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Duel of Sorcery: Dancer #1
Dancer's Rise
Imprisoned by a spell for centuries, Serroi breaks free and finds a job in her strange new world--to deliver a newly created device to the leader of a distant city-state. Original.
368 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
59 people want to read
About the author
Jo Clayton
71 books67 followersJo 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 4, 2022
This was a chore to finish. 3 stars isn't a bad rating IMO, and Clayton's writing is still enjoyable enough that I can't go lower, even though I didn't groove on the story.
Not even sure why it's still about Serroi. She was so much more interesting as a sorceror's apprentice, then a warrior, than her current role as a resurrected healer. The side plot about her birthing fantasy (and horror) creatures as an effect of her healing powers was interesting, but too tiny a bit of the book. It was mostly a rather large cast of all-new characters, none of whom I felt I had time to get to know in a book that is almost all politics and battle strategy. I like K'Milly but felt very hustled into it.
I'll keep my Duel of Sorcery trilogy, especially my beloved Moongather, which is a desert island book. Donating this one and not going to read the rest of the series.
But despite all my bitching here, I still really do love the way Jo Clayton puts words on paper.
Not even sure why it's still about Serroi. She was so much more interesting as a sorceror's apprentice, then a warrior, than her current role as a resurrected healer. The side plot about her birthing fantasy (and horror) creatures as an effect of her healing powers was interesting, but too tiny a bit of the book. It was mostly a rather large cast of all-new characters, none of whom I felt I had time to get to know in a book that is almost all politics and battle strategy. I like K'Milly but felt very hustled into it.
I'll keep my Duel of Sorcery trilogy, especially my beloved Moongather, which is a desert island book. Donating this one and not going to read the rest of the series.
But despite all my bitching here, I still really do love the way Jo Clayton puts words on paper.
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December 9, 2010Couldn't finish it. I only got to page fifty before abandoning it. (it is rare for me to abandon a book once it's started) All I can say about this one is "no" just "no".
August 27, 2016
Mildly disappointed with this book. Lacked the edge the Diadem series held for me.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews