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Sebastian (Ephemera #1)

by Anne Bishop

3.86 · Rating Details · 8,029 Ratings · 344 Reviews

A world of shifting lands connected only by bridges, Ephemera has been kept stable by the magic of the Landscapers. In one land where night reigns and demons dwell, the half-incubus Sebastian revels in dark delights. But then in dreams she calls to him: a woman who wants only to be safe and loved-a woman he hungers for while knowing he may destroy her.

But a more devastatin ...more

Mass Market Paperback, 436 pages

Published March 6th 2007 by Roc (first published January 1st 2006)

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Community Reviews

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Feb 29, 2008 Wealhtheow rated it did not like it

Recommends it for: no one!

Shelves: paranormal_romance, fantasy, didn-t_finish

This was really terrible. Anne Bishop is known for writing id-fulfillment in fantasy novels, complete with as many abused Mary Sues as possible. I expected lots of fluffy titilation with very little substance (no real plot or cohesive world building, I mean), but I was annoyed at how boring and dull the would-be-titilation was. Sebastion is an incubus living in a world created specifically to cater to "dark desires", and yet all he does is have bland sex with women. No kinks, no gender-play, cer ...more

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May 13, 2016 Yodamom rated it liked it

Shelves: audio, favorite-author

Audiobook
2 stars for the first half, I struggled to stay focused and interested. there was a lot of telling, lectures form characters, little action.
3.5 stars for the second half. All the issues they lectured about, talked about, worried about, wondered about stated happening. They happened fast, and the characters were forced to make a choice. I was engaged. I needed to know what this great evil thing happening was and how far it could go. Could it win ? It was bad, really bad, which I loved t ...more

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Nov 25, 2008 Nicole rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: Anyone who liked the Dark Jewels books

The thing about this book is, several of the characters are (more or less) characters that existed in the Jewels books, but brought into a new story. It's like...if I were a fanfic writer, and really loved the characters in the Jewels books, but wanted to see them in a different setting, this is what I'd write.

Well, I love the characters in the Jewels stories, so spending time with them again is a lot of fun.

Did you like Daemon? Well, you'll love Sebastian!

Felt like Jaenelle was a little too eve ...more

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Apr 10, 2010 Pamela rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, fiction

A friend lent me her copies of Sebastian and Belladonna after we had trawled a bookstore looking for good fantasy. I’d tried to read the first book in Anne Bishop’s Black Jewels series several years ago and couldn’t get into it, so I was a little wary of the Ephemera books. She agreed that Black Jewels wasn’t her cup of tea, either, but she said that she loved the Ephemera series, so I decided to give it a try.

I have to confess, I did some serious procrastination on school stuff so I could finis A friend lent me her copies of Sebastian and Belladonna after we had trawled a bookstore looking for good fantasy. I’d tried to read the first book in Anne Bishop’s Black Jewels series several years ago and couldn’t get into it, so I was a little wary of the Ephemera books. She agreed that Black Jewels wasn’t her cup of tea, either, but she said that she loved the Ephemera series, so I decided to give it a try.

I have to confess, I did some serious procrastination on school stuff so I could finish this book. It was beautifully written with well-developed, sympathetic characters and an engrossing plot. To put it simply, I enjoyed the hell out of it.

I’ll start with my favorite thing to talk about in fantasy books: worldbuilding. Ephemera is one of the most unusual settings I’ve ever read, and it’s actually pretty difficult to describe. Bishop thankfully doesn’t give you an infodump at the beginning that explains everything; instead, you learn about the world by experiencing it with the characters. It is fragmented; different landscapes are connected by bridges, magical sort of portals that either connect one place to another based on where they want to go, or as in the case of resonating bridges, take a traveler to a landscape that resonates with their heart. The idea of landscapes resonating with people, either everyday folk or the Landscapers, women who draw upon the Light currents to connect and shape Ephemera, is central to the storyline, for Ephemera is in danger of being destroyed by the Eater of the World, a dark entity that has broken free from its prison.

