Delirium's Mistress

Tales from the Flat Earth #4

by Tanith Lee

Azhriaz, daughter of Azhrarn, Demon Lord of Night, and a mortal woman, is hidden on a mysterious island, destined to spend her life in dreams, until her father's enemy, Prince Chuz, Delusion's Master, rescues her and transforms her into Delirium's Mistress

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, High Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Science Fiction, Sci Fi Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy

416 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

Tanith Lee was a British writer of science fiction, horror, and fantasy. She was the author of 77 novels, 14 collections, and almost 300 short stories. She also wrote four radio plays broadcast by the BBC and two scripts for the UK, science fiction, cult television series "Blake's 7."
Before becoming a full time writer, Lee worked as a file clerk, an assistant librarian, a shop assistant, and a waitress.

Her first short story, "Eustace," was published in 1968, and her first novel (for children) The Dragon Hoard was published in 1971.

Her career took off in 1975 with the acceptance by Daw Books USA of her adult fantasy epic The Birthgrave for publication as a mass-market paperback, and Lee has since maintained a prolific output in popular genre writing.

Lee twice won the World Fantasy Award: once in 1983 for best short fiction for “The Gorgon” and again in 1984 for best short fiction for “Elle Est Trois (La Mort).” She has been a Guest of Honour at numerous science fiction and fantasy conventions including the Boskone XVIII in Boston, USA in 1981, the 1984 World Fantasy Convention in Ottawa, Canada, and Orbital 2008 the British National Science Fiction convention (Eastercon) held in London, England in March 2008. In 2009 she was awarded the prestigious title of Grand Master of Horror.

Lee was the daughter of two ballroom dancers, Bernard and Hylda Lee. Despite a persistent rumour, she was not the daughter of the actor Bernard Lee who played "M" in the James Bond series of films of the 1960s.

Tanith Lee married author and artist John Kaiine in 1992.

Reviews

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

The longest by far of Tanith Lee's Flat Earth books; also a direct continuation from Delusion's Master (the third book) -- per the introduction, Delusion's Master/Delirium's Mistress likely would have been one really, really long book were it not for a) the exigencies of bookbinding and b) the fact that Lee got distracted by another project between the two books.

Anyway.

Delusion's Master was the story of Chuz, third of the Lords of Darkness, and the tricks he played on Azhrarn, Night's Master, and the fate that was meted out to him. Delirium's Mistress is the story of Soveh/Sovaz/Azhriaz, Azhrarn's daughter (by Dunizel, Azhrarn's mortal love, who perished as a result of Chuz' actions at the end of the previous book; needless to say, there were Consequences for such actions). At first, her father sends her back up from the Demon realms below to the Flat Earth to rule as a goddess (and, not incidentally, inculcate a strong distrust of the Gods amongst the dwellers on the Flat Earth). The Gods themselves, from their dwelling places far from mortal ken, do eventually become aware of, and take exception to, Azhriaz' actions and send three fiery angels to convey their displeasure.

Needless to say, Azhriaz has her own thoughts on the matter ...

Again, the world and the language is in equal parts gorgeous and cruel, and ultimately the power of Love (and the power of Death) is not to be sneered at.

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Long time ago when the Earth was Flat...”

The fourth and final* full-length novel in Lee's Flat Earth fantasy series - inspired by ancient mythology and Biblical stories (although the content is FAR from religious in any traditional sense) charged with a high degree of romance and sexuality - brings the story to a beautiful conclusion. Unfortunately, to get to that conclusion, you have to slog through a very long, very slow meandering first 80% that can really try the reader's patience, even if you are a fan of Lee's ornate prose. But that last 20%, if you make it, ties in many of the characters and events of the earlier books in a very satisfying way for those who have read the entire series.

*the fifth and sixth installments are short story collections
 
“What is any of this to us? Time is endless and ours. Love and Death are only the games we play in it.”

[Pam Baddeley · Rating 2 out of 5]

This fourth volume in the series is very long and perhaps that was part of the problem I had with it because it has a very meandering plot, and the characters are all supernatural - demonic or half demon or angels or a man who is immortal - and it is therefore very difficult to relate to them or really care much about them. Even one mortal character who appears only briefly and is a prince of the sea people is a mage and not human.

In this, Azhrarn's half human daughter is left alone and neglected as he mourns the death of her mother. Prince Chuz, prince of madness, who was responsible for that death in the last book, comes to steal her away and she goes willingly. She becomes his lover but their idyll is interrupted when her father catches up with them and with Chuz's agreement ends the war between them by inflicting real madness on Chuz and a lifetime of degradation etc. Initially Azhriaz follows him and on the way encounters a town full of vampires which she puts in their place, but eventually she gets fed up, capitulates and agrees to follow her father's original plan of proving to mortals that the gods are pitiless and disinterested, by becoming a goddess set over them. The trouble is, humanity seems to enjoy being degraded and co-operates by, among other things, "anticipating" her demands by slaughtering their families and other excesses. And then all this finally impinges on the notice of the otherwise remote uncaring gods.......

