High Couch of Silistra (Silistra, #1) in Sword & Sorcery: "An earthier sort of fantasy"

Sep 17, 2015 Andrew Weston rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

To truly appreciate the epic scale that encompasses The High Couch of Silistra, you need to understand the complexity and profundity of thought Janet Morris incorporated into the historical foundation that forms Silistran society.
I’ll summarize what you need to know here:
Thousands of years before our story takes place, Silistra faced catastrophe, a catastrophe so severe that all life would have been wiped out were it not for the prudence and tenacity of a special group of people, the Day Keepers To truly appreciate the epic scale that encompasses The High Couch of Silistra, you need to understand the complexity and profundity of thought Janet Morris incorporated into the historical foundation that forms Silistran society.
I’ll summarize what you need to know here:
Thousands of years before our story takes place, Silistra faced catastrophe, a catastrophe so severe that all life would have been wiped out were it not for the prudence and tenacity of a special group of people, the Day Keepers and the forereaders.
(The Day Keepers are guardians of Silistra’s history – past, present and future – whilst the forereaders are those who have received training in the understanding and management of future probabilities as they affect the unfolding development of Silistra’s eternal destiny)
They, it was who, having predicted the coming calamity, ushered a select number of Silistran’s into one of seven specially prepared hides (deep underground life-support complexes) sixty years before disaster fell, where refugees would be able to wait for the wounds inflicted upon their world to heal. After millennia had passed, thousands of survivors and their progeny emerged to reestablish their civilization under a set of precepts known as the “chaldra.”
Simply put, the chaldra is a form of self-rule, deeply influenced by the circumstances of Silistran society’s enforced isolation and the consequences of their reduced birthrate thereafter, and the eternal outworking of their eternal destiny. The chaldra edicts and guides the standards, morality and governance of Silistra in all situations and is divided into two broad spectrums.
High-chaldra – those tasks and responsibilities undertaken to strengthen the spiritual/inner consciousness of the individual and/or society as a whole, in relation to the metaphysical outworking of their eternal future, and;
Low-chaldra – that pertaining to the survival and betterment of the mundane individual and the acquiring of life skills relating to material import only.
It is essential you understand these tenets affect all of the main laws, duties and labors of Silistran life – even their approach to sexual practices and preferences, relationships and family matters. Yes, all are determined by chaldric. Indeed, an individual’s dedication to their society’s wellbeing is represented by the chald, a belt of chains soldered about a person’s waist, each colored link of which denotes their various accomplishments.
With the foundation thus revealed, we can better appreciate the setting. More than twenty-five and a half thousand years have passed since Silistran refugees emerged from their hides. The emergent population naturally settled in those areas close to the hides. Such locations became known as “Wells” – places where some of the highest ranking and most respected members of their civilization made their home.
Our story takes place, as told from the perspective of Estri Hadrath diet Estrazi. Estri is “High Couch” a position known formally as “Well-Keepress” of the capital city of Astria. She is celebrated for her beauty, her lineage and the fact that as High Couch of the most celebrated house of pleasure in all the civilized stars, she commands a great price.
Although highly sexualized, Well-Keepresses are by no means looked upon as prostitutes. Far from it, for their role and entire modus of operating is intimately bound to the social and moral development of Silistran culture as a whole. Don’t forget, because of the horrors inflicted upon them in the past, Silistran’s still struggle with infertility and shockingly low birthrates. To compensate, not only have Silistran scientists developed a serum that restores youthful vigor and extends life far beyond its normal span, but the couch system was devised whereby the very best genetic traits could be harnessed to ensure future generations would benefit.
And the Well-Keepresses would know exactly how to accomplish this through whom they choose to couch, for they are among the strongest forereaders in existence, and are able to manipulate the very texture of time to select the ultimate outcome.
In comparison to others, Estri is young. On her three hundredth birthday, she receives a silver cube containing a holographic message from her mother who died when Estri was born. In it is a video of Estri’s actual conception revealing her father to be none other than a mysterious godlike barbarian from an unknown mystical race. Such a legacy bodes well for all Silistra, and her long-dead mother counsels Estri to reach out to the stars in an effort to find her father and his people in order to claim the full might of her heritage.
Moved by her mother’s impassioned plea, Estri accepts the “chaldra of the mother” and sets out on a remarkable pilgrimage. While I won’t reveal the details of that quest here, be advised, Estri endures trial and tribulation, pitfall and peril aplenty...and it is here that we come to the crux of this remarkable tale, for Janet Morris has skillfully highlighted a profound truth within the pages you will read: That, like it or not, the differences between the masculinity of men and the feminine wiles of women are very real. Poles apart, many feel such differences will always prove a barrier to true understanding.
But in an evocatively subtle way, the abuse, turmoil and heartrending loss Estri and her travelling companions face underscore philosophical karma at work...that sometimes, tenacity and strength of character are of higher value than strength of arm, and that it’s only by facing such hardships with determination and courage that a person – no matter what their gender or sexual orientation – can truly grow into the individual they were meant to be.
Let me say in conclusion that I thoroughly enjoyed this story.
A science fiction and fantasy aficionado, I cut my teeth on the likes of Asimov, Clarke, Bradbury and Heinlein. I went on to develop a taste for Tolkien, Le Guin, May, Donaldson and Feist.
Just a glance at this list should hint at the refinement of my reading tastes. But, such is the way of things that, as I grew up and adult life invariably got in the way; I ended up missing a true literary gem the first time it was presented to the world.
Well, better late than never.
In High Couch of Silistra, you’ll find the pomp and space opera scope associated with the likes of Dune. You’ll find a vocabulary reminiscent of Stephen Donaldson at his best. And you’ll discover a flair for worldbuilding few can match.
My bookshelf reeks of quality, and soon, there’ll be another series proudly filling the little space I have left.
Bravo Janet Morris, a true fantasy classic that sets the bar at a height few will ever reach.
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Nov 05, 2013 A.L. Butcher rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: recommended, fantasy, sci-fi, favourite, adventure, gr-author, dark-fantasy, adult-fiction, heroic-fantasy, sci-fi-and-fantasy-2015

So where to start? As one would expect from Janet Morris there is a lot more to this story than a simple science fiction tale. Firstly the protagonist is a woman, and a strong one at that. Estri is not your screaming maiden waiting to be rescued. She’s a feisty woman, who knows her worth, knows her skills, and her failings and above all she knows herself.

Estri is more than a woman of pleasure – for on her world this is no shameful profession. As Well Keepress she is much sought after, and highl So where to start? As one would expect from Janet Morris there is a lot more to this story than a simple science fiction tale. Firstly the protagonist is a woman, and a strong one at that. Estri is not your screaming maiden waiting to be rescued. She’s a feisty woman, who knows her worth, knows her skills, and her failings and above all she knows herself.

Estri is more than a woman of pleasure – for on her world this is no shameful profession. As Well Keepress she is much sought after, and highly skilled, but she is also teacher, student, lover, friend, fighter, diplomat, businesswoman, a slave, mistress and so much more.

Silistra is a world of contrasts – its people long-lived, its terrain in places inhospitable and its morals unusual. Fertility is everything in a world where the people rarely breed successfully. Duty, or Chaldra is everything – be that duty to oneself, one’s people, or the world in general.. A world misunderstood by the others, but attractive for many reasons, not least its Well Women must stand for its uniqueness and protect its beliefs. In many ways Estri is Silistra – wise, with hidden dangers, intriguing, alluring, complex and misunderstood.

Duty, power, sex, the complexities of relationships between men and women, and how they can change, fate, courage, loyalty, betrayal, personal journeys, fear, and adventure fill every chapter. The sex is not overdone, considering the context and although there is violence that too speaks of the power play which is core.

The world building, as with Morris’s other novels, is rich, complex and totally believable. For the duration of the tale Silistra is real. The characters, too, are a mix of good and bad, but no way clear cut. These are living, breathing characters with all that entails.

This is not a book for those of a faint heart or who cannot see deep within a tale for what lies therein. It’s a book to make the reader think. It's a book of great stature, and storytelling of the finest sort. Of course it’s also a book for those who seek a heady adventure beyond the stars.

I couldn't put this down.
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Sep 27, 2015 Joe Bonadonna rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This is a novel that changed the game for women characters in science fiction, and the women who write science fiction. A daring novel for its time that still retains that same sort of power, it is a complex and highly intelligent read about one women's quest in the far future to find her father and her own identity, to find her destiny and make a difference in her world, to be a catalyst for change. Herein Janet Morris deals with issues of women's equality to men, their sexuality, the power of This is a novel that changed the game for women characters in science fiction, and the women who write science fiction. A daring novel for its time that still retains that same sort of power, it is a complex and highly intelligent read about one women's quest in the far future to find her father and her own identity, to find her destiny and make a difference in her world, to be a catalyst for change. Herein Janet Morris deals with issues of women's equality to men, their sexuality, the power of it, and how, in the simplest of terms, beauty, brains and sex can make a combination as potent as any nuclear blast. If memory serves, I think this novel was first promoted as a new breed of Sword and Planet, and later it was labeled Sword and Romance. What it is at its core is speculative fiction, futurist fiction that takes a serious, hard look at the universe surrounding it, and the main character of Estri and her place in it. She is an aristocrat who becomes and outcast, then a slave, then a ruler. Like all of Morris' books, there is a lot to think about in High Couch of Silistra -- questions of philosophy, sociology, sexuality, and governmental rule. Action and adventure? There is plenty of that. But this book was also carefully devised and structured, well plotted and deeply thought out. This is not a book for kids or for readers looking for a simple, pulp-action space adventure. The issues are real, the characters are real, and you will either find yourself agreeing with the politics and point of view; themes and questions will provoke careful consideration in the reader, and the story will make you think. Is the sexual content explicit or not? I don't think so, but you be the judge of that. I think Morris has handled the violence and sexuality was just the right touch, as she always manages to do. This book was ahead of its time upon its first publication, and while we have caught up to certain aspects of this novel, society still has a long way to go, and much of what passes for science fiction these days is still lagging far behind this novel. In my opinion, it has not aged at all and holds up even better than I had expected, a fitting tribute to a writer who books never grow old or outdated. ...more

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Sep 02, 2015 S.E. Lindberg rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed-by-se, sword-sorcery-group-authors, sex-and-sorcery

Janet E. Morris’s High Couch of Silistra is Intense, Sex-Infused Fantasy for Thoughtful Readers

In 1977, an intellectual female author wrote a debut, fantasy/sci-fi novel featuring a heroine in a dystopic, alien world striving to discover her mysterious past & god-like ancestry; in 2015, her debut novel was reprinted. Some may assume I am referring to Tanith Lee who passed away recently; her 1975 debut The Birthgrave was reprinted in 1977 and this year which I just read/enjoyed/reviewed. However, ...more

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Nov 22, 2015 S.E. Lindberg rated it it was amazing

Janet E. Morris’s High Couch of Silistra is Intense, Sex-Infused Fantasy for Thoughtful Readers In 1977, an intellectual female author wrote a debut, fantasy/sci-fi novel featuring a heroine in a dystopic, alien world striving to discover her mysterious past & god-like ancestry; in 2015, her debut novel was reprinted. Some may assume I am referring to Tanith Lee who passed away recently; her 1975 debut The Birthgrave was reprinted in 1977 and this year which I just read/enjoyed/reviewed. However Janet E. Morris’s High Couch of Silistra is Intense, Sex-Infused Fantasy for Thoughtful Readers In 1977, an intellectual female author wrote a debut, fantasy/sci-fi novel featuring a heroine in a dystopic, alien world striving to discover her mysterious past & god-like ancestry; in 2015, her debut novel was reprinted. Some may assume I am referring to Tanith Lee who passed away recently; her 1975 debut The Birthgrave was reprinted in 1977 and this year which I just read/enjoyed/reviewed. However, I am referring to Janet Morris’s 1977 High Couch of Silistra; this reviews her ‘author’s cut’ version, coincidentally released this year. Janet Morris’s style is quite different that Lee’s, though fans of the Birthgrave would certainly devour High Couch.Intense Sex: One would wrongly assume that High Couch of Silistra is a 1970-feminist-movement book; the role of sex, rape, and fertility is posited to make the reader tense. The protagonist Estri is a woman of Silistran origin (alien with human form) and most Silistran’s are reliant on humans to become impregnated, which is a rare event. The culture and expectations of purchased sex, often brutal but sometimes passionate, are constantly present. Somehow, Janet Morris manages to write all this erotic-infused adventure in an intellectual, almost dispassionate voice. This is not shallow romance/soft-pornography. Nor is High Couch of Silistragratuitous whoring. This is mature-rated, engaging fantasy.Tension: Without spoiling, note that characters watch their parents have intercourse, men rape other men, and woman lust after men who abuse them. In real life, these situations would appall me. My test for rationalizing my comfort level and reading onward was: if Estri tolerated her predicaments, then so should I. The constant tension between the book’s acceptable behavior and today’s societal norms took me beyond reading the story. It made reading this more than adventure. It made me think. Janet Morris’s intent was to play with controversial sexual and societal themes; she delivered with Estri’s journey, full of codependent genders & races, an intricate alien world, and psychedelic magic. Cover Art & Interview: In Janet Morris’s 2014 interview on Beauty in Weird Fiction she said that “Human extravagances and limitations are what, for me, Silistra is about, but it is not a series for the erotically-averse, or the intellectually timid.” As a reader/reviewer, I could not agree more with that self-assessment. In that interview she also noted her dislike of the 1977 cover art Boris Vallejo that depicted Estri with a brass bra and Gucci boots. For the author’s cut, she employed artist Roy Mauritsen who presented a more intellectual design for the Silsitra quartet by dividing the Dancing Maenad in (a Roman relief) over the four books (photo by Ana Belén Cantero Paz). Genre & Theme: This futuristic, dystopian world has science-fiction elements (space/time travel, some technology), but leans toward fantasy (alien beasts with hybrid/mythological designs; sorcery like telepathy/mind reading; fighting that is melee/blade-focused). Ubiquitous themes of procreation, fertility, and “shaping” the world add depth. The Silstra Quartet seriesThe series continues, the remaining three presumably to be released in the near future (since the covers are designed.) ...more

