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Jaran #1-4
The Novels of the Jaran
A special four-in-one edition of Kate Elliott’s sweeping and addictive Jaran series
In Jaran, the Earth of the future is just one of the planets ruled by the vast Chapalii empire. The volatility of these alien overlords is something with which Tess Soerensen is all too familiar. Her brother, Charles, rebelled against them and was rewarded by being elevated into their interstellar system. Struggling to find her place in the world, Tess sneaks aboard a shuttle bound for Rhui, one of her brother’s planets. On the ground, she joins up with the native jaran people, becoming immersed in their nomadic society and customs. As she grows ever closer to the charismatic jaran ruler, Ilya—who is inflamed by an urgent mission of his own—Tess must choose between her feelings for him and her loyalty to her brother.
In An Earthly Crown, the nomadic tribes of the jaran are uniting the settled cities of their homeland one by one. Their charismatic leader, Ilya Bakhtiian, has his loyal wife by his side, but there is something about her he doesn’t Tess Soerensen is a human. Back home, her brother, Charles, led an unsuccessful revolt against the all-powerful Chapalii empire. Charles’s insistence that Tess join him is as strong as Ilya’s reluctance to part with his beloved wife—and neither considers that Tess may have her own plans for the future. As three fiercely independent spirits struggle for a solution, the fates of both the human race and the jaran hang in the balance.
In His Conquering Sword, the jaran have been taking over towns and bending all non-jaran to the law of their rule. With Ilya Bakhtiian in charge, the nomadic fighters are now preparing an assault on the royal city of Karkand. But within the campaign, another struggle looms. Charles, the brother of Ilya’s wife, Tess, is still driven by thoughts of revolt. Charles travels to Rhui for key information about the past, hoping to bring back his sister—his only heir.
And in The Law of Becoming, Charles Soerensen’s revolutionary inclinations have been reignited. In this final book, the story of Tess, Ilya, and Charles comes to its stunning conclusion as new generations get involved in the intrigue, Earth’s exiled jaran people resurface, and the Chapalii overlords make one last, unexpected move.
In Jaran, the Earth of the future is just one of the planets ruled by the vast Chapalii empire. The volatility of these alien overlords is something with which Tess Soerensen is all too familiar. Her brother, Charles, rebelled against them and was rewarded by being elevated into their interstellar system. Struggling to find her place in the world, Tess sneaks aboard a shuttle bound for Rhui, one of her brother’s planets. On the ground, she joins up with the native jaran people, becoming immersed in their nomadic society and customs. As she grows ever closer to the charismatic jaran ruler, Ilya—who is inflamed by an urgent mission of his own—Tess must choose between her feelings for him and her loyalty to her brother.
In An Earthly Crown, the nomadic tribes of the jaran are uniting the settled cities of their homeland one by one. Their charismatic leader, Ilya Bakhtiian, has his loyal wife by his side, but there is something about her he doesn’t Tess Soerensen is a human. Back home, her brother, Charles, led an unsuccessful revolt against the all-powerful Chapalii empire. Charles’s insistence that Tess join him is as strong as Ilya’s reluctance to part with his beloved wife—and neither considers that Tess may have her own plans for the future. As three fiercely independent spirits struggle for a solution, the fates of both the human race and the jaran hang in the balance.
In His Conquering Sword, the jaran have been taking over towns and bending all non-jaran to the law of their rule. With Ilya Bakhtiian in charge, the nomadic fighters are now preparing an assault on the royal city of Karkand. But within the campaign, another struggle looms. Charles, the brother of Ilya’s wife, Tess, is still driven by thoughts of revolt. Charles travels to Rhui for key information about the past, hoping to bring back his sister—his only heir.
And in The Law of Becoming, Charles Soerensen’s revolutionary inclinations have been reignited. In this final book, the story of Tess, Ilya, and Charles comes to its stunning conclusion as new generations get involved in the intrigue, Earth’s exiled jaran people resurface, and the Chapalii overlords make one last, unexpected move.
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First published January 1, 2013
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298 people want to read
About the author
Kate Elliott
109 books2,900 followersAs a child in rural Oregon, Kate Elliott made up stories because she longed to escape to a world of lurid adventure fiction. She now writes fantasy, steampunk, and science fiction, often with a romantic edge. She currently lives in Hawaii, where she paddles outrigger canoes and spoils her schnauzer.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
August 21, 2014
This series makes me think that Kate Elliott is kind of a genius. Her plots are complex, and all the relationships between the characters are so carefully written, I find myself amazed that she could keep all of this drama in her head and pull the story forward in such a thoroughly satisfying way.
