What do you think?
Rate this book
Jacob's Ladder #3
Grail
Rife with intrigue and betrayal, heroism and sacrifice, Grail brings Elizabeth Bear’s brilliant space opera to a triumphant conclusion.
At last the generation ship Jacob’s Ladder has arrived at its the planet they have come to call Grail. But this habitable jewel just happens to be populated by humans who call their home Fortune. And they are wary of sharing Fortune—especially with people who have genetically engineered themselves to such an extent that it is a matter of debate whether they are even human anymore. To make matters worse, a shocking murder aboard the Jacob’s Ladder has alerted Captain Perceval and the angel Nova that formidable enemies remain hidden somewhere among the crew.
On Grail—or Fortune, rather—Premier Danilaw views the approach of the Jacob’s Ladder with dread. Behind the diplomatic niceties of first-contact protocol, he knows that the deadly game being played is likely to erupt into full-blown war—even civil war. For as he strives to chart a peaceful and prosperous path forward for his people, internal threats emerge to take control by any means necessary.
At last the generation ship Jacob’s Ladder has arrived at its the planet they have come to call Grail. But this habitable jewel just happens to be populated by humans who call their home Fortune. And they are wary of sharing Fortune—especially with people who have genetically engineered themselves to such an extent that it is a matter of debate whether they are even human anymore. To make matters worse, a shocking murder aboard the Jacob’s Ladder has alerted Captain Perceval and the angel Nova that formidable enemies remain hidden somewhere among the crew.
On Grail—or Fortune, rather—Premier Danilaw views the approach of the Jacob’s Ladder with dread. Behind the diplomatic niceties of first-contact protocol, he knows that the deadly game being played is likely to erupt into full-blown war—even civil war. For as he strives to chart a peaceful and prosperous path forward for his people, internal threats emerge to take control by any means necessary.
330 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published February 22, 2011
44 people are currently reading
597 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Bear
311 books2,461 followersWhat Goodreads really needs is a "currently WRITING" option for its default bookshelves...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
January 16, 2013
Dust was an ambitious novel, drawing on a medley of influences ranging from medieval romantic ballads of chivalry to gothic horror novels to classic SF generation ships, all overlaid with a smattering of Judeo-Christian myths. Its sequel, Chill, was best read as a character study. Grail, the final novel in this trilogy, just might be my favorite. It is that rarest of all beasts: an anthropological and philosophical science fiction novel like few people have written in my lifetime.
I have to admit I do not remember the plot described on the back of the book. I remember that it was there -- but this is absolutely not a tense murder mystery/thriller. I called this philosophical SF because it really is -- all the scenes that stand out in my memory are talky scenes, scenes between Perceval and the remaining Exalts, and between the political leaders on Fortune, and between Perceval and Danilaw, each speaking as representatives of their people. And all those conversations, ultimately, revolve around what makes people human, and what makes a good society. Because both the Jacob's Ladder and Fortune are the generations-later products of people attempting to build a utopia.
I won't spoil the details of either world; suffice it to say that we learn a lot more about what the people who set the Jacob's Ladder in motion were thinking, and we also discover that this series takes place in the same universe as Bear's stand-alone novel Carnival and get to see how the universe reacted to the events of that book. What I loved about these two contrasting utopias is that Bear takes care to highlight both societies' strengths and weaknesses, the ways that their founders were still blinded by their own prejudices and the ways that they were ultimately successful despite that. And unlike in more didactic utopian SF novels, the characters are not simply products of their societies, not passive mouthpieces for the philosophies behind them; instead, they are all conscious actors, actively engaged with their society and doing their best to bend it into a shape more to their liking. I found it thrilling, on an intellectual level, to see how Bear managed to pit the two societies at loggerheads at so many points without ever making either of them wrong.
And in many ways, they fundamentally do not work together, partly out of prejudice but partly because they have simply grown so far apart that it is hard for either group to consider the others fully human. It raises the stakes incredibly high, because the people of the Jacob's Ladder need to find a way to make a home on Fortune to survive at all, and with less than fifty pages until the end I could see no good resolution. So I understand why so many people, after reading this book, felt Bear used a deus ex machine. But, perhaps because I read it shortly after reading Laurie J. Marks' Water Logic, I am tempted to defend her choice. Water Logic is all about intuitive leaps, characters taking really disparate bits of information and, through some alchemy of genius, making something new and better out of them, so when the characters in Grail spent the entire novel talking about how they needed some leap like that I was primed to follow them. I will have to see, on rereading, what kind of hints Bear dropped; but I am pretty sure they will be there, unlike with Chill's resolution (which even I argued was a deus ex machine).
But even if the hints aren't there, even if a reread convinces me that Bear did pull the ending out of thin air, I loved this book. For the talky bits, and for the complicated optimism at its core.
I have to admit I do not remember the plot described on the back of the book. I remember that it was there -- but this is absolutely not a tense murder mystery/thriller. I called this philosophical SF because it really is -- all the scenes that stand out in my memory are talky scenes, scenes between Perceval and the remaining Exalts, and between the political leaders on Fortune, and between Perceval and Danilaw, each speaking as representatives of their people. And all those conversations, ultimately, revolve around what makes people human, and what makes a good society. Because both the Jacob's Ladder and Fortune are the generations-later products of people attempting to build a utopia.
I won't spoil the details of either world; suffice it to say that we learn a lot more about what the people who set the Jacob's Ladder in motion were thinking, and we also discover that this series takes place in the same universe as Bear's stand-alone novel Carnival and get to see how the universe reacted to the events of that book. What I loved about these two contrasting utopias is that Bear takes care to highlight both societies' strengths and weaknesses, the ways that their founders were still blinded by their own prejudices and the ways that they were ultimately successful despite that. And unlike in more didactic utopian SF novels, the characters are not simply products of their societies, not passive mouthpieces for the philosophies behind them; instead, they are all conscious actors, actively engaged with their society and doing their best to bend it into a shape more to their liking. I found it thrilling, on an intellectual level, to see how Bear managed to pit the two societies at loggerheads at so many points without ever making either of them wrong.
