series is the inclusion of multiple important women, of many different sorts. I know both Hrahima, the tigeress warrior, and Samarkar, a wizard of the Citadel, will stick with me for a long time. The trilogy overall had a number of mother queens ruling as regents, and I wonder if it’s either inspired by history or has some deeper thematic meaning. I’d probably need to reread to say more on the subject, but what I noticed this first time around was interesting.
I didn’t find the ending completely satisfying, as it seemed like there were a lot of unresolved plot threads (what was up with that Lady Dio subplot for instance?). I was more emotional about it than I expected, which led me to realize just how much I’d gotten attached to some of the characters.
Other than its Central Asian setting, the Eternal Skies trilogy is very much a traditional, non-grimdark epic fantasy story. It’s not a trilogy I would reread or strongly recommend, but if nothing else I don’t regret reading it because of the beautiful world building and prominent female characters.
Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
October 26, 2015
Hate to say this, but Bear stumbles a bit in the third volume of her Eternal Sky trilogy. The characters are still compelling and her Asian-inspired cultures are still vividly drawn, but after various fights for survival in the opening 100 pages, the book gets surprisingly dull.
How so? There's a scene in the Dino de Laurentiis Flash Gordon (a weird connection, I know, bear with me) in which Flash declares, "Ming's your real enemy. Let's all team up and fight him!" Imagine how boring the rest of the movie would have been if all the other characters had immediately agreed and did as Flash said. That's kind of the problem with Steles of the Sky. All the back-stabbing and infighting stirred up by the villainous Al Seppher seemed to wrap up at the end of Book 2, so that in this volume all the surviving parties start to realize how much they'd been duped and spend most of the book coming together, forming alliances, and making plans on how to beat the bad guy - which he gives them plenty of time to do. When it comes to the final confrontation, the good guys' victory never really feels in doubt.
And the horses. My god, if you love horses - magic horses, in particular - this is the series for you. If not, then you might want to get ready to skim over page after page after page after page of endless descriptions of just how awesome magical horses are. I mean, come on already. *sigh*
How so? There's a scene in the Dino de Laurentiis Flash Gordon (a weird connection, I know, bear with me) in which Flash declares, "Ming's your real enemy. Let's all team up and fight him!" Imagine how boring the rest of the movie would have been if all the other characters had immediately agreed and did as Flash said. That's kind of the problem with Steles of the Sky. All the back-stabbing and infighting stirred up by the villainous Al Seppher seemed to wrap up at the end of Book 2, so that in this volume all the surviving parties start to realize how much they'd been duped and spend most of the book coming together, forming alliances, and making plans on how to beat the bad guy - which he gives them plenty of time to do. When it comes to the final confrontation, the good guys' victory never really feels in doubt.
And the horses. My god, if you love horses - magic horses, in particular - this is the series for you. If not, then you might want to get ready to skim over page after page after page after page of endless descriptions of just how awesome magical horses are. I mean, come on already. *sigh*
August 13, 2016
With this, I think I finish the truly astonishing haul of Elizabeth Bear books I picked up at the local library sale last year. (I'm almost done everything I bought, and might actually finish the last couple non-Bear books before this year's sale in October.) That has meant that I've read the three parts of this trilogy closer together than I might otherwise have, and I'm glad, because they're so intricate and densely connected I might have had to struggle to remember what was going on, instead of drifting seamlessly from one into the next.
Note: The rest of this review has been withheld due to the changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook
Note: The rest of this review has been withheld due to the changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook
April 24, 2014
I just ... That is ... I'm dumbstruck at how good this book is (and its predecessors were); the story, the worldbuilding, the prose, most of all the characters. So, stunned into inarticulateness, I'm going to steal directly from the book itself to sum up my feelings:
"There is history here to be written," she said. "There are poems such as have never been heard -- in dragon-scale, in stallion's mane, in the actions of God through the hands of men."
"There is history here to be written," she said. "There are poems such as have never been heard -- in dragon-scale, in stallion's mane, in the actions of God through the hands of men."
February 6, 2017
A satisfying ending to the series, with a number of the expected twists and turns -- and quite a few I did not expect.
