Science Fiction Fantasy Books

Snow Crash was brilliant, this story was pathetic and poorly put together. There is no point to the majority of what happens in this novel and the ramblings of the author could have easily been cut in half. Worse still, all the possibly interesting contents -- Hackworth's story, Dr. X, CryptNet -- weren't flushed out and instead ignored in this tale about nothing. A war happens at the end, unexplored and for no purpose to the plot. Read a different novel, as this one isn't worth your time. I want the time I spent on it back.

As is often the case within the science fiction genre, the novel relies too much upon the whiz-bang intricacies of a Victorian-retro future ruled by nanotechnology. Too often it veers into tangential details about this gizmo or that advancement which can be tiresome after a few hundred pages. Even worse, the conclusion of the novel features an abrupt, extreme shift in gears which seems forced, at best. However, despite all that, it retains Stephenson's manic charm, his innate ability to combine the wry and the cool into something more. There are dry spells, to be sure. Stephenson offsets them with moonlit martial arts duels, dashes of steampunk, swarm technology programs/orgies, and etc... It is a patchwork fantasy, and flawed. But it is still a great read, especially in snippets. Personally, I kept it in my bathroom for a few weeks. Worked well. Recommended for those who need some idle, interesting reading with more continutiy than the funny pages or Popular Mechanics or... yeah. Buy it and see! Or don't! }:-)

Diamond Age is a fascinating read although it loses steam half way through. Stephenson writes about the future with nano technology as if hes been there. The characters are well written (more believable than Snow Crash) and there is a lot of insight into differences between cultures (philes). Stephensons background in Geography and Physics is quite evident here. I would give it 4.5 stars and it would be even better if the plot was cleaned up a little as it starts to drag and become convoluted in the middle. Still worth the read.

I'd read Snow Crash about a year ago, and despite some problems with pacing and blatant Deux Ex Machina, I liked it enough to give Stephenson another go.

I gather Diamond Age is his second novel, and he certainly has improved in style over his original offering (Snow Crash.) This book consciously imitates Victorian (late 18th-century English) prose and dialogue, which can be awkward to the unsuspecting but is very much justified by the narrative framework.

The setting was intriguing, and quite-likely cutting-edge for when it was written. Nanotechnology plays a major role, and Stephenson does a good job of running with it to show the logical conclusions: a superficial utopia that is quite dark once one delves beneath the surface. To his credit, the technology isn't heavy-handed in this, and anyone with even the most basic scientific knowledge can follow (and appreciate) what's going on. I also have a soft-spot for Chinese history and culture, so he gets a few bonus points for including it as a setting subplot. Speaking of subplots, Diamond Age includes one that at first struck me as suspiciously similar to one of the subplots of Mona Lisa Overdrive (ie: an interactive book that helps a young girl cope with her surroundings) but I quickly found the similarities were superficial and Stephenson does go into new territory with his handling of it.

That said...

The last 75 pages of this book were a jumbled mess, with key plot points being introduced way too late, others (from earlier) completely forgotten, and overall left me with a feeling of "where the heck did THAT come from?!?" It honestly struck me as if 400 pages into it, he got tired of writing it and just wound things down as quickly as he could. Ironically, there's a fair amount of padding in that last section (notably a too-long sequence of a character at an interactive theatre.) Most of my complaints about the book come from the last 75 pages, but alas, I can't give specifics without breaking my personal reviewing oath of not divulging spoilers. Suffice to say that he again resorts to intervention from the Gods of Plot Convenience **a couple of times** in ways that are as unconvincing as they are unsatisfying.

That said, if you liked Snow Crash (or presumably any of his other works) you will probably like Diamond Age. It **is** necessary to keep your expectations in check, though. On a personal level, one of the aspects I really liked about Snow Crash was the wry narrative tone woven throughout, and that was very-much lacking throughout Diamond Age (I think I cracked a smile twice.) By all means, give it a go, but beware: the ending isn't so much a "let down" as a "plummet from 75 stories up."

The Diamond Age is an ambitious book, and one that kept me enthralled through about 350 of its 450 or so pages and then impatiently waiting for what turned out to be a highly improbable, fairly confusing, Hollywood style ending (where at all odds and in spite of massive casualties on all sides and the cataclysmic world-changing significance of the events they are caught up in, all of the main characters we're supposed to care about get the kind of familial reconciliations they want).

I didn't want to end up being disappointed by this book because I love Neal Stephenson's style and have enjoyed immensely every one of his other books -- I haven't gotten around to the few books he co-wrote with a relative, but they don't strike me as up my alley. The problem, it seems, with this book is the problem Stephenson confronts but admirably resolves in every one of his other books: it is the balance of story and background, of worldmaking and storytelling, or (in his most recent books) of history and speculative historical fiction. Here the balance between these seemed to oscillate back and forth until the weight of the world began to overwhelm my interest in the characters, and the trouble was that the world historical developments he was painting would be difficult to follow even for a contemporary.

When the story focuses on Nell and her primer it's exciting: like a futuristic version of Rousseau's Emile, where the problem is not merely to raise a child as independent in a world where we were increasingly dependent on others, but to raise a child capable of transcending and subverting a fully networked world in which interdependence is indispensable.

Where it gets into trouble is the effort to paint a shift from a "feed" based nanotechnological society (at least one or two technological revolutions beyond ours) to a "seed" based society (that I don't really understand at all even though he makes the political implications clear enough).

This is a good read, and a nice step forward in scope from Snow Crash -- but it gets a bit unwieldy and Stephenson doesn't to my mind quite pull it off. He does admirably in his next four books.

This book is a very interesting concept - nearly modern policing meets classic British literature. It's a fantasy world, so nothing reflects reality as we experience it today. While it was entertaining, I think the book is slightly more convoluted than necessary, and it bogs down in a few places. Definitely worth a read.

This is one of my favorite books of all time. It has everything. It has mystery, romance, action, adventure, comedy, and so on. I loved the references to classic literature. Reading this book and the other Thursday Next novels encouraged me to re-read Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and other novels mentioned in the series.

What a fun book! My first forray into Fforde, and I completely see why he has a strong following among my more well-read friends.

To get the most out of this, the reader has to be up on history and especially English literature. The setting is somewhere between a truly alternate history and one that time-travelers have hopelessly mucked up. Along the way are a few truly innovative (dare I say saying "novel"?) ideas that really makes literature come "alive." The ending ties together almost too perfectly, and the only thing that keeps it from feeling contrived is such endings are completely in character with the medium this book both parrodies and mines for inspiration.

This book is best enjoyed if the reader is at least passingly familiar with Jane Eyre and various Shakespeare plays (plus Tennyson's "Charge of the Light Brigade" which is a prominant sub-plot.) The only thing keeping me from giving this 5 stars is my own ignorance: my only exposure to Jane Eyre was reading a couple chapters as a "sampler" 20 years ago in a "Women in Literature class... which was about the same time I last cracked open Shakespeare. In all honesty, neither engaged me at the time. I almost certainly would have gotten more out of this book if I were more more familiar with those subjects.

As you can probably guess from this (and other reviews) this book isn't for everyone, especially those who don't read "classics" that much. I would actually put myself in that category, except the humor of the book was enough to carry me over and keep me engaged to the last page. You also have to like "high-brow British humor" such as Monty Python or Douglas Adams, which this book definately has a spiritual kinship with.

Fforde's well designed and intreaguing alternative England is thoroughly created and fascinating. His characters are amusing and I laughed out loud several times while enjoying their escapades. A very different book and nice change of pace. Can't wait to read the rest!

Amazing writing, amazing creativity. Think of Harry Potter for literary adults. It's a fantastic peice of fiction.

they alwasy say the 1st book of a series is teh best. thats not true with this one. i was really surpised that i liked them that much but i do.
sky's character is very alive and you will laugh with her.
way more twists happen and it will keep you wanting more.
can't wait for revelations.
i wont say anything else i dont want to spoil the book for you, but yes get it.

SPOILERS BELOW

I loved the introduction of new characters Lawrence and Kingsley. Lawrence's intro itself though was pretty remarkable, I never guessed that he was the boy, and he's a really awesome character if I say so myself. I was highly glad that he came through in the end, and it will be weird having Schuyler with someone other than him in the next book, presumably. I suppose one lesson I've learned here was to read sequels immediately after reading the first book, cause I had trouble remembering what had happened in Blue Bloods, but once I got all that figured out, WOW. I did notice two typos, with Bliss's last name being spelled two different ways, as well as the Duchesne school's name having different spellings at different parts of the book. I don't know why, but I really like Dr. Pat's character. Onto the ending, wow. The last few pages really didn't disappoint. The Bliss twist was not expected at all! Didn't see Kingsley being evil either, I thought he really was the good guy. Sigh, he'd make a good good guy. Oh well. At one point, when we got to see the definition of schizophrenia, part of me wondered if the entire book was Schuyler's hallucination, cause how awesome would that be? Sigh. Apparently not. Finally, all those love stories. I did NOT see Jack being the mask guy coming. I hate that so much, cause she couldn't recognize him, I'd think she'd be able to recognize Jack, and that seems like so the easy way out. I am so tired of this love quadrangle. Ollie and Schuyler are obviously meant for each other, and Jack's an idiot who can go away with Mimi and not return. I can't wait for the third book...*wonders if there's any info on that available...*

Story of Courage:
A Book Review on Masquerade
By: Skye Aponte

Melissa De La Cruz's Masquerade about a young girl named Schuyler Van Alen, a persistent young vampire in search for her grandfather, Lawrence Van Alen, whom she believes, is the answer to her slowly dying grandmother's dreams, and will rid New York of the appending doom. Cordelia Van Alen, Schuyler's grandmother, was attacked by a silver blood, a group of vampires well known and dangerous to most blue blooded vampires living in New York like Schuyler. Schuyler takes matters into her own hands, as she heads to Venice with her human best friend Oliver in search for the one man who may be able too end it all. However, while Schuyler and Oliver are in Venice, a fierce masquerade ball is being thrown by the one and only, Mimi force, a vampire with desire for power, but it is hidden behind the masks that true danger lurks. With evil and back stabbing around every corner, and conclusions, that keep you turning pages, Masquerade is sure not to disappoint.
Melissa De La Cruz's style of writing is very unique in a sense that she is able to write the story telling the lives of two very different girls (Schuyler Van Alen and Mimi Force) in different places, and later on, able to unite them in some way, so when you look back the reader can see that their lives were somehow shared, and they were always united in some way.
Masqurade keeps you thinking outside the box, and eager for more. I would recommend this book to young adults that are curious about the mythical realm of vampires, but also enjoy the laid back feel of realistic fiction.

I read this book in less than 8 hours. It was amazing. I Love how questions were answered and the two major cliff hangers at the end. However, I am concerned about the third book. It says its only 256 pages. Maybe there will be a fourth. Anyway, back to Masquerade, so much happened in this book. It takes an amazing writer to create a world in under 700 pages (combining Blue Bloods and Masquerade). De La Cruz has made the second better than the first, which we have to admit, rarely happens. Can't wait until October 28.

The first book in this series was a little slow, and for the first third of this book I feared it was going to have the same problem. However, over the course of the book, the series really heats up. The plot thickens, and the pace picks up. If you can get through the first book of the series, you will be rewarded; Masquerade is a good read.

4.75/5 Hearts from Leslee at Night Owl Romance

This is the second book in the Nocturne City series. It takes up three months after the events in Night Life.

Luna has just returned to her job as a homicide detective. Her first night back she catches a case of a body found in an alley. It appears to be an OD, overdose, but the ME discovers signs that the victim was deprived of oxygen. Several people at the scene allude to Luna's other nature and she is almost killed by another junkie fleeing the area. Then she arrives at the precinct to discover her new boss, Captain Matilda Morgan, would love to find a reason to fire her. Just another wonderful day in the life of an Insoli were. To top it off, she gets a partner dumped on her. Barbie doll looks and a perky package sum up the first impression of Shelby O'Halloran. When things don't add up on the tox report for the body in the alley and Luna stumbles upon another victim, it looks like they have a full blown case on their hands. Will Luna be able to forget Dmitri and focus on working with her partner to solve the case instead of planning Shelby's demise?

What an incredible follow up to Night Life! Caitin Kittredge is a talent on the rise! The mystery kept me guessing and I was taken by surprise by several events. We learn more about Luna and what makes her tick. The depth of emotion that bled onto the page when she thought about Dmitri was intense. The fight scenes were raw and a couple of times I was flinching in my seat with the damage being done. Ms. Kittredge writes so well that you are literally right there feeling the blows. I can't imagine what is in store for us in Second Skin coming March 2009 but I will be waiting with bated breath!

Leslee of Night Owl Romance - [...]© Night Owl Romance 2008

James and the Giant Peach is such an exciting book!
It's about a boy named James who meets a man who has magic crystals. But on accident, he tripped and the crystals spilled all over the peach tree. Which never grew anything so the crystals made that one little peach and the only peach grow really big, so it was as big as the house.So one day he started to circle the peach and found an entrance that he could crawl in, so he did and he heard voices. He got scared, but he kept going and met Centipede, Grasshopper,a Ladybug and Worm and finally a Spider. But with so much vibration, the peach snapped and started to roll away.
And that's as far as I'm going so you will have to read it to find out the rest!

Wonderful, fantastical adventure of a boy and his friends in a giant peach. Roald Dahl has written quite a number of books, and some of them are really more suited for older readers, due to difficulty of language and story theme. But this one I would definitely recommend as a first Roald Dahl book; suitable for all ages. In fact, I liked this even better than "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory."

James and the Giant peach by Roald Dahl is a wonderful book for third grade and up. James, the main character, has a horrible home life in the beginning, but his outrageous adventures lead him to a successful future. The setting changes from England, to the ocean, to the sky world, and finally to America. Dahl incoporates high vocabulary words and mixes it up with some invented words. The insect characters and Cloud-Men that James meets along the way in the peach remind us of the different types of "characters" we meet each day. The illustrations by Quentin Blake are extremely simple, yet contain incredible details. If you like zany adventures, this is the book for you! Lucky for us, Roald Dahl has written many books for us to enjoy!

As a volunteer reader to school children, I'm always searching for stories that hold their interest. JAMES and the GIANT PEACH is just the book to grab the little peoples' minds and promote the shining upturned faces that every storyteller loves to see. As James and his larger-than-life insect friends ride a wayward giant peach through many heartstopping adventures, I always sense that each listening child has latched onto the insect with characteristics most similar to their own self image and rides with it, relishing each inventive way their bug contributes to the well-being of all the others. In fact, in my post reading conversation with the students, I ask what insect was the favorite. Each child has a different answer and reason for their selection. It's fascinating to hear each little person describe his or her choice.

Mr. Dahl wrote many children's books before his death in 1990, and each of them is a masterpiece of invention, excitement, humor, and scariness that children love to experience. In my opinion, JAMES and the GIANT PEACH, his first children's book after a decade and a half of writing adult stories, is the most appealing, never failing to capture the attention of young listeners and filling their minds with wondrous images.

If you haven't read it, do so. If you haven't read it to a child, do that also -- as soon as possible.

Perhaps I should confess right up front that this review of what is popularly regarded solely as a children's book is being written by a 50+-year-old male "adult" who hadn't read a kids' book in many years. For me, Welsh author Roald Dahl had long been the guy who scripted one of my favorite James Bond movies, 1967's "You Only Live Twice," and who was married for 30 years to the great actress Patricia Neal. Recently, though, in need of some "mental palate cleansing" after a bunch of serious adult lit, I picked up Dahl's first kiddy novel, "James and the Giant Peach," and now know what several generations have been aware of since the book's release in 1961; that this is an absolutely charming story for young and old alike, with marvelous characters, a remarkably imaginative story line and some quirky humor scattered throughout.

As most baby boomers and their kids and grandkids probably know by now, this short novel introduces us to James Henry Trotter, a young boy who is forced to move in with his nasty Aunts Sponge and Spiker when his loving parents are eaten by a rhinoceros on the streets of London (!). His miserable existence takes a turn for the better when a mysterious old man gives him a bagful of magic green crystals, which James promptly and accidentally spills near the base of a barren peach tree. What follows is wondrous in the extreme, as James discovers a septet of insectoid friends inside the enormous, house-sized fruit that soon develops. Along with his new buddies--a centipede, an old grasshopper, an earthworm, a glowworm, a silkworm (which character was oddly dropped from the 1996 Disney filmization), a spider and a ladybug--James sets off in the detached peach on a trans-Atlantic journey, and this is just the beginning of his great adventures. Dahl makes sure that each of his insect characters has a distinct personality of his or her own; the centipede is a snarky showoff, the earthworm a constant worrier, the grasshopper wise and serene, the silkworm a quiet nonentity, Miss Spider sweet and caring, the ladybug warm and maternal, the glowworm mainly concerned with keeping her light going. Each brings its own set of abilities to the fore in times of crisis, James' own particular strength being his great boyish intelligence, natch. They are a terrific team of characters that effectively show the little ones the value of teamwork and overcoming differences.

Adult readers of "James and the Giant Peach" will likely be struck by errant thoughts as the story progresses. For example, the violent deaths of Spiker and Sponge, not to mention James' parents, are surprising, if glossed over lightly. Perhaps these instances of violence are the reason why this book ranks #56 on the American Library Association's list of "The 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-1999." (Dahl's "The Witches" is #27.) Still, generations of impressionable youths have managed to take in the "objectionable" aspects of this book with no discernible damage to their delicate psyches, as far as I can tell! Adult readers may also be amused at the mention of a "famous factory where they made chocolate" in the book (a foreshadowing of 1964's "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory"?), and wonder at the number of sophisticated words (such as "wampus," "manticore" and "prock") that Dahl dishes out for the kiddies. They may also get a huge kick out of the hilarious poems and songs scattered throughout the story, as well as by the lighthearted humor in general. (I think it's hilarious that Miss Ladybug winds up marrying the head of the NYC Fire Department!) Grown-ups may also find cause to wonder why all those 502 seagulls fall into James' lasso trap. Couldn't all those birds detect this trap after 50 or so were snared? But this is a quibble. From magical beginning throughout its action-packed length (I haven't even mentioned the shark sequence yet, or the extended segment with the Cloud Men, which the Disney film unwisely drops if favor of an underwater ghost ship that is not in Dahl's novel), this book is a joy and a pleasure for young and--as I have just proved to myself--um, older alike. This classic work hardly needs MY seal of approval at this late date, but I just wanted all the adults out there to know that this might be a fun read for them, too. And now, I think I'm gonna go pick up "The Witches"....

I have to say, Cassie Palmer really DID embrace the night in this latest book by Karen Chance. She does a lot of interesting things in this book that she would not have been willing or capable of doing in the first two books.

The book starts off a couple weeks after the last book ends but the action starts immediately with no review of what has happened in previous books. This can make the series a little difficult to read if you are not reading them one after the other or if you pick up the wrong one first.

Cassie is still trying to fit into her role as the new Pythia, the seer for the entire magical community, but she seems to have much better luck finally adapting to the position in this novel. At several points near the end she uses her position to justify her actions to some characters that would have been on her do-not-cross list in the previous books and they step aside for her. It's gratifying to see her make some progress in that arena.

Since the storyline does deal so heavily with finding the Codex Merlini in both time and space the action can get a little garbled but the plot is not so complex that you get lost, just complex enough for you to really think about aspects of it. Cassie is seeking out the Codex in order to reverse the geis that was placed on her (once) and Mircea (twice) to bind them together. Since this threatens Cassie's independence she's willing to go through quite a few hoops to get it removed. An emergency 'out' was built into the geis (sex with the originator - in this case Mircea - or with one of his chosen stand-ins) but Cassie tried that in the last book with Tomas and it didn't exactly work.

Along for the ride is Pritkin who, as a war mage, is sworn to protect the Pythia. Pritkin is the source of most of the confusing aspects of this book as several interesting factoids about his past come to light. First off, Pritkin is half incubus and his father, King of the Demons, would really like to kill the Pythia and nearly seduces Cassie twice to get the job done. The thing is that he looks almost exactly like Pritkin but more stylish so Cassie confuses them at first.

The other major thing is Pritkin IS Merlin and wrote the Codex way back in the day. This leads to a long series of time-jumping, confusion about a map to the Codex which interestingly enough somehow involves stripping, a lot of distrust and some almost paradoxical episodes. Pritkin has tried to remove the geis from Cassie and Mircea but since it got doubled on one end the spell warped and the standard removal spell just won't cut it.

Cassie finally figures out how to remove the geis but it involves having sex with a Mircea from two time periods. Some parts of that were quite confusing (is it a threesome if there are three bodies and only two lives?) and the rest was interesting and dramatic enough to make up for the confusing bits. Cassie still has several problems on the horizon but there's quite a bit more light at the end of this book than at the others. At least the geis is gone and Cassie is finally starting to assert some sway over others so she's not constantly running but standing up to protect as well.

This was my favorite of the books so far and I can't wait until the fourth book comes out.

I only gave this a three star, because the story was so confusing.
It switched between time realms with no or little forewarning and really was a major confusion.
The basic story line is good, just confusing. took a long time to get to the point of the story.

If I didn't like some of the characters so much I would have given up on this book after about 10 pages. I have read the other books in this series, but it's been a while since reading the last installment. Don't start this book if you haven't read the other books first, and it is best to refresh your memory by scanning the book prior to this one. Most series writers give a small refresher as a prelude, but not here, so you really have to work from the very beginning to deal with the confusion.

I like fast paced adventure, but this read was frenetic and not well paced. It got frustrating in places because it bounced all over the place (time travel) with very little pay off for the characters or plot. Suddenly ley line travel is introduced in the series that all paranormal characters can and do use, but this is all new to Cassie even though she has been raised by and lived with paranormals all her life? Huh? I put this book down many times, and debated picking it back up after starting another book, but I did finish it. I was finally rewarded with a few character twists, and the resolution of the dilemma from the last book. The resolution was anti-climatic and provided another "huh?" moment.

Again, I like some of the characters in this series so will continue to follow the series using the library, but hopefully in continuing to build her fantasy world Chance will work on her writing style.

This continues the Cassandra Palmer plot line rather nicely. I'm looking forward to the next book.

If you haven't started reading this series yet, what the heck is stopping you??!! This has been the one of the best, most original and cohesive series in the last few years. Each of the three installments has delivered excellent story for the money and shows plenty of future promise. It reminds me of the early Anita Blake and Dark Hunter series before they lost the spark of ingenuity that lured in their first and most avid readers.

Chance's series has everything from vampires, the mob, ghosts, fairies, mages, magical tattoos, and famous historical personages all set amidst Vegas's seedy casinos. Trust me, try it and you'll ask for another!

i actually did not like the main character Rachael in the first book (Dead Witch Walking)...in fact i remember thinking i had no interest in reading a sequel...the plot seemed silly and the character relationships were really weird...i accidentally bought the second book and only realized after a couple of chapters, this was the same ditzy heroine i had vowed never to read again...however, i was wrong, wrong...this time the story line is cleaner, clearer, darker and the magic sizzles...Rachael is still her impulsive, unpredictable self, but she becomes smarter, and it's fun to watch her change in her relationship to the demon and how this subplot evolves. I plan on doing Book 3.

After having read the first two books of this series I must say that I am hooked. This is fast becoming one of my favorite series and author to read. This the second book picked up roughly where the first left off, so you have a fluid connection from the first book to the next. Right from the beginning I was greedily reading as much as I could, loving everything about Rachel Morgan's world.

We see a couple of aspects explored that I had hoped would be from the first. Namely, Harrison goes in deeper with vampires as well as, and this I loved, demons. She explores both much more in depth, in addition to the typical pixie and witches and warlocks from the first book, which only rounded out and made the Hollows world that much more real. Additionally, an aspect (left unspoken here so as not to spoil anything for someone) that I had hoped and predicted from the first was explored in this installment as well. Very vague, but... I hate spoilers, so I will leave it at that.

Harrison does have a tendency to repeat herself (such as Rachel always saying about every character practically, "I forced myself not to flinch", "I stood my ground so as not to show my fear" and so on), but when the world she is creating is so rich and vibrant, who really cares? We see much more of Trent and Quen, more of Ivy and Piscary, and, just as important, more of Nick and his warlock skills. Oh, and the important character, Rachel explores her powers a lot more. We are also given little treats to feast our imagination, such as a troll swimming in the creek playing with ducks by pulling them underwater. Small, and unimportant in the grand scheme of things, but nonetheless an important part of how Harrison writes.

All around a right rousing read. I would whole heartedly recommend this book, series and author to anyone asking.

5 stars.

Book 2 in the Kim Harrison Hollows series continues with excellent character developement, plot and enough twists and turns to make you think you just stepped off a roller coaster.

Kim has created the type of story and characters that will have you thinking about them long after you've finished reading the book. I personally love the fact that she doesn't over play sex in her books. If I wanted to read about that, I'd pick up a paranormal romance

Kim gives you a story you can sink your teeth into. It's a good read that will have you coming back to the Hollows for another visit. Pick up her first book Dead Witch Walking and go from there. You won't be disappointed. Melissa NC

After reading book 1 (Dead Witch Walking) I could tell this author had something. After book 2 I needed a fire extinguisher. After book 3 I was hooked for the long haul. Her Character is so well drawn out in this series, you forget they aren't real.

I admit that, while it has its flaws, I really enjoy this series. It's just so much fun. It's not high literature, or full of deep meanings, and there's nothing spectacular about the writing (if I hear one more description of Jenks's wings `blurring to nothing' I might scream!), but it's so enjoyable to let yourself get lost in this world among these characters that it's high on my list of favorite series so far. Rachel is not the perfect heroine, and yes, she's a bit on the edge, but she's basically a nice person... er, witch, and I find myself rooting for her. There's plenty of action and interesting side characters, good dialogue and a touch of mystery. With each mystery that is put to rest, another situation crops up.

In this book, we learn the mystery of Trent but gain even more complications of a demon...

I might get blasted for this, but in a lot of ways this series reminds me of the Harry Potter series, slightly grown up. It has the same fluid writing that drags you into the story, the same type of action-packed storyline with twists and turns, the same brand of main character (the main character bumbles through on luck and with the help of friends), and the same enjoyable supporting cast. The writing isn't high-brow and I'm sure there are plenty of plot holes, but it's just so... addicting. The story is plain fun to read, and I can't wait to get my hands on the next one.

And a note on the audiobook: the reading isn't as smooth as it could be, with some odd pauses mid-sentence that were occasionally distracting, but the vocal work was good and it's still one I'd say is good to listen to.

Hale has mastered these other kingdoms so unlike our own, yet so familiar. Book of a Thousand Days brings to life a little known Grimm's tale (not for the Disney-hearted) and a way of life from long ago, far away. However, the book resonates with teens who are beginning to question social order, traditions, and justice. The story links an orphaned maid, a princess, a yak, a chamber pot, magicians, ankles, and a cat (along with many other things) into a romance-courtroom drama-growing up-suspense novel with numerous humorous moments. I actually wanted it enough to pay for a hardcover based on the cover notes and the author's other work. Having read it, I would do it again in a heartbeat.

I started reading this book with high hopes; everyone seems to really like it. But I found I had to force myself to finish. It certainly wasn't worth the effort. The plot is boring, the characters are one-dimensional and hard to understand, and the prose itself is awkward and doesn't flow well. I suppose you could argue that since the book is supposed to be a diary written by a young woman who has only recently learned to write, the poor quality of the text could be intentional. If that's so, it's a bad choice on the part of the author, and it doesn't explain why the 18 year old protagonist seems more like an 8 year old.

The book does pick up a bit at the end, and I actually enjoyed a few pages at that point. Nevertheless, this book doesn't deserve all the praise it's been getting. People searching for young adult fantasy books with strong female protagonists might want to try someone like Robin Mckinley instead of Shannon Hale.

I enjoyed reading this book. This is a clean book. There is no bad language which is unusual especially for a young adult book; so I appreciated that. I would love to hear the rest of the story; meaning what happens next in the life of the mucker maid, honored lady, Dashati. Any thoughts, Ms. Hale??

This book was definitely a great read, I just couldn't put it down until it was over, the story may be old but it's written in such a fantastic language and all the characters are so vivid, Dashti in particular. I couldn't quite symphathisize with lady Saren being so week, but by the end of the book she sort of finds herself. It was my first book by Shannon Hale but now I'm lookingfor further reads from her.

Dashti, a lady's maid, is locked in a tower with Lady Saren, her charge. Lady Saren is being forced into the tower as punishment for refusing to marry Lord Khasar, the man to whom her father has betrothed her. Instead, she favors the much kinder Khan Tegus. The story is told from Dashti's point of view, and things get really interesting when both suitors show up at the tower. This is the starting point for many other adventures.

I've been a fan of Shannon Hale for years, and this book did not disappoint. I really liked that Dashti had a valid cultural reason for being submissive, as opposed to just being a weak-willed martyr, which one sees so often in other novels. Also, her growth as a person over the course of the story was written gradually and patiently and ends up being very effectively relayed. It's details like this, obviously crafted with care by Hale, that make this book so wonderful. The characters are believable, the plot is exciting, and the romance is sweet, but never cloying. Fans of Shannon Hale will surely love this book. If you haven't read anything by Hale yet, this would be a fine place to start, along with The Goose Girl.

The first and biggest issue with this book is that in a series titled "Legacy of the Force" (emphasis on Force) Traviss spends at least half of the novel playing out Boba Fett's relationship with his grandaughter and long lost wife. This sentimental driveling is not only completely out of character for Fett it is incredibly boring, and caused me to put the book down in boredom a few times for the first time since the Black Fleet Crisis series. Perhaps Traviss thinks she is getting at some deep philosophical point, or indicating a deeper message that we can apply to the Jedi's struggle's, but if she is it is hopelessly lost in her ascinine character development. As far as I can tell the only thing the Mandalorians are doing is diverting focus and drive from what might have been an extremely engaging battle, both physically and politically over Fondor.
The poor character development is not just a problem with Boba Fett but throughout the entire novel. The actions of the Jedi make almost no sense throughout the book, and no attempt is made to explain strange turn of events. Luke is almost a non-entity. Somehow 15 year old Ben Skywalker has turned into an adult but 30-something Jaina Solo seems to have reverted to her teenaged NJO self (which is a problem with the series at large though this book amplifies it). It is also incomprehensible to me that Jaina has gone to Boba Fett for lessons in taking out Sith Lords. "Jacen has learned Force skills I haven't so I have to learn skills he doesn't have." Yes...and every Sith ever to roam the galaxy has had Force skills Jedi didn't, and I don't seem to recall Yoda, Mace Windu, Luke Skywalker etc deciding they needed to consult bounty hunters before taking out Sith Lords. The approach was inventive and interesting with the non-Force-sensitive Jag Fel but is absurd and degrading when applied to Jaina. Darth Caedus is disappointing to say the least. **Spoiler Warning** At one point Traviss spends several paragraphs building suspense about how much dark side energy Caedus has gathered and how its threatening to tear him apart and he must expend it and then he does...by creating a simple illusion in the minds of a few people convincing them to lower a shield. She then has the audacity to have several characters comment on how powerful he must be to bring down a planetary shield with his mind. Give me a break. Perhaps the most audacious crime against a character though, is her disturbing slaughter of Grand Admiral Pellaeon. This character has consistently been brilliant at anticipating enemy maneuvers (he was trained by Grand Admiral Thrawn) and yet fails to foresee or guard against Tahiri's unbelievably transparant assassination? Of all characters this one should have been ready to deal with such an eventuality and had ysalimiri on hand. But know, Traviss spends pages talking about how savvy he is and then kills him in the most obvious way possible. That this author was allowed to write the demise of two outstanding characters she clearly had so little understanding for is a disgrace and leaves a foul taste in my mouth.
The third much more minor issue with this book is that it is filled with grammatical errors, some of which are on the part of the authors and some of which are simply poor proofreading. The errors were distracting and irritating.
The only reason I gave this book two stars is that despite the above complaints, it does manage to have some very powerful moments, and hints at great plot elements if you are able to ignore the distracting sub-plot and supplement the poor writing with your imagination.

i enjoyed this book and found it to be a good read. i'm looking forward to the next installment.

I think the whole legacy of the force series is just plain pathetic. While the idea had so much power to it - Jacen turning into a Sith Lord, the execution is pathetic. This is specially obvious for someone whose introduction to star wars was thru the New Jedi Order series which was a remarkable one, from idea to story line and its execution.

I have lots of issues with this book, specifically. Number 1, the english grammer is wrong. Just plain wrong! Lot of the sentences are grammatically incorrect. And yes, I do understand the difference between slang and king's english - but even slang is not usually incorrect grammatically. In her attempt to come up with some cool new terms, the author has made a mess of the text.

Then I hated the word caf, tapcaf and the likes! What is this? Thirdly, there is no flow-thru as to how the plot changes. One moment Luke has almost but killed Jacen, and then there is no more Luke for the rest of the battle. One moment Niathial is leading and everybody is on her side, and the next moement, she is finding herself ousted! The author apparentally has no clue how to put a story line together.

I think this was a very poorly written novel. Try reading the novel "Darth Bane - the path of destruction" and you find what a superbly powerful novel would read like.

I'll try to keep this short:
- I didn't start reading a series about the Skywalkers and Solos with the intent to read 3 books about Boba Fett's family.
- If I did want to read about Boba Fett, I'd like to read about the cool stuff he might do rather than how sad he is.
- If you're going to write a book about a Jedi training to kill a Sith Lord, please include actual TRAINING instead of an overview of Mandalorian social life
- This book was edited so badly that it actually got on my nerves, for example, "It fitted."

I hope that LucasArts denies Karen Traviss anymore opportunities to water down their flagship series with soap opera stories about Mandalorians. She should be confined to short stories and side series. I think even Boba Fett fans would be pretty bored by this book.

Wow, what a surprise, Revelation was....horrible. Who would have guessed? Jaina Solo finally gets storyline beyond Jag-Zekk where she decides the best way to defeat Jacen is to fight like a Mandalorians. Sure because that's going to be very handy against a Sith. Then again, Jaina doesn't really do anything but stand in awe of everything Mandalorians. Right because 2/3 of the book is exactly how much time should be dedicated to a group of people who have nothing to do with the over all plotline and their plotline is only how wonderful they are. At least in Bloodlines by the end you understood why we had to go through all the Boba Fett drama but as in Sacriface here in Revelations we're not that lucky. I don't care about the Mandalorians I don't want to care about them. I care about the Skywalkers, the Solos, and the Jedi. Not to mention Jaina has all ready done this before. Is too much to ask the author to look back in previous books to see if tis all ready been done before? Oh and let's not forget Jaina is the daughter of legendary smuggler, scoundral Han Solo your never going to convince me Boba Fett can teach Jaina anything that Han Solo can not except how to escape the creature that ate him on Tatooine.
The next feels like a really bad Law and Order, Ben Skywalker suspects Jacen but when Ben raises his suspicions he gets completely shot down which I still can't understand why. Oh right the man who went from being a boring Jedi who orginially refused to fight in NJO wars to insane power hungry murderous Sith who fired on his own parents' ship among his numerous and very public crimes and has been dressing up like Grandpa Vader shouldn't be the number one suspect.
Lastly its finally revealed Jacen is a Sith. Wow...gee..what a shocker. Well it might have been if Jacen wasn't dressing in black, building is own empire, committing various public crimes and doing everything but painting Sith on his back. I mean really the galaxy that was terrorized by Vader couldn't figure it that out that his own grandson turn to the dark side? Or the children of Vader? Or the Jedi who's number one job has always been defeating the Sith yet they couldn't figure it out. That's the main trouble with the way Jacen's turning its being written in a way everyone else in galaxy has to be dumb. Karen Travis is not completely to blame for this because all three writers have also done their very best to rip out any potental for it being good.
I mean this had the potental of being an amazing moment. This was the one thing that made Leia fearful about having children in the first place. This was Luke's fear when he decided to start the New Jedi Order that some day some how one of his students could be the next Vader. It had to have been in the back of Han's mind with both Anakin and Luke Skywalker have turned to the dark side that there was a chance one of his own children could turn too. All three thought if they were good parents, good Jedi, did their very best and had faith in Force it wouldn't happened again. Yet we're here and its about as jaw-dropping as Mandos in Karen Traviss's book.

My only complaint is that Sinclair didn't play a large role in this particular book. Which is unfortunate because Betsy as a character is a little bit too self-involved...to the point that Sinclair is needed because he balances her out and makes her self involvement appear cute. When he's not there to balance her out it's more irritating. This isn't a jibe at MJD but one particular trait of the Betsy character. I think MJD writes very entertaining books and this was no exception, I just find Betsy a hard pill to swallow without being able to see her through Sinclair's eyes. (Although the books are told in 1st person, when he's around you definitely view Betsy through his eyes and he adores her.)

Betsy and Sinclair also play very well off each other. He brings out her softer edges and you see that a lot of her self involvement is bluster to hide a kinder and slightly less self absorbed heart underneath (She's kind of like a Cordelia from Buffy.) She seems like all she cares about is her manicure, but it's not completely true. She cares about her friends) What Sinclair does, IMO is bring that Betsy to the surface, but when he's not central to the plot it gets easy to forget that.

One thing that was very cool about this particular book was that it joined together the Betsy series with the werewolves. MJD wrote a novella that I LOVED that appeared in one volume of the "Secrets" anthology about a werewolf that gets trapped in an elevator with a woman who's ovulating...mayhem ensues. I loved it. And it was really cool to get a glimpse of that couple a few years down the road.

Considering the fact that I was about to give up on this series and immediately after finishing this book I ran out to get my hot little hands on Undead and Unworthy (Queen Betsy, Book 7), I'd say this book did it's job nicely.
What's a Queen without her posse? This book answers that question as Betsy is pretty much left alone. you get brief cameos from the supporting cast, but that's pretty much it.
I like this book. I enjoyed being treated to a darker, more introspective Queen.
The only problem I had with this book was Laura's bizarre behavior? Am I missing something? Because the way she acted seemed completely out of character and weird to me.
Oh, and an almost beef. I had thought Betsy had lost a great foil in !@#$%. I'm not going to spoil things, but way to go MJD!

Have you ever wondered what goes on in the brain (or place where one should be) of a ditsy blond? Who's dead? Whose sister is the daughter of the Devil? And who has a whole lot more power than anyone that crazy about designer shoes should have?
Betsy Taylor has the IQ of Tweety Bird. Alive or dead, human or vampire, her blithe materialism, dizzy logic, solid integrity, heroic defense of her BFFs and hilarious adventures are a delightful sendup of supernatural romance, material girls, haute couture, and the clueless and inexplicable triumphs of the unfairly beautiful.
Betsy Taylor is adorable.
The best part of this delicious series is being inside Betsy's head and seeing things from her point of view, which means trying like hell to follow the labyrinthian tangles that pass for thought in her pure and slightly off-kilter psyche.
Both as a reader and a librarian, I think this series is charming and wonderfully engaging and I hope Davidson writes many more.

I liked this book because I like all the books in this series, but I did not think this was the strongest one of the bunch. I thought it could be a little longer with a slightly more indepth plot line. I thought a few things were not explained fully in this book. Hopefully the next will be as good if not better then the first couple of the series...Ms. Davidson will hopefully regain her stride, because it was a bit off with this book.

MaryJanice Delivers another installment of her Queen Betsy stories.
I really liked this book. I loved when the werewolves came, and how she talked to them "Dildo breath." and other catchy lines. I laughed out loud a few times.

I liked that Betsy and Sinclair finally tied the knot.
Jessica being cured was really cool. I didn' think she'd die--but how she was cured was unpredictable.

I can't wait until undead and unworthy.