And in many ways, they fundamentally do not work together, partly out of prejudice but partly because they have simply grown so far apart that it is hard for either group to consider the others fully human. It raises the stakes incredibly high, because the people of the Jacob's Ladder need to find a way to make a home on Fortune to survive at all, and with less than fifty pages until the end I could see no good resolution. So I understand why so many people, after reading this book, felt Bear used a deus ex machine. But, perhaps because I read it shortly after reading Laurie J. Marks' Water Logic, I am tempted to defend her choice. Water Logic is all about intuitive leaps, characters taking really disparate bits of information and, through some alchemy of genius, making something new and better out of them, so when the characters in Grail spent the entire novel talking about how they needed some leap like that I was primed to follow them. I will have to see, on rereading, what kind of hints Bear dropped; but I am pretty sure they will be there, unlike with Chill's resolution (which even I argued was a deus ex machine).
But even if the hints aren't there, even if a reread convinces me that Bear did pull the ending out of thin air, I loved this book. For the talky bits, and for the complicated optimism at its core.
November 3, 2017
I really liked the first two books in this series, so I was disappointed with the uneven quality of this one. Characterizations and speech registers were pretty wildly inconsistent, which is always the most annoying aspect of writers who are mediocre at world-building. She did such a good job with the first two books, but introducing another world into this one let it get out of hand. The ending was a little deux ex machina (one of those "wait, you didn't tell me they could do that!" moments), and the reader was pretty much bashed over the head with the "big questions" the story was supposed to evoke. I didn't roll my eyes until one of the characters actually thought "What was identity in the machine?" Yes. If you have not written your story well enough that you have to make your characters explicitly debate the philosophical underpinnings of the story, then go away and come back when you've written a better story.
I'm only this harsh because I loved the world and characters of the first book so much, and the second two books have been a progression of throwing in more characters I don't care about and setting up extra conflicts that don't really matter. I'm hoping for prequels, because the end of the story is clearly dead, but the world of the generation ship was pretty fascinating, and I'd love to read more stories set in it.
I'm only this harsh because I loved the world and characters of the first book so much, and the second two books have been a progression of throwing in more characters I don't care about and setting up extra conflicts that don't really matter. I'm hoping for prequels, because the end of the story is clearly dead, but the world of the generation ship was pretty fascinating, and I'd love to read more stories set in it.
June 19, 2015
It's all light.
I liked this one much better than the previous two novels, full of better contrast, deeper ethical considerations, and more interesting intrigue. Mind you, this is all subject to my own subjectivity, but It was much easier to fall into a society of dull board members and sit back confidently as they get pounded ideologically by a godlike feudalist ecology, and back again as they said, "Uh, no thanks, I think we'd best stay on Prozac."
It's funny and delightful, with some real promise of cohabitation except for that one little bit of sophistry that would bring all hope to the brink. You know how people are when they know they're right.
Still, I enjoyed the deeper conversation with the reader about being alien, as with the second book, forward to the uncontemplated reality of colonizing a planet that already housed another intelligence, successfully putting our heroes and heroines on the moral high ground, as opposed to in the moral high ground.
The ending was satisfying and I can honestly say I'm glad I got through the trilogy. The compromise surprised me, somewhat, but it was a logical concession. The trend of the novels supported it, even if it wasn't what anyone really wanted.
In that regard, at least, the novel felt real, and that's a treat when we deal with nanoswarms, a near godhood over a closed system, lots of near resurrections, and unhinged enemies rewriting other's brains.
Fun stuff. I'm glad I read it.
I liked this one much better than the previous two novels, full of better contrast, deeper ethical considerations, and more interesting intrigue. Mind you, this is all subject to my own subjectivity, but It was much easier to fall into a society of dull board members and sit back confidently as they get pounded ideologically by a godlike feudalist ecology, and back again as they said, "Uh, no thanks, I think we'd best stay on Prozac."
It's funny and delightful, with some real promise of cohabitation except for that one little bit of sophistry that would bring all hope to the brink. You know how people are when they know they're right.
Still, I enjoyed the deeper conversation with the reader about being alien, as with the second book, forward to the uncontemplated reality of colonizing a planet that already housed another intelligence, successfully putting our heroes and heroines on the moral high ground, as opposed to in the moral high ground.
The ending was satisfying and I can honestly say I'm glad I got through the trilogy. The compromise surprised me, somewhat, but it was a logical concession. The trend of the novels supported it, even if it wasn't what anyone really wanted.
In that regard, at least, the novel felt real, and that's a treat when we deal with nanoswarms, a near godhood over a closed system, lots of near resurrections, and unhinged enemies rewriting other's brains.
Fun stuff. I'm glad I read it.
December 30, 2017
Best of the series, until the end which goes off into La-La land. IMO of course, but she is such a good writer....Well, it is her book. But, in a better world, she'd have written a better ending.
I do like the idea of mythic space-opera, and there's never been a fictional generation ship like the "Jacobs Ladder." It's fun to see the ship and crew from normal human eyes. Even half-ruined, it's almost the size of Manhattan!
If you are new to the series, you should start with #1, DUST, though be aware that it has some unpleasantly graphic torture scenes. From there, I think you could safely skip over the middle book, and those who don't mind flailing a bit could just go for this one with no prior prep.
Here's the actual review to read:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I do hope Bear writes more science fiction.
I do like the idea of mythic space-opera, and there's never been a fictional generation ship like the "Jacobs Ladder." It's fun to see the ship and crew from normal human eyes. Even half-ruined, it's almost the size of Manhattan!
If you are new to the series, you should start with #1, DUST, though be aware that it has some unpleasantly graphic torture scenes. From there, I think you could safely skip over the middle book, and those who don't mind flailing a bit could just go for this one with no prior prep.
Here's the actual review to read:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I do hope Bear writes more science fiction.
July 6, 2011
The last thing I expect from the final book in a trilogy is for it to throw up major questions about the characters we have come to, if not love, like and admire over the course of two books. But that's exactly what Bear does in Grail. It's a remarkable move that I admit makes a fitting end to a remarkable series. As with Chill, there is no way of telling from the front cover that this is part of a series, although the blurb mentions that it brings Bear's space opera "to a triumphant conclusion." Unlike Chill, though, this book probably would make a bit more sense by itself.
As the third in the series, this review contains some spoilers for the first two books (Dust and Chill).
Grail opens not on the great generation ship but on a planet, with a completely new set of characters. At first I thought this was going to be the descendants - or perhaps even the ancestors - of our friends on the Jacob's Ladder. Turns out that no, these people are human colonists who have been on this planet for generations, the descendants of the people who had initially populated Jacob's Ladder.
