Æstival Tide

Winterlong #2

by Elizabeth Hand

Four centuries after the Third Shining the Orsinas rule absolute in the domed city-state of Araboth. A fortress built at the ocean's edge, Araboth protects its citizens from the presumed horrors of Outside. But now the predictions of Araboth's collapse seem near fulfillment. As the Prince of Storms gathers Outside, amidst a giddy atmosphere of decadent ritual inside, four will come together in one last hope for survival. Prisoner and privileged alike, this small group - Hobi, a boy on the brink of manhood; Reive, a green-eyed visionary; Tast'annin, a deathless warrior; and Nefertity, an android built in the time long before the dark days - will face the opening gates to welcome the raging Æstival Tide.

In a stunning feat of the imagination Elizabeth Hand takes us once again into a world shaken by forces of devastating evil, sustained by a fragile ray of hope. Breathtaking in its invention, mesmerizing in the telling, Æstival Tide is the intoxicating sequel to the highly praised Winterlong.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction, Dystopia, Post Apocalyptic, Science Fiction Fantasy, Speculative Fiction

399 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

A New York Times notable and multiple award– winning author, Elizabeth Hand has written seven novels, including the cult classic Waking the Moon, and short-story collections. She is a longtime contributor to numerous publications, including the Washington Post Book World and the Village Voice Literary Supplement. She and her two children divide their time between the coast of Maine and North London.

Reviews

[mark monday · Rating 3 out of 5]

book 2 in elizabeth hand's beyond-futuristic trilogy is just as baroque, decadent, and lush as the first novel. it features the return of a now-zombified, still sinister, yet surprisingly sympathetic Aviator Margolis Tast'annin...as well as twisted royalty ruling over an enclosed babylon, a sad and rather shell-shocked android, fetishitic descriptions of bizarre rituals galore, and my favorite, a wise and murderous land-whale, dreaming of the eventual destruction of humanity. sinister, bizarre, awesome. however, a point must be docked for unnecessary and lengthy descriptions of child torture, which are not only sickening, but made me skip various paragraphs altogether. sometimes i think elizabeth hand includes things just to upset me personally!

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

as a follow-up to 'Winterlong', i found this book to be rather confusing... not sure if she planned a trilogy, but if so it is the most disjointed sequel i have ever read... glacially paced, like iceberg slow... Hand writes beautifully descriptive ans showy prose, and i think this book is her at her most flamboyant... so much detail, actually too much, much too much... muchly... i never got a sense of narrative advancing to a purpose... almost as if the reader knew what happens or what happened or what will happen, and she was just documenting the people, places, things, and concepts for our amusement or enlightenment or disgust or pleasure... meandering... while the first book had more of a goth-emo-fantasy vibe, this moves into science-fiction-mythology-technology-apocalypse unannounced... again the idea we know the progression of the trilogy and she is filing in the details, or something... needless to say i was not amused, and as much as i love Hand's talents i can compare this book to a lengthy cock sucking contest (yep): amazed at first, excited even, sorta turned on and sorta leery at the same time, then along for the show that now seems overly long (no pun intended, probably), and then just bored and waiting for things to finish up without too much muss and fuss... OR an inside joke with everyone on the outside, wondering what's so damned funny... ugh...

[Sonnydee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't like this one as well as Winterlong, mainly because I didn't find any of the characters even half as compelling as Raphael and Wendy. I think it suffers from having too complex a plot that needs to be in the heads of too many characters at various points, so even mains like Reive and Hobi are underdeveloped. I'd have preferred to get some information second-hand and do a bit less headhopping, especially regarding the Orsinate. I don't see the point of being in their heads. They're not particularly complex.

I also found the plot pretty sequel-y: a sense of dread builds surrounding a mysteriously prescient young woman and her ragtag band of underdogs leading up to a climax that takes place during a highly anticipated and morbid festival. The least interesting underdog dies, so you know shit's serious, but really you're relieved. It's the same thing again. And the reveal that HEL was created by an insane maverick tyrant to build psychic soldiers is kind of disappointing, especially because it seemed like HEL was commenting on malpractice in psychiatry. It'd be more interesting if Dr. Harrow genuinely wanted to help people, I think. I was also kind of surprised that the mythology of the novel, as it were, didn't tie in more to the stuff with the Boy in the Tree. It's so completely different that it feels inconsistent. I wonder if we'll get Reive and Wendy together in once place in Icarus Descending?

But I just can't resist Hand's opulent, arcane prose and worldbuilding. It's so delicious. I'd sure love to see this series get some more love.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mesmerizing horror sci-fi novel.

I had never read any work by Hand and I was really pleased with this Æstival Tide.
The story is not new - palace intrigues, crude treason, murder, and so on - but the post-apocaliptic hidden city setting somehow made it look a bit different.
Anyway what really makes a difference is the writer's style, who does not bother us with long explanations on how this works or why this is the way it is; instead she develops an story which subtely shows every detail until we understand what Araboth is (at least as much as its inhabitants do, which is not a very technical knowledge, mind you).

While reading it I was pretty sure I would rate it 5 stars, I was loving it so much.
And then, the final chapters is pure cliché. UTERLY SILLY. Oh, my, after such a good read it felt like a huge disappointment.
Still a good book, but I would have liked a braver end to this story.

RECOMENDATIONS:
I would recommend this book to sci-fi readers who do not mind horror stories, I mean the descriptive kind of horror. Such as a full description of a child being tortured for the sole pleasure of the viewers.
If that kind of read makes you feel uncomfortable I would stay away from this novel.

[Broodingferret · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great follow-up to Winterlong, Æstival Tide continues to flesh out Hand's model of a bizarre and bloody post-apocalyptic world. One thing that's refreshing about these books is that Hand doesn't feel the need to lecture on their details. So many sci-fi/fantasy writers put so much into their creations that they feel the need to explain every little detail of the whys and wherefores of their worlds. While some authors (e.g. Neal Stephenson) manage to delve into details in vibrant and engaging ways, many authors that feel the need to explain everything (e.g. Michael Crichton) do so with such a ponderous attention to detail that, regardless of how interesting the background details are, they only succeed at slowing down their stories. Hand, however, excels at "showing" rather than "telling" her settings, which results in stories that are thoroughly fleshed out, highly detailed and bizarrely alien, yet also fast-paced, enthralling and strangely understandable. She also has such a felicity with words that her writing often blurs the line between prose and poetry. I’m very glad to have discovered Elizabeth Hand’s work.

[MargaretDH · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this better than Winterlong, but this is a solid 3 star read and no more.

Set in the same world as Winterlong, we learn more about the state of the Earth, and what's going on. Instead of the ruins of Washington DC, this installment takes place in an enormous ziggurat city on the Gulf Coast, protected by enormous domes. We see through multiple sets of eyes, and watch a rotting and decadent society collapse in on itself.

This was interesting, and I liked Hand's explorations of exploitation, and what happens when the desire for more is completely stripped of any moral or legal restrictions. I also appreciate Hand's expansive imagination, and the saturated hues of the worlds she creates. But, for me, the underpinnings of the story didn't quite warrant the light show. I think Hand wanted to move me (and she has in other books), but it didn't work here.

[Katya · Rating 5 out of 5]

A companion novel to Winterlong, Aestival Tide takes the same concepts and places them in an entirely different setting, going even further to explain and elaborate upon the themes from the previous novel. This would be a mediocre, run of the mill science fiction novel if Elizabeth Hand wasn't as adept of a writer as she is. The subject isn't revolutionary, but her way of writing about it is.

[Fred Jenkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

While not on a level with her later work, this is an entertaining novel. Set in the same apocalyptic future as Winterlong, there is little direct connection between the two. Only Margalis Tast'annin plays a significant role in both. As in Winterlong, multiple threads seem to run independently before coming together later in the book; both novels come to a climax during a festival. Reive and Hobi are engaging, if often hapless, protagonists. My major complaint is that the surviving characters are left hanging at the end of the book. Perhaps there will be some resolution in the third book; if not, pretty unsatisfying.

