Science Fiction Fantasy Books

Not For Adults!!!
I wanted to like this series. My daughter asked me to read them and we have enjoyed many books in the young adult catagory. Unfortunately, this is not one. James Patterson had a good idea and the beginings of some good characters but after the tenth amazing escape and all the really poor dialog I had to stop. Although James is experiencing success with this series, his characters are a really poor rendition of the super hero. Even the teen angst falls flat. If you are looking for a book to read with your teen stick to Harry or try the Stephanie Meyer series Twilight.

I was extremely dissapointed in this book, and a little relieved that it should be the last. The story was terrible, and was not believable at all. The kids would have had to be extremely stupid to go to anartica. The entire book read like an infomercial for the Green movement. It lacked all the saving graces of the first book. It was a waste of money.

Book Three did not let me down -- another exciting ride with Maximum and her "family'. I highly recommend this saga to young and old alike.

My kids & I really enjoyed this book, and the previous books in the series. I think the female lead is a little masculine in her voice & choices. I think some of the "miraculous healing power" is kind of a cheat to make up for doing serious violence to the characters, and yet keeping them moving for an adventurous pace. But, I think this is one of those fun romping stories you just let yourself skip the thinner details for the sake of the experience. We'll keep reading.

Third book in the Maximum Ride series.

Max and the flock are back. They will finally discover their true enemy and uncover a plot to take over the world. The Re-Evolution plan, aka the By-Half Plan, involves reducing the population by half--only those deemed "useful" will be allowed to live in the new world. Even as Max races to save the world from the mad scientists, she never takes herself too seriously. My favorite thing about Max is her sarcasm. As in her internal conversation with The Voice, which has an irritating habit of butting into her head, but never answering a direct question: "You wanna explain that? Or is that one of those kung fu koans I'm supposed to meditate on at the top of a mountain? Ommmm."

Another action-packed adventure that fans of the series will enjoy.

Ever since playing the video game Mass Effect for the X-Box 360 i have become completely obsessed with the universe that the was created by the makers of this game. This novel does great job of expanding the Mass Effect universe by filling in some of the blanks that take place before the video game.

SPOILERS FOR THE VIDEO GAME BELOW
This novel tells the story of how the the Spectre Saren acquired his flag ship Sovereign, which we all know by now is a Reaper. I wont give away any of the books details but if you are a fan of the game you owe it to your self to give this book a chance. You wont be disappointed. This is how a true Renegade Spectre acts. Very good writing

Ascension is one of a few books based on a pre-existing media that can be read by itself. Of course, the style of the writing is also the cause of this, which is the primary reason for the 5 star rating.

The style of the writing is in such a manner that it lets the story itself progress without being hindered by the world building in the background. The two complement each other and are at times hard to distinguish. Information is given on Mass Effect's races, their culture, technology, history, etc. while maintaining linkage to the story. Simultaniously, events in the story act as catalysts for this information to be given.

Overall, Revelations is a novel that gives a good story and a good introduction to the Mass Effect universe and can easily be read as a stand-alone. It's difficult to find fault in it.

From the Prologue to the Epilogue it was mind blowing, Revelation answered a lot of questions in the Mass Effect world and then some. it even went down to how it effected the religion and economy of earth after finding a bass on Mars and a Mass Relay orbiting Pluto which they all thought was the moon Cheron. I loved how they talked about the reason behind Saren Hating humans. and it also shows how he acts when he behaves during a mission, and how he executes it as well. i was simply blown away by Revelation and cant wait to read Ascension

I've played Mass Effect on the Xbox 360 twice through now and I'm a huge fan of the game, I enjoyed reading this a lot more than I think someone who was not familiar with the ME storyline would. The writing (and I agree with reviewers like MAW who claim this is very mediocre sci-fi writing) is very average (think junior high school), not very substantial (it doesn't have "teeth") and indeed does read like a cheap sci-fi novel that was written in a few days (very ordinary prose). Having trashed the book in this manner, I do have to say it was a fun and fast read. Don't read it for literary purposes, it was obviously not written with that intent. This is not Bradbury or Asimov. This is, however, a nice introduction to the ME storyline as we so far understand it to be based on the game itself and only the game. We are introduced to the characters Anderson and Saren (among others) and we learn about how it is that they arrived at the status they have by the time we've played ME (if you opted not to go through most of the extra questions in the game you'll miss a lot of background information).


Again, a fun and fast read, recommended for fans of the game. I don't think anyone else would really enjoy this as much or find that reading it was time well spent. Fans will likely find a few flaws/inconsistencies in the details of how certain characters were eliminated but this is not a perfect book.

Mass Effect: Revelation by Drew Karpyshyn was really well written! I could not believe I was in a whole new universe! I was so excited for the video game and once I found out there was a book that takes place prior to the game, I told myself I would not play, until I read. So I did, and it made my love and totally engrossed me even further! I can not wait for more Mass Effect sci-fi to hit the shelves! Either in book format or gaming!

This book is about a young lady... actually just read the back cover and maybe an excerpt and you will get the idea.. I suggest that you read it! Thanks D. Karpyshyn!

Hunters of Dune was a much better read than Sandworms of Dune. Sandworms picks up shortly after Hunters of Dune and the novel starts out very slow. The mid-section is not that much more exciting and plods along with very little steam. I have to admit though, that the ending (last 125 pages) was excellent and literally saved this novel. It finishes very strong, all the plot lines come together in the last 125 pages, and it was even difficult for me to put down at this point. It's too bad the beginning and middle sections weren't nearly as good or compelling as the ending.

With the Ithaca captured on the Machine home world of "Synchrony," it's crew imprisoned and its weaponry dismantled, face dancers loyal to and created by the robots infesting Chapterhouse and all of their warships, Omnious and Erasmus figure they've got this one in the bag. The extermination of Humanity and Chapterhouse are virtually certain as their weapons have no effect against the advancing robots. What the robots completely forgot about, not to mention never even considered the possibility of, were the Sandworms locked inside the Ithaca's storage facility. And when they're let loose on the Machine's home world of Synchrony, they literally bring the robots to their knees, destroying their entire society, hence the name of the novel. There are plenty of other surprizes in the ending as well, which makes this Dune novel a worthy read.

Afer awhile, the story begins to drag and tries to throw everything in but the kitchen sink. Frank Herbert's Dune (The original Novel) was so much more than the sum of all its parts. Here, the story meanders aimlessly onward, trying to serve up a big whopping finale, trying to appease those fans whose imagination have gone lacking. The finesse of government, religion, industry, Machiavelli intrigues and the slavish addiction to a rare commodity has never been equaled or surpassed. Sooner or later, all things end. it is time to let go before this series is ran into the ground.

Gholas to the left, Gholas to the right...this book could have been phoned in and probably was. When the franchise is over, it's over....library this book....it added nothing to the mythology at all.

Hollow characters I cared absolutely NOTHING about, plotless storyline, bringing back old characters because.. well, I guess he couldn't come up with more of his own. I literally had to FORCE myself to finish this book. The only reason I'm reading these latest ones is because I'd feel guilty if I didn't finish the GREAT story begun by Frank Herbert. Speaking of which, Brian Herbert needs a DNA test because there's no way he's his father's son. Every chapter is so hollow it's laughable. The authors treat the reader like absolute morons, feeling the need to make everything blatantly obvious.

The editor should be HUNG for letting this piece of garbage make it to print. Why? Well, lets give just a few examples:

The crew find themselves on Synchrony - the machine home world. Obviously a massive place, probably covering most of the entire planet with metal and robots. Omnius can manipulate the buildings themselves with design and movement. So what the heck are a few sandworms flopping down the street going to do? Any building could just come down and crush them like a bug. And they leave the ship to go FIGHT the robots of Synchony in hand combat!? How many robots are there? A BILLION? 500 BILLION!? And of course, they go to COVERTLY plant mines - how the heck is this possible when Omnius has watcheyes everywhere!? And it's stated they take "shelter" next to buildings!? Didn't he just say the buildings were moving around like they were alive? Any building could just purposely smash on top of them or swallow them up. Heck, the buildings ripped apart the entire noship!

The stupidity just goes on, and on, and on.... and now that I've wasted who knows how long reading this garbabe, I've wasted more time talking about my frustrations with it. But hopefully it will save someone ELSE from coming into contact with these books. I haven't read any of Kevin Anderson's work, but if he had anything to do with these books by Brian Herbert, I'd avoid Kevin's work like the plague too.

I've had Paul of Dune pre-ordered for months but that will be the LAST of these books I waste my money on. I don't care if Brian keeps knocking them out. I'm done with them.

Or just another B. Herbert- KJA bomb? I have to give them props, they really tried hard...to make the longest most dragging high expectations in two books that I almost thought this book was going somewhere. It almost does. Where it fails miserably, is that the lucky charms leprechaun comes in at the end, saves the day, and everybody lives happily ever after. Of course, I'm being facetious, but the climax was almost that simple. There I was, eagerly anticipating a real battle, only for a POOF magical solution in the end. A lot of this book seems like a Dune parody, especially as the Baron H seems more like a villain out of Scooby Doo than the wickedly evil persona we all know and hate. Some questions are answered in here, like what Leto II's golden path was, although not very clearly. Neither is the purpose of bringing the Jews out of hiding, there really isn't a reason to put them in the story. Weaker yet, is Murbella's role, especially in her thinking that she is solely responsible for saving the human race, her character was completely destroyed by these guys. The issue with axlotl tanks, never resolved.Thanks for wasting my time and money. Even after lowering my expectations as much as possible, I still found disappointment. I don't hold the original Dune series sacred, but the climax of this book is its lowpoint. I'll be sure never to read another one of the Herbert-Anderson DOON collaborations.

I think that this novel is as good as any of the earlier books in the series. Crossroads of Twilight moved very slowly and this book was the opposite. You can really see things coming together as the last battle approaches. Several long standing plot lines were resolved. Included among them were the Faile rescue arc, the Mat escape arc, and the Andoran succession arc. A long standing prophecy was fulfilled and the events that will surely lead to Moraine's rescue have been put into motion. The last battle is clearly just around the corner. Moreover if you read books 9, 10, and 11 in succession, they flow seamlessly and Crossroads of Twilight works well as a much need transition between the action in books 9 and 11. Personally I can't wait for the next book, A Memory of Light to come out and hope that Brandon Sanderson can meet the lofty expectations that Jordan has instilled in me.

Of the 11 books so far in the series (not counting the prequels) this one was the best. It even had a section told from Tuon's point of view which I enjoyed more than I thought I would! I don't see how the guy who is going to finish the series since Robert Jordan died can wrap everything up in one book, but having 13 books (for the 13 Aes Sedai needed to gentle a man who can channel) in the series might work out best. One thing is certain: this book has definitely picked up the pace! 5 stars!

There were a few glimmers of the old Robert Jordan straining to shine through the midden heap that was book 11. But why doesn't Rand know/care that his friends don't seem to be accomplishing the tasks he set them? Why does he keep hiding out when he doesn't have enough time before the last battle? Why does Perrin throw over all responsibility to the Dragon Reborn and the World to rescue his wife - where even if he succeeds, the Last Battle will make his efforts moot. But, hey - nothing else matters, right?

There is progress in the book. And it seems that the world may wake up in time to fight the last battle. But once again there is too much extraneous detail into what people are wearing, how a room is decorated and what motivates minor characters.

I also have to say that reading the books straight through (as I just did) rather than as they are released every two years or so, adds to the enjoyment. Several of the books that made me want to throw up every meal I had ever eaten - actually weren't that bad when read one after another.

Let's hope Brandon Sanderson can wrap this series up without resurrecting any more characters (with or without sex change) and definitely without new abilities.

I though Knife of Daggers was on of the better ones in the Series. Jordan got back to the basics of what made all of his readers Love the Wheel of Time. I DO HAVE VERY BAD NEWS, BUT ALSO GREAT NEW FOR WHEEL OF TIME READERS, AT LEAST WITH REGARDS TO HIS FINAL BOOK #12. Please read the following passage all readers need to know both bits of information.

Robert Jordan (this is his publishing name, not his real)....his real name is JAMES OLIVER RIGNEY, JR. Here is a link so you can read it all([...]). James Rigney (aka Robert Jordan) passed away in September of 2007 (last fall)....however there is still good news for all the readers. The whole staff and editors have the notes and spoken ideas Jordan left while in the hospital the last few days before he passed on. The Book will be named A Memory of Light! The family and editors have hired a Fantasy writer to finish the Series and last book. This Writer (Brandon Sanderson) was a personal friend, and was mentored by Jordan too over the years. He will also have Robert Jordan's wife... Harriet.. helping (she edited and helped on all the books with him). They say on their web-site that they are shooting for Late Fall or Early winter (Sept-Nov) in 2009 to have the last book in the Wheel of Time Series on the shelf. This will be called as I said Memory of Light and will be book 12 and will finish the Wheel of Time. This is what they our saying at least, and they know the book might be BIG, and very hard to get all plots and everything in place...... so the Last Battle can be fought....but they will do it, so they say. I really enjoyed all the books, and I know with all the help from his wife (who knows a man better then his wife) this will be worthy of Robert Jordan's Memory and Life.

Ross Hill (who is just a simple man that RJ helped change with getting me to read a lot and that helped me Graduate with a Bachelors of Science in Management)

After reading the 10th book, Crossroads of Twilight, I was really looking forward to the next book, Knife of Dreams. It's nearing the conclusion of the series, and although the previous book was slow-moving, I felt it was necessary to set up for this book (and the one after it, the final book..woohoo!).

There are a lot of things going on in this book. The plot does move forward, not as quickly, or with as much action, as earlier books, but a vast improvement over the last book. This book was very good. I think what makes this book better is the fact the conclusion is imminent. The Last Battle is coming, all the key players are being lined up, and so I have a feeling the final book, A Memory of Light, is going to be fantastic. It's all building up for a great finale.

A quick re-cap of Crossroads of Twilight: Egwene was getting ready to lay siege against Tar Valon, and was turning the iron chains that surround the harbor into cuendillar when she was caught by the White Tower Aes Sedai, betrayed by one of her own (although she doesn't know who betrayed her...), Rand is in hiding in a remote manor house in Tear, Perrin was contemplating how to rescue Faile having found the Shaido camp where she is being held, Mat was still on the run with Tuon from the Seanchan (not to mention agents of the Shadow), and Elayne was grappling with another claimant for the Lion Throne who had surrounded Camelyn and was laying siege.

Knife of Dreams picks up where all these plot lines left off in Crossroads of Twilight. There are more Rand chapters in this book, and he is now contemplating an alliance with the Seanchan as he doesn't have time to fight them into submission as the Last Battle is nearing. There are several signs (besides his appearance, The Dragon Reborn) that show this: the dead walking the earth again (i.e, ghosts), food and drink that spoil after a few days, the distortion of reality, and the abundance of rats, crows, and ravens (the "eyes and ears" of the Dark One, he uses them as spies).

There are several action-packed scenes in his chapters, one in which the voice inside his head (Lews Therin) actually gained control of the One Power. Basically, Rand was helpless and had no control over saidin and watched as this "voice" wielded the One Power during an attack on the manor. Btw, that scene was great to read, Jordan was able to describe the destruction created very well and my only complaint was that it was too short! LOL.

The voice in Rand's head gaining control raises questions on whether this voice *is* separate from Rand, or only a side effect of the taint on the male half of the Source. While Rand did cleanse the taint back in book 9, Winter's Heart, whatever effect the taint had on him up to that point remains. One theory on this voice I've heard is that Lews Therin never fully integrated into the current reincarnation of Rand in the Third Age. Rand is the reborn soul of Lews Therin, just as Lews Therin was the reborn soul of a previous one. (Note: in WOT world, everything is circular). Perhaps something got mixed up, although if Rand is the creation of the Creator (born to combat the Shadow, the Dark One), then you'd think it wasn't a mistake on the Creator's part. However, I still hold to the theory that the voice of Lews Therin in Rand's mind is only a side effect of the insanity all male channelers were threatened with prior to the cleansing of saidin.

Anyways, I could go on about that, but I'll also mention another new development between Rand, Mat, and Perrin (all three are ta'veren that can shape the Pattern and those around them). It was always obvious reading the series that the three were connected. They were all raised in the same village, Edmond's Field in Andor, and all within the same age range (months apart). Starting from Crossroads of Twilight each of the three "see" the other, they truly *are* connected. For instance, whenever Rand has thoughts of Perrin or Mat, or if someone else mentions their name, he can see in his mind's eye exactly what Perrin or Mat is doing at that moment miles away (and the same goes for Perrin and Mat). I speculate this is only now happening between the three of them because the Last Battle is very close, and this connection has somehow strengthened the ties between them. Rand needs Perrin and Mat in order to win against the Dark One.

Besides Rand, most of the book is told from the perspectives of Mat, Egwene, Elayne, and Perrin (with a few from other characters such as Faile). I had a lot of favorite scenes in this book and to name a few: the opening prologue had a very good scene with a minor character, Elayne's half-brother Galad, the battle scene at the manor house near Tear, Mat learning about Moiraine from Thom, Egwene's defiance and determination in the White Tower, and perhaps my most favorite scene with Nynaeve and her rousing speech of asking men in the Borderlands to ride to Tarwin's Gap with her husband when the Last Battle comes.

In Perrin's chapter, Perrin has decided to make a temporary alliance with a Seanchan general to get rid of the Shaido, as the Seanchan have also faced trouble from the Shaido Aiel. I have to admit, Perrin has never been a favorite character of mine, more so once he married his wife, Faile. While Faile's character could get frustrating, she isn't the worst, and she was always firm in her decisions once they're made so that was admirable. Perrin seems too self-effacing and reluctant to do anything! Of course, except when it comes to Faile and then he's willing to do anything for her. I understand Jordan wrote Perrin's personality that way for a reason, but he never was my favorite character. I even like Rand's character at the present time more than Perrin. Rand's continual self-condemnation over women that died because of him is better than Perrin and his awkwardness. He is always self-conscious and never changes throughout the series from the first book personality-wise. The times he did display some grit and backbone only occurred when he let his temper fly and I'd think, "Finally!".

My favorite character perspectives in this book were Egwene and Mat. I enjoyed reading about Egwene here. In the beginning of the series, she came across as a petulant girl most times, and trying too hard to be Aes Sedai when she wasn't. I didn't find her very likable in the beginning. IMO, Egwene really shines in the later books and I like her character better. Starting in Lord of Chaos, but more so in Crossroads of Twilight and in this one, Knife of Dreams. Egwene is brought back to the White Tower after her capture. Instead of facing execution as an imposter Amyrlin Seat, the Tower Amyrlin, Elaida, puts her in novice white again as Egwene is too talented to waste, with her knowledge of new weaves of saidar being a benefit to the White Tower. Egwene is punished quite frequently for refusing to bend and acknowledge to the Aes Sedai she's only a novice and not Amyrlin.

I loved reading about Egwene's different ways of defiance, all subtle and some outright, and her determination to win the battle to become the leader of all the Aes Sedai. From within the White Tower itself, her machinations may cause Elaida to be deposed and stripped of the Amyrlin's stole, with Egwene and her rebel Aes Sedai winning without having to resort to a more traditional means of fighting. I can't wait to see what happens when she takes Elaida down, not to mention when she faces Rand (in a prophecy noted in a prior book, it was said the Dragon Reborn, that's Rand, would face the anger of the Amyrlin Seat, that's Egwene). That will be interesting to read about!

Another character I really enjoyed reading about was Mat, although I will say I didn't enjoy reading about Tuon as much in those chapters. It was amusing to watch Mat play his little game with Tuon, trying to "woo" her and failing was very funny. Mat even gave a pet name to Tuon, calling her "Precious" in retaliation for her refusing to call him by his name and naming him, "Toy". My favorite part of Mat's chapters was Mat learning from Thom about Moiraine. I won't go further and spoil, but I *really* look forward to how Mat and Thom will go about doing this "thing" for Moriaine in the final book, A Memory of Light.

Before this gets too long, I will say in conclusion that the next book is expected to be the longest in the series. Anywhere from 400,000 words to 600,000 words, which means the final book will probably be split into 2 volumes (similar to Tad William's To Green Angel Tower was split), with one volume published one month and the second volume the next. As of the date of this review, it's too early to tell but Brandon Sanderson has said on his blog that it could be longer than he estimated (which would have been 400,000 words at the most). For those worried the book will not be the book Jordan would have written, it will end the way Jordan wanted. Jordan was able to write the prologue *and* the conclusion of this book and he left behind a tremendous amount of notes and detailed outline to assist Sanderson in exactly what could be written (Jordan didn't want to answer every plot thread, some will be left unanswered on purpose).

I will definitely wait in eager anticipation for this long-awaited conclusion to my favorite epic fantasy series. In the mean time, if you're like me, you can always re-read until the last book comes out next fall!LOL.

This trade paperback collects issues #43-48 of the excellent DC Comics series. Co-creator Pia Guerra pencils the four-issue "Kimono Dragons" story arc. Yorick, 355, Dr. Mann and Rose travel to Japan in search of Yorick's monkey Ampersand who may hold the cure for the plague that wiped out all other male mammals. The group encounters a bizarre remnant of the Yakuza while Dr. Mann searches for her mother's lab. The remaining two issues that were penciled by Goran Sudzuka are respective one-shots that provide backstory on Dr. Mann and Alter, the Israeli soldier that has been pursuing Yorick.

As with most recent "Y: The Last Man" collections, this consists of a story arc and a few one-shots. The main arc has Yorick finally catching up with Ampersand, but there are many things--including a Canadian pop star with militant Japanese groupies--standing in his way. The first one-shot covers Dr. Mann's past (in a similar way to how they dealt with 355's in the previous volume. The second one-shot, which is the last issue in the book, is also a flashback, though this one gives us the history of Alter, the main villain of the series.

Again like the previous volume, these comics are very entertaining and tell great stories, but they seem to be leading up to something bigger and better. So, as the title says, the quality of this book is consistently good. Vaughan hasn't missed a beat since Volume Four. Only thing is, there hasn't been anything that's totally amazed me since Volume Five, so I'm waiting for that. Knowing Vaughan, though, and knowing that there are only two volumes left in this series, I have no doubt that I'm about to be wowed.

8/10

I'm not sure that I could tell you what Y's core values are, but I feel like they stray from them a bit as the series progresses (parhaps redefined). Moot point though, this is well worth a read. Get them all. I made a decision to own them after I read a friend's first issue....

Good story. Too bad this series really doesn't contain that much of an actual story in the books.

Yorick and his crew have finally arrived in Japan, and have tracked down the ill doctor's mother.

Elsewhere, the woman Yorick impregnated has given birth, and has taken the baby to the established hot zone to be safe. Not for long though, as the Israeli military show up, and they are not going to want to leave empty handed.

Castle MacKay is supposedly haunted and Dougal MacKay is surprised to see a beautiful woman inside. Not only is she inside the Castle walls, but it looks like she might be staying the night. Unsure of what to do, Dougal remains hidden from sight because he knows exactly what will happen should he be seen - screaming in terror comes to mind since he has been cursed.

Laura Tomescu is at Castle MacKay for a reason. Her family had something to do with the curse placed on Dougal MacKay's head and for the past several years she has been dreaming of a man/beast bringing her to fulfillment. She feels herself being watched but does not give in to her fear and falls asleep only to once again dream of a fiery man and iridescent scales.

Heidi Betts has penned a hauntingly beautiful novella with Curse of the Dragon's Tears. Dougal was cursed for being too self-centered and unwilling to do anything for anyone else. He was cursed until such a time as he is able to forget his selfishness and act without thinking for the good of someone else. For years he has tried to get rid of the curse but until Lara, love didn't enter the picture keeping him spellbound to his land and Castle Mackay.

I ached with Dougal regarding his curse and loved Dougal with Lara's emotions. Curse of the Dragon's Tears was intense and highly sensual and being used to Heidi Betts' Silhouette releases, I was pleasantly surprised and very pleased with the sexuality of Curse of the Dragon's Tears.

Curse of the Dragon's Tears is part of the anthology titled Hotter than Hell and releases in July. Don't miss it!

Talia
reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

i COULDNOT PUT THIS BOOK DOWN. I DIDN'T COOK, I DIDN'T CLEAN, I DIDN'T ANSWER THE PHONE, AND I DIDN'T SLEEP UNTIL IT WAS FINISHED. MORE, I WANT MORE PLEASE.

Everything was hot except for Kim Harrison story which nswered a question but also made me cry.

No matter the length, a good story should deliver an entertaining plot and engaging characters. Sadly, the vast majority of the stories in this anthology either left you feeling unsatisfied because the story and characters were underdeveloped, or happy you were finally through and on to (hopefully) a better story. If you're not a fan of stories in which characters who've known each other for just over 10 seconds before declaring their unending love for each other, this may not be the book for you.

The worst of the lot were delivered by popular authors Kerri Arthur, Lilith Saintcrow and Kim Harrison. Arthur's story might have better, given more pages to fully develop. As it is, the whole story, as well the chemistry between the main characters was rushed. Characters who have sex at inopportune times (in this case, they are supposed to be trying to stop a murder) are a pet peeve of mine. Lilith Saintcrow's Brother's Keeper read like an excerpt from the middle of a larger novel; it feels like at some point you may have to buy the real novel to find out how the story eventually ends. Unfortunately, I won't be doing that anytime soon since I didn't particularly care for the characters.

Whether it's a result of cramming a dozen stories into one book, or just poor writing, I'm sorry to say this book left me cold. The better stories (Sizemore and Little, Banks, McCray and Liu) were simply not enough to compensate for the others.

As another reviewer also said, I bought this because of Kim Harrison's participation, but I was looking more for paranormal stories, not romance. The stories are well written, so if romance floats your boat, go fot it. Otherwise, I'd look for something else.

it was my favorate book and i love it so much im reading the secquel i cant say much more because it was so good please read it. it will definitly satisfy your craving for chocolate.

This is truly one of Roald Dahl's best and is pretty much one of the best tributes to childhood he has written. Heck, it's about a whimsical candy shop and it's pure Dahlian. I still melt every time I hear about the mysterious factory and its master. I don't even mind the not-so-sublte morals (though the book does not have them as blatant as the Gene Wilder movie version). It's creative, understatedly intense while drumming up the quirkiness of the factory and the characters, and is wonderfully British. A true children's classic.

Roald Dahl was immensely creative, as you can see in this book. If you have watched the movie and have not read the book, you have only experienced a sliver of Roald Dahl's imagination. The book is very much like both of the movies, but his descriptions and details in the book are magical. I would recommend this book to anyone, and it is, as it says in the title, one of my favorite books. If you like this book, I would recommend the sequel to this book, Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, which is a worthy sequel to this classic.

"There were only two rooms in the place altogether and there was only one bed. The bed was given to the four old grandparents because they were so old and tired. They were so tired they never got out of it. This is the house of poor Charlie bucket."

Charlie bucket is the main character in the book of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. Charlie bucket is a small child compared to his other friends. This is because Charlie's family is poor and they don't have enough money to buy plenty of food for the six of them. But then one day Charlie bucket finds some money on the floor and he goes to the nearest store and buys a Willy Wonka chocolate bar. When he buys the first chocolate bar he eats it all up then he decides to buy a second one and when he opens the chocolate bar from the back he finds Willy wonkas last golden ticket. After he finds it he runs home and tells his family and they get so excited. After this all the magic happens when Charlie bucket meets Mr. Wonka and the other lucky winners and the adventure begins.
As I read this book I thought to myself, what if I was in Charlie's place? How I would feel if I lived his life? And then that one day I got to find the golden ticket. What I would do is run straight home and tell my family about what I have done, the next thing I would do would be to rub it in all of my friends faces because I would want o see the look on their faces. I think if this would have happened to me I would have been so happy because if I was in Charlie's place and really didn't get anything good in my life I would be the happiest person. One of my favorite parts of this book was when they were in the chocolate factory and they went into the biggest room which was where all the chocolate was made. I liked this part because I imagined a chocolate river and all sorts of kinds of chocolate while I was reading this book. I think the moral of the story is that even though someone is poor, if he or she is patient and friendly while others are not, good things can happen because that's how Charlie was and he happened to win something.

This book was good. If you love chocolate, you'll love this book. We liked the characters, especially Charlie. Boy or girl, you'll love this book. If you don't buy it, you're crazy. After you finish it, try Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator. It has a lot of suspense. Roald Dahl puts a lot of description in his writing.

Kevin Anderson is a wonderful writer and continues to amaze with the end to this series.

This book truly ends the saga of the seven suns with twists and tales that will satisfy any space opera junkie!!!!

This is the first Sci-Fi series that I have read, and it has set the bar tremendously high. Couldn't put it down, had it read in about 3 days. Excellent Conclusion to a great series.

I've given Kevin Anderson 5 stars for the series as opposed to this book - that's probably a 4 star effort.

Then again i think it must be incredibly hard to have a compelling - perfect ending to such a complex & imaginative series. Personally - i think he did a great job. & for me there's a lot to be said about tying all the ends up in a credible non-cataclysmic way. Ok, ok it was a little too rosy maybe, but hey who doesn't like a fairly happy ending :-)

gah, it was really bad. every bad thing that could possibly be in a bad novel was in here (well, almost everything). i used to really enjoy this series, but after the fifth book, it went downhill BIGTIME. there were entire chapters that had me huffing and eye-rolling because of horrible dialogue or stupid plot devices. one thing i've noticed--after reading Stephen King's book On Writing--is that he breaks the cardinal rule of an author: to tell the truth. while reading this book, i frequently couldnt believe in what he wrote. and, yes, i understand it's fiction, and that it's scifi, but it didnt seem TRUTHFUL. it seemed like a cheesy B movie. i ended up speed-reading the last half. and let me tell ya, there was nothing you'd miss in the "grand finale" of the ending.

i honestly with this were better than it actually was, but after reading the entire series, i think that Anderson wrote 7 books just because it was the "Saga of Seven Suns" and really milked the series. he couldve easily taken out 3 entire books and nothing would be missed. seriously. there are whole books where nothing happens except for mindless dialogue, and character threads moving ad nauseum.

but i think the most unbelievable part of this story is that the main enemy of the series, after being defeated a couple of books back allies themselves (briefly) with the good guys. and then, after five books of hating the bad guys, one of the ally alien species becomes "even worse of a threat." yeah right. that's not even a good plot twist. that's just a stupid decision.