You may think you can see where this is probably going. I certainly wondered if this was going to turn into an Us vs Them scenario, and whether it would lead to violence. However, I seriously underestimated Bear - always a bad idea. The inhabitants of Fortune (the planet, which the Jacob's Ladder crew have jokingly named Grail as they approach) have not been static in their own development. They haven't gone down the same route as Perceval and co, though. Rather, they have made explicit moves away from the religious zealotry that originally drove the generation ship into space. And they have done this via psychological and, I think, chemical means. Isolating the area of the brain leading to 'sociopathic' tendencies and... minimising them.
Bear does not set up a good/bad dichotomy here. From Fortune's perspective - and especially through the eyes of Danilaw, currently in charge and the one who ends up interacting most with Perceval etc - those on board the ship are totally, utterly, unregenerate barbarians of the worst kind... and the reader gets to see just how weird some things about them are, from the outside. Things the reader has come to accept as normal, over the last two books, because that's what you do when you suspend disbelief. To have that acceptance thrown back into my face was, frankly, shocking. I can't imagine what it would be like now to re-read the series, with this new perspective thrust upon me at the end. At the same time, though, it's not like Danilaw et al are that normal and comfortable. I almost found them harder to accept because at least on the Jacob's Ladder, I know they've been deliberately making evolutionary choices, they've been in space for centuries, and weird semi-cyborg things of course happen out there in that context. Fortune's inhabitants do not have that excuse. Their psychological and neurological changes happened initially on Earth itself, in response to perceived threats from religious and political zealots. I was reminded uncomfortably of ideas from 1984 and Fahrenheit 451 - not that Bear is riffing off them, but having choice removed from people, particularly choice that is dear to my heart? Squirm-y making.
The plot is appropriately twisty and intriguing, as befits the conclusion to this series. The characters continue to be intriguing, attractive and repellant almost at the same time. We finally get a better understanding of the ship itself, thanks to the outsider perspective, which is a nice culmination of the gradual reveal from the first two books.
All in all a very clever conclusion to a very clever series.
February 23, 2012
While each of the three books in the trilogy has the odd small problem, they're all very, very good. Inventive, poetic, and with the whacky jusxtapositions that I've come to love and expect from Elizabeth Bear. Taken as a whole though, the story that spans the three is brilliant! The three together would get 5 stars if Good Reads had a facillity for that.
The meditation on 'natural' versus 'forced' or tinkered-with evolution; the relationships between individuals, species, and the biospheres they inhabit; brain versus mind; and the ethics of all of these issues is perhaps more explicit in Grail than the preceding two, but I can see elements in each of the books. As some other readers have noted, one of Bear's niceties is that she doesn't seem to take a particular side in those debates, but presents each option with a certain degree of compassion. There are elements in these that remind me of Herbert's Dune series, although with the exception of people he tended toward the more mechanical in his technology, and Bear tends toward the more bio-chemical and nanotechnological. I'd suggest that both authors were influenced by the state of the art around them at the time in that respect, and the things that influence the auther here can also be seen in similar ways in the works of others like Paul McAuley.
I thought Chill was actually a little long, or slow, in places, but the opposite seemed true for me with Grail. The beginning and middle, to do with the tentative feelings out between the populations of the planet Grail/Fortune and Jacob's Ladder could have done with some more time and expansion. I would have liked to have learned a little more about the social structure on the planet, how the various factions there may have interacted with those of the ship, and any proposed resolutions to forseen problems from the leadership of either side. However, wanting more is usually the sign that a book has engaged and intrigued a reader.
The sublimation (or sublation?) at the end was not one I saw coming. About two thirds of the way through Grail I was thinking that there was no way that the author could resolve this much complexity in the space I had left to read. Maybe there was another book to follow? However, the technological apotheosis took care of that neatly. It was unforeseen and quick, and I think that Bear paced it just right, and consistently with a lot of the other key scenes across the three books. Who stayed and who remained still strikes me as not entirely certain, and I'm grateful for that small mystery too. I imagine that in each case the influence of the small number of others in the mix would lead to some interesting societal shifts in the future.
I'm going to miss not having another one to look forward to now.
The meditation on 'natural' versus 'forced' or tinkered-with evolution; the relationships between individuals, species, and the biospheres they inhabit; brain versus mind; and the ethics of all of these issues is perhaps more explicit in Grail than the preceding two, but I can see elements in each of the books. As some other readers have noted, one of Bear's niceties is that she doesn't seem to take a particular side in those debates, but presents each option with a certain degree of compassion. There are elements in these that remind me of Herbert's Dune series, although with the exception of people he tended toward the more mechanical in his technology, and Bear tends toward the more bio-chemical and nanotechnological. I'd suggest that both authors were influenced by the state of the art around them at the time in that respect, and the things that influence the auther here can also be seen in similar ways in the works of others like Paul McAuley.
I thought Chill was actually a little long, or slow, in places, but the opposite seemed true for me with Grail. The beginning and middle, to do with the tentative feelings out between the populations of the planet Grail/Fortune and Jacob's Ladder could have done with some more time and expansion. I would have liked to have learned a little more about the social structure on the planet, how the various factions there may have interacted with those of the ship, and any proposed resolutions to forseen problems from the leadership of either side. However, wanting more is usually the sign that a book has engaged and intrigued a reader.
The sublimation (or sublation?) at the end was not one I saw coming. About two thirds of the way through Grail I was thinking that there was no way that the author could resolve this much complexity in the space I had left to read. Maybe there was another book to follow? However, the technological apotheosis took care of that neatly. It was unforeseen and quick, and I think that Bear paced it just right, and consistently with a lot of the other key scenes across the three books. Who stayed and who remained still strikes me as not entirely certain, and I'm grateful for that small mystery too. I imagine that in each case the influence of the small number of others in the mix would lead to some interesting societal shifts in the future.
I'm going to miss not having another one to look forward to now.
October 13, 2016
While I did sort of enjoy this book, I didn't feel like it was as strong to me as the previous two. Once again the villain who we were SURE was really dead this time rises up to conquer the world. This happens just as the ship is arriving at Grail, which it turns out is already inhabited by humans who leapfrogged over the shipwrecked generation World, Jacob's Ladder. Culture clash is inevitable, and there's a strong philosophical debate between the extreme evolutionists of JL and the "rightminded" humans who have removed their capacity for irrationality on Grail, which they call Fortune.