Sebastian, the title character, is the son of a wizard and a succubus who lives in the Den of Iniquity, a landscape where demons like Sebastian can live without fear of the humans who hate them. His cousin, Glorianna Belladonna, is a rogue Landscaper; she has more power than any Landscaper that has lived in a very long time, and when she demonstrated that power by creating the Den, she was cast out of the ranks and became an outlaw. Glorianna has the unique ability to actually create new landscapes out of Ephemera as opposed to simply changing existing ones, and her immense power frightens both the Landscapers and the Wizards, men who draw their magic from the Dark currents that run through Ephemera. When Sebastian discovers that the Eater of the World has been set loose, he must try to protect the Den and his new love, Lynnea, while Glorianna and her brother Lee try to find a way to protect Ephemera.

The plot is far too complex to try to summarize here (which is why my above summary is terrible, haha). Its complexity, though, is part of what makes it so engrossing. The book takes a little while to get started, but once it does, it was almost painful for me to have to put it down and do things that I actually had to do, like write papers and read for class. Bishop’s writing style is rich and complicated, and she uses it well here, weaving a story that is incredibly sensual and beautiful. This book does not really end on a cliffhanger, but it definitely leaves me wanting more. I had to run out and buy my own copy of Belladonna, just in case I don’t get a chance to finish it before I move away from Texas. I don’t want to steal my friend's books, heh. And honestly, if I didn’t have a couple of other books that I need to read for reviews, I would have dived straight into Belladonna the second I finished Sebastian. This is good stuff, very good stuff. ...more

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Jan 09, 2014 Liliana Pinto rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: biblioteca-pessoal, 4, leituras-2014

Há muito tempo que eu queria ler esta saga de Anne Bishop. Conheci o Mundo Efémera quando li o conto "A Voz". Gostei desse pequeno conto, mas não me tinha apercebido do quanto ia adorar o primeiro livro desta saga.
Sabem o que é ficar obcecada por alguma coisa e não conseguirem fazer mais nada, nem pensar em mais nada? Pois. Eu senti-me assim relativamente a este livro.

Completamente viciante.

Anne Bishop cria um mundo completamente diferente de tudo aquilo o que já li. No início foi complicado per ...more

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Dec 27, 2011 Chelsea rated it it was ok

Sebastian is set in the world of Ephemera, which is really a bunch of little self contained worlds that are connected by (for lack of a better term) magical bridges. The worlds are called landscapes, and they are subject to alteration based on the emotions of their residents. Landscapers (as I understand them) are women who can channel the power of human hearts to help shape landscapes. Sebastian is an incubus who lives in a landscape called the Den of Iniquity. The Den was made by a rogue lands Sebastian is set in the world of Ephemera, which is really a bunch of little self contained worlds that are connected by (for lack of a better term) magical bridges. The worlds are called landscapes, and they are subject to alteration based on the emotions of their residents. Landscapers (as I understand them) are women who can channel the power of human hearts to help shape landscapes. Sebastian is an incubus who lives in a landscape called the Den of Iniquity. The Den was made by a rogue landscaper named Glorianna Belladonna (some people shouldn't be allowed to name characters), who created it as a home for demons. Sebastian has a unique heritage that gives him a unique influence over the Den. This becomes important when an ancient evil known as the Eater of Worlds is released from captivity and threatens all of the landscapes.

Positive Comments:

The ideas are really interesting. The multi-world concept is well thought out. The underlying message of the power of the human heart really resonated me, and it felt like their was so much potential in that idea. I was reminded of the Kingdom Hearts games. Laugh at this comparison if you must, but the idea of multiple worlds in a universe where hearts have magic is well paralleled between the two. So it's not a new concept, but it is an interesting one that I will always be pleased to explore.

The language is pretty. The names and descriptions are incredibly vivid, and they really bring the story to life--even the boring parts. Yes, at times it strayed toward flowery. But overall, I could see that some genuine effort was put into this novel.

