Califia's Daughters

Written by Leigh Richards

Narrated by Alyssa Bresnahan

By the 21st century, bombs and a deadly virus have reduced the male to female ratio to 1:10. Now what was America is ruled by tribes of woman warriors. Dian guards over her village and its people. But when strangers arrive with a precious gift and a request for aid, she must embark on a journey that leads her far from safety. Leigh Richards is a pen name of best-selling author Laurie R. King. She fully brings her talent for vivid drama and suspense to Califia’s Daughters.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books Audio
• Release date: Jun 5, 2009
• ISBN: 9781440756399

Reviews for Califia's Daughters

[januaryhat · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I listened to this book instead of read it. As an audiobook, Califia's Daughters lilted and meandered along very enjoyably. While the post-apocalyptic All-the-Men-Are-Dead scenario is not new, here it is well-execution and detailed (in comparison to others of this mini-genre). Alas, if I had been reading instead of listening, I believe the occasionally long-winded narration, style, and various plot holes would have driven me quite bonkers. In Califia's Daughters, disease, war and civil unrest has brought civilization tumbling down; now small, isolated communities scratch a living as best they can. For unknown reasons, males have suffered the brunt of the various plagues: years later, men and healthy boy-children are rare and precious. It is the women who are rebuilding the world.Of course, this is no Utopia. Removing 'male power' has not decreased humanity's capacity for violence, greed and selfishness. Califia's Daughters explores this future by first focussing on the community of the Valley, somewhere in California, then on the travels of Dian -- a capable young woman with a remarkable connection to her dogs -- as she ventures forth into the wider world. The future is fascinating, and I enjoyed reading about its quirks, triumphs and failings. Its social set-up and gender politics are more realistic than others in this "mini genre", with significant regional variation. Unfortunately, the story could not decide what it wanted to be. The plot shifts from the slow community life and its intricacies, to Dian's travel-log, to what I can best describe as a prison-breakout adventure. The conclusion was a bit Glued-On-Ending-Out-Of-Nowhere, but I understand Califia's daughters was intended as a set of linked novels. Alas for fans, poor sales left the publishers uninterested in continuing the series. All in all, worth it for the world-building, but not ground breaking or brilliantly written. A good book for long journeys.