Science Fiction Fantasy Books

I'm not sure what every one's problem is. I thought the book was great, with a lot of action and suspense. There's even a tease at the end to get readers wanting more.
***SPOILER ALERT****
Okay all you goobers out there that don't read and comprehend at the same time. Don't you get it? They are not brother and sister! The novel is chock full of hints...Jace does not look anything like Clary, her mother, or Valentine. Valentine tells Clary his blood travels through her, but tells Jace he has the blood of angels. The fae queen tells them she knows a secret about them, then tells Jace to ask his father about his parentage. The Inquisitor looses her son and his wife (who is seven months pregnant)yet their bodies are missing. Hmmm...I wonder what happened to that unborn child? Gee, I don't know? Perhaps if I wasn't a moron I could figure it out. Then the Inquisitor dies saving Jace's life.
***end of spoiler****
Okay, sorry for my tyrant...uncomprehending complainers seem to be a pet peeve of mine.

When I first picked up City of Bones, I wasn't sure what to make of it. As I was reading, I fell in love. No, it's definitely not heavy reading, and yes, there is better quality prose, but the book was just so fun and made me laugh out loud (which is rare), and the writing, while not amazingly spectacular, works perfectly for the story and is far from bad.

City of Ashes was even better. The characters are the kind of people you wish you knew, but don't; yet they're also just the kids next door. They bridge the gap between the ordinary and extraordinary, and you love them all for their weaknesses and strengths.

If you love fantasy, if you love sarcastic, witty conversations, if you love star-crossed lovers...READ THIS BOOK!

This book seemed like much less of a mush of other books than the first one in the series did, which was a relief. It picks up shortly after the first book left off, with all the main characters just recovering from the wounds they sustained in the big fight against Valentine's Forsaken. Which brings me to my only major problem with this book: the timeline. Although we're told that it was August during the events of City of Bones, in this book it seems to be late fall (there's always a chill in the air). Clary wakes up and eats a doughnut on her way to meet Simon, and then suddenly it's late afternoon. And a few more occasions of missing time...

If you can ignore those inconsistencies, though, this is a good read. Plenty of twists and turns, and unexpected action. A few characters wind up not being dead a few too many times (an author can only pull that trick so many times before all the tension leaks away). And, although the book dragged in a few scenes (ok, Inquisitor, we get your point), I'll be waiting with a fair degree of anticipation of the (hopefully, since I don't think this story-line can last for more than one more book) last book in the trilogy.

Alright. So let me point this out to everyone: Yes, there is incest in this book. No, I don't mind it. Yes, there is homosexuality in this book. Again, I don't mind it.

For all of those people who are like: 'Omg! it's terrible because of what's going on with the characters!'Please, keep in mind that the author started out writing fanfiction. Incest and Homosexuality is fairly common in Fanfictions.Honestly though, I really like this book because it's so different then other books that I've read because the characters ARE so different. Really, I have never really read a book with a homosexual character, or have the main hero and heroine be in love yet are siblings. It's unique, in a mildly creepy way. I am a huge fan of the books, not only because the characters are often times witty and sarcastic, but because many of the aspects are unique.

I don't know how many times when I've read about 'orphan tries to find place in world, and saves the world!' books, or 'girl wants to break mold and runs off to join the army!', or 'destiny has chosen [characternamehere] to save the world!' type of books. The plot lines are over used, dull, and really repetitive. This book though totally broke the mold for me. And when I mean 'break the mold' I mean, seriously, breaking the mold.

I went onto about a two year reading hiatus (because no books really interested me) and I just picked up the first book in the series and could not put it down. It's not about a little orphan, or a princess running away from an arranged marriage. It is truly, truly an amazing book that I really do adore. I can't wait to see how the series ends honestly. The books, as far as I'm concerned, are very consistent so far.
It's not like the Twilight series, where the first one was just amazing, then drops off in quality after that, or really the Harry Potter series where it gets better and better. These books are amazing, and I really don't know how else she could improve them, so they're consistent in the whole 'amazing' factor.

-De

The past few weeks have been hectic for Clary Fray to say the least, and they only seem to get even more so in the sequel to Cassandra Clare's popular debut City of Bones. Clary's mother still hasn't awoken from her strange sleep induced by Jace and Clary's father, Valentine, and Jace is having troubles coming to terms with his true parentage.

Things only get more complicated when an Inquisitor is sent to the Institute to question Jace's loyalty to the Clave, and he doesn't make a good impression. Suspicion is further aroused when children of magical descent are found dead all over the city, making everyone suspect that Valentine is up to something more sinister than they have anticipated.

The second book in the Mortal Instruments series is full of fast paced action and twists and turns that you won't see coming. Clary gets more and more involved in the supernatural world as she and Jace struggle to accept their relationship, while at the same time fending off attacks from all sides. In between it all is exhilarating excitement, the awkwardness of being a teenager, and intriguing mysteries. Readers looking for more breathless adventure and a spectacular battle against evil will delight in City of Ashes.

This book is great If your craving more from His Dark Materials. It's a must have. This book will allow you to see the bond between Iorek and Lee. Enjoy!

This was a great book to include with the Golden Compass Trilogy, as it gave more insight into the armored bears.

The two most recent novellas by PP are good, but not as engaging as the Dark Material series.

This prequel sheds light on how Lee and Iorek met and more specifically Lee's character. I'd really like to see a prequel focused on Lyra's father. The audience for this book isn't as vast as the Dark Materials series.

Once Upon a Time in the North by Philip Pullman: It's been some time since Philip Pullman has published anything set in the world of His Dark Materials; the last offering was a very short story called Lyra's Oxford. In Once Upon a Time in the North, Pullman returns with an original tale about Lee Scoresby the aeronaut, weighing in at just under a hundred pages - and while fans would wish for three times as much, it's certainly much better than nothing.

In a poker game in his native Texas, twenty-four year old Lee Scoresby has just won his very own hot air balloon and half an instruction manual. His first voyage takes him across the world to the Arctic waters where he lands at Novy Odense. Looking for a place to stay and a way to make some money, Scoresby is immediately embroiled in the complex politics of the town. Mayoral candidate Ivan Poliakov hopes to take care of the bear problem, supported by the shady Larsen Manganese group. Taking no one's side, but not wanting the town to be exploited, Lee soon befriends a polar bear by the name of Iorek Byrnison - whom he mistakenly calls York - and finds himself in a fierce gun battle involving a hired killer with a familiar face on the other side.

Once Upon a Time in the North is a great adventure tale with - at first glance - an entertaining and straightforward story. But in Pullman's usual style, there is a deeper and more complex subplot that is not fully explained or resolved here. So fans can hope that there is more to tell in the world of His Dark Materials. And if that were not enough, Pullman also created a special board game for the book, which is included as an insert to the inside back cover.

For more reviews, and writings, or to buy yourself a copy, please visit www.alexctelander.com

Philip Pullman's ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE NORTH provides another strong fantasy from His Dark Materials and is set in the frozen Arctic, where a series of clues and a board game becomes a dangerous quest for knowledge. A cargo balloon, an election and dangerous encounters mark a gripping fantasy perfect for older readers.

The first book was good (I even paid full price for it), so I bought the second (another full price). The second was even better than the first. The characters are familiar now and the story becoming more interesting.

My only complaint would be for such a young man, Tavi always has the right answer to complex situations. This is fantasy, however. It looks like I will be buying book three now.

It is good to find a new series. I just hope it does not drag on forever, like some that become popular. There should be a stopping point.

I really liked this book. I was already a fan of the Harry books .... I am starting to really enjoy Tavi's series. I would recomend you start with the first one (Furies of Calderon)to get the history. It's ok to start with this one, but you will enjoy it much more if you read them in order.

- Butcher starts to reveal the depth of his characters and it creates an excellent tension for readers so we can really develop a love affair with the heroes and villains (which definitely arent cut and dry) of Alera. While traditional fantasy novels might usually dabble in political intrigue, the Codex Alera puts it at the forefront. Being able to reflect on all four books, each tends to be a coming of age novel, as there are basically two years between each novel and we get to see Tavi engage in quite incredible situations.
- Academ's reveals the Vord, which is a very sci-fi departure from the first novel, which is, character-wise, rather traditional in its introductory tone. They are a mythical enemy to the Alerans' enemy, the Marat. But, aside from battling a legendary foe, Academ's focuses on political situations and displays its characters to have multiple dimensions. We saw a little bit of that in Fidelias in Furies of Calderon, but it doesn't start to show until this novel and further increases greatly in Cursor's and Captain's Fury - making these books unbelievably addictive. Go get them now!

Similar to various parallel plots in FURIES OF CALDERON, we find three concurrent plots in ACADEM'S FURY: Amara & Bernard's struggle against a virulent "vord" queen out in the country and their serialized romantic plight (this time, surrounding marriage and children), Isana's journey to Alera's "capital" Alera Imperia to meet with the First Lord and ask for his aid on her brother's Count Bernard's behalf, and finally, seventeen year-old Tavi's continuing maturation as page to First Lord Gaius and his evolution as an Academ studying at the Citadel in Alera Imperia. Of these three disparate and disjoint plots, I found Isana's the most engaging (again) as enemies from the past realign their alliances for political gain. I found Amara's storyline the most taxing to read. Like tall, dark and handsome rogues in historical romance, Bernard and Tavi's friend Max symbolizes sexual eye candy for the female readership, and Amara renews her ardor for Bernard's strong physique. Like an exasperating serial, Amara at first confronts Isana regarding Isana's resentment towards Amara, then grapples with her inability to give Bernard children, struggling to part with Bernard when the Cursor Serai comments that Amara must inevitably leave Bernard. From a pure entertainment standpoint, I most enjoyed Tavi's capture of the mysterious thief "Black Cat" and their subsequent breach of the impregnable Grey Tower to liberate his friend Max. Also like FURIES OF CALDERON, the ending here in ACADEM'S FURY exaggerates the theatrics from different perspectives and two locales like a soap opera (Amara's perspective out near Aricholt in the country and Tavi's perspective in Alera Imperia). Like the previous installment, the seemingly innocuous Fade showcases his mastery with the sword at the end, this time against 9-foot tall Canim creatures (we learn more about Fade's history also). The book crosses its t's and dots its i's in order to accommodate a role for every character from Tavi's small friend Ehren to Captain Miles. ACADEM'S FURY throws 17 year-old Tavi a bone in the finale when he must battle an injured Canim all by himself while a bruised and battle-weary Amara dispenses of a vord queen by herself. Despite threats to Tavi, Amara and Bernard, I never once felt like they were actually going to die. I thought Lady Aquitaine's impressive exhibition of power at the very end overshadowed everything else.

One of the big reasons to read SFF and historical fiction - world building and prose - disappointed in ACADEM'S FURY. Although the prose and world building in FURIES OF CALDERON wasn't great, it deteriorates tremendously here in ACADEM'S FURY. The people, creatures, world, society and magic of Alera never felt real. A good SFF book portrays its fictional magic, world and people so it feels and seems real. ACADEM'S FURY failed in this respect. Maybe it was just me, but reading Tavi's story, I felt like I was back in high school fighting a bully or back in college cramming for final exams. Reading Amara's storyline, I felt like I was was reading a potboiler romance. Random and seemingly arbitrary rules for the vord creatures exacerbates the reading experience. For example, each vord queen multiplies exactly three times (something simply known from Marat folklore), and there exists a hierarchy of vord from the queen to Keepers, to Takers, to Warriors. The Marat barbarian Doroga relays most of the vorg mythology via conversation. I thought ACADEM'S FURY consistently violated the cardinal sin in storytelling by telling us instead of showing us. Fancy names and titles like Maestro didn't change my feeling that all of this is just too fake. Amara even uses the phrase, "We will agree to disagree..." in a conversation with Isana once. In various conversations, the book further explains how country furies are more powerful than city furies (the rural vs. urban aspect). We as readers know the SFF story isn't real, but the base quality of the world building and conversationalist prose in ACADEM'S FURY mar the entire reading experience.

We started out as fans of Jim's other series: The Dresden Files. Since we'd run out of those books, we thought we'd give the Codex Alera a try. We're now hooked on this series as well. All of Jim's work is a joy to read, full of plot twists, and always some humor, even in the middle of the worst battles. As long as Jim keeps writing them, we'll read!!!

Kelsier, a charisimatic con-artist, is out for revenge and he recruits 16 yr old Vin, a well spoken street orphan with a newly discovered talent for allomancy, along with his old crew with the goal of taking down the evil Lord Ruler---and while they're at it, they figure they might as well bring down the rest of the big bad empire, too. This book (and it's sequel), by the way, is mainly narrated by Vin, and Sanderson does a pretty sweet job of it, (i dont usually like girls narrated by men), definitely well enough to satisfy the girl in me. There's a whole lot of awesomeness to be had here; action, adventure, romance, suprising character/plot developments---and just about the coolest magic ever. Also, when you're done with it you could probably give it to your little brother or sister---in fact i think you should, because if Harry Potter and Vin got in a fight guess who'd totally get their @ss kicked?

I picked this up in the library at random because of the cover and some reviews. What a great find! I will be reading the rest of Mr. Sanderson's books for sure.

I selected this when Tor had their free books for Kindle. What a fun read. I like a book that keeps me wondering what will happen from one chapter to the next and this one did. I enjoyed Sanderson's characters, his concept of the use of metals and allomancers. I look forward to buying my next Brandon Sanderson book.

"Mistborn"
By
Brandon Sanderson

Vin, a skaa street urchin, struggles every day just to survive. These are dark days for the Final Empire...if you're a skaa that is. Oppressed for years by the noblemen of the Final Empire, which is ruled over with an iron fist by the "Lord Ruler," the skaa work as slaves every day, sweeping the streets, working in the mills, mines, and fields.

There are a lucky few like Vin who have some talent. Talent earns them places with the many numerous skaa thieving crews, groups of men who make small-time raids on the noblemen of the
Empire. Dragged there by her abusive brother, Vin remained to pay off her and her brother's debt to the Crew Chief after he ran away and left her.


One day however, after a raid gone wrong, Vin meets up with Kelsier, a handsome, scheming Crew Chief who just happens to be an Allomancer. And not just any Allomancer, a Mistborn.

Allomancers use metals such as Iron, Tin, and Pewter to enhance their bodily powers. Most Allomancers can only use one metal, but a select few, Mistborn, can use all of the 10 metals. Once Vin finds out that she is in fact a Mistborn as well, Kelsier offers her a chance to become a member of his crew. This crew however, isn't just going to "pull a job," they're going to pull the biggest job in the history of the final empire...

"Lord Ruler..." That's what I have to say about "Mistborn!" It was SO GOOD! The first installment to the Mistborn series is one not to be missed! Sanderson has such a good balance of good, evil, action, drama, politics, scheming, backstabbing, mystery...you name it, "Mistborn" has it all!

Though the language in "Mistborn" took some getting used to, it wasn't the usual boring "court battles" that a lot of fantasy is famous for. I understood all of the politics and actually wanted more, surprising even myself.

The only downside is, I fail to see how the second book in the series ("Well of Ascension") could possibly live up to the greatness of "Mistborn." I'll definitely be there to give it a shot however.

In summary, "Mistborn" was a refreshing book in a world of sub-standard fantasy littering most of the genre nowadays. If you need a little excitement on your bookshelf pick up "Mistborn" !
Four and ¼ stars.

I've been keeping an eye out for this author's novels, because he's the guy writing the 12th book of the Wheel of Time from Robert Jordan's notes. I wanted to see if he had the authorial chops to handle the task he's taken on.

Short answer: Maybe.

Mistborn was really good; apart from the whole WoT thing, Sanderson is definitely an author I'd want to keep up with. The concept was brilliant: the idea that this novel takes places a thousand years after the great hero, the chosen one, comes to save the world -- and fails. One of the best parts was the characters' belief that he must have succeeded, because the world hasn't been destroyed -- but it's so dystopian and nasty that the reader has to wonder if, in fact, the world has been largely destroyed, and they just don't know any better. A wonderful starting point.

The positives: the writing was strong, though a bit plain; the magic system and the world were outstanding, one of the best fantasy settings I've seen in a while -- comparable in some ways with WoT, which is probably why he was tapped to write Book 12. The concept is that there is an absolute dictatorship ruling this world, a single world-spanning empire with an immortal god-king at the head. The world has turned ugly, with volcanoes spewing a constant stream of ash and smoke into the sky, blocking most of the sun's rays and leaving the people with brown plants and a world coated in black ash, which falls like rain. The empire has divided people into nobility and peasants, and the peasants suffer just as they did in the feudal system of the Middle Ages: they exist only to serve the nobility, who slaughter them wholesale just for amusement, and who work very hard to crush their spirits, mostly with great success.

The book is about a group of people, thieves, who try to organize an uprising in order to overthrow the all-powerful emperor, slaughter the nobles, and free the people -- and make themselves impossibly rich in the process. The cast of characters were mostly good, though some of the secondary characters were a bit cliche -- a soldier who tries to think like a philosopher, but honestly, his philosophical questions are a bit ho-hum (The best one was: if the Lord Ruler is actually a piece of God, as his reputation has it, then doesn't his divinity make his actions morally right, and thus make our insurrection the wrong thing to do?), and then there are the overweight bombastic politico, the quiet organizer, and the cantankerous old man. But the main characters were much better, and the magic system -- which is based around metals, which the magic-users ingest and then "burn" to gain magical powers -- was both subtle and intricate, as well as being basically straightforward and easy to follow.

The plot was great, though again, there were little cliche moments that irritated me slightly -- I could have done without the love interest, for one, as the lowborn main character falls for the one noble with a heart of gold. But the ending was outstanding, and the image of the villains -- the Inquisitors, horribly powerful, immortal servants of the Lord Ruler -- was inspired: instead of eyes, they have steel spikes driven through their heads, with the tips protruding from the backs of their skulls and the square ends of the spikes right where their eyes should be. That was fantastic.

So basically, Sanderson has the imagination to keep up with the Wheel of Time, but not really the storytelling skills, at least not in this book. Unfortunately, the imaginative parts of WoT are already done for him, so this doesn't play to his strengths. I'm hoping his other books show better writing.

I really like the Magic Tree House books by Mary Pope Osbourne. I have read all but 6 and just ordered those from my library.

Cole, age 7

This book arrived in good time and good shape. Would buy from this seller again.

Winter of the Ice Wizard is a great Magic Tree House book. It begins when Jack and Annie get a note from Merlin. They end up with Teddy and Kathleen at the castle of the Ice Wizard. There, they learn that he wrote the note and had kidnapped Merlin and Morgan. In order to save them, they have to find the Ice Wizard's eye. They recieve directions to go to the Hollow Hill, and they do, in the ice Wizard's sleigh. They find the eye and give it to the Wizard. He is sad and mad because they eye doesn't work. Then Teddy and Kathleen bring in the swan maiden, the Wizard's sister, and she tells him that she will forgive him. Then his eye works. They are given back Merlin and Morgan, and the mission is over.

I think that this is a great book. Winter of the Ice Wizard is my favorite Magic Tree House book!

My son absolutely loves these books. The titles captivate my son's attention and he just loves to read them to me.

Think of a mission that you might need to do to help your friend's.Well this happen in a book call the Winter of the Ice Wizard.Jack and Anny have to find the ice wizard eye to help turn there friends back to normally.To that they have to get pass a group old giant.To do it they need the help of there friends Teddy and Katy.Can they ever find the Ice Wizard's eye? Can they even get past the grumpy old giant or can they ever turn there friend's back to normal? Read to find out more.

Ted Bell has gifted his young hero, Nick, with a family and lifestyle that any red blooded boy would envy. The story holds together well, and youngster holds his own against malice and evil adults scattered about in time. I found the dialog a little much for my 8 year old, but will try him again when he is closer to 10. I think 10 to 14 years of age would be the prime targets for a good read such as this. By the way, Nick's little sister is a gem.

Twelve-year old Nick McIver lives with his parents and 6 year-old sister, Kate, in the lighthouse on Greybeard Island in the English Channel. He spends as much time as possible in his little boat, Stormy Petrel, sailing around the island. But his adventures take a turn when Nick and Kate discover a small wooden chest washed up on the beach, and then run into a fearsome character called Billy Blood who is looking for it. If Nick didn't know better, he'd think Billy and his companion Snake Eye looked just like real pirates from the books he reads. But it's 1939, the eve of World War II, and pirates are a thing of the past, aren't they? At any rate, Nick has enough to worry about when he discovers that his father's "bird watching" hobby is actually spying on the activities of German U-boats in the Channel. When his dog, Jip, disappears right out from under his bed, and a nasty threatening note is left behind by Billy Blood, Nick has little choice but to seek out the help of the mysterious Lord Hawke, who hasn't been seen or heard from since his own children disappeared mysteriously 5 years earlier.

My family and I listened to the audio version of this book while on vacation and loved it. Every time the kids began to tire of the long drive and argue I'd start the story up again and they'd instantly fall quiet, listening intently. And a great story it is! With Nazis and pirates and time travel and danger and heroism it has all the elements of the great adventure stories I read many years ago. I can see why some are comparing it to Treasure Island and other such classics, although I think it's too premature to put Nick of Time in the same class. But the whole family enjoyed it, from my wife and I, our teenage son and the others even down to the youngest at 6 (my 9 year-old Kate especially liked Nick's brave and witty little sister Kate). None of us know much about sailing or other nautical terminology, but enjoyed the adventure nonetheless. I also appreciated the history mixed in to the story, although the brutality and reality of sea battles may not be for the faint of heart.

The narration on the audio was by John Shea, who does an admirable job of giving the many characters their own individual voices, although sometimes it was difficult to understand. But his style helps to give the story the great sense of adventure. Also, since I waited too long to order the CDs before leaving on vacation I had to download it from Audible.com, which was a bit more work and trouble than I'd have liked. In the end, though, it worked and we were able to listen to it on CDs in the car. And it's a great story that we'll keep and maybe listen to on another trip, although it would be nice to have the book, too.

I was stuck in bed for 2 days following surgery and had enjoyed reading the rest of Ted Bell's books, so I though I would give Nick of Time a try even though I am well into my 20's. I was supposed to get a lot of sleep, but unfortunately I could not put Nick of Time down!!! It is so refreshing to read a book that supports strong morals and reminds readers of how important heros are. I think this book is just the best!!!

I wasn't sure what to expect when I ordered this audio book. But we loved it! My children [and my husband and I] were enthralled with the story. It made the time go by quickly on our journey. We are very particular about what we listen to, and we gave this one a hearty thumbs-up. Captivating, kept our attention, and our 5-year-old wants to be a "hero" now!

Excellent Book for young boys (bought this for my nephew) but also for adults who enjoyed books like Treasure Island or Count of Monte Cristo. Very enjoyable to read.

This is my child and my favorite book.
Is the cutest history we have read, after 'where is pup' that is for younger kids.
I am here in amazon just to find some more titles from the authors.

We purchased this book for our 4-year-old son, and it became an instant family favorite! The way the book moves, the rhyming, the adorable and colorful pictures, the message of friendship...everything about it comes together to form the perfect Halloween book! It has become a tradition in our home to read this book at the first sign of Fall, and it will be a tradition that carries on through our other children as well. I highly recommend buying this for any child that loves Halloween! A must have!

I LOVE reading this book to my kids.

Julia Donaldson works her magic again. In this book we meet a growing cast of instantly likable characters who become friends and end up sticking together to fight off a baddie.

The story is so beautifully written it feels like I'm singing when I read it, and my kids are not the only ones who, despite the fact we have read it countless times, still travel the full emotional road along which this story leads us.

This book is so much fun to read! Both my kids love it, but my 3 year old especially.
It's a cute story, with a little adventure and a fun ending, and the pictures are adorable. My kids where never scared, even though the main character is a witch. (she smiles all the time)
I definitely recommnend it.

My son loves this book so much, we wore out the first copy to the point that it was beyond me being able to tape the binding back together anymore. We bought him a second copy that has been "loved" as much as the first, and so we had to buy a third copy for my toddler so she had her own book that didn't have pages falling out while we were reading it. At one point, I had all the words in the book memorized, which came in handy while we awaited the arrival of our replacement book. At first glance, it may seem that this is a Halloween book. Let me assure you, you will enjoy reading this book all year long (I believe that my son asked to have this read to him every night for about 6 months) and the verse never gets tiresome. The story teaches children about compassion and the need to help others, despite the fact that you may not really be in the best position to help at the time it is needed most. Random acts of kindness by the witch thoughout the book are rewarded at the end of it when her friends save her from a fire-breathing dragon, and in return, she builds an even better broom to house her friends as a way of saying thank you. It teaches kids how important it is to be nice to everybody, and to be ready to lend a helping hand, because you never know when you might need a little help yourself.

I'm not planning on analyzing the plot or anything of the sort, merely commenting on its descriptive characteristics. Although, in my opinion, it takes a couple tales to really grasp your attention (as most stories do), once this book gets rolling it is nearly impossible to put down. Pages fly by with out you even realizing it. For me, half the time this did not seem like reading a book at all. It seemed more like the pages past by as a movie played in my mind. The whole Hyperion Cantos as well as the Endymoin Omnibus set a bar quite high as far as descriptive quality. I certainly recommend it to anyone and in fact already have. None of them have been disappointed.

I just finished Hyperion and was amazed. I've read one other book by Dan Simmons - The Terror, which I absolutely loved - and I'm going through the rest of his books, starting with this one. The most powerful story has to be The Scholar's Tale - I was reading it during my lunch hour and had to choke back tears.

Admittedly, after reading Father Hoyt's tale, I almost quit reading. That tale alone is perhaps the most disturbing piece of "horror" fiction (from a philosophical perspective) that i've ever read. However, i'm grateful to have stuck it out because Hyperion did not disappoint. I found the book absolutely BRILLIANT in the way it slowly wove together pilgrims' tales. Some were heart-warning, some tragic, some vastly disturbing like that of Hoyt. All were meaningful in some way. However, the brilliance of Hyperion rests on the fact that it does not rely on simply an intriguing story...

While entertaining the reader, Hyperion also tackles age-old philosophical issues such as the meaning of life, the problem of pain & suffering in our world, the place of religion & church, etc. The book does not seem to be shoving any agendas so much as exploring several of them with a fair hand. For a religion major such as myself, I found it nothing short of fascinating. However, as I explained above, the book delivers on a human level as well & you won't find yourself short of horror, intrigue, suspense, and even a warming heart as the pilgrims journey on.

There are only a few noteworthy faults. 1 - Some may be turned off by the widespread use of profanity throughout the book. I'm quite used to language myself but Silenus disgusted me on multiple levels. The profanity does further the character development though & therefore serves a purpose. Also 2 - after 500 some pages, I was amazed to find that there was simply no conclusion. While i'm grateful for a sequel, having not realized its existence until far into the book, I have to admit the suspense nearly killed me. I just hope that Fall provides a sufficient answer to my many questions.

Like much soft space opera-ish sci fi, Hyperion is filled with creative, brilliant, colorful, and sometimes inane and cheesy ideas. The prose doesn't live up to the majesty of the scenes being described, and sometimes the execution is inadequate, sometimes painfully so because it keeps some very interesting ideas, events, and themes from being properly explored. One thing I will give Simmons is that his use of recursive storytelling and the frame story, as well as his ability to imagine such a complex and compelling universe and story are excepional. I'll enjoy my memory of the stories, images, and ideas in Hyperion significantly more than the experience of actually reading it.

So I liked Dan Simmons book The Terror, and I wrote a spectacular review of it if I do say so myself. The other Terror reviewers praised Hyperion so much that when I came across a copy of it at The Friends of the Library for only $1.00, well hot darn! Seeing that there are more reviews for Hyperion than my personal numerical reviewer ranking on Amazon, do we really need another? No! So I will make this snappy. [Everyone sing along with me.] Oh, we're off to see the Shrike the wonderful Shrike of Hyperion... because because because... because of all the shredding and time reverse killing they does. [Stop singing.] So after 480 pages we end up with six short stories with no ending. Great! You don't suppose that The Friends of the Library has the sequel for $0.50? And do I really want to read that one with no expectation of it having an ending? What's really sad is that a full grown man is reviewing an obscure sci-fi book 19 years after its first publishing.

Ok different but hard to get around. I have read all of MS Frank's Night Walker series. I like the story line. The character's grab your attention but the story is really involved and some times difficult to get around.
I felt that so far that Gideon was the best in the series.
Don't get me wrong this is a very good story line. I love the names!
If a person want's to start this series you can pick up any of the books and each story is complete. You do not need to start at the first book to know what is going on in the story.
Not I would say a good start for a young reader, They may have trouble following the story line.

I was not happy reading this book. It was a long painful process, but I made it through. I found the other books in this seriesJacob (Nightwalkers, Book 1), Gideon (The Nightwalkers, Book 2), and Elijah (The Nightwalkers, Book 3), fairly good reads. I was expecting some fascinating new developments in the Nightwalker community, and there were a few. However, this book just dragged on, and on with detail after detail that could have been left out. I did like that she explained some of the taboos found in the Nightwalker community, and laid the ground work for the rest of the series, but it seemed as if the major conflict in the book was being forced. I know there is a reason for all of the details, but did she have to beat me over the head with them. Why couldn't there have been more fire between the two main characters? I just wasn't feeling the love. It seemed like an effort for them to be together. Creepy vampire with his cold fingers. Creepy lycanthrope with her odd hair. They just did not mesh. (Maybe there is a reason for vamps and lycanthropes not being together. Hint, hint.) Overall, if you like the series force yourself to read this installment, cause good things come to those who wait.Noah (Nightwalkers, Book 5)

I'm a big fan of this series, and the latest book is no exception. Everything is very high quality - the writing, the story line, the romantic side, etc. Frankly I think this series is second only to the BDB by JR Ward. I can't wait to get my hands on "Noah" (book 5).

I'm a huge fan of sci-fi and supernatural romance but this book was a terrible read for me. I struggled through most of it but in the end had to give it up and not finish it...which is a huge thing for me as I usually devor this genre.

The Vampire Prince, Damien, has heard about the recently located Nightwalker Library. When the Demon King, Noah, first asks Damien is he knows of any vampire scholars to join the other Nightwalker races in exploring the library, the answer is no. However, his most trustworthy vampire companion, Jasmine, seems to thrive on knowledge, curiosity, and intriguing ideas, making her the perfect vampire for the task. When Damien escorts Jasmine to the library, he spies Syreena, the younger sister of Siena (Queen of the Lycanthropes). Damien has been fascinated with Syreena's be-colored hair, opposite-set harlequin eyes, and fierce protective nature ever since he met her in the recent past.

When Syreena is captured and taken away by the powerful Demon traitor named Ruth, Damien races to her rescue. To save Syreena's life, Damien must bite her, which is against vampire law. Before the pair knows it, they are too attracted to one another to stay apart. Can the Vampire Prince and Lycanthrope Princess find a way to be together? And when Ruth gets a powerful new partner, can anyone stop them?

**** There seems to be some filler pages in installment of the Nightwalker series. The entire prologue seems unnecessary to me, as well as the mentioning and information of some characters. Otherwise this story is as great as the ones before it. This is not the author's best work, but it is enjoyable. A note to possible new readers, be sure to read this series in order or you will have major spoilers. ****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.