Sebastian and the other characters had so much potential. I hate using that word, because it implies that they didn't actually live up to some standard. Truth be told, the characters were perfectly believable and entertaining, for the most part. It's the story they exist in that falls short. Sebastian is demon with a really strong human side, struggling to reconcile himself to exactly who and what he is. His journey is believable and, to the right reader, emotionally touching.

Critical Comments:

It's sloooow. For a book with a world eating monster, it gets pretty boring. It takes a long time for things to happen. A great deal of time is spent in talking, explaining, deciding, dreaming, thinking....It's not an action filled book by any means. If slower is to your taste, you will not have a problem.

It's repetitive. The same objects and people are described multiple times, the same concepts are repeated, and worst of all the same problems are outlined over an over. It felt like the author was writing to people with memory loss.

It's sexless. Yes, this is a fantasy novel and not a romance or erotica. And even if it were a romance, you can have a good romance novel without sex. However, the book is set up as though it's going to be filled with (or at least sprinkled with) sensual scenes. The main character is an incubus! He lives in a world full of other sex demons! They serve penis shaped bread! And, most importantly, there is a love interest, Lynnea, who really wants to get horizontal with him. But, when it comes down to that moment, we fade to black and cut to the next morning. I'm not asking for something graphic here. But, in my opinion, if you can't or don't want to write a sexy book, you shouldn't set up all these sexual themes. It builds expectations that it never delivers on.

Overall, this is a nicely written collection of lots of pretty words that add up to very little. If you like your fantasy slow and brainy, you may like this one. I ran the gambit of feelings toward it, and they all add up to neutral. 2.5 stars. ...more

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Jan 06, 2015 Rosana Maia rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: owned-read

Já tinha ouvido falar muito bem de Anne Bishop, no entanto ainda não tinha surgido a oportunidade de ler algo da autora. Felizmente, na Feira do Livro do Porto deste ano, os livros que compõem a saga “O Mundo Efémera” estavam a um preço muito tentador :). E como não sou diferente de tantos outros leitores, a verdade é que caí na tentação.

Como é a primeira obra que leio da autora, não a irei comparar com a sua anterior trilogia “As Jóias Negras”. Independentemente de tudo, acredito que sejam muit Já tinha ouvido falar muito bem de Anne Bishop, no entanto ainda não tinha surgido a oportunidade de ler algo da autora. Felizmente, na Feira do Livro do Porto deste ano, os livros que compõem a saga “O Mundo Efémera” estavam a um preço muito tentador :). E como não sou diferente de tantos outros leitores, a verdade é que caí na tentação.

Como é a primeira obra que leio da autora, não a irei comparar com a sua anterior trilogia “As Jóias Negras”. Independentemente de tudo, acredito que sejam muito diferentes.

E agora, como começar a falar de Efémera? Se calhar por partes, aos pouquinhos!

FANTASIA! Esta palavra com tanto poder não poderia ser melhor aplicada na escolha do género literário em que a obra é incluída. A verdade é que no meio de tantos livros que tenho por ler na minha estante, tinha saudades de ler um livro de fantasia, isto é, um mundo diferente, mágico, único, capaz de descrever o nosso mundo real. E “O Mundo Efémera” é isto mesmo. Lembro-me de ao fim de meia dúzia de páginas fechar o livro e dizer para mim: “Ah! Como é bom voltar a ler fantasia”.

EFÉMERA! É um mundo criado por Anne Bishop composto por várias paisagens – criadas pelas paisagistas - que estão ligadas por pontes – construídas pelos constructores de pontes. E como qualquer mundo fantástico, as paisagens e as pontes têm um significado. Digamos que Efémera foi criada para que a maldade do coração humano (a escuridão) não destruísse a bondade deste nosso coração (a luz).