This series is one of the most original worlds I have seen in fantasy. I love the idea of each empire having a markedly different sky (REALLY different: different numbers of moons, suns, direction of rotation, etc.) which changes depending on who controls a region. Although the sheer impossibility of it from a scientific perspective makes my head hurt. This world is definitely based on actual Earth history (Mongols, Chinese, Arabs/Muslims of around 1300 C.E.), but uses that merely as a starting point.
Definitely recommended!
This series is one of the most original worlds I have seen in fantasy. I love the idea of each empire having a markedly different sky (REALLY different: different numbers of moons, suns, direction of rotation, etc.) which changes depending on who controls a region. Although the sheer impossibility of it from a scientific perspective makes my head hurt. This world is definitely based on actual Earth history (Mongols, Chinese, Arabs/Muslims of around 1300 C.E.), but uses that merely as a starting point.
Definitely recommended!
January 18, 2021
2.5 stars
September 6, 2015
If you’re like me and you believe that award shortlists are meant to be read and not admired then the nomination of a multi-series novel, that you haven’t been keeping up with, creates a quandary. Do you ignore the book’s existence on the ballot? Do you try to find time to read the other novels in the series? Or do you simply take the view that nominated works must stand alone, that in terms of character and plot and theme it must engage the newbie reader as much as it does the person who’s already invested in the series.
I decided long ago to adopt option three, as a result I found myself reading Steles of the Sky the concluding volume in the Eternal Sky trilogy.
While this is the third book, to Elizabeth Bear’s credit I never felt lost in terms of the narrative. I quickly picked up who were the good guys and who the villains. I also easily came to terms with the world building and the mix of cultures – all non-white and based on Asian, Middle Eastern and Native American mythologies. But what I really appreciated was how Bear pulls this off without the need to info-dump or have character explains plot points they should already know.
However, as a concluding volume in a trilogy I did expect the book to have a sense of momentum and pacing as it wraps up and deals with the threads left by the previous novels. Unfortunately this wasn’t the case. The first half of the novel involves lots and lots and lots of walking (especially trudging through snow) – generally from disasters or events set up by the previous volumes. Even when Re Temur and his posse of like-minded individuals find a set of magic portals that allows them to arrive at their final destination quicker than might have been the case, the narrative still feels as stuck in the snowdrifts as some of the other characters.
The villain of the piece, al-Sepehr, does very little. I got the impression he was an arrogant piece of work who, because he had control of a Djinn, felt like his victory was inevitable. But this means that other than the extreme climate and the odd glass demon, our heroes never seem to face a genuine threat. In fact they have plenty of time to get their act together as they organise an army to fight the forces of al-Sepehr and those who have allied with him.
The novel’s many disparate strands lead to a final battle between good and evil. This happens, though in the last thirty or so pages, and is dealt with so quickly, so abruptly, that it feels inconsequential. I’d be willing to accept that this war between al-Sepehr and Re Temur is not the point of the series – that it’s about the friendships and relationships between different cultures that are formed as a consequence of the villain and his villainy. But as a climax to a trilogy, I expected something a little more… well… climactic.
The novel also involves far too many characters, an issue that’s not unique to the Eternal Sky – I’m looking at you George – but is still annoying nonetheless. The Steles of the Sky has at least five or six viewpoints to contend with, and while this does give us a variety of voices and opinion, it does means that characters disappear for large chunks of the novel. As a consequence I struggled to engage with anyone, including Re Temur who has the lion share of the narrative.
Having said all that the prose is knock your socks off beautiful. I quote some of it above. But more than the pretty words, it was never a chore to finish the book. In spite of the slow pacing and characters I didn’t care for, Elizabeth Bear’s ability to tell a story shone through. I didn’t turn the pages out of an obligation to reach the end of the book. I did it because I still wanted to know what happened next.
Going by the interwebs, those who have read all three books really enjoyed the series and its unique take on epic fantasy eschewing the traditional medieval setting for something a lot more complex and interesting. It didn’t work for me partly because Steles of the Sky doesn’t stand alone as a novel but mostly because there are too many characters, the plot strands are diffuse and the climax is little more than a speckle of snow rather than a raging blizzard.
I decided long ago to adopt option three, as a result I found myself reading Steles of the Sky the concluding volume in the Eternal Sky trilogy.
While this is the third book, to Elizabeth Bear’s credit I never felt lost in terms of the narrative. I quickly picked up who were the good guys and who the villains. I also easily came to terms with the world building and the mix of cultures – all non-white and based on Asian, Middle Eastern and Native American mythologies. But what I really appreciated was how Bear pulls this off without the need to info-dump or have character explains plot points they should already know.
However, as a concluding volume in a trilogy I did expect the book to have a sense of momentum and pacing as it wraps up and deals with the threads left by the previous novels. Unfortunately this wasn’t the case. The first half of the novel involves lots and lots and lots of walking (especially trudging through snow) – generally from disasters or events set up by the previous volumes. Even when Re Temur and his posse of like-minded individuals find a set of magic portals that allows them to arrive at their final destination quicker than might have been the case, the narrative still feels as stuck in the snowdrifts as some of the other characters.
The villain of the piece, al-Sepehr, does very little. I got the impression he was an arrogant piece of work who, because he had control of a Djinn, felt like his victory was inevitable. But this means that other than the extreme climate and the odd glass demon, our heroes never seem to face a genuine threat. In fact they have plenty of time to get their act together as they organise an army to fight the forces of al-Sepehr and those who have allied with him.
The novel’s many disparate strands lead to a final battle between good and evil. This happens, though in the last thirty or so pages, and is dealt with so quickly, so abruptly, that it feels inconsequential. I’d be willing to accept that this war between al-Sepehr and Re Temur is not the point of the series – that it’s about the friendships and relationships between different cultures that are formed as a consequence of the villain and his villainy. But as a climax to a trilogy, I expected something a little more… well… climactic.
The novel also involves far too many characters, an issue that’s not unique to the Eternal Sky – I’m looking at you George – but is still annoying nonetheless. The Steles of the Sky has at least five or six viewpoints to contend with, and while this does give us a variety of voices and opinion, it does means that characters disappear for large chunks of the novel. As a consequence I struggled to engage with anyone, including Re Temur who has the lion share of the narrative.
Having said all that the prose is knock your socks off beautiful. I quote some of it above. But more than the pretty words, it was never a chore to finish the book. In spite of the slow pacing and characters I didn’t care for, Elizabeth Bear’s ability to tell a story shone through. I didn’t turn the pages out of an obligation to reach the end of the book. I did it because I still wanted to know what happened next.
Going by the interwebs, those who have read all three books really enjoyed the series and its unique take on epic fantasy eschewing the traditional medieval setting for something a lot more complex and interesting. It didn’t work for me partly because Steles of the Sky doesn’t stand alone as a novel but mostly because there are too many characters, the plot strands are diffuse and the climax is little more than a speckle of snow rather than a raging blizzard.
June 9, 2016
Reviewing the final book of a series is always a strange affair. There’s the need to not repeat too much from the previous reviews, and the need to avoid spoiling anything for those who still haven’t read the earlier books. Plus the review should be interesting for both those who have and those who haven’t read what came before.
I’m taking the easy way out, and opt for a rather short write-up. Should you decide to just skim this review, no problemo, but please, don’t miss the quote near the end.
Steles Of The Sky is the sequel to Shattered Pillars – one of the best books I read in 2015 – and the last book of the Eternal Sky trilogy. Together they form one long story that needs to be read in order. It is set on something “resembling the steppes, deserts and mountain ranges of Eurasia after the death of Genghis Khan” I wrote in the review of Range Of Ghosts, but that needs a caveat: Steles features a riffle, and that adds a bit of 19th century flavor. This one riffle doesn’t appear out of place at all, and that fact that it’s even in the book shows Bear’s restraint, and her willingness to take a chance. In the hands of a lesser writer, the riffle would have turned entire chapters of the book into something steampunkish, out of the desperate need to explicitely blend genres.
Please read the full review on Weighing A Pig
I’m taking the easy way out, and opt for a rather short write-up. Should you decide to just skim this review, no problemo, but please, don’t miss the quote near the end.
