Horror Books

The Fafhrd and Gray Mouser series is a great find for the fantasy reader. I highly recommend all the books in this series. Fritz Lieber is a fantastic writer, if you have never read his books you are in for a treat.

The Lankhmar series has two main characters Fafhrd the Barbarian and the Gray Mouser. Fafhrd is a barbarian and thief. The Gray Mouser is a small quick-witted thief and sometime wizard. They are best friends and go on many fantastic adventures together, which are told as a series of short stories. This book is a reprinting of two books: Swords and Deviltry (The First Book of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser); and Swords Against Death (The Second Book of Fafhrd and The Gray Mouser).

The first book describes where Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser come from and how they meet. In the second book Fafhrd the Barbarian and the Gray mouser lose their first loves to death, and they set forth on a quest that leads them throughout Newhon on a series of adventures where they finally steal the mask of death from Death himself.

To sum up, if you like fantasy, you'll like this book.

This book is the earliest adventures of Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser, their early lives, how they met and adventures. The novellas are rich in detail of the surroundings and show that the world of Nehwon is well-developed. Fafhrd and The Grey Mouser's interactions are realistic (except perhaps for the high-flown language) and kept me turning pages eagerly. Lots of hack'n'slash as well as intellectual puzzles, a few moments of hair-raising suspense and some definite sizzle. Classic swords & sorcery with very little mumbo-jumbo and no complicated explanations.

Fritz Leiber is without a doubt one of the the most over-looked of a group of authors that are basically the fathers of the modern Fantasy genre. Ill met in Lankhmar is an excellent collection of short stories detailing the meeting and early adventures of the two most renowned Heroes/Rogues in the fabulous world of Nehwon Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. What is most enjoyable about the stories is the crisp action filled pace Lieber sets while still managing to describe everything in a way that gives you a feeling of immersion in the rich, exoctic world of Nehwon and the vast City of Lankhmar which is the Heroes main base of operations. The main characters are exceptional creations. Two lovable never do wells who usually emerge from there various adventures victorious but with little or nothing to show for it. There is a comic bent to their various escapades that is very enjoyable. Overall, just a great collection of short stories.

The book reads like a series of short stories. Cele Goldsmith commissioned Fritz Leiber to write a series of Fahrd and Gray Mouser stories for Fantastic Stories pulp (one of the two early plups edited by Cele Goldsmith). That says it all. They are a fast read with plenty of action and very little of the long, dreary and seemingly endless descriptions of scenery etc.. found in many other books. The stories revolve around characters and the deeds of those characters. Unlike Jordan's Wheel of time series, which provides pages and pages of explanation of the types and colours of curtains found in each room of a house, something happens on every page.

Fahrd is like a Viking big, lustful and not scared to kill. Gray Mouser is an apprentice wizard that is not scared to use the black arts to get revenge eg. burning enemies to a crisp. Forget political correctness which is expected in so much of the literature these days, you will not find it in this book. It is like the old Star Trek (kill anything that gets in your way) and unlike the Next Generation (lets us open up the lines of communication so we can have meaningful dialogue).

If you like short stories that are well written, do yourself a favour and get a copy of this book.

Poor Fritz Leiber. He has never truly received the credit he deserves for fostering the fantasy genre. Along with the old Conan stories and Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, this is amongst the most influential works of fantasy fiction.

Fascinating worldbuilding, intrigue and exciting characters abound in these tales, all told with Leiber's exceptional artistic skills. Not only are the plots and personalities compelling, but Leiber has a magical rhythm to his storytelling and descriptions. This is one of the few stories that is on my "reread" list.

Pick this up and you'll love the stories--and when you look at the copyright date of these tales, you'll come to appreciate just how much Leiber has affected the fantasy authors that have come since.

I was desperate for something new to read and decided to take a chance when I saw this book at the store. The Mane Event blew me away! I haven't laughed quite that hard in a while. I actually laughed so hard, I would have to put the book down to catch my breath. If you love alpha males And alpha females, you will really enjoy this book. This is an awesome erotica paranormal romance. As soon as I finished it(in record time), I looked Shelly Laurenston's books up on Amazon and ordered more. I can't wait to read The Mane Attraction.

My first book by Shelly Laurenston and I devoured it! As another reviewer has so aptly said - a guilty pleasure kind of novel - a light and romantic read - in the style of Susan Elizabeth Phillips - but with very steamy and erotic scenes laced in.

The book contains two stories that are linked together.

Christmas Pride - the first novel. It deals with Mace - a very sexy, shape shifter, x-Seal officer. His pack is a Pride of lions. He returns from his tour of duty back to NYC with his shape shifter Seal buddy - "Smitty" - who is all wolf. When he arrives at his sisters' house, the place is bursting with NYPD and in the mist is Desiree - the only woman he has loved and still desires. Mace can't believe that Dez has matured into one of the most stunning women that he has ever seen. For both, the remembrance of their high school crush is a warm, sweet memory - however for Mace, now that he has seen Dex again - he is going to have her - and what Mace wants Mace gets. No easy feat there - since Dez is a very independent, sure-footed and tough female great cop - with a no-nonsense "I will kick your butt" attitude.