Up to the point where his daughter capitulates and agrees to take the name Azhiraz there is quite a bit of wandering and then a lot more afterwards. Various colourful characters are encountered, the writing is exotic and at times beautifully evocative of colours, shapes, creatures and so on. But I found it dragged because it didn't engage me. Various characters from previous volumes are name checked or even encountered and we learn why one of them changed his name in book 2 when he became a sorceror - male sorcerors are denoted by having 'k' on the end of their names and female sorcerors by having 'as' or 'az'. The reunion of Azhriaz with Chuz at the end puzzled me where she seems to accept his version of events whereby he denies responsibility for her mother's stoning with the blood stone of Azhrarn, the only thing which could have killed her, because the sequence in book 3 made it quite clear that he was acting deliberately. Although the ending is quite touching and various characters learn to relinquish the hatred which had spurned them on previously, there is still quite a jaundiced viewpoint towards human nature through much of the book. At least by the end two of the characters have been spreading a message of love, peace and the value of the human soul for some years.

Given the standard of the writing I didn't want to be too harsh, but on the other hand, giving this 3 stars would mean "I liked it". As I found it dragged, I have to award a 2 star 'OK' valuation.

[Jay Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written, much longer than the last installment from the Tales from Flat Earth series. Deliriums Mistress has an incredible challenge to follow the master stroke that Delusions Master was.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I initially thought that Soveh-Sovaz-Azhiraz daughter of Azrarn & the mortal star child Dunizel was an impossibly difficult character to develop as a protagonist. She is too powerful...half demon, part human & part comet she is a child of the Vazdru Lord of darkness Azrarn and thus kin to the demonic Underworld and city Druhim Vanashta whilst being a grandchild of the Sun itself.

As her mother was a mortal child of a comet & human Azirahz can bare the light of the Sun without being destroyed like no other demon can. Such a being with such power whilst lacking obvious weaknesses seems a tall order to develop as a character. However Tanith Lee succeeds, Soveh-Sovaz-Azhiraz turns out to be a complex and powerful entity & truly reflects her gestation as demon, human & star child. Soveh evolves across the story and her arch culminates in what I felt was thoroughly satisfying whilst unexpected in many ways.

Tanith Lee doesn't disappoint the story goes places that I never expected and the main protagonist moves from vindictive, angry demoness with daddy issues to a wise, sympathetic & passionate immortal on a quest to understand her origins and place in the universe. Through her ultimate quest to reconcile her origins as a tool for malice and misfortune as her father Azrahn intended we learn about the ultimate destiny of humanity and in fact how mortality is the greatest gift in the world of Flat Earth. Mortals will become the inheritors of the earth in a distant future and are blessed by the cycles of death & rebirth that lead to spiritual growth and understanding that even the God's will never know.

There are many interesting threads in the Tales of Flat Earth series. One the God's are cold aloof beings who care little for humanity. Demon kind whilst toying with humanity at least cares for the destiny of humans. The God's are incredibly powerful yet flawed beings, seeing their seclusion & inward focus as the most important part of their existence.

Through the wicked machinations of Azrahn the Prince of demons a greater and ultimate good and truth is revealed then enacted on the flat earth through Soveh-Sovaz-Azirahz. This is a deft and interesting way to spin the manifestation of evil through Azrahn and demon kind into an arch that gives demon kind an important place on the flat earth. Demons are the unmade beings that existed before the flat earth was created and through the evil they enact on mankind humans grow & evolve spiritually. Everything in the Flat Earth universe has a purpose and ultimately its part of ensuring the future destiny of human kind. Even through the way Azrahn the Prince of Demons evolves a greater destiny may await even the demons....

Deliriums mistress whilst a long tale succeeds in the intentions of the author. Be prepared for characters that evolve, embark on a journey that changes them and the world itself. Threads that are started that initially seem impossible to resolve reach smart conclusions. Parts of the book do stretch and I did feel the strain of the story especially during Azirahz rule as demon godess on the earth, but the way the story resolves itself easily makes up for this. I even think that Tanith Lee may have intended this. This is a wonderful book and as expected from Tanith Lee beautifully written...

