Science Fiction Fantasy Books

Just as I expected. Fast service, excellent quality, fantastic price. What more could I want?

This is an excellent way to purchase the initial two books in the ongoing Inheritance series by Christopher Paolini.

My only quibble is the boxed set has no additional features to entice a reader who has previously purchased the books separately. Though it seemingly eliminates one market of readers/collectors, the avenue is open for those wishing to explore the books at a nice price.

Ordered these to fill the gap between the release of the Tolkien movies. Have read them twice! Suppose that says it all. :) Not of the same caliber of writing but certainly worth while.

(10-year old)
I enjoy this series because I've always loved magical books with just a pinch of mystery. The author also created a world where dragons or other animals, magical or non-magical, could communicate with humans. That supports my love for animals and my interest in magical animals. All the books so far have also demonstrated that you have to keep going at something to become an expert at it. The Inheritance Cycle series has surprises around the corner and twists at the end. This book is one of the greatest books I've ever read, mostly because the author has such a creative imagination. I think everybody should at least try this series.

I purchased the books for my husband's birthday, and he can't put them down. I got the books so fast, I let him open them early. They were in great condition.

I used to think that Brian Vaughan was possibly one of the best comic book writers ever.
Now I know he IS the best.
Y has been an incredible ride, but often great journeys can make for disappointing endings. Not here. Everything that had been building in the previous 9 volumes pays off here. It's beautiful, sad, human, joyous and completely satisfying.
Pia Guerra's art never looked better. It started off very good and grew in beauty and subtly. She interacts with Mr. Vaughan's writing so flawlessly that words are often not necessary.
I love this series and I love this book. This is why I still read comics.

I thought that overall the series was great. An interesting concept, well written, and decent art. The ending however was not up to the overall quality. I didn't expect a fairy tale ending -- but I did expect something interesting and fair to the characters we have followed through 10 volumes. Meh.

I agree with the other reviewers who state this last volume is a huge disappointment. The ending is rushed and doesn't make any sense. Almost everyone living is now a clone? Why?

There is a climatic build for the conclusion of one of the story lines and then?..nothing happens. It ends in a way that doesn't make any sense given the characters involved.

The series started out very well but definitely faltered at the end.

I find to disagree with the majority of critical voices here. Thinking of it, I find it hard to define what "a pushed ending" really is, but if it's like this last volume, I want to see more of it. There is no real traditional storybook ending here, no riding into sunsets arm-in-arm, or an Orwellian dark endnote. Instead, Y: Last Man wraps it up in a very lyrical, and most of all, incredibly sad way. It's to mr. Vaughan and mrs. Guerra's honour that they can pull of this (to me, anyway) satisfying action-and-romance-ending to the global "roadmovie" Y has been, while still managing to tie up all knots beautifully without opting for the predictable spectacular last twist which it seems almost everybody in the audience is expecting these days. Personally, I found # 9 to be the only vaguely disappointing volume, with the revelation of the cause of the dying men - which mr. Vaughan in all his controlled and incredibly smart writing even comments on in this volume (Pointing his finger at me smiling: "What did you expect, really? Aliens?").

The artwork of mrs Guerra is like it's been for the entire run - beautiful and relatively simple, without the over-the-top colourings and digitalized shadows that I personally feel "drowns" so much of comic art today. Her drawing hand has been a perfect companion to mr. Vaughan's subtle pen, all the way.

Here's one humble reader hoping mr. Vaughan keeps spending just some of his future bright writing career doing some comics. Because this is a milestone and easily one of the best titles of the decade. Y: Last Man always had more brains than most, but with this last volume, it also showed to have the biggest, aching heart. At least, it almost made me cry, which I rarely can say about any book, comic, film or TV series nowadays.

*spoilers ahead*

If I think on it too long I can't help but feel just a little let down by the ending of this series. But, that said, doesn't mean that I'm altogether unhappy with the ending or that I think it should have been done differently.

All mysteries are not fully revealed. I have to think that perhaps that was intentional. We don't always get all the answers in life, right? Society and periods in history (some more than others) are messy and complicated and convoluted and full of holes that never get completely filled in and smoothed over. And just like in life, we don't always get the most reasonable, justifiable answers to those complex situations. So my feelings of let down are not so much with the writer and how things came together (or didn't) but just that things didn't turn out rosier.

