The End of the Game

The End of the Game #1-3

by Sheri S. Tepper

Omnibus Edition comprising Jinian Footseer, Dervish Daughter and Jinian Star-Eye

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Fiction

528 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1986

About the author

Sheri Stewart Tepper was a prolific American author of science fiction, horror and mystery novels; she was particularly known as a feminist science fiction writer, often with an ecofeminist slant.

Born near Littleton, Colorado, for most of her career (1962-1986) she worked for Rocky Mountain Planned Parenthood, where she eventually became Executive Director. She has two children and is married to Gene Tepper. She operated a guest ranch in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

She wrote under several pseudonyms, including A.J. Orde, E.E. Horlak, and B.J. Oliphant. Her early work was published under the name Sheri S. Eberhart.

Reviews

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of the nine book True Game series, the three Jinian books are my favorites. Told from the point of view of an unloved and bullied young girl, then teenager, in the quasi-feudal society of the True Game, the world-building is introduced to us more organically than in the earlier books. These can be enjoyed without reading the other trilogies if you don't mind the occasional summaries of earlier events witnessed by other POV characters. The End of the Game has a great plot arc all on its own. Read the three books all together, as there is no clear stopping point between them - not even a cliffhanger. Appreciate them for the quirky characters, inventive world-building, and unique problem to be solved: how do you save a world which is a sentient being that is so traumatized it doesn't want to live any longer?

I subtracted a star because Tepper's misanthropy gets rather heavy-handed in these books, enough to be jarring. Not so much the plotline that introducing humans into a harmonious world can have nasty consequences - that's a familiar theme. But the "lesson" taught to Jilian that sentient beings without harmony should be killed before birth is...rather harsh... particularly when the lesson is illustrated by an interlude with a Handmaiden's Tale-like cult where Jilian's solution to prolonged suffering is to end the lives of severely handicapped children.

[Evan Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This ending trilogy takes a left turn and has some continuity problems as a result.

Chronologically speaking,the ‘first’ series of Mavin Manyshaped read like a fable taking place in the standard fantasy world of fantastical creatures, Kings, Queens, etc.

The second series from Mavin’s son Peter explained it all from a SciFi perspective explaining the origins of the psionic powers with historical background of the original colonists who developed their powers BACK on EARTH and appear to have been exiled to the planet Peter knows to be studied by Scientists.

This Third in the series seems to ignore those historical revelations and turn back to the more fantastical religious language of the first. It posits a Gaia like “LOM” or self aware planet trying to struggle with the idea of foreign colonists and their effect on the ecosystem. It presents the psionic powers as gifts from LOM instead of powers that came with us from off world.

Fans of the movie “Avatar” will recognize many important plot points. I still found this a great wrap up to the series. As always, the language and settings were beautifully expressed..but take a star away for not explaining that continuity issue. I could think of a few explanations, ( the two explanations are not mutually exclusive I guess) just
disappointed Ms Tepper didn’t put them into the book.

[Mary Holland · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection of three novels: Jinian Footseer, Dervish Daughter, and Jinian Star-eye, set in the fantasy world of the Game. This series is attached to the Mavin Manyshaped and the Peter trilogies, but some of the same plot events are described differently and there are some disconnects. Of the nine total novels, these three are my favorites, with the first, Jinian Footseer, being the best. Young Jinian is studying to be a wize-ard and learning the art of survival as a pawn in the Game when her dreadful brother Mendost places her in grave danger. There's humor and magic and a host of great secondary characters and Jinian is an emotionally attractive heroine. The story has Tepper's usual social and ecological subtext, not so sub in some parts, but it does not overwhelm the story. The second and third novels are well done, but darker, and I admit the logic of the end, while wincing at the final sting.
One funny note: this is the book club edition and it has one of the most awful covers I have ever seen on a fantasy book. What were they thinking?

[Ash H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the most sane trilogy, if I may, of all books in this series, which includes True Game and The Chronicles of Mavin Many-shaped...
Must be because it is not from a Shifter's perspective (:-)).
However, it remains a good fun read, just a bit tedious at times.
You may think me odd, but I wish Ms Tepper would have written more about the Dervishes since of all variable characters in there, I was absolutely riveted by the lot.
As one can see even Jinian didn't want to met her mother (Bartlemy of the Ban) again- just yet as she says- towards the end.
And such a plethora of fairy tale, legend, history, political lessons, all woven into this fantastical tale.

It is fantasy at it's rare best.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

2019 reread: No real change in my opinion.
---------------------------------------
At first I wasn't sure that I was liking this last trilogy of the Land of True Game series, but as I got deeper into the story, it came together. I do think that the first trilogy was the best but it was satisfying to reach the conclusion.