[D.D. Price · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is a mess. It is a disaster of a mess. It is perhaps the biggest reading disappointment I’ve experienced this year. I had waited over a year to continue with the Flat Earth series. I had waited due to lack of availability of the books. So you can imagine my excitement at the DAW reissue. Tanith Lee is one of my favorite authors so I was salivating in anticipation to continue with this awesome series. Except that this book wasn’t as awesome as the previous books. It has some good moments with some interesting ideas touched on here and there but it doesn’t all come together into a cohesive tapestry like Night’s Master. The stories feel disjointed with tenuous connections between them. The interweaving of stories that made Night’s Master such an interesting read fell flat and simply didn’t work in this one. None of it really made much sense. Tanith Lee also added in a story with strong horror elements that felt jarring because it was out of place, this series being epic fantasy. The character of Aziziaz isn’t nearly as interesting a character as her father. Except maybe for at the beginning I never really felt for her plight. The characterization in general felt weak as the descriptive elements and random stories that didn’t fit well within the overarching narrative were emphasized to too great a degree. Tanith Lee normally writes great but even the writing itself seemed inconsistent in this novel. The writing was lackadaisical in places, while rising to Tanith’s typical magnificence in others. All in all it was an uneven effort that did not entirely consistent with the rest of the series. I was considering giving it three stars but that would seriously be going easy on it so I decided to give it two stars and treat it just like any other novel. Tanith Lee doesn’t get a free pass just for being one of my favorite authors. Hopefully I’ll like the next book in the series better.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though it took me very long time to finish Delirium's Mistress, I enjoyed it very much. This book is not my favorite in the Tales from the Flat Earth, but the story is still magnificent, full of details and imagination. I think the characterization of the heroine Sovaz/Azhriaz/Atmeh is at first a little flat, but with the story going on, she becomes more and more interesting. The whole story is her journey of self-discovery and of pursuit of identity, and I especially love the ending scene.

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my least favorite of the Flat Earth books. It's as long as Death's Master, being roughly twice as long as both Night's Master and Delusion's Master, but it failed to hold my attention all the way through like Death's Master did. The overall premise is simple enough: in the previous book, Delusion's Master, Azhrarn hatched a scheme to punish the mortals of Earth and teach them that worshiping the gods is foolish. Here, that scheme comes to fruition – Azhrarn has sent them a goddess-queen to rule them with a platinum fist and to show them first-hand, up close and personal, how capricious and indifferent the gods really are. His plan is so audacious that finally even the actual gods of Upper Earth are required to take notice and act. Shenanigans ensue.

It'll help if you have a pretty good recollection of the events of Death's Master and Delusion's Master, because they'll be referenced a lot. There will be a repeat visit to the city of Simmurad, and those crystalline drops of Azhrarn's blood will continue to have an important part to play. And if you wanted a more definitive end for Zhirim/Zhirek in Death's Master (I know I did), well, it turns out he's still around. It seems he's been sitting in that same cleft in the rock tower in the desert for a few centuries. And he'll come out of the rock a different person.

There is some cool stuff here – as always, Lee's prose and worldbuilding are a delight. This story features a visit to a city of vampires, a repeat visit to the Undersea in a marvelous Drinn-built ship, a titanic clash between the powers of Under Earth and Upper Earth, and a coup d'etat in Under Earth. And it is quite satisfying to see people who perpetrated great crimes see the error of their ways and voluntarily spend mortal lifetimes atoning for them.

But the downsides are primarily two-fold:

First, we follow Azhriaz for the entire story, but for most of that journey, I never really connected with her as either a heroine or an anti-heroine. She spends the early part of the book in the teenage rebellion stage, even changing her name for a while because she wants nothing to do with Dad. Then she gives in and agrees to go along with Dad's scheme, which involves playing the role of goddess-queen to a rather large nation and being as temperamental, demanding, and arbitrary as she wants. She's been godlike in power her whole life, but she has all the foibles of mortals, and after spending years as the most pampered queen on earth, she's never had to do anything for herself. I never felt she matured beyond the sulky brat stage. In her sojourn in the Undersea, where her powers were greatly diminished and she was in real danger for the first time in her life, she resorted to threatening to call her daddy on them. That was a real low point.

Azhriaz is an example of the maxim that familiarity breeds contempt – we've only ever seen Azhrarn as a fully formed adult and the ultimate example of his kind, and he awes and terrifies us while also delighting us. It's hard for us as readers to feel that same level of awe for Azhriaz because we literally saw her born, knew her as a baby, and we know that while she's part demonic, she's also part mortal, and that mortal part is an inexperienced, sheltered, indulged young woman. She reminds me a bit of Kylo Ren, the super-powerful brat of Star Wars infamy – the audience couldn't take him seriously as a villain because all they could see was the spoiled, rebellious teen. Azhriaz has a similar credibility problem. But I will admit her character arc, although it took far too long and there was a mess of BS along the way, was ultimately satisfying, as she finally undergoes a real growth process late in the game and matures into herself and her own, nothing more nor less.