The book summary is good- this is a story about Tess's integration into the jaran, a nomadic, matriarchal but warlike society. Tess grew up on a futuristic Earth in which human beings have been conquered by an alien race called the Chapalli. Rhui, the planet that is home to the jaran, is "interdicted" to space-faring humans. This basically means its under a sort of prime directive that aims to preserve the integrity of the planet's pre-industrial civilization.
Tess's brother Charles is planning a revolt against the Chapalli conquerors at the same time that Ilya, Tess's lover and eventual husband plans a conquest of the khaja on Rhui (all people who are not jaran). In this way, we see conquest and cultural integration through a completely fascinating hall of mirrors in which misunderstandings and truths on one end completely undermine our moral certitude about events on the other. Charles and Ilya are set up as parallel figures and the results are absolutely riveting. The things that impressed me so profoundly about these books have to do with how Elliott did not simply write a book about levels of civilization when the temptation to do so would have been overwhelming. These books completely undermine any progressive notion of humans in civilization by showing the constancy of the human condition.
Elliott accomplishes many other brilliant reversals. For example, jaran men hold women in the highest respect and the tribe's "etsana" or wise woman makes decisions together with the "dyan" or male tribal leader. It is considered rude for a man to be forward with a woman, while it is the role of women to invite their male lovers. Basically, the jaran's gender culture show a society in which masculinity is not diminished by female power. This issue becomes explosive in their conflict with the khaja, who mostly operate under a patriarchal structure. Additionally, Elliott has given us something of an alternate history in which nomadic tribes conquer agriculture-based civilizations. That move de-naturalizes the presumed superiority of civilizations based on land ownership and agriculture.
The first book is a stellar stand-alone. It's very romantic and has a lot of elements that you would find in Blue Sword, for example. The subsequent books are more dense and epic in nature. The third book drags a bit by the end, but don't give up as the final book is truly excellent. There, we get a glimpse into the nature of the Chapalli, as well as how their presence connects to the jaran. There's a ton to say about how the books end, but of course, I will leave those thoughts to you, dear readers!
The depth of the critique makes me put Elliott's writing on par with Samuel R. Delany's. I think her writing is probably a bit more satisfying to readers who aren't necessarily interested in cultural critique, making it a profound book that will appeal to lovers of epic fantasy and space opera as well as lovers of more heady fiction.
The book summary is good- this is a story about Tess's integration into the jaran, a nomadic, matriarchal but warlike society. Tess grew up on a futuristic Earth in which human beings have been conquered by an alien race called the Chapalli. Rhui, the planet that is home to the jaran, is "interdicted" to space-faring humans. This basically means its under a sort of prime directive that aims to preserve the integrity of the planet's pre-industrial civilization.
Tess's brother Charles is planning a revolt against the Chapalli conquerors at the same time that Ilya, Tess's lover and eventual husband plans a conquest of the khaja on Rhui (all people who are not jaran). In this way, we see conquest and cultural integration through a completely fascinating hall of mirrors in which misunderstandings and truths on one end completely undermine our moral certitude about events on the other. Charles and Ilya are set up as parallel figures and the results are absolutely riveting. The things that impressed me so profoundly about these books have to do with how Elliott did not simply write a book about levels of civilization when the temptation to do so would have been overwhelming. These books completely undermine any progressive notion of humans in civilization by showing the constancy of the human condition.
Elliott accomplishes many other brilliant reversals. For example, jaran men hold women in the highest respect and the tribe's "etsana" or wise woman makes decisions together with the "dyan" or male tribal leader. It is considered rude for a man to be forward with a woman, while it is the role of women to invite their male lovers. Basically, the jaran's gender culture show a society in which masculinity is not diminished by female power. This issue becomes explosive in their conflict with the khaja, who mostly operate under a patriarchal structure. Additionally, Elliott has given us something of an alternate history in which nomadic tribes conquer agriculture-based civilizations. That move de-naturalizes the presumed superiority of civilizations based on land ownership and agriculture.
The first book is a stellar stand-alone. It's very romantic and has a lot of elements that you would find in Blue Sword, for example. The subsequent books are more dense and epic in nature. The third book drags a bit by the end, but don't give up as the final book is truly excellent. There, we get a glimpse into the nature of the Chapalli, as well as how their presence connects to the jaran. There's a ton to say about how the books end, but of course, I will leave those thoughts to you, dear readers!
The depth of the critique makes me put Elliott's writing on par with Samuel R. Delany's. I think her writing is probably a bit more satisfying to readers who aren't necessarily interested in cultural critique, making it a profound book that will appeal to lovers of epic fantasy and space opera as well as lovers of more heady fiction.