The murder of one of the male members of Mace's pride is being investigated which creates for some great, on the edge of your seat moments - as Dez comes face to face some with some real nasty shape shifters. But Mace is there to protect his mate, though Dez proves time and again that she's one tough cookie and can take care of her own - a very worthy heroine for this majestic and sexy King of the Jungle!

I loved the way Mace and Dez come together - their pleasure is quite delicious and will have you squirming on your seat... Packed with great, witty and hilarious repartee and situations (you will love the reaction of Dez's two, super tough Rotweilers to Mace - and also the group of tough NY male, mothering cops whose top priority is to protect Dez!) makes this is a great start to THE MAIN EVENT.

In Shaw's Tail - the second novel - we've meet Shaw at the climactic end of Christmas Pride. The relationship that develops between Shaw and Ronnie Lee - a member of Smitty's wolf pack is steamy and tender. Shaw is taken by Ronnie Lee - who has stayed behind at the hospital while Shaw is recovering. After his recovery - he finds her staying in his hotel with Smitty's pack and starts wooing her. Ronnie Lee has been in some gnarly relationships and is now pretty independent. He knows he can't just pounce and claim her - as he has realized that he wants her to stay. A slow courtship is what Ronnie Lee needs so she doesn't feel trapped and leaves.

Again - like in the first novel - the repartee is funny, witty and liberally sprinkled with laugh out loud situations. Their coming together is equally as steamy and there are also some lighthearted and very poignant moments. The relationship between Shaw and his siblings - younger brother - (black sheep of the family) and the "I play tough - but am really not" loving sister is very endearing.

In the end - it is very clear that cats and dogs really do get along!!!

I loved this novel and highly recommend it!!! The sensuality level throughout this novel is very high - bordering on erotica. Quite remarkable how Laurenston has interweaved such great sex, with marvelous characters and a superb, light and romantic read! Definitely recommended to paranormal lovers - that love sexy novels. NOTE - The next book is about "Smitty" - THE BEAST IN HIM.

CAUTION! The language and graphic, sexual content may bother some readers. So definitely not for the weak kneed and easily offended readers. If the books on your shelf are Barbara Cartland - then this is not the light and fluffy read that you may be used to!

WOW! The main characters are really interesting. This is not your usual pride/pack leader meets girl series. There is a whole pack involved in the story. And do they get into some funny situations. You actually hold your breath and don't realize it until the end. I will be continuing this series.

If you like your characters "not nice" but definitely appealing, get your hands on this book. These are not your usual shifters but down-home folks with flaws and edges. I've been a fan of Shelly Laurenston for years and will buy anything I see her name on. I have to be careful where I read her books as I always end up laughing aloud.

HAVE I NOT BEEN SAYING SHELLY LAURENSTON IS A1 AUTHOR. THIS GIRL CAN WRITE. THIS BOOK IS THE FIRST TO THE BEAST IN HIM. YOU HAVE TO READ THEM. THEY ARE FUNNY, SEXY AND VERY ENTERTAINING.

Who is the scariest writer of all...
Even after reading as a many items by Masterton as I have, this was a Chiller in the Extreme.
Although it's hard to choose, I'd Rate MIRROR as a scare alongside of Masterton's CHARNEL HOUSE, PARIAH, and THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT.
Oddly enough the paperback copy I got had a double cover ( something I was told is rare)... however I'm not sure on that one :-).
Anyway, it's a real thrill to experience Masterton's topflight scare books.
When He Kicks the fright in, he does so better than most writers, not simply horror in the currently fashionable slash-gore sense, but Horror in the full sense of the "Touched by another realm" type of horror.
Masterton is consistently good, and fires on all cylinders in this and many other books.His first person narratives take you with him down the nightmare road that leads over and through the looking glass in this case. If you can find copies of this book, its worth it, as are copies of THE WELLS OF HELL, TENGU, PARIAH, THE MANITOU, REVENGE OF THE MANITOU, CHARNEL HOUSE ( The First Masterton Horror Book I read); all of Mastertons Horror genre work are first rate, and are so good that it is very clear that either his ideas have been ripped off, or he has sold his scripts on the q.t. and made his influence known. If you like Supernatural, real deal, spooky horror, then Masterton is the way to go.
Highly recommended.

I read this book a couple of years back and remember vivdly how downright freaky it is. The kid appears out of nowhere and wants to finish a movie that was started inthe 30's, but something is amiss when things began to happen. Make sure you cover your mirrors and that your back is to the wall.

This book has a atmosphere of dread around it and it is well written. A true demonic, ghost story where good vs evil is a constant.



Graham Masterton, once again, has proven himself in this book to be above and beyond all mortal horror writers! It is really sad that the U.S. do not recognize him much (do not publish his out of print books) and would rather recognize such writers as Stephin King.

Mirror,

What happens when you buy a piece of Hollywood memorabilia from a little old, innocent woman? Boofuls happens, that what.

This book was a great read. I usually find Graham Masterton to be hit or miss. This time he knocked it out of the ballpark.

This is a creepy tale about a murdered childhood actor who wants his life back, and a poor unsuspecting down on his luck screenwriter who holds the key.

The writing was simple, straightforward and to the point. This time around, Mr. Masterton kept me interested with every new page I turned. I do not find that to be the case with some of his other works. (I wont mention titles)

It seems Masterton had Alice in Wonderland on the mind when he wrote this one. (More like Alice in Demon Land.) Horror and fantasy elements fill this book; the alternate worlds separated by the mirror give it this affect.

If you have not read Graham Masterton, this would be a great one to start with. He rarely gets better than this. (He may have never written better than this.)

Masterton is my favorite writer, ever. I read this a few years ago in high school, and let me tell you, its one of his very best, and i havent been dissapointed with anything he wrote yet.
The child itself, from its werid name to how creepy it can be, is one major wacky character! And the cat-snake scene left me wondering wether i will ever be able to look at my own cat the same way again! This book kept me in suspence, and it was a smooth read, i totally recommend it to anyone who had 2 eyes and an ability to read!

Mirror, a horror novel originally published in the late 80s, is one of Masterton's finest. The story is top notch, well-crafted, and well-delivered. When TOR was publishing horror novels on a monthly basis, you could always look forward to a new Masterton title at least once a year.

The story centers around an fan obsessed with a child star who was murdered fifty years in the past, at the age of eight. The fan was so devoted to keeping the memory of the child star alive that he writes a musical based on the child's life. However, Hollywood has no takers for filming it.

The fan later discovers that some of items belonging to the child are available for sale. He purchases a mirror, later discovering that the child is still "alive" in the mirror. Later, when things take a turn for the worse, the fan discovers the truth behind the child's presence in the mirror. Then the real terror begins...

If you can find a copy of this one, it would be well worth your time to read. If you can't, pick up one of Masterton's recent novels published by Dorchester Publications under the Leisure horror line.

I thought the book was well written. It was a pleasure to read. I hope to see more of the authors works, soon.

The book was great, could not put it down. Good horror novel that brings some nightmares. Future readers beware.

I only have 1000 words to explain how much I enjoyed this book. That may not be enough. I think this is a great book that is well deserving of the 5 star rating given by me and many others. I ordered the book through the authors website to give support to a selfpublished author. I had no IDEA it would affect me as it did, scary as heck yet its fast and keeps hungry for more. The gore can be nauseating at times, but that will not stop you from getting to the end. I pulled it out at work, in the bathroom, getting dressed, I took this book everywhere for four days! Somone needs to put this on the "Big Screen", my opinion is that it will do well if the story line is maintained.
With all the dud horror movies coming out, I know this book can make it. Good luck Maasi and continue writing!

WT

This one is hard to swallow. My group and I could not help to concede that eventhough the author is nuts he is an extremely talented. We thoroughly enjoyed his use of the english language as far as descriptions. Some of the scenes made our skin crawl but in a sick sort of way we couldn't wait to see who would get slaughtered next. Our first meeting after we had all read Mischiefmakers was comical and creepy as each member felt compelled to act out and read their favorite scenes. Our rating is 5 of 5 stars. If you enjoy horror/suspence you WILL enjoy Mischiefmakers

I have to say I really was not impressed and am having a very hard time understanding what people saw in this book. The story is definitely imaginative, but I found the writing itself to be flat and uninteresting. I wasn't scared and furthermore, at no point was I persuaded that I should actually care about any of the characters. And the thing with the eyes? Too hokey. The imagery was indeed vivid but the language used to describe it could have been much more compelling.

This book starts and finishes with a bang. This is truly the most terrifying book I have ever read. It is not that long and I finished it in a day. Every time I had a free moment I would run back to the book to read more. It's not like other books where it takes long to get to the scares and they are few and far between but this story is just different . Trust me. If you can find a copy , read it; but you might not be able to sleep for a few nights!

Easily the most frightening book I've ever read. Unlike King or Straub, Aycliffe gives you no straw of humanity to clutch at. At first, you think he does. Nice family moves into a house with strange noises ... in the attic. Daughter has mysterious "playmates." Photos show things that can't possibly be there. You've seen these elements before and think you know where you're headed. You don't. Aycliff's style is matter of fact, cool and dry, which adds to the chill. You wait for the redeeming act. It never comes. Just more layers of horror until it wraps up with an ending that echoes through your brain.

I didn't really find this book very scary. I feel like I should have because the other reviews were all so good. I expected a lot more from this book. I love good scary psychological ghost stories, but this one just plain bored me. It did have a couple of "ooh" moments, but nothing that made me lose sleep or sleep with the lights on. I gave it three stars because the story line was good and I do agree it would probably make a good movie, but I just found it extremely slow.

This is the second book that I have read by this author only because the first was so fantastic (The Matrix)! This book is awesome and very scary!! No monsters just real evil spirits! The book is too real. You would think that all of his books would be similar but they are not except for the fact that they are very scary. This one in particular is the very best however I have only read 3 of his and I am going to read more. I am not the type of person that likes to read that much, mainly because books don't move fast enough. They are very slow at getting started and normally the good, scary stuff doesn't start until the middle. Not this book. It begins immediately. The writer writes about stuff beyond my imagination! It could be kind of gross and sad. There are no real happy endings so don't expect that in any of his books. You can count on not wanting to put the book down though. Each chapter ends so that you have to proceed to the next and then the next... I am 42 years old and had to have my husband walk to the bathroom with me because I was too scared to go by myself! While reading, you start looking around your own room making sure you don't see anything and no, you will not want to go to the attic after reading this.
This book will keep the thoughts you had while reading it lingering on several weeks later. Now that's scary!!!!

Denis McEoin a.k.a. Jonathan Aycliffe a.k.a. Daniel Easterman relies on a common theme in many of his ghostly novels, i.e. child abuse taken to the grave and beyond. "Naomi's Room" (1991) and the author's later novel, "The Vanishment" (1993) both expand on this theme and both have first-person narrators who may or may not be involved in foul deeds themselves.

Jonathan Aycliffe keeps cranking out the supernatural shocks in "Naomi's Room." Even though I could sometimes guess what was coming, I had put down this book several times and tell myself, "It's only fiction," before I could keep on reading. A couple of really bad scenes:

* The narrator is awakened by the thump-thump of something being dragged into the attic, and realizes that his wife is no longer in bed with him.

* A news photographer shows the narrator photographs of his house in Cambridge. Yeah, there are ghosts peering out of the attic, but also the narrator's wife who he knows was not in Cambridge at the time.

There is a great deal of foreshadowing in this novel, which is to be expected since the narrator is telling his story many years after it took place. In spite of all of the hints that the author drops, the book's ending is still a shock. We know that he wakes up in the darkness, night after night, hearing noises, sometimes seeing horrors that he only hints at. Why does he stay in the house? Is love or guilt chaining him to the house where so many macabre deeds were performed?

Aycliffe brings in one character toward the end of the novel that I don't think he really needed--if he's already driving the plot forward through the actions of evil ghosts, why drag in evil men? Also the narrator's attempts to sidetrack the police by leaving fingerprints about from a few detached fingers he happens to have in his possession didn't strike me as something that would fool a CID man for very long.

In spite of the questionable fingerprints and maybe an extra character or two, "Naomi's Room" is a very haunting story. If a movie is ever made of it, I don't think I could nerve myself to watch it, even in company with a theatre-full of other people.

Janie, Eve and Faith all have a crush on Ross Gabriel, a new boy in Shadyside. They all make a bet about dating Ross. But they soon find out that dating Ross means flirting with a gruesome death. You would never guess who the killer is and the reason why he killed.

Have you read any of R.L Stines books before? Such as Baby Sitter Two, Lights Out, the New Girl, & The Step Sister and more? If you haven't, you need to. I did, it was called The New Boy it is a scary book about a couple of murders. The reason I picked this book is because it is so mysterious. Such as in different paragraphs it leaves you in suspense until the next paragraph ends. Picture at: www.amazon.com
When I read this book I could picture the Characters in my mind.
Also I would not go outside of my house because I live near the woods so now you know that it takes place in the woods.
Over all it was good because it is one of my favorite books. I love to read but mostly R.L
Stine's books.
Mostly girls would like it more than boys would because the main character is a. Even though a boy in my class named Lucas said "It was splendid". So boy's if you like scary, passionate books read this. In the story there is a girl, and the new boy likes her. He came from a school where there were a lot of murders. Its rating is 5 stars.

Book: The New Boy
Author: R.L Stine
# of pages:
Publisher: parachute press Inc.
Ibsn: 0-671-73869-0
Price: $3.99




Have you read any of R.L Stines books before? Such as Baby Sitter Two, Lights Out, The New Girl, & The Step Sister and more? If you haven't you need to. I did it was called The New Boy it is a scary book about a couple of murders.
The reason I picked this book is because it is so mysterious. Such as in different paragraphs it leaves you in suspense until the next paragraph ends.

When I read this book I could picture the characters in my mind. Also I would not go out side of my house because I live near the woods so now you now that it takes place in the woods.

Over all it was good because it is one of my favorite books. I love to read but mostly R.L Stine's books.

Mostly girls would like it more than boys would because the main character is a girl. Even though a boy in my class named Lucas said "It was awesome". So boy's if you like scary, romantic books read this. Its rating is 5 stars.

Book title: New Boy
Author: R.L.STINE
Number of pages: 150
Price: 3.99softback
Publication date and publisher: 1994, rainbow arts
ISBN: 0671738690
What would you do if your best friend got murdered? Would you solve the mystery? Would you hide? Because in this book Janie's best friend gets murdered! So solve the mystery of the new boy!

It's a perfect mystery book for you to read! My proof is that it has murders in it and no body knows who it is till the very end of the book! Janie's best friend gets murdered and she doesn't know any thing about the first one till she gets a phone call!
Don't let little kids read it! It will scare them to death because they will probably think there best friends will get murdered! They will get night mares! So don't let kids read this book if they are under the age of 9 and don't read it to them either!
Don't always trust your best friend! They might just betray you right when you turn around! They probably will act like your best friend still! Because one of Janies best friends murders her other best friends! So don't tell your secrets to them unless there good things about you!

So now what would you do if your friends get murdered? Not talk to your best friend for a while? Blame it on your friend? I know I wouldn't id just be a little afraid when I'm around them!

The New Boy by R.L.Stine is one of the best books I have ever read. I would definetly recomend this book to anyone who loves mystery books. This book is filled with thrills and suspense. The book starts of talking about a mysterious boy named Ross coming to ShadyHigh. But when he catches the eye of Jannie and her friends the soon try to go out with him. When Jannie hears about an incident that happened with Ross and his ex-girlfriend Jannie decides to do some investigating.

Alfreda knew how a girl was supposed to behave and what her role in life was to be but this did not stop her from longing for the same opportunities in life as her brothers were offered. The normalcy of her world is suddenly shattered when werewolves come to her village claiming several victims and awakening an old power. Alfreda and her family are forced to accept an old family obligation and it is up to Alfreda to conquer the power or be destroyed by creatures from the other side.

I found the story to be a pleasant read and developed affection for the characters described. I did think there was room for a bit more rounding out on the relationships but that can be addressed in a second book. I would have like to have seen Alfreda's discover more about her feelings for her beau before the book ended but it left a nice opening for another story if needed. The story wrapped up quite quickly and had a little bit of a rushed feeling to it but I closed the book with a smile. Over all I recommend the book as a good light hearted read.

Wings of Morning - is the name for the third book, at least i think it is. i came upon it on one of my usual random searches of katharine eliska kimbriel's works and this one was new so check it out bc i hope ally and shaw get together in this one!

I just adore this book, I almost have it memorized after many readings. Unfortunaly my baby riped it up so I need to find a new one. For anyone who is looking for a bit of interesting reading, buy it!

I discovered this quiet classic just after it was first published. I have lost track of how many times I have read it. It is very well written, telling its story through the eyes of an 11 - 14 year old but on an adult reading level. Having been a solitary wiccan for 17 years, I was skeptical that it might be just another "monsters and mayhem" tale, but the author manages to walk with ease "between the worlds" without the tiniest smidgeon of exploitation to be found. I have "redisovered" it after a long absence from it, and was astounded to find it had developed an amazing following. So much for that "just to read on the plane" beginning! Bottom line is great story, characters that are vibrantly alive, and a fascinating plot through man, myth, and magic. My only complaint: we need a third book to round out the story!!!!!! Ok, so I'm busted, I want a happy ending with Allie and Shaw... P.S. I now own three copies of "Night Calls" and its sequel, "Kindred Rites" because everyone keeps borrowing them from me!

I received Night Calls as a gift, and didn't read it for several months. I shouldn't have put it off! I was fortunate enough to take it with me on a long train ride, and very little reading time has been spent more pleasantly.

The backgdrop of the story is one I haven't encountered before: the American frontier, but through the eyes of a budding young girl/witch of Scandinavian descent. The unusual (but light) cultural slant, coupled with the author's ability to write a story that serves the characters, gave me a new perpsective on dark fantasy. The reader learns about the magic art along with the protagonist, and the writing makes all of it believable. Much of the magic element of the book is based in herbalism, of which I know little, but which the author presents with authority. However, the technical details never overshadow the human elements of the story. I would recommend this book to adult and young adult readers. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Pale Phoenix is a wonderful book. so detailed and well written that you can see your self there with the main characters. enchanting and a joy to read. i first discovered it 6 years ago at the local library and ive been rereading it(and i dont like to reread books *nods*). adios

This was a great book. The author kept you in suspense until you figured out what was going on. It is about a girl named Miranda and her parents. They take in an orphan named Abby. It was going okay, and then Miranda realized there was something weird about Abby. Then she started searching Abby's past.