PERSONAGENS! Sebastian, Lynnea, Nadia, Lee, Glorianna Belladonna, Ente, … Claro que poderia aqui falar sobre elas, mas não o vou fazer. Seria uma tentativa falhada e inútil tentar caracterizá-las e deixar o que elas significam para mim.

Em “Sebastian” somos introduzidos a este mundo “Efémera” de uma forma bastante suave. Com a mestria das palavras de Anne Bishop somos confrontados com este novo mundo e com as diversas explicações sem nos cansarmos de cada uma delas.

Já me perguntaram o que achei do livro. E estaria a mentir se não dissesse que estava à espera de mais. No entanto, a verdade é que não houve uma única página que não despertasse o sorriso que há em mim, o bom que há em mim.

Talvez se tivesse lido esta obra com uns aninhos a menos tivesse gostado mais da mesma. Mas como já disse, não posso dizer que não tenha gostado. Como já me dizia a bloguinha Sofia, não podem existir apenas livros brilhantes e arrebatadores, aliás, não existem. E isso significa que também não devemos apenas ler esses livros 5 estrelas. Não, este livro não ganhou as minhas 5 estrelas no goodreads, no entanto, ganhou um cantinho especial no meu coração, não fosse ele sobre aquilo que há de mais belo: o coração humano.

"... o coração humano consegue criar tanto - e destruir tanto."

http://bloguinhasparadise.blogspot.pt... ...more

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Jul 25, 2011 Donna rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, audiobook-format, on-my-shelf, read-challenge, read-in-2010

I loved Anne Bishop's Black Jewels series and was looking forward to reading more of her work. I was certainly not disappointed with this first book of the Ephemera duology.

I loved so many things about this book, my favorite being the world of Ephemera. Anne Bishop has done such an amazing job of bringing to life the magic of the world itself, Ephemera is created by the feelings and beliefs of the residents, and crossing a bridge will take you to the landscape that reflects the person you truly I loved Anne Bishop's Black Jewels series and was looking forward to reading more of her work. I was certainly not disappointed with this first book of the Ephemera duology.

I loved so many things about this book, my favorite being the world of Ephemera. Anne Bishop has done such an amazing job of bringing to life the magic of the world itself, Ephemera is created by the feelings and beliefs of the residents, and crossing a bridge will take you to the landscape that reflects the person you truly are inside.
In order to stop the darkness of human feelings from overwhelming the world, landscapers shape the magic of Ephemera into building different types of landscapes, interweaving the light and the darkness into cities and farmland and everything in between.
The conflict begins when "The Eater of the World" escapes from where its been confined for centuries and begins trying to influence the minds of everyone toward the darkness, tipping the balance and changing the face of Ephemera. Only one landscaper is powerful enough to stop this from happening, Belladonna, the cousin of Sebastian. Sebastian is a half wizard half incubus who has struggled to find a place where he belongs, that reflect those two very different sides of his nature. Along the way, he meets Lynnea, who is also searching for a place she can feel safe. The romance between them is not overdone, however, I didn't connect with them as much as I would have liked.
Belladonna is a much more interesting character, escaped from being walled into her garden by the wizards at the landscapers school, Gloriana Belladonna learns what it means to be who she is.
The Den of Iniquity has a variety of fascinating characters, from the bulldemons to the demoncycles, to the pub owner who's specials include Stuffed Tits and Phallic Delights.
What keeps me from rating this a 5 star is that I didn't connect with the characters as much as I would have liked. However, I still truly enjoyed this book and will definitely be reading the next. ...more

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Sep 26, 2015 Tutti Dolci rated it liked it

Shelves: series, paperback, donate-sell-trade, paranormal-fantasy, demons

Well...I expected this story to be a sexy Paranormal Romance.

It's not.

Instead, I got a Fantasy (with Paranormal elements) that included light threads of romance (and I mean LIGHT). Which left me wondering if this book belongs in a "clean"/sweet/philosophical sort of category. Sure, there are Incubi, demons, and "Phallic Delights" there. But as I read more and more, I couldn't help but feel that it was all a tool for teaching the reader about the nature of the heart and its resonance.