October 8, 2015
The Jaran books don't really fit in any one genre. Technically, you could call them sci-fi: the protagonist of book one, Tess, travels from planet Earth to Rhui several centuries in the future. There are spaceships, holograms, advanced healing, and all kinds of incredible (but very believable) gadgets - not to mention aliens in the form of the Chapalli, the race who now rules over humanity (if not benevolently, then somewhat absent-mindedly - they don't seem very interested in humans on the whole). But the majority of the series takes place on Rhui, an interdicted planet with a technology level of Earth's medieval period. In that way, much of the story will be, on the surface at least, pretty comfortable ground for readers of secondary world fantasy, even if there is no magic.
In very, VERY simplified terms, the overall plot of the series is this: Tess, the sister to the only human duke in the Chapalli hierarchy, ends up Rhui and becomes involved in the campaign of one Ilya Bhaktiian to lead the eponymous Jaran (a nomadic, tribal people) to conquer the known lands of Rhui. The series covers this campaign (or campaigns), while also showing the journeys of several characters away from Rhui, including those who leave Rhui and are introduced to the wider universe and modern technology. Tess' brother Charles, the duke, is leading a campaign of his own, one intended to free humanity from the Chapalli yoke, and several characters cross over from Ilya's campaign to Charles', and vice versa.
But that's an incredibly simplified look at these books. I really don't know how to write a review that could possibly encompass how amazing this series really is. The worldbuilding is jaw-dropping - every culture, from Earth's humans to those of each culture encountered on Rhui, is exquisitely detailed, and Elliott uses each one to explore and play with ideas of sexuality, morality and religion, and the roles and differences between genders. The Jaran are the exception on Rhui for being strongly matriarchal, and yet the power held by each gender feels very balanced - unlike in other Rhui cultures, which will be more familiar to the reader as having women playing a far more submissive role. Among the Jaran, men and women each hold power and responsibilities, each have their own roles, but neither is inherently dominated; although at first glance it seems that women control everything, it's gradually revealed that the two genders are very equal. It's one of the most fascinating things about the books, seeing how Elliott takes ideas or tasks we would call feminine or masculine, and flipping them around (because of course, why would another world develop exactly the same way Earth did?) Embroidery is a man's task, for example, while women are the only ones to learn archery; women (officially) have no choice in marriage but may take lovers as they please. The concept of modesty is one that gets explored too; among the Jaran, men are modest, but not meek. And all of this is got across to the reader without info-dumping; gradually, beautifully, naturally.
Then there are the characters. I don't want to go into too much detail so as not to spoil anything, but even the most minor of characters are very fleshed-out and believable; no cardboard-cutouts in sight. No one is flawless; one of the scenes I most appreciated was one in which Tess grew bored, listening to a young woman wax on about her lover. Moments like that make the stories very believable; it's easy to identify with everyone, just because they're all so real. Elliott also gets mega points for including gay, lesbian and bisexual characters, which happens all too rarely in spec-fic; but as with most of the 'issues' that come up across the course of the series, Elliott never makes a big deal of it, including such things naturally in her stories so that it never feels forced, but nonetheless makes the reader think and consider. I particularly liked how the various questions and issues around rape were handled in book 4, and one of the most enjoyable themes was seeing 'modern' philosophy and morality clash with the 'medieval' morals of the various people in Rhui, especially the Jaran - not only through Tess, but when a group of human actors arrives from Earth to perform on Rhui.
It's a series that makes you think, and that anyone with a love or appreciation of good worldbuilding will adore, but it's also an entertaining, addictive read. The omnibus edition is some 2200 pages, and I devoured it in a week: I found it impossible to put down. Contrasted to a book like Mercedes&Mallory's Crown of Vengeance, which also contained a very believable war campaign, Elliott manages to write a very long period of conquest - some 12 years - without ever making it dull. Crown of Vengeance was very realistic but so dry, at times, that it was a struggle to read: the Jaran books fly by, perhaps because the focus is more on the people involved than on describing field manoeuvres. That doesn't mean Elliott never writes battle scenes or that the reality of war is in any way hidden or glorified: it isn't, and Elliott makes it very clear that wars can only ever be morally grey at best. This is beautifully shown in book 2 when the actors, and other modern 'emissaries' come to Rhui to contact Tess and study the Jaran. Although they take care to hide their true origins, still their beliefs and point of view comes into sharp conflict with that of the Jaran. And that's yet another way in which Elliott shines: in thinking through how humanity is likely to have evolved and changed in 200 years. Everything from the technology to humanity's views on homosexuality and violence is just beautifully thought out; I adored getting glimpses of Earth, not just the Earth humans in other settings but Earth's own culture, which differs from our modern one in significant but believable ways.
I could go on for hours, but I should probably wrap it up. Suffice to say, Elliott is a writer on par with Bujold, and I can't wait to go out and grab everything else she's ever written!
In very, VERY simplified terms, the overall plot of the series is this: Tess, the sister to the only human duke in the Chapalli hierarchy, ends up Rhui and becomes involved in the campaign of one Ilya Bhaktiian to lead the eponymous Jaran (a nomadic, tribal people) to conquer the known lands of Rhui. The series covers this campaign (or campaigns), while also showing the journeys of several characters away from Rhui, including those who leave Rhui and are introduced to the wider universe and modern technology. Tess' brother Charles, the duke, is leading a campaign of his own, one intended to free humanity from the Chapalli yoke, and several characters cross over from Ilya's campaign to Charles', and vice versa.
But that's an incredibly simplified look at these books. I really don't know how to write a review that could possibly encompass how amazing this series really is. The worldbuilding is jaw-dropping - every culture, from Earth's humans to those of each culture encountered on Rhui, is exquisitely detailed, and Elliott uses each one to explore and play with ideas of sexuality, morality and religion, and the roles and differences between genders. The Jaran are the exception on Rhui for being strongly matriarchal, and yet the power held by each gender feels very balanced - unlike in other Rhui cultures, which will be more familiar to the reader as having women playing a far more submissive role. Among the Jaran, men and women each hold power and responsibilities, each have their own roles, but neither is inherently dominated; although at first glance it seems that women control everything, it's gradually revealed that the two genders are very equal. It's one of the most fascinating things about the books, seeing how Elliott takes ideas or tasks we would call feminine or masculine, and flipping them around (because of course, why would another world develop exactly the same way Earth did?) Embroidery is a man's task, for example, while women are the only ones to learn archery; women (officially) have no choice in marriage but may take lovers as they please. The concept of modesty is one that gets explored too; among the Jaran, men are modest, but not meek. And all of this is got across to the reader without info-dumping; gradually, beautifully, naturally.
Then there are the characters. I don't want to go into too much detail so as not to spoil anything, but even the most minor of characters are very fleshed-out and believable; no cardboard-cutouts in sight. No one is flawless; one of the scenes I most appreciated was one in which Tess grew bored, listening to a young woman wax on about her lover. Moments like that make the stories very believable; it's easy to identify with everyone, just because they're all so real. Elliott also gets mega points for including gay, lesbian and bisexual characters, which happens all too rarely in spec-fic; but as with most of the 'issues' that come up across the course of the series, Elliott never makes a big deal of it, including such things naturally in her stories so that it never feels forced, but nonetheless makes the reader think and consider. I particularly liked how the various questions and issues around rape were handled in book 4, and one of the most enjoyable themes was seeing 'modern' philosophy and morality clash with the 'medieval' morals of the various people in Rhui, especially the Jaran - not only through Tess, but when a group of human actors arrives from Earth to perform on Rhui.
It's a series that makes you think, and that anyone with a love or appreciation of good worldbuilding will adore, but it's also an entertaining, addictive read. The omnibus edition is some 2200 pages, and I devoured it in a week: I found it impossible to put down. Contrasted to a book like Mercedes&Mallory's Crown of Vengeance, which also contained a very believable war campaign, Elliott manages to write a very long period of conquest - some 12 years - without ever making it dull. Crown of Vengeance was very realistic but so dry, at times, that it was a struggle to read: the Jaran books fly by, perhaps because the focus is more on the people involved than on describing field manoeuvres. That doesn't mean Elliott never writes battle scenes or that the reality of war is in any way hidden or glorified: it isn't, and Elliott makes it very clear that wars can only ever be morally grey at best. This is beautifully shown in book 2 when the actors, and other modern 'emissaries' come to Rhui to contact Tess and study the Jaran. Although they take care to hide their true origins, still their beliefs and point of view comes into sharp conflict with that of the Jaran. And that's yet another way in which Elliott shines: in thinking through how humanity is likely to have evolved and changed in 200 years. Everything from the technology to humanity's views on homosexuality and violence is just beautifully thought out; I adored getting glimpses of Earth, not just the Earth humans in other settings but Earth's own culture, which differs from our modern one in significant but believable ways.
I could go on for hours, but I should probably wrap it up. Suffice to say, Elliott is a writer on par with Bujold, and I can't wait to go out and grab everything else she's ever written!
February 3, 2018
4.5 stars and it needs a sequel published ASAP! Not quite what I was expecting but I liked it much better than Spiritwalker. Longer review coming soon.
February 13, 2017
This series is wonderful - but unfinished. I love it very much, have re-read several times and it is worth reading even though it is unfinished because it spans a number of years and you do get to see some conclusions for the various characters.
It can be read as an adventure story, a love story, a look at how civilizations evolve and interact - and that is with both several human civilizations and a very believable and cryptic alien civilization which is now ruling the human race. Through the series there are a lot of intriguing possibilities set up and I am hoping for the conclusion - one day.
It can be read as an adventure story, a love story, a look at how civilizations evolve and interact - and that is with both several human civilizations and a very believable and cryptic alien civilization which is now ruling the human race. Through the series there are a lot of intriguing possibilities set up and I am hoping for the conclusion - one day.
January 2, 2014
Three and a half stars: interesting cultures and cultural interactions. Much of the text has a fantasy-feel to it because it takes place down on the interdicted planet; the events that take place elsewhere feel in some ways incidental to the main plot, until the last book (The Law of Becoming) in which they are all much better integrated.
December 16, 2016
A painful review to write because Elliott can and should do better than this series taken as a whole. The first novel, Jaran is well-written and engaging with an intriguing plot and made me care about these characters, enough to read the following three books: I'd give it a solid 4-stars.
The novels following Jaran are a slow spiral into virtual incoherence: the plot becomes huge, character development becomes erratic and nonsensical, and deus ex machina plot contrivances are sprinkled willy-nilly throughout. The characters we knew intimately from Jaran suddenly become caricatures, often exhibiting extraordinary degrees of personal development based on, apparently, breathing. Some major characters simply walk off stage never to be seen again. Good for them.
Plot problems underlie the entire story arc: the last three books seem to have been written by someone who had no idea what the characters did in the first book and many plot contrivances never come together.
The most difficult plot issue for me is a sympathetic, admirable and even heroic figure from the first book who becomes obsessed with his self-perceived destiny to conquer and rule his entire world because he thinks his people are better than everyone else. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? She's writing, glowingly, about a Hitler or Napoleon Bonaparte! This isn't just bad plotting, it's a breathtakingly immature grasp of human character. The resultant massive death & destruction wrought in these novels exists as nothing more than a dripping red backdrop to yet another megalomaniac's grasp for power without an ounce of humanity, compassion or wisdom brought to bear upon it by its author.
There is nothing to be learnt here from the POV of a Napoleon to justify such heart-wrenching slaughter, this plot-piece never transcends from story into understanding: it's a one-dimensional comic book storyboard backdrop.
I sincerely doubt this young woman has ever seen a human life taken in violence, up close and personal. I don't mean that experience is a prerequisite for writing of war, not at all, but I find stories demanding the detailed slaughter of hundreds of thousands written as mere plot device to be extraordinarily immature.
If you don't know the smell of human blood, don't wantonly splash it about in your prose.
I ended the quartet believing Elliott capable of far better work than this. There's not a thing wrong with her prose, it can be crisp & easily read. Plot is the sticking point. The out-of-nowhere plot devices & character motivations undermine what began as an intriguing science fiction series. I really, really wanted to like this series, based on Jaran. What a shocking disappointment.
KINDLE NOTE: For Kindle readers the last book of the quartet (`The Law of Becoming') has a tooth-grindingly large number of transcription errors, including a major character referred to by the wrong name for most of a chapter.
This (updated) review previously published on Amazon.
The novels following Jaran are a slow spiral into virtual incoherence: the plot becomes huge, character development becomes erratic and nonsensical, and deus ex machina plot contrivances are sprinkled willy-nilly throughout. The characters we knew intimately from Jaran suddenly become caricatures, often exhibiting extraordinary degrees of personal development based on, apparently, breathing. Some major characters simply walk off stage never to be seen again. Good for them.
Plot problems underlie the entire story arc: the last three books seem to have been written by someone who had no idea what the characters did in the first book and many plot contrivances never come together.
The most difficult plot issue for me is a sympathetic, admirable and even heroic figure from the first book who becomes obsessed with his self-perceived destiny to conquer and rule his entire world because he thinks his people are better than everyone else. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? She's writing, glowingly, about a Hitler or Napoleon Bonaparte! This isn't just bad plotting, it's a breathtakingly immature grasp of human character. The resultant massive death & destruction wrought in these novels exists as nothing more than a dripping red backdrop to yet another megalomaniac's grasp for power without an ounce of humanity, compassion or wisdom brought to bear upon it by its author.
There is nothing to be learnt here from the POV of a Napoleon to justify such heart-wrenching slaughter, this plot-piece never transcends from story into understanding: it's a one-dimensional comic book storyboard backdrop.
