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Skeen #1
Skeen's Leap
PAPERBACK
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1986
61 people are currently reading
539 people want to read
About the author
Jo Clayton
71 books66 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 - 30 of 49 reviews
March 5, 2021
Buddy Read with my wonderful MacHalo friends!
I agree with My Sweet Murderous Pea I just couldn’t get into it. The wording was too much damn it all!
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
I agree with My Sweet Murderous Pea I just couldn’t get into it. The wording was too much damn it all!
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
March 20, 2021
🥱🤕 Coma-Inducing, Migraine-Generating Buddy Read (CIMGBR™) with the MacHalos and stuff 🤕🥱
💀 DNF at 51%.
(And people ask me why I’m forever rererererereading the same books 🙄. To avoid this kind of crap, that’s why 🙄.)
Okay, let’s get this over with quickly. Too many booksto DNF, too little time and all that shrimp. So, here’s why my little nefarious self thinks this book doesn’t live up to its most scrumptious cover:
① The writing is so bloody confusing and the wording so ridiculously bewildering that I thought there was a problem with my copy of the book. Some people would tell me to have my compound eyes checked and my ever-decaying grey cells examined, but it turns out my fellow reading buddies *waves at Wolfie* felt exactly the same, so HA, I say!
② Info-dumping is real. And it’s painful as fish, too.
③ It is a truth universally acknowledged that description overkill is a deadlier weapon than all the murderous crustacean armies in the world. Indeed it is.
④ It is a scientifically proven fact that side stories and flashbacks that serve no purpose and lead nowhere serve no purpose and lead nowhere.
Why thank you, Spockie! I happen to think you have your moments, too!
⑤ Because of ② and ③ and ④ the pace of the plot is so bloody shrimping slow that this book could quite possibly be considered the ultimate cure for insomnia.
⑥ Moving on, absolutely nothing to see and stuff.
➽ Nefarious Last Words (NLW™):
[Pre-review nonsense]
Review to come and stuff.
💀 DNF at 51%.
(And people ask me why I’m forever rererererereading the same books 🙄. To avoid this kind of crap, that’s why 🙄.)
Okay, let’s get this over with quickly. Too many books
① The writing is so bloody confusing and the wording so ridiculously bewildering that I thought there was a problem with my copy of the book. Some people would tell me to have my compound eyes checked and my ever-decaying grey cells examined, but it turns out my fellow reading buddies *waves at Wolfie* felt exactly the same, so HA, I say!
② Info-dumping is real. And it’s painful as fish, too.
③ It is a truth universally acknowledged that description overkill is a deadlier weapon than all the murderous crustacean armies in the world. Indeed it is.
④ It is a scientifically proven fact that side stories and flashbacks that serve no purpose and lead nowhere serve no purpose and lead nowhere.
Why thank you, Spockie! I happen to think you have your moments, too!
⑤ Because of ② and ③ and ④ the pace of the plot is so bloody shrimping slow that this book could quite possibly be considered the ultimate cure for insomnia.
⑥ Moving on, absolutely nothing to see and stuff.
➽ Nefarious Last Words (NLW™):
[Pre-review nonsense]
Review to come and stuff.
August 11, 2016
Some time ago I read and very much enjoyed another series by Jo Clayton, so when this one came available on NetGalley I was pleased to get it. The book is a rerelease of a story first published in the mid-1980s, but doesn't feel dated at all. The heroine is a strong woman who is a survivor and treasure hunter (thief). She is smart but finds herself betrayed and stranded on a world that could be very bad for her, yet seems to be full of opportunity. Taking a risk on the rumor of a special find, she jumps through a Gate to another world and is very surprised by what she finds.
The world building is very well done. There are many different species, there is history, and there is complex interpersonal communication. Skeen lacks the resources she usually has, and is a nice person but not very ethical. The circumstances under which she finds herself traveling the world with a growing entourage of various species is entertaining, especially as she increases the number of 'dependents' along the way.
Skeen is a fully-realized and complex character. We learn a bit about her early on, but more as the trip continues. She is a woman, and while strong physically and emotionally, that fact is relevant. I was impressed by the realistic thoughts that she had that are typically glossed over in novels (not just SF). In addition, she doesn't get over her betrayal right away. Despite the craziness that her life becomes, she continues to feel hurt and finds herself affected by memories that arise due to various issues and events.
The page number seems short, but the book is very dense and took me longer to read than I expected. I suspect the font was very small (I read the ebook). The style is different than current styles, so may take some getting used to, but was a refreshing change. The book is told primarily from Skeen's perspective, but has a few sections later in the book that show events and thoughts from a couple of other characters' perspectives. There was one memorable chapter during a long sea voyage which essentially consists of two short stories, one told by Skeen. The provide background and context to each character and support the world building. They are also written in a way that is realistic of people sitting around listening to one person tell a story about their own life. The chapter titles speak to the reader and are full of (Skeen's sense of) humor. They give a peak at what is coming up in the chapter, but don't reveal important information.
I'm giving the book 4 stars because at times I felt a distance from the story that was likely due to the style of writing. However, that may have been due to the fact that initially I was reading it as a light book, when it is deep and complex. As I committed to reading the book, I found it easier to stay engaged and enjoyed myself more. An important point is that the book also ends in the middle of the story. It is not a cliffhanger, but the trip is not over.
The world building is very well done. There are many different species, there is history, and there is complex interpersonal communication. Skeen lacks the resources she usually has, and is a nice person but not very ethical. The circumstances under which she finds herself traveling the world with a growing entourage of various species is entertaining, especially as she increases the number of 'dependents' along the way.
Skeen is a fully-realized and complex character. We learn a bit about her early on, but more as the trip continues. She is a woman, and while strong physically and emotionally, that fact is relevant. I was impressed by the realistic thoughts that she had that are typically glossed over in novels (not just SF). In addition, she doesn't get over her betrayal right away. Despite the craziness that her life becomes, she continues to feel hurt and finds herself affected by memories that arise due to various issues and events.
The page number seems short, but the book is very dense and took me longer to read than I expected. I suspect the font was very small (I read the ebook). The style is different than current styles, so may take some getting used to, but was a refreshing change. The book is told primarily from Skeen's perspective, but has a few sections later in the book that show events and thoughts from a couple of other characters' perspectives. There was one memorable chapter during a long sea voyage which essentially consists of two short stories, one told by Skeen. The provide background and context to each character and support the world building. They are also written in a way that is realistic of people sitting around listening to one person tell a story about their own life. The chapter titles speak to the reader and are full of (Skeen's sense of) humor. They give a peak at what is coming up in the chapter, but don't reveal important information.
I'm giving the book 4 stars because at times I felt a distance from the story that was likely due to the style of writing. However, that may have been due to the fact that initially I was reading it as a light book, when it is deep and complex. As I committed to reading the book, I found it easier to stay engaged and enjoyed myself more. An important point is that the book also ends in the middle of the story. It is not a cliffhanger, but the trip is not over.
August 11, 2016
This is a reprint of a high science fiction novel from several decades ago.
By high science fiction, I mean world-building with lots of made up aspects such as language, aliens, culture, etc.
I kept getting lost trying to keep track of the world's parameters which was often integral to the story.
I decided to stop after about 20%.
It's not badly written. It's not a bad story. It's not a lackluster world. It's simply a flavor of science fiction that I've not read in a long time and frankly haven't seen in science fiction written in the past two decades.
I think those who really enjoyed science fiction of the 70s and 80s who long for the more elaborate world building will really enjoy this.
Perhaps if I tried again at a different time, my mind would be more receptive to it.
Thanks to the publisher for the advanced copy of this novel in exchange for this honest review.
By high science fiction, I mean world-building with lots of made up aspects such as language, aliens, culture, etc.
I kept getting lost trying to keep track of the world's parameters which was often integral to the story.
I decided to stop after about 20%.
It's not badly written. It's not a bad story. It's not a lackluster world. It's simply a flavor of science fiction that I've not read in a long time and frankly haven't seen in science fiction written in the past two decades.
I think those who really enjoyed science fiction of the 70s and 80s who long for the more elaborate world building will really enjoy this.
Perhaps if I tried again at a different time, my mind would be more receptive to it.