My feelings about the explanation of the plague are mirrored by Yorick himself when he says, "As far as answers go, it was vaguely unsatisfying." To which Beth asks, "Is there any explanation that would have been satisfactory?" Yorick: "Um, aliens? I would have also accepted witchcraft or anything involving nanobots." I think that Vaughan is letting readers know here that he knows that the grand reveal really wasn't all that grand, that it wasn't a mistake or an oversight but it was meant to be that way. The series' strength is most definitely in it's characters. And character development is what Brian Vaughan seems to do really well.

My only real qualm is that Yorick's character wasn't more redemptive. He loses so much and goes through so much and manages to maintain his sense of humor and optimism through the entire series, right down to the very last chapter, but excluding the very last chapter. It's rather disheartening. But then again, a human reaction that feels true to life. It's an anti-fairytale conclusion. And a fairytale, this definitely is not

This book is extremely boring. I liked City of Ember, People of the Sparks was so-so and this one wasn't really even related to them.

I can't understand the folks out there that said the book was like Christian Fiction. It was the opposite!! The book portrays religious people, Christians in particular, as narrow-minded, nonthinking people that will follow anyone with a strong opinion like they were sheep. One has to wonder if the author ever met a Christian in real-life (not just caricature in liberal media or televangelists). Some of what she portrays is valid, but most religious people I know are not that gullible. Still, my main objection is the bland storyline, the rather simpleminded girl as protagonist and the fact that it doesn't explain anything about how the City of Ember came to be (other than the last 3 pages.)

I thought City of Ember was an interesting and clever read. It (and all the sequels) are indeed written for young adults but as is the case for so many fine books in that category, City of Ember offered a great deal for adults as well.

Unfortunately, I cannot say the same thing for The Prophet of Yonwood. The book has only a tenuous connection to City of Ember (at best). There is so much potential to enrich the story of Ember via a prequel, but it's all squandered on a vague morality play about foolish people and god.

Even though the book is written for young adults, it's prose and message are weak and put forth in a manner than even the target audience would find obvious and simplistic.

One can hope that the author's next story brings back some of the magic and excellence she has previously demonstrated.

I really enjoyed The City of Ember as a story. The People of Sparks was alright, but I started to get that not sure feeling. The Prophet of Yonwood confirmed it. The author has shifted from fiction to philosophy.

None of the characters in this book seem to have any way to measure right and wrong except for their own feelings. The author thinks that people holding too tightly to their own ideas of truth brings about the end of the world. Nobody has any ideas about God (except for one horrible woman). The postmodernism is stifling. All in a popular book for grade-school children.

I suppose you could argue that these ideas are a reflection of society today. Sadly, I would probably agree. Does anyone else find that depressing? That adults in our world can't clearly articulate to children what's right and what's wrong? I saw through the book because I am an adult with life experience. I can't imagine what impression young children would come away with. I know my children won't be reading it.

This is a thoughtful book about the dangers of blind belief. I would say its Author is Buddhist rather than a right-wing Evangelical. It helps make the leap from today to 200 years in the future. Good writing, good story. I enjoyed it.

Although a pretty good read, it wasn't anything at all what I expected. The story has very little to do with the Ember book, a three page tie in at the end of the book is hardly a prequel. Overall I was disappointed.

This book is great. The point of view is that of the other person. I had to buy this book for AP US History and I don't regret it!

Michael Shaara isn't a well-known figure in American literature. He spent most of his writing career producing short stories, mostly science fiction. He only wrote three novels while he was alive, the current book, a boxing novel titled "The Broken Place" and a futuristic doomsday thriller titled "The Herald". The boxing novel was critically successful but didn't sell well, and "The Herald" was an abject failure. He had one novella, "For the Love of the Game" which was published after his death, and made into a sappy Kevin Costner movie. However, among historical novelists, especially those writing about the Civil War, Shaara has a stellar reputation, right up there with Stephen Crane. "The Red Badge of Courage gets assigned to students to read sometimes, I'm sure, but "The Killer Angels" gets assigned also. The question is, why does the book have such a stellar reputation? The answer is because it's a very good book, was ground-breaking when it was written, and is relevant even now.

"The Killer Angels" re-examines the Battle of Gettysburg. The author doesn't recount the course of the whole battle, instead focusing on a few of the main participants in the fighting, and what they saw and did. On the Confederate side, he spends most of his time discussing Robert E. Lee, the commander of the Confederate army, and his chief subordinate, James "Pete" Longstreet. On the Union side, the high command of the Union army is almost absent from the plot. George Meade, the commander of the Union army, has only a few lines in the story and does really nothing. Winfield Scott Hancock, Meade's chief subordinate, is a minor character too. Instead, the action focuses on more junior officers: a cavalry general named John Buford, primarily, and a college-professor-turned-army -colonel named Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain. Buford--without definite orders to do so--started the fighting by opposing the advance of Confederate troops into Gettysburg. Chamberlain helped defend Little Round Top, the hill that anchored the southern end of the Union line, on the second day of the fighting. These two events, Buford starting the fight and Chamberlain saving the right flank, are the focus of the first two-thirds of the book. They are followed by Pickett's Charge, which is the climax of the book.