I sincerely doubt this young woman has ever seen a human life taken in violence, up close and personal. I don't mean that experience is a prerequisite for writing of war, not at all, but I find stories demanding the detailed slaughter of hundreds of thousands written as mere plot device to be extraordinarily immature.
If you don't know the smell of human blood, don't wantonly splash it about in your prose.
I ended the quartet believing Elliott capable of far better work than this. There's not a thing wrong with her prose, it can be crisp & easily read. Plot is the sticking point. The out-of-nowhere plot devices & character motivations undermine what began as an intriguing science fiction series. I really, really wanted to like this series, based on Jaran. What a shocking disappointment.
KINDLE NOTE: For Kindle readers the last book of the quartet (`The Law of Becoming') has a tooth-grindingly large number of transcription errors, including a major character referred to by the wrong name for most of a chapter.
This (updated) review previously published on Amazon.
April 7, 2019
Damn just did a whole review that was deleted ......
Awesome series, hope it gets finished someday.
Here we have noble savage anthropological lens, turned right back on us savages. A new male/female dynamic in the Jaran that felt just as rich and fraught as any other, yet allows women real power (http://www.imakeupworlds.com/index.ph...) - the archetypal struggles and confusions with more familiar (earthly) Khaja. A space opera, a secret rebellion, kickass women, myth and science...
1 Tess' personal development felt real and fought for, and especially I enjoyed the deviation from the standard romantic arc with Ilya. I also loved how important Kirill was throughout, rather than just a stepping stone to Ilya. Oh Yuri... too perfect to live I suppose I should have known.
2/3 The characters and relationships were in general rich, though I found Marco's sudden love to be quite unbelievable and where Aleksi's story arc went disappointing (and Nadine's, whom I loved), though his progression from fixation on Tess like a child to being more independent was interesting. Diana I was primed to dislike but that was inverted nicely (though less so later). Vasil was done very very nicely, though I have to say I was hoping for a happy-ish ending for him, rather than what was seen in 4, though his narcissistic personality disorder probably couldn't go anywhere else..
I also like how Charles mostly remained a distant unknowable man - filled in by the people around him (besides his drunk convo with Ilya - love the parallels between those two)
4 Gods Ilya going mad terrifies me. I hope that he survives the revelation. It's pretty sad to think of what a great man he is and so deceived. Vasha... I couldn't love him, not like Katya, but I felt he was compelling. Perhaps he was too Khaja. I'm excited to see where Ilyana's story goes, and as well for an explanation of the Chapallii in general,
Awesome series, hope it gets finished someday.
Here we have noble savage anthropological lens, turned right back on us savages. A new male/female dynamic in the Jaran that felt just as rich and fraught as any other, yet allows women real power (http://www.imakeupworlds.com/index.ph...) - the archetypal struggles and confusions with more familiar (earthly) Khaja. A space opera, a secret rebellion, kickass women, myth and science...
1 Tess' personal development felt real and fought for, and especially I enjoyed the deviation from the standard romantic arc with Ilya. I also loved how important Kirill was throughout, rather than just a stepping stone to Ilya. Oh Yuri... too perfect to live I suppose I should have known.
2/3 The characters and relationships were in general rich, though I found Marco's sudden love to be quite unbelievable and where Aleksi's story arc went disappointing (and Nadine's, whom I loved), though his progression from fixation on Tess like a child to being more independent was interesting. Diana I was primed to dislike but that was inverted nicely (though less so later). Vasil was done very very nicely, though I have to say I was hoping for a happy-ish ending for him, rather than what was seen in 4, though his narcissistic personality disorder probably couldn't go anywhere else..
I also like how Charles mostly remained a distant unknowable man - filled in by the people around him (besides his drunk convo with Ilya - love the parallels between those two)
4 Gods Ilya going mad terrifies me. I hope that he survives the revelation. It's pretty sad to think of what a great man he is and so deceived. Vasha... I couldn't love him, not like Katya, but I felt he was compelling. Perhaps he was too Khaja. I'm excited to see where Ilyana's story goes, and as well for an explanation of the Chapallii in general,
November 19, 2021
Unfortunately I couldn't get into these ... there wasn't much description or scene-setting in the opening chapters, so I didn't get a sense of the world or the characters or feel drawn in. Maybe they improve later on. This series was early work for the author, who has many other books which I have read and enjoyed.
March 14, 2018
I liked the books
I liked the books. The Japanese people seemed similar to Arabians conquer the world except it's a matriarchal culture where women can choose their lovers but not their husbands. It's also bits of space hiding from the Jaran.
I liked the books. The Japanese people seemed similar to Arabians conquer the world except it's a matriarchal culture where women can choose their lovers but not their husbands. It's also bits of space hiding from the Jaran.
