The Voice (Ephemera, #0 prequel)

The Voice (Ephemera 0)

4.0 of 5 stars 4.00  ·  rating details  ·  444 ratings  ·  49 reviews
An original novella from the New York Times bestselling author of Bridge of Dreams…

In a small village outside the city of Vision, the people know no sorrow or grief. But this seemingly idyllic community is hiding a terrible secret. As a young child, Nalah did not know why she was told to bring a cake to the mute girl known as the Voice whenever she was upset, only that doi...more
Kindle Edition
Published February 7th 2012 by Roc (first published February 6th 2012)
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Susana
Não posso mudar a minha aldeia. Mas salvei quem pude salvar.

Uma história que decorre no mundo Efémera, mais especificamente numa aldeia em que todas as mágoas de todos os habitantes são canalizadas _ por magia _ e "devoradas" por uma jovem.
Chamam-lhe a Voz, e retiraram-lhe quase tudo. A sua voz, aparência, liberdade...

Com este pequeno conto, Bishop relembra-nos que não é preciso salvar o mundo.
Basta salvar uma pessoa, para nos salvarmos a nós próprios.

No entanto, a caracterização das personagens...more
K.W. McCabe
The Voice by Anne Bishop: 5 out of 5 stars

There are very few times when I find a story so engrossing, so moving, that it urges me to emotion even after turning the last page. The Voice is one of those stories. I purchased The Voice on Amazon for $2.99 and, even though it was a short read- no longer than hour- it was worth every penny. I would purchase it again.

Anne Bishop's story is set in the world of Ephemera and tells the tale of Nalah and a mysterious figure in her town called The Voice. Nal...more
Chrissy Olinger
I am a blatant Anne Bishop fangirl. The Voice was a mixed experience for me.

I very much liked that Bishop was making a commentary on voicelessness, abuse, subjection of women and others, and the subtle darkness hiding in the underbelly of even the most idyllic society. Hints of her Briarwood, from the Black Jewels novels, are definitely sprinkled here and there.

Bishop does shorts. In some cases brilliantly.

In this short I got a good dose of her voice and was quick to embrace her message. Where...more
Katee Robert
I can pick up any of Ms. Bishop's books and have a decent idea what I'm in for -- rich world-building, very real characters who have to make intensely difficult choices, and a glimpse into the darker side of humanity.

I will admit to having my doubts she could swing all that with a 50 pg novella. Of course I was wrong.


SPOILERS BELOW. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.








This book was heartbreaking and so very, very real. Who hasn't wished they could be free of their emotional burdens? That they didn't bear to...more
Lindsey
Ironically, I actually liked this novella better than the novel is preceded. This short story is a prequel to Bridge of Dreams, the third book in Anne Bishop's Ephemera series. It can be read before that book with no misunderstandings and no spoilers for its plot. It's much more characteristic of her excellent writing than the novel is.

The story takes place in a village about two days' ride outside of Vision (the locale in Bridge of Dreams). It follows the story of a young woman, Nalah, and her...more
Coaxial Creature
This is my favorite of the Ephemera pieces I've read. Two novels, and this short, and I tried reading the middle one, and couldn't finish it. (I only read the last because it was at the library, really.)

Maybe it was because the focus was slightly tighter - there wasn't as much of the world that she was exploring, so the places, and cast of characters, were fewer. Maybe it was that it was in a place that didn't involve the main couple of the fist book. The guy was okay, until he fell for the woma...more
Patrícia
Opinião do Blogue Chaise Longue: http://girlinchaiselongue.blogspot.pt...

Efémera é possivelmente o mundo menos amado de Anne mas não é de certeza, inferior ou menor que qualquer um dos outros. Pontes levam-nos onde o nosso coração pertence, mundos mudam de lugar, coisas surpreendentes podem aparecer quando menos esperámos e ao longo do caminho a nossa vontade pode ser decisiva para chegarmos onde queremos.
Sebastian e Belladonna são os livros onde podem encontrar este mundo. Livros independentes...more
Alice
Esta foi uma das minhas primeiras leituras no meu Kobo e foi, tenho que confessar, a primeira coisa que consegui ler de fio a pavio em inglês. Na verdade, tinha algum medo de não conseguir alcançar o objectivo mas decidi comprar e tentar (afinal custou menos de 3€ na fnac!!) e valeu a pena. Tinha medo que a escrita da autora não fosse tão fácil ou fluída no original mas estava enganada. Foi fácil, muito agradável e rápido.