Thanks to the publisher for the advanced copy of this novel in exchange for this honest review.
August 17, 2016
I have the original paperback of Skeen's Leap and many other books by Jo Clayton. I loved the books when they were first published. Now years later the print is a little small and the books are old so I have not done any re-reading. There were not that many strong female characters then and not many who were the main character in the story. That made Skeen's Leap special. I received a free copy of Skeen's Leap in ebook form in return for an honest review. Skeen and her story still hold up. This is book one in a trilogy and I look forward to getting the next books in ebook form so my old eyes have an easier time reading.
November 22, 2018
I got this as part of a humble indie bundle pack of women Sci fi writers. I was expecting this to be as mediocre as the rest of them but quickly fell in love. It's obvious that Jo Clayton was simply in love with humans and it shows in her writing. If you enjoyed Ann Leckie you'll fall in love with Skeen. This is very much a book for 2018 that was 30 years ahead of its time.
September 30, 2022
Skeen's Leap is an interesting blend of sci-fi and fantasy, following Skeen - a 'pass through' stuck on a planet she's never visited having gone through an intergalactic portal, on a quest to try to get back through the portal to the universe she came from. I liked a lot about this story: totally original world-building that, many interesting totally non-humanoid species (including shape-shifters), and a travel story that allows for a lot of detailing of different cities and groups on the planet. I liked Skeen's relationship with Timka in particular, but overall enjoyed the dynamic of the strange and growing band of adventurers as it unfolded throughout the book and the fact that there are a lot of badass, complicated, multi-faceted women who are central to the plot. I know other readers haven't loved this, but I really like how Clayton just throws the reader into this world with no explanation -- it's a bit tough going at the beginning but it does come together.
My one criticism of this book is that, for me, Skeen's history of having experienced sexual abuse as a young person is not handled very well. This is not a very big part of the book -- it is only brought up a few times -- but the ways that it is mentioned, particularly in the context of Skeen's sexual relationships in the present-day storyline, aren't great. I do think that the book would've been stronger, unfortunately, had this just been left out entirely -- while I think telling stories of survivor characters is important and I value explorations of trauma and its impact on characters, I do think that when this isn't done well, there is the potential to reproduce stigmas and misunderstandings of abuse and its impacts.
I do intend to read the second book in the trilogy and hope that this is handled better, if at all, in the next book.
Content warnings: violence, murder, blood, war, slavery, incest, rape (recalled: not on-page)
My one criticism of this book is that, for me, Skeen's history of having experienced sexual abuse as a young person is not handled very well. This is not a very big part of the book -- it is only brought up a few times -- but the ways that it is mentioned, particularly in the context of Skeen's sexual relationships in the present-day storyline, aren't great. I do think that the book would've been stronger, unfortunately, had this just been left out entirely -- while I think telling stories of survivor characters is important and I value explorations of trauma and its impact on characters, I do think that when this isn't done well, there is the potential to reproduce stigmas and misunderstandings of abuse and its impacts.
I do intend to read the second book in the trilogy and hope that this is handled better, if at all, in the next book.
Content warnings: violence, murder, blood, war, slavery, incest, rape (recalled: not on-page)
August 21, 2016
Ahoy there me mateys! I received this sci-fi fantasy eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So here are me honest musings . . .
Okay as usual, the cover with a bad-ass woman led me to take a closer look at the novel and read the blurb.
The main character, Skeen, is described as a tough thief of artifacts - in space. So, yes, I was interested. I like to think of her as sort of an Indiana Jones and space pirate combined. Arrrr! She gets stranded on a planet with no money and no ship. A rumor leads her towards a set of ruins where she hopes to get enough artifacts to raise capital to get off planet. Instead she goes through a portal to another dimension.
The author was new to me. Apparently the author is known for her "complex, beautifully realized societies set it exotic worlds and stories inhabited by compelling heroines." She unfortunately passed away in 1998 due to multiple myeloma. This publisher is reissuing the Skeen trilogy as e-books.
I gave this one a read. Complex societies. Check. Compelling heroines. Check.
Things I loved (in no particular order)
- Lots of strong female characters!
- Skeen - a tough, crafty, intelligent woman who is just plain awesome. I could certainly learn a new trick or two from this accomplished thief.