[Maria Longley · Rating 4 out of 5]

It wasn't until I got to the end that I thought there was probably a sequel to Aestival Tide, but actually it turns out this was in fact the second in a trilogy. I didn't feel like I was missing anything when I was reading it but now I'm curious as to what Winterlong is like. So in my ignorance it felt like a stand-alone novel (until the last few pages).

This is a very rich and dense futuristic tale with a lot of what is happening making more sense as you go along. Well, not much in this crazy world makes sense per se apart from the twisted logic of this degenerate world. Living for centuries in a bubble has really pushed the norms and behaviours of this miniature world. Elizabeth Hand also lets us figure out a lot by ourselves and as this is a style I like I enjoyed the book a lot. The horrors are horrific but there is a weight to the world she has created. We get a cast of characters that we see this world through - a world that has been through a lot.

I wish I could remember how or why this book crossed my path (especially as it's a second of a trilogy) but it was well-met this time round.

[Bea De · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wauw!What a great read.Hand was a fantstic author from her debut"Winterlong";the second book in the trilogy is on the same high level.I totally adore it.Had my fingers crossed for the survial of Reive ,the dwarf,Hobi and the Nefertiti unit.Too bad Tast'annin' survived'as well.. I loved her description of the monstrous far-future world of Araboth-the so-called 7th heaven where even the dead are recycled into undead workers..Cannot wait to read"Icarus descending"the third book of this gorgeous tri⁴logy.

[Allison Henle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gorgeous book but not at all what I was expecting after Winterlong...

[D.D. Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second installment in the Winterlong trilogy is easily my favorite in the trilogy. The story takes place in a city that is protected from the wild and chaotic post-apocalyptic world outside by a special type of dome. The city is made up of several tiers with many different layers to it. The city is by the shore and for centuries the shore has slowly been eroding away due to rising sea levels. As a result the city is sinking under its own weight. The inhabitants of this city are awaiting an event that occurs once per decade in which the gates of the city are opened and the inhabitants are allowed to go into the outside world. During this event a certain number of people are sacrificed to a giant, bioengineered monster. During this particular event in the novel, it so happens to coincide with a great storm that is coming to wreck the shores by this city. In the epic, climactic conclusion to this novel the storm destroys the city, most of the inhabitants are killed, and there is an epic battle between two bioengineered beasts. In this novel, you can really see the effects that climate change have on the world that Elizabeth Hand has created. There is a clear message here about the damaging, corrosive effects that climate change has on our planet and speculation about what that will make earth look like in the future. The characters in this novel have lived their entire lives in the domed city. To them the sights of the sky, the sun, the stars, the moon, and the feeling of the winds through ones hair are wondrous, almost mystical. Elizabeth Hand is great at infusing a sense of wonder for natural things and processes in the world that seem perfectly ordinary to most of us.
Personally, for me this obscure book is now one of my favorite science fiction books ever. The writing is dense and poetic just like the first book, the characterization is well done, and the plot is thrilling with many twists and turns all the way up to the epic climax.

[Mike Zinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book. I have been a big fan of Elizabeth Hand ever since I stumbled across Waking the Moon. I have wanted to read this for years, but for some odd reason it is out of print. My niece discovered it in a used book store and loaned it to me, and I am so glad that I finally got to read it. It is listed as a sequel to Winterlong (Hand's first novel), but it really is very different. It is elegantly written and just full of wonderful ideas. Even though it is very different, it had the same feel for me as Neal Stephenson's Anathem. This book takes place many years in the future when civilization has been reduced to very few habitable places, and mostly takes place inside a dome where the citizens are only allowed to go outside once every ten years. I don't want to say anymore except if you can find - get it - read it. Not an easy read, but one of the most satisfying I've had in a long time.

[Nick Armbrister · Rating 5 out of 5]

i read this book back in 92 after picking up a 2nd hand copy. just love the story line. it works as a stand alone book or in the full trilogy. the characters are believable, from the vulnerability of reive to the evil of the aviator. the tek side is cool, like the gryphon planes and domed undercover city of immense size. the size of the tidal wave at the end was a bit ott but i guess doable for the story. the compassionate redeemer monster and also zalophus are terrifying examples of man's genetic meddling and fit well into the story. also the idea of never going 'outside' is quite scary. i read this book every few years and enjoy revisiting it. i like this edition for the lovely cover art. defo 1 to check out. and on a side note for me, 1 of the reasons i started writing (that and all about eve goth band).

[Brian Burt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took me a while to get hooked, but the story gained momentum and finished strong. Hand creates a dark dystopian future where an inbred elite rule ruthlessly over subjects virtually imprisoned within a domed city stratified both physically and socially; where the natural world, forever held at bay outside the walls, is viewed as a lethal enemy to be feared; where gene-hacked monstrosities are forced to do their rulers' twisted bidding; where even death itself sometimes doesn't offer escape from servitude. There really isn't a classic protagonist in this tale, but there are many unique, quirky, memorable characters who pull the reader into their bizarre world and into a crisis no one can avoid.

[Petra · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite book this year.
I follow Elizabeth Hand's writing for several years and Aestival Tide is my favorite so far.
It made me greedy, I had to stop myself from skipping, not because it was boring, but because it was so enjoyable.
This book has everything, giant utopian futuristic city, monsters (both human and genetic), science and fiction in beautiful marriage.

There's a sense of inevitability and impending doom that reminds me of Bacigalupi's Wind-Up Girl, the same feeling that with the greatest advances of technology the price to pay gets higher and dearer.

Love this book and can't wait to read it again (slower this time).

[Chris Maguire · Rating 2 out of 5]

An imaginative but dark, hopeless, immature and perverted dystopia. Humanity is a sick joke and a plague. Science could somehow save us if we weren't so many spoiled, fragile, utterly selfish, feral dogs in heat.

The fascination with hermaphrodites was uncomfortable and almost caused me to quit the book.

Still, there were some interesting places and ideas: the rotting undercity, "rasa" zombies, living under a dome for centuries, automated construction equipment, etc.

[Rosalind M · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars. A dystopian future riddled with ignorance and sadistic hedonism. Very little worth redeeming in most of these characters; learning their motivations makes them even less palatable. My opinion might be different if I had read the first book, but this one was too heavy a read for me to seek out the rest of the series.

[Deirdre · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story of life when life has little worth, where people are revived from the dead but don't have any will and where the end of the world as people know it is at hand.
Dragged a fair bit for the first about 200 pages and then picked up and became more readable. Not my kind of thing.

[Tura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read this ages ago, and have not been able to find other parts to it; what i remember of it, it was amazingly vivid and weird. Scifi rather than fantasy, it is more fantastical than most fantasy: well im agined and depicted culture and society with all it's strange quirks.

[Michael Pritchett · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had higher hopes for this novel than it supplied. Probably due to my inability to commit to its prose. The writing was great and it built a future world full of colorful and imaginative pieces, but it did not work for me.

[Parrotfeathers · Rating 5 out of 5]

i love her sci fi....even if she hates it. :)

[Amy]

This is probably my least favorite of the Elizabeth Hand books, but it's still very good.

[Aramis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A worthy sequel to Winterlong. I could read Hand's sf forever but, alas, she has no desire to return to this alternate world. Just as good as the first time I read back in the day.

[Wolfgang · Rating 4 out of 5]

A roller coaster, acid trip of a book. I gave it 4 stars. Maybe it should be less. But for sheer entertainment it's worth a read...

[Mathew Walls · Rating 1 out of 5]

The writing is grandiose and overwrought to the point of absurdity and I gave up reading books with this high a ratio of dumb made-up words to English back in highschool.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was OK. An interesting world, but a very familiar story.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written, amazing ideas.