Second, the plot is a bit of a sprawling, pointless mess – nearly the exact opposite of the tidy, perfectly crafted jewel that is Night's Master. People, demons, and angels are tramping around all over the place, and a lot of it doesn't advance the plot at all – a prime example is the visit to the city of vampires. It was a long, detailed sideshow that had no apparent point except perhaps to let everyone see the power of Azhriaz first-hand. Ditto re-visiting the ruins of Simmurad, which was tantalizing, but proved to have no point at all. And there were several points in the final quarter of the book where Lee had good opportunities to wrap it up and make a satisfying ending of it, but she passed them by and kept on writing. Not that the final ending she actually wrote was bad, but it was at least the third ending in the excruciatingly long denouement.

So. I think Lee's fundamental mistake was trying to write a full-length novel focusing on a single protagonist and a continuous plot, which is just not her forte. She managed it, just barely, in Death's Master by splitting the narrative among several significant protags, but making us care about only ONE protag for an entire 400 pages was a bridge too far. I'm convinced Lee is at her best when telling a short fable, as we see from the story of the moon and sun late in the book, which is the most superlative chapter in the whole book even though it's a complete sideshow and doesn't advance the plot at all. In that tiny story, we don't need to connect with the characters as PEOPLE, and it doesn't much matter if it has a point, because it's such a delight all on its own. Night's Master was such a gem because it was a string of exactly those kinds of small self-contained stories, with just enough connection between them to form a satisfying whole. Like pearls on a string, each one a small perfection in its own right, and together forming something even more beautiful.

Nevertheless, a bad book by Tanith Lee is... still decent. 3 stars. Enjoy it for the prose and the scenery, and try not to fret about the shortcomings of the characters and the plot.

Audio Notes: I've seen saying all along how damn good narrator Susan Duerden is, but here she impressed me all over again because we meet a character who's almost but not quite exactly like Azhrarn in every way, this being one Hazhrand, the SECOND most powerful Vazdru in Under Earth. His voice is almost but not quite exactly as seductively breathy as Azrahn's, but is audibly distinct from Azhrahn's, being sightly lower and even more musical. I haven't been this impressed by a narrator's ability to give similar characters distinctive voices since Aldrich Barrett made every Oonkali sound totally unique and yet all recognizably Oonkali in the Xenogenesis trilogy.

[Genevra Littlejohn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A more satisfying end to a glorious series than I had believed possible. It took me years to find this book, and I read it until the front cover fell off. It's marvelous to see the culmination of a decade of character-building; everyone who began in the earlier books as immature(Azhrarn, with his reckless lust and casual cruelty, Uhlume, with his unlove for humanity, Zhirem/Zhirek/Dathanja with his uncertainty, and so many others)come into themselves in so many interesting ways. Each of the prior novels tend to have less hope than pain in them, but this final piece is the light at the end of all things, and though it's still as sharp as a glass knife, it is beautiful. Interesting, too, that of all the Lords of Darkness, Azhriaz/Sovaz/Soveh is the one that finally sees through to the truth of the world; but Tanith Lee said from the very beginning that Azhrarn invented love, and so it only follows that any child of his would go further up that path.

[Δημήτριος Καραγιάννης · Rating 2 out of 5]

A huge disappointment, this book by Tanith Lee. It is superfluous and repetitive without any apparent reason, its narration is mundane and tiresome, and character development seemingly occurs just to occur. In my opinion, Tanith Lee grew complacent. Just because you supposedly put all five Lords of Darkness in one book, coupled with epic battles and confrontations (which are not written in a very stimulative manner, I might add), does not mean that your storytelling will automatically turn out alright. This book needed polishing and a lot more work before getting published. It felt as if the characters and the numerous worlds that they explore were hollow and meaningless.

[Scott · Rating 2 out of 5]

I seem to be enjoying each volume less than its predecessor. Perhaps I am wearying of the storytelling style. As the longest of the Tales, it did tend to ramble at times, almost to the point of incoherence. Or else it was just a matter of my waning interest.

The ending was poignant, however.

[Emiliya Bozhilova · Rating 2 out of 5]

Много неравномерна поредица се оказа, направо love-hate relationship, в зависимост за коя част става въпрос. Първата и третата книга спокойно биха могли да са една цялостна история, майсторски изпипана, най-изящен филигран. Втората книга беше напълно излишна. Настоящата - четвърта - част дава завършеност на историята: тъжно-приказна, сладко-горчива завършеност.

Тук идва онзи праг, отвъд който нищо за Принца на Демоните, Господар на Нощта, няма да е каквото е било. А дъщерята на безсмъртен и смъртна ще мине по целия път от лутащо се безсмъртно създание, през безпощадна и могъща богиня, до просто мъдра и познаваща света старица, в чиято младост океанът е избухвал в пламъци, а ангели и демони са се сражавали в небесата.

