price：$5.19
Thorndike Press
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (still enjoying) 『Not sure I would believe a love triangle here, but still a fabulous guilty pleasure of reading. Just loved the whole series.』
(One of the Worst supernatural romances ever written) 『I can't even express into words how strong my distaste for the entire Twilight Saga truly is. In my personal opinion Twilight is prefabricated, poorly written, shallow, demographic-forcing tripe. When I was a fourteen-year-old girl I was very obsessed with the vampire anti-hero Lestat from Anne Rice's The Vampire Chronicles. And though Lestat had many relationship issues he was still a better defined and more well conceived character than that of Edward Cullen.
Edward and Bella are poorly thought out, two dimensional shells. This was a deliberate effort by the author so that every young reader could imagine themselves as the main characters but in the process she made them so superficial that the characters lacked any quality of definition. They did not feel like real people.
Not only is Twilight poorly written but it also hinders upon actual mythology. The notion of vampires glittering in the sun is laughable at best. It brings to mind the recollection of such toys as the My Little Pony dolls. The logic behind vampires sparkling in the sunlight is non-existent. A vampire burning in the sun has been a staple of Gothic fiction for many years. There are real diseases and disorders in the world that make sunlight harmful to certain individuals. Scientifically it's more plausible to be harmed by sunlight than to 'naturally' sparkle in it.
Another flaw in the mythos of Twilight is the definition of werewolf. I cannot tell you how many times I have come across Twilight fans who insist the characters who can turn into wolves are not werewolves. They say that these characters are shape-shifters. A shape shifter by traditional definition can take on multiple forms, not just one. Many Twilight fans also argue that within the mythos of the books a true werewolf only changes on the full moon and that's why Jacob and company are not actually werewolves. The parapsychology student in me winces at this. In many traditional werewolf folklore out of Germany and France there are werewolves that most certainly can change at will, are aware in their wolf form, and are not bound by the phase of the moon. The very word werewolf means man-wolf. It does not mean part man and part wolf. It comes from the notion of a man INTO a wolf. Most classic werewolf stories (before The Wolf-Man movie) had the werewolf changing from a person into an actual wolf.
The very first werewolf legend can be traced back to the Greek myth of King Lycaon. According to legend King Lycaon served human flesh at a feast for Zeus (the king of the Gods). Zeus was so offended that he punished Lycaon by turning him into a wolf. Only his eyes remained human. This myth is where the terms Lycanthrope, Lycanthropy and the more modern Lycan come from. I guess it's safe to say Stephenie Meyer does not do her research in regard to the occult before writing these stories.
Not only is Twilight poorly written and intellectually insulting to occultists (amateur and professional alike) but it also promotes very unhealthy relationships. Edward Cullen is abusive, stalkerish and obsessive. Edward has also had moments of physically harming Bella. Bella is equally so but that does not make it okay, nor does it make the relationship healthy. At one point Edward disables Bella's mode of transportation and has her kidnapped as a means to 'protect' her. If he was not a vampire this would be viewed as highly abusive of the character. There is a fine line between being chivalrous and sexist. Edward Cullen crossed that line miles ago. This sets a very unhealthy ideal of what defines romantic relationship for the young readers of Twilight. I am not saying not to read Twilight nor am I saying to burn the books. I am simply saying that it needs to be looked at in context for what it truly is and that there are far higher quality reads out there. If you want a chivalrous character who is NOT sexist, seek The Dresden Files novels by Jim Butcher. The hero, a wizard named Harry Dresden, is very chivalrous without being sexist.
Bella is what modern writers call A Mary Sue. In fiction writing and role playing games Mary Sue characters are strongly frowned upon. A Mary Sue is a character of shallow quality who is nearly flawless. The character is so perfect that even her so-called flaws are endearing.
I have run online text based role playing games since 1999 and I can tell you there are plot points in Twilight I would not have allowed in my game. A major one would be when Bella and Edward finally had their daughter toward the end of the book series the child aged extremely fast and by age seven or so she was involved with her mother's werewolf ex-boyfriend. To me this is disgusting. I would never have allowed this in my online role playing game. She might have developed with supernatural speed but she still has only had only seven-years-life experience and I feel that is certainly not enough time to be in a romantic relationship with a grown man. That was disturbing to me. Supernatural speed aging does not give her enough life experience for that sort of relationship. That was simply not right.
In short Twilight is not what I would consider a good read even for those who truly love supernatural romances. See out the likes of The Ghost and Mrs. Muir. Twilight is not worth the time. There are higher quality works of fiction out there.』
(Eclipse ( The Twilight Saga)) 『I haven't read it yet, but am really looking forward to it. I have been on vacation but I have been thinking about this book for days. I know it is a good bood and I can't wait to read it.』
(Really Good.) 『I have to say I didn't want to put any of the 1st three books down. They are all good so far. I plan on reading "Breaking Dawn". My only wish is that there were geared more towards adults rather than teens. So far so good.. They are really easy reads. In this third book she is realizing that she has serious feelings for Jacob and I don't much like that. But competition is always good. I just hope that she ends up with Edward..We will see.』
(GReat) 『If you love books that you can't put down. A series that you're dying to pre-order. This is the series for you. The vampires are just a bonus.』 『Readers captivated byTwilightandNew Moonwill eagerly devour the paperback editionEclipse, the third book in Stephenie Meyer's riveting vampire love saga. As Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob --- knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the ageless struggle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation quickly approaching, Bella has one more decision to make: life or death. But which is which?』
price：$5.19
Thorndike Press
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (I was prepared to hate it, but...) 『First off, I must give proper respect to Stephenie Meyer; anyone that can get young people excited about reading lengthy novels with complex plots (listening J.K.?) deserves all the accolades afforded them. That being said, I was prepared to hate "Twilight," simply because, as a high school English teacher, EVERY TEXT to TEXT REFERENCE I GET IS RELATED TO TWILIGHT. "Okay," I thought, "it is my professional obligation to see what the hoopla is all about." (know thy enemy and all that,) so I read the first book in a the series and I can say, with complete objectivity that the story was rich, the characters are real, and the storyline is one that I would like very much to visit again. I see now the genesis of the infatuation and, while I am far from ready to line up at midnight for the movies, I can appreciate good storytelling and engaging characters when I see it - and Twilight did not disappoint. As coming of age, adolescent angst stories go, it's as good as anything on the market today, and deserves the ardor which it has been afforded. Bravo, Ms. Meyer.』
(Not Bad) 『I have to admit, I was originally angry that this book existed. I figured that teenagers didn't need more fodder for being woebegone--and what could provide more fodder than a book about morose vampires unable to love? They live alone forever, no one understands them, etc--really, it's been done. Several times. It's no big deal, kids. Really.
And then I manned up and read it. Needless to say, Twilight was no where near as bad as I had assumed. It's a cute little story, very high school, and amusing nonetheless. I found the plot intriguing, from the awkward first love to the danger of Bella dealing with the vampires, and I happily read it in one day. I do wish that she had kept her abounding admiration of the vampires' physique to one paragraph as opposed to the twenty pages that her adoring adverbs and adjectives could have filled. Honestly, a simple mention of "Edward was fine," would suffice, and I would let my imagination run with it. All of her persistence made me feel as though she were a bit too desperate to convince me. I found myself asking, "Is he really so good looking? Does he have some huge flaw that we should be ignoring, besides the fact that he wants to eat his girlfriend?" So yes, a little less persistence would have been nice.
I liked the story and the characters, and can see why teenage girls eat this up--I certainly would have. What I don't understand is how these books became such a sensation, as this story is nothing new. Boy is vampire. Boy loves girl. Boy can't love girl--is sad. Girl is also sad. WEREWOLVES! Boy turns girl into vampire. Sunset (only usually not, as this would kill them all). The end!
