The Reconciliation Imajica, Book 2 :: Education by Design Store

Customer Reviews

A Monumental Metaphysical Marvel

2004-01-30
It is hard to believe that it has been over ten years since I first read this mammoth novel- and some thirteen since it was first published. I think "mammoth" is not exaggerating, for how else do you describe on novel that exists as two separate volumes, each of over 500 pages? This isn't a casual read. It represents a considerable investment in time. There are also so many characters, settings, plot lines, specialized vocabulary and underlying principles to keep straight.... Yet, it is worth the investment in time and effort.
The basic framework, like so many of Barker's other novels, is that of a hidden world behind the superficial façade of our mundane world. Barker is such a master at interweaving mundane, and profane, details into the greater fabric of his realities that you find yourself totally drawn in. I found myself totally immersed in this hidden reality. For this is a story of five worlds, or dimensions, or Dominions. These make up the whole of Imajica. That is, they should. Two hundred years ago there was an attempt to reconcile our own fifth Dominion with the other four. This ended in a metaphysical catastrophe so great that that nearly all of the Dominions great theurgists, shamans, and theologians were killed. The result was that almost all magical knowledge passed from our world and for two centuries science and materialism held grim sway.

Now, conditions are once again ripe for an attempt to reconcile the Dominions. The great magus', or Maestros, know that this may very well be the last attempt to heal the rift in creation. To fail this time will undoubtedly mean two more centuries of isolation- plenty of time for the Fifth Dominion to destroy itself in nuclear or ecological suicide.

Yet, to heal the rift will require a Master of such power and confidence that he will try to succeed where all those that have gone before him (even the Christos) has failed....

This isn't really the second book of Imajica, it is the second half- it was just necessary for the publisher to split it in half.

The power of love 2002-05-21
When Judith's estranged husband hires a mysterious assassin to kill his wife, he unwittingly sets in motion a sequence of events that will change all the dominions of the Imajica, of which Earth is the fifth. Both Judith and her former lover John "Gentle" Zacharias are drawn into the mysteries as the assassin Pie 'oh' Pah leads them both forward to remembering their origins and connections to each other and to the ruler of the other dominions, the Autarch. Judith's journey veers from Gentle's when she finds evidence of buried and suppressed goddesses on Earth and in the other dominions. But the Autarch has domination plans of his own, and he won't be stopped without drawing blood first. "Imajica" is essentially about healing, and about love. Gentle is a broken man, a habitual womanizer, who's brought to a place of healing through his relationship with Pie 'oh' Pah, a mystif with the power to change sex according to another's true desires. Judith is claimed by many men, but she battles this ownership, and must find her own way and rely on her own strength if she's to assist in bringing the dominions back together. And ultimately it's in Judith's hands whether this healing of the Imajica comes about or fails yet again. It's a gorgeous epic fantasy that soars to a reader's heart, and once there plants a seed of imagining the world as a better place, much as Gentle and Judith do. This is one of my favorite all-time books. I feel so wordless in attempting to describe it.

one of the greatest books of all time 2002-04-14
Clive Barker is my favorite author, and this is his second best in my opinion (first goes to the books of art). Barker's writing style and stories are like none I've ever read. What's particularly cool about this story is that it starts off as an epic tale and when you get about half way through (which would be this book), the tale suddenly has huge relevance. I guess I should've expected that (this IS clive barker). Buy this book in whatever version you want (single book, or the pair), just read it

The Great Horror Writer Takes Us On His Fantasy Trip 2001-05-26
Who Would've Thought Barker Would End up using his imagination torwads writing fantasy novels after "Books of blood".I must admit,going into imjamica my hopes were high,obvisouly too high.Imjamica is about a man "Gentle" a woman "Judith" And A guy/girl/who knows!?"pie-oh-piah",Who find themselves in the middle of a plot more enormous than they knew.The story is based on the 5 imjamicas(planets),Where Gentle must travel through them and find out who he was/is,and along the way he is joined by Judith and pie-oh-pah and together they fight to bring all the jamicas together as one..Well that sounds ok,right?.The problem with this story is...it and its characters are amazinly stupid(I had to force myself to finish this book).first off the book is way too long,barker seems to go on and on about how every little thing feels or looks to the characters,at first this is refreshing,at last it's just boring and mind-rapping.secondly this book is just way to homosexual to be taken seriously as litterature(even fantasy),Gentle the Big manly man,son of god,warrior,blah,blah,is Bi-sexual??C'mon gimme a break...thirdly,Clive just got lost in himself about the middle of it,it feels like hes trying to go somewhere and you are about to be knocked off your seat,but no,he and the story go nowhere.I was really dissapointed..This the same Guy whom wrote "Weaveworld","Books Of Blood"?? ...