The Voice é uma noveleta do mundo de Efémera que pode perfeitamente ser li...more
Patricia Rodrigues
É sempre bom ler um livro de Anne Bishop, mesmo que seja um conto. Sabia que era uma história pequena mas não esperava que fosse em formato de livro de bolso (vai ficar a destoar na estante ao pé dos outros livros da autora.
É uma história que nos agarra, apesar de curta.
Nalah é uma criança de 10 anos quando se apercebe da realidade da sua aldeia. Os habitantes usam A Voz para espiar as suas emoções negativas, através de bolos e quando Nalah descobre, sente que é uma enorme injustiça.
Impressio...more
Adeselna
Full review: http://illusionarypleasure.blogspot.p...

A Voz pode ser talvez um pouco underrated por parte dos leitores por ser um conto e não um romance, onde muitos julgam que o tema estaria mais desenvolvido, mas, na realidade, Bishop não precisava de mais espaço para o fazer. Nas 128 páginas que compõe a história, sentimos o sofrimento das personagens e a sua luta pela liberdade. Com os seus temas feministas, uma capacidade de contar história fantástica, "A Voz" é um convite maravilhoso de est...more
Raquel Leite
Opiniao em:
http://cronicasdeumaleitora.blogspot....

A voz é uma pequena novela que pertence ao mundo Efémera já editado pela Saída de Emergência, mas que no entanto pode ser lida como uma história independente.
Neste conto há algo que me agradou desde logo, e que eu pensei “Quem me dera que fosse assim tão fácil”. Portanto neste mundo tudo se resolve a fazer bolos, literalmente. Se tivermos algum problema que nos esteja a incomodar a felicidade ou nos ponha ansiosos, a única coisa que temos a faz...more
Jen
Bridge of Dreams introduced us to a group of fascinating new faces, including Shaman Danyal & Kobrah. The Voice gives us a little insight into their backstory. Reading Bridge of Dreams, you know Kobrah's history is bad. The Voice shows just how bad. We also get to know Danyal's niece, a truly brave and remarkable young woman who chooses to stand up for what's right and save those she can from the injustice a city has placed on them.

This novella is a good companion to the Ephemera stories and...more
BA Matthews
If you enjoy the Ephemera series then you will enjoy Anne Bishop's Novelette, The voice. Set in the same world, this story is about some of those who don't understand the way Ephemera works. This isn't from the POV of a Landscaper or even a bridge. This book is set from the POV of a peasant, someone who may go their entire lives without ever having to deal with issues of the heart. It was a wonderful tale, uplifting at the end. Worth the read!
Rita
Uma pequena grande história que nos cativa e faz pensar. Uma história forte, com verdades perturbadoras escondidas, que vão sendo descobertas aos poucos por Nalah, uma jovem rapariga que aos 10 anos de idade presenciou um marcante acontecimento. Acontecimento esse que lhe acendeu a chama da dúvida e curiosidade e que a fez questionar os estranhos costumes da sua aldeia.
As respostas obtidas acabaram por se revelar tudo menos agradáveis.
Uma boa história que mostra que vale a pena revoltar-mo-nos p...more
Mia Tree
I love Anne Bishop- I find her books to be both dark and joyful. This one was a short story, that belongs a larger series(THE LANDSCAPES OF EPHEMERA) is beautifully written, based in a land that changes in accordance to hearts desires, opening strange, unquie, dark, scary, joyful places. I highly recommend this book but you need to read the other books to fully understand the depth of the world that's being portrayed.
Wendy
4-4.5 stars.