- Shapeshifters! Hooray!
- Alien / Different cultures. The description of the 8 waves of people are fun. The book doesn't not really get into the nitty gritty of the other cultures but the peeks into them are super fun.
- The rag-tag bunch of people that end of being in Skeen's traveling party. They are all oddly endearing in their own ways. I like them all.
- Sea Captain Maggi. She and I are kindred spirits. Arrrrr!
- Women are in charge of their own sexual lives.
- Victorian Era sounding chapters titles like "A Day, A Night, Another Day of Dull Travel. We'll Skip all That and Get Right to the Next Exciting Bit."
- Flowery Descriptions.
Things I didn't like (in no particular order):
- Slow pacing.
- Flowery descriptions.
- Traveling.
- Those three things tie together. There is a lot of traveling. Like the whole book. Lots of descriptions of land being traveled through, food being eaten, and sleeping places. I would say this book is a lot of showing interspersed with some actions scenes.
- Some sex scenes where there is guilt involved even though the two parties are consenting adults. Not sure what the point of the scenes were. Maybe it gets explained in later books?
This book to me was more fantasy then sci-fi due to the setting and feel of the novel. Some of the weapons were sci-fi and space-like but much more were rather primitive bow and arrow kinda things. It didn't really feel like sci-fi because the other dimension seemed more magical - like do ye usually see shapeshifters in space? Of course, that could be awesome. But that is for another story another day. This novel is an unique little book that is somewhat hard to classify but I definitely want to read the rest of the series! Plus the e-book is currently on Amazon for $1.99 so ye might want to give it a shot.
So lastly . . .
Thank you Open Road Integrated Media!
Okay as usual, the cover with a bad-ass woman led me to take a closer look at the novel and read the blurb.
The main character, Skeen, is described as a tough thief of artifacts - in space. So, yes, I was interested. I like to think of her as sort of an Indiana Jones and space pirate combined. Arrrr! She gets stranded on a planet with no money and no ship. A rumor leads her towards a set of ruins where she hopes to get enough artifacts to raise capital to get off planet. Instead she goes through a portal to another dimension.
The author was new to me. Apparently the author is known for her "complex, beautifully realized societies set it exotic worlds and stories inhabited by compelling heroines." She unfortunately passed away in 1998 due to multiple myeloma. This publisher is reissuing the Skeen trilogy as e-books.
I gave this one a read. Complex societies. Check. Compelling heroines. Check.
Things I loved (in no particular order)
- Lots of strong female characters!
- Skeen - a tough, crafty, intelligent woman who is just plain awesome. I could certainly learn a new trick or two from this accomplished thief.
- Shapeshifters! Hooray!
- Alien / Different cultures. The description of the 8 waves of people are fun. The book doesn't not really get into the nitty gritty of the other cultures but the peeks into them are super fun.
- The rag-tag bunch of people that end of being in Skeen's traveling party. They are all oddly endearing in their own ways. I like them all.
- Sea Captain Maggi. She and I are kindred spirits. Arrrrr!
- Women are in charge of their own sexual lives.
- Victorian Era sounding chapters titles like "A Day, A Night, Another Day of Dull Travel. We'll Skip all That and Get Right to the Next Exciting Bit."
- Flowery Descriptions.
Things I didn't like (in no particular order):
- Slow pacing.
- Flowery descriptions.
- Traveling.
- Those three things tie together. There is a lot of traveling. Like the whole book. Lots of descriptions of land being traveled through, food being eaten, and sleeping places. I would say this book is a lot of showing interspersed with some actions scenes.
- Some sex scenes where there is guilt involved even though the two parties are consenting adults. Not sure what the point of the scenes were. Maybe it gets explained in later books?
This book to me was more fantasy then sci-fi due to the setting and feel of the novel. Some of the weapons were sci-fi and space-like but much more were rather primitive bow and arrow kinda things. It didn't really feel like sci-fi because the other dimension seemed more magical - like do ye usually see shapeshifters in space? Of course, that could be awesome. But that is for another story another day. This novel is an unique little book that is somewhat hard to classify but I definitely want to read the rest of the series! Plus the e-book is currently on Amazon for $1.99 so ye might want to give it a shot.