"The Killer Angels" has had critics over the years, those who don't like the writing style and those who don't like the liberties that Shaara took with the characters. He *did* make a few outright errors: Buford's men, for instance, weren't armed with repeating rifles. Shaara did something else, though, something significant. He changed the historical narrative, at least in emphasis, considerably. Prior to the publication of "The Killer Angels" no one paid much attention to John Buford's role in the battle. It was usually noted that he started the battle, but Buford got little credit for what followed. Anyone who knows anything about the course of the Battle of Gettysburg knows that the terrain heavily favored the Union defense against the Confederate attacks, even after the Confederates drove the Union from their original defensive positions. Here, finally, Buford got the recognition he deserved, and historians since are obliged at least to explain why they don't think he deserves credit, though most instead think he deserves it.

Also, the role of the spy, Harrison, was only briefly touched upon prior to this book. Almost nothing is known about Harrison, with even his first name being uncertain. What research has been done, what knowledge there is, can be traced back to people hungry for more information because of Shaara's book. There have actually been articles written discussing Harrison's identity (with photos of people who *might* be him). He's now entered the pantheon of minor characters of the Civil War, along with George St. Leger Grenfell, Abner Doubleday, the Comte de Polignac, and Hiram Berdan. Harrison can thank Shaara for this.

Third, Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain was a celebrity in late 19th-Century Maine. He was governor for multiple terms (the Democrats conceded that he was too popular to oppose, and endorsed him). He was an upper-level educational reformer, attempting to turn his school (Bowdoin College) from a school for preachers into what became a modern, liberal arts campus. But Chamberlain fell into obscurity in the early 20th century, and though there was actually a book written about the 20th Maine (Chamberlain's regiment at Gettysburg) in the 60s, almost no one, even Civil War buffs, had ever heard of him. For whatever it's worth, "The Killer Angels" made Chamberlain famous, in ways he probably never anticipated.

This is, in spite of its flaws, a truly great novel. It influenced the writing of other historical fiction considerably. I'm sure someone could discover a separate, earlier instance of the multiple-points-of-view narrative style on a battlefield, but I'm unaware of any, and regardless of that, "The Killer Angels" popularized it, so that almost no one tries the old single narrator style any more. Shaara's son Jeff and Philip Crocker ("To Make Men Free") use the same style and shamelessly copy Jeff's dad. Crocker dedicated his first book to Shaara, and acknowledges his debt at the front of the book. "The Killer Angels", however, is still the best.

If you want to put a face to the American Civil War start here. Sits on my nightstand and have read it over a dozen times to date.

If I would rate this book out of 5, I would definitely give it a 5 as the semi-fictional account (I enjoy a war book) was heartfelt and tragic, even if you knew what was going to happen. The Killer Angels is something that takes from fiction and non-fiction. All the people and their accounts are real, but it flows like a story and takes the perspectives of a few Generals. The generals' names are: Chamberlain, Lee, Buford, and Longstreet. The author was careful in their research, taking the diaries of the respective men he carved out a story portraying both sides of the war and used only what they knew. He added nothing except maybe the personalities of the commanders. He spends sometime in solidifying the ideologies behind the war. He makes no side the enemy, just to conflicting ideals union and of having the right to govern themselves. He makes this clear; the south was not fighting for their slaves but their freedom of property and choice. This is signified when Tom Chamberlain the brother of Joshua Chamberlain one of the commanders laughs as he said some of the prisoners say that they are fighting for their "rats", misunderstood by Tom as the accents are different. Confusion in the story is quite clear as you take on the aspects of the character that you are reading of only knowing what they know, feeling for instance Longstreet a surviving general whom is the South's last great general after the death of Jackson. Longstreet was forced to follow orders as part of an en echelon attack to flank the Union to break through and decimate the Union army. It was an inevitable failure as the men and their captains were getting nervous as one lieutenant put it with a hint of desperation "General will you look at the ground? We can't even mount artillery" (200). This was due to the longing to end the war, Lee who was the general saw Gettysburg as an opportunity, and everyone knew the war was going to end, but Gettysburg determined it all. One more interesting this was how it was generalized and not full of logistics. The Confederate troops barely heard about Vicksburg from where they were in Pennsylvania. It did not go into depth about logistics as the textbook did but it was informative about lives and how they went in the war. I would give it a 5 for it gave an accurate account most of the time, the personalities being fabrications as well as only adding the significant battles and not all of them made the account less accurate but gave it a good flow like a story should have.