A beautiful little novella, just long enough to tell the story satisfactorily. The concept of sorrow having a physical manifestation was kind of disturbing, and Chayne was a pretty upsetting character, but the resolution was lovely. I didn't like the first two Ephemera books because they weren't amazing compared to the Black Jewels books (what could be?), but this has made me want to read Bridge of Dreams.
Steph
This is an e-special novella that’s a prequel to Bridge of Dreams, I got it for $2.99 on my Kobo and I was very happy with the price. I have to say, that after reading this novella I want to read Bridge of Dreams even more, especially since there was an excerpt from the that book at the end of the novella.
As per usual the story was well done, I love Anne Bishop’s writing, she’s so talented; I will always read her books, and I’m always willing to dive back into the world of Ephemera or The Black...more
Jennifer W.
Very quick read but I loved the story and the way that the main character fought against what was accepted to stand up for what she believed in. The imagery for how the "sorrows" affected the body was an incredible metaphor for how our own feelings can hurt us, and scar us. As a set-up for discussion of yet another portion of Ephemera it made me really excited to see what comes next!
Suz
Extremely powerful short story in the Ephemera series. Could be read before or after book 3 as the story is tangential to the story of secondary characters in that novel.

I sometimes wonder how a person can come up with the concepts that Anne Bishop manages to create. This is one of those stories that makes me wonder.
wavegirl
É um livro bonito mas confesso que soube a pouco... Queria mais... a própria história é muito pequena (98 páginas) e espero poder preencher o "vazio" que ficou com este livro com a próxima história de Efémera.

De qualquer modo... é um livro ao estilo de Anne Bishop e que se lê muito, mas muito depressa!
Nichole
A very neat little novella, though if I didn't know it was sent in the Ephemera verse, I never would have guessed. I hope it ties into Bridge of Dreams. For such a short book, it is remarkable how invested I got in this short story. I don't usually connect with characters in such few words.
Kim
I really enjoyed reading this one. It was sad though, because I could totally see people doing this if it were possible today. The courage of the girls in the story is amazing. I love Anne Bishop, she is one of my favorite authors and I'd recommend her if you enjoy fantasy fiction.
Mandy
A good story. It didn't quite seem to be in keeping with the other two books in the series as far as the texture of the environment; the Black Pustules, on the other hand, are a reasonable jump. I'd read it again, and it helps with identifying some of the new characters in The Bridge of Dreams .
Laura
It wasn't bad, however had little of the deep and wilder aspects I've come to expect from Anne Bishops worlds. However it was a good introduction for the city of Vision. Would have loved to see this as a fully fleshed out novel.
Cátia
Este pequeno livro leva-nos de novo ao mundo de Efémera, onde pontes nos levam até onde o nosso coração anseia estar.
Nalah vive numa pequena aldeia com uma tradição, sempre que alguém sente mágoa ou angústia confecciona um bolo azedo para levar à menina a quem chamam de "A Voz".
É mais um belo conto com os requintes a que Bishop já nos habituou.
Melissa
I liked it but it ended really abruptly. It was like sleeping with a guy who is awesome at foreplay but rolls out of bed, gets dressed and leaves immediately post-climax.
Bree
A touching story. It felt a little bit like an homage to The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas, but in a way that would never work outside this quirky, fascinating little world.
Katrina
At last, we see what became of one girl "Who Walked Away from Omelas." A touching allegory in the world of Ephemera that is simple yet powerful in the telling.
Cheryl
I love Anne Bishop, but I was disappointed in this story. It felt more like a piece of fan fiction and wasn't up to her usual quality.
Nicole Luiken
Novella set in Ephemera. Fascinating/disturbing setting, a small town with a type of magical scapegoat...
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A Voz (Paperback)
The Voice (ebook)
The Voice (ebook)
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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 bestsellers list. She is currently working on a new series, which is an urban dark fantasy with a bit of a twist.

Crawford Award (2000)

Librar...more
More about Anne Bishop...
Daughter of the Blood (The Black Jewels, #1) Queen of the Darkness (The Black Jewels, #3) Heir to the Shadows (The Black Jewels, #2) Dreams Made Flesh (The Black Jewels, #5) The Black Jewels Trilogy: Daughter of the Blood, Heir to the Shadows, Queen of the Darkness (The Black Jewels, #1-3)

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