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The High Couch of Silistra Janet E Morris 9780553145328 Books

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The High Couch of Silistra Janet E Morris 9780553145328 Books

Loved reading reading this on the Kindle. It was one of my favorite novels when it first came out and I reread the paper back until it fell to pieces.

There are three other books in the Silistra Quartet series. I want to purchase each one on the Kindle. When will be other three become available?


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The High Couch of Silistra Janet E Morris 9780553145328 Books Reviews

I was given an ARC of High Couch of Silistra by Janet Morris last week and just completed reading it.
In this first book of High Couch of Silistra (of four) readers follow an aristocratic woman named Estri in her quest for self-realization on a world far from Earth that has suffered an ecological disaster. This is not a book for beginning readers, readers under 13, nor for people who only read books whose politics they agree with. It won't please haters of any sort man-haters, woman-haters, or haters of the human race. High Couch of Silistra is about sex, power, the genetic bases of behavior, all set in a universe where a powerful mind can change the future.. This is a book for intelligent people who like a rollicking, challenging adventure that explores all the facets of power and interpersonal relationships. Oh, and I received an Advance Readers Copy. Now that these things are said, here is a bit about the story, and it's a great one. Estri is as woman of noble birth on a world where reproduction is difficult, birthrates are low, and consequently women who can become pregnant are very powerful. When she comes of age, Estri's dead mother sends her a message find your father. And off she goes, leaving her family's stronghold for a strange land full of peril and violence, with only her precognitive gifts and her status to protect her. She encounters adventures that include violence against men and women, betrayal, death... sex and love.
High Couch of Silistra tackles highly charged issues of sexuality but is not pornographic. Rather, it is thoughtful. HCoS explores philosophies and belief systems very different from ours -- yet its mythic basis is very like ours. And an extra bonus is the included glossary that I had to refer to many times. Best of all, this story is the adventures of a roguish female hero who isn't afraid to confront the truths about being human. I loved it and can't wait to read the second volume in this quartet.
Rhonda M
I first read this years ago. So glad it is on . Though all four in the series aren't.
I must start by saying this was an intense read, not suitable for someone looking for a quick-fix, pick-me-up, put-me-down kind of book. It is a wonderfully complex read, with great character and fantasy world building. Sex and power struggles are the dominant theme - the heroine Estri is complex and expertly drawn, and the author never drops the ball as she weaves expertly through emotive issues. Engrossing and unforgettable.
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.
I confess that I can hardly believe this was written in 1977 originally. The concept and style of writing, in my opinion, are very modern and have strong feminist tones. Ms Morris writes with an exceptionally skilled hand - her fantasy worlds come alive like a breath of air and I found myself swept into this tale, so much so I could hardly put the book down. Estri, the heroine, appears like a bronzed Goddess before your eyes and she has quite a quest to complete. She is off to find her father, an outworlder, and discover her destiny. With the help of her mother and grandmother, she will have a few portents and pieces of advice with which to take with her, but this will not be an easy journey.

The story is sexual in nature and cleverly analyses human behaviour, both good and bad. You'll find a little of everything inside - politics, relationships, culture, greed, power and desire... It all makes for an exceptionally entertaining read. It will go down as a favourite in my bookshelf - one to read again and again.
Loved reading reading this on the . It was one of my favorite novels when it first came out and I reread the paper back until it fell to pieces.

There are three other books in the Silistra Quartet series. I want to purchase each one on the . When will be other three become available?