So lastly . . .
Thank you Open Road Integrated Media!
July 22, 2016
https://koeur.wordpress.com/2016/07/2...
Publisher: DAW (Open Road Media- 2016)
Publishing Date: 1986
ISBN: 9780886771690
Genre: SciFi
Rating: 4.0/5
Publishers Description: Skeen is a bandit and a rogue, a master thief wanted throughout myriad solar systems for plundering the rare antiquities of countless alien civilizations while always keeping one rocket ship–length ahead of the intergalactic law. A “rooner” with a dark past, she now finds herself penniless and abandoned on a miserable backwater planet, at the tail end of a string of very bad luck, with no option except to follow unreliable rumors to a supposed fortune in gems hidden among ancient ruins. What she finds instead is a gateway into another world—and a universe of trouble.
Review: This is an oldie but a goodie. Recently republished with better cover art. Skeen is a hard as nails thief with a vulnerability that draws you into her plight/quest to find the Return Key on a gate back to her original world. The storyline tracks her beginnings and subsequent travels on an alien world where she was transported.
While the characters were built very well and grew along with the storyline, the aliens were rendered lacking in descriptive detail. From the Funor, Nagamar, Min and Pallah (to name a few) you are only given scraps of information as to what they look like. Really frustrating in a genre that lives and dies by its aliens. Additionally the aliens didn’t really behave like aliens. More like human in mien with weird attributes and rituals which did not set them apart as wholly alien. There were a lot of spelling and grammatical errors which could have been alien stutter-speak, but who knows as nothing is clarified for the reader.
The quest is epic in scale and draws you in to a tapestry of deceit when Skeen is left stranded on a world to fend for herself amongst those that would enslave her. A solid 4 stars but loses one for a lack of descriptive detail and grammatical errors.
Publisher: DAW (Open Road Media- 2016)
Publishing Date: 1986
ISBN: 9780886771690
Genre: SciFi
Rating: 4.0/5
Publishers Description: Skeen is a bandit and a rogue, a master thief wanted throughout myriad solar systems for plundering the rare antiquities of countless alien civilizations while always keeping one rocket ship–length ahead of the intergalactic law. A “rooner” with a dark past, she now finds herself penniless and abandoned on a miserable backwater planet, at the tail end of a string of very bad luck, with no option except to follow unreliable rumors to a supposed fortune in gems hidden among ancient ruins. What she finds instead is a gateway into another world—and a universe of trouble.
Review: This is an oldie but a goodie. Recently republished with better cover art. Skeen is a hard as nails thief with a vulnerability that draws you into her plight/quest to find the Return Key on a gate back to her original world. The storyline tracks her beginnings and subsequent travels on an alien world where she was transported.
While the characters were built very well and grew along with the storyline, the aliens were rendered lacking in descriptive detail. From the Funor, Nagamar, Min and Pallah (to name a few) you are only given scraps of information as to what they look like. Really frustrating in a genre that lives and dies by its aliens. Additionally the aliens didn’t really behave like aliens. More like human in mien with weird attributes and rituals which did not set them apart as wholly alien. There were a lot of spelling and grammatical errors which could have been alien stutter-speak, but who knows as nothing is clarified for the reader.
The quest is epic in scale and draws you in to a tapestry of deceit when Skeen is left stranded on a world to fend for herself amongst those that would enslave her. A solid 4 stars but loses one for a lack of descriptive detail and grammatical errors.
October 9, 2016
Skeen's Leap (The Skeen Trilogy Book 1)
by Jo Clayton
Jo Clayton is one of the historical science fiction authors that began a new era of storytelling. The 80’s had a great flourish of authors using science fiction exploring the roles of women in books.
Looking a Skeen’s Leap you see the renewed strength of the female characters in this changing genre. Skeen is a Pass-through, a separate culture and people from those she will travel among. The People were varied coming from the waves of colonization of the planet. Those who passed through the gates in waves settled the world in various unconnected colonies. To find out what happened and how Skeen can return to her world and her ship she must find a connection between the most elusive alien species, and not only herself but those whom she interacts with. With the help of a Min who would teacher her of their culture, these shape changing adaptive species has many internal conflicts that makes their interests between groups and the other species very difficult. She finds a group of Extras Aggitj who were willing to follow her. With the addition of a scholar, and a young orphan child she finds the ykx and the key to the portal that will allow her to protect her friends and find a solution to the quest she has been challenged.