July 18, 2017
A story about a nomadic people following the path of a charismatic leader, set against a galactic struggle for power. Sounds like it could be odd, but it works so well!
April 8, 2021
A lot of reading
When I hit about 2900 pages, I started to slow down my reading. I didn’t want it to end. I thoroughly enjoyed this series
When I hit about 2900 pages, I started to slow down my reading. I didn’t want it to end. I thoroughly enjoyed this series
August 4, 2016
I'm going to do something different and list each book separately for the sake of my Read in 2014 list, but write a short series review here, since this is the actual format I read this series in.
I'm not even sure I can put into words how I feel about this series. Without going into boring details I will sum it up. I saw the bundle after it was released and for some reason it just called to me. I stalked it then bought it then was afraid to read it because what if it didn't live up to my expectations? I finally got over that fear and will admit that the beginning of Jaran was a little confusing, but it didn't take long for me to love it.
I'm not good at summarizing books and going into great details about why I loved them. I just can't explain how this series made me think and feel. If you are looking for it, there is so much depth here, so many philosophical, psychological, and sociological questions to ponder. Just so much of this series fell in line with my own hypotheses on humanity and the universe.
So yup, I absolutely love the entire series. I haven't felt this way since reading the Xenogenesis series by Octavia Butler. So far, between that and the Novels of Jaran I am one happy Amanda.
I'm not even sure I can put into words how I feel about this series. Without going into boring details I will sum it up. I saw the bundle after it was released and for some reason it just called to me. I stalked it then bought it then was afraid to read it because what if it didn't live up to my expectations? I finally got over that fear and will admit that the beginning of Jaran was a little confusing, but it didn't take long for me to love it.
I'm not good at summarizing books and going into great details about why I loved them. I just can't explain how this series made me think and feel. If you are looking for it, there is so much depth here, so many philosophical, psychological, and sociological questions to ponder. Just so much of this series fell in line with my own hypotheses on humanity and the universe.
So yup, I absolutely love the entire series. I haven't felt this way since reading the Xenogenesis series by Octavia Butler. So far, between that and the Novels of Jaran I am one happy Amanda.
January 30, 2015
I made it exactly halfway through this omnibus before pressing needs made me turn away, and realistically it seems like I won't be returning. So I really enjoyed this world, but I'll probably have to re-read this when I have enough time. In short, I loved the characters and the scifi/fantasy setting, which you don't see too often, especially not done well as it is here.
November 7, 2016
These books were all great -- Kate Elliott does some of the best sweeping epics I've read. I love her characters, and while this ended really well, I'd happily come back for more. (Also, bittersweet endings; it's obvious all along that the world can't possibly give all the characters everything they want... and yet, I'm still surprised by it.)
January 20, 2025
An epic tale
4 books combined in one, I had trouble stopping reading them. The characters are very convincing, and draw you into their story. The clash of societies and expectations, destiny, religions, families and technologies are all covered here. I am sorry to have reached the end, I'm ready to read and discover more!
4 books combined in one, I had trouble stopping reading them. The characters are very convincing, and draw you into their story. The clash of societies and expectations, destiny, religions, families and technologies are all covered here. I am sorry to have reached the end, I'm ready to read and discover more!
November 9, 2025
The first three books shaped my teen years. Finally reading the 4th has been incredible. But where is the next? Will it ever come out? How do I suddenly gain respect for Anatoly? Why is the makeup of jaran culture so fantastic?
I also can't imagine really, what a chaplaii looks like. Google images has little to help.
I also can't imagine really, what a chaplaii looks like. Google images has little to help.
October 21, 2015
The series is wonderful - it just needs an ending or some kind. Kate Elliott has left us hanging and although we see glimpses of these characters and this world in other stories, she has yet to resolve the story. I look forward to at least one more novel of the Jaran.
February 3, 2017
Science fiction with an unabashed dose of near-fantasy, I wanted to re-read the books and decided to just buy the omnibus and go through it start to finish. I stayed up late reading it several nights, loving the characters and the setting as much on this second read as I did the first.
June 2, 2018
This is one of my favorite space operas, and I think a great example of compelling, interesting, heroic and flawed characters set in a compelling and flawed universe.
Based on my love for this series, I've read most of Elliot's other books... but none have made me love them quite as much. I remember one interview I read with her, maybe a decade ago, when she said one reason the Jaran series was never finished was that space opera wasn't selling. Well, times change and space opera sure is now... so....
The last book cliffhangers rather excitingly, (and moves an almost sympathetic anti-hero fully into villain territory), but it's not a bad ending in some ways. The questions it leaves open are the kind that maybe do well to never be resolved: the nesting dolls nature of the worlds within worlds, plots within plots. There's a lot here about greatness, accidental destiny, the art of war, power, social hierarchies...
--and all done in shades of gray that seem a lot like the real world, a lot like history. (there's also a lot of elements that are borrowed from real history, in ways that work well.)
If I could sum up what this series is about it would be, roughly....
What if Earth's fledgling space expansion is halted by an ancient empire of inscrutable aliens, who, (for reasons no one understands), appoint a human ruler for Earth territories? What if Earth's human ruler is plotting to free humankind when his sister and reluctant heir drops out of grad school and sneaks offworld--and out of his shadow--only to find herself accidentally in the middle of a mysterious alien plot? What if she's then stranded on the steppes of an interdicted planet and presumed dead by everyone?
(that's the backstory)
What if the woman is then rescued and adopted by a tribe of horse-riding Ghenghis Khan-type nomads, is forced to lie to them about her origins (because interdicted planet), and ends up marrying the man who becomes their leader?
(that's the first book)
What if her brother then sends a Shakespearean theater troupe to check on her while they use the interdicted planet to plot their rebellion against the empire in the skies, while her husband becomes Ghenghis Khan?
(that's the second book... roughly.)
And so on.
Thrown into the mix are many flawed characters, flawed societies, examinations and upturnings of lots of genre cliches, and very genuine characters. The reviewer who's upset that Ilya is Bonaparte and "glorified" misses the point, I think, that shows how much he is flawed. That his ideas for Empire and expansion are based on his understanding of a world order that's grounded in lies, that there's a lot more under the surface that, like I said, maybe isn't the kind of stuff that's ever resolved--only written into history.
I think Elliot is a great writer and fantastic world builder, however in her later stuff I get the impression she spent a lot more time checking off boxes to include the correct cultural and social messages, to avoid the problematic--and what's glorious in Jaran is the kitchen sink nature of everything. Much like actual life, actual history, actual humanity, people do the wrong thing, say the wrong things, have unhealthy relationships, sack cities, make bad choices.
In books that all makes for good drama.
Based on my love for this series, I've read most of Elliot's other books... but none have made me love them quite as much. I remember one interview I read with her, maybe a decade ago, when she said one reason the Jaran series was never finished was that space opera wasn't selling. Well, times change and space opera sure is now... so....
The last book cliffhangers rather excitingly, (and moves an almost sympathetic anti-hero fully into villain territory), but it's not a bad ending in some ways. The questions it leaves open are the kind that maybe do well to never be resolved: the nesting dolls nature of the worlds within worlds, plots within plots. There's a lot here about greatness, accidental destiny, the art of war, power, social hierarchies...
--and all done in shades of gray that seem a lot like the real world, a lot like history. (there's also a lot of elements that are borrowed from real history, in ways that work well.)
If I could sum up what this series is about it would be, roughly....
What if Earth's fledgling space expansion is halted by an ancient empire of inscrutable aliens, who, (for reasons no one understands), appoint a human ruler for Earth territories? What if Earth's human ruler is plotting to free humankind when his sister and reluctant heir drops out of grad school and sneaks offworld--and out of his shadow--only to find herself accidentally in the middle of a mysterious alien plot? What if she's then stranded on the steppes of an interdicted planet and presumed dead by everyone?
(that's the backstory)
What if the woman is then rescued and adopted by a tribe of horse-riding Ghenghis Khan-type nomads, is forced to lie to them about her origins (because interdicted planet), and ends up marrying the man who becomes their leader?
(that's the first book)
What if her brother then sends a Shakespearean theater troupe to check on her while they use the interdicted planet to plot their rebellion against the empire in the skies, while her husband becomes Ghenghis Khan?
(that's the second book... roughly.)
And so on.
Thrown into the mix are many flawed characters, flawed societies, examinations and upturnings of lots of genre cliches, and very genuine characters. The reviewer who's upset that Ilya is Bonaparte and "glorified" misses the point, I think, that shows how much he is flawed. That his ideas for Empire and expansion are based on his understanding of a world order that's grounded in lies, that there's a lot more under the surface that, like I said, maybe isn't the kind of stuff that's ever resolved--only written into history.
I think Elliot is a great writer and fantastic world builder, however in her later stuff I get the impression she spent a lot more time checking off boxes to include the correct cultural and social messages, to avoid the problematic--and what's glorious in Jaran is the kitchen sink nature of everything. Much like actual life, actual history, actual humanity, people do the wrong thing, say the wrong things, have unhealthy relationships, sack cities, make bad choices.
In books that all makes for good drama.
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