Начинът на поднасяне на сюжета обаче изобщо не можа да ме грабне - все се губех какво се случва и защо. Героите не ме развълнуваха, действието беше твърде досадно-протяжно и удавено в ненужни екзотични детайли и странични приказни истории, репликите - излишно състарени и неразбираемо-парадоксално-сюрреалистични някак по шекспировски, с цялата тази шестваща лудост и пластове от илюзии. Не успях да оценя навремето Шекспировите големи трагедии, какво остава пък за далеч по-скромната интерпретация на Танит Ли. Краят е може би най-силната част, но съответно и най-кратката.

Като цяло, светът на плоската земя е изключително интересен и богат като идея и реализация. Но Танит Ли е имала слабост към част от създадените образи и тъкмо техните истории (първа и трета книга) са чиста, въздушна наслада. Останалите части са художествено пипнати, но откъм въздействие са доста далеч. При все това любителите на по-мрачното и далеч от стандартните занаятчйски щампи фентъзи ще намерят прекрасен нов свят за пътешествие и разучаване. Но и ще се сблъскат с онези провокации, които лишават част от по-новите истории от теми за размисъл или дори от мрачна псевдореалистична свежест.

Някой ден може да отворя и последната част, която е разкази с героите от четвъртата част.

⭐️2,5 звезди за 4-та част ⭐️

[Ана Хелс · Rating 5 out of 5]

След магията на лудостта идва обсебващата пропаст на делириума, в който заспиват сърца и се събуждат души. С промяната на съзнанието и възраждането на мечтите у героите полу-хора, но не и покровители на човешкия род, правилата на световния ред се изменят по волята на несъществуващи зарове. Четвъртият лорд на мрака – принц Кишмет или Съдбата , излиза на сцената , за да спаси най-новата богиня на плоската земя, сменяща имена и спомени като сенките в ясно черните си коси.

От жестоки владетели и безмилостни божества, до загубили пътя си безсмъртни магове и души с повече от едно тяло, летящи в райските висини рамо да рамо с дългокоси ангели – комети, или спускащи се в черните дълбини със зеленокожи амфибии – приключението на неродената любов и неумиращата омраза към човешкия вид и борбата между нетленните демони и неживелите богове придобива своя финален обрат. Любовта побеждава и изменя, но и убива и се забравя с времето – най-големия противник на истинските чувства.

Една от най-красивите поредици, в която думите са цветове, изреченията – мелодии, а героите – оживели сънища, завършва с тъжния финал на старостта след векове, когато смъртта е награда за проявените грижи към недълговечните хуманоиди, а не наказание за неуспели мечтания. Тъгата разцъфва в своята теменужена красота, а усмивката е много, много повече от израз на някакъв далечен полъх на радост. Плоските земи изчезват, отстъпвайки на модерната глобализация, в която демоните – богове място нямат. Но поне имаме утешението на пожълтелите страници легенди за неслучилото се съновидение на забравила за света магьосница…

Знам, цялата тази алтернативна вселена от думи би била кошмарна за превод, тъй като ��сяка буква е важна, придиханията между редовете и мелодичната лексика се предават толкова трудно на не-демонски език, а мислите на великата Танит избледняват произнесени от нечии читателски устни. Но все пак се надявам някога в моя живот да има повече от един читател, който да се е докоснал до истинската красота на майсторското думосъздаване. Защото това е остатъка от онази божествена искра, която ни е създала, и тя сгрява по-силно и от най-буйния огън на реалността.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tanith Lee passed away in 2015, and while I mourned my favourite author, of whose death I only heard months later, the prices of her books skyrocketed, making it almost impossible for me to continue this much-beloved series without going bankrupt. Few works ever touched me like Lee's, and witnessing her stories being removed from print one after the other felt like running out of time. The old novels sold out for horrendous sums, and I desperately reread the three first parts of the Tales from the Flat Earth, repeating them like a mantra.

How grateful I am then for these lovely new editions that deliver Tanith Lee's beauteous prose to new generations of readers! The gorgeously illustrated covers do her work justice, so much that I'm already thinking about rebuying the ones I already own. I've waited so long for the story to continue that the sheer beauty of it brought actual tears to my eyes. It was like experiencing her writing for the first time all over again. And although I've compared other authors' writing to hers before, in the end nobody comes even close to this feverdream of a style.

To keep my adoration short, Delirium's Mistress is on a par with the preceding Tales from The Flat Earth, and in my opinion seemlessly fits into the series, playing with words and wording, imagery and symbolism. To my surprise, numerous characters from preceding installments make a reappearance, which made my goth heart overflow with joy! And each encounter with the almost-forgotten figures of her lore made me miss Tanith Lee even more.

