The Waters Rising [Kindle Edition]

This book was strange, but wondrous strange. But then all Tepper books I have read have been like that, she takes in things and turns into something utterly amazing and weird.

First, yes it is book two, but book 1 does not have to be read to understand this book. The only person from book 1 around is the hero Abasio. But here is he is all new and a bit different. I do not know how much time has gone by, and it takes place in a new land. It is a new book and it was published almost 20 years after book 1.

I thought book 1 gave me answers what might have happened to our earth, but here I finally found out what The Big Kill, and the Time when no one moved around was. This our earth, which we destroyed and in its wake technology was no more. Which makes this a futuristic sci-fi book in a fantasy world. She explains it well at one time, how people when they do not understand something makes it into magic. There are a few things left over from the old times, and some do know things. Like when the baddie, Alicia curses someone. Some say it is magic, some know better. She took the pattern of that person and sent a cloud. Yes DNA and virus. The mix works so well, because what would happen if 99% died out? If machines were destroyed?

And like that was not enough, now the waters are rising and even the highest mountain will be under water. Can humankind be saved? And do we deserve to be saved?

It's a book to read slowly because now and then something new comes along and everything slowly dawns on me. It's a good book, it is a strange story and I can't believe that this used to be earth. There are talking animals, the Kraken, a lovestory, and wicked witches. There is also a child's journey and the question why she is so important?

Conclusion:
Tepper needs to be read to be understand. I do not think I can make her world justice. But when you step in to her world you will be enchanted with it.

I've read many of Sheri Tepper's books, including the earlier novel 'A Plague of Angels' which forms a background to 'The Waters Rising'.

I agree with other reviews that it is not necessary to have read the other book first, because this novel pretty much stands on its own. Having read the previous novel a long time ago, I will say that I am glad that she chose to develop and extend the character of Abasio this second time around - he was a good character and deserves the mature treatment that he receives in this later novel.

This book was particularly enjoyable for me because the story is told in a way that is reminiscent of Tepper's earlier 'True Game' series, books which are firm favourites of mine. The story follows a young girl as she undertakes a dangerous journey which is also a journey of self-discovery and growth.

Readers who enjoyed 'True Game' and the other books which took place in the imagined True Game world will probably enjoy Tepper's story-telling in 'The Waters Rising'.

The ending of this book suggests that Tepper may not be planning to write other books set in this particular 'world' - it's a complete and satisfactory stopping point.

However, I do wonder if she hadn't developed a bit more 'back story' than would comfortably fit into the two novels. There are some long-ish passages of background information and explanation in the last third of the book which suggest that she could have been planning to extend things beyond this length (either making this into a longer novel or possibly extending things into a third book). Having included these 'talky' passages of explanation, the book is shorter than it might have been - but in my opinion it's probably the better for this. And rather than leaving you hanging, waiting for a sequel, this novel does reach a satisfactory ending, with all of the loose ends nicely pulled together.

I would strongly recommend this novel to all Sheri Tepper fans, and I'd suggest that either this book or 'True Game' would make a good starting point for anyone who has yet to discover her writing.

To be honest this book felt like a mishmash offering that really didn't do much from start to finish. Yes there were some interesting characters but it felt like the author kept changing her mind every few minutes and introduced new subplots that by the books end felt like they were a waste of time entirely. Back that up with a confused case, many pages of info dumps that felt like they were more sub-notes for the author than to entertain the reader and you were left with a book that you wondered how it managed to make it to publishing.

I did originally have high hopes for this title and as such felt not only cheated but left wondering why I had wasted my time reading it. It was confusing; it didn't achieve much and felt to a certain degree that it had borrowed heavily from certain Eastern texts. A great shame all in and it has left me with not only a bad taste but wondering if I should ever pick up another Tepper novel again.