Touched By Venom: Book One of the Dragon Temple Saga

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 384 pages
• Published by: Roc August 1, 2006
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0451460790
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0451460790
• Book Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
• Weighs: 6.4 ounces

From Publishers Weekly
Set in Malacar, a land with a repressive patriarchal society that both worships and enslaves dragons, Cross's bold debut introduces headstrong nine-year-old Zarq Darquel, who lives a harsh but not completely unpleasant life as a member of the pottery clan on a dragon estate. When destitution forces her father to sell Waisi, Zarq's gorgeous older sister, into sexual slavery, her mother, Kavarria, who belongs to the disdained Djimbi race, tries to save Waisi at all costs, but more tragedy follows. Zarq, her life governed by her mother's madness and obsession, eventually winds up as a sexually mutilated nun caring for retired bull dragons. Turning the fantasy cliché of the underdog girl who dreams of dragon-extreme proficiency into a grim but fascinating coming-of-age tale, Cross scratches only the surface of this richly detailed, well-imagined world. Hints of a plot involving social and religious revolution hold promise for future installments of the Dragon Temple saga.
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Jacqueline Carey
A compelling and harrowing journeya vividly rendered world.

Reader Reviews
This review is from: Touched By Venom: Book One of the Dragon Temple Saga (Paperback) In addition to other things already mentioned, I have one very strong issue with this book. I'll try to put this somewhat delicately. It's a question of basic logic. The descriptions given of the heroine's erotic/masturbatory feelings and practices do NOT jibe with the reasonable, believable experiences of a person who has had a amateurish, anesthesia-free radical clitoridectomy in childhood. (The words "ripping out" are used. And "flensing flesh from bone.") Considering that the female circumcision is so painstakingly, protractedly and viciously -- almost lovingly -- portrayed by this author, early on, in extended painful detail, one wonders, for example, when later in the heroine's life she gets excited and reaches "down there," just what the hell she is reaching for. Scar tissue?? This mutilation is extremely painful to read (and I am female. Perhaps ESPECIALLY because I am female). Maybe that's what the author was going for, and so maybe that's a triumph, a tour de force, I don't know. Not being my cup of tea doesn't necessarily make it a failed novel. Blatant ignoring of logic and sense might make it so. (I think perhaps a quick reread of some Alice Walker might be in order. I'm just saying.) Sci-fi/fantasy is no excuse to throw out the rules with no explanation -- only those with little respect for the genre think it is. For my feminist SF fix, I'll stick to recommending Sheri Tepper and Joan Slonczewski for the time being. (This is not to say forever. We'll see, Ms Cross.) Comments (2) | | (Report this)