Science Fiction Fantasy Books

good equipment, meets or exceeds specifications and looking forward to its use and enjoyings its capabilities

He's reading them all and logging into Amazon to check for when the rest of them will be out in paperback. He gets through these books in under a week because he can't put them down. He's also hoping that they will one day be made into movies....

The first three books in the Sisters Grimm series might be a little more exciting, but book 4 is another adventure ride with all the fairy tale characters you can imagine. What a great idea to bring fairy tale characters into the present interacting with these two independent Grimm girls whose personal story is as unusual as it is heartfelt.

This whole series has been wonderful to read. As a grandmother, I have learned to read at least the first book in any "childrens" series to make sure that I will be giving my grandchildren good books to read. This series has me preordering books just to find out what happens next to the delightful sisters and the fairytale beings who inhabit their world - willingly or not! My nieces and granddaughter have enjoyed these books and look forward to receiving the next one, once grandmother is finished!Magic and Other Misdemeanors (The Sisters Grimm, Book 5)

This book 4 of the Sisters Grimm series continues the entertaining adventures of Sabrina and Daphne. There is humor, mystery, and some degree of romance, but on a child's level--nothing to scare kids away from the series. In this book, the reader and Sabrina become better acquainted with Sabrina's mother's "secret" life. Sabrina and Daphne basically must eventually choose whether to stay in the Grimm family business. Another entertaining read!

Looking for mystery and intrigue? The twists and turns in this book will keep you on edge! Love, responsibility, and courage are just a few of the key ideas in this book. Small text might deter initially, but really good content. Another great addition to my classroom library.

"The Tin Princess" is the forth book in the Sally Lockhart series - though it doesn't actually star Sally herself. Perhaps a better description of this book would be to call it a spin-off, as it is has several characters from the previous Sally books as its protagonists, and solves a mystery that has been brewing since book one. In the first book "The Ruby in the Smoke," a young street waif named Adelaide Bevan disappeared into the streets of London, and only now has she been found. Readers who may be unwilling to continue with this series due to the absence of Sally are instead rather forced to - it's the only way to find out what happened to that young girl.

Jim Taylor, the amateur detective (among other things) has finally managed to track her down, following the trail of young Rebecca Winter who has been employed in the service of a nobleman to teach a young woman in his household how to read and write. The two collide almost immediately, and soon it becomes apparent that the young woman in question is none other than Adelaide herself. But her situation has greatly changed - she is married to Prince Rudolf of Razkavia, making her a princess of that small country squished between Austria and Germany. Rebecca is appalled at the unlikelihood of the match, especially since she herself is a native of Razkavia.

And now things are about to heat up. With the assassination of Rudolf's older brother, Adelaide and her husband now find themselves heir to the thrones of Razkavia - but whoever was behind the conspiracy to topple the royal family is not going to stop till they control the country. Now with Becky as her translator and Jim as her bodyguard, Adelaide is travelling with her husband to the country she now rules - a country watched over by the Red Eagle flag. Legend says that so long as the Eagle flies over the Rock of Eschtenburg, Razkavia will always be free. Now in a strange land, with strange customs, and a plot against them, Adelaide, Jim and Becky must juggle politics, public relations, personal safety, betrayal within the court, assassination attempts and a mysterious missing member of the royal family. Needless to say (of any of Philip Pullman's books), it's a very exciting ride.

Pullman beautifully creates an entire country with vivid realness - its customs, economy, language, history, all of it comes across with perfect realism, but also a sense of intrigue that he can invoke so well: "The streets are so crooked and narrow that they have no names...the Devil went there once, and couldn't find his way out. Which means of course, that he's still there." Likewise, the characters are vivid and immensely likeable, and his themes of power and corruption (which appear in all of his books in one way or another) are in place. Of our main characters, only Becky is initially unfamiliar to readers of the Lockhart books, but she soon becomes an interesting figure, who wields her own type of power in being Adelaide's translator (often stating her straightforward opinions to Princess Adelaide in the course of conversations, or rewording Adelaide's informal slang to the listener).

But it's Jim and Adelaide that really take centre stage in the course of this story - passionate, strong, out of their league, star-crossed and determined, I have to say that I think they are Pullman's best romantic couple (disagree with me if you must, but that includes Sally/Fred and even Lyra/Will). Adelaide definitely foreshadows Lyra for the "His Dark Materials" trilogy - willful, spoilt, cunning and yet with a strange sense of innocence about her. Glancing at some of the other reviews, it's unfortunate to see she's rather unpopular - I thought she was a wonderful character, and every inch a queen.

Of those that are disappointed at the lack of Sally, there's no reason to completely despair. She is present at both the beginning and end of the story (as is Goldberg, her husband - sadly, no Harriet or Trembler) and is mentioned throughout by several characters. And in her own way, she plays a very big part in the course of the story - just watch how useful the knitted jersey she makes for Jim turns out!

Although this is not my favourite book in the series (that would be "The Tiger in the Well") it is the most re-readable, the most intriguing and the most poetic - the final passage in particular is beautifully written. I won't give it away, but I often find myself picking up the book just to read it again, and the images that Pullman invokes, especially in the escape from the old palace through the snow, are just beautiful. There is a certain amount of cynicism, but the barest touches of hope in the conclusion of the story. But whether you like it or not (because it *is* rather different from the first three books, and not just in the shift in characters) it is a necessary part of the series, to complete Adelaide and Jim's story.

When my ex-husband went to London, he brought back the Sally Lockhart Trilogy, along wih the Tin Princess for our twelve year old daughter. I just finished the Tin Princess and although I really liked them all, I don't really feel that they are appropriate for a child. The love making and the various accompanying emotions are irrelevant to them. I would, however be interested to find out if there is another addition to the series that I might read. I felt let down at the end and thought that this did not resolve everything...what a cliff-hanger!

I didn't like this book as much as I did all the Sally Lockhart books. The plot was pretty interesting. I loved Jim and I wished there were more of his points of view. I wish there was also more Sally in the book. I also would have loved to see a scene with both Sally and Dan together to see how they're getting along. One of the things I loved best about the Sally series was the wonderful relationship between her and Jim. The scene that moved me the most was when Sally showed up near the end of the book to see Jim. I really liked Becky as well. She was such a spirited and interesting character. If only her character was expanded a little more. The one character I could not like was Adelaide. I understand that she had a tough childhood and everything, but I just couldn't get used to the fact that she was queen and all that. I didn't like her attitude or her personality. I found it unbelievable that Jim would be in love with her forever, because the last time he was in real contact with her was when she was about 9 and he was about 13 or 14. Who falls in love that young and only knowing each other for a few days? But I liked the whole Razkavia thing and I loved the parts with Sally in it. So if you want to continue on with some beloved characters it's worth reading.

It is difficult for me to believe that the author who wrote such wonderfully rich books as "The Ropemaker" and the "His Dark Materials" trilogy could write such drivel as "The Tin Princess." Pullman's artistic ability is apparent in his descriptions of political intrigues and cunning plots, but these wonderful descriptions are sadly hidden by the boring, monotonous, one-dimensional characters. Adelaide's coldness, selfishness, and almost shrewish behavior makes it impossible to believe that she could be so beloved by everyone in this novel. Becky, the one character in the book that could have had potential, is shunted to the side and allowed only to play the part of the eager sidekick whose only purpose is to serve the main character.

People who are interested in Pullman's works would do better to read his fantastical novels and leave his clumsy attempts at 'reality' fiction on the shelf.

My daughter loves all of the fairy books by Daisy Meadows. Thanks for such a great series of books.

In this story the two girls help Bella find her magical bunny! It is a great story that I really enjoyed reading.

In reviewing books 1 - 5 of this series, I've done my best to bash them without mercy.

The reason I've done this is that the books have deserved bashing. They're bad. Really, very bad. And, while I could pick apart this entry in the series, I think it's time to step away from heavy criticism for a moment and concentrate on the good. Now is the perfect time to do it because Assassins is far and away the best in the series thus far.

I don't know what happened to make it so, but the fact remains. Assassins approaches decent writing.

