A Bait of Dreams

by Jo Clayton

Three unlikely heroes fight to save their planet from a deadly plague in this thrilling space opera set in Jo Clayton’s beloved Diadem universe.   No one on the barbarian planet Jaydugar knows where the hypnotically beautiful Ranga Eye gems came from, but everyone who encounters them pays a terrible price. These magic alien crystals, so smooth and pleasing to the touch, provide the holder with an extraordinary sense of peace and joy, causing them to see and experience wondrous, enchanting things. But the need for the visions the Ranga Eye provides quickly becomes an addiction that eats away at the soul and ultimately leads to a horrible, drawn-out death.   An exquisite embroiderer, Gleia has pined for independence and true purpose throughout her life of servitude. She finds both when she manages to buy her freedom and sets out to locate and obliterate the sparkling, druglike scourge that ripped a devastating hole in her personal world.   On a quest fraught with peril across a treacherous landscape of slavers, brigands, and mercenary aliens, Gleia’s path will intertwine with those of the enigmatic, long-lived juggler Shounach—a perplexing, often infuriating rogue born off-world three centuries earlier to intergalactic adventurer Aleytys—and young Deel the Dancer, both of whom have suffered tragic, life-altering loss as a result of the terrible, beautiful jewels.   Now the fate of the entire planet depends upon three unlikely champions locating the source of the sparkling plague and destroying the gems forever. But in a world of uncertainty and ever-present danger will they even survive to reach their journey’s end, and once there, can they resist the irresistible fatal seduction of the deadly Ranga Eyes?   Accomplished world-builder Jo Clayton returns to the galaxy she so brilliantly brought to life in her sensational Diadem Saga, once again seamlessly blending science fiction and high fantasy in an epic, thrill-packed quest adventure that confirms her position among C. J. Cherryh, Alan Dean Foster, Andre Norton, and other speculative fiction greats.

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy

372 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 5, 1985

About the author

Jo Clayton, whose parents named her after Jo in Little Women, was born and raised in Modesto, California. She and her three sisters shared a room and took turns telling each other bedtime stories. One of her sisters noted that Jo's stories were the best, and often contained science fiction and fantasy elements.

Clayton graduated from the University of California in 1963, Summa Cum Laude, and started teaching near Los Angeles.

In 1969, after a religious experience, she moved to New Orleans, Louisiana, joining the teaching order Sisters of Mount Carmel as a novice. She left three years later, before taking final orders.

During her time in New Orleans, Clayton sold sketches and paintings in Pioneer Square to supplement her income.

After being robbed several times, Clayton moved to Portland, Oregon in 1983. She remained there for the rest of her life.

Clayton was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 1996. Jo continued to write during her year and a half in the hospital. She finished Drum Calls, the second book of the Drums of Chaos series, and was halfway through the third and final book when she lost her struggle with multiple myeloma in February, 1998.

Literary executor Katherine Kerr made arrangements with established author Kevin Andrew Murphy to finish the third book of the Drums of Chaos series. It is now completed.

Reviews

[Gaijinmama · Rating 4 out of 5]

A freed slave , a dancer and a juggler set out to destroy the source of a horrible addiction that has destroyed the life of many on their world.
This is a good, quick read with just enough humor and darkness to keep it balanced.
The cover says it's a fantasy but it has spaceships
and aliens in it.
I'd call it science fiction and I'd give it a good solid 4 out of 5.
I sadly admit this book sat on my shelf for 17 years!!
Not only is it out of print, but the author passed away 10 years ago.
Here's a tribute to her, with a comprehensive list of all her works.
http://www.dm.net/~mjkramer/


Clayton was a gifted and prolific author and I strongly urge all who enjoy speculative fiction with strong female characters to track down this and her other works.
They deserve to be read.

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit of a carrier-bag story, and the individual little adventures are pretty good in and of themselves. If I'd read this serialized, I'd probably give it higher marks. But as a book it feels weird to suddenly make a turn into serious character development in the final act, and to not feel like there's really any thematic throughline to the various side-treks.

The writing was good enough (though all the women constantly folding their arms over their breasts got to be a slightly odd tic) that I want to try something else by Clayton that she didn't write and publish piecemeal. I read this as a teenager and was very impressed at the time, and I'm glad to say I was still delighted by a lot of ideas and components of the setting and story a second go-round 20 years later.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is actually science fiction, but it reads like fantasy. I'd call ot science fantasy.

Ranga Eyes are terribly addictive, leaving a husk of a person. (Warning: if you have lost someone to addiction, this book may have some uncomfortable scenes.) The three main characters have all lost people to these alien Ranga Eyes; their mission is to destroy the gens and their source. This is their quest.

The book is a bit uneven, but I liked it enough to finish it. I enjoyed it more as it was serialized in Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine.

Still, I would recommend it as a novel.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

A lot of interesting concepts that felt half-baked, though an interesting preview of what would come in her fantastic Skeen's Leap trilogy.

[James]

Fantasy paperback

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strong characters and lots of action on an interesting world. A very good read.