This is a great book for female role models, and adaptive acceptances of differences. This book starts the great trilogy that will change the interpretation of the world of Science fiction.
by Jo Clayton
Jo Clayton is one of the historical science fiction authors that began a new era of storytelling. The 80’s had a great flourish of authors using science fiction exploring the roles of women in books.
Looking a Skeen’s Leap you see the renewed strength of the female characters in this changing genre. Skeen is a Pass-through, a separate culture and people from those she will travel among. The People were varied coming from the waves of colonization of the planet. Those who passed through the gates in waves settled the world in various unconnected colonies. To find out what happened and how Skeen can return to her world and her ship she must find a connection between the most elusive alien species, and not only herself but those whom she interacts with. With the help of a Min who would teacher her of their culture, these shape changing adaptive species has many internal conflicts that makes their interests between groups and the other species very difficult. She finds a group of Extras Aggitj who were willing to follow her. With the addition of a scholar, and a young orphan child she finds the ykx and the key to the portal that will allow her to protect her friends and find a solution to the quest she has been challenged.
This is a great book for female role models, and adaptive acceptances of differences. This book starts the great trilogy that will change the interpretation of the world of Science fiction.
August 29, 2012
One of my favorite trilogies. It was written way back when, but the world still holds up today, and the author just throws you into the middle of it and lets you find your way around. She has a very distinct writing style, with chapter headings almost like asides to the reader. She doesn't rely so much on the format & font changeups here, just great storytelling.
Want to read
February 11, 2013Jo Clayton's story in Sisters in Fantasy was intriguing enough that I'm going to try out her novels. I hope they're good!
September 1, 2016
This book has stayed in my thoughts over the years. I loved the world's that were portrayed and was able to lose myself within the main character, Skeen. Jo Clayton pulled off an engaging storyline, with a fun hero that wasn't always so heroic. Loved it.
November 6, 2016
I had never heard of this author but the premise checked off almost all of my favorite boxes. Enjoyed it completely, read it for the curses alone. If you also love badass space thieves, check out this book.
February 11, 2018
A Favorite
I cannot recommend this author highly enough! I love this series and the characters..... I go back and re-read periodically just because it's so fun.
I cannot recommend this author highly enough! I love this series and the characters..... I go back and re-read periodically just because it's so fun.
Read
September 21, 2021Soo... I took 2 years to read an ebook. It felt a bit hard to get into because it uses a lot of imagined things all at once and makes me try to infer what they are from context. Might be it's using language or references I'm unfamiliar with for those things, but regardless, made me work to understand what's going on.
There is pretty sudden quite trigger-warning-worthy content in the book that appeared after I felt like the book had established itself as an adventure type thing. I explained it away as that might be how trauma is, that it's not in ones day-to-day until it all of a sudden intrudes. But I'm not sure it's enough of an explanation.
The book kind of enticed me along with this one question that's established at the very beginning - why did Tibo leave her? And the question is obviously not answered, because how would it be a trilogy otherwise. And I explained this away too: it motivates this character regardless of whether she ends up finding out the answer. And I'm enjoying following her even if I don't see the end of her quest.
I like that Skeen is supposed to be older than me. But in retrospect I'm not sure that it shows much in how she thinks about the world.
I really like that this book had problems that are different from the problems of being overly simplistic and dramatic, but it leaves me with the feeling that it might actually be, just that it hid it with weird things I'm not used to (like reading and not listening to the book).
There is pretty sudden quite trigger-warning-worthy content in the book that appeared after I felt like the book had established itself as an adventure type thing. I explained it away as that might be how trauma is, that it's not in ones day-to-day until it all of a sudden intrudes. But I'm not sure it's enough of an explanation.