By allowing even the slightest bit of "gray" into the character of Rayford, there develops interesting conflict between him and the other members of the Tribulation Force. I loved his confrontation with 'T' (which was also one of the only examples of actual Christian virtue I've seen in the series, another huge plus here) and hope for a hinted-at confrontation with Buck further down the line. I've known many, many Christians in my time, and I wouldn't describe one of them as being "perfect." I'm sure that LaHaye & Jenkins would agree with me on that, and I'm glad to see that start to creep into their heroes.

Also, a great thing about this entry in the series was that it didn't wait until the very ending of the novel to have something exciting happen. The pattern, till now, had been to have one Tribulation per novel, usually in the last few pages. Here, we get a Tribulation early on, and so are actually dealing with exciting events during the majority of the book, not just discussing their possibility. That's a great step forward!

Leah Rose seems like a strong character, and might reverse the seeming trend to render all female characters irrelevant; the character of Chloe has never realized its potential, and Hattie approaches a caricature of a non-believer, but Leah might be the one to present a strong, central woman to the cast. Only time will tell there.

These positives -- a more exciting plot and deeper characterizations -- are only a beginning. And, I fear, they might easily be reversed by the novels to come. But, I will take them for what they're worth. They do not make this book "good," but do pull it close to 2.5 stars in my mind, rounded down to 2 due to all of the issues I still have with this series that remain unresolved.

This book at least gives a glimmer of hope that the books to come may prove more tolerable than those I've already, er, left behind.

The content was good, but the story lines really dragged. The fourth book was the best so far. I had a hard time getting through this one. I have started number 7 which seems to be faster paced. The authors need to learn how to write better cliff hangars , they have the material they just need to learn how to keep it going.
I do appreciate thier effort at bringing people to Christ and the truth to thoses who wouldn't hear it otherwise. Amen to them!

This was by far the best book in the series. The action, suspense, comedy, and elements of saddness blend so well, that its hard not to love the books for what they are.
Unlike the last installments, "Assassins" takes on a darker premise. The characterization gets much more refined, because of the writers ability of putting the reader more into the minds of the character... whereas in the others there wasnt as much of that.
The sensory imput was amazing. Reading about how many of the people die in this novel is gruesome. I have to admit, i cringed at some of the gory details, and believe me when I say there is an abundance in this one as compared to the priors.
I just want to know who shot Nicolae. This book sucked me in so bad I was screaming with excitment. I will no doubt devour the next one.

I'm almost done w/this book. It saddens me to read everything that goes on during this period. It is so very well written. I am sprung on these books and look forward to the next one. I recommend it w/all my heart.

Ok, I took on the task of reading this series, because the first book was really good. But after that it gets more repetitive, and less believable. I contemplated skipping the rest of the books and buying the last one to see what happens, im sure i wouldn't miss much and would be caught up by the first 200 or so pages. Maybe I can just read the last of each book? I don't know, but I'm trying hard not to give up..The authors really should be ashamed of themselves for dragging this out.

We read this book together as a family - two adults and one 11-year old. We anticipated at some point there would be an uplifting moment, but even the ending, though somewhat positive, was a real "downer". I would never recommend this book to anyone, especially those who might have depressing thoughts about life. There is so much death in this book it could give you nightmares. I will tell the librarian that she should read the books before recommending them.

Some people maybe too critical of the books they read. Maybe I am not critical enough. I don't know what some of the other reviewers were expecting from this book, but apparently they did not get it. I judge a book on whether or not I want to finish it. There are just too many books to slog through one that I hate. I liked this book and would suggest it to a friend. I would, however, suggest "Life As We Knew It" first. The reason that the book only gets three stars with me is that the topic gets a bit depressing at times. The end of the world and all ....go figure.

After seeing the reviews on Amazon I was a bit worried about ordering this novel as I was worried that I would be sorely dissapointed with the successor to the amazing "Life As We Knew It." However I was still in that world so I wanted to stay in it so-to-speak so I decided to go ahead and order the companion novel and see what I thought.

Thank goodness I was not put off by the nay-sayers because this novel is a decent read and should not be missed by people that truely liked the first book. This book takes the darker route of the story and I believe that is what many people were put off by.

This novel takes place in New York City where massive flooding occured after the asteriod hit the moon. Alex and his two younger sisters must figure out a way to survive in the midst of the flooding, the looting and the dwindling rations as they wait at home hoping that one of their parents eventually show up. As faith dwindles that either of them is alive, Alex must make some tough decisions to make sure that what family is left will survive to tell future generations about what happened.

Although this tale is MUCH darker and depressing than its predecessor, there is not always roses and sugar in the real world. I was really glad to read what happened where things were worse than in rural PA in this fictional world. This story isn't without hope though and there is always a rainbow (albeit maybe not a bright one) to be seen throughout the story.

While this novel is about the same events as was Life As We Knew It, The Dead and the Gone is a much different book. It is darker, scarier, and feels more real. Even though I really enjoyed the first one, I have to say that I think this companion is even better. Even though it is a lot more haunting and troubling, I think it follows more closely what would actually happen if something like this did occur in real life. Something I really liked about this book that wasn't present in the first one is Pfeffer's discussion of class. The Morales family lived in an apartment building that the father maintained, but because Alex had received some sort of scholarship (I think), he went to a private Catholic high school, so the majority of his friends had plenty of money. Therefore, many of the people he knew had no problem getting out of New York (it was stated quite explicitly that money and connections can get you anywhere), while Alex and his sisters were forced to stay behind. Class differences aren't often mentioned in fiction, and I definitely think that if this nightmare were to happen in real life, class differences would make a HUGE difference in whether you lived or died. So it was nice to see Pfeffer recognize something like that.

Another blogger mentioned that he/she (can't remember who it was...) felt that the overall premise of these two books was somewhat lacking because if this were to happen in real life, most likely some scientist somewhere would have predicted that an asteroid hitting the moon would have consequences for the earth, and precautions would have been taken before the catastrophe could occur. I do think that blogger is correct, so I was somewhat bugged by that while reading this book, but I forced myself not to think about it and just focus on the story. Awesome story, somewhat shaky premise, excellent writing, great characters... overall a really solid book, one that I'm happy to recommend.

The Dead and the Gone
The Dead and the Gone is a very interesting concept. A young boy, named Alex, lives a normal life in New York. He works at a Pizza shop and goes to an all-Christian male school called Vincent De Paul. One day while working there is a large commotion outside and chaos seems to have taken some people over. It turns out that something crashed into the moon and caused it to fall out of orbit, and closer to the earth. The puts more gravitational force on the earth and causes many problems over a long period of time.

Alex doesn't seem concerned at the time. He goes home and attends to his two sisters, Bri and Julie. His mother is has been called to the hospital that she works at, and his father is in Puerto Rico attending a funeral. Alex has a brother named Carlos, but he is in the Marines. They are all alone and the world is falling apart.

Most of the book is based around them surviving. The world is rapidly changing and they have to adapt to it. Tides are rising and could overflow into New York. Volcanoes are erupting all over the world causing the sky to turn black. The darkened sky produces freezing weather, even in the summer. Food is becoming scarce and they begin only eating once a day, and it is only a spoonful of beans or something similar.

The other portion of the book is them living their daily life. This is the part I do not like. Within 6 pages of the book, the Moon has been hit. From there Alex and his family just go about their business. They go to school, church, and go through their daily routine. They constantly try to convince you the world is falling apart, but not that much anarchy occurs in Alex's life until the near end of the book. The characters never make it feel like their lives are threatened that much.

Alex is extremely religious too. He seems to pray every other line in this book. He is also Puerto Rican, so he speaks in Spanish while saying things every now and then. This is annoying to someone like me who doesn't speak Spanish. The religious Spanish speaking kid just came off to me as too fake.

The story does get very good in the last 50 or so pages. I felt like it was a worthwhile book. The author seems to use the words said, replied, and other generic endings for what her characters are saying. Still, I felt like this was a worthwhile book, despite being a little bland through some of the book.

Sorry Hyperion Cantos, we are through. I had high hopes that Simmons' second Hyperion novel (of 4) would tie of up all the dangling, half-explained threads of the first. This did not happen. I don't understand why an author with such strong prose, scope, and characters can fail so utterly at delivering a cohesive, connected story. Too many things happened for no particular reason other than to advance the plot. Too many other things regularly hinted at a purpose but fell flat. There were great moments, yes, but not enough to clear the bad taste in my mouth. Since I won't be continuing the series, I've read reviews and plot summaries for the remaining novels. From what I can surmise the problems the plague the first two books never quite work themselves out. A shame.

This book, along with Hyperion, is a masterpiece of writing. This is written by a man who has a deep passion for science fiction and he brings it to a literary level seldom reached. That Nicholas Sparks junk novels end up in the literature section and This book doesn't is a crime. Stephen King said it best and I agree..."I AM IN AWE OF DAN SIMMONS."

For those readers who reveled in the emotional and intellectual heights of Hyperion, the Fall of Hyperion is quite a let down. In Hyperion, I found the short-story format set within the evolving mystery of the Hyperion war to be among the most engaging styles I have ever read in a novel of this kind. The emotional impact of Sol and Sarai watching their daughter grow young before their eyes, the painful sorrow of Siri's tale and the destruction of Maui-Covenant - just brilliant. In Fall of Hyperion, we see a return to a more conventional style with multiple complex plot lines the reader is forced to alternate between. The use of Severn/Keats as a narrator is puzzling and in my mind detracts from the story. I am still not sure why I should care about Keats, why he was chosen to play such a significant role by the AIs, why we have to read through a detailed descripiton of Keats' return to Rome to die of TB. Then, Keats is used to intervene in critical ways in the lives of the pilgrims - it cheats the storyline of precious credibility. We see the disembodied Keats persona somehow taking physical form by finding symbiosis with the Templar's erg in order to prevent the Shrike from taking Rachel off to some unkown fate? Come on! Pretty ridiculous. I also am not very impressed with the religious philosophizing about the nature of God, but maybe that's just me.

On balance, however, the book works, and I will be moving on the Endymion.

The Fall of Hyperion picks up the Hyperion Cantos where it left off, but with a unique twist: the story switches to a first-person narrative told from the perspective of Joseph Severn, the cybrid reincarnation of the poet John Keats. This point of view allows Simmons a great deal of freedom, as Severn can directly narrate the compelling story of tragic Meina Gladstone, he can keep the reader informed of the Shrike pilgrims through his unusual dreaming capabilities, he provides a link to the cryptic but critically important Ummon in the Core, and finally his own experiences make up a large part of the slow, sad denouement to the tale.

While all of the Hyperion stories are excellent, in retrospect this might have been the one that engaged me the least. After the incredibly engaging, intense, and well-crafted "Hyperion", "The Fall of Hyperion" feels a little bit rough around the edges. There is a lot of action and dialogue that are confusing to follow. The comings and goings around the Time Tombs tended to unfurl in a relatively slow fashion--like martial artists fighting in quicksand. The Shrike resumes its role as the mechanical bogeyman, but its actions shift from indiscriminate killer to more nuanced plot facilitator ... making its motives as friend or foe unclear. Much of the dialogue involving Keats' poetry or especially the Zen koans seemed indulgent in a "look ma, allegory!" kind of way, without adding much to the story itself. Fortunately, Simmons seemed to sense a need to "translate" the intended meaning of the poetry into verse so nothing was really lost, but it made deciphering the text a bit tedious at times (I grew to have a strong dislike for Ummon for this reason!).

Ultimately though, this is a successful tale of the descent into chaos for the decadent but decaying Hegemony of Man. We see the downfall of the Hegemony through the eyes of the elegantly portrayed Meina Gladstone, triggered in large part by a critical insight about the subtly sinister TechnoCore provided by Ummon. We see the fall of Hyperion itself at the hands of the enigmatic Ousters. Finally, we see several deaths, "rebirths", and a pregnancy that will play a critical role in the subsequent stories.

In many ways, "The Fall of Hyperion" was probably the most challenging story of the Cantos for Simmons to write because it needed to fill two roles: as both the "conclusion" of "Hyperion" and the segue to the "Endymion" stories, Simmons needed to wrap up certain story lines, continue others, and start yet several more as the foundation for the Endymion books. He returned to a more conventional (less innovative?) narrative style than Hyperion, and the writing seemed to suffer a bit from this novel's broader scope (this is where a talented editor should've stepped in). For me at least, Severn is the weakest of this series' many narrators, as his status as a somewhat enigmatic copy of a copy of a 19th century poet makes him feel more like a plot device than a flesh-and-blood character that the reader can make a connection with. Still, "The Fall of Hyperion" serves as the necessary and still largely-successful bridge between the outstanding "Hyperion" and the concluding Endymion tales so if you have made it this far, dear Reader, continue on!

'The Fall of Hyperion' by Dan Simmons is the sequel to 'Hyperion'. It is in essence part two of one continuous story. The fate of the Shrike pilgrims is revealed, as are the nature and origin of the Shrike and time tombs.

This is a enjoyable sequel that ties up most of the plot lines satisfactorily. Simmons tells a good story, and has created a very interesting future, but the scale is too large, not content with outlining a future several centuries from now, the plot involves not just the ultimate fate of humanity, but the very nature of God himself. It's all a bit much. Definitely a must read if you have read 'Hyperion' but definitely do not read unless you have read 'Hyperion'

I love this series...... I am going to reserve the 4th one now that I am hooked!

I am not one to write a bunch. I just wanted to say that I am an avid reader, but it takes a great book to get me engaged, and that is what this whole series did. If I could rate it higher, I would. The only thing that I did not like, and this was very menial, was repetition of some basic information that we knew already about the characters from each of the books. You have found a new fan Ms. Galenorn!!

Though I'm not a huge urban fantasy fan, I have really liked these books. I liked this one the best because Menolly is the dark one. Book 1 was my 2nd favorite and book 2 was my third favorite. But I'm enjoying the whole series. Violence isn't my cup of tea but it didn't detract from the book. Great job, Yasmine G! And I love the covers of these books. They're what made me pick the first book up, but I stuck with the series because of the good writing and story.

I am looking forward to Dragon Wytch, which I think is a new series.

Just when I thought it couldn't get any better, Darkling proved me wrong. This entire series has become one of my favorite. This book was interesting from start to finish. No page fillers or down spots. No repeating the same information or overly emotional. Just enough sex and action to keep me from putting it down. Can't wait to see what happens next between Menolly and Narissa. I highly recommend this book and the rest of the series.

Returning to the Seattle, WA area, we join Menolly, third of the half fae/half human D'Artigo sisters who are living Earthside because of bounties on their heads in their own land, which they call Otherworld. Witchling was the eldest sister's (Camille) story and Changeling brought us closer to Delilah, a were-cat. Now we are allowed a glimpse into the life of the vampire faerie Menolly. Turned unwillingly, Menolly fights a constant battle against the inherent nature of the brutal blood drinkers. Unwilling to inflict her torturous memories on her sisters, Menolly shoulders her nightmares alone, unable to stop them from unfurling each night because she, unlike humans, cannot wake from her sleep. She takes comfort in raising their pet gargoyle Maggie and in owning/running an Otherworld bar, where her reputation precedes her in discouraging any trouble. Her bar also contains a portal to Otherworld so she and hers also act as guardians against unwelcome visitors.

Menolly is suddenly called by her sister's mate to the scene of a multiple homicide, despite the knowledge that the excessive blood-letting might unleash Menolly's darker instincts. But the horror is greater than expected - someone is attacking innocents and turning them into baby vampires - the most deadly because of their lack of control. Convinced that her rogue vampire sire, Dredge, is to blame, she begins the hunt to find the coven that escaped retribution when Menolly was attacked. But Menolly is unsure of her fledgling powers and her ability to defend herself, much less her sisters, against her fiendish sire. The other issue at hand is whether or not Dredge is acting on his own or if he is part of the larger plot by Shadow Wing, a leader in the demonic realms, to take over Earthside. With their own homeland in the midst of a political war and their usual resources worn thin, the D'Artigo sisters do what they do best - improvise - and take care of matters one at a time while watching one another's back.

I think Galenorn has hit upon an awesome fantasy world, although it is getting difficult to keep some of the players straight. I'm glad she's planning on continuing the series past the original trilogy, but I have to admit to being quite upset over the ending of her two paranormal mystery series. Her message on her website is wonderful - but I disagree with her that she doesn't do mysteries as well. Like this series, there is substance to the plot and the characters, as well as a lot of character growth and realistic thoughts and emotions. Not everything is as wholesome as apple pie, but her characters suck it up and deal with it like anyone in the real world would have to do. Menolly is a perfect example. So, if you enjoy a little realism with a lot of fantasy, this is ideal for you.

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.

I bought this book for an art teacher friend who uses it constantly in her high school classes.

I bought a copy for my seven-year-old step-daughters and packed it for a long car trip over Labor Day weekend. The girls giggled wildly while pouring over the artwork and the questions they posed, and then spent a good long time working on their own "What if..." questions and accompanying illustrations.

A fine picture book all around!

Working with kids is great...yet if you don't keep them occupied at all times my job description would be zoo keeper, not Elementary Art Teacher! At first, Sarah Perry's book "If..." served as a functional time filler. I knew the kids would get a kick out of the wonderful images! I introduce the book and the kids are still a bit restless and and not totally convinced that the art teacher is reading a book. Isn't that the librarians job, they think as they roll their eyes. I open to the first page and read,"If cats can fly..." their heads turn and their rolling eyes become transfixed on Perry's beautiful illustrations. I turn the page and by now the audience is silently screaming for more!!! By this time the students' teacher has come to pick the kids up from the art room, but instead of lining up the class, she has pulled up a seat to listen in on the fun! Nine times out of ten, when I am finished sharing the book, the students ask me to read it again. The kids walk out of the classroom with a smile on their face and their imaginations zooming!!! Parents stop me in the hallways to speak about the delight their child experienced when I was reading the book! I give the credit to Sarah Perry! Thank you Sarah...this functional time filler has become an imagination can opener!!!

This book is so beautifully illustrated and the ideas it presents are really fun. We got it as a baby shower gift and it immediately became a favorite of my husband and mine. Now my 2-year old loves to pour over the illustrations and giggles at the silly ideas. It's a book that I know she will keep into her adulthood.

My grandson who is almost four loves this book. He packed it to bring back to Me Me's when he spent the night.

The book, "If" is a great one for teachers to teach the trait of Ideas. Wonderful illustrations!

The first two books in this set are amazing. The third one is a lame attempt at a movie deal. You can see Hollywood written all over it. It goes against everything the first two books stand for.
That being said, I still give this set a 5-star rating because of the first two stories it contains. They both have a natural flow to them that many sci-fi writers lack the skill to accomplish. All of the main characters behave realistically according to their motivations. The two books compliment each other, the second book serves to establish the same story from a different perspective which adds to the depth of an already great piece of work. Well done, Mr. Card!

This is the first book I have read in ages. The book had a nice pace to it which just drags you in the story. The story (r)evolves around a number of characters.Which gives the whole a nice consistency. After reading the story which in my opinion was over before it begun, I just wanted to know more about everything. Which in certain cases can be an excellent platform for write 12+ novels, and as such create something no one wants to read. This book isn't like that, it is a complete story which can be read on its own. There could have been a bit mnore elaboration on the characters, however this might have taken de pace out of the story. All in all good job, I immediatly started reading the rest. I would recommend this to anyone interrested in science fiction.

Spoiler ahead:
I am unhappy about one thing though, at a certain point the timeline is broken, which closes a lot of untold stories, in a linear timeline, This is solved in the other books.

the first book Ender's Game is great have not had time to start the other books yet. I will read them this spring and get back to this for an update.

Finding this book listed on my granddaughter's summer reading list, I was reminded of the pleasure it brought many years ago, so have now read it again and was entertained as much as I had hoped. The pace is sustained throughout "Ender's Game" and the ending is extremely pleasing, with lose ends tied up nicely. "Ender's Shadow" is surprisingly enjoyable at the same level of suspense despite a similar setting, while "Shadow of the Hegemon" was enjoyable, but not quite of the same quality as the first two books. The author has made a quite plausible and imaginative story, incorporating the idea of using problems that confront us to help build character, while being sensitive to the loneliness of the leadership role.

I purchased this set for my nephew for his birthday. He hasn't been able to put this series down and is reading it for the second time :)