Steles Of The Sky is the sequel to Shattered Pillars – one of the best books I read in 2015 – and the last book of the Eternal Sky trilogy. Together they form one long story that needs to be read in order. It is set on something “resembling the steppes, deserts and mountain ranges of Eurasia after the death of Genghis Khan” I wrote in the review of Range Of Ghosts, but that needs a caveat: Steles features a riffle, and that adds a bit of 19th century flavor. This one riffle doesn’t appear out of place at all, and that fact that it’s even in the book shows Bear’s restraint, and her willingness to take a chance. In the hands of a lesser writer, the riffle would have turned entire chapters of the book into something steampunkish, out of the desperate need to explicitely blend genres.
Please read the full review on Weighing A Pig
September 3, 2015
I enjoyed this ending to one of the best fantasy trilogies in recent memory. I thought some of the pacing in the first two thirds of this book at times could have been a little more brisk but the end more than made up for that. I continued to appreciate the excellent world building on the part of author Elizabeth Bear and really grew to love the main characters.
The ending, perhaps because of the somewhat slower pace of the rest of the book, felt maybe a little rushed but A LOT happened, with all major plot threads tied up in an epic battle. I would say to those that felt that pacing was slow that it read like some fantasy Chinese films are viewed; you get carried away by the vivid, poetic imagery. At times it read like a good description of Chinese and Japanese landscape paintings. It was definitely a world that one could sit on grassy hill and just get lost in, gazing away, at dream-like skies and flowing waterfalls and waving seas of grass. A world one could just stare at in wonder....
Not that that would be particularly safe, as this world is full of dangers.
I have read some of the reviews, which said that the ending was predictable. I certainly did not find that to be the case and was very pleased with it.
If Elizabeth Bear would ever revisit this world I would be glad to make the journey.
The ending, perhaps because of the somewhat slower pace of the rest of the book, felt maybe a little rushed but A LOT happened, with all major plot threads tied up in an epic battle. I would say to those that felt that pacing was slow that it read like some fantasy Chinese films are viewed; you get carried away by the vivid, poetic imagery. At times it read like a good description of Chinese and Japanese landscape paintings. It was definitely a world that one could sit on grassy hill and just get lost in, gazing away, at dream-like skies and flowing waterfalls and waving seas of grass. A world one could just stare at in wonder....
Not that that would be particularly safe, as this world is full of dangers.
I have read some of the reviews, which said that the ending was predictable. I certainly did not find that to be the case and was very pleased with it.
If Elizabeth Bear would ever revisit this world I would be glad to make the journey.
June 6, 2015
The whole book - the whole trilogy - builds up to the battle in the last chapter and just about every character takes a side and battles it out (except the Empress, who is busy rebuilding her palace after it got a bit blown up by revolutionaries).
Its an awesome battle sequence as everyone just let loose everything they've had to bottle up throughout.
Bear is somewhere halfway between Tolkien and Martin - a lot of high fantasy and optimism balanced by the grittiness and grimness of reality.
May 16, 2018
A satisfying finale to the trilogy. Such a refreshing trio of books. Quick! Name the last book you remember where several of the woman in it were raising young children (nursing) and it was treated as No Big Deal. It's OK; I'll wait.
If you could think of something, let me know, because I certainly couldn't. Very engaging, and I can't wait to read them again.
If you could think of something, let me know, because I certainly couldn't. Very engaging, and I can't wait to read them again.
October 19, 2014
Glorious ending of the Eternal Sky trilogy. This series is without a doubt the best written epic-fantasy series of all time.
February 28, 2017
An excellent conclusion to a series which grows on you as you go deeper into it.
December 16, 2018
Normally I wouldn’t give 5 stars to a book that had some of the flaws this book/series has. Some pacing issues and some redundancy in the second half.
BUT the strength and complexity of the characters takes my breath away.
I’ve never read anything with near as many string women with agency. With power of all different kinds. So many on all sides, plus the non euro setting (how sickly those pale Kyivans are lol) plus the non binary shaman-rememberers.
This is an epic fantasy for women of women, women who are older, or who are childbearing, who are both Warriors and wizards and nursing all at once.
I strongly recommend the series despite its flaws to anyone who might like wider representation in their fantasy. Or their world.
BUT the strength and complexity of the characters takes my breath away.
I’ve never read anything with near as many string women with agency. With power of all different kinds. So many on all sides, plus the non euro setting (how sickly those pale Kyivans are lol) plus the non binary shaman-rememberers.