Unfortunately, just as we begin to settle down for the serious sense of negotiation and compromise these civilizations require, all hell breaks loose on the ship. The ending felt like such a disappointing cop out; after all that build-up, everything just sort of takes a left turn and skips past the tension and conflict.
Unfortunately, just as we begin to settle down for the serious sense of negotiation and compromise these civilizations require, all hell breaks loose on the ship. The ending felt like such a disappointing cop out; after all that build-up, everything just sort of takes a left turn and skips past the tension and conflict.
April 1, 2015
I remain somewhat in awe and more than a little jealous of Elizabeth Bear's ability to take on ANY genre of spec-fic and write it magnificently. To be sure, she is something of an acquired taste (you mean not everyone likes their sci-fi sprinkled with Arthurian legends and quotations by Victorian poets?). Still, I really enjoyed this series and the strangeness of the world Bear created, one with few easy answers for the good guys and some seriously impressive baddies (Insert Shatnerian "CONNNN!!!!" here). Complex, strange as anything and with an appreciation for narrative that doesn't always come through in weird fiction, I'm going to need to find more Bear to read.
June 17, 2020
In this last book of the trilogy, the Jacobeans found a colonised world. Tentative contacts were made and internal forces working against authorities (both Jacobeans & of the colony's) who are parlaying. It's an interesting new world which we, unfortunately, only got a glimpse of. Even as we follow a couple of characters, they mostly spent their time with the Jacobeans so colony was given but a mere glance. The ending, while not quite explosive, was just as bright and strange.
June 13, 2019
Every book in this trilogy could be at least 50 pages longer, although I doubt Elizabeth Bear would spend the page-time explaining the things I want explained. Everything always comes to a head in the last 30-25 pages and things go so off the rails from where I expect them that some extra time to explore what just happened would be welcome. I felt that particularly strongly with this third book, because it is the final one in the series. Benjamin in particular I thought deserved more page time.
I guess ‘I loved it so much I wanted it to be longer’ is a good criticism to have?
My favorite things about the trilogy has been its inventiveness- things are always changing, expanding and this matches up perfectly with the ethos of the residents of the ship. This is also what kept the series strong in the second and third books where the focus shifted to characters and relationships I found less interesting than Percival and Rien.
I guess ‘I loved it so much I wanted it to be longer’ is a good criticism to have?
My favorite things about the trilogy has been its inventiveness- things are always changing, expanding and this matches up perfectly with the ethos of the residents of the ship. This is also what kept the series strong in the second and third books where the focus shifted to characters and relationships I found less interesting than Percival and Rien.
June 29, 2021
The last 1/4 of Dust and the first 3/4 of Grail would have made one very good sci-fi book (the middle entry, Chill offers nothing). Combined, those have three real characters, a sentient blow-torch, a very cool worldship ecosystem, a good philosophical discussion of how to channel humanity's impulses and what its obligations are absent an axiomatic god, a few sex scenes that aren't too cringey, and some refreshingly detailed discussion of how characters actually eat/sleep/work/live in their spaceship. There are women written well, in addition to convincing lesbian, asexual, trans, and intersex characters [sorry, the one gay character is a throwaway].
The rest is drivel. Bear is obsessed with these indistinguishable characters who are all centuries-old, incestuous siblings mimicking indistinguishable Lord of the Rings characters and mostly whining and moping like angsty teenagers. There's some history and mythology that is boring associated with them which is irrelevant. Just when the series really got good, in Grail, it falls apart again. The ending swirls back to "epic" battles that I mostly skimmed through because I just wanted all of these annoying characters to die (except who were obviously in no danger).
It feels like Bear or a negligent editor misread what was most interesting and original about the series and focused on exactly the wrong parts, leaving the good parts underfocused. Before the ending I was excited to read more by Bear. I thought that by the end of the trilogy she'd found her footing. Sadly, I am not any longer.
The rest is drivel. Bear is obsessed with these indistinguishable characters who are all centuries-old, incestuous siblings mimicking indistinguishable Lord of the Rings characters and mostly whining and moping like angsty teenagers. There's some history and mythology that is boring associated with them which is irrelevant. Just when the series really got good, in Grail, it falls apart again. The ending swirls back to "epic" battles that I mostly skimmed through because I just wanted all of these annoying characters to die (except who were obviously in no danger).
It feels like Bear or a negligent editor misread what was most interesting and original about the series and focused on exactly the wrong parts, leaving the good parts underfocused. Before the ending I was excited to read more by Bear. I thought that by the end of the trilogy she'd found her footing. Sadly, I am not any longer.
August 29, 2018
The "Jacob's Ladder" trilogy was a true reading experience. I devoured all three books on vacation. I like books that make me think, and reading these during a week that I didn't have all the distractions of every day life helped. I can see how a reader could get lost in the pontificating, but I loved it. The theme across all three books is nature versus nurture, family bonds, and religion versus secularity. The ending wasn't what I wanted...but it di fit in well with the themes the author had built, so I was satisfied. Definitely worth the time!
March 10, 2019
Well than was a trip huh.
I’m converted. A bear believer. I spare you the tortured joke.
My favorite of the three. Overall a great journey that took me a while to get into but I’m glad I made the effort. In hindsight I’d rate the previous two books more highly but they were my honest feelings at the time.
If you like big idea science fiction you can do vastly worse than with this series. Check it out.
I’m converted. A bear believer. I spare you the tortured joke.
My favorite of the three. Overall a great journey that took me a while to get into but I’m glad I made the effort. In hindsight I’d rate the previous two books more highly but they were my honest feelings at the time.
If you like big idea science fiction you can do vastly worse than with this series. Check it out.
March 13, 2020
Take away the preachy sections and it would get a higher rating.
March 20, 2020
This one redeems the second one. I don’t know quite what else to say.
September 3, 2021
Reread, 2021: There's some unfortunate repetition in this series, here in the return of the antagonist, which makes sense in the worldbuilding but is highlighted by the structural repetition in books 1 & 2. Worse, the antagonist and her action plot is a lot less interesting than the more philosophical, overarching clash between New Evolutionist descendants and a rightminded society. The external PoV of Jacob's Ladder and her crew is productively alien; rightminding is terrifying and the text engages that, imperfectly, but sometimes in a productively-flawed way; the culture clash is dynamic and apparently unresolvable. So the ending, which also makes sense in the worldbuilding, is nonetheless a disappointingly abrupt and easy resolution. I'm dropping my rating from five stars to four, but I still enjoy this book & the series entire; it's borderline one of those speculative texts where the concepts are interesting and disconcerting enough to excuse technical issues.