How did this one particular interpretation of this story get so huge? It's certainly no more remarkable than several other versions of vampire angst that already exist. All I can say is, congrats to Stephanie Meyer for striking upon such a craze. We'll see if the second one holds up!』
(Twilight Rocks!) 『Not like a "teen book". Surprisingly delicious reading! The story of lovers who are not supposed to love each other, but cannot help their love for one another. I read all 490+ pages in a day and instantly downloaded book 2, New Moon. I think I will have read all four books in the next two days....
Yes, it is just that good! And that addicting! 』
(I loved every ounce of this book) 『This book just takes you to another place. It is so romantic. it makes you feel like a high schooler when you read it. An all consuming love. Great for any aged woman.』
(One of the Worst supernatural romances ever written) 『I can't even express into words how strong my distaste for the entire Twilight Saga truly is. In my personal opinion Twilight is prefabricated, poorly written, shallow, demographic-forcing tripe. When I was a fourteen-year-old girl I was very obsessed with the vampire anti-hero Lestat from Anne Rice's The Vampire Chronicles. And though Lestat had many relationship issues he was still a better defined and more well conceived character than that of Edward Cullen.
Edward and Bella are poorly thought out, two dimensional shells. This was a deliberate effort by the author so that every young reader could imagine themselves as the main characters but in the process she made them so superficial that the characters lacked any quality of definition. They did not feel like real people.
Not only is Twilight poorly written but it also hinders upon actual mythology. The notion of vampires glittering in the sun is laughable at best. It brings to mind the recollection of such toys as the My Little Pony dolls. The logic behind vampires sparkling in the sunlight is non-existent. A vampire burning in the sun has been a staple of Gothic fiction for many years. There are real diseases and disorders in the world that make sunlight harmful to certain individuals. Scientifically it's more plausible to be harmed by sunlight than to 'naturally' sparkle in it.
Another flaw in the mythos of Twilight is the definition of werewolf. I cannot tell you how many times I have come across Twilight fans who insist the characters who can turn into wolves are not werewolves. They say that these characters are shape-shifters. A shape shifter by traditional definition can take on multiple forms, not just one. Many Twilight fans also argue that within the mythos of the books a true werewolf only changes on the full moon and that's why Jacob and company are not actually werewolves. The parapsychology student in me winces at this. In many traditional werewolf folklore out of Germany and France there are werewolves that most certainly can change at will, are aware in their wolf form, and are not bound by the phase of the moon. The very word werewolf means man-wolf. It does not mean part man and part wolf. It comes from the notion of a man INTO a wolf. Most classic werewolf stories (before The Wolf-Man movie) had the werewolf changing from a person into an actual wolf.
The very first werewolf legend can be traced back to the Greek myth of King Lycaon. According to legend King Lycaon served human flesh at a feast for Zeus (the king of the Gods). Zeus was so offended that he punished Lycaon by turning him into a wolf. Only his eyes remained human. This myth is where the terms Lycanthrope, Lycanthropy and the more modern Lycan come from. I guess it's safe to say Stephenie Meyer does not do her research in regard to the occult before writing these stories.
Not only is Twilight poorly written and intellectually insulting to occultists (amateur and professional alike) but it also promotes very unhealthy relationships. Edward Cullen is abusive, stalkerish and obsessive. Edward has also had moments of physically harming Bella. Bella is equally so but that does not make it okay, nor does it make the relationship healthy. At one point Edward disables Bella's mode of transportation and has her kidnapped as a means to 'protect' her. If he was not a vampire this would be viewed as highly abusive of the character. There is a fine line between being chivalrous and sexist. Edward Cullen crossed that line miles ago. This sets a very unhealthy ideal of what defines romantic relationship for the young readers of Twilight. I am not saying not to read Twilight nor am I saying to burn the books. I am simply saying that it needs to be looked at in context for what it truly is and that there are far higher quality reads out there. If you want a chivalrous character who is NOT sexist, seek The Dresden Files novels by Jim Butcher. The hero, a wizard named Harry Dresden, is very chivalrous without being sexist.
Bella is what modern writers call A Mary Sue. In fiction writing and role playing games Mary Sue characters are strongly frowned upon. A Mary Sue is a character of shallow quality who is nearly flawless. The character is so perfect that even her so-called flaws are endearing.
I have run online text based role playing games since 1999 and I can tell you there are plot points in Twilight I would not have allowed in my game. A major one would be when Bella and Edward finally had their daughter toward the end of the book series the child aged extremely fast and by age seven or so she was involved with her mother's werewolf ex-boyfriend. To me this is disgusting. I would never have allowed this in my online role playing game. She might have developed with supernatural speed but she still has only had only seven-years-life experience and I feel that is certainly not enough time to be in a romantic relationship with a grown man. That was disturbing to me. Supernatural speed aging does not give her enough life experience for that sort of relationship. That was simply not right.
In short Twilight is not what I would consider a good read even for those who truly love supernatural romances. See out the likes of The Ghost and Mrs. Muir. Twilight is not worth the time. There are higher quality works of fiction out there.』 『About three things I was absolutely positive: First, Edward was a vampire. Second, there was a part of him–and I didn’t know how dominant that part might be–that thirsted for my blood. And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.
“I’D NEVER GIVEN MUCH THOUGHT TO HOW I WOULD DIE– I’d had reason enough in the last few months –but even if I had, I would not have imagined it like this. . . . Surely it was a good way to die, in the place of something else, someone I loved. Noble, even. That ought to count for something.” When Isabella Swan moves to the gloomy town of Forks and meets the mysterious, alluring Edward Cullen, her life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. With his porcelain skin, golden eyes, mesmerizing voice, and supernatural gifts, Edward is both irresistible and impenetrable. Up until now, he has managed to keep his true identity hidden, but Bella is determined to uncover his dark secret. What Bella doesn’t realize is the closer she gets to him, the more she is putting herself and those around her at risk. And, it might be too late to turn back. . . . Deeply seductive and extraordinarily suspenseful,Twilightwill have readers riveted right until the very last page is turned.』 『The book that started the phenomenon is now available in a deluxe collector's edition! Featuring a ribbon bookmark, cloth cover, ragged edges, new chapter opener designs, and a beautiful protective slipcase, this edition is perfect for fans and collectors alike.
Bella Swan's move to Forks, a small, perpetually rainy town in Washington, could have been the most boring move she ever made. But once she meets the mysterious and alluring Edward Cullen, Bella's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. Up until now, Edward has managed to keep his vampire identity a secret in the small community he lives in, but now nobody is safe, especially Bella, the person Edward holds most dear.
Deeply romantic and extraordinarily suspenseful,Twilightcaptures the struggle between defying our instincts and satisfying our desires. This is a love story with bite.』
price：$5.19
Thorndike Press
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (It's just entertaining) 『The second in the teenage vampire romance series finds Edward conflicted about the danger he and his family bring to Bella. Deciding they do her more harm than good, the Cullen family leaves Forks, and Bella sinks into a deep depression. Her only saving grace is Jacob Black, the son of her father's friend, who quickly becomes someone of great importance to her, the only safe harbor she can find. But when Jake's open and friendly demeanor changes abrubptly, Bella is left to figure out what keeps changing the boys in Forks.
What I keep waiting to find out is "why Bella?" I'm hoping that by the end of the series, I'll learn the answer to that. Don't tell me the answer, I want to find out on my own :::sticks fingers in ears and sings la lala:::.
While the Twilight saga will never be viewed as great literature, so far I'm enjoying the ride. They've been good for cold wintery weekends when I just want to stay home and get lost in someone else's drama for a while. Fortunately, Bella has a LOT of drama so it's very easy to sink into.』
(Not as yummy as twilight, but still good) 『There was a certain anguish in this book that lasted a bit to long for me. But I still really enjoyed it. Definitely read it so that you can go through the whole series.』
(A Phenomenal Romance) 『For fantasy fans of romance New Moon is the perfect book for you. New Moon is a parallel to William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. A romance between a vampire and a mortal seems nearly impossible, but when readers learn they have held a strong relationship for nearly six months we begin to believe the relationship might work. It is not until Bella's birthday party at the Cullen's that reality strikes. Bella recognizes that she is in danger of playing out the greatest romantic tragedy. The author builds the tension for the climax of the story by creating this parallel but she also adds a twist. Another lover exists; Jacob comes into Bella's life in place of Edward. During Bella's depression, she rebuilds her friendship with Jacob. The two are quite attached but not for long. Edward realizes it was a mistake to leave her beloved. Edward comes back for Bella and therefore conflict rises. A vampire vs. a werewolf who will win over her heart? The Quileute werewolves are an exciting addition to the story and it will be interesting to see how this plot line is developed in the next novel in this series. How will both men play a role in her life, is the question. The second half of the novel is where the action really begins and questions are answered. This novel is an exciting addition to the series. I found myself turning page after page wanting to know more and reading nearly half the book in just one day. It is a book full of mystery and adventure that makes an exciting read.』
(One of the Worst supernatural romances ever written) 『I can't even express into words how strong my distaste for the entire Twilight Saga truly is. In my personal opinion Twilight is prefabricated, poorly written, shallow, demographic-forcing tripe. When I was a fourteen-year-old girl I was very obsessed with the vampire anti-hero Lestat from Anne Rice's The Vampire Chronicles. And though Lestat had many relationship issues he was still a better defined and more well conceived character than that of Edward Cullen.
Edward and Bella are poorly thought out, two dimensional shells. This was a deliberate effort by the author so that every young reader could imagine themselves as the main characters but in the process she made them so superficial that the characters lacked any quality of definition. They did not feel like real people.
Not only is Twilight poorly written but it also hinders upon actual mythology. The notion of vampires glittering in the sun is laughable at best. It brings to mind the recollection of such toys as the My Little Pony dolls. The logic behind vampires sparkling in the sunlight is non-existent. A vampire burning in the sun has been a staple of Gothic fiction for many years. There are real diseases and disorders in the world that make sunlight harmful to certain individuals. Scientifically it's more plausible to be harmed by sunlight than to 'naturally' sparkle in it.
Another flaw in the mythos of Twilight is the definition of werewolf. I cannot tell you how many times I have come across Twilight fans who insist the characters who can turn into wolves are not werewolves. They say that these characters are shape-shifters. A shape shifter by traditional definition can take on multiple forms, not just one. Many Twilight fans also argue that within the mythos of the books a true werewolf only changes on the full moon and that's why Jacob and company are not actually werewolves. The parapsychology student in me winces at this. In many traditional werewolf folklore out of Germany and France there are werewolves that most certainly can change at will, are aware in their wolf form, and are not bound by the phase of the moon. The very word werewolf means man-wolf. It does not mean part man and part wolf. It comes from the notion of a man INTO a wolf. Most classic werewolf stories (before The Wolf-Man movie) had the werewolf changing from a person into an actual wolf.
The very first werewolf legend can be traced back to the Greek myth of King Lycaon. According to legend King Lycaon served human flesh at a feast for Zeus (the king of the Gods). Zeus was so offended that he punished Lycaon by turning him into a wolf. Only his eyes remained human. This myth is where the terms Lycanthrope, Lycanthropy and the more modern Lycan come from. I guess it's safe to say Stephenie Meyer does not do her research in regard to the occult before writing these stories.
Not only is Twilight poorly written and intellectually insulting to occultists (amateur and professional alike) but it also promotes very unhealthy relationships. Edward Cullen is abusive, stalkerish and obsessive. Edward has also had moments of physically harming Bella. Bella is equally so but that does not make it okay, nor does it make the relationship healthy. At one point Edward disables Bella's mode of transportation and has her kidnapped as a means to 'protect' her. If he was not a vampire this would be viewed as highly abusive of the character. There is a fine line between being chivalrous and sexist. Edward Cullen crossed that line miles ago. This sets a very unhealthy ideal of what defines romantic relationship for the young readers of Twilight. I am not saying not to read Twilight nor am I saying to burn the books. I am simply saying that it needs to be looked at in context for what it truly is and that there are far higher quality reads out there. If you want a chivalrous character who is NOT sexist, seek The Dresden Files novels by Jim Butcher. The hero, a wizard named Harry Dresden, is very chivalrous without being sexist.
Bella is what modern writers call A Mary Sue. In fiction writing and role playing games Mary Sue characters are strongly frowned upon. A Mary Sue is a character of shallow quality who is nearly flawless. The character is so perfect that even her so-called flaws are endearing.
I have run online text based role playing games since 1999 and I can tell you there are plot points in Twilight I would not have allowed in my game. A major one would be when Bella and Edward finally had their daughter toward the end of the book series the child aged extremely fast and by age seven or so she was involved with her mother's werewolf ex-boyfriend. To me this is disgusting. I would never have allowed this in my online role playing game. She might have developed with supernatural speed but she still has only had only seven-years-life experience and I feel that is certainly not enough time to be in a romantic relationship with a grown man. That was disturbing to me. Supernatural speed aging does not give her enough life experience for that sort of relationship. That was simply not right.
In short Twilight is not what I would consider a good read even for those who truly love supernatural romances. See out the likes of The Ghost and Mrs. Muir. Twilight is not worth the time. There are higher quality works of fiction out there.』
(Absolutely wonderful) 『I had already read this book when I bought it but I wanted it in hardcover because I tend to be a little rough on books and the one I borrowed from a friend was softcover. The day I recieved it in the mail I couldn't help but read it again and it was just as good as the first time (the movie comming out this month probably helped my enthusiasm somewhat as well). The whole twilight series is wonderful and I would highly recommed any one of the them to everyone regardless of age or preference. I will say though that book 2 begins to get a little racy towards the end so I would recommed parents read the book first before passing it along to younger children (but be warned they are going to want to keep reading and in book 3 and 4 the sexuality esculates).』 『Legions of readers entranced byTwilightare hungry for more and they won't be disappointed. InNew Moon, Stephenie Meyer delivers another irresistible combination of romance and suspense with a supernatural twist. The "star-crossed" lovers theme continues as Bella and Edward find themselves facing new obstacles, including a devastating separation, the mysterious appearance of dangerous wolves roaming the forest in Forks, a terrifying threat of revenge from a female vampire and a deliciously sinister encounter with Italy's reigning royal family of vampires, the Volturi. Passionate, riveting, and full of surprising twists and turns, this vampire love saga is well on its way to literary immortality.』
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Painful to get through) 『I found this book extremely difficult to get through. I put it down several times, took a day or two break and then tried again.
Laurell K. Hamilton has an extremely down-to-earth tone in her writing that makes this book addicting even when I found the storyline appallingly bad. Very often, it felt like Meredith's past was being forced on me through exposition and her character explained rather than experienced.
For example, we're told that Meredith is a very nice person and everyone seems to love her, but why? She's beautiful and nice enough, but never anything outstanding or exemplary. The erotic parts of the novel are good steamy fun, but she nevers seems to connect with any one person. Her initial relationship with Roan and her boss Jeremy are the closest the author gets in having Meredith make an actual connection with another character. Every other relationship in the novel seems exploited by easy sexuality. There is a tendency of introducing multiple characters at one time -- characters that also disappear again so quickly that it seems unnecessary to even remember their name.
There were several passages that turned my stomach -- leading to the periods when I had to put down the book -- because they were so alienating to me, as a reader. I skimmed over many pages when the narration turned to (to summarize): date rape, tentacle sex, sex with warted hags, malformed goblin masturbation, etc. etc...
As addicting as Ms. Hamilton's writing is(and as steamy as the sex scenes were)this book isn't worth it. I couldn't finish the last 10% of it, much less any more novels about this character.』
(An Excellent Adult Fae Dark Urban Fantasy Romance) 『There are over 300 reviews for this book already, so my review will be brief. I've never read anything from this author before but decided to take advantage of the free download from Kindle. Even though I'm sure some of the complaints concerning Laurell's writings have merit; I let a lot of the negative reviews surrounding Laurell's books get in the way of me discovering a fantastic author. If you are disturbed by multiple sex partners or frequent sexual activity, I don't recommend you read this book. This book was a very exciting, creative, dark and dangerous fantasy that completely delivered. I enjoyed this book so much; I greedily devoured it and could hardly put it down. I am always looking for dark urban fantasy books that involve the fae and cater to adults, and I very pleased to be able to add Laurell's Meredith Gentry series to my short list. I highly recommend this book to dark urban fantasy readers and look forward to reading the next book A Caress of Twilight. I also recommend: Storm Born (Dark Swan, Book 1) Darkfever (Fever Series, Book 1) Rosemary and Rue: An October Daye Novel Full Moon Rising (Riley Jensen, Guardian, Book 1) Witchling (Sisters of the Moon, Book 1) 』
(definite fun) 『If you have a rainy sunday to waste, this is definitely a fun read! Even if the detective story is a little thin, even if all the hunks are after a while are hard to keep apart - it is still fun. It did good to dispense all believe and be drawn into a 'happy' fantasy of a small ass-kicking woman being the center of attention... 'Kiss' will probably stay for a while on my iphone, specially since it was free! Am I going to buy the next book in the series? Well, if I should get the flue - who knows?』
(Good quality dark fantasy.) 『My first book from the author and I can say one thing, I cannot help but want more.
Meredith is a great character. The plot is unexpected. One cannot guess what is coming next. The romance isn't like, I see you and I will love you forever, what is great in my opinion.
It hasn't got to what Kushiel's dart means to me, since Pedhre is my all times favorite heroine. But, it was a great reading nonetheless. 』
(cheap porn) 『You know those awful porn movies with no plot other than to have sex every scene? This book is pretty much like that. If they weren't having sex, they were talking and planning it. But, hey, if that's what you like.....』 『All it would take was my true name being mentioned after dark, and it would float back to my aunt. She was the Queen of Air and Darkness, and that meant that anything said in the dark was hers to hear, eventually. The fact that spotting the missing Elven American Princess had become more popular than spotting Elvis helped. Her magic was always chasing blind leads. Princess Meredith skiing in Utah. Princess Meredith dancing in Paris. Princess Meredith gambling in Vegas. After three years I was still a front-page story for the tabloids, though the latest headlines had been speculating that I was dead as the King of Rock and Roll . . .
Three years ago, Princess Meredith fled the court of her cruel Aunt Andais, the Queen of Air and Darkness, leaving that garden of decadent delights and backstabbing intrigues for the comparative calm of Los Angeles. Using her magic to pass for human, Meredith began a new life as a private investigator specializing in supernatural crime. But now Doyle, the Queen's chief bodyguard and assassin, has been dispatched to fetch her back--whether she likes it or not.
The product of a marriage designed to cement peace between the rival Seelie and Unseelie courts, Meredith has always been scorned by both factions in spite of her royal blood. But that blood is behind the Unseelie Queen's surprisingly urgent summons.
For ever since the fey's exile from Europe to America, their power and purity have been fading. Desperate to renew her race, Queen Andais now pins her hopes on a contest between Meredith and her own son, the sadistic Prince Cel. The first to produce a child will win the throne.
The loser's reward will be death . . .
Laurell K. Hamilton's bestselling series of novels featuring Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, established her as one of the hottest new writers of dark fantasy and erotic horror. Now, in a thrilling adventure of unbridled imagination, Hamilton turns her talents to the glittering, myth-drenched lands of Faerie and brings them brilliantly into the postmodern age. Enter a thrilling, sensual world as threatening as it is beautiful, replete with the titanic passions of immortal beings once worshipped as gods or demons. Full of earthly pleasures and dazzling magic, Laurell K. Hamilton's A Kiss of Shadows will hold you under its hypnotic spell.
Hamilton takes her world by the teeth and runs with it.』
『Laurell K. Hamilton revitalized vampires, werewolves, and zombies in the popular Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter books. In this new series, she updates faeries.A Kiss of Shadowsintroduces Merry Gentry, a.k.a. Meredith NicEssus, a faerie princess of the Unseelie Court, where politics is a blood sport. Merry, who's part sidhe (elvish), part brownie, and part human, never really fit in. She's short, not skilled in offensive magic, and mortal because of her human blood. These are real liabilities when your family, especially aunt Andais, Queen of Air and Darkness, is out to kill you. Merry has been in hiding for three years, living in Los Angeles and working for the Grey Detective Agency, which specializes in "supernatural problems, magical solutions." A new case sets her against a man who uses forbidden magic to seduce fey women and drain their power. A plan to trap him goes awry and Merry's cover is blown. Now Andais knows where she is. But things have changed in Andais's court, and Merry is changing too.
Despite the selkies, brownies, goblins, and ogres in this book, it's not for children. The fey are "creatures of the senses"--and in the Unseelie court, sex and pain go together. Merry is sexually adventurous and surrounded by gorgeous, powerful males, most of whom want her badly. She's politically savvy and no coward, though she's not the warrior Anita is. Hamilton fans and readers of adult fairy tales like Anne Bishop's Black Jewels trilogy will want to give Merry a look.--Nona Vero』
price：$13.49
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (does it really have to end?) 『Loved the whole series. This book was again a great easy guilty pleasure read. Was sad that the series ended. Can't wait for the films to come!』
(Awesome) 『Breaking Dawn ends the saga in a big way...I cried, I laughed, I was scared, I was happy... she hit it all! Go Stephanie. Can't wait for the movie. Lynn 』
(One of the Worst supernatural romances ever written) 『I can't even express into words how strong my distaste for the entire Twilight Saga truly is. In my personal opinion Twilight is prefabricated, poorly written, shallow, demographic-forcing tripe. When I was a fourteen-year-old girl I was very obsessed with the vampire anti-hero Lestat from Anne Rice's The Vampire Chronicles. And though Lestat had many relationship issues he was still a better defined and more well conceived character than that of Edward Cullen.
Edward and Bella are poorly thought out, two dimensional shells. This was a deliberate effort by the author so that every young reader could imagine themselves as the main characters but in the process she made them so superficial that the characters lacked any quality of definition. They did not feel like real people.
Not only is Twilight poorly written but it also hinders upon actual mythology. The notion of vampires glittering in the sun is laughable at best. It brings to mind the recollection of such toys as the My Little Pony dolls. The logic behind vampires sparkling in the sunlight is non-existent. A vampire burning in the sun has been a staple of Gothic fiction for many years. There are real diseases and disorders in the world that make sunlight harmful to certain individuals. Scientifically it's more plausible to be harmed by sunlight than to 'naturally' sparkle in it.
Another flaw in the mythos of Twilight is the definition of werewolf. I cannot tell you how many times I have come across Twilight fans who insist the characters who can turn into wolves are not werewolves. They say that these characters are shape-shifters. A shape shifter by traditional definition can take on multiple forms, not just one. Many Twilight fans also argue that within the mythos of the books a true werewolf only changes on the full moon and that's why Jacob and company are not actually werewolves. The parapsychology student in me winces at this. In many traditional werewolf folklore out of Germany and France there are werewolves that most certainly can change at will, are aware in their wolf form, and are not bound by the phase of the moon. The very word werewolf means man-wolf. It does not mean part man and part wolf. It comes from the notion of a man INTO a wolf. Most classic werewolf stories (before The Wolf-Man movie) had the werewolf changing from a person into an actual wolf.
