Threshold is a good place to start for newcomers to her work. It's not part of a larger series and gives you an indication of what you can expect, being strong in the elements that Douglass is typically good at, and weak in the areas she typically isn't.
It's set in Ashbod, a world similar to Egypt about three thousand years ago. The protagonist, Tirzah, is a glassmaker sold into slavery to cover her father's debts. Her talent with 'caging' glass sees her bought by the brutally oppressive Magi who are completing construction on a pyramid called Threshold. This creation demonstrates a terrifying intelligence and only Tirzah's charged relationship with the Magus Boaz may be able to stop it.
What I love abut this book is the mix of genres. On the one hand you have an epic romance. On the other you have an Eldritch Abomination. And over there is an oppressed culture forced into hiding, social revolution, and a rollicking adventure story with plenty of action. It all weaves together into a riveting tale that doesn't leaving anything feeling forced or tagged on.
That said, it does amply demonstrate one of my biggest criticisms of Sara Douglass' work.
While Douglass has created female characters who take a strong hand in determining their own future (Azhure from the Axis Trilogy comes to mind, as does the surprisingly resourceful Ravenna from Darkglass Mountain), many more are simply passive recipients of their fate.( Margaret from The Crucible, Zenith from The Wayfarer Redemption and Maeb from the Devil's Diadem are all indecisive women who rarely fight as their choices are stripped from them.)
This is perhaps an oversimplification - these women all had different circumstances and cultures that rendered them powerless - but they are examples of a trend in Douglass' work which I don't enjoy.
In Threshold, Tirzah is initially horrified and repulsed by Boaz's interest in her. However, their relationship quickly develops into something uncomfortably close to that old cliche; a bad man turned good by the love of a woman. While I get the feeling that Douglass is attempting to navigate around this trope, she doesn't quite succeed. Whenever Boaz lashes out at Tirzah, it doesn't feel like a deconstruction of 'maybe I can save him!' but another logical step in a horrific relationship where lying, manipulation, death threats and physical abuse are the norm.
Which, if tackled head on, would actually be pretty interesting. But played as a forbidden romance, it comes off as disturbing.
Worldbuilding is where Douglass really shines, and her work here is phenomenal. She has captured the dry, oppressive atmosphere of Ashadod and the looming threat of Threshold. Even the places we only catch glimpses of, like Tirzah's homeland Viland and the mysterious Place Beyond, have their own flavour and imagery. The two competing cultures - that of the imposing Magi and the secretive Elementals - are very interesting in their opposing ideologies, and I was only sorry we didn't get to see their clash more thoroughly explored. The source of the Elemental's magic and the 'talking to glass' is very original and though it doesn't have many clearly defined rules or limitations like most magic systems in high fantasy, it fits well into the overall theme of the book, of the organic and natural versus the impersonal and technological.
Regarding the characters themselves, nearly everyone apart from Boaz and Tirzah, feels slightly two-dimensional. You know immediately upon meeting them what role they are going to play, but they play them so well you just don't care. No one is walking through the motions here; they're deeply passionate in their goals and even when they're making horrible (so horrible!) mistakes they keep you glued to the page. The antagonist, the One, is absolutely terrifying. Very little is known about it, but that is part of the horror. It is a malevolent force that can't be predicted or stopped, and it's own desires and goals are utterly opaque, possibly incomprehensible. It makes the more human villains, the Magi, appear utterly petty in comparison and considering what the Magus Ta'uz does in his first appearance, that takes effort.
Speaking of Ta'uz, I should warn that Threshold, like all Sara Douglass' work, contains a lot of violence. It is not explicit - there is no blow by blow description of each drop of blood - but a lot of what goes on is very nasty and even children aren't spared. In all honesty this is part of the draw for me, but not everyone will enjoy it.
Threshold is by no means a perfect book, but it is a hugely entertaining one
and the positives outweigh the negatives. It's memorable and it makes me
want to re-read it, which I think is a good measure of success. Most bookstores
don't keep it in stock, but they can order it in and a Kindle version is
available online at Amazon.com.
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