price：$5.19
Thorndike Press
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (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.』
(I usually get why girly things are attractive to the American female. . .) 『I get the gluttonous desire for shoes. I get the unwise attraction to blue eye shadow. I get American Girl dolls and Justin Timberlake and Josh Groban. I get the girly affection for cosmopolitans, crying, and peppermint foot scrub. I get Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters. Hell, I even get white zinfandel and the Jonas Brothers!
But what is the charm in a pathetic, co-dependent teenage girl and her sulky, whiney Vampire boyfriend? Reading `Twilight' was more work than reading Thomas Friedman or Paul Krugman (and far less edifying). 』
(SERIOUSLY???) 『I'd seen my friend walking around with the series a few times at school, so, naturally, of course, I being an advent reader, I asked her what it was about. She had the first one at that time, so she explained the summary, you know, girl falls in love with vampire boy. Bella...Edward...Hooblah. Then, whilst in the middle of walking down the hall to another class later that day, she said something about somebody coming through somebody else's window in the middle of the night? Hm. Curious. Once she'd finished, I borrowed it from her, and, was able to finish it within one or two sittings. The following three in the series, as well. (Just to let you know, before you judge me as one who didn't read the books. I've read all four. So there. Anyhow...) Not good. I've noticed that any GOOD book that I've read usually takes me at least a week or so to finish. Most of the time, even longer. There're actually things in the text of those books that make the reader want to fully understand what the author is trying to convey. Besides, I'm way too ADD to sit and read in one sitting while trying to elucidate all of the elements. Twilight? Er, no. It was one of the most NON-COMPLEX books I've ever read in my life. And that's saying something. I've been reading since I was three. The writing looked as if it had been done by a horny teenager who wrote fanfiction as a hobby in their spare time (and yes, I do read fanfiction, so I would know.) The characters, though I failed to notice it at first since I sped through the books, were, as others have said, indeed, quite flat. Edward was cold, hard, and marble-like, but gorgeous, and Bella was an outcast. Uh. Not. Last time I checked, outcasts don't have people flocking behind them like male dogs chasing after a pheromone leaking female with their tails in between their little legs. A lot of the pages were 'Edward, this, Edward, that,', which, if all of that unnecessary stuff had been taken out, might have thinned down the novel by a good 75%. And might have made it somewhat interesting, if it had a plot other than a problem that was solved in like, twenty pages. While the narrator was passed out. WHO DOES A FIGHT SCENE AND HAS THE NARRATOR PASSED OUT ON THE FLOOR???? WHAT??? Another thing that really bothered me, SPARKLY VAMPIRES? ARE YOU BEING SERIOUS, RIGHT NOW? Since when did a vampire ever friggin' sparkle?! I know you were trying to be novel and innovative, Meyer, but perhaps you should have tried that with your plain, flat, yet oh so perfect characters. Sparkly vampires don't do anything but piss us vampire lovers off.(And kill us on the inside, but you wouldn't know about that, now then, would you?)Whoever said that the Twilight series was better than Harry Potter should be hunted down in their sleep and shot point blank in the face. It's that serious. Freakin' sparkling vampires, my behind.』
(I know what the big deal about this book is!) 『A really hot guy who wants to take care of you and doesn't constantly pester you for sex ... hello!
It's not Shakespeare, but I give it 4 stars for 'sucking' me in completely by page twenty. And I'm pushing forty, plus the friend who loaned it to me is in her fifties!』
(If I could give it less than 1 star, I would) 『The fact that this...piece of garbage disguised as literature is so popular simply blows my mind. I pride myself on having read some of the best (though certainly not all) that fantasy has to offer (J.R.R. Tolkien, Anne McCaffrey, George R.R. Martin, Mercedes Lackey, etc) and the fact that Meyer is touted as the new J.K. Rowling just depresses me. The characters have no depth, Bella Swan is a spineless, scarily obsessive, constantly whining teenager who makes Anakin look pleasant and Edward Cullen is beyond ridiculous. Supposedly the most beautiful man alive, who just can't stay away and is the best at everything. Bella CONSTANTLY has to be saved by Edward, supposedly because she is clumsy but more likely because she is extremely stupid. There's no reason for them to love each other, they're just intensely sexually attracted to each other. Great basis for a romance, Stephanie! And honestly, sparkly vampires? Why wouldn't Bella want to be one? Let's see, pros are that you're now immortal, you can do everything better and you're beautiful...and the cons are that you're sparkly in the sunlight? How is this acceptable fantasy? How did this even get published?!』 『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.』
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (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.』
(Can't put these books down!) 『Caution! You will get Nothing done if you pick up this book. I don't dare bring any of the Twilight books to work because I will never come back from lunch!』
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (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).』
(Awful. Worse than the first.) 『The book starts out like this: "I was ninety-nine point nine percent sure that this was a dream." As soon as I read that line, I knew that it was stupid, but didn't stop myself from reading it anyway. The book was terrible. The plot was predictable (OMG IS BELLA GOING TO PICK JACOB OR EDWARD?!) and the characters seemed even more drab than they did in the first book. The first book I didn't enjoy really either; but I decided to give it another shot; if New Moon is THIS popular, than there must be something redeeming about the series, right?