Once in a while I get caught reading a book that I really do not enjoy, but the redeeming quality is their educational value. Like flossing your teeth, while not enjoyable, these books are at least good for you. Unfortunately, The Killer Angels, a story about the civil war battle of Gettysburg, was neither entertaining nor good for me. The writing is cheesy and was meant to be turned into a movie. Here is an example:
" The rain had stopped, the mist was blowing off. He thought: good." Who summarizes the characters' thoughts with one word? Show us - don't tell us.

As far as educational value, the reader does not really get to understand the main characters. The made up dialogue is embarrassingly unreal. There is little analysis of the battle strategy. There is also little reflection on the battle's significance with regards to the whole war. The three day movement of troops is tedious to follow. Skip this one.

I can't get enough of these books. They're like dessert, a treat every time. If you want a fun escape "The Immortals After Dark" series is for you. I'm forever a Kresley Cole fan.

For those following the series, this book will not disappoint. For those readers just picking up Cole's works for the first time, you should prepare to purchase the rest of the series. Cole builds a fabulous world that is easy and delightful to learn. I rank Cole's series right up there with J.R. Ward's Brotherhood series and Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter series.

I'm not a big fan of the paranormal genre and this is my first Kresley Cole purchase. I read the reviews first before I bought this at a store. I had 2 other Immortals books in my hand and decided to go with this one after reading the premise and the first page. As a fledling writer I was curious to see how Ms Cole would resolve such a brilliantly difficult conflict: how do a tormented vampire and a ghost find love?

What thrilled me about this story is that it transcends the genre to the point where you want to find out how these two beings will make it work, you want to find out more about them. I love that the hero starts out very dark and villianlike with a secret that the heroine finds very sexy. I won't give it away but I thought it was a brilliant twist on the author's part. The personality pairing is sexy and intriguing as it unfolds. The paranormal aspect is very easy to follow and doesn't intrude on the humanity of the characters the way explaing of folklores can.

Beautifully written.

I had my heart set on Conrad falling in love with Nix because they are both crazy but at the end when Myst and Kaderin are planning to go to war against the vampire king to get their husbands back...love it. Plus, Nix stating Mike Rowe from "Dirty Jobs" is in love with her...hilarious. I want desperately to read Lucia's story and Regan's.

I have been reading romance novels since I was 15, so a good 20 years now. In my mind nothing like a cup of tea and a good romance novel to escape and unwind at the end of a day.
Just to give a sample of my taste, other authors I enjoy are: Jen Holling, Connie Brockway, Johanna Lindsey, Julie Garwood, Christina Dodd, just to name a few.

This entire series is such a page turner. I had a hard time putting any of the titles down. More evenings than I care to admit I stayed up way to late "just to read one more chapter".

I love that the brothers are all together in this book working to save a fallen brother. Love that they are doing what they can to save the one vampire that most likely cannot be saved. The sparks between Neomi Laress and Conrad are just fantastic from the beginning. I could not find out fast enough how on earth these two could be together.

I enjoyed the glimpse of supporting characters so you felt that any of them would be enjoyable to read about in their own series. The entire series is fast and there is not a lot of review of what happened in a prior book. You open the book and off you go. These are not slow moving. I laughed, I cried, I blushed. Boy Ms. Cole writes some steamy scenes. Wow! And I am amazed that nothing repeats. Each book is so different, the plots are so different and the way the main characters relate is so different. Yes they do all have hansom men and lovely ladies. But the dynamic relationship between the main characters is simply fire from page 1 to the end. Out of all my years reading romance. I have never read modern romance before. I can say without a doubt that these are the best romance books I have read and that is truly saying a lot considering how many authors works sit on my shelf.

This is a great series for all age groups. All four of my children have read them. They range for ages 8-16 and they all loved them as well as me. LOL.

I enjoyed this book as a continuation of the series. It grew a little confusing in the end, and my 11 year old that has loved the series as well was a little confused. Overall it was a great book, and a good continuation of the story.

Loved to see the returning characters in one, Zanna, Lucy, Arthur and let's not forget all the dragon characters. Very creative and imaginative story about dragons and where they come from. They even added some fairies in this time. I most loved about this book is the characters returning to them just felt natural and it did seem like there was more story to be told. I even got the feeling there could be another one in the works. I recommend this book any time a there is a kid asking for a good series and especially if they like fantasy I recommend this at work. I thought this whole series was great and I have even made my husband read them. One thing I didn't like was how abruptly it ended I was confused when it ended and had to go back and read it again to make sure I had not missed some thing. Other then that is was good.

I purchased this book for my nephew. He loved it, and has spent several nights this summer reading it. He has enjoyed all of Chris D'Lacey's dragon books. Although, I have not read the book myself, I have it on good authority from my nephew that this is a great book. He highly recommends it.

In the fourth book of his dragon series, "Fire
Eternal," Chris D'Lacey reveals the evolution of David
Rain's character by focusing on the lives of two women
coping with his loss: Zanna, his girlfriend; and
Lucy, his landlady's daughter and inspiration.

It has been five years since the events of "Fire
Star," which left the Pennykettle family and their
dragons to pick up the pieces after the loss of their
tenant David. Lucy Pennykettle, a teenager now,
refuses to let go of the memory of her childhood
friend. When Zanna refuses to help her drudge up
painful memories about David's life and disappearance,
Lucy finds a new ally to help her.

Zanna also struggles to find peace with David's loss.
She is a mother now, raising their whimsical and
insightful daughter Alexa with the help of Liz
Pennykettle and their family dragons.

Throughout the book, both women learn the significance
of what happened to David Rain in the Arctic--and what
dangers lie in wait for the world if they do not stop
them in time.

I absolutely love this book. My favorite book right now. It is so weird that they go back to the Tribe of Rushing Water.

This book is ah-mazing. I heart it.
In Outcast, you really get to see another side of Breezepaw and you can really see Lionpaw's power devolping.
And theres a great battle and You get to see the tribe again.
And Purdy!!!!!!
If you haven't read this book, I would.

Jaypaw remembers experiencing the presence of ancient cat warriors near him at Moonpool and attempts to speak with them again. The young warrior apprentice suspects that the ancient warriors could enlighten him, explaining the prophecy he heard in Firestar's dream: "There will be three, kin of your kin, who will hold the power of the stars in the paw." But, alas, the ancient warriors do not respond to Jaypaw's entreaties.

Now, though, Jaypaw must find herbs for his medicine cat mentor, Leafpool. He complies, but it's obvious that his mind is not on his job, and he inadvertently frightens away a thrush being stalked by warrior apprentices. Meanwhile, his brother, Lionpaw, wishes that it was time for his assessment as a warrior; he's tired of being just a warrior apprentice. On the other hand, Jaypaw knows he will not be a true medicine cat until Leafpool dies --- and he would never wish for that.

Hollypaw is distracted by thoughts that someday the Clan may expect her to find a mate and have kits. She knows she's not ready for those kinds of responsibilities, especially since she mostly wants to put her energy toward being an excellent warrior. In fact, her true secret ambition is to be Clan leader, and she definitely can't imagine combining that position with motherhood. As she ponders her future, Hollypaw is fascinated with the tales that Brook tells of growing up in the Tribe of Rushing Water. Hollypaw wishes she could visit Brook's tribe, but is sure she will never travel to the far distant mountains in which they make their home.

When Jaypaw at last is able to communicate with Rock, one of the ancient cats, he doesn't get the clear-cut answers about his destiny that he seeks. However, he learns from others that the Tribe of Rushing Water is in peril --- and he knows that somehow this will affect his future. Lionpaw is also hearing tales of the Tribe of Rushing Water mountain home, from Stormfur. He longs to explore the area, knowing that he's seen only a very small part of what the world has to offer.

When strange cats approach ThunderClan, Brook knows them. They are Tribe of Rushing Water warriors Talon and Night. The two strangers request Stormfur and Brook's return to the mountains, to help save the Tribe. When ThunderClan rallies to help, Lionpaw, Jaypaw and Hollypaw are determined to go as well. When Firestar finally agrees, they are thrilled. But they have no way to guess the perils and the rewards they'll encounter on their quest.

OUTCAST will thrill Warriors fans with its trademark thrilling adventures and warm emotions as Lionpaw, Jaypaw and Hollypaw continue to grow and change through tough challenges and interactions with others. Readers will count the days until the next epic and entertaining Power of Three installment is available.

--- Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon

I bought these books for my son. He loves the series. I hope she comes out with new ones soon.

My mom bought this book for my 12th birthday and I thought it was really cool and awsome. I can read it over again 30 time and still enjoy it.