There are still so many stories of hers that I haven't had the chance to read yet, and that is one of the biggest comforts to me, the continued existence of the grand lady of fantasy inside her books. Perhaps I'll buy Night's Sorceries right away - or perhaps I'll procrastinate the premature end of a beloved series by re-examining the previous tales first. In any case, this was marvelous.

[Derek · Rating 3 out of 5]

A series that continues to revel in its gorgeousness, even to the point of exhausting itself. Night's Master was a small sparkling dark jewel, and while this was similarly beautifiul, it had a stretched-out quality through its middle, not helped by all the characters turning Byronic and loving their melodrama. I'm not convinced that Lee was holding it all together.

Still, in decorations and dark-mirror synthesis of mythology, there is no equal. I dare anyone to read "The Story of Liliu", a diversion told to Sovaz that she interrupts because she figured out the ending and finds the telling to be tiresome. Or, "The Story of the Stallion's Back", the perfect rendering of a quibble in prophecy.

[Seikaiha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had been kind of resentful with this book for many years. But after listening to the audio version of the whole series, I felt I could appreciate the series, especially the last few volumes, truly now. So I got so excited when the e-book version of the series started becoming available and felt grateful for that. This book reminded me that this series is also stories of mankind.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 4. What I consider the "meat" of the Flat Earth series. This is the book that caused me to call Tanith Lee "religion." You can read this book first & then find yourself searching for 1, 2 & 3 to research the history this one draws on.

[Miranda · Rating 5 out of 5]

my favourite of the series, still.

[Emil · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hate to say it but this was at least twice as long as it needed to be. Still beautiful prose though.

[Adam Meek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gods and Demons contend, but Love masters all

[Zan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a little concerned going into Delirium's Mistress off the back of the weakest entry in the series so far, and being confronted with the premise of a book that would take a lot of Lore (tm) through the previous installments and try to construct this large thing out of it all - would Tanith Lee's effervescent, melodic style fit with something so weighty, so beholden to what came before?

I shouldn't have worried at all. Not only does she pull it off with style, her plucking moments from the prior trilogy only serve to enhance the slow congealing of The Flat Earth from "some stories" into a "grand mythology" - this most certainly the grandest. Whereas Night's Master flits about from character to character, Death's Master is about a Brother/Sister Romance/Rivalry, and Delusion's Master is, essentially a Tower of Babel parable - Delirium's Mistress actually leans into almost a christian book of revelation, a devastating apocalypse the scale of which we haven't seen in the series before, but one that Lee twists and uses for very particular personal change and growth in this beautiful, affirming way.

This wouldn't be possible without the setup that came before, and the payoff is more than worth the price of "this is a series now". I still think Night's Master's freedom is unparalleled, but this bookends and pays off what came before so well, it nearly takes the throne. Tanith Lee is a master.

[Riju Ganguly · Rating 2 out of 5]

After writing the excellent and compact 'Night's Master', the author had, for some reasons, left that format. She had started writing lengthier works, full of lyrical imagery and haunted characters, spread across hundreds and hundreds of pages. I don't know about others, but for me the works started losing charm almost immediately. They became soporific, as pace was eschewed in favour of supposed character-development.
The massive novel under discussion is probably the biggest victim of that attitude.
Spread into stories dealing with various characters but connected by one overarching character, it could have been vastly more readable. But this one? It simply goes on, and on, and on...
Despite the shrapish ending, the book appeared tame and flabby compared to that first beast. Perhaps the last one would be better.
Perhaps.

[Whitney · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a big goal of the author to make a creation story about a goddess in a parallel universe.

Novel contains heavy poetry, gravity, life vs death followed by more death. Centuries of suffering either feel exactly like centuries, or they feel like minutes when you’re a goddess. But author needs us to know that the minute of goddess suffering feels like double the amount of whatever we humans can imagine.

My life got shortened while reading this novel.

I don’t have any interest of becoming a Tanith Lee goddess follower. Everything one says must sound like a proclamation. Also one must have zero sense of humor—absolutely zero—do not even try. NO ONE EVER FEELS AMUSEMENT IN THIS UNIVERSE. IS THAT A SMIRK I SEE MADAM?? You are immediately banished!

[Nathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not my favorite book in the Flat Earth series, but nevertheless a work of staggering beauty and imagination. I am quite literally stunned that these books and Lee are not more well known. The sheer inventiveness of her works, and particularly the Flat Earth, has few parallels; she matches some of the greatest masters of fantasy, in my opinion. Her prose is perhaps an acquired taste, but I don't think any could say that it is not lush, beautiful, and full of rich metaphors and turns of phrase. There are very, very few fantasy authors that write on Lee's level. I think of maybe Mervyn Peake (of whom Lee was an admirer), Ursula K. LeGuin, and a few others. But Lee's writing is incredibly beautiful, and as an aspiring writer myself, an absolute inspiration.

This book didn't work as well as the three previous books in the series simply because it took a bit too long to come into focus. Though it tells one long story, that of Azhriaz, daughter of Azhrarn, it feels disjointed and meandering a lot of the time. Though I did, of course, enjoy the meanderings, if you compare Delirium's Mistress to the more tightly plotted previous book, Delusion's Master, it becomes clear that this book might have benefitted from an editor's hand here and there. Nevertheless, by the end of the book, Lee's purpose becomes clear, and the finale is a beautiful, even spiritual kind of elegy on mortality. I think it might have taken a bit too much time to get to that point, myself, but I loved the book even so and will read the next book in the series with glee.

These are not books that will appeal to everybody. If you want a book with a meaty plot full of twists and turns, or well-developed characters that go through struggles and changes, you won't get that here. They read more like dark fairy-tales, more elaborate stories ripped out of the Arabian Nights, parables and fables. But if you are a reader who exults in beautiful writing, these are made for you. That is the centerpiece, the focal point of the Flat Earth series, and it is delicious.

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Basics

This is the fourth installment in Tanith Lee’s Tales of the Flat Earth. Last we left off in Delusion’s Master, Azhrarn, Prince of Demons, had fallen in love with a mortal and sired a child. This is the story of that child.

My Thoughts

Tales of the Flat Earth is Lee’s masterstroke when it comes to fantasy writing. It’s a dark fairy tale that makes no attempt at being anything but purely adult. I have copies of the previous three books that plainly state “adult fantasy” on the cover, as if to say, “don’t say we didn’t warn you.” And going back to that “masterstroke” statement, its scope is enormous and the writing is perfectly beautiful. It’s purple, but it suits the world and these characters and the lustrous quality of everything shown.

From birth until Azhriaz’s ultimate fate, Lee covers it all. She is amazing at showing a character’s entire life, leaving out no detail, and yet condensing it so perfectly. It never drags. And it’s never rushed. But you’ve lived an entire life with Azhriaz, gone through all her changes (which include several name changes to denote her different stages), and it’s incredibly satisfying.

It’s hard for me to go into details without spoiling, because this is the fourth book in a series, but I will say it’s hard to get me hooked into a series. I tend toward standalone novels. Trilogies and series are hard to commit to for me. I ask a lot of a story that long. Namely that it be engaging throughout and have a world worth exploring. So admitting that I mostly avoid long series of books, that should be a testament to how wonderful these books are. I’ve been making my way through this series over the years, and I’m always so involved in the story and characters, every time. The same goes for this particular volume.

Lee is a highly overlooked author who deserves a great deal more attention, and this series is a fantastic place to start if you’re interested.

Final Rating

5/5

[Florin Pitea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite enjoyable.

[Enric · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am just at page 69 but it has been a real shock for me from the very beginning.
Tanith Lee is an author from which I have only read 2 previous books, one I can't recall but taht it was a Spanish translation and quite good, the other was the first book of the Vis series (The Stormlord) which I found rather dull and with a not quite consistent storyline.

But this one is a completely different thing. The author uses a style close to poetic prose and the story is utterly compelling. Well, I don't want to go deeper into it as I am still reading but I can just say that whit just these few pages read and considering that this is a Dutch translation so that some of the original atmosphere will have been lost it's is one of the most enticing pieces of high fantasy I have read in a long time.

I would give it 5 stars but I will wait to finish it.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another consistently brilliant installment in the books of the Flat Earth series, Delirium's Mistress describes the rise and fall of Azhrarn's daughter, Azhriaz. She is arguably the most developed character yet in Lee's defining series, as well as providing deeper insight into previous characters (most notably Zhirek) through the foil of her own adventures. The prose poetry of these novels is crystallized here, every page containing playful, artful and startling turns of phrase and pointedly improper and thought provoking word usage. This is a classic novel of fantastic literature that deserves more recognition than that which it has received from the rabid, disparate members of the Tanith Lee Cult.

[CJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one of a series that are wonderfully written. They are adult fairy tales not for the faint of heart, where demons are unbearably lovely yet they are prone to damaging those things they take an interest in. You can start anywhere in the series, but it's best to get the backstory by starting at the beginning and working up to this one.
Tanith Lee's language is the main draw in these books. They are lush and opulent to a fault but they are well plotted and nicely paced so that you're not left floundering in a sea of purple prose.

[Jefferson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fathers, Daughters, Lovers, and a Quest for Mortality

Tanith Lee’s fourth novel in her Tales from the Flat Earth, Delirium’s Mistress (1986), incorporates characters from the first three books as it tells the life story of Azhriaz, the daughter born to Azhrarn (Lord of Darkness) and a mortal woman who was stoned by an angry mob and, apparently, killed by a drop of Azhrarn’s blood thrown with a stone at the instigation of Chuz, Lord of Madness.