Wrong.
It is so poorly written, my dog could write using more imagination. The plot is SOOO dull at this point, that I'm really having a hard time understanding what all the hub-bub is about. It's a vampire that falls in love with a human, big whoop.
Overall, I give this book one star, only because I can't give it zero. I did the cowardly thing and only read half of it; but I couldn't help but put it aside, otherwise I would have ended up doing something drastic like committing suicide with a machete. I'm concerned that illiterate twits like Meyer is allowed to publish her rubbish, when there are so many better writers out there.』
(I'm embarrassed to admit I read it!) 『After hearing all my friends go on about the series I borrowed "Twilight" from a friend and read through it pretty quickly thankfully, because if I'd been paying attention to what I'd read I wouldn't have decided to read this book.
The writing can best be described as crap! It's all a jumble of simple sentences that attract people that have no grasp of true literature! And Stephenie Meyer tries to justify her simple sentences that lack depth by throwing big words in to make her sound well educated! Um a sentence that is a line long shouldn't use the word much, three freaking times!!!
Bella has nothing to offer at all, she's a clumsy little whiney brat, that pretty much needs a man to do everything for her! Screw being an independent woman! She has no redeeming qualities, if it was Meyer's goal to make the main character difficult to relate to and easily unlikeable she succeeded!
And Edward is like the complete opposite of a real vampire! Vampires don't freaking sparkle in the sunlight, they BURN!!!! The sparkling bit makes the story unrealistic even for a fiction! He's like a freaking pedophile, why would a girl get turned on by some guy creeping in her window and watching her sleep at night! The way Meyer's describes him is unbelievable, he's just too perfect!!! Everything about him seems to be just great, he doesn't even have bad breath! It's unrealistic!!! Vampires are sexual creatures and Edward is like the 100 year old sparkly virgin! And comparing them to Romeo and Juliet is a serious insult to Shakespeare! Forbidden Love?! I mean really if you want a vampire/human forbidden love story go watch Buffy you'll at least get something real!
And Jacob you can't even hate him! I actually felt bad for this kid because he's a victim of this book! Bella leads him on throughout most of it, and it makes you wanna shake him and say please find someone better! This character could have been decent if someone with a brain was writing this novel!
All in all, this entire series is overrated and poorly written! It encourages teenage girls to change their way of thinking to "I am nothing unless I have a man!" Well that's just a shot to your self-esteem! If you're uneducated in grammar and vampire mythology this is the book for you!』
(Why did I waste my time?) 『I like vampire stories and I wanted to see the Twilight movie so I read Twilight wanting to know the story before seeing the movie. I barely finished it it was so poorly written and boring. I kinda liked the movie though.
So now New Moon is being released as a movie and same thing....wanted to read it first. I checked it out from the library (thank goodness I didn't actually pay money for it!). I could not finish it. It was horrible. I mean come on people, 100 pages (that's as far as I made it) of first discord between E and B, then E leaves and depression for Bella. Yeah, that is really something I care to read. NOT!
The bandwagon for this series reminds of the one created around the movie Titanic - it wasn't really that good of a movie either but the fanfare around it raked in the millions.
Maybe the majority of young adults haven't had enough reading experience to recognize a good read vs. a crappy one.
I'm sure the author is laughing all the way to bank why really good writer's can't even get an agent/publisher.
price：$7.99
Ballantine Books
Usually ships in 24 hours 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.....』 『“My name is Meredith Gentry, but of course it’s not my real name. I dare not even whisper my true name after dark for fear that one hushed word will travel over the night winds to the soft ear of my aunt, the Queen of the Air and Darkness. She wants me dead. I don’t even know why.”