The book kind of enticed me along with this one question that's established at the very beginning - why did Tibo leave her? And the question is obviously not answered, because how would it be a trilogy otherwise. And I explained this away too: it motivates this character regardless of whether she ends up finding out the answer. And I'm enjoying following her even if I don't see the end of her quest.
I like that Skeen is supposed to be older than me. But in retrospect I'm not sure that it shows much in how she thinks about the world.
I really like that this book had problems that are different from the problems of being overly simplistic and dramatic, but it leaves me with the feeling that it might actually be, just that it hid it with weird things I'm not used to (like reading and not listening to the book).
April 15, 2022
Not sure where or when I acquired this Walton, but I very much enjoyed it! Skeen is a plunderer, essentially, Very Naughty, disturbing archaeological remnants of ancient cultures (and even some living ones) for fun and profit. She's on a planet that is run by fairly hostile aliens that undergoes destruction by fire on a regular basis (I think a few hundred year intervals) when she runs into trouble (also has just found out that her bf has gone off with her spaceship and abandoned her) and jumps through a 'gate' to another planet. These are known to exist and known to open into this world, but the gates open and shut by their own schedule -- at times they open to let in a huge flood of people from this first planet, at others, open briefly to let in a single person, point is, that she is stuck. And this planet is full of wonders she would love to steal. One of the groups of aliens the Ykyx made the gates, know how to open them, but the culture is dying. She must find them. She wants to get back into her universe and wants to find the bf and her ship and find out wtf? For all that she's a toughie, she is also empathetic and she ends up with a diverse group of companions. Lots of fun! Two more in the series. ***1/2
June 17, 2025
While I enjoyed the story of this book, the execution left much to be desired. One of the pros in my opinion was this read more like a fantasy quest plot than a science fiction. Skeen was an interesting character, morally gray in just the right way to be interesting while still remaining likable. The cast of characters she collects throughout her journey were a diverse and varied bunch, most with their own personalities, even though they didn’t really get a chance to shine.
Where I have issues with this book was the writing. It was so dense that reading one page felt like three. At one point only had 20 more pages to read until I was finished and I had to spread it out over the next day before I could finish it. By the time I was at 80% completion, I was just reading out of spite because I’d already devoted too much of my life to this book to give up yet. The author spends a lot of time world building and describing the setting more than offering any worthwhile plot development. Objectively, a lot of stuff happens in this story but things move at such a snail’s pace that I barely registered it.
Needless to say, I likely won’t be continuing this series.
Where I have issues with this book was the writing. It was so dense that reading one page felt like three. At one point only had 20 more pages to read until I was finished and I had to spread it out over the next day before I could finish it. By the time I was at 80% completion, I was just reading out of spite because I’d already devoted too much of my life to this book to give up yet. The author spends a lot of time world building and describing the setting more than offering any worthwhile plot development. Objectively, a lot of stuff happens in this story but things move at such a snail’s pace that I barely registered it.
Needless to say, I likely won’t be continuing this series.
January 16, 2025
@wellreadwyvern_socialclub is tackling an SFF101 challenge this year, and the theme for January is Portals. Portal magic is often found in fantasy, of course, but I'm always on the hunt for interesting science fiction, and I found Skeen's Leap, published in 1986. It's exactly what I wanted.
Skeen is an older woman (I wasn't clear if this was human or not), but thanks to medical technology she appears much younger. This gives us the balance of a jaded heroine with the strength and stamina of someone younger, and I liked this combination. She's an expert smuggler, and she's been thinking about her next job, so takes a lead and goes through a portal and ends up in a world with different rules than hers, with eight races vying for power. Skeen is also very matter of fact about her need for physical pleasure, which is something she struggles to find adequately on this new world.
The worldbuilding in Skeen's Leap is expansive, and yet easily accessible because we are learning about everything alongside Skeen.
Cw: child abuse via flashback
Skeen is an older woman (I wasn't clear if this was human or not), but thanks to medical technology she appears much younger. This gives us the balance of a jaded heroine with the strength and stamina of someone younger, and I liked this combination. She's an expert smuggler, and she's been thinking about her next job, so takes a lead and goes through a portal and ends up in a world with different rules than hers, with eight races vying for power. Skeen is also very matter of fact about her need for physical pleasure, which is something she struggles to find adequately on this new world.
The worldbuilding in Skeen's Leap is expansive, and yet easily accessible because we are learning about everything alongside Skeen.
Cw: child abuse via flashback
August 7, 2021
It was the cover art that got me, and honestly after a strong beginning I contemplated quitting this more than once. There is a very long journey on a planet with no map and eight (nine?) different sentient species that were not very clearly delineated for me. I got a good enough sense to go on, but it was a little frustrating. That said, the individual characters were very clear and I never got mixed up about them. Bits of the worldbuilding were quite fun, but again... it all seemed a bit vague.
That said, the chapter headings were funny and the journey was just interesting enough to keep me going. I am somewhat interested in seeing what happens next after all this build-up? I did appreciate the feminism that came through in the writing, but it WAS still published in 1986.
That said, the chapter headings were funny and the journey was just interesting enough to keep me going. I am somewhat interested in seeing what happens next after all this build-up? I did appreciate the feminism that came through in the writing, but it WAS still published in 1986.
October 27, 2024
I read this as part of the Popsugar 2024 challenge, 'A book with the word "Leap" in the title'. I had heard of the author, but I'm pretty sure I had not read anything by her. And I can't say that I was all that impressed. Mostly because this book was slow. And the long chapters were a bit annoying. The story wandered around and didn't do much. There was a rich world but I never felt engagement with that world. I think there were aliens, but at best they were aliens in human suits. There were stories within stories, not a think that I like all that much. And yet every so often there were bits that just read better. I may give the sequel a shot. But with 2 months and 11 out of 50 challenges to go on popsugar, it won't be this year. 2.5 of 3
April 11, 2022
Jo Clayton...An author-God u should know
Patricia Jo Clayton died in 1998. A prolific writer who still hasn't received the recognition she deserves.
The worlds she created are intricate, layered, bejewelled by characters that jump off the page and into your heart.
Exotic planets and everyday space travel, we are shown how minds and feelings can be vastly different and yet still like communing with kin.
If u like early CJ Cherryh, Tanya Huff, or Ilona Andrews....Jo Clayton rocked it first.
Patricia Jo Clayton died in 1998. A prolific writer who still hasn't received the recognition she deserves.
The worlds she created are intricate, layered, bejewelled by characters that jump off the page and into your heart.
Exotic planets and everyday space travel, we are shown how minds and feelings can be vastly different and yet still like communing with kin.
If u like early CJ Cherryh, Tanya Huff, or Ilona Andrews....Jo Clayton rocked it first.
December 26, 2024
Such a weird reading experience. I am not a stranger to sci-fi, but this was so hard to get into and I thought a couple of times that I would stop reading. It was a chore to pick it up. But for some reason I kept going and then it got interesting and I picked it up instead of other books. And then it abruptly stopped. I know it is part of a trilogy, but there is no real half-point resolution in this book. And I am not sure I have the conviction to pick up the next one in the serier any time soon.
June 22, 2019
Very interesting characters with just enough mystery to keep you wondering. Some terms are used in a manner that would lead you to believe you should already know them. Maybe from a previous book? Also, some facts are revealed that seemed to have been determined earlier. Makes me wonder if they actually came up earlier or if the author just likes to write as if some things are established that aren't actually established. Also, not the author's fault, but there are a lot of typos.
January 23, 2021
Skeen's tough, smart and a great leader for her eclectic group as they begin this three book quest. More people really need to read Jo Clayton's books! They are always well written with strong world building and interesting characters.
September 13, 2022
I’m conflicted about this one — I didn’t dislike it, but i had a hard time getting into it. By the end I felt pretty invested in Skeen’s quest … but honestly, I’m not sure if I’m invested enough to read the sequel.
July 26, 2018
Fascinating world building and kick-ass heroine.
November 26, 2019
Epic. Every chapter made me yearn for the RPG adaptation.
February 10, 2021
Shallow. Hard to follow. Seemed like nothing of consequence really happened. Could partially because I listened to the audiobook as apposed to actually reading it.
July 9, 2021
Not without charm. I never fully engaged in the story, not sure why. Likeable characters. I bought the set, so I'll be reading the rest of the trilogy at some point.
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