The three Books of the novel depict:

--Azhriaz (AKA Sovaz) and her relationship with Chuz as they meet and become lovers, until Azrharn bestirs himself from his relentless mourning to punish Chuz for the death of Azhriaz’ mother.

--Azhriaz becoming an unfeeling goddess to satisfy the will of her father Azhrarn, dedicated to teaching people what they ever refuse to learn, that the gods are indifferent to them, until she attracts the attention of the gods of the Upperearth.

--Azhriaz (AKA Atmeh) searching on her own for mortality in order to become truly immortal, until a moving Epilogue ends the novel.

Azhriaz is often an unappealing protagonist. But her experiences are often fascinating, and her growth is poignant, and her relationship with her father Azhrarn is compelling. Though most of the novel is not narrated from his point of view, the way he gradually changes from seeing his daughter as purely his creation to purely her mother’s is quite moving. Will the climax of their reconciliation ever come?

Throughout Azhriaz’ pilgrim’s progress, Lee writes many scenes of fantastic interest: a region terrorized by a sadistic magician-prince, a city dominated by vampiric ghouls, a city-empire ruled by an appalling goddess, an underwater city aping cities above ground, an ancient ruined city, the annhilation of a city, the epic battle between the Lord of Darkness and an angel born from the sun, a transcendent sex scene, a spell for mortality, a rebellion in the Underearth of the demons, and much more.

The themes of the novel concern the indifference [if not cruelty] of gods (“The gods have no care for men”), the nature of (im)mortality, and various kinds of love (“in the end, love alone remains”), from sexual to spiritual, familial to romantic, and destructive to creative.

Lee writes in the tradition of oral tales like the Thousand Nights and One Night, so she tells some stories in stories, and her narrator is often only repeating what she has heard, as in lines like, “They say the smoke of burning rose up from her footsteps a while then.”

I love Lee’s harrowing, moving, and wise fantasy:
--“That was the bitterness of joy, that it cannot last or turn stale.”
--“Ten years of evil cannot cancel out one day of good.”
--“There’s no worse curse than to sour the sweetness in yourself.”
--“What was the world, but passing things?”


And her potent, poetic fantasy:
--“a wood famed for the egress of things irregular.”
--“husks of petrified poppies.”
--“black and boiling, sudden as meteors.”
--“They passed over geographies magnificent or pestiferous”

Another appealing thing about Lee’s novel (and her work in general) is its ironic humor, like Azhriaz having to listen to men telling her lengthy stories that she only just manages to tolerate, or the sea folk who live in a city where slaves tend to fall from the higher aristocratic districts to their deaths in the lower slums.

Her weird wit makes me smile:
--“It was perhaps foolish to expect good taste among ghouls.”
--“Though they were beautiful, so are fires and leopards.”
--“Even a skull grins cheerfully, as if it knew something the flesh did not.”
--“Its ruin was not epic, only utter.”

Here’s one of my favorite passages, full of rich poetry, vivid description, and bleak wit:

“The dawn had turned to blood and the sun to tarnish. The groaning and the screaming, the prayers, useless and known to be useless, the exhortations, scrabbling attempts at exodus, the burrowings that would yield no safety, the ecstasies of madness and immolation, each and all occurred, the correct paraphernalia of catastrophe. But, seen from the heavens, what was it, but a fomentation in a hill of termites.”

I like how in her Tales from the Flat Earth series, she uses immortal beings to explore the human heart. For demons, who invented love, the carnal act is art and pleasure but never procreative; wizards have prodigious power but often fail spectacularly; the Prince of Darkness Azhrarn must learn how to be a father and can only shed tears with words. Lee’s fantastic beings are sublime and transcendent but also human, distorted funhouse mirrors of ourselves: “So, yes, you are a goddess, so strong with riches and enchantments you might as well be destitute. And so beautiful, you might as well be faceless.”

The audiobook reader Susan Duerden does splendid vampire-ghouls and magician-princes, saintly demons and angelic monsters, and the like! Her base narration has the same singing, endlessly looping rhythm (e.g., “Raising its PLUUUMES to the SKYYY” and “Well BOOORN but POOOR”), which almost put this listener to sleep, but then her excellent character voices, especially her outre ones, vivified me.

The second book in the series (Death’s Master) is my favorite, with the first and third close seconds, but this fourth book also gets five stars because it’s so ambitious, twisted, beautiful, and funny. I’m looking forward to the fifth book in the series.

[Aldo Campos · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the fourth book of the series, Tanith Lee unleashes all her delirious imagination. By the middle of Delirium's Mistress, the tale goes full surrealistic. Her narration also becomes more ornate than ever. But still, some whole chapters feel unnesesary, as the return of some characters from the previous books.