Words are not enough 2000-07-31
Read this book. Actually, read the whole "Imajica" (I agree with the other reviewer who said that turning it into a two-book set was a mistake). It is the most entertaining, gripping, non-stop, un-put-downable book I've ever encountered. Barker has something to say and he pulls no punches. I had always envisioned him as a horror writer because of his Hellraiser series, and his collaboration with Stephen King on "The Talisman". But this book proves him as the premier fantasy author of our time. However, don't go looking for dragons and Barbarella. This is a fantasy that incorporates our 90's mentality and leaves you breathless. Clive, you outdid yourself. I'm reading it for the fourth time now :)

#2? in the series, I dont think so 2007-06-12
I love Clive Barker's work. But I feel Decieved because I have read this book before, when it was just one book. You should make this clear to your customers. I will be more careful next time.
I loved the book the first time but I am not going to buy the first half again. How disappointing it was not a totally new story about the same Imajica.
Or am I wrong? I don't think so.

Erotic, Adventurous, and Way the Hell Out There 2006-01-27
Let me start off by saying that I absolutely LOVE Clive Barker. He comes second only to Anne Rice on my list of favorites. He is the master of comteporary erotic fantasy fiction and everytime you open one of his books you can't help getting sucked in.

Imajica is one of my ultimate Clive Barker favorites. The book starts off with a theory about love stories: there can only ever be two lovers, not three. Therefore, it is no surprise when we learn that two men are in love with the same woman and one of them has decided to have her killed. He instantly regrets his hasty decision and goes to his rival, asking him to stop the assassin.

Zacharias Fury, artist and womanizer extordianare, agrees to stop the assasin and find Jude (the woman these two men are in love with). He succeeds in saving her from the greatest assassin of all time -- a creature from another realm who can shapeshift into whatever his "customer" desires. This creature is the ultimate fantasy -- have sex with it and it will be whoever you want, WHATEVER you want. And that's not all. You want someone killed? The shapeshifer Pi will get it done.

::SPOILER:: The shapeshifter's work is not done, however. After an argument with Jude, Z. Fury returns to his small hotel room and is preparing for a miserable night's sleep when there's a knock on his door and he opens it to find Jude standing there. As he and Jude make sensual love, the phone rings, and Fury answers it to find . . . . JUDE (gasp!) on the other end.

This is possibly one of the funniest parts of the two part novel. You will aboslutely fall in love with the characters of Pi, Fury, and Jude. And I promise, Zacharias Fury WILL travel to another world -- hence the title Imajica -- and free the poor imprisoned goddesses trapped there.

Clive Barker says this story is an allegory about Christ. See if you can find the similarities.

Imagibore 2005-02-02
This book starts of very well, with lots of interesting idea's which you hope exspect to be explained more fully as you read on.

However the deeper you get into the book the more you notice how half baked it all seems, jumping from one outlandish idea to another, and contradicting itself at every turn (one example is: 'nothing disturbed her from this sleep, not even dreams' and then in the next sentance 'she was awoken from whatever dream she was having') it is full of contradictions which often made me shake my head in disbelief.

You are led to beleive that what the imagica 'is' will be explained in the fullness of time, but the conclusion to the story was the biggest flop in a book ive ever read, I wont give anything away, suffice to say that the imagica is never explained, I dont think the author even had an idea to start with.

The way men are constantly refered to as the 'destroyers' and women as something so much better is strange to start with, but as the author continues to press his 'point' home it gets bewildering, boring, and then quite worrying (does he hate his own sex so much he has to put them down in every other sentance?)

I think if Mr Barker had taken more time to develop his idea's and set the story out across more books (I never complain about buying a story that is set across 3 or even 6 different books!) it could of been a great and interesting tale.

Sadly it is a mix of half baked mix philosophy, religion and magic, in places it found it so boring I had to put it down and could only read small chunks at a time, by the time I was nearing the end I was skimming pages of seemingly pointless drivel trying to get to somthing substantial, which alas never came.

I cant recomend this as a purchase, rent it from the library but dont waste your money.

ABSOLUT PERFECTION!!!!! 2004-11-01
Simply put this is Clive's best book not to mention the best book I've ever read. I read it when it first came out and I was so impressed I began reading other Clive Barker books. He is a wonderful author. I recommend you read as much of his stuff as you can. He has an imagination that is "out of this world"!

Imajica Book 2 The Reconciliation 2004-09-24
I have 2 copies hard cover & paperback of the three part series. Words can not adequately describe the passion I feel for this series. I have read the series at least 4 times. Each time I discover a different level of understanding for the characters. I wish Peter Jackson would do a movie of this series......... Awesome. LOTR's would be tough to follow but Imajica although with an "R" rating would be right up there!

Keito 518@yahoo.com