This is another fine example of Kathryn Reiss's writing. I think it was a great book. I read atleast 4 times because I loved it so much. I really hope Kathryn Reiss becomes well-known. She has a great imagination and sense of literature. This classic tale about a pheonix rising from the ashes is a great story for young and older people to enjoy. I'd give it 10 stars if I could.

The only way that you will reall you will really understand this book fully is if you read the first book, Time Windows. The basic plot is that a girl , Miranda has a very great life with her parents and neighbors in her small Northeastern town until they take in this orphan named Abby to live with them. Miranda and Abby do not get along a weel and things change for Miranda. She beginds to start uncovering Abby's amazing past and helping her deal with it. If you read this book you will really benefit from it becuase, if you read anymore books by this author, the character Abby appears in many of them breifly.

This story is so suspenseful, that I was kept on the edge of my seat the entire time! This time-travel book, involves a young, thirteen-year-old girl by the name of Abby Chandler, who mysteriously and magically escapes a horrific fire, in which her family was killed. Abby does not know it, but a small, magical, stone flute carved in the shape of a phoenix, given to her by a Native American woman, Willow, saved Abby from dying in the fire with her family. But the flute did not only save Abby's life, it also threw her ahead in time by at least three hundred years! One second Abby was living in the colonial era, and the next second she was in a field of snow, without any knowledge of the buildings and houses around her.

Eventually Abby crosses paths with a young, fifteen-year-old girl, Mandy Browne, of Massachusetts. Unknown to both girls, but the day these two meet is the day Abby is rescued from her seemingly inevitable fate of living forever.

Mandy discovers there is something about this girl that isn't right. Whenever Mandy hears Abby hysterically crying, she goes to her room, but Abby is not there. What is even more strange, is that Mandy's parents do not hear Abby's wretched crying. In addition, Mandy discovers pictures of Abby's dating back hundreds of years. The strange thing is though, is that in all of the pictures there is a girl who is the splitting image of Abby, with the exception of clothes from each time period.

Twice, Mandy confronts her parents about Abby's crying, and twice Abby somehow returns back to her room, denying all of it, to which Mandy's parents take sides with Abby. Abby now knows that Mandy can unquestionably hear her crying when she has traveled back to her home of ruins. Since no one else has been able to hear her crying when she has been there, she decides to tell Mandy what really happened to her. Shocked and surprisingly moved by Abby's story, Mandy has no idea what to say and she is left speechless. Abby thinks that because Mandy can hear her crying, she will be able to help Abby save her family.

The rest is up to you to figure out what happens to the two girls. I loved this book and I know that anyone who reads it will too!

This was actually my first L. J. Smith book ever. My roommate was reading it when I was 14 and so I picked it up. It wasn't until I was finished that I realized it was a trilogy so it definitely can stand alone but is much better if read last.
The first one was awesome because it introduced the characters and each of the characters got a chance to really show through their true personalities. Except for discovering Gabriel's weakness as a result of over exposure to the large crystal from Book One I really thought #2 was boring.
But #3 was just the best. Kaitlynn has always seen guys look at her w/ desire b/c she's so beautiful but she'd never admitt that she was beautiful b/c others always feared her at the same time due to her visions. It's totally understandable that she'd then hook up w/ the first boy who ever gave her notice w/o fear or any hidden intentions. However, there's always this pull between her and "the bad boy". Lisa Jane does such a great job of showing how we all feel at that point in our lives. When we don't know what we're feeling or what's right. And you fall in love w/ "the bad boy" because you realize the pain and betrayal he experienced that made him who he is but that he's still basically good. And then Rob is like a perfect gentleman, the nice one, the reliable one - but no passion. So it raises the question can you truly be "in love" with someone whom you have no passion for?
This book had a perfect blend of action, danger, suspense and guilt-wrenching plessure so that anyone can enjoy it.

Kait decides to go against her friends and pretend to be a memeber of the dark psychics. Lying to Gabriel, and telling him that she came back for HIM and HIM alone, she begins to get more than she bargained for. And that includes the fact that she begins to fall...for Gabriel. So, when the end comes, which will she choose, Rob or Gabriel? Light hottie, or dark hottie?

Okay, okay, so the fact that Gabriel is totally hot spiced this book up A LOT! But, it WAS a great book. See? Look up top...FIVE stars. THAT is NOT what this book deserved. If i could give this book 10 stars i would do so in a heartbeat.

Gosh Lisa has done it again! This is the third of the Dark Visions Trilogy.

Gabriel has left the group and teamed with Mr.Z. When Gabriel fails to claim the crystal from the group Kaitlyn senses his weakness torwards her. So Kaitlyn takes it upon herself to destroy the evil crystal and help him at the same time. SO she heads off and pretends to team with Mr.Z as well. But what she didnt expect were the new house guests occupying the old house and her newly discovered love for Gabriel....you do the math!
This book was SO good I cant even explain it in words. I mean this book had my heart racing at times. And the ending was absolutely PERFECT I couldnt have asked for a better book!!!!!!!..... Oh yea Kaitlyn's big DECISION was ummm...well I think Kaitlyn's choice was pretty uh......interesting.

I mean the character Gabriel alone is more than enough reasons to buy this book! Only in my dreams would I EVER encounter someone half his character!
So PLEASE buy the book, buy the trilogy. But no dont stop there buy ALL her trilogies. No as a matter of fact buy ALL of L.J Smith books she's brilliant! Trust me Im pretty picky about my authors And she's at the very TOP of my list!!!

'The Passion' is the conclusion to L. J. Smith's 'Dark Visions' trilogy that began with 'The Strange Power' which introduced us to five teenagers brought to the Zetes Institute to enhance their psychic abilities only to find that the man in charge has plans to change them into a psychic 'swat team'. The trilogy continued with 'The Possessed' in which the five of them (Kaitlyn, Gabriel, Rob, Lewis and Anna) were on the run from Mr Zetes in their search to find a mysterious house from their dreams where the Fellowship lived, a passive Utopian society rich in psychic powers thanks to the power of a large perfect crystal. However, their strict rules of conduct meant that one of their numbers - Gabriel - was forbidden to enter their dwelling-place. Blinded by their goodness and ridgid purity Gabriel summoned Mr Zetes and his band of 'dark psychics' that had dogged the teens on their road trip across the country, and together they destroyed the great crystal, leaving only a shard that was placed in Kaitlyn's care. With the Fellowship disbanded and Gabriel reverted to the 'bad guys', the teenagers only hope seemed to be to destroy the Institute from the inside - by using their crystal shard to destroy Mr Zetes own crystal.

As you can see it is impossible to read any of the books out of order as 'The Passion' starts right where the last one ended. Kaitlyn decides to abandon her boyfriend Rob and best friends Anna and Lewis to return to the Institute, in the attempt to both convert Gabriel back to the white hats and find the dark crystal in order to destroy it. She successfully infilterates the Institute and finds herself surrounded by enemies - not only is Gabriel a tad suspicious of her, but there is also her ex-mentor Joyce Piper who betrayed them, Mr Zetes's daughter Lydia, and the malevolent Mr Zetes himself. As well as this are the 'dark psychics' of Mr Zetes former group: John 'Jackal Mac' MacCorkendale, Laurie Frost, Paul 'Renny' Renfrew and Sabrina 'Bri' Jessica Gallo (where does she get these names?!) Along with the new faces comes a new range of psychic abilities such as astral projection, psychometry and dowsing.

Other plot strands include the love triangle between Kaitlyn, Rob and Gabriel; the continuing destruction of the Fellowship; Rob, Anna and Lewis's quest to help both Kaitlyn and the comatosed Marisol of book one; Kaitlyn's struggle to find acceptance among the dark psychics; the dark psychic's deadly missions, and of finding Mr Zetes's very first students...

A fault however, is that L. J. is far too preoccupied with looks - so much so that it begins to get ridiculous, as are her long-winded descriptions on how beautiful Kaitlyn is; silly descriptions such as "a medieval witch princess against the dawn" and "eyes that people called witchy, smoky blue with darker blue rings in them". At one point Kaitlyn actually stands in front of the mirror and thinks to herself - "I look extremely witchy. Like someone who might go walking down the street like this, barefoot, hair wild in the breeze, singing strange songs." Please! It's a bit much. Likewise the simile for Rob as a 'golden, avenging angel' is too overused.

All in all, fans of L. J. Smith should be satisfied with this concluding novel to the trilogy. Unlike her other books it does not deal as much with supernatural qualities (such as vampires and witches) but many of her trademark features are there such as her famous love triangles. For once her heroine chooses the 'bad boy' - quite unprecedented in L. J.'s history (Cassie chooses Adam over Nick, Elena chooses Stefan over Damon and Jenny chooses Tom over Julian). The dark psychics were interesting despite their wackiness - I hope everybody noticed they were symbolic opposites of the original five (two boys, two girls in each group with Gabriel as the fifth member of both). The story wraps up quite quickly for a swift happy ending, but all loose ends are tied up and readers get the standard happily ever after they were hoping for.

In this excitiong conclusion to The Dark Visions Trilogy Gabriel has left and joined up with Mr. Zetes. But Kait knows this isn't the real Gabriel. So she decides to save him. She leaves the group and pretends to team up with Zetes. But while there Kait starts exploring her feelings and realizes she is crazy in love and holds a deep burning passion for...Gabriel. Can Kait save the day? And who will she chose? Rob or Gabriel? The light or the dark?

Kaitlyn definately made the right choice!!! This was my favorite of the trilogy. It was AWESOME! Make sure you read this and all of L.J.'s other books.

S.C. Ringgenberg
(602) 621-6439 /sringgenberg1@cox.net



Sight Unseen Brings Terror to Light


Sight Unseen, a 2006 graphic novel from Image, written by Rob Tinnell, and illustrated by Bo Hampton is quite simply, one of the best graphic novels of the last two years, and at the same time, the scariest ghost story I couldn't put down. Tinnell and Hampton's collaboration has produced a genuinely scary and original fearfest, with one of the creepiest villains ever put on paper. Tinnell's script is atmospheric, crackles with believable dialog, and provides a number of good shocks along the way to its melancholy conclusion. Some of the protagonists survive, but this brush with supernatural forces scars them forever.
Bo Hampton eschews his usual realistic, cleanly rendered style (always reminiscent of Al Williamson and Michael Kaluta in good ways) for a moodier, computer drawn style that gives him a broader emotional palette to work with, especially in the darker range of the spectrum. Hampton captures the mood of Tinnell's script so well that I can't imagine another artist drawing this. I give Sight Unseen my highest recommendation. If you haven't read this book, don't waste any time tracking down your own copy! And while you're reading it, you'd better leave the lights on. Pleasant dreams, readers

It's disappointing how unreadable some comics and graphic novels are today. Pretentious, patronizing, overwrought, and often boring. It's a shame how art-driven the medium has become. That sounds a bit odd when you consider I'm talking about COMICS, but it's true nonetheless. If the book has a plodding script with flat characters, cheap lines and horrible pacing, then no artist of any caliber can save it from an inevitable demise. No artist worth his lead should have touched it in the first place, but unfortunately they do, and we the buyers often let ourselves be lured in by big names and lay down our hard-earned cash for worthless drivel.
But this gorgeous little book is worth every penny I laid down for it. Sight Unseen is everything I want my comics and graphic novels to be. Original without being pretentious. Intelligent without being patronizing. Thought-provoking without being overwrought. The characters are believable, likeable and thoroughly fleshed-out. The relationship dynamic between Frank, his daughter Molly, and his research partner Derek couldn't be more spot-on. Every page of this book is perfectly done, by both Bob and Bo. Speaking of which, Bo's artwork is really something to behold. Loose and organic at just the right moment, yet clean and tight right when it had to be. Not to take anything away from the guy, but a few of those panels gave me very Templesmith-esque shivers! That's definitely a compliment in my book. The complete lack of dialogue or narration in certain sequences is nothing short of brilliant...and terrifying!
Truth be told, I was hesitant at first about the glasses. While I'm familiar with some of the research done regarding the paranormal, I feared that the scientific aspects would be delved into far too much for the average reader, and would threaten to overtake the amazing ghost story that was evolving. I was quite relieved and very pleased to see that wasn't the case! Just enough information to keep the reader up to snuff, nothing more. The build-up and climax is a crash course in Horror How-To. My pulse hasn't pounded that hard in a long time.
Kudos to Bob and Bo on this amazing book. I'll be passing it on to everyone I know that loves a great ghost story. I truly hope that there is a script treatment in the works and a studio smart enough to pick it up!

When I originally found out about this book it was at the Philadelphia Comic convention in 2005. I met Bo Hampton who gladly shared some of the pages and concepts to Sight Unseen. I had the pleasure of meeting Bob Tinell and together they crafted a story that frankly scared the hell out of me. The art was riveting. The fact that there were so many panels with no dialouge left the reader to truly study the panel and after looking past the obvious, the minor nuansces are what left the reader frightened. Great concept! The writing is top notch. I could not put this book down. I am not a fan of horror but this ranks with 30 Days of Night as a book that will only fuel the flames of the horror comic book comeback. If this is not made into a film it would be a travesty. This is as chilling as the Sixth Sense and makes the Ring seem tame. I would recommend this book to anyone whether a fan of horror or not. My hope is that Bob and Bo will continue to spin tales of horror and suspense for many more years to come. Dare I say that if I had a few million dollars I would find a way to make this book into a movie. That's how good it is! Read Sight Unseen.

Not a bad book, but at the same time not as frightening as i was hoping for, but it still has quite an interesting premise and a pretty suspenseful climax.

I picked up this book solely to enjoy Bo Hampton's wonderful artwork, but I was surprised at how well written the story was. You don't think that you'll be spooked by a Graphic Novel, but I read this lengthy book before bed and I have to admit that when I turned the lights out I could have sworn I was hearing things. Incredibly creepy.

No doubt, what draws you to this story is the masterful artwork by Bo Hampton, but the entire book is a treasure. Even the format of the book and it's extra behind the scenes section at the end fit in perfectly. The only thing I have to say negative about it is that I found a few mispellings and grammatical errors in the book. Strange. Usually you don't see that in a Graphic Novel. But that really doesn't affect the intensity of this book. My highest recommendation.