This is an epic fantasy for women of women, women who are older, or who are childbearing, who are both Warriors and wizards and nursing all at once.
I strongly recommend the series despite its flaws to anyone who might like wider representation in their fantasy. Or their world.
June 27, 2014
Mon avis en Français
My English review
This is another series that I have not read, and I begin once again with the third book in the trilogy that closes the series. It is always a difficult to do that, I know, especially in fantasy, but I am done for now with novels out of order.
Unlike the last novel I read where I was really lost, I found that the author made us understand more easily the context of the story. The world is also very rich and we find a lot of characters at once. It is true that initially I had a little trouble placing all the characters. But this is mainly due to the fact that they all have some very original names and it was difficult to remember everyone when we have many different characters. Of course, as often in fantasy, we have many POVs over the chapters and it was interesting to understand the role of the characters and what each was trying to achieve.
Re Temur is trying to regain the throne he had to leave and he is going to Dragon Lake to raise his flag and regain his place. Accompanied by his friends, he will have to pass through many obstacles and confront people and creatures he wouldn’t have thought to cross. Oh yes because we have a jinn who plots against his master, but also a speaking dragon who may well hold the key to their future, and some shaman-remembered. Conspiracies and betrayals are law here, and everyone is trying to take advantage of the situation.
I had a good time with this novel, and although it is true that I was a bit lost at first, we understand little by little what is happening and what the characters want to do. It is a rich world that the author presents here, all populated by wizards, shamans and extraordinary creatures. Each category has its own rules and it was interesting to discover more about them. I confess that I am curious to discover how the characters ended up like that and I think that I should read the first books one day. By cons I do not advise you to start with this one as I did, you’ll miss too many things.
My English review
This is another series that I have not read, and I begin once again with the third book in the trilogy that closes the series. It is always a difficult to do that, I know, especially in fantasy, but I am done for now with novels out of order.
Unlike the last novel I read where I was really lost, I found that the author made us understand more easily the context of the story. The world is also very rich and we find a lot of characters at once. It is true that initially I had a little trouble placing all the characters. But this is mainly due to the fact that they all have some very original names and it was difficult to remember everyone when we have many different characters. Of course, as often in fantasy, we have many POVs over the chapters and it was interesting to understand the role of the characters and what each was trying to achieve.
Re Temur is trying to regain the throne he had to leave and he is going to Dragon Lake to raise his flag and regain his place. Accompanied by his friends, he will have to pass through many obstacles and confront people and creatures he wouldn’t have thought to cross. Oh yes because we have a jinn who plots against his master, but also a speaking dragon who may well hold the key to their future, and some shaman-remembered. Conspiracies and betrayals are law here, and everyone is trying to take advantage of the situation.
I had a good time with this novel, and although it is true that I was a bit lost at first, we understand little by little what is happening and what the characters want to do. It is a rich world that the author presents here, all populated by wizards, shamans and extraordinary creatures. Each category has its own rules and it was interesting to discover more about them. I confess that I am curious to discover how the characters ended up like that and I think that I should read the first books one day. By cons I do not advise you to start with this one as I did, you’ll miss too many things.
October 27, 2014
Oh man. ALL THE FEELS!
No, seriously, all of them! Sometimes I forget what it's like to get so caught up in a novel that I can't stop reading or go to sleep. It happens far more rarely than it used to. But when it does...
This was one of those series that just stays with you. It's everything that little epic fantasy ideas dream of growing up to be.
Sometimes I think that epic fantasy could survive entirely on Elizabeth Bear and N. K. Jemisin and, while there might not be as much literature, what is there would be so fantastic that no one would complain.
Yeah, I enjoyed this. The writing was exquisite, the thought that went into developing a universe that is both grounded in the large swath of the Asian continent and also deeply fantastic clearly paid off. And the people and their cultures - Bear does some things that few authors properly achieve; she can create villains that are sympathetic without redeeming them, she can portray a multitude of religious practices without ever veering into the trite or the offensive. And she can make her characters feel more than real. I was sad when it ended, even though the story was done and done well. And that, in some ways, is the highest praise I can give.
No, seriously, all of them! Sometimes I forget what it's like to get so caught up in a novel that I can't stop reading or go to sleep. It happens far more rarely than it used to. But when it does...
This was one of those series that just stays with you. It's everything that little epic fantasy ideas dream of growing up to be.
Sometimes I think that epic fantasy could survive entirely on Elizabeth Bear and N. K. Jemisin and, while there might not be as much literature, what is there would be so fantastic that no one would complain.
Yeah, I enjoyed this. The writing was exquisite, the thought that went into developing a universe that is both grounded in the large swath of the Asian continent and also deeply fantastic clearly paid off. And the people and their cultures - Bear does some things that few authors properly achieve; she can create villains that are sympathetic without redeeming them, she can portray a multitude of religious practices without ever veering into the trite or the offensive. And she can make her characters feel more than real. I was sad when it ended, even though the story was done and done well. And that, in some ways, is the highest praise I can give.
June 23, 2018
Eh. I had to force myself to finish this one. The first book in the series started slow, but seemed to building to something exciting. The second book got bogged down in details. I swear there were 50 pages describing travel alone. We were introduced to a slew of side characters who I didn't care about, and the last book didn't make me care about them either. And everyone outside of the core heroes and villains were varying degrees of nonessential to the plot. The villain has all the depth of Jafar from Disney's "Aladdin". There a bunch of religious back and forth that ultimately doesn't go anywhere. Dragons and gods show up but they don't do much. All the important things in the book happen in the last 25%, which tells me that we could have just tacked this on to the first book and told the story in a single, satisfying volume.
I have absolutely loved everything else I've read by Elizabeth Bear so this was disappointing. I wonder if there's some context I'm missing that will make this make sense. Is this based on an Asian myth? If anybody knows, let me know because I'd love to read it.
I have absolutely loved everything else I've read by Elizabeth Bear so this was disappointing. I wonder if there's some context I'm missing that will make this make sense. Is this based on an Asian myth? If anybody knows, let me know because I'd love to read it.
May 6, 2014
First, a confession: I’ve mostly given up on epic fantasy as a genre. I keep circling back to it because I remember the sense of soaring escape it gave me in eighth grade, but the story about intrepid heroes banding together to save the world from evil has long since lost its shine for me. The series I’ve slogged through recently — including the Hugo-nominated one, which rhymes with Peel of Lime — would only be useful to me if I needed to prop open a door on a breezy day, or start a fire in some kind of post-apocalyptic situation.
But then sometimes I stumble over an epic fantasy series that reminds me why I keep returning to it: because there’s something buried deep in the marrow of fantasy, well-hidden by pounds... Read More: http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
But then sometimes I stumble over an epic fantasy series that reminds me why I keep returning to it: because there’s something buried deep in the marrow of fantasy, well-hidden by pounds... Read More: http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
August 10, 2014
All wind up, no pitch. We spend several hundred pages wandering fruitlessly in the desert, but she's spun her story too wide, and, by the end, whole characters and plot lines are simply dropped in a frantic attempt to wrap up the main plot, which is....perhaps never clear while somehow also being blindingly obvious. Certainly Bear does nothing with the literal scores of characters she spent hundreds of pages building up; in the end, with few exceptions, nothing of the characters come through, and we might as well be watching mannequins in the finale, like a western or a superhero story. Not a satisfying ending or a particular worthwhile journey to that ending, which is bitter to me, as a reader. I am losing some faith in her ability to just finish a goddamn storyline without spinning it ever larger & larger (see also: Dust to Chill to Grail)
November 9, 2014
The first book of the series took a while to get into, but it did a nice job of weaving together a history of peoples, united by the beautiful visions of the skies (an image that has stuck with me separated from the story for years). This book took ... significantly longer to get into, because it had a lot of characters to pick up their stories and try to bring them together. It was only really the end that it all started cohering; it did involve a Big Battle but nothing like the traditional epic fantasy battle where the main character and main evil character exchange thunderbolts in the sky. (There *is* aerial combat, but it was very different).
I suspect this series would work much better read all together, where the momentum of one finishing would help power through the beginnings of the next.
I suspect this series would work much better read all together, where the momentum of one finishing would help power through the beginnings of the next.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 154 reviews