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A Bait of Dreams
They called the gems Ranga Eyes. They were beautiful crystals, cool and smooth. They opened doorways to magical realms, leading to escape, happiness, peace. But they exacted a terrible price for they were an incredible narcotic. After only a single use, they dragged you in, sucked your soul dry, leaving you to lingering death. — Where did they come from? And what really were they? For Gleia, Shounach, and Deel it had become a matter of desperate urgency, for each has lost someone to the Eyes, someone they could not forget. For them the source of these damnable jewels must be found and destroyed. Otherwise the Ranga Eyes would destroy them and all their world.
404 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 5, 1985
9 people are currently reading
83 people want to read
About the author
Jo Clayton
68 books68 followersJo Clayton, whose parents named her after Jo in Little Women, was born and raised in Modesto, California. She and her three sisters shared a room and took turns telling each other bedtime stories. One of her sisters noted that Jo's stories were the best, and often contained science fiction and fantasy elements.
Clayton graduated from the University of California in 1963, Summa Cum Laude, and started teaching near Los Angeles.
In 1969, after a religious experience, she moved to New Orleans, Louisiana, joining the teaching order Sisters of Mount Carmel as a novice. She left three years later, before taking final orders.
During her time in New Orleans, Clayton sold sketches and paintings in Pioneer Square to supplement her income.
After being robbed several times, Clayton moved to Portland, Oregon in 1983. She remained there for the rest of her life.
Clayton was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 1996. Jo continued to write during her year and a half in the hospital. She finished Drum Calls, the second book of the Drums of Chaos series, and was halfway through the third and final book when she lost her struggle with multiple myeloma in February, 1998.
Literary executor Katherine Kerr made arrangements with established author Kevin Andrew Murphy to finish the third book of the Drums of Chaos series. It is now completed.
Clayton graduated from the University of California in 1963, Summa Cum Laude, and started teaching near Los Angeles.
In 1969, after a religious experience, she moved to New Orleans, Louisiana, joining the teaching order Sisters of Mount Carmel as a novice. She left three years later, before taking final orders.
During her time in New Orleans, Clayton sold sketches and paintings in Pioneer Square to supplement her income.
After being robbed several times, Clayton moved to Portland, Oregon in 1983. She remained there for the rest of her life.
Clayton was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 1996. Jo continued to write during her year and a half in the hospital. She finished Drum Calls, the second book of the Drums of Chaos series, and was halfway through the third and final book when she lost her struggle with multiple myeloma in February, 1998.
Literary executor Katherine Kerr made arrangements with established author Kevin Andrew Murphy to finish the third book of the Drums of Chaos series. It is now completed.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 16, 2021
A freed slave , a dancer and a juggler set out to destroy the source of a horrible addiction that has destroyed the life of many on their world.
This is a good, quick read with just enough humor and darkness to keep it balanced.
The cover says it's a fantasy but it has spaceships
and aliens in it.
I'd call it science fiction and I'd give it a good solid 4 out of 5.
I sadly admit this book sat on my shelf for 17 years!!
Not only is it out of print, but the author passed away 10 years ago.
Here's a tribute to her, with a comprehensive list of all her works.
http://www.dm.net/~mjkramer/
Clayton was a gifted and prolific author and I strongly urge all who enjoy speculative fiction with strong female characters to track down this and her other works.
They deserve to be read.
This is a good, quick read with just enough humor and darkness to keep it balanced.
The cover says it's a fantasy but it has spaceships
and aliens in it.
I'd call it science fiction and I'd give it a good solid 4 out of 5.
I sadly admit this book sat on my shelf for 17 years!!
Not only is it out of print, but the author passed away 10 years ago.
Here's a tribute to her, with a comprehensive list of all her works.
http://www.dm.net/~mjkramer/
Clayton was a gifted and prolific author and I strongly urge all who enjoy speculative fiction with strong female characters to track down this and her other works.
They deserve to be read.
January 4, 2020
A bit of a carrier-bag story, and the individual little adventures are pretty good in and of themselves. If I'd read this serialized, I'd probably give it higher marks. But as a book it feels weird to suddenly make a turn into serious character development in the final act, and to not feel like there's really any thematic throughline to the various side-treks.
The writing was good enough (though all the women constantly folding their arms over their breasts got to be a slightly odd tic) that I want to try something else by Clayton that she didn't write and publish piecemeal. I read this as a teenager and was very impressed at the time, and I'm glad to say I was still delighted by a lot of ideas and components of the setting and story a second go-round 20 years later.
The writing was good enough (though all the women constantly folding their arms over their breasts got to be a slightly odd tic) that I want to try something else by Clayton that she didn't write and publish piecemeal. I read this as a teenager and was very impressed at the time, and I'm glad to say I was still delighted by a lot of ideas and components of the setting and story a second go-round 20 years later.
March 6, 2026
This book is actually science fiction, but it reads like fantasy. I'd call ot science fantasy.
Ranga Eyes are terribly addictive, leaving a husk of a person. (Warning: if you have lost someone to addiction, this book may have some uncomfortable scenes.) The three main characters have all lost people to these alien Ranga Eyes; their mission is to destroy the gens and their source. This is their quest.
The book is a bit uneven, but I liked it enough to finish it. I enjoyed it more as it was serialized in Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine.
Still, I would recommend it as a novel.
Ranga Eyes are terribly addictive, leaving a husk of a person. (Warning: if you have lost someone to addiction, this book may have some uncomfortable scenes.) The three main characters have all lost people to these alien Ranga Eyes; their mission is to destroy the gens and their source. This is their quest.
The book is a bit uneven, but I liked it enough to finish it. I enjoyed it more as it was serialized in Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine.
Still, I would recommend it as a novel.
September 17, 2024
A lot of interesting concepts that felt half-baked, though an interesting preview of what would come in her fantastic Skeen's Leap trilogy.
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October 23, 2025Fantasy paperback
July 30, 2011
Strong characters and lots of action on an interesting world. A very good read.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews