Touched by Venom: Book One of the Dragon Temple Saga

by Janine Cross

Book Overview

The first in an exciting new series, Touched by Venom is a powerful debut novel by an author destined to rank among the fantasy genre's best.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0451460480
• ISBN13: 9780451460486
• Release Date: November 2005
• Publisher: Roc
• Length: 353 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.1" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

An addictive read, if you crave the unusual

This book happened to me at a good time. Always an avid F/SF reader, especially for books written by women, I'd started feeling let down by the genre. Let's see ~ someone is transported to the past/future/alternate universe and is the only one who can save the day (yawn). There's an evil villain killing off the fairies/good magic who must be stopped (yawn). Tolkien wannabes abound. Vampires/werewolves are the new hotties ~ yes, there are some great vamp novels, like Sunshine by Robin McKinley, but don't you feel like they all follow the same formula? Excellent writing isn't that hard to find, but where are the truly original stories? Well, you've found one here. THIS book is different. WOW. Ignore the misleading cover art. This is no insipid "my dragon is my best pal" story. While beautifully written, this world is cruel. The characters are twisted by brutal realities and harsh emotions. Love exists but there is precious little romance. Gloriously, I couldn't predict where the story was going. It certainly left me wanting more. In some ways, the tone of this book is similar to "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood. Feminine repression is exteme in both books but Touched by Venom is more richly drawn. The societal, racial, and economic pressures faced by both men and women are disturbing and create mental pictures that are hard to banish. I appreciated the artistry of this book even more after reading an online review by Liz Henry, for Strange Horizons. Apparently this book has caused quite a controversy in the literary world. To me that's all to its credit.

thought-provoking

This is a stellar read that is very hard to forget. The main character, Zarq, suffers through circumstances that I'd prefer to believe never happen in the real world, but listening to the news last night, I heard about polygamy with 14 yr old girls in Utah and someplace called Bountiful, Canada; deaths caused by religious fanatics in Afghanistan; and more about children with Aids in Africa. By reading the novel and being taken into a fascinating, detailed fantasy world, I'm able to examine what's going on in the world around me, while enjoying a gripping journey by a very gutsy, flawed fictional orphan. The pacing of the novel reminded me of Jonathon Strange and Mr. Norrel, and some of the unusual, unexpected events remind me a little of the book I'm currently reading, Someone Comes to Town,Someone Leaves Town. The writing is confident, the prose unusual and rich, the style distinct, the characters complex, flawed, and unforgettable. A gripping, sophisticated read that won't appeal to those who prefer pap, whiz-bangs, and brain-candy sentences of a middle-grade reader level.

captured my attention

I am new to reading fantasy, I was given the book as a gift and I was quickly taken to a richly interwoven dark world that held my interest throughout. Highly recommended.

Dragons Macabre

Malacar is a macabre fascinating world in which dragons (from egg to death) are both revered and are the crux of the entire economic system. What is forbidden is the potent, highly addictive`dragon venom' with its provocative effects on humans. But some humans, young men, must be trained to tolerate the venom; the entire basis of the Malachite society depends on it. Zarq is a girl, a lowly Rishi, of mixed mysterious and reviled Djimbi blood who dares aspire to become a draganmaster's apprentice. Happenstance and destiny hurl her through a journey of survival from the sacred to the profane. A provocative read - humorous, disturbing, and harrowing - often at the same time. A definite `can't put this down' read.

Breaking new ground in fantasy

Whether it deals with science, religion, politics, sexual relationships, or any other area of human experience, one of the purposes of speculative fiction is to imagine the hitherto unimaginable. The best literature of the fantastic is not content merely to entertain, by reworking old themes and dusting off genre cliches. It challenges us, disturbs us, and expands our definitions of what it is to be human. Touched by Venom, which I understand is the the first volume of an epic series, explores the darkest aspects of religious, political and sexual power. In a field overwhelmed by unambitious variations on too-familiar themes, Touched by Venom is a refreshing shock to the reader's sensibilities. The language is rich and compelling, the writing confident, Zarq's grim alternate world imaginatively conceived. Cross's characters may be difficult to admire, but they are also difficult to forget. This is an outstanding achievement by a first-time fantasy novelist