The very first werewolf legend can be traced back to the Greek myth of King Lycaon. According to legend King Lycaon served human flesh at a feast for Zeus (the king of the Gods). Zeus was so offended that he punished Lycaon by turning him into a wolf. Only his eyes remained human. This myth is where the terms Lycanthrope, Lycanthropy and the more modern Lycan come from. I guess it's safe to say Stephenie Meyer does not do her research in regard to the occult before writing these stories.
Not only is Twilight poorly written and intellectually insulting to occultists (amateur and professional alike) but it also promotes very unhealthy relationships. Edward Cullen is abusive, stalkerish and obsessive. Edward has also had moments of physically harming Bella. Bella is equally so but that does not make it okay, nor does it make the relationship healthy. At one point Edward disables Bella's mode of transportation and has her kidnapped as a means to 'protect' her. If he was not a vampire this would be viewed as highly abusive of the character. There is a fine line between being chivalrous and sexist. Edward Cullen crossed that line miles ago. This sets a very unhealthy ideal of what defines romantic relationship for the young readers of Twilight. I am not saying not to read Twilight nor am I saying to burn the books. I am simply saying that it needs to be looked at in context for what it truly is and that there are far higher quality reads out there. If you want a chivalrous character who is NOT sexist, seek The Dresden Files novels by Jim Butcher. The hero, a wizard named Harry Dresden, is very chivalrous without being sexist.
Bella is what modern writers call A Mary Sue. In fiction writing and role playing games Mary Sue characters are strongly frowned upon. A Mary Sue is a character of shallow quality who is nearly flawless. The character is so perfect that even her so-called flaws are endearing.
I have run online text based role playing games since 1999 and I can tell you there are plot points in Twilight I would not have allowed in my game. A major one would be when Bella and Edward finally had their daughter toward the end of the book series the child aged extremely fast and by age seven or so she was involved with her mother's werewolf ex-boyfriend. To me this is disgusting. I would never have allowed this in my online role playing game. She might have developed with supernatural speed but she still has only had only seven-years-life experience and I feel that is certainly not enough time to be in a romantic relationship with a grown man. That was disturbing to me. Supernatural speed aging does not give her enough life experience for that sort of relationship. That was simply not right.
In short Twilight is not what I would consider a good read even for those who truly love supernatural romances. See out the likes of The Ghost and Mrs. Muir. Twilight is not worth the time. There are higher quality works of fiction out there.』
(Best book of the Saga) 『I read all 4 books within a month. Breaking Dawn was my favorite of all four books in the saga. If you have seen the first two movies, with or without reading the books, I would recommend reading Eclipse and Breaking Dawn as well! It is a must read!』
(Beyond terrible) 『The first two reviews summed it up for me. Truly terrible and disappointing. But something good did come from reading this book - it killed my Twilight buzz and I'm no longer unhealthily obsessed with the series.』 『When you loved the one who was killing you, it left you no options. How could you run, how could you fight, when doing so would hurt that beloved one? If your life was all you had to give, how could you not give it? If it was someone you truly loved?
To be irrevocably in love with a vampire is both fantasy and nightmare woven into a dangerously heightened reality for Bella Swan. Pulled in one direction by her intense passion for Edward Cullen, and in another by her profound connection to werewolf Jacob Black, a tumultuous year of temptation, loss, and strife have led her to the ultimate turning point. Her imminent choice to either join the dark but seductive world of immortals or to pursue a fully human life has become the thread from which the fates of two tribes hangs.
Now that Bella has made her decision, a startling chain of unprecedented events is about to unfold with potentially devastating, and unfathomable, consequences. Just when the frayed strands of Bella's life--first discovered inTwilight, then scattered and torn inNew MoonandEclipse--seem ready to heal and knit together, could they be destroyed... forever?
The astonishing, breathlessly anticipated conclusion to the Twilight Saga,Breaking Dawnilluminates the secrets and mysteries of this spellbinding romantic epic that has entranced millions.』
『Great love stories thrive on sacrifice. Throughout The Twilight Saga (Twilight,New Moon, andEclipse), Stephenie Meyer has emulated great love stories--Romeo and Juliet,Wuthering Heights--with the fated, yet perpetually doomed love of Bella (the human girl) and Edward (the vampire who feeds on animals instead of humans). InBreaking Dawn, the fourth and final installment in the series, Bella’s story plays out in some unexpected ways. The ongoing conflicts that made this series so compelling--a human girl in love with a vampire, a werewolf in love with a human girl, the generations-long feud between werewolves and vampires--resolve pretty quickly, apparently so that Meyer could focuson Bella’s latest opportunity for self-sacrifice: giving her life for someone she loves even more than Edward. How close she comes to actually making that sacrifice is questionable, which is a big shift from the earlier books. Even though you knew Bella would make it through somehow, the threatsto her life, and to her relationship with Edward, had previously always felt real. It’s as if Meyer was afraid of hurting her characters too much, which is unfortunate, because the pain Bella suffered at losing Edward inNew Moon, and the pain Jacob suffered at losing Bella again and again, are the fire and the heart that drive the whole series. Diehard fans will stick with Bella, Edward, and Jacob for as many twists and turns as possible, but after most of the characters get what they want with little sacrifice, some readers may have a harder time caring what happens next. (Ages 12 and up) --Heidi Broadhead』
price：$25.90
Macmillan Audio
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (A Stellar Addition to a Stellar Series) 『When Robert Jordan died I was scared to death. I don't know if I was more afraid of someone else finishing the series (and screwing it up!) or never seeing the end. Over the next few weeks I sadly decided that I would rather not chance someone destroying something I truly love. At the same time I knew I would never be able to turn away from a new volume of The Wheel of Time.
I was pleasantly surprised when Brandon Sanderson was chosen to finish the series. I had followed Sanderson since his Elantris debut and, in considering him as the Jordan heir, I immediately recognized two things that pointed me toward optimism: 1) Brandon's chief strengths echoed Jordan's - world building, pure storytelling - pacing, plotting, etc. 2) Brandon was young enough (and hopefully humble enough) to adapt his style, rather than doing the rest of The Wheel of Time like a series of bad rock albums - "Brandon Sanderson covers Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time."
Having finished the book Sunday morning between 2:00&3:00 A.M., I'm ready to write my review. I feel fully justified in my optimism, in fact, Brandon did better than I would have thought possible. There were exactly three places in the entire text where I felt certain that I was reading a Sanderson addition rather than incorporated RJ material, and in all three cases it was a question of diction rather than sentence structure, factual issues, or mis-characterization or any of the things that originally made me decide that I would rather see the series in the grave with the author. Since I intend this to be an entirely spoiler free review (except in the most general sense), I won't identify them. Suffice to say even in these instances not everyone I've spoken to agrees with me. The fact is, if RJ's death had been hidden from us all and Brandon had written this volume as he did with the public none the wiser, I don't think anyone would have noticed. I think the majority of us that are noticing supposed changes would be surprised to find that most of the time we were wrong. If we didn't know to look I don't think we'd find anything. That is the highest compliment that could be paid to Sanderson in a project of this type.
The story itself was very interesting. Much like the last volume it was extremely fast-paced compared to some of the slower volumes that had preceded it (notably volume 10 - which I loved anyway). The volume is more limited in its focus - essentially a Rand and Egwene volume. Egwene's quest to unify the tower is resolved in splendid fashion, complete with the dreamed of Seanchan attack on the White Tower. Thus the one major plot line unresolved at the end of Book 12 is fully resolved with the requisite time, effort, and detail in this volume. Even more impressive for the Wheel of Time, was Rand's plot line. While Wheel of Time plot lines involve deep characterization, previous volumes had encased major character development points in major action scenes. Rand has no major battles. The climax is a moment of entirely internal conflict in which Rand is forced to face himself and what has made of himself as the Dragon Reborn. It is handled beautifully, and with daring confidence considering it is the first major plot line to be resolved with an internal moment rather than some external embodiment of the problem. Rand had to face this one and neither the power nor his sword work nor any other external force would solve it for him.