Original Review, 2015: As the ship nears the planet where they hope to end their thousand-year journey, they discover the worst: the planet is already inhabited--by humans. The divergent human societies can feel insufficiently alien--or, rather, they don't extrapolate well: the clash of worldviews stretches thin when meant to encompass two complete cultures. But when it works (and, here, Bear's headhopping shines), the view of each society from without is creative, refreshing, thoughtful, and sometimes even hilarious. Bear measures perfect balance between high concept and its trickledown to the personal and social. Grail has the large premise and lively plot that Chill failed to create, yet the interpersonal effects are equally important and frequently more affecting. It's a triumphant end; Chill lags a bit, but Dust and Grail are fantastic and the series entire is well worth reading.
Original Review, 2015: As the ship nears the planet where they hope to end their thousand-year journey, they discover the worst: the planet is already inhabited--by humans. The divergent human societies can feel insufficiently alien--or, rather, they don't extrapolate well: the clash of worldviews stretches thin when meant to encompass two complete cultures. But when it works (and, here, Bear's headhopping shines), the view of each society from without is creative, refreshing, thoughtful, and sometimes even hilarious. Bear measures perfect balance between high concept and its trickledown to the personal and social. Grail has the large premise and lively plot that Chill failed to create, yet the interpersonal effects are equally important and frequently more affecting. It's a triumphant end; Chill lags a bit, but Dust and Grail are fantastic and the series entire is well worth reading.
June 13, 2018
I really enjoyed this entire trilogy, with the exception of about the last fifth of this book. It's very well-written, I enjoy the characters - even the ones I don't like personally are well-made complete people. And the story these books tell is engrossing, and I wouldn't unread them for anything.
But the resolution to this book left me with a bit of a "huh?" feeling. Sort of an "if you could do that the whole time, what was the point of the previous two books" feeling. Inkeeping with the tone of the books to have a bit of a deus ex machina at the end, but this felt a little abrupt. And still the question - if you could always do this, why did you ever not? Clearly we're no strangers to changing our bodies in this universe, and we're no strangers to hardship either - this seems to involve one and eliminate the other.
Maybe I have no ability to interpret subtlety.
I loved this series deeply, and might need time to internalize the ending. From where I'm standing now, it seemed - not rushed - but simply extremely abrupt.
But the resolution to this book left me with a bit of a "huh?" feeling. Sort of an "if you could do that the whole time, what was the point of the previous two books" feeling. Inkeeping with the tone of the books to have a bit of a deus ex machina at the end, but this felt a little abrupt. And still the question - if you could always do this, why did you ever not? Clearly we're no strangers to changing our bodies in this universe, and we're no strangers to hardship either - this seems to involve one and eliminate the other.
Maybe I have no ability to interpret subtlety.
I loved this series deeply, and might need time to internalize the ending. From where I'm standing now, it seemed - not rushed - but simply extremely abrupt.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 28, 2020
What I said about the first two books in the series -- great world-building, intriguing ideas, and a great narrative style, if somewhat impenetrable at times -- stands for Grail, too, though I like how Bear brings in an outside perspective to the story. It serves to highlight how bonkers some of the characters and ideals are, and also gives the reader more information on the circumstances that led to the launch of the world ship so many years ago. I liked that angle of the story, but not enough to elevate this book above the previous two books. They're good, and I enjoyed them, but I also had to force myself to finish them, as the narrative wasn't always the most engaging.
People who like stories with a bit of a challenge would like this series. Those who prefer breezier reads might want to take a taste of the stories before committing to the entire trilogy.
People who like stories with a bit of a challenge would like this series. Those who prefer breezier reads might want to take a taste of the stories before committing to the entire trilogy.
August 7, 2011
As usual, things didn't go in the direction I anticipated. In this case, though, I was kind of looking forward to seeing more interaction between the two very different cultures, and I'm disappointed that we didn't get it.
May 9, 2011
What does it mean to be human? What is it like to finally--ultimately--grow up?
Such a good book and a completely satisfying end to this series. Loved it.
Such a good book and a completely satisfying end to this series. Loved it.
July 16, 2016
I enjoyed portions of this book but .
February 8, 2024
"We are all we have. And we are so small, and the night is so large."
A strange, convoluted, beautiful ending to a strange, convoluted, beautiful series.
While reading Elizabeth Bear's Jacobs Ladder series, I was definitely Along For the Ride ninety percent of the time -- there is a /lot/ going on with this series, which can be difficult to grab onto at times. The series represents such a unique blend of inspirations -- a hardish sci-fi set in a technofeudalist society on a near ancient generation ship, drawing on Arthuriana, Christianity, and transhumanist themes. The philosophical musings on evolution and transhumanism, in particular, are furthered challenged by (not a spoiler, it's on the back of the book!) the contact made with another branch of humanity in the final book, Grail. The differences in societal structures and values between the two groups is clear, and very starkly brings into light the series' focus on evolution and adaptation as part of survival.
This book was just as confusing as the previous two -- partially due to the fact that so much of the actual action that takes place occurs on metaphysical and metaphorical levels. Still, I enjoyed the ride, enjoyed the writing, and am hugely impressed by the worldbuilding. This series is one of the most unique ones I've read, and that (paired with the beautiful writing and well crafted characters, though they do take some time to warm up to) is enough for me to place this at a solid four stars despite the confusion.
I won't give away the ending -- but I will say that the ending is a fitting one, and one I will be thinking about for a long time.
There aren't many series like this one, but as far as recommendations go....I think the science-feudalism, the pure vibes, the techno cannibalism, religious imagery, and the convoluted, taboo relationships will appeal to fans of Tamsyn Muir's Locked Tomb Series (and vice versa). Philosophically, I was reminded of the incredible Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K LeGuin. The generation ship and themes of forced evolution also reminded me of Octavia Butler's Lilith's Brood series. I think fans of all of these books will find some overlap with Elizabeth Bear's Jacob's Ladder series.
A strange, convoluted, beautiful ending to a strange, convoluted, beautiful series.