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Jun 09, 2009 Charles rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy

I probably would not have read this one if I hadn't enjoyed Morris's work so much in the Theives' World books, but I did like it pretty well. It didn't have as much adventure and swashbuckling as I normally like, but good characters and it made me pick up another in this series. ...more

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Oct 29, 2015 Katrina rated it it was amazing

No one can argue with Janet Morris's skill in creating beautifully written text. Her prose is of a standard not often seen and the imagery it provokes is almost without equal, even when it's a book written (and please don't kill me) before I was born. The content remains fresh, which is the hallmark of a classic.
The cover from 1977 is dated, yet one can imagine it was fresh and compelling when first released. 50 Shades of Grey it is not--hiding its content beneath a cover that gives little clue No one can argue with Janet Morris's skill in creating beautifully written text. Her prose is of a standard not often seen and the imagery it provokes is almost without equal, even when it's a book written (and please don't kill me) before I was born. The content remains fresh, which is the hallmark of a classic.
The cover from 1977 is dated, yet one can imagine it was fresh and compelling when first released. 50 Shades of Grey it is not--hiding its content beneath a cover that gives little clue to what lies between its pages. I don't mind the older cover though perhaps it hints at more salacious aspects of the book.
And salacious it is. At its heart, it's more than just sci-fi/fantasy. It is an honest exploration of the female psyche and sexual relations. A world where reproduction is held to be in utmost importance, yet the females are not bound to one male and considered the property of father or spouse, but rather are .

There are restrictions and regulations, though, the women are not totally free, and those that are chosen to be well-keepresses are raised with the expectation of fulfilling male desire. It is an unflinching look at what amounts to be ritual prostitution and as a writer currently undertaking to write about Inanna, I find it to be a fantastic example of how to approach the subject with dignity.

What I found most disconcerting was Estri's naivety when compared to her age, abilities and education. Though this is the first book in a quartet and she's on a journey to discover who she really is, there was more than once when I found myself ever so slightly annoyed with the situations she'd find herself in and the men gaining control over her. I can understand how for some readers parts of the book would be too much. But I do think that one has to look at her experiences from her point of view rather than with modern sensibilities if one is to be able to enjoy the book.

Would I recommend this to everyone? I don't think so, but I do know there are many that would enjoy it and would look to read the remaining three books
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Oct 24, 2015 Derek rated it liked it

The unsettling part of reading this was the matter-of-fact detachment of Estri's narration of moments of sexual violence or compulsion. That the Silistran world view accommodates such, that later events make these pale in comparison, or that she has transcended the human condition and can view them with distance. ...more

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Apr 26, 2010 Janet E. rated it it was amazing · (Review from the author) · review of another edition

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Apr 26, 2010 Janet E. rated it it was amazing · (Review from the author) · review of another edition

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Apr 26, 2010 Janet E. added it · (Review from the author)

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Mar 01, 2012 Sarah Hulcy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: owned-books

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Aug 22, 2012 James added it · review of another edition

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Jan 02, 2014 Sean marked it as to-read

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Sep 01, 2015 Janet E. added it · review of another edition

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Sep 02, 2015 Janet E. rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, adventure, action, mythic-fiction, heroic-fantasy, high-fantasy-series, dark-fantasy, sword-and-sorcery, metaphysical, literary-fiction

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