Kudos, Mr. Sanderson! Every Wheel of Time reader should be eternally grateful that we ran into someone so capable to finish this storyline we love so much. And congratulations and vast thanks for Harriet for allowing us this privilege. This is an amazing novel, and we'd never have seen it without you. Thank you for sharing.』
(a most excellent, gratifying conclusion) 『I've been rereading the entire series before each new book release in the WoT series, ever since the release of TGH (book 2), and if there is one thing that Robert Jordan excels at, it's creating a rich, complex weave of plotlines and mysteries. However, uncovering those mysteries is a challenge, even with the help of online resources. With the intention of revealing most of these mysteries near the conclusion of the WoT series, I'm sure that Robert Jordan intended for this book to be a jaw-dropping experience, and it certainly is that.
However, I think that turning over the writing to another author would have been an excellent decision despite (my favorite author of all time) Jordan's sad passing. Not only was this book jaw-dropping, but it was emotionally gratifying on many levels. I felt like mysteries were revealed and issues were resolved without creating more unanswered questions or dragging out the answers to yet another volume. The writing dwelled on the emotions of the characters in a way that Jordan paid less attention to, and I think this book is better for it. But most of all, Sanderson spent time revisiting the past places, actions, and feelings of characters throughout the book. Jordan, in the past books, never spent time reminiscing, but as part of Memory of Light, we do actually get to spend some time in their memories, which is extremely useful after an astounding number of pages of story.
Overall, this is the best book of the series since the first book introduced us to Rand and his companions. It actually FEELS like a conclusion, even if it isn't the final volume. Separating the last book into three volumes was a great idea, as it draws this feeling of reader satisfaction out over years. Let's face it, after spending so many years reading the mid-story, we WANT the end-story to be long and satisfying! Great job everyone!』
(Optimistic) 『While I like Mr. Sanderson's work (I have read and enjoyed all of his other materials in print) I must confess to being slightly disappointed by the Gathering Storm. I found the characterizations to be not quite as sharp as those given by Jordan (though that's somewhat to be expected), and some of the Channeling 'mechanics' were a little jarring.
That aside however the plot moves forwards, the prose itself is of high quality, and most of all it's another Wheel of Time book!
Overall I enjoyed it.』
(Kudos to Mr. Sanderson) 『I wasn't expecting much, but wow! Congratulations to Brandon Sanderson for tackling an impossible task. How do you pick up a beloved series that had deteriorated over the last part of the series and revitalize it? Mr. Sanderson did so. (Although the last book by Jordan was much better than the previous few.) It was so refreshing to have things actually happen in a book, rather than any action that moved the storyline forward to occur only in the last 50 pages.
I truly enjoyed this book, and cannot wait for the next two. It is extremely sad that Robert Jordan could not finish the series himself, but this is the next best thing.』
(Fantastic.) 『After the travesty that the Dune series ended on, I automatically cringed at the thought of another author finishing The Wheel of Time series, regardless of the fact I was already a fan of Brandon Sanderson's previous work. I can attest that Mr. Sanderson went above and beyond as he picked up Robert Jordan's torch. It was like the series never missed a step. All the characters I've grown to love remain true to form, as does the story arch, and the smooth flowing read. I will also say that the phenomenal ending of this book puts it very high on my favorites list for the series. Absolutely superb and I can not wait for the final two installments.』 『
Tarmon Gai’don, the Last Battle, looms. And mankind is not ready.
The final volume of the Wheel of Time,A Memory of Light,was partially written by Robert Jordan before his untimely passing in 2007. Brandon Sanderson,New York Timesbestselling author of the Mistborn books, was chosen by Jordan’s editor---his wife, Harriet McDougal---to complete the final book. The scope and size of the volume was such that it could not be contained in a single book, and so Tor proudly presentsThe Gathering Stormas the first of three novels that will make upA Memory of Light.This short sequence will complete the struggle against the Shadow, bringing to a close a journey begun almost twenty years ago and marking the conclusion of the Wheel of Time, the preeminent fantasy epic of our era.
In this epic novel, Robert Jordan’s international bestselling series begins its dramatic conclusion. Rand al’Thor, the Dragon Reborn, struggles to unite a fractured network of kingdoms and alliances in preparation for the Last Battle. As he attempts to halt the Seanchan encroachment northward---wishing he could form at least atemporary truce with the invaders---his allies watch in terror the shadow that seems to be growing within the heart of the Dragon Reborn himself.
Egwene al’Vere, the Amyrlin Seat of the rebel Aes Sedai, is a captive of the White Tower and subject to the whims of their tyrannical leader. As days tick toward the Seanchan attack she knows is imminent, Egwene works to hold together the disparate factions of Aes Sedai while providing leadership in the face of increasing uncertainty and despair. Her fight will prove the mettle of the Aes Sedai, and her conflict will decide the future of the White Tower---and possibly the world itself.
The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow.
price：$9.12
Tantor Media
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Enjoyed this, will get rest of series) 『I found this enjoyable and I'm not a young adult anymore. I will buy the rest of the series. I enjoyed the plot, the characters were well drawn. There were a few loose ends that puzzle me. What happened in the war? Why did Cal act as he did? I read this on my Kindle.』
(Weak start, lead a bit of a sue....) 『Ky is a rich young girl who is bounced out of the academy for a far-fetched mistake, and then sent home to work for her parents who own a shipping business. Given a seemingly easy task of delivery a ship to the wreckers, Ky decides instead to save the ship and try to repair/purchase it with the funds she makes trading on the way. During this time she picks up a few marooned spacers who cause trouble and which results in some all new problems and opportunities.
I felt this story started off very weakly. I almost did not continue because I found the scenario at the academy incredibly silly and far-fetched. If she's going to get kicked out, I would've preferred it for an actual mistake, rather than because something someone beyond her control did... It seemed like the author was afraid to make her character less than perfect. Also it seems like it's always MEN who mess with Ky. This happens several times in the book. It got a bit old.
Ky herself is a bit of a Sue. Everywhere she goes people comment on her age, and precociousness. Also, there is a distinct lack of decent young male characters. They are either irrational (like her ex boyfriend, the marooned youngster, or the guy who gets her kicked out), or older. The villains are a bit one dimensional. Although Ky herself acknowledges she was a spoiled brat, she refuses to try to be diplomatic in the way she handles the spaceship captain who was her 'journeyman' mentor. I felt that Ky continued to be a bit of a brat in the way she had dealt with this man.
On the plus side, I felt these stories were very adventurous. I found myself enjoying the tale more and more... And purchased the next one to find out what happens next.』
(The story is great, the narrator is horrid) 『While I thoroughly enjoy the characters and plot of Ms. Moon's creation, Ms. Halloway's narration leaves MUCH to be desired. She frequently reads the wrong word (i.e., "thorough-put" for through-put, "designed" for designated, etc.). I find myself just wanting to scream at her. Her voices for various characters are extremely similar, in places making it difficult to distinguish who is speaking. I'm very surprised that there wasn't better "prooflistening" before this book was released. This is one of the few audiobooks I've ever listened to in which the narrator so detracted from the story that I quit listening, found a copy of the book and read it for myself.』
(Trading in Boredom) 『Theodore Sturgeon once wrote that 90% of everything is crap. Trading In Danger fits smack in the middle of that 90%. More specifically, the first half of Trading in Danger is crap; I can't speak to the second half, since I never read it, and don't plan to.
