i have read many fantasy and science fiction books, and this one is frankly one of the best i've ever come across. it is the first of a series following the travels of a naive girl-child goddess set in a harsh land. cija, our resilient protagonist, is a purely original character who defies ready classification. she is not alone, as we come across other memorable figures who are not easily understood. the story itself is many things. it is sometimes comic and tragic, but also a rousing adventure. there is lust, love, suffering, and cruelty. give it a chance.

Written by a pseudo-goddess emerging into adulthood, this book is set in an amazingly well imagined prehistoric fantasy world. Although much of the the content is exhiliratingly strange, it contains the very human emotions of lust, platonic love, grief and the pain of adolescence.

The journey to Atlantis begins with Cija's being freed from the tower in which she spent her childhood. Raised thinking that males no longer existed, and that women had evolved beyond them and hatched from eggs, Cija is rudely thrust into the real world with the task of seducing and killing the first man she has ever seen. This is great fantasy by, for, and about an unusual woman

The final story in the ATLAN SAGA has many differences from the rset - Cija's daughter, not Cija, narrates it. This time around we have a five-year-old narrator, who manages to be more cynical and insightful than her rather innocent mother, and this offers a whole new angle on the Atlan Saga. The old characters return but they learn their lessons, some in rather memorable ways. The destruction of Atlan is moving and beautiful as is Cija's "rebirth". However, while the first three books in the series were pretty shocking, this one breaks the mold. There are some rather unsavoury moments. While the characters are excellent, there are some flaws- no mention is made of Cija's foster family, by all logic, Judz the Atlantean should have died with his country and again Cija forgets friends from previous installments somewhat, including the father of her third child. But all in all, this book puts a fresh twist on an artistically brilliant series. You are not a serious collector of fantasy titles if you don't have these books!

In this, the last of the books of the Atlan Saga, the reader gains a clearer perspective on Cija's wild adventures. Through the eyes of Cija's mute daughter Seka, we follow Cija through yet more and wilder blunders and triumphs. Brilliant and clearsighted Seka's tale is poignant and believable, and always gripping. Loaded with the same shocking detail as all the books in the Saga, this one manages somehow to be even better.

An interval of roughly 10 years between "the City" and this book - with a real cliffhanger ending to "the City" - presents a challenge to the author and the reader. I'm a real Cija fan from way back and "SSL" doesn't disappoint. Plenty of action, adventure - and sex. As told through the eyes of Cija's mute and most-observant daughter Seka. The Atlan Saga stands alone in fantasy. No other heroine fascinates like Cija, and Gaskell's style is peerless.

Cija returns again, this time back on the mainland. Strangely she finds a family, but things seem to take a turn for the worse when she is kidnapped by ape-men. The most philosophical and peaceful of the tetralogy, with some beautifully portrayed scenes, Cija is again the centre of the story, but her character shows signs of evolution. We see as a mother and an adopted daughter and we appreciate her strength. In an era where a central female character tends to be a big brassy beauty with a gun, it is nice to see a physically weak, childish, endearing character with a love of life. However this beautiful book has moments of magic grandeur and savagery (If you have a fear of crocodiles you might want to flinch away from certain scenes). There is also an unorthodox love story, its sad ending likely to evince a tear. While lesser than THE SERPENT, it is better than ATLAN and is a definite read.

Cija has escaped to the city where she was born, though she does not at first know it. She returns by way of the slave market, where she is sold, and is rescued only to become a slave/whore in a brothel! As usual, she blunders from one danger to the next...

There are no adventures like these on this earth, and no adventuress like Cija! She lurches from luxury to the utmost degradation in the space of a gasp. She is a Goddess, a fool, a child, and a mother wrapped in one skin, and is an utterly believable and empathic heroine. As are the other books of this saga, this is sublime fantasy/adventure!

There are alien spaceships in possession of our planet, but humanity has not improved in the face of a common enemy...

Gaskell has created a horrifying tale of the takeover of the planet, but in the microcosm, on the streets of London.

She puts the reader into the head of possibly the most repellent protagonist I have ever read. The world may be falling apart, but this London street rat will simply continue to feed on the bits and pieces of remaining humanity. Is there any hope that he will develop a human conscience? Become capable of love?

This is a fascinating, repellent work, unfortunately unforgettable.

This isn't the strongest installment in the 5-volume Atlan series, but it's still an enjoyable one. Like many fantasy series, the Atlan Saga starts off at full blast and then seems to lose its focus and its passion as it continues. The focus slips badly after Book 3:Atlan.

This is the sequel to THE SERPENT (which I also recommend). Cija is now empress of Atlan with children of her own, but that does not stop her adventures. The book expands the Atlan mythos nicely, with many truths beginning to emerge. Yet it is wonderfully paced, with some very good villains and living caricatures (Miss Gaskell always portrays narrow minded peasants rather well). Cija is herself sympathetic and funny and it is easy to cheer for her throughout the book. My only quibble is that Cija does mourn dead friends from her first adventure (Narra, Ums) apart from a minor character. But this book is the best fantasy I have read in a while with a magnetic main character.

The Atlan Series (The Serpent, The Dragon, The City, Atlan, and Some Summer Lands) are a wonderful introduction to fantasy literature. Jane Gaskell's heroine, Cija, is both vulnerable and capable. The characters are clearly drawn, the locales are exotic (but still believable), and the action continual. Destined for one disaster after another, Cija is a memorable and ultimately likeable protagonist. So interested reader, get thee to a library or second-hand bookstore and buy the whole series!

This book is Volume I of "The Atlan Saga," a science fiction/fantasy series. The Atlan Series (The Serpent, The Dragon, The City, Atlan, and Some Summer Lands) are a wonderful introduction to fantasy literature. Jane Gaskell's heroine, Cija, is both vulnerable and capable. The characters are clearly drawn, the locales are exotic (but still believable), and the action continual. Destined for one disaster after another, Cija is a memorable and ultimately likeable protagonist. So interested reader, get thee to a library or second-hand bookstore and buy the whole series!