While reading Elizabeth Bear's Jacobs Ladder series, I was definitely Along For the Ride ninety percent of the time -- there is a /lot/ going on with this series, which can be difficult to grab onto at times. The series represents such a unique blend of inspirations -- a hardish sci-fi set in a technofeudalist society on a near ancient generation ship, drawing on Arthuriana, Christianity, and transhumanist themes. The philosophical musings on evolution and transhumanism, in particular, are furthered challenged by (not a spoiler, it's on the back of the book!) the contact made with another branch of humanity in the final book, Grail. The differences in societal structures and values between the two groups is clear, and very starkly brings into light the series' focus on evolution and adaptation as part of survival.
This book was just as confusing as the previous two -- partially due to the fact that so much of the actual action that takes place occurs on metaphysical and metaphorical levels. Still, I enjoyed the ride, enjoyed the writing, and am hugely impressed by the worldbuilding. This series is one of the most unique ones I've read, and that (paired with the beautiful writing and well crafted characters, though they do take some time to warm up to) is enough for me to place this at a solid four stars despite the confusion.
I won't give away the ending -- but I will say that the ending is a fitting one, and one I will be thinking about for a long time.
There aren't many series like this one, but as far as recommendations go....I think the science-feudalism, the pure vibes, the techno cannibalism, religious imagery, and the convoluted, taboo relationships will appeal to fans of Tamsyn Muir's Locked Tomb Series (and vice versa). Philosophically, I was reminded of the incredible Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K LeGuin. The generation ship and themes of forced evolution also reminded me of Octavia Butler's Lilith's Brood series. I think fans of all of these books will find some overlap with Elizabeth Bear's Jacob's Ladder series.
April 14, 2019
The first book was a princess in a tower story - rescuing the princess and bringing her to power. The second book could be seen as an adventure story - two groups of people chasing the target through varied landscapes. The third seemed to be about the clash of civilisations - two groups coming into contact with each other.
For that reason, I found the plot of this book much more gripping - each side has their own leaders and the dissent that the leaders face (as well as the varying factions). Both sides went through different paths (despite starting from the same point) - with those on Jacob's Ladder favouring competition and evolution, and those on Fortune (known as Grail to those on Jacob's Ladder) favouring cooperation and compromise. To that end, Fortune carries out rightminding - neurosurgery so that people think correctly.
That difference in values and philosophy is beautifully described in chapter 11 (adapt). This horrifies the natives of Fortune even as both sides engage in talks to determine the future of each ship.
The book feels very condensed - we get an idea of Fortune's society very quickly, which suits the pace of the book. In Jacob's Ladder, there remains the nanotech fights (the same factionalism that was depicted in the first two books, save that the society has had 50 years of peace since the second book to develop).
So this book was a strong finish to the trilogy - though I thought that the ending, with was a bit of a cop-out. It completely avoids the societies . On the other hand... it does fit into the theme of evolution, subsuming each other, and nanotech fights as well as the mythic element (i.e. )
I liked the characterisation as well; it shone through with this book. I'm glad I continued after the second book.
3.5 stars
For that reason, I found the plot of this book much more gripping - each side has their own leaders and the dissent that the leaders face (as well as the varying factions). Both sides went through different paths (despite starting from the same point) - with those on Jacob's Ladder favouring competition and evolution, and those on Fortune (known as Grail to those on Jacob's Ladder) favouring cooperation and compromise. To that end, Fortune carries out rightminding - neurosurgery so that people think correctly.
That difference in values and philosophy is beautifully described in chapter 11 (adapt). This horrifies the natives of Fortune even as both sides engage in talks to determine the future of each ship.
The book feels very condensed - we get an idea of Fortune's society very quickly, which suits the pace of the book. In Jacob's Ladder, there remains the nanotech fights (the same factionalism that was depicted in the first two books, save that the society has had 50 years of peace since the second book to develop).
So this book was a strong finish to the trilogy - though I thought that the ending, with was a bit of a cop-out. It completely avoids the societies . On the other hand... it does fit into the theme of evolution, subsuming each other, and nanotech fights as well as the mythic element (i.e. )
I liked the characterisation as well; it shone through with this book. I'm glad I continued after the second book.
3.5 stars
December 16, 2023
3 and 1/2 stars for effort. Please read Goodreads summary above.
I'm just happy to be done with this trilogy. I was pretty much over it with the idiosyncrasies of life on Jacob's Ladder: the allusions to medieval culture-the Conn "royal family" and knights errant-etc., etc., the conflicts and power plays and the angels and the weirdness of what the exalts had done to their bodies.
In "Grail", the generation ship reaches the planet Fortune, where the population of the ship could settle, but the crew soon discovers there are humans there already. Ooops!-pile that plot development on top of everything else.
I had déjà vu when the human "means" (humans not drastically transformed genetically and by nano biomes like the "exalts" on Jacob's Ladder) from Fortune first met the Captain Perceval and Tristan Tiger via broadcast. The reactions of Danilov and Captain Amanda reminded me anew just how off the reality I had accepted as a given in the first two books was from average human reality.
One observation: the Fortune visitors never put all the pieces together about the incestuous nature of Conn marriages. That would have been fun for the Fortune folk to gossip about!
Anyway, the ending was tidy, and I appreciated that.
I'm just happy to be done with this trilogy. I was pretty much over it with the idiosyncrasies of life on Jacob's Ladder: the allusions to medieval culture-the Conn "royal family" and knights errant-etc., etc., the conflicts and power plays and the angels and the weirdness of what the exalts had done to their bodies.
In "Grail", the generation ship reaches the planet Fortune, where the population of the ship could settle, but the crew soon discovers there are humans there already. Ooops!-pile that plot development on top of everything else.
I had déjà vu when the human "means" (humans not drastically transformed genetically and by nano biomes like the "exalts" on Jacob's Ladder) from Fortune first met the Captain Perceval and Tristan Tiger via broadcast. The reactions of Danilov and Captain Amanda reminded me anew just how off the reality I had accepted as a given in the first two books was from average human reality.
One observation: the Fortune visitors never put all the pieces together about the incestuous nature of Conn marriages. That would have been fun for the Fortune folk to gossip about!
Anyway, the ending was tidy, and I appreciated that.
January 23, 2019
Kind of a mess, but an interesting one. Loved the juxtaposition of the two cultures -- both altered humans, but in different directions. Even aboard the ship, the humans are altered differently with different goals. I was not fond of the characterization of the AI "angels;" could they be any less interesting?