Meredith Gentry, Princess of the high court of Faerie, is posing as a human in Los Angeles, living as a P.I. specializing in supernatural crime. But now the Queen’s assassin has been dispatched to fetch her back–whether she likes it or not. Suddenly Meredith finds herself a pawn in her dreaded aunt’s plans. The job that awaits her: enjoy the constant company of the most beautiful immortal men in the world. The reward: the crown–and the opportunity tocontinue to live. The penalty for failure: death.
』 『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 (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.』
(Finally Married) 『If you're a Twilight fan -- and I never thought I'd become one, but I am a big one -- this is the book you're waiting for. It won't spoil any of it but the first few pages to say that it begins with Edward and Bella's over-the-top wedding (arranged by Alice, of course) which is equally satisfying as a romantic event and a precursor to lots of awesome vampire werewolf action. Of course, Jacob shows up to the wedding and you can imagine all the craziness that brings. I love this stuff. I feel like I could read 10 of these books and never get tired of them. I personally think Meyer should keep writing them instead of moving onto aliens. Although I haven't read The Host yet, so I can't knock it yet. Anyhow, fun stuff. I'm going to see New Moon in the theaters this Sunday and I'm fired up!
By Jaimal Yogis, author of Saltwater Buddha』
(finally) 『finally, a book in this series that does not reader like they are brain dead. i'm not sure it was worth it to read this series, and i definitely still do not understand what generated all they hype, but if they had all been written more like this one, its success would have been a little more justified.
there are certainly other series that give you a simple, uncomplicated, fun read with the preternatural angle without pretending you are not capable of making a mental leap greater than that of a four year old.
You Slay Me (Aisling Grey, Guardian, Book 1) Undead and Unwed (Queen Betsy, Book 1) Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter: Guilty Pleasures, Vol. 1 (v. 1)』 『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：$18.24
Tor Books
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (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.』
(Better than I could have hoped) 『(some spoilers may be revealed here, so this review is not for those who have not read the book.) Ok, I am fully aware that at 6 ft 4 inches, I am an excellend target for snipers, snarks, trolls and other unsavory sorts, but I must say, kudos to you Brandon. Superb job. I had many reservations many times over, but you pulled it off quite well. As to those who say that characters suddenly picked up behaviors and traits that where not in prior books, I don't think you ever gave this book a chance. I was absolutely ready to hate it, in fact, I had to read it twice back to back, in order to give it a real chance. The changes in the characters are easily explained. This book is darker than all the other books combined. Rand is literally sucking the light and the hope from the world to fuel his bitterness towards what he sees as his inevitable fate. None of the characters have ever experienced this level of despair, desperation and hopelessnes, and thank the gods, that at the end, Rand finally sees the Light. If the book had ended like that, I do not know what I would have done. Yes, most of the book was wrapped up in the unification of the Tower, it was something that had to be done though. (If I had to lay my bets now, I would say the next book will be highly dedicated to wrapping up the sitation with Matt, The Empress and Rand. I wonder how Matt will deal with his split loyalties. It will be interesting to see how it develops.) Now that the Tower is whole, Egwene will be able to turn all her intellect and authority towards preparing every female who can wield the One Power for the Last Battle. Think of it this way, every female she has recruited along her journey is fiercely dedicated to her, the Tower has more females now, than it has had in centuries, probably since the Age of Legends actually. Do you think she is gonna go into the Last Battle without preparing every single one of them to do the absolute best they can?
My only issue with this book was the developments that Perrin are going through, but it has nothing to with the writing style of the author. I shudder to think of the direction that Perrin may be going in. If he doesn't find himsself soon, he may be lost to the Shadow, and Rand and Matt will need him for sure at the Last Battle. I believe strongly also, that Perrin must accept all that Fate has planned for him and raise his banner higher and ressurect the ancient Kingdom of his ancestors. His role there may even be more critically important than that of being a Wolf Brother.
This book was a challenge, it has to be read with an open heart and an open mind. The spirit of Jordan infuses every page, and it does justice to his overwhelming legacy. Do not rate this book, based on your prejudices against the fact that Jordan passed away before he could complete his lifes work. You are not doing yourself or anyone else, any favors by doing so.』
(Ah, finally. The beginning of the end.) 『I completely enjoyed this book. I have dredged through the last 5 or so books with very little enthusiasm. The only reason I never gave up on the series was because it started off so strongly and I love the main characters. Jordan, in adding depth to his world by telling the increasingly long stories of several secondary and third, and even fourth tier characters, lost my interest. I'm sure many people still enjoyed the entire novels lacking the core characters, but I felt that the series had lost the heart of what it began as.
The Gathering Storm was nearly flawless for me. Yes, Sanderson's style is different from Jordan's. There could have been more Perrin, and he didn't quite get Mat right, but the fact that this book focused on two giant events and two main characters thrilled me. I feel like we are finally at the beginning of the end of this 20 year saga, and it is done being excessively drawn out. I hope Sanderson does as well with the next two books. I could barely put The Gathering Storm down.』
(worth the wait) 『this book was worth the wait, wow just wow, it has a great pace and it is just epic, and the way he did rand was just beautiful.』 『
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：$20.52
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：$1.89
Samhain Publishing
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Great start to a series!) 『I got this one free on kindle. It was very well written and I plan to buy more books in this series.』
(Repetitive story line) 『I refrain from giving this a 1 star because it's a book I might not have bought at full price, and so I feel it an injustice to the author to be too judgmental. Putting a book as a freebie draws in those with no interest in the genre.
All that said, the demon tale is one I would choose to read from a favorite author, as I am a fan of horror and supernatural fiction, so I reserve the right to be a tad critical. The set up of the story (the pre-prologue, if you like) was great. It tells the history of the demons, how they came to be. It was well written, interesting&gave me hope that it would be a great book. As another reviewer stated though, the actual prologue was rather cliche-ridden with Gage and his "lethal charm" and Jordan resisting at every turn until she melted into his kisses. But I pushed on....
As we know from the pre-prologue, Shadow Demons roam the earth. They are evil, they feed on emotion. Jordan, our heroine, is a vigilante destroyer: cop by day, demon slayer by night, after she witnessed the brutal murder of her partner and lover at the sword of a Shadow Demon.
The storyline itself isn't bad, but it does lack development of the characters. Other than Jordan being stubborn and feisty, there's not much else that we learn about her. The twist in the tale isn't shocking - not because I expected it (I didn't at all) but because we didn't get to know enough about any of the other characters to really care, and so when the twist was revealed, it gave me more of a "oh" reaction than a "WOW! I never would have guessed" shocker.
My title calls this repetitive, and it does become so. The same fight scenes replay, but worse - the same sex scene is basically repeated over and over. I think even those readers who love a racy sex scene would be disappointed. By the 3rd replay, I skipped them altogether. Nothing new here.
』
(entertaining and fun) 『Good Sci-Fi writing, I found the characters compling. Don't think too deep, just enjoy it. I couldn't put it down. I will be looking for more of this author's works,』
(Meh...) 『The only reason I read this book was because it came free on my kindle... hard to pass up free sometimes.
The book had potential. As far as fantasy and battles and stuff like that, it could have been great. There were WAY too many love scenes. I'm all for romance and drama... but only if its tastefully done. The author seemed to be trying to push a quota of love scenes or something. It broke up the intensity of any drama in the storyline. One moment they're battling creatures and the next they are all over each other and I kept thinking "wait a second, are the creatures dead then?"
So, if you read this book, take it in the sense that its more like a fantasy smut romance book than a real intense fantasy book. If you read it for what it is, than its great. But don't expect to get much more out of it.』
(Nonstop entertainment) 『This is an excellent read. The book shifts from action to passion and keeps moving. I couldn't put it down. Well worth the time spent reading. I really look forward to reading more from this author.』 『
Five years ago the man she loved died in her armsOr did he? The Shadow Destroyer Series, Book 1. Jordan McAdam leads an unusual double life. Police officer by day, vigilante by night. But Jordan isnt interested in the average criminal. She stalks Shadow Demons, creatures who prey on the innocent, creatures whom she suspects are responsible for a string of bizarre sacrificial murders. Creatures who killed her partner and lover. Gage Campbell has spent the last few years on an elite team of Shadow Destroyers, hunting down the demons who changed his lifeand his DNA. Then an assignment leads him straight back to the woman he hasnt been able to stop thinking about for five long years. The woman he had no choice but to leave behind. Is the man before her a mimic demon bent on tormenting her, or is it Gage returned from the dead? All Jordan knows is that the raging desire between them is real. Standing between them are years of secrets and hurt, and a love that just might have the power to bring them together. If the murder case theyre working on doesnt separate thempermanently. This title was previously published but has been revised and expanded for Samhain Publishing. Warning, this title contains the following: adult language and graphic violence of the sword-wielding, demon-slaying kind. Also contains hot, explicit sex between reunited lovers, passionate up-against-the-wall foreplay and the use of handcuffs for the heroines own goodand pleasure.
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