Science Fiction Fantasy Books

Steven Erikson, Reaper's Gale (Tor, 2007)

Erikson finally ties the Malazan and Letherii storylines together in Reaper's Gale, the seventh entry in his Malazan Book of the Fallen series. Reaper's Gale takes place a year or so after the end of The Bonehunters, when the Letherii have grown somewhat complacent under Edur rule, and the Bonehunters have sailed for Letheras in order to avenge the wiping out of an entire Malazan island's population (the why of this is explained at one point in the book). As well, some of the rogue elements get tied back in; it seems everything's happening on Letheras these days.

As always, to read an Erikson book is to gradually get lost in the story, so totally immersed that one forgets to do things like sleep and eat. Still, this isn't Erikson's strongest work, as has been pointed out by many others; to me, however, that doesn't make it any less worth reading. Erikson has created an incredible world here, and he knows how to lay out the pieces to come up with a wonderful story. If you're already invested in the series, this one's an obvious must; if you haven't yet discovered the brilliance of Erikson, the first book in the series is Gardens of the Moon, and you should start there. ****

For those of you who have only been introduced to the Malazan Empire through American publishers, you should know that you can order these same books through amazon.uk.co (you get the books from Europe). Erikson's eighth (8th) book has been released and like all the others it is fantastic. I strongly urge you to order the books through the European sellers, mainly because the content has not been as edited or watered down as the American versions. If you compare his Gardens of the Moon through the UK publisher to TOR there is a significant difference in book length. He's a fantastic author. His books and Ian Cameron Esslemont's books come out ahead of time through the European vendors and are not as diluted. Plus you are not paying $65.00 for a book in the U.S. when you can pay much less through the UK site. I know that this is not a book review (they are all awesome) as much as it is advice for you to check out other amazon vendors. Sorry, I really enjoy his books, I live in NY and I always order and pre-order through amazon.uk.co to get the books ahead of time and to not have them watered down.

This book was the first of the Malazan saga that I found myself skimming. Previous books in this series compelled more interest and a thorough reading as introductions of new fascinating arenas/characters overcame shotgun character development.

Erikson's gift in crafting a believable messy universe is undeniable. Unfortunately, a loosely common yarn he threads to present this vast realm to the readers includes too many protagonists and excessive focus on peripheral players with cryptic powers whose actions often remain perplexing before and after (even volumes later) the deeds. His style of intermixing short snippets of events from many different characters within a page or two further discourages readers' involvement.

By sacrificing character development in the previous volumes, the conclusions reached with more or less the same characters in Reaper's Gale seem impersonal and uninvolving. Often, I had to remind myself that I am reading a fantasy novel not a history book. Maybe if Erikson took Tolkien's apprach to Arda... or introduced a Thomas Covenant or two!!!

The 7th book in the series is a well told tale in the saga. Its not the best of the series (Memories of Ice, Bonehunters, Gardens of the Moon) but it is welldone nonetheless. The last 250 pages just race by and you will not want to put down to stop. The first 2/3 of the book is hard to put down as well. Throughout, there are tragedies and triumphs, grief and humor.

Its a truly complex book and ultimately rewarding, as well.

Can't say enough about Erikson and the Malazan Book of the Fallen. However, this trade paperback of Reaper's Gale had a packet missing in it. 32 pages were repeated after page 544, so I missed 32 pages of action. Very annoying. I don't know if it was just my copy or all of them, but I was pretty upset about this. TOR really should proof their ashcans before sending them to press, or at least pull the bad copies before shipping them to market.

This installment in the Kushiel series is quite satisfactory. A bit contrived in bumping off the wife...how nice that Imri actually misses her...but it does set the stage for his mother to actually, accidentally have all her machinations arrive with success. I can't wait to see how it all comes to pass. Carey does irony pretty darn well.

This book is just simply amazing! Read it and you'll want more. You'll want to start off with the original trilogy and then read the second trilogy in its entirety. Order all six books! Do it right now! It will be money well spent!

This is the second book in the trilogy that takes place in the same world as Phedre's trilogy, but this time from Imriel's point of view.

In this book Imriel makes good on his promise to marry Dorelei and try to solidify a peace between their two realms. The story is epic in proportions and a lot happens to Imri in the course of this book.

This book was again well-written and the story was thoughtfully progressed. I was a little disappointed at how little Sidonie was actually in the story. I constantly felt bad for Dorelei and I wearied of Imri's constant "trying".

I did not find this book to be as engaging as the last one and kind of had to force myself to finish the end of it. There is just a lot here again. Either too much took place for one book or some of it didn't need to be there, I don't know which. I actually didn't think the book picked up pace until Imri returned home.

I am not sure if the story is just lacking or maybe if I am just not as engaged with Imri as a lead character as I was with Phedre; but for some reason I have been finding this trilogy of books somewhat tedious and slow to get through.

So in summary, beautiful writing, lovely story, but somehow I am finding it a bit tedious and lengthy to get through. I don't find myself quickly turning pages but instead looking ahead to find where the end of the chapter is so that I can stop reading. It's hard to say anything bad about this series because, in general, I love it so much. I'll read the next book and hope that it is faster paced than this one.
karissabooks.blogspot.com

I loved this series, from start to finish. Beyond all the politics, sex, and intrigues, there is a core of heart and depth that I thoroughly enjoyed. However, if I read "yoke" misspelled as "yolk" one more time I'm going to go lop the editors head off for using spell check instead of spelling skills.

Kushiel's Justice is the second in the Imriel Trilogy of Jacqueline Carey, and thus the fifth book overall set in her sumptuous alternate history set around Terre D'Ange, the land of angels.

Not for those new to this series or the author, Kushiel's Justice continues to highlight Carey's strongest suit, world-building, as we continue to follow the story of Imriel. The son of the disgraced Melisande Shahrazai matures in this novel, and his refusal to follow the precept of Blessed Elua (with respect to his secret lover) has far reaching, and tragic consequences.

Carey's worldbuilding and Imriel's adventures bring him a marriage, a trip to Alba (England), and the loss of his wife takes him to a completely new land in the series: Vralia (in our world, Russia). The details of her alternate world continue to be teased out, and kept me as a reader continuing to read.Carey has quickly catapulted herself to the level of the best writers of alternate history in this regard.

I am not convinced that Imriel is quite as good a protagonist as Phedre was; I have a sneaking suspicion that in the reversal of the usual problem, Carey writes female characters in far better detail and motivation than her male characters. Indeed, I found the daughters of the Queen, Alais and Sidonie, somewhat more convincing than Imriel himself as a character. Still, Imriel does grow throughout the book and I look forward to seeing if this character growth is sustained in the third and final novel of the series.

Anyone who has followed Carey's novels to this point will not be disappointed in Kushiel's Justice.

Julie Garwood failed me in this one. While nicely researched it is the typical white night rescues princess. Save your money and hope that Julie goes more toward the detective series shich happens to be my favorites. This one was just a bust in my book- bad pun- sorry!

Overall, this story is very sweet and entertaining. I have read several of Garwood's other titles, and have enjoyed them immensely. There were only two things about this novel that I did not care for, and both of them concerned the heroine, Madelyne. To begin with, I understand that the heroine in this type of novel is supposed to be innocent, but Madelyne's innocence bordered on stupidity. At times, she was just a little too naive for words. Some of the things that came out of her mouth were painfully ridiculous. Secondly, Madelyne cries continuously! She's crying because she's happy... she's crying because she's sad... she's crying because she's mortified... you get the picture. Between Madelyne and later, Adela, there were enough tears to fill an ocean. Both characters show a great deal of inner strength, and just when the reader thinks they're finally going to show some outer courage, they collapse into tears again. Sometimes, the tears are over rather inconsequential things, so after a while, it's understandable if the reader starts to lose sympathy for them.

The male characters were another story altogether. Duncan, his brothers, and Gerald were very well done. The were strong, heroic, and funny. The comparison of Duncan to Odysseus got a little bit old after a while, considering the fact that Odysseus was unfaithful to his wife - more than once - so perhaps Duncan did not have as much in common with him as you might think.

In comparison to some of her other titles, Honor's Splendour is clumsy. The dialog is a little stilted, and walks a thin line between drama and melo drama, but despite the cloying heroine who was a little too prone to tears, Honor's Splendour is still an entertaining book that is certainly worth the read.

"Honor's Splendour" has it all. Romance, intrigue, mystery, humor and drama. I love the way Julie Garwood begins this story with Madelyne rescuing Duncan (and warming his feet) and him capturing her. With this unusual twist, this story heads full-tilt into a great plot. Duncan's intentions aren't very honorable in the beginning (he's seeking revenge for his sister's rape), but Madelyne's honest nature baffles him (he expected her to be like her diabolical brother and she's not) and he's forced to adjust his plan. It's great fun to watch Madelyne send Duncan's life, and those of his brothers and sister, into a tail-spin.

Although the long-anticipated first love scene comes much later than hoped for in this book, Julie Garwood does do a great job of building the sexual tension between these two characters. The sub-plots with Adela and Louddon add great depth to this captivating story, as well. It's a great read!

I am absolutely baffled by the five-star reviews for this book. This is only the second book I've read of Julie Garwood's and it will be my last. Her characters are cliche, inconsistent and annoying. Her writing is stiff and staccato with uninteresting and repetitive dialogue. I usually find the reviews on amazon helpful, but they let me down with this one.

A friend recommended this as her favorite book. I am glad I took her recommendation. The raven haired hero is superb. I only wish that Julie Garwood would continue the story and write more about this interesting family.

Jack and Annie travel back in time to the year of 1621,the time of the Pilgrams.Jack and Annie was sent by Morgan Le Fay to find the art of magic. Jack and Annie were in a forest and spied on the pilgrams when they got there, but Annie saw a dog which scared Jack and alerted the pilgrams. Jack told this fib to Squanto and the pilgrams. After the fib, all of the kids went hunting and gathering while Jack and Annie went into the water, in search for eels and clams in the ocean. After, they went to a house and cooked turkey for the feast. Jack ruined the turkey and felt horrible. It was all right and they had a feast outdoors. Jack and Annie returned home after finding the magic of community.

All this book is about how the Indians and Pilgrims started Thanks giving. I read thi book when i was 8. It was alright back then.

BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU READ THIS BOOK !!!!

My 1st grader hates to put it down, he would rather read Magic Tree House books, than play video games. He even reads them to his class and explains the story for show and tell. In his kindergarten class the teacher would also let him read the Magic Tree House books out loud, not to give her a break, but to promote reading out loud. Great books!

Thanksgiving on Thursday is an okay book because it is about a boy (Jack) and a girl (Annie) that go back in time to the first feast of thanksgiving. They help a woman prepare for the first Thankgiving dinner. They had to gather some of the food for the harvest. Jack gets caught in a snare set for an animal! Read it--it's okay!

The story startes out when Jack and his little sister Annie are on their way to a place called Plymouth. At first they had no idea where they were until Jack was hung after he accidently steped into a trap; they finally found out where they were.

First, this story takes place during the time of the pilgrims coming to the United States from England on a ship well-known as the Mayflower. The story's sequence startes when Jack and Annie are introduced to all the pilgrims and an indian; his name Squanto. Sooner on in the story Jack and Annie learn how to hunt and fish for there own food. While in a women's house Jack learned how to cook over the fire. But, they run into a problem; they didn't know how things ran around there. But a women nice enough told them just that. Her nam was Prinscilla.

Last in the story they have wonderful and unforgiving diner. Also known as the First Thanksgiving Feast. Jack and Annie enjoyed their time in Plymouth because they have learned as much as I did.

I thought that this book was an awesome experience for me because I have learned alot about the pilgrims and what it was like back in the day.

Nora Roberts' Circle Trilogy is entertaining. I am not usually a fan of vampire stories, but the interesting mix of characters, as she develops them in the first book, caused me to want to read on. Because the first book seems to be filled with so much character information, it feels slow. Frankly, I might not have finished the first book as quickly as I did, except my daughter was insistent that I read the entire trilogy. She assured me that "it gets better". And, it did. The story began to flow in the second book and I couldn't put it or the third book down. An entire summer weekend was spent with an unending promise to myself of "just one more chapter." Book two and three are worthy of the time spent on book one. Again, once past the first book, which sets up books two and three, I can promise you an enjoyable read.

I wasn't sure about them when i started the first book, but then, about 15 pages in I couldn't put them down!!!

Fantastic, Superb! Can I say more. Devoured Ann Rices's Vampire Chronicles, & these also! Love NR romantic/susoense thrillers! Hated to see it end!

Thank you for making that comment, because I just ordered the set believing it to be different from the Circle Trilogy and now I've ended up with books I've got home already! I'm disappointed by the confusing information.

Ilove Nora Roberts but these books were a bit "out there" and not as entertaining as previous books.

Scarlet, the second book in Stephen Lawhead's King Raven Trilogy focuses on Will Scatlocke ("Scarlet"), a disillusioned forester who goes searching for, finds, and joins King Raven's infamous band of thieves. During one of their exploits, Will is caught, sentenced to hang, and thrown into prison where he is asked to tell his story to a priest in hopes that he'll let slip some information that will help sheriff Guy of Gysborne find and defeat the robbers. Thus, most of the story is told in past tense from Will Scarlet's perspective.

Even though the pace is slower than in Hood and we're not much concerned that Will might actually hang, Lawhead still spins us a fine yarn -- the story is thoroughly entertaining. And, as usual, we are not just entertained, but enlightened as we get a real feel for the period -- the tyranny of the Freinc, the corruption of the church, the suffering and stubbornness of the Britons. This is what Stephen Lawhead does so well.

The characterization is mostly well done. The male characters are all three-dimensional, life-like, and immediately likeable. However, the female characters, most notably Merian and Will's love-interest, Noin, remain flat (I have noticed this lack of attention to female characters in some of Lawhead's previous books). These were strong women whose presence was important to the plot, but whose personalities and motivations were never explored.

For example, Bran kidnapped Merian at the end of Hood, and in this sequel she is at his side. Will relates a few observations about their relationship, but we are never sure exactly what that relationship is and whether or not Merian wants to be there or not. I'm sure that Lawhead's intention was to leave this vague, but I found it frustrating (especially since I wondered if Merian knew, or cared, that her family thought she was dead) and wished for a chapter or two from Bran and/or Merian's perspective. Likewise, I wasn't completely convinced about Will and Noin's relationship because I wasn't told anything from Noin's perspective.

Again, I listened to this installment in audiobook format. It was the same reader (Adam Verner) who did Hood and I have the same comments: he's got a pleasant and enthusiastic tone, but some of his accents and character voices made me chuckle. If you can listen past that, it's a good format. --FanLit.net

I have very much enjoyed the telling of Robin Hood in a different light. Lawheads setting & style seem much more real life (like it actually happened), which in turn makes it a more enjoyable book for me.

This second Novel in the series keeps it fresh and alive from a different characters point of view-Will Scarlet. I love the Welsh setting and the medieval intrigue is priceless. YOU ARE THERE- narrative puts it all in a new perspective. A great adventure awaits within. Read it now and live in yesteryear.

As Will Scarlet is to Robin Hood, so is the book "Scarlet" to "Hood". It is a little less flambouyant, a little less exciting and frankly, it dragged some in the middle,. It was almost as if Mr. Lawhead wanted to reach his 440+pages. However, Will Scarlet is still a great character, even if not a Robin and this book still very good.

Will is not only an excellent archer, but also a very good narrator. Mr. Lawhead mixes in chapters in the third person narrative to keep the tale moving with events that Will can not know about. The mixture is seamless and works well. The action scenes - a bit too few in my opinion - are always good.

This is not a stand alone book. It is definitely a sequel. If you have not read "Hood" much will not make sense. It also sets up Book #3 of the trilogy wonderfully.

Like "Hood" the characters are terrific, the history is engrossing, old Wales and Briton are captured nicely and the bad guys just drip and ooze evil. Highly recommended if you've read "Hood". I look forward to "Tuck", the third of the trilogy, coming in 2009.

Scarlet: The King Raven Trilogy - Book 2 by Stephen R. Lawhead

Fans of Hood, the first installment of the King Raven Trilogy, will be happy with the sequel, named Scarlet.

In this book, readers take on the view of William Scatlocke, or Will Scarlet, as people call him, from his prison cell within the bowels of Ffreinc tyranny. Will is set to be hung as soon as he finishes relaying the story of King Raven and the Grellon, all leading up to his capture, to Brother Odo, a seemingly ignorant monk.

Is there any hope for Ol' Will? There is much to find out and a plethora of twists that will leave you wanting. If you enjoyed Hood, this novel will not leave you disappointed! Entwined with Celtic mythology, as well as strikingly realistic historical facts, Scarlet will further immerse you into the world of King Raven and his flock.

Our boys, 5 and 7 love the book series. It is informative on various
subjects and creates their curiosity to know more about for example the Civil War.

My four year old son is in love with this chapter series! A friend suggested it to us since he seemed ready for a more advanced reading material at bedtime. My husband reads him a chapter every night...sometimes more because they don't want to stop. It's become a great tradition for them, and something they both look forward to. We love that there are so many in the collection! Start with number 1 and just continue. :)

Revolutionary War On Wednesday (Magic Tree House 22, paper)This book was a great way to introduce our daughter to the American Revolution. While she completed it within a few hours, I would highly recommend it along with American Revolution: A Companion to the Revolutionary War on Wednesday (Magic Tree House Rsrch Gdes(R))To start studies for homeschoolers, or to have a great set of books that help explain Why the American Revolution began. The resource guide has the true facts of the Revolution and is something we returned to several times throughout our studies.
And at the price it definitely was an added bonus!

My 1st grader hates to put it down, he would rather read Magic Tree House books, than play video games. He even reads them to his class and explains the story for show and tell. In his kindergarten class the teacher would also let him read the Magic Tree House books out loud, not to give her a break, but to promote reading out loud. Great books!

COME ON PEOPLE! First of all this book and the entire series is meant for KIDS NOT ADULTS so go with the flow. Imagine you are a boy or girl who is 5 or 6 and is just starting to enjoy stories and reading. You will love it! The whole point of a book is to have children begging for more. This book and the series does just that! ENOUGH SAID! My 5 yr old loves this book and as a result he has become interested in American History. This appetite he has led us to purchase many more books on history. In my opinion, the book has accomplished what I wanted. AN INTEREST IN LEARNING! AN INTEREST IN HISTORY! AND AN INTEREST IN READING! The text should be simple! The text should be silly at times! Thank you to Mary Pope Osborne for creating a wonderful series which I believe has turned my child into a history buff eager to learn everything about America!

Into a Dark Realm is yet another foray into the lives of the residents of Midkemia, but in a lot of ways, this novel brought s something completely different. First, the story. Virtually no new characters are introduced, and the few that are are powerful beings of a new people -- the Dasati -- from a whole other dimension. I found this addition to be a welcome one as Feist added a whole new level of expansion to the already vast world he had created.

But at the same time, I found the lack of significant character introduction to be disappointing. He continued to fold in Pug's three adopted grandsons as more integral parts of the story, but their relatively benign adventures seemed to pale in comparison to the enormity of other storylines, and as such, they are difficult to get into.

The book continues to be written with Feist's classic flare for prose, although he made a marked change. Gone are sprawling chapters that focus on one storyline at a time. They are instead replaced with a rapid fire switching from one storyline to the next, often several times in a single 15 or so page chapter. This serves as both a positive and a negative. It certainly keeps the pages turning as everything is so...digestable for lack of a better word. But it also becomes almost a distraction from getting too engrossed in any of the tales. You start to, and before you can, you're switching gears. All in all, I hope this is a trend that stops.

All in all, the facinating reveal of a new people in the Dasati is more than enough to make this a worthwhile read. Feist's work still has taken a step back from his original works, but they still stand as thoroughly enjoyable reads that I would absolutely recommend for any fan of any of his work.

Once again Raymond Feist delivers. This book kept me turning pages long after I needed to stop reading.

The previous title in this latest Midkemia series was dissapointing for me - to say the least. Old characters came back, new ones were added, but there was little new in the story.
This one, however, brought something totally different. A new world, home of the Dasati, with new characters, and Pug & co. up against some competition that is overwhelming.
In previous books I often wondered why - with such power at his disposal, Pug doesn't often use it. For example, with access to off-world resources, why not recruit high-powered mercenaries for really tough jobs.
No more wondering, Feist has lifted the gauntlet and off-world is here.
The book also has a favourite bad-penny coming back, but telling who will only spoil it.
Obviously, if you are reading your 15th or so Midkemia novel, there is little chance you will miss this one.

I'll admit - I'm a longtime Feist fan (as is probably evident by my reviews of his books on this site), and have been anxiously awaiting this second installment of the Darkwar Saga to come out on paperback.

Feist has written virtually all of his books in small groups - the Riftwar Saga, the Serpentwar Saga, etc. Yet his brilliance lies in tying threads connecting these sometimes seemingly disparate sections into one larger tapestry, and this book truly brings his genius to the fore.

We found in prior books (Exile's Return, the last of the Conclave Of Shadows trilogy, and Flight of the Nighthawks, the first of the Darkwar Saga) the main characters discovering some mysterious armored creatures hidden in a cave on the island of Novindus. The creatures are known as Talnoy - ruthless killing machines controlled by an alien race known as Dasati, and powered by captured souls - in essence, necromancy. There are thousands of Talnoy secreted in this cave, and the big mystery is how they got there, although the common consensus is they were put there by Macros the Black, a now deceased mage once considered the most powerful user of magic in the Kingdom of the Isles (in the planet of Midkemia).

It turns out the Dasati are a ruthless race of warriors, who see compassion as weakness. If they encounter it in someone, they kill them. In many respects, they are animalistic, responding to violence, anger and lust, and trained right from birth in this cruel mindset and having a honed survival instinct ingrained in them. However, they reside on another plane of existence (remember the saying "Seven Hells"? Well, think of each plane of existence below ours being a lower level of hell).

What alarms Pug, Nakor, Magnus, and the other members of the Conclave, is it seems the Dasati plan on invading Midkemia - and the effect of such an invasion by billions of Dasati would be the utter destruction of everything they hold dear, and the anihilation of life as they know it. In order to gain more knowledge, the three of them, together with the mysterious Ralen Bek, travel to the second realm, in the hope of finding answers, and possibly of averting this disastrous invasion.

In some of his earlier books, Feist had a tendency of switching characters each chapter (which in me had the effect of wanting to skip chapters so I could see what happens next!). In this novel, he has upped the ante, so to speak, and sometimes switches between characters (or groups of characters) several times within each chapter. The next result is that he has ratcheted up the suspense and made it virtually impossible to put the book down. His skill at explaining the workings of magic and exploring the nature of deities is second to none. Combine that with someone who brings characters to life and who weaves brilliant tales together, not to mention delving into a whole new race and plane of existance, and you have a brilliant book.

I highly recommend this book, and cannot wait for the next installment "Wrath Of A Mad God"!

Into a Dark Realm is the second book in Raymond Feist's, Darkwar Saga. The first book is titled Flight of the Nighthawks (The Darkwar Saga, Book 1) with the third, and final book of this trilogy, titled Wrath of a Mad God (The Darkwar Saga, Book 3). What started with the first book in the Riftwar Saga, Magician: Apprentice (Riftwar Saga), and continued on in the Serperntwar Series, with more in the Serpentwar Saga, and the Conclave of Shadows Trilogy, is now in the latest installment of the world and characters. If you are even remotely considering reading this novel, and have not yet read all the previous novels, you really need to go back and start at the beginning. There are so many things that are alluded to, talked about, and consequences of, that if you do not have that previous knowledge base you may be hopelessly lost and confused.

With that said, the plot, or more aptly, plots of this book carries over right from the previous novel. There are three basic plots of this book. First, there is Pug and his group seeking to find more information about a dire threat facing the worlds of Midkemia and Kelewan. The second plot revolves around a new character on a new world and the actions he undertakes to come into his own and fit in on his ruthless world. The third plot line, features returning characters Jommy, Tad and Zane and the things the Conclave asks them to do in order to be prepared down the road. Being a fan of Mr. Feist's previous work, I was really looking forward to this book and how it would progress the story. However, after finishing the novel I was rather disappointed by the story and plots. For one, the only plot I was really interested in was the Jommy, Tad, and Zane plot. That held my interest. However, the other two I really could care less about. It seemed to merely be repeated plot lines from past books. An evil threatens Pug's world, he assembles a band of peoples and goes to fight it. With the talent Mr. Feist has shown over the years, this was very disappointing. I had to stop myself several times from merely skimming chapters until I got to a Jommy/Tad/Zane scene. The magic of Mr. Feist's writing, is just not here in this book.

The characters are almost exclusively characters we have seen before in past novels. Pug, Miranda, Caleb, Nakor, Bek, Jommy, Tad, Zane, et. al. One benefit of being able to carryover characters is that Mr. Feist does not have to expend copious amounts of words to set them up. The reader knows what to expect and where the character is at in terms of development. With that said, if you are looking for character development for any of the major characters, aside from Jommy, Tad, and Zane, you will be greatly disappointed. Bek does have some development, but nothing that will make the reader say wow. Pug remains the ultra powerful character and Nakor remains enigmatic. As I was reading, I kept waiting for some development and I was continually disappointed. I am just thankful Jommy and gang were in this novel, or I may not have finished it.

Some things I did not care for with this novel were:

As I said above, the seemingly repetitive plot involving Pg running around to save the world(s) from the next great evil. With as rich and detailed as Mr. Feist's world is, one would think there would be more plot diversity here.

Also, there is a `twist' at the end of the novel that literally made me groan and almost throw the book across the room. It is quite clear from this novel that Mr. Feist has fallen in love with some of his characters and as such will not harm them or kill them off when it benefits the story. Sometimes, characters have to die, and stay dead for that matter. There is little surprise anymore when people keep popping up or running rampant through grave situations.

Lastly, when all is said and done, the basic story arc, is not really moved ahead that much from where the book started. It seems like this novel was a short story puffed up into that of a three hundred plus page novel.

The only real positives I see in this novel are:

Mr. Feist's prose is still engaging, interesting, and easy to read. I have always felt comfortable reading his work. Like putting on an old pair of jeans. You know how they will fit.

Secondly, as I mentioned above, the three characters of Jommy, Tad, and Zane. They kept parts of this novel interesting and made me want to learn more about them and what they were up to. Sadly, they were the only characters in the novel I felt that way about.

I will certainly read Wrath of a Mad God, but if it is anything like this novel, it may very well be my last Feist novel I read involving these characters. For fans of Mr. Feist's work who have stuck it out this long, I am sure you will want to read this book, if for no other reason then to get one book closer to finishing the story. For people who have not read Feist's work, seriously start with Magician: Apprentice and work your way up and see if/when you feel like stopping reading his novels. It seems the last couple of novels penned by Mr. Feist have been hit or miss, and that is disappointing. I believe Mr. Feist needs to get back to the roots of what made his work so special in the first place and not all this multiple planes of existence stuff.

My first Nalini Singh book about her Psy/Changelings was just a fabulous treat. I loved everything about it. She created an incredibly complex world and she did it with such a simplistic, natural grace that the constant stream of information about the Psy/Changeling world wasn't forced. She allowed it to flow to me naturally, so I barely registered I was getting a ton of exposition.
The characters Lucas, the Alpha of DarkRiver, and Sascha, a Cardinal Psy was really hot. They portray their mating dance right from the beginning, two beings reduced to their most basic desires, circling each other as if searching for an opening.
It helps that I love changelings or any kind of weres. There's something about the animalistic side of a man coming out that gets me all hot and bothered, and when Lucas actually manifests into his animal...*shivers* HOT! Nalini describes the Changelings as a warm, hierarchical pack of men and women and the Psy as a society of 'perfect' beings who have surpressed all emotions supposedly for the greater good, so they can control their abilities better. Which makes them into cold, robotic men and women without the emotion to sense right from wrong, good and evil. Our Sascha however, with the help of the panther Alpha, Lucas Hunter escapes what is known as Silence and tries to start anew with the DarkRiver pack.
There wasn't a single character I didn't like. There wasn't any annoying personality quirks, no stupid plot contrivances by Sascha to prove she was independent and didn't need Lucas, no tree swinging male alpha traits that Lucas had to employ. This proves you can make a good book without relying on any TSTL moments designed to move the plot along. Thank God.
I love the descriptive words Nalini uses for the leopards of DarkRiver. They are catlike, sensual, they purr and rub and give love bites. I loved reading how the characters would curl up in each others laps and entwine in each other's arms. She really never lets you forget that Lucas and the other changelings are not men, but dangerous, predatory cats.
This was a great book and a great first book into Nalini Singh's fabulous Psy/Changeling series.

This book is a great starter of an outstanding series.
Singh's characters and plot have a dephts that is hardly found in romance and I REALLY like romance. :)
This book made me smile (about the scenes with the "unfeeling" Psy and the changling cubs), cry (when Sasha thought she was rejected by Lucas) and left me hot and bothered by the sizzling hot love scenes.
10 stars for my new favourite paranormal series.
Can't wait for September when Dorian's story comes out. (Nalini Singh does the best scenes with children.)

Naini Singh has created a marvelous new series with flawless combination of paranormal romance and sci-fi. The description of the two races - changelings and PsyNet are marvelously developed, in the amazingly gripping world that Nalini Singh has crafted and that draws you in from the get go! The narration is flawless, suspense in the story keeps you at the edge of your seat and the scenes between H/H are steamy and hot!

The Psy is a race of calculated emotional detachment, Cold Empaths with lethal businesslike accuracy. Psys have been conditioned to have no emotional attachment or experience any feeling - for any Psy found "flawed" has their link terminated from PsyNet remaining alive but pretty much dead.

Sasha Duncan is a Cardinal Psy - her mother a member of the powerful Psy Council. All her life she has lived in fear, as she has grown to believe that she is flawed and is always stemming feelings and shielding them from other Psy minds or she will be reconditioned.

Lucan Hunter is a member of the DarkRiver leopards - cats. He decides to bid for a Real Estate residential project that would be the first transaction in history between the Psy and Changelings. Not only is he doing it for the profit - being shrewd in business - but a serial killer has been targeting changeling young women and he believes that the killer is a Psy. More reason for him to try and infiltrate their midst.

In turn, Sasha is asked to supervise the project and study the changelings - as the Psy have little knowledge of that race.

When Lucas meets Sasha - he is drawn to her. She may be a Cardinal Psy - but there is something different about her. Soon his predatory animalistic alpha nature stakes his territory and Sasha and him are slowly drawn together.

After the killer takes another victim - a young woman from the wolf pack SnowDancers, rival changelings have to join forces in a race against time to save Brenna's life. Sasha is drawn into the fray - and both wolfs and cats have to rely in the powers of this unusual Psy if Brenna is to be found alive.

With SLAVE TO SENSATION - you will be touched by so many aspects of this marvelous book. The awesome closeness and bonding of the individual packs. Their sense of family coupled with their innate ability to demonstrate feeling and show affection, love and above all loyalty to one another.

The development of Sasha's and Lucas' relationship is a beauty to watch - simmering sensuality as Sasha slowly becomes "herself" and allows the feelings she has held back for so long run free with Lucas. Readers will fall in love with Lucas. He is all predatory alpha male, sexy and his caring for Sasha's well being and safety is touching and heartfelt.

I can't praise enough this new writer and this fantastically innovative and superbly crafted new series! I will devour the next book VISIONS OF HEAT - which has been on sale since March of '07.

Unfortunately because of my work schedule I don't get to read at the expediential rate I would like to, so it takes me longer to finish a book and always a day late getting into series!!!

In the world of the Psy, perfection is absolute and anythinge else is punishable by death. The 'feel' or underlying theme, rings of the ethos purported by Huxley in his startling book, Brave New World. Thus, the purpose of Perfect Silence was to ensure that the emotion to hate and be violent would be wholly removed. In doing so, all emotions were conditioned out of these once human Psy, and have become a race of highly advanced beings, both technologically and especially, mentally. It has rendered them impotent of basic feelings, like love or sadness, and have given them the cold and ruthless rigidity and stiffness that they have become to be known for. And disdained by all changeling groups that oppose their way of living.

In this world of the Psy, all its people are mentally linked in the PsyNet, a network of psychic energy and the individual auras that feeds others and themselves. They cannot live without the Net.

The brutality, the rigid stiffness and efficiency that have marked the Psy is as real and frightening as Sascha Duncan knows it to be. She of all would know. Marked by night-sky eyes that designates her as a cardinal and high-ranking Psy, she has been hiding something that could get her killed: she is defective, in the most essential way. As in, the emotions that should not be there, are not only fully functional since birth, but none of the conditioning has helped her become more Psy. If any, it allowed her to build incredibly powerful mental shields to protect her flaw, and the fact that, being the daughter of a ruthless and powerful Council, Nikita, she will never live up to her genetics. An no one knows why but Sascha.

When given the charge of a multi-million dollar deal with a changeling race, DarkRiver, Sascha comes into contact with the lead project, man and alpha, Lucas Hunter. A cat as his form, and as a powerful alpha, he can sense the differences that mark Sascha as someone not quite Psy, even as the appearance of it confuses him. But Lucas' goal isn't to woo, but to sniff out a Psy killer, unmercifully murdering young changling women. Not just DarkRiver, but other groups, like his werewolf ally, the SnowDancers.

What is shocking is the fact of their instant attraction, which both try to rationalize and dismiss, only to bring them closer to both their truths. More contact triggers more mental breakdowns by Sascha that leaves her petrified and paranoid. Only Lucas' stability and his uncanny sense of understanding her, does she find some peace. But how can a Psy woman be trusted? And how can an alpha leopard learn that he may have no choice but to trust Sascha, and pray she won't betray him, or his pack? These are the questions that swirl around them and between them, even as they succumb to their emotions and growing attachments. Even as Sascha finally begins to believe in Life, not pure existence and the lies of her own people, she begins to open up, not just to love but understanding, and the joys and pleasures of feeling and emotions. Just as they've discovered themselves, Lucas might loose the one woman he's ever loved, to the terrors of the PsyNet, and the killer that hunts them all.

For a first time writer, Singh packs a heavy punch. The characters, from the primary to the secondary, are well developed and tangible. You really see them as real people, not contrived or artificial, but with hurts and pains that aren't any more terrible than someone you would know in real life. Life and emotion is the heart of this book, and the meaningful discovery of it by all the characters.

The plot itself is well written, and especially the world of the Psy and changeling interactions. Strange enough but close to home. She's also consistent in her renderings and had a wonderful and well worked out Psy and changeling philosophies as well as the workings of psychic ability and the PsyNet. There was a lot of care and attention to those finer details without too much overtaxing of the mechanics. However, the one quip I have was that there was a lot of repetition in terms of describing how Sascha and Lucas felt, certain re-telling of events but not enough to put me off. There were a few places soly dedicated to Sascha's emotional development and realizations, that at first, I wanted to say was unnecessary, but as you got to the end, I realized that without bits of it, her later actions and beliefs in doing them would have felt empty. However, it does drag in parts, saying in a few sentences and lengthening much longer than necessary.

This is a very dense read and not something you'll read in one pull. It's is not the sugar-coated versions, but has a lot of emotional and psychological weight that most romances are missing. Not that it's bad, mind. Singh is a nice change from the normal. It is sci-fi and paranormal, romance and addresses deeper issues that has plagued mankind since the dawn of time. I think you'll enjoy this book well after you've read it. Book 2, here I come!

This book opens a new series that puts a new twist on the psychic/shapeshifter paranormal romance theme. Lucas is a great Alpha male, in more ways than one. Sascha is his perfect mate, tho she believes the message her Society sends: she's flawed and imperfect and worse than dead if she can't keep hiding her "flaw."

The shapeshifters here are Leopards and Wolves and they refer to themselves as Changelings rather than were-this or were-that. Sascha's Psy are a race that pride themselves on emotionless, sterile, wholely mental existences imposed by their childhood indoctrination into the Silence, so Love is simply not on their radar as anything but a flaw to exploit in others.

The relationship that builds between Sascha and Lucas is well developed here and the supporting characters are well-drawn and believable. It's an excellent book on its own as well as being a good foundation for the books that have followed it. No infodumps here, everything flows well.

This was a very satisfying romance. I liked the story and the characters and I even enjoy the count-the-days-waiting until the next installment comes out.