I found it dense and difficult to get through, though the premise of the conflict was quite interesting. The characters were so incredibly, disappointingly dull. The best and most interesting character was the "sapient" cephalopod, who only got a drive-by.
The ending was awful, IMHO. Lots of readers felt it was in keeping with the themes of the series, but after the build-up of the entire book -- the looming clash of cultures -- it felt cheap and then what was the point of the entire trilogy?! Ugh.
I found it dense and difficult to get through, though the premise of the conflict was quite interesting. The characters were so incredibly, disappointingly dull. The best and most interesting character was the "sapient" cephalopod, who only got a drive-by.
The ending was awful, IMHO. Lots of readers felt it was in keeping with the themes of the series, but after the build-up of the entire book -- the looming clash of cultures -- it felt cheap and then what was the point of the entire trilogy?! Ugh.
May 17, 2019
Grail (Jacob's Ladder, #3) by Elizabeth Bear
The final marvelous, epic tale in this series.
Make no mistake, this series is a true epic. And it is a trdegy in the classic sense of the tome. In this finale, we find some characters that have not so surprisingly come back from the dead (metaphorically speaking) and also some that wish they were dead (on a permanent basis).
Every hero is seriously flawed, and every bad guy deeply disturbed.
Then add in an entirely new place, with a culture that seems to be the direct opposite of the Jacobeans. Will this be the clash of the titans, or can a more peaceful middle ground be met?
You, dear reader, will just have to keep turning the pages to find out for yourself.
The final marvelous, epic tale in this series.
Make no mistake, this series is a true epic. And it is a trdegy in the classic sense of the tome. In this finale, we find some characters that have not so surprisingly come back from the dead (metaphorically speaking) and also some that wish they were dead (on a permanent basis).
Every hero is seriously flawed, and every bad guy deeply disturbed.
Then add in an entirely new place, with a culture that seems to be the direct opposite of the Jacobeans. Will this be the clash of the titans, or can a more peaceful middle ground be met?
You, dear reader, will just have to keep turning the pages to find out for yourself.
July 21, 2020
The Jacob’s Ladder is approaching a planet inhabited by humans. What will happen when they arrive?
An interesting look at how people with very differing philosophies/ideologies and differing evolutions from a common past can both negotiate together (and between themselves) and fight together (and between themselves).
I enjoyed this book very much more than the second book in this series. It was an interesting premise that could have been got to a whole lot quicker. This series of books would have been really interesting if the unnecessary padding had been taken out and the whole thing condensed into half the total length.
An interesting look at how people with very differing philosophies/ideologies and differing evolutions from a common past can both negotiate together (and between themselves) and fight together (and between themselves).
I enjoyed this book very much more than the second book in this series. It was an interesting premise that could have been got to a whole lot quicker. This series of books would have been really interesting if the unnecessary padding had been taken out and the whole thing condensed into half the total length.
July 25, 2021
I really wanted to like this book. It has a lot of interesting ideas, but all the threads didn’t come to a satisfying conclusion. Some of the events, which surprised the characters, were easy to anticipate. Overall, okay but a little disappointing. The first two books held so much promise & introduced so many threads, this should probably have been a four book series. I liked the new characters & would have liked to have more insight into Fortune’s society. Not a big fan of the villains in the third book. Felt like rehashed old territory. It’s three stars for intellectual curiosity, but barely.
January 8, 2012
Finished Chill and Grail, volumes 2 and 3 of the Jacob's Ladder trilogy by Elizabeth Bear.
Chill picks up immediately after the end of Dust. The Jacob's Ladder is under way again after 500 years, but all is not perfect. The newly-made Captain Perceval has to deal with the loss of Rien, and learn to work with the new ship's Angel Nova, composed of Rien and the fragmented Angels she ingested at the end of Dust. Nova, meanwhile, notices that something is fighting her control over the ship's systems.
In order to be able to survive the acceleration, all inhabitants of the Jacob's Ladder have been forcibly Exalted. And they're not too happy about that.
Benedick and Tristen seperately travel through the ship to find their antagonist, and run into different factions not happy with the Conn rule, foremost a group of Edenists, who violently oppose the forced evolution enforced by the the Builders who launched the Jacob's Ladder almost a thousand years ago. As if that wasn't enough, Tristen discovers that the Edenists leader, Dorcas, wears the body of his deceased daughter Sparrow.
Meanwhile, Benedick and Chelsea, another member of the Conn family, take another route and meet giant, intelligent, carnivorous mobile orchids, among other things. Fortunately, they're friendly.
In the course of the novel, several dark secrets are laid open, some relating to the true aims of the Builders, and some to the mysterious Cynric Conn, who developed most of the creatures inhabiting the Jacob's Ladder, as well as the nano-colonies the Exalted rely on.
Grail continues 50 years after the events of Chill. The Jacob's Ladder has discovered a habitable planet on their course. Unfortunately, other humans have got there first, as faster than light travel was invented while the Jacob's Ladder drifted through space.
The book's perspective shifts between the people on the ship, and the Administrators of the planet, Danilaw and Amanda, each trying to come to terms with the respective "aliens".
Unfortunately, an ancient antagonist on the ship decides to use the opportunity to take over control, and there's an attack on the Bridge resulting in a very tragic death.
Most of the book is concerned with philosophical discussions about the two forms of human civilsation: the highly advanced but rather chaotic Jacob's Ladder people, for whom evolution and adaptation is the highest aim, and on the other side the highly ordered people of Fortune, who have culled all negative elements out of the human mind through a procedure called "rightminding". The people of Fortune are all well-adjusted, rational and useful members of society. Thus, members of both groups are almost constantly fighting their own instincts making them see the other as an abomination.
It's a bit hard to describe what I like so much about Elizabeth Bear...she has a very distinctive style, very intelligent and somehow poetic, which also often requires the reader to think along with her. No easy, ready-to-swallow conclusions for the most part.
The Jacob's Ladder is a fascinating world, full of amazing creatures, and people who, despite their evolution and all their little nano-toys, still have to deal with the most basic human emotions; love, loss, impossible families...
On the ship, technology and life seamlessly flow into eachother, as seem in the colonies supporting the people, and the toolkits, which are essentially a cross between a Swiss army knife and a smart phone in the shape of a fluffy squirrel-like creature, which is also biologically alive. Life, death, nature and artifice are very flowing here. It reminded me of Dan Simmons' Hyperion, Endymion and Illium a bit.