I've got three major problems with this work. The first is that the characters are as two dimensional as cardboard cutouts. For example, the main character, whose name I have mercifully blotted out of my memory, is introduced to us as a high-performing cadet who is thrown out of a space-age naval academy for assisting a friend. The setup is a bit contrived, but OK, I get it, she's competent and takes care of people. Later, we see Vatta's (dammit, I remember now, and I really don't want to) discomfort when her mother insists that she buy dresses. Thanks, Elizabeth, you have officially clued the readers in that she's the HERO, not the GIRL, in the most pedestrian way possible. You now know everything you need to know about our young danger trader.
Second, our hero doesn't solve her problems, she just stumbles upon solutions. Now the captain of the worst ship in any commercial fleet in the known universe, she wants to make enough money trading to fix the rusty hulk. Amazingly, at her first port of call, she discovers an opportunity for a profitable voyage. After she's picked up the stuff she's supposed to ship to earn her enormous profit, she runs out of money to fix her ship. Luckily, a war breaks out and a group of mercenaries offer her a large sum to babysit some POWs for a few days. Man, who ever thought that space trading would be that easy?
Third, Vatta, who was supposedly a top student at the naval academy, is just dumb. Consider this--if you were hired by mercenaries to house some POWs in your ship and you had no weapons, would you ask the mercenaries to provide a few blasters? Not Vatta. Would you drop a microphone into the room in which you're holding these POWs to see what mutinies they're hatching? Not Vatta, she just frets over the mutinous possibilties. If one of your mentors, who is rumored to have ties to the local intelligence service, gave you a coded message (why he encoded it is beyond me, but I guess in Moon's universe, a secret agent has to be cryptic to ensure that the readers remember that he's a secret agent), would you decode it or just sit on it for a month or so? If you're an Elizabeth Moon character, you'd sit on it. If Vatta was a top student, I can only imagine what the academy's C students were like--I picture a bunch of guys who keep taking their pants off in chemistry lab.
There is good space opera out there. Alastair Reynolds, for example, writes well, develops his characters, offers up heroes who act intelligently to overcome obstacles rather than waiting around for their problems to solve themselves, and keeps us turning the pages with suspense. Trading in Danger isn't worth the time spent reading the back cover, much less the time it takes to read the book, and I seriously doubt that Elizabeth Moon has the imagination to write decent SF. I gave this book two stars because it could have been worse. It could, however, have been a lot better, too, had the author been a writer instead of a hack.』
(Believable and real, to the point Moon is...) 『I picked up Trading in Danger on a whim, more because it was available rather than because I wanted to read something by Moon. In fact I really had no inclination to even try and read anything by Moon. Not because I didn't like her writing, or heard bad things. Nope, I just hadn't heard anything about her. I was ignorant. So I couldn't have been more happy to find that I enjoy Moon's style of writing and ability to truly create a real and believable story.
Moon writes straight to the point. There are no pages long diatribes and/or explanations that do nothing more than bog a story down. Don't get me wrong. If done correctly, that can work. Neal Stephenson comes to mind. But it can fail just as often as it could work. Neal Stephenson comes to mind. But with Moon she is to the point, there is no beating about the bush. we don't have to read through a hundred pages to cover a span of 2 weeks, but mere sentences would suffice in summing up all that was important and relay it to the reader, all the while not cheapening the storyline.
Ky is an altogether believable character, one that I at times admired and cheered along, feeling as though I were going through the motions of a first time captaincy. Her interactions with Gary and Quincy and the other officers and staff was not forced or unbelievable, but accurate (seemingly at least, after all I have never been on a space ship) and to the point. Her interactions with her family were honest and heartfelt, and I couldn't but nod my head in recognition of her family life.
I am gushing a bit about Moon's Vatta series in part because I had not expected anything when I stumbled upon her book. Without expectations I was left to enjoy her book for what it was. And I did truly do that. Will I think differently of the other books in her series when I get around to reading them? I might just so, only because I now have an expectation. A definite recommend on both the series and the author.
4.5 stars.』 『
The first of the acclaimed Vatta's War books, the exciting military science fiction series that features a swashbuckling spaceship-captain heroine who mixes commerce with combat.
price：$26.95
Ace
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (love these books) 『I love these books. Light reading, lots of fun. Entertainment that gets your mind going.』
(True Blood =True Bliss) 『What can I say about the Sookie Stackhouse novels? If you've seen the HBO series, you have to read the books. If you haven't read the books you have to see the series. The great part of the novel is that the reader can see into the thoughts of Sookie. Also, though the series does mirror the books, it is different, too. We feel what she feels, the wonder, the love, the yearning for Bill, then her feelings for Eric, then the danger and horror. These books rock, buy them. If you want some other really good scares when you finish this series and until True Blood comes back on, try this book of short horror tales; Seven Deadly Pleasures. Then, of course, you can always head over to Forks;The Twilight Saga Collection』
(awesome books) 『purchased for myself after reading the first book in the series and was hooked. couldn't wait til it arrived read 2 books in as many days』
(Sookie Stackhouse Series) 『Great series. Once I started reading, couldn't stop. Read all eight books in a week. Since I only buy paperbacks, I guess I'll have to borrow book 9 from a friend. Don't think I can wait until it comes out in paperback next year. Wonderfully entertaining story line and characters. Love Bubba from Memphis.』
(Sookie Stackhouse Series by Charlaine Harris) 『Ms. Harris is an excellent writer. Her Sookie Stackhouse series, on which the "TrueBlood" TV series is based, is incredibly imaginative and well-written. Don't bother if you're squeamish, a sexphobe or lack a flexible, imaginative mind.』 『Cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse is no typical Southern belle. She can read minds. And she's got a thing for vampires. Which, in a town like Bon Temps, Louisiana, means she'll have to watch her back-and neck...
Includes:
Dead Until Dark Living Dead in Dallas Club Dead Dead to the World Dead as a Doornail Definitely Dead All Together Dead From Dead to Worse
price：$5.76
Del Rey
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (A trip back) 『The stories written by Robert E. Howard are distinct and classic in their own right. Thinking back when I first found the Conan series (after first watching Conan The Barbarian) I was immersed in any REH work I could find. At that time it was only Conan. As I read my treasured paperbacks to tatters I looked over the years to replace them with new ones.
Now I have discovered the other wealth of adventure by REH... I only wish it could have been sooner. The elements of style and much of his descriptions carry through to other works yet the other stories are also fresh and different. This man was a brilliant story teller! Read, enjoy and immerse yourself in Howard's many worlds for true adventure! I have read other authors who have done these stories well but no one wrote like the original!』
(excellent choices) 『Sure, I would have personally liked a different story here or there, but with so many of Howard's works, how does one choose?
This book does a good job of introducing a wide variety of Howard stories, not JUST Conan.
』
(Not Free SF Reader) 『A selection of stories from many and varied genres. As the editor says "He is most famous, of course, for Conan of Cimmeria, who has taken on a life of his own as Conan the Barbarian, far removed from Howards brilliantly original conception; herein you will find other great characters, like Kull of Atlantis, king of fabled Valusia; Solomon Kane, the swashbuckling Puritanadventurer; Bran Mak Morn, last king of an ancient race; Sailor Steve Costigan, the champion of the forecastle; Breckinridge Elkins, the man-mountain who cant seem to avoid walking into trouble; Steve Harrison, the detective whos as likely to solve the mystery with his fists as with his wits; and many others. They run the gamut from dark fantasy to broad humor, from brooding horror to gentle love story." Burke further states that he used a fan poll of the top 25 Howard stories to help in choosing the stories, taking a goodly percentage of them. With a caveat that only two Conan stories per book, maximum.
The only one I don't think is any good is the Curse of the Golden Skull.
There are also many poems included here, and Burke points out that Howard wrote over 300 stories and 800 poems in 12 years, approximately.
Crimson Shadows : The Shadow Kingdom - Robert E. Howard Crimson Shadows : The Curse of the Golden Skull - Robert E. Howard Crimson Shadows : Red Shadows - Robert E. Howard Crimson Shadows : The Dark Man - Robert E. Howard Crimson Shadows : Kings of the Night - Robert E. Howard Crimson Shadows : The Black Stone - Robert E. Howard Crimson Shadows : The Fightin'est Pair - Robert E. Howard Crimson Shadows : The Grey God Passes - Robert E. Howard Crimson Shadows : Worms of the Earth - Robert E. Howard Crimson Shadows : Lord of the Dead - Robert E. Howard Crimson Shadows : For the Love of Barbara Allen - Robert E. Howard Crimson Shadows : The Tide - Robert E. Howard Crimson Shadows : The Valley of the Worm - Robert E. Howard Crimson Shadows : The People of the Black Circle - Robert E. Howard Crimson Shadows : Beyond the Black River - Robert E. Howard Crimson Shadows : Hawk of the Hills - Robert E. Howard Crimson Shadows : Sharp's Gun Serenade - Robert E. Howard 』
(disappointing, in general) 『I am, first and foremost, a diehard fan of Howard's sword-and-sorcery tales, particular his Conan series and, to a lesser extent, his Kull, Kane, and Bran series (in descending order). What we have in the last two volumes (#7 and #8) of the Ballantine/Del Rey series too often feels like a collection of lesser leftovers. I was never impressed by his Western-themed works nor by his two-cent street boxing efforts. To top it off, Jim and Ruth Keegan seem to have taken the quick way out of illustrating the works, foisting off the easiest possible substitutes for what should be action drawings. (As the simplest example, when Conan and Valeria must escape from a murderous giant snake in the novelette "Red Nails," Gary Manchess [in the same publisher's "Bloody Crown of Conan"] offers us a thrilling picture of the duo taking to their heels, with a slavering reptilian colossus in hot pursuit. In contrast, Keegan offers no better than a ho-hum representation of Conan standing there, utterly relaxed, as if he's about to start filing his friggin' fingernails.) This is made all the more disturbing by the Keegans' foreword that praises the excellence of the works, the outstanding opportunity to illustrate them, and (thank you very much) their own profoundly challenging efforts at slaving away to produce a handful of tres boring charcoals. No, by all means purchase the first six volumes of the series (in order of publication: Conan I; Solomon Kane; Conan II; Bran Mac Morn; Conan III; Kull), but pass on these two!』
(An excellent REH Sampler) 『Crimson Shadows is the latest in Del Rey's definitive Howard series. The books provide the most authoritative versions of Howard's stories available anywhere, with scholarly notes (in the back, which you need not read, but can be cool to sample) on the original texts. I have only one caveat about this excellent collection. If (like me) you have previously purchased the previous volumes in the series, namely the Conan, Kane, Kull, and Bran Mak Morn books, then you have already more than half the material in the book. You may find it worth buying anyway, as I did, in order to get Howard stories about lesser known characters (but not written with less passion). Many are well worth the read. For some one who has not read much of Robert E. Howard, this is a superb place to start. The best Kull story ever (Shadow Kingdom, one of REH's very best) is here. So is the best Bran Mak Morn story (Worms of the Earth). The original version of "The Grey God Passes" is here, etc. This book is REH at his best. But the overlap with previous volumes in the same series is at least 50%.』 『Robert E. Howard is one of the most famous and influential pulp authors of the twentieth century. Though largely known as the man who invented the sword-and-sorcery genre–and for his iconic hero Conan the Cimmerian–Howard also wrote horror tales, desert adventures, detective yarns, epic poetry, and more. This spectacular volume, gorgeously illustrated by Jim and Ruth Keegan, includes some of his best and most popular works.
Inside, readers will discover (or rediscover) such gems as“The Shadow Kingdom,” featuring Kull of Atlantis and considered by many to be the first sword-and-sorcery story; “The Fightin’est Pair,” part of one of Howard’s most successful series, chronicling the travails of Steve Costigan, a merchant seaman with fists of steel and a head of wood; “The Grey God Passes,” a haunting tale about the passing of an age, told against the backdrop of Irish history and legend; “Worms of the Earth,” a brooding narrative featuring Bran Mak Morn, about which H. P. Lovecraft said, “Few readers will ever forget the hideous and compelling power of [this] macabre masterpiece”; a historical poem relating a momentous battle between Cimbri and the legions of Rome; and “Sharp’s Gun Serenade,” one of the last and funniest of the Breckinridge Elkins tales.
These thrilling, eerie, compelling, swashbuckling stories and poems have been restored to their original form, presented just as the author intended. There is little doubt that after more than seven decades the voice of Robert E. Howard continues to resonate with readers around the world.』
price：$7.20
Scholastic Press
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (A Young Adult Novel That Everyone Can Enjoy) 『Set in a bleak future where the United States has fallen into a dismal ruin. As a punishment for an earlier rebellion each district has to send a boy and girl to the Hunger Games. A fight to the death bloodsport event that everyone is forced to watch. The book follows Katniss Everdeen who volunteers in place of her sister to fight in the games. And that's the plot. The writing is very good. Suzanne Collins does a nice job of spinning the narrative into a tense and bloody story. While the basis of the book is simple and straightforward it does a good job of fleshing the characters out. Even adds a little romance to the mix. The only downside I found to the whole thing is it is book 1 of a trilogy! Which I didn't know when I began reading it. So you can imagine how annoyed I was at learning it was to be continued. Oh well, sign me up for book # 2! I have also read online that there is a movie in the works based off this novel. So do yourself a favor and pick it up.』
(loved it!!!) 『I loved this book. I am a huge Twilight fan and Stephanie Meyer recommended this book on her web site. I'm so glad I bought it! Suzanne Collins has the same style of writing as Stephanie and the story keeps you turning pages. Very good read!!!』
(Breathtaking! I was unable to put this book down!) 『I just finished Hunger games minutes ago and I feel like I have just been let in to a secret club. Seriously. I have read reviews on Hunger Games for months now and wondering what all the hype was. I entered a few contests to win it, and did not. I did however win a copy of Catching Fire and I knew I had to read Hunger Games first so I bought it last weekend and started it yesterday.
This is a book that by cover alone I would never have picked up. The title? Nope. Reading what it was about? Still a no, I couldn't imagine myself reading on a topic of young kids fighting to the death. Even after I picked the book up and opened up to the first page I still am having doubt. What if I am that one person that just cant get into this book? And then I started reading.... and in no time, I loves Katniss and her strength and her love for her family. I love Prim in all her youthfulness and sweetness... still mostly untouched by all the harshness of all this world that I have just entered. I could hardly put it down. You know the type. The book that you can hardly stop to eat dinner for. It traveled with me everywhere the past 48 hours. In any spare moments I had, I read.
I don't know what I can say other than I loved this book! It is so well written that I have a list of people who I feel must read it. I have to tell my book club about it. I am not sure who to pass this book on to next because the selfish book lover in me is thinking, what if they damage it? What if I dont get it back? I seriously am treating this book like a piece of gold I just discovered.... a book of much worth.
What am I reading next? As I type, I have Catching Fire sitting next to me. It has to be next. I have to know what happens next.』
(In the tradition of Brave New World) 『Hunger Games is one of the rare books you read and can't help but love, whether you are an adult or child. It is largely the story of 16-year-old Katniss who lives in a totalitarian state where the people are kept in check by threatened devastation, starvation, and brutality. In lesser hands it could come off as bleak and tired, but Collins is able to keep the dark themes from getting too dark while moving the story along nicely.』
(Hard to put down) 『Great read. It was hard to put down after the first few pages. The writing style and creativity was amazing.』 『Katniss is a 16-year-old girl living with her mother and younger sister in the poorest district of Panem, the remains of what used be the United States. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, "The Hunger Games." The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed. When Kat's sister is chosen by lottery, Kat steps up to go in her place.
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