Lots of go ...more

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Jul 10, 2007 VMom rated it liked it

Recommends it for: romantics

Shelves: fantasy

This was a sweet read. I like the concept of Ephemera, which is reminiscent of C.S. Friedman's Coldfire (one of my favorite fantasies). It's not very scary or dark for a gothic fantasy -- pretty much a straight romance. But the world is intriguing. The Eater of the World is promisingly menacing.

One of my quibbles -- most of the characters get familiar names, western-sounding names -- Sebastian, Lee, Glorianna. Except the bad guy -- Koltak. Heck, even Koltak's brother is named Peter. I guess his ...more

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Aug 09, 2009 Shannon (Giraffe Days) rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, 2009

Ephemera is a world of fractured landscapes linked by stationary or resonating bridges that take you where your heart wants to go more often than where your will intends. It is a world of humans, demons, wizards and Landscapers, a world that listens to the hearts of its creatures all, resonating with those hearts and responding to them. It is a world of Dark and Light and a long history of manipulation, ambition and trouble.

Sebastian is a demon, half incubus and half human. He lives in a landsca Ephemera is a world of fractured landscapes linked by stationary or resonating bridges that take you where your heart wants to go more often than where your will intends. It is a world of humans, demons, wizards and Landscapers, a world that listens to the hearts of its creatures all, resonating with those hearts and responding to them. It is a world of Dark and Light and a long history of manipulation, ambition and trouble.

Sebastian is a demon, half incubus and half human. He lives in a landscape created by his cousin, the powerful rebel Landscaper Glorianna - known, and feared, as Belladonna. Called the Den of Iniquity, it is a nighttime landscape of pleasure and debauchery - but something in Sebastian wants more than his lonely existence, more than giving pleasure to countless females through dreams or in the flesh. His heart's wish resonates with the heart wish of a young woman in another landscape, Lynnea, and Ephemera draws them together.

Darker things are afoot in the world, though. The Eater of the World, trapped in its own barren landscapes for generations, has been freed. The wizards work to their own agenda and turn Belladonna into the enemy - and she is the enemy, the only one who can fight the Eater of the World. As she comes to understand what Ephemera truly needs, that it needs Dark as well as Light, that both have a place, she above all understands that demons like Sebastian are just as important to Ephemera's existence as those humans who are "good".

Anne Bishop is an excellent writer of edgy, original fantasy, the kind of fantasy that speaks to the potential of the genre to delve into the nature of what it means to be human, as well as the nature of the world we live in. She creates fascinating, intriguing worlds that push us out of our comfort zones and confronts common assumptions and prejudices. Her work is refreshing and unique, approachable rather than alienating, and contains characters who feel very much alive.

Sebastian is written in a similar style to her Black Jewels trilogy, from the perspective of several different characters who offer different angles to the story, and embeds localised plot lines within a larger, more fundamental story arc (in this case, the Eater of the World). It worked superbly well in the Black Jewels, but here it was more scattered, and made it harder to ground myself in the book. Especially considering the title character, Sebastian, doesn't figure as prominently in the story as you'd think, given that the book is named after him. It's simply a case of having expectations and being a bit disappointed.

I hate to continue comparing this to the Black Jewels, but the latter did establish a pretty high standard. The characters of the Black Jewels were strongly drawn, diverse and interesting and endearing, and very sympathetic. I still think of them from time to time. The characters of Sebastian are paler in comparison, less solid, more clichéd. There was a degree of cheesiness - especially with Sebastian and Lynnea, whose romantic relationship was a bit corny and formulaic at times - that made me cringe a bit, and Sebastian wasn't as charismatic as he could have been.

That's not to say I didn't thoroughly enjoy this book, but I did feel it was a bit lacking and not her best effort. Still, top marks for originality and giving me something to chew on. ...more

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Apr 09, 2009 Tita rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: meus, livros-2009

Neste livro, temos um mundo diferente das Jóias Negras, com regras e raças diferentes – Mundo Efémera.
No início, senti-me um pouco perdidas com estas paisagens (Mundos) e personagens, mas logo fiquei presa à leitura e não queria parar.
Tudo começa quando o Ente (ou Devorador do Mundo) é acidentalmente solto. Este Ente é uma criatura maléfica, que se aproveita dos medos, fraquezas e receios dos habitantes, tornando-os realidade, com o objectivo de tomar Efémera. A partir daqui, temos uma luta entr ...more

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Jul 31, 2014 Shari-amor rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, sweet-n-spicy, fantasy-supernatural, fantasy-suspense, series, fantasy-science-fiction, fantasy-fantasy, fantasy-sorcery-magic

Like a 3.8 because it started out just ok to me and there was so much information to process. Once it got going, I could appreciate and love the world building. The story was fantastic and inventive. I've never read anything like it. Anne Bishop is quickly becoming a favourite author. I cannot wait to read the other books in this series and her other work.

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Jul 27, 2009 Chasidy rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy-urban

Considering this was the very first book I've read by Anne Bishop, I found this book to be very complex and brought new meaning to the hearts true desires. The war between light and dark forces in this world set a strange balance in my views of good and evil.

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Sep 05, 2013 Calypso rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: borrowed, fantasy, anne-bishop

Bem este foi um dos livros mais difíceis de classificar deste ano e que me dividiu por tantas vezes ao longo da sua leitura que lhes perdi a conta.

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Apr 22, 2011 Cheryl Archbold rated it it was amazing

I ended up naming my son after this book :)

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Jan 16, 2017 Carol (StarAngel's Reviews) Allen rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy, magic, historical

I am a big fan of Anne Bishop and absolutely LOVE all her stories...but this time, it seemed to fall a bit short.

I had to keep asking myself during this book....Am I dumb?

I just couldn't follow the whole jumping landscapes, bridges etc. And the first half of this book moved so slowly, that I kept thinking this would end up as a DNF for me.

I trudged on and the story seemed to come together and start moving but I was still confused with the whole back story of the landscapes.

Am I gonna continue th ...more

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Oct 28, 2011 Paula rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Gostei, gostei muito!

No entanto, não encontrei a intensidade ou a densidade da Triologia das Jóias Negras (talvez porque foram os primeiros que li!). A Triologia é mais impulsiva enquanto que o Sebastian me pareceu mais pensado, mais maduro o que só acrescenta mérito à história e à escrita desta Senhora.

Estão presentes todo os ingredientes a que já me começo a habituar na Bishop: personagens fascinantes, romance, sensualidade e suspense.

O cenário é muito acessível, facilmente entrei nas paisagen Gostei, gostei muito!

No entanto, não encontrei a intensidade ou a densidade da Triologia das Jóias Negras (talvez porque foram os primeiros que li!). A Triologia é mais impulsiva enquanto que o Sebastian me pareceu mais pensado, mais maduro o que só acrescenta mérito à história e à escrita desta Senhora.

Estão presentes todo os ingredientes a que já me começo a habituar na Bishop: personagens fascinantes, romance, sensualidade e suspense.

O cenário é muito acessível, facilmente entrei nas paisagens de Efémera, suas fronteiras e limites, suas linhas e pontes.

As personagens estão extremamente bem concebidas. No geral gostei de todas, mas sinto-me obrigada a destacar Glorianna Belladonna, o Devorador do Mundo e o Provocador. As imagens que fiz da descrição dos ciclodemónios fez-me dar umas boas gargalhadas, que criaturas tão originais! :lol:

Sobretudo adorei a forma como as personagens interagem com as diferentes paisagens e a forma como tudo é descrito.

Fiquei com a sensação que este livro é um daqueles que podemos guardar por anos e anos porque as suas mensagens serão sempre actuais:

- As dicotomias bem/mal, luz/escuridão
O bem e o mal coexistem (não é em vão que fisicamente o Antro é ao lado do Santuário) e terão que coexistir no mundo para que haja equilíbrio, sempre que há um desnível a paisagem muda, transformasse, por isso é Efémera. Na própria Belladonna é o facto de possuir Luz e Escuridão que a tornam na única capaz de fazer frente ao Devorador do Mundo

- O nosso mundo também é efémero
Lembrei-me de dois versos de Luís de Camões que isolados do poema descrevem bem a natureza de Efémera:

(…)Todo o Mundo é composto de mudança,
Tomando sempre novas qualidades.(…)

- “Todos diferentes, todos iguais”
Apesar de cada ser vivo, cada ser humano ser único todos têm no mundo a sua “casa”. Todos temos que aprender a viver em sociedade, a respeitar as diferenças para que o nosso mundo se transforme a cada dia num mundo melhor. Não esquecer que até num Antro há ordem (Justiceiro) e respeito. ...more

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Jul 09, 2016 Tokio Myers rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy-read, ownedbooks

--------------WARNING DO NOT READ THIS BOOK FOR THE ROMANCE------------

No really, don't

I picked up Sebastian because I was in a romance trash mood (we all have them, don't deny it). I saw the cover and the blub which describe the book as "Erotic, fervently romantic" plus it was about a incubus,(how much more romance trash can you get) so I decided to pick it up. I have to say for a romance book this is one of the worst ones I have read. I say that because the romantic relationship this book foc ...more

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Jun 08, 2009 Ashley rated it it was ok

Shelves: fantasy, not-my-copy, 2009

Sebastian focuses on a fantasy land called Ephemera that was broken up into different "landscapes." One of the landscapes is called the Den of Iniquity, home to incubi, succubi, and other demons. It's also home to Sebastian, a half-incubus who longs for something other than carnal pleasures. Now, a great evil has returned to Ephemera, and Sebastian and his powerful cousin, Glorianna Belladona, are to play a pivotal part in stopping it.

I didn't expect to love this book when I started it, but I'd ...more

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Oct 01, 2011 Dawn rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, 2011-books

Ephemera is a world of magical lands connected by bridges that take you to a land your heart desires which may be different that where you intended to go. These worlds are created by landscapers. Belladona has created a world called the Den of Iniquity, it is a place where succubus, incubus and other demons can have a good place to live. In this world lives our hero Sebastian, who is a half incubus and half human. Sebastian is yearning for a woman that he has never seen, a woman who wants to be ...more

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Jan 16, 2009 Célia rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: local-casa, 3-stars, ano-2008, ed-sde, orig-comprado, gen-fantasia

Depois de vários livros centrados no mundo das Jóias Negras (Trilogia, Teias de Sonhos e Anel Oculto), eis que somos confrontados com um novo mundo criado pela imaginativa Anne Bishop. Gosto muito da forma como esta autora cria de raiz mundos tão interessantes e originais: por mais improváveis que sejam as suas características, a forma habilidosa como são construídos e descritos confere-lhes uma enorme sensação de realismo.

Achei a história interessante, mas curiosamente as personagens de que mai ...more

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Jan 13, 2008 Thornsmoke rated it did not like it

Shelves: epic-fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jun 25, 2016 Ladiibbug rated it really liked it

Shelves: wizards, demons, bugs-creepy-crawlies, 2016-paranormal-challenge, succubus-incubus, waterhorses

#1 Ephemera series - Urban Fantasy

The world building was terrific, very unique. The various threads of the overall story were clear and intriguing. Characters were fun, solidly presented, some quite scary with dangerous hidden agendas.

Sebastian is half incubus living in the Den of Iniquity, one of an array of landscapes in Ephemera. Demons, succubi and incubi are welcome in the Den. Strange things are happening in other landscapes, with Landscapers not knowing why. Sebastian attempts to visit Wi ...more

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Feb 21, 2015 DemetraP rated it liked it

I read Sebastian last night. It's by Anne Bishop (who wrote Written in Red) It's book 1 in the Ephemera series. It was pretty interesting. There are "landscapes" which are different villages or sections with a village or town. Then there are "landscapers" who can create connections to those landscapes and keep them stable. Because people's thoughts can change the landscape. Good or bad thoughts.

Sebastian is a half wizard/half incubus who lives in a landscape called the Den of Iniquity. They have ...more

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Jun 24, 2015 V. rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

"... deixem que os vossos corações viajem com leveza. Pois o que carregarem torna-se parte da paisagem." Entrei em Efémera com a autora, e foi uma viagem e tanto.
Após tanto tempo à procura desta série, finalmente tive a oportunidade de a ter nas mãos e lê-la. Sendo Anne Bishop uma autora já conhecida minha e da qual figura na minha lista de favoritos, o certo era não me arrepender, e não me arrependi. Um romance que figura na literatura fantástica e em toda a fantasia e mundos criados pela autor ...more

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Mar 02, 2013 Rebekah Tower rated it did not like it

This book is horrible. I couldn't get past the first page. It reads like a very badly written episode of Buffy the Vampire slayer, with the character openly conversing about being a succubus. It's hard to suspend disbelief. Whoever edited this should be fired, as the author decided (for no reason I could see) to spell the word "coffee" two different ways on the first page. Why is it spelled "koffea" and then "koffee" two sentences later? This seriously turned me off, as well as the author's blat ...more

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Sep 05, 2014 Ann Gimpel rated it it was amazing

This book has gotten its share of spotty reviews, but I loved it. Anne Bishop's strength is in her world building and this book didn't disappoint. Ephemera is one of the most complex UF worlds I've come across and Bishop handled it with great consistency. I had no trouble visualizing the shifting landscapes and the different types of bridges between them. I also appreciated Ephemera's link to people's emotional state.

Sebastian is a great character. Part incubus, part wizard, he comes into his ow ...more

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Mar 13, 2015 Tracy Dobbs rated it really liked it

Shelves: books-since-1-1-9, fantasy, demons, books-since-1-1-14, books-since-1-1-15

I really love Anne Bishop's Black Jewell series of books, but wasn't as enthralled by the Tir Alain series. So, when she started in this third setting, I wasn't sure if I should try it or not. I finally got a deal on both books and boy am I glad. This book is excellent...ok, I am prejudiced toward the Black Jewell series, so I still rank them tops, but this work is very close. Maybe it's just that I like the mix of darkness and light, with the firm idea that "dark" doesn't necessarily mean evil ...more

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May 11, 2010 Carolyn F. rated it it was ok

Shelves: fantasy

This book was really, really strange.
*** spoiler alert ***

The world is made up almost like a quilt with the part Sebastian living in made up of dark scary "myths". He's a male succubus who doesn't seem to actually touch a partner, only through the dreams. There's a "sister" who made this section for him on top of some others and then was considered a criminal. I tried to like this book, but I found it too strange for me who doesn't mind reading about vampire/werewolf hybrids chasing down crimin ...more

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About Anne Bishop

Anne Bishop lives in upstate New York where she enjoys gardening, music, and writing dark, romantic stories. She is the author of fourteen novels, including the award-winning Black Jewels Trilogy. Her most recent novel, Twilight’s Dawn, made the New York Times bestseller list. She is currently working on a new series, which is an urban dark fantasy with a bit of a twist.

Crawford Award (2000)

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Ephemera (3 books)

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Daughter of the Blood (The Black Jewels #1)

Queen of the Darkness (The Black Jewels, #3)

Heir to the Shadows (The Black Jewels, #2)

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Quotes from Sebastian

“Let your heart travel lightly. Because what you bring with you becomes part of the landscape.” — 63 likes

“Opportunities and choices. When a person makes a heart wish, that wish resonates through the currents and things will happen to give the person an opportunity to make the wish come true. Like a hand offered and accepted.” — 33 likes

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