I also liked how in Grail, the author does not take a side in the argument. Both societies have their pros and cons (though the Jacob's Ladder has more Conns....sorry...), and the motivations of both sides are thoroughly understandable.
In the end, the conflict can only be solved by a bit of a deus ex machina (angelus ex machina rather), but it was pretty much the only way.
Some nitpicks though: I found it hard to get a scale of the ship. It's only ever described as gigantic, but it only really seems to exist in small portions, the rest is kinda vague. Also, we're never told how many people are on it. We almost only meet the Conns and their associates, and the Edenites. It is implied that a lot of the ship is empty, but a bit more description would have been nice here.
Also, I'd really like a family tree of the Conns. On the other hand, their cheerful incest (being Exalted has its advantages) might make drawing one a bit complicated.
In Grail, I didn't really like the Ariane storyline. It seemed a bit superfluous, with all the philiosophical debate between the ship and Fortune going on. Also, it read like a bit of a rehash of the issues in Chill. It was also pretty obvious who Ariane was hiding in, and there wasn't much emotional impact for me, because the host never had much of a personality herself anyway. The end result is dependant of the Ariane plot, but without the problems she generated, a very different conclusion could have been found. It's a bit of a self-serving cause and effect, and none of it really necessary.
Now, I'd really like to read a prequel to Dust, and see how their high-tech feudal disfunctional society on a spaceship actually worked in the beginning...
Chill: 8/10
Grail: 7.5/10
Chill picks up immediately after the end of Dust. The Jacob's Ladder is under way again after 500 years, but all is not perfect. The newly-made Captain Perceval has to deal with the loss of Rien, and learn to work with the new ship's Angel Nova, composed of Rien and the fragmented Angels she ingested at the end of Dust. Nova, meanwhile, notices that something is fighting her control over the ship's systems.
In order to be able to survive the acceleration, all inhabitants of the Jacob's Ladder have been forcibly Exalted. And they're not too happy about that.
Benedick and Tristen seperately travel through the ship to find their antagonist, and run into different factions not happy with the Conn rule, foremost a group of Edenists, who violently oppose the forced evolution enforced by the the Builders who launched the Jacob's Ladder almost a thousand years ago. As if that wasn't enough, Tristen discovers that the Edenists leader, Dorcas, wears the body of his deceased daughter Sparrow.
Meanwhile, Benedick and Chelsea, another member of the Conn family, take another route and meet giant, intelligent, carnivorous mobile orchids, among other things. Fortunately, they're friendly.
In the course of the novel, several dark secrets are laid open, some relating to the true aims of the Builders, and some to the mysterious Cynric Conn, who developed most of the creatures inhabiting the Jacob's Ladder, as well as the nano-colonies the Exalted rely on.
Grail continues 50 years after the events of Chill. The Jacob's Ladder has discovered a habitable planet on their course. Unfortunately, other humans have got there first, as faster than light travel was invented while the Jacob's Ladder drifted through space.
The book's perspective shifts between the people on the ship, and the Administrators of the planet, Danilaw and Amanda, each trying to come to terms with the respective "aliens".
Unfortunately, an ancient antagonist on the ship decides to use the opportunity to take over control, and there's an attack on the Bridge resulting in a very tragic death.
Most of the book is concerned with philosophical discussions about the two forms of human civilsation: the highly advanced but rather chaotic Jacob's Ladder people, for whom evolution and adaptation is the highest aim, and on the other side the highly ordered people of Fortune, who have culled all negative elements out of the human mind through a procedure called "rightminding". The people of Fortune are all well-adjusted, rational and useful members of society. Thus, members of both groups are almost constantly fighting their own instincts making them see the other as an abomination.
It's a bit hard to describe what I like so much about Elizabeth Bear...she has a very distinctive style, very intelligent and somehow poetic, which also often requires the reader to think along with her. No easy, ready-to-swallow conclusions for the most part.
The Jacob's Ladder is a fascinating world, full of amazing creatures, and people who, despite their evolution and all their little nano-toys, still have to deal with the most basic human emotions; love, loss, impossible families...
On the ship, technology and life seamlessly flow into eachother, as seem in the colonies supporting the people, and the toolkits, which are essentially a cross between a Swiss army knife and a smart phone in the shape of a fluffy squirrel-like creature, which is also biologically alive. Life, death, nature and artifice are very flowing here. It reminded me of Dan Simmons' Hyperion, Endymion and Illium a bit.
I also liked how in Grail, the author does not take a side in the argument. Both societies have their pros and cons (though the Jacob's Ladder has more Conns....sorry...), and the motivations of both sides are thoroughly understandable.
In the end, the conflict can only be solved by a bit of a deus ex machina (angelus ex machina rather), but it was pretty much the only way.
Some nitpicks though: I found it hard to get a scale of the ship. It's only ever described as gigantic, but it only really seems to exist in small portions, the rest is kinda vague. Also, we're never told how many people are on it. We almost only meet the Conns and their associates, and the Edenites. It is implied that a lot of the ship is empty, but a bit more description would have been nice here.
Also, I'd really like a family tree of the Conns. On the other hand, their cheerful incest (being Exalted has its advantages) might make drawing one a bit complicated.
In Grail, I didn't really like the Ariane storyline. It seemed a bit superfluous, with all the philiosophical debate between the ship and Fortune going on. Also, it read like a bit of a rehash of the issues in Chill. It was also pretty obvious who Ariane was hiding in, and there wasn't much emotional impact for me, because the host never had much of a personality herself anyway. The end result is dependant of the Ariane plot, but without the problems she generated, a very different conclusion could have been found. It's a bit of a self-serving cause and effect, and none of it really necessary.
Now, I'd really like to read a prequel to Dust, and see how their high-tech feudal disfunctional society on a spaceship actually worked in the beginning...
Chill: 8/10
Grail: 7.5/10
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 18, 2022
A worthy conclusion to an epic, thought-provoking and riveting adventure. From the beginning I found all the characters compelling, their struggles, alliances, betrayals and histories fascinating. And getting to see them from a different perspective, one somewhat closer to ours, was a delight. I loved the worldbuilding in this series and the plot was quite interesting too. I was pleased by the ending, though I am sad that it's now over.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews