Science Fiction and Fantasy Books

From reading the other reviews here, I can see I'm not the only person who looks at this trilogy as a "cult favorite." It seems that the Borribles definitely have a devout following!

Good news, friends! A publisher in the UK has recently re-printed all three books, in a single volume. These stories are available again at last! Click on "United Kingdom" at the bottom of your screen, and have "The Borribles Trilogy" shipped to you from Amazon.com in Great Britain.

Wow. What a great, original book. I read if for the first time in the late 70s...when I was 12 years old. It was a stunning work then, and remains such. I didn't care for the sequels that I discovered and read several years later, though. I think the story works best as a stand-alone book.

Regardless, this is an awesome book. Do yourself a favor and read it!

Don't get caught!

This book brings back a lot of memories. I read it in my teen years, and it reminds me of one of my English teachers who took the trouble to track down and buy me one of the sequels. That was an act of kindness I never forgot, and why I think teachers are such marvellous people to this day (I had excellent ones.)

The basic premise is of children who run away from home to an underworld/sub-world (yes, it's a kind of urban fantasy). The new arrivals have no name until they can prove they deserve one, and they can earn several. I don't remember the plot, but I know that the tribal/merit-based culture and the way they interacted was really interesting to me, and I'm getting ready to track down a copy for my niece who will soon be of an age to enjoy this one.

Like many here I read this book as a young man. Borribles are children that have chosen to run away from home and live on the street. As they live on the street their ears become pointed, which is why they wear hats to hide the fact from those that hunt borribles. Once you become a Borrible you will remain a kid forever...unless... Many of the cops that work the beat that Borribles can be found are on the look out for them. If a Borrible is captured, then the cops will clip his ears and he will turn back into a normal kid. People that were once Borribles become insanely jealous of those that still are Borribles and also hunt them. Couple this with extra large, intellegent sewer rats that are the sworn enemy of Borribles, and you can see that a Borribles existance is a bit dicey. As a Borrible you can't get a job, so they live by their wits, stealing their supper and defending themselves with thier trusty slingshots. They live in small tribes / street gangs throughout London scratching a rough existance from the sewers and back alleys. Forming alliances and rivalries with each other as well.
The first book of Borribles, a Borrible finds a scout Rumble (really big sewer rat) and his tribe elects to seek out the rumbles and disrupt any plans of attack they may have. Think about a tiny Delta Force unit with sling shots and a candy fixation. Gritty and Tough as the Outsiders with a little Peter Pan thrown in, a great read. I highly recommend this book.

If it weren't for their pointed ears (which you should know are always well-disguised under a woollen hat whenever they're out in public), it would be very difficult to distinguish a Borrible from a normal human child. They're generally "very skinny", "pretty tough looking", and "always scruffy". Sums up this generation perfectly, don't you think? ;-)

Anyhow, the story itself begins when an enemy Rumble is spotted on Borrible territory by two lookouts, Knocker and Lightfoot. The Borrible instantly smell trouble and in no time at all have assembled a crack team of adventurers to assassinate the Rumble High Command. Naturally of course, not all goes according to plan...

From page one, Michael de Larrabeiti's 'The Borribles' is brimming with action and adventure of epic proportions. It isn't perfect, but whether you're young or simply young at heart, there's something here to be enjoyed.

Highly recommended!

Did you know this is a young adult book? I didn't, until I read it. I kept thinking it was written for a younger audience, lacking the maturity of the original Trilogy, and then I saw on the back cover that I was right. For a young adult series, it's not at all bad. However, one can not even begin to understand this series without having first read the original Circle Trilogy and its sequel, Showdown, which are definitely not young adult fiction. I can't quite grasp why an author would try to change his audience in the middle of a storyline.

Don't get me wrong; for young adult fiction it's a good read. It's just not cut from the same block as the other relevant works.

Some have said that this is not a spin-off of the original Circle Trilogy. They don't know what they're saying. This series is solidly based in the original trilogy and can not be fully understood apart from it.

I stayed with this one from start to finish! I'm now looking to order the next in the series. By all means, take a look at the books by Ted Dekker. Dekker is a mastermind and will catch all readers, from the novice to the most serious. Awesome!

This story begins in the middle! Actually in the middle of the trilogy, during a period when Thomas Hunter eats the fruit so that he doesn't dream. This series introduces a brand new cast of characters to Ted Dekker's trilogy with Darsal, Billos, Johnis and Silvie, four teenagers assigned the task of finding the lost books of history by the Roush.

Love, the great romance, and loyalty underscore the startling, twisting developments of the plot. Its quick pace and incredible intricacies make this a page turner. Completely riveted, I read them all in rapid fire succession!

I have read almost everything ted dekker has written and his circle trilogy is some of my favorite dekker material. Chosen is a great book that begins a great series, filling in some time between the original trilogy books.
Right away you fall in love with the main hero and his companions. The story is fast and the plot sweeps you away, desperate to know what happens with all that is at stake.
My only complaint is that the book wasn't a little longer with more character development, but it is targeted for young adults. Nonetheless, the plot is excellent and I couldn't wait for the next 3 when I was done. Highly recommended

Ted Dekker continues to amaze me with all the great works he puts out and how he intertwines the stories. Im still not sure how he will tie them all together in the end.This book is aimed at the YA but is for everyone. It deals with an alternate world where four teens are chosen to become part of the Forest Guard who is at war with the Horde(the desert dwellers). Johnis the main character is unsure of himself and why he was chosen but decides to follow his heart instead of his head. A really great book which also ties into Dekkers Circle trilogy, Showdown, and Skin. I would really recommend checking out this series as well as Dekkers other books. I cant wait to read the rest of this series.

I can't get enough of the Fables series. Snowfall has background stories from some of the main characters in the series. Some of them are cute, some are informative, some are heartbreaking, and all of them have great artwork in them. Regardless of whether you're a fan or not, 1001 Nights of Snowfall is a beautiful book. The re-imaginings of fairy tale characters as more in-depth people is as fantastic as the different artists' work.

This is another welcome addition to the series. I can't wait for the next one.

I bought this book just yesterday. I was captured by unusual and amazingly beautiful graphics of this book. I never heard about Bill Willingham before so this was my first encounter with his work.
By the end of this book I was rather depressed than entertained. Not because of the quality of this book but rather on the stories told by Bill Willingham are actually depict a real world/ real life human sufferings and problems.
He can bring forward those deepest fear and concern of human. The story of frog prince is the one in particular i found to be the most sad of all.
I would say this work is a must to be collected. But I would say that the stories are not suitable for those under 21 years old.

A great graphic novel, with some of the best storytelling that I have seen. Even if you have not yet read Fable, this can be a good entry into the series (which is what I did). My only complaint is that the book is a bit short, even if the production values (binding, art, glossy pages) are high.

Somehow, thumbing through this comic had never really grabbed my attention - or really turned me off, either. I finally decided to make up my mind one way or the other, and took this first of the collected monthlies home.

And darn well about time, too. Although the premise almost invites bad execution, the stories and artwork both meet very high standards. Artwork by Vess, Bolton, and Kaluta set a high tone, one that the other artists rise to. The stories pull the reader in, too. They draw on the familiar characters of childhood fairy tales, but move them forward in a world of dark forces and dire conflicts. There are no "adult" themes here, but there's still plenty to please a mature and thoughtful reader, and certainly not much for a young child.

I hung back from this title for a long time - well, I've made other mistakes, too. I enjoyed this first collection immensely, and I'm coming back for more.

-- wiredweird

Super killer return.


This is now probably in the class of really good forgotten novels.

The Paratwa were engineered to be superhuman killing machines.

There were enough of them that they could decide to band together and try and take over themselves.

Everybody else thought that was a bad idea and decided on a process of elimination.

A long time later it seems there may still be some around, and a man who just happens to have the physical abilities, if helped by a team and some appropriate fancy weapons tech is tasked to hunt them down.

A violent, but well characterized novel that is far above your run of the mill adventure story.

Well worth looking into.


4.5 out of 5

I will not bore you with details of the plot since other reviewers have already have done an excellent job at that. The big questions are: Is this a good book? Will I like it? What's it's like? Let me try to answer those.

This book is definitely in the genre of a science fiction thriller in the best sense. The action and the plot flows very quickly, very significant events happen that will determine the fate of human colonies, and conspiracies within conspiracies are plotted, revealed, thwarted, and rehatched. The pages do turn very quickly and the plot never stalls.

The only downside is that the characterization is somewhat minimal. The book is plot driven and the characters are interested but they're mostly there as standins for concepts rather than people you might be passionate about. If that doesn't bother you and if you like action oriented, plot driven stories, this is truly a great read.

On another note, there are two sequels to this book, Ash Ock and Paratwa. The two sequels combined to make one story, so if you're going to buy Ash Ock, you should definitely get Paratwa also. Ash Ock ends right in the middle of the action and Paratwa continues right where Ash Ock left off. Will you like the sequels? If you liked Liege-Killer, you'll definitely like Ash Ock and Paratwa. There's more of what makes Liege-Killer a thrilling read - more conspiracies, more revelations, more events that may decide the fate of the human colonies.

I haven't had this much fun reading science fiction for a long while. I highly recommend the entire series.

STORY: As one editorial review so nicely summariezed: "Two hundred years after Earth is devastated by nuclear war and genetically engineered Paratwa assassins, the humans of orbiting Earth colonies are at peace, until a series of murders reveal the reemergence of the Paratwa."

MY FEEDBACK:
1) SETTING - Prior to the destruction of all life on Earth, humans left for the stars. One group took off into spaceships headed for another solar system. The other group onto the colony capsule that orbits Earth. The later is where the story takes place. The colony capsule is 76 miles long, which is big enough to sustain different regions and groups. I had just come across a real-life group called the Lifeboat Foundation. Thus the setting seemed very plausible and real. It worked well for this story.

2) CHARACTERS - Our group of protagonists are likeable and plausible. Nick is my favorite character, but there is something to admire in each of them. The antagonists as gathered from the story description are a group of genetically created assassins. The Paratwa are very cool and deadly. The characters work well together in this story.

3) STORY - The only reason I gave this story a 4 star (very good read) vs. a 5 star (great read) is because of some of what I felt were long sections of exposition needed in order to explain man's history and how he go to this point in the future. Other than that, the story had plenty of intrigue, action and suspense. The author does give things away by page 122-125 out of 460+ page book. This worked for the most part because as characters came on stage there were two you kept looking for hints at to see which one was the "real" bad guy.

OVERALL: Fun read within a great sci-fi setting. It is not necessary to read the next book as this story resolved 95% of all plotlines. I've read that it the next two books are a bit of a let down anyhow. Nevertheless, get your hands on this book.

This opening novel of a space opera sets up an interesting world and is based on an interesting idea. In this world earth is destroyed in a biological and nuculear war and humanity has moved to colonies in orbit. A deadly killer has been released by earths old enemies. Killers that are superhumans enties that have two bodies controled by the same mind.

This book introduces several interesting characters. More importanly the book gets the mood and setting right. The characters move around in style and the story flows well. This book is really a modern dime novel, with the privet eye replaced by a special ops expert.

Unfortuneatly as a trilogy this story fails rather badly. The second and third books do not work nearly as well as the first two. Only the main two characters are kept through all three books and they simply don't stand up the rigor of another seven hundred pages. It is never truly awful the more of this you read the less interesting it is. I can recomend this first novel as a good quick read, but don't feel bad if you don't get around to the sequals.

My friend bought this book for me as a joke because I found the cover art to be amusing. I had read the synopsis on the back of the book, but never seriously thought about reading it until my friend bought it for me. Boy am I glad she did! The book was an genuine page-turner with twists and surprises around every bend. It follows a paratwa - an assassin that is composed of two bodies but one mind - and the paratawa's hunters and victims. In a relatively peaceful existence where everything (including the weather) is controlled by technology, the citizens are literally sheep for the taking as the paratwa reaks havoc. Two paratwa hunters are unfrozen from stasis and sent on the hunt... with technolgoy enabling anybody to alter their identity and the Ash Ock able to fill any position of power, everybody becomes a suspect!

Not only is the book a fascinating and well-crafted story, it brings the eery question to mind of how much technology is too much? And when, not if, will humanity become its own worse enemy?

Like many before, I received this book from my mom when I was growing up - I went through a fantasy stage . . . anything w/princesses, fairies, etc. was read.

This is a children's book, but I have enjoyed reading it again as an adult. It has great imagination, and is well written. Nick is able to take the reader and take them into Jennifer's dream world.

The plot starts off w/Jennifer on her way to school in her school bus, stressing about her written report. This is a girl that gets good grades, but hasn't written anything because the assignment wanted her to write about a dream, but Jennifer has never experienced a dream before - until she looks out her window and realizes that she's no longer in the school bus, but in a carriage. The story takes off from there as she becomes "Princess Miranda" and finds out the kingdom is under some evil spell.

I would definitely recommend this book to any young girl. . . I just had my daughter last year, and I will be giving her my book when she's old enough to read it. :o)

WOW!!! I totally LOVE this book!!! I got it from my second cousin Brittany. I have NO IDEA why the heck she got rid of it. It's such a good book! I've read this book twice because it's so dang good! The story starts out with Jennifer (just an ordinary girl) riding to school on a bus. On the bus she falls asleep. When she wakes up she finds herself in a really fancy carrige. She knows she definitely hasn't gone crazy! After she gets out of the carrige, she sees that she's in a different world! People are calling her Princess Miranda and stuff. Later on she finds out that she is the next -and last- target for Duke Rinaldo and Swenhild, a witch. What will she do? She's just a helpless little girl. Or is she? I won't give away the ending. You'll have to read it yourself. This is a must-have book. I suggest you buy it right away. If you don't, you're missin' out!

I loved this book so much. I loved it just as much as harry potter except I read it in a day and it took a few weeks to read harry potter # 5!

Well, I am 25 now and my thoughts kept straying back to this great book I read when I was a kid about princesses, a guy named Prospero, and a girl on a school bus. I wanted to find this book again since I loved it so much!
It has a simple beginning, and a simple way to end it, but the in between stuff is so rich and you get pulled into the beautiful fantasy of it...and wish that you too could be transported somewhere else while riding in your own school bus. I definetely recommend adding it to your collection.

Jenny's a normal girl having a normal day on a normal school bus. Then she closes her eyes and wakes up in a...carriage. In a strange land. Where she is adopted by the king and named a princess.

But she isn't just any princess. She's the seventh princess of a line of five other adopted princesses who were turned into harpies by an evil witch. If she doesn't want the same thing to happen to her, she's gotta do something about it.

This was my favorite book in the fourth grade. A definite keeper, which I still remember almost a decade later. A girl can really relate to Jenny's predicament, can really believe that maybe she herself could be in Jenny's place. As for the adventure...unbelievable. The only strange part was the simpleness of the counterspell--it was a little weak for me. Still, it's all part of the fantasy.

Magic, switch from the normal world into the magical world, hapries, spells, witches, royalty, and good old fashioned school buses.

A great, great book.

I enjoyed the book (see other reviews for synopsis). It was a "fun" read with a little bit of thoughtful material (e.g., what it would be like to be confined to life as a ship). It was one of those books that frequently made me smile, but it was not a page turner.

I'd been looking for a bit of intelligent escapism, and certainly found it in this collaborative effort by Anne McCaffrey and Mercedes Lackey. The Ship Who Searched is the second in the Brainship collection (though the books needn't be read in order) - where each book in the series is a team effort between McCaffrey and various eminent authors in the genre.

The Brainship world of the series is a version of our own future, where humankind has long since left our solar system. The characters are still very much informed by the Earth history we know, however, and though the novels take place amongst other worlds and are occasionally populated by other nonhuman species, the story feels very real for that reason.

Hypatia Cade (Tia) is a precocious and brilliant child, and as the daughter of xeno-archaeologists has spent her young life traveling from one planet to another on exploratory digs. Her parents are investigating the puzzling disappearance of a world-hopping alien civilization that vanished without a trace long ago.

While playing at her own "pretend" dig, Tia uncovers what seems to have been a waste repository for the aliens. She somehow contracts a virus that results in the gradual loss of feeling and control in her extremities and by the time she tells her parents (not wanting to interrupt their work with what the ship's AI tells her are "growing pains"), it is too late. Hypatia is transferred to a medical facility, where it is determined that she will never regain control of her body below the neck.

In this future world, children born with debilitating congenital defects are often entered into the Brain/Brawn program, where their non-functioning bodies are sealed up into ships (or occasionally spaceports or other facilities) and their minds become the "brains" of the craft. These "shellpersons" are essentially one with the ships they inhabit; their brains have been enhanced and modified to monitor every aspect of the electronic and mechanical workings, and they "feel" the hull as though it were their own skin. Brainships are paired with a Brawn, a living (and mobile) component to the ship's operations. These pairings are typically very close, given their intimate proximity and the partners' frequent long-term isolation in space travel during their assignments.

The Ship Who Searched has a lot of heart for a sci-fi novel. Hypatia is a compelling and likeable character; her only hope is to convince the Brain/Brawn directors that she's not too old to be included in the program, so that she can fulfill her dreams of becoming a pilot with the Archaeological division. So, too, must she solve the riddle of the vanished alien race, whose disappearance may be linked to the disease that devastated her body - plague is a common threat to the archaeologists of the future. And, as both a Brainship and a developing young woman, she must navigate her growing feelings for her newly assigned Brawn, Alex.

The Ship Who Searched is a fast-paced, emotionally satisfying, and thoroughly entertaining read. The application of archaeology to a science fiction setting was compelling and well conceived, and the Brain/Brawn program feels surprisingly believable. I found it refreshing to read a novel where several main characters are physicaly disabled, and found the book's treatment of the subect to be very balanced sympathetic without being pandering. While the ending felt a bit too quick, it was natural and fulfilling. I had quite a bit of fun with this one, and will definitely be investigating others in the series.

-Jacquelyn Gill

Hypatia (Tia) Cade is an astonishingly bright and surprisingly well adjusted daughter of two distinguished archeologists. Although her parents were totally engrossed in excatvating long dead civilizations on remote planets they were also quite devoted to their daughter, refusing to send her away to be raised by strangers or enrolled in a boarding school. During the day while they were outside working at the site Tia kept busy working at the teaching terminal supervised by the resident A(rtifical) I(ntelligence) and occasionally chatting with Moira, the brainship that serviced their site. It was a happy life for Tia, one that she intended to continue so that she could join her parents as a colleague once she completed school. Unfortunately tragedy struck in the form of an exotic virus that left Tia completely paralyzed, her only option for any sort of independent life lay in becoming a shell person, a living brain encased in a shell and controlling a space station, a city, or a ship.

Once Tia completed her training and selected her 'brawn' Alexander the pair found themselves tracking down tomb raiders and stopping plagues from sweeping through the galaxy, jobs they were uniquely suited for. Along they way they made a few other discoveries that would have even more far reaching consequences than they ever could have foreseen.

This 1992 book is a continuation of the 'Ship' series begun by McCaffrey years before with THE SHIP WHO SANG. The basic premise of the series is that severely handicapped infants are placed into 'shells' where their devasted bodies are no longer a prison for them. There are references to earlier books in the series, as well as a few inside jokes concerning other future collaborators to the series but this work can definitely stand on its own and be enjoyed without any knowledge of earlier works.

This book was a book club choice. It is written by two of my favorite fantasy Authors. The thought of them doing science fiction together intrigued me. The book turned out really well. I enjoyed the story from cover to cover. I found that I could not put this one down. I have gone on to slowly read the rest of the Brainship series. Each one is a piece that can be read by itself as well as a series. This one if facinating because tia is not put into the brainship program at birth but at 7 years old.

This book will have you from the first few chapters on. I simply loved it and couldn't find myself putting it down. How can one resist the will of a cute girl with a strong will and a teddy bear? This book is good for all ages. Anne McCaffrey will always be one of my favorite authors.

This is the final volume in the "Ages of Middle-Earth" series and it was actually the first written. Although published in two volumes The Book Of Lost Tales was originally written as one. Tolkien expands in this second volume the stories of Middle-Earth as they unfold during the first four ages. For years Tolkien had been a scholar of mythology and he used his studies to transform ancient Earth mythology into the fantasy we know today. So if you love fantasy, whether you are a Tolkien reader or not, you will love this remarkable first attempt at reshaping modern fantasy.

The Book of Lost Tales 2 is a fantastic continuation to the first, taking place right where it left off this book goes in deeper than the first. The Book of Lost Tales includes 6 tales that where apart of the first but explains it with greater detail. This book was edited by Christopher Tolkien, the author's(J.R.R. Tolkien) son. All of the six stories include many notes that help you with the story, and 4 of them include a commentary that Christopher Tolkien wrote. I found the commentary and notes to be very helpful and enjoyable although he refers a lot to The Simarillion so one who has not read that might not understand some of it, and infact the stories that are in The Book of Lost Tales 2 are briefly in The Simarillion, which is also a very wonderful book. These books can be at sometimes a little difficult to read given the ammount of detail and information that they give you, sometimes it is hard to organize all of it but as you read on more things fall into place.

I highly recommend this book, although suggest reading The Simarllion before hand, J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy world is quite enjoyable and his writings are full of detail. I also found the appendix and index of words quite useful and very nice to have, it tells you where all the names come from and have referances to where you can find them in this book and others. If you have read Lord of The Rings then you will find referances that are from this book and also The Simarillion that you did not get before.

Overall I thought this book was very enjoyable, although some what tedious at some points, and I recommend it to all fantasy and Lord of The Ring fans.

If you like the silmarillion and book of lost tales one, than you cannot wait another day to get this. If you are like me and REALLY LIKE this whole middle earth thing with the trees, music of the ainur. etc, then you absolutely have to read this.

The first lost tales was the first half of the silmarillion, and of course part 2 of lost tales is the rest of the silm. Though a lot of these works are unfinished(certainly the whole tale telling itself with eriol and gilfanon?, yet some seem very finished like the fall of gondolin.

Some people don't think peter jackson did not do a good job with the lord, yet they do admit it was still a pretty good movie. I did not find return of the king NEAR as good as the other 2 movies, but I think that Pete was the best choice as director.

Now the point that I wanna make is that with all of the material from the book of lost tales part 1 AND 2, the silmarillion, unfinished tales, and all the annals I think Peter Jackson could make another epic movie doing 1 of 3 things, or something that I'm not thinking of. It doesn't matter how these are made, I just wanna see them on screen.

1. Make a two-part movie 6-7 hours in total.
2. Make a 3 1/2 hour or 4 hour movie
3. Pick a certain tale like turin or luthien

Any of these things that I have suggested are acceptable to me, but I would be open to any way possiblre to put this on screen.

I honestly feel that with the very strong emotions in these books it could be better than the lord of the rings movies.

`if he could indeed destroy with his cunning the happiness and glory of the Gods and Elves...'

When the hateful god Melko marred the world, the Valar hid within the blessed land of Valinor, abandoning the Elves and Men of Middle Earth to slavery under his terrible rule. This was the time of great heroes who challenged Melko's impossible might. Beren and Lúthien entered Melko's hall to pluck his most prized possession from his crown. Cursed Túrin became a feared enemy of all evil creatures. Tuor fought to save a beleaguered realm. The mighty kingdoms of Gondolin - ruled by King Turgon - and Menegroth - ruled by King Thingol - long provided refuge for the few free people. Finally Eärendel risked all to beseech the Valar for aid. These heroes made terrible sacrifices to rid the world of the greatest evil it has ever known. Ashamedly, as magic faded and the Elves fled from the world, Men forgot these great deeds.

Ages later, the English mariner Eriol sailed to Tol Eressëa, the Lonely Isle, where Elves welcomed him as guest. In grand oral tradition, they recounted to Eriol the tales that should never have been lost.

Anybody who enjoyed The Book of Lost Tales Part 1, which should be read first, will love Part 2. It is also helps to first read The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, Unfinished Tales, and, most importantly, The Silmarillion.

Christopher Tolkien continues to expertly assemble and present his father's works. His precise commentaries are essential to understanding J.R.R. Tolkien's mythos.

Some of the stories in Lost Tales are much more detailed than their final versions in the Silmarillion. Lost Tales is a treasure trove of rejected content that really fleshes out the myths.

The Book of Lost Tales Part 2 has six sections.

`The Tale of Tinúviel', one of Tolkien's most popular stories, tells of the triumphant love between Beren and Lúthien. This version is shockingly different than that found in The Silmarillion, and it contains much more dialogue and plot.

`Turambar and the Foalókë' is the stirring tragedy of Túrin son of Úrin (or Húrin). Cursed as a child, Túrin rages against fate with heroic intensity. This account is wonderfully detailed.

`The Fall of Gondolin' recounts the final days of King Turgon's fair city. Ulmo (the only Valar to intervene in Middle Earth during this period) sends brave Tuor upon a divine quest to bring counsel to the doomed realm. This Lost Tales version is staggeringly well detailed. The final battle for the city (summarized in a few sentences in The Silmarilllion) here receives tremendous attention. This action-heavy scene is definitely a highlight of the book.

In `The Nauglafring', Elves and Dwarves battle over cursed gold. This early-abandoned tale flatly contradicts much of Tolkien's other work.

`The Tale of Eärendel' tells of the legendary mariner who now sails the firmament above Earth as a radiant star, bringing hope to men. J.R.R. Tolkien never wrote this story, so this section consists of outlines, poems, and heavy commentary.

`The History of Eriol or Ælfwine' delves into Eriol's life. It clearly identifies Middle Earth as our Earth; for instance, the origins of England and Ireland are spelled out and Rome is presented as an Elvish enemy. Although enlightening, this thoroughly explained setting lacks the mysterious grandeur of LoTR's Middle Earth. This tale was never finished, and Christopher Tolkien shows superhuman diligence in piecing together jumbled outlines and narrative fragments. It is densely commented and makes a slow, though worthy, read.

The Book of Lost Tales shows the devotion J.R.R. Tolkien had for his craft. It is a perfect choice for any Silmarillion fan.

-Zach Zelmar

`The Book of Lost Tales, Part One and Part Two' by J. R. R. Tolkien, edited by son, Christopher Tolkien, is, according to the editor's Foreword, some of the very earliest works written by Tolkien on the mythology of Middle Earth. Many, it is stated, were drafted in the 1920s, nearly ten years before the start of `The Hobbit'.

This is an important fact, as it means that they were not written to `fill in' details of references made in either `The Hobbit' or `The Lord of the Rings' (LOTR). It means that both of these published novels were narratives of a preexisting world of Middle Earth with a history stretching back thousands of years, to the very creation of the world. This supports the sense of historical depth one has when you read both novels. Early in the Foreword, editor Tolkien addresses this very aspect and the danger that the great depth of history felt in the novels may not transfer to documents that lay out that history. I personally do not sense that danger when I read these works. The intellectual effort required to understand the text and tie it together with all the Tolkienania that has gone before is more than enough to keep me busy. This is the basis of my title for this review, `Fantasy for Grown-ups'.

My experience is that neither `The Hobbit' nor `LOTR' books or movies had a strong appeal to the same audience as the literal and virtual comic book works such as Spiderman, Superman, Batman, Star Wars, Lara Croft (Tomb Raider), or even Indiana Jones. The world in which Middle Earth is set is much more subtly different from our world or the world of `Long ago, and far, far, away...' Even in `The Hobbit' one gets hints that the world of Middle Earth is not our comfortable sphereical planet with a different geography but the same physics, chemistry, and biology. One gets the sense that while the great `Gandalf the Gray' may be called a `wizard', he is not a wizard in the same sense as Merlin or a wizard of `Dungeons and Dragons'.

The most important difference between Middle Earth and our world is that this continent is in the center of a great disk surrounded by seas across which are the undying lands including the Elven island of Eressea and Valinor. The next major difference is that there are beings, primarily elves, which walk the earth and which are literally immortal. That is, they cannot die by natural causes. They can, however, be killed in battle, as seen in `The Two Towers' movie with the death of the elven archer allies helping to defend the Hornburg with Aragorn, Theoden, and the Rohrrim. It is also interesting to see that Gandalf possesses an immortality of an entirely different order, as he survives the great battle with the Balrog in the mines of Moria, a battle that would have killed any ordinary immortal elf.

It would have been interesting to see Tolkien deal with immortality in the same way that John Boorman did in his script for the movie `Zardoz', an easily underestimated movie. (Oddly enough, Gandalf is most like the characterization of Merlin in Boorman's movie, `Excalibur').

Another big difference is that the physics of this world is different from our world. Light, for example, simply does not behave like our notions of light. It is much more like a liquid that can be captured in the Silmarils or in the vial give by Galadrial to Frodo in Lorien. This is part of the reason neither Gandalf nor any other character, even Sauron, seems to use much `magic'. What may appear to us as magic is simply bending the different laws of physics to the will of the magician, as Sauron does in creating the One Ring.

These two books are yet another step removed from the `popular fiction' of `LOTR'. `The Silmarillion' was one step removed in being much more like Hesiod's mythology than Homer's epics. The `Unfinished Tales' were another step removed in that they were close to being stories with extensive editorial annotations. These two volumes, which are really one work in two books are reconstructions of even cruder material. Reading them may be about as much fun as reading Frazier's `The Golden Bough'.

Now, reading `The Golden Bough' can be fun for a particularly intellectual interest, but it takes just a bit extra to gain the same pleasure from these works, as they are not stories from a historical mythology which may explain genuine primitive thought and beliefs. They are make believe! They just happen to be of a type of make believe which is more different than just about any other fiction you can imagine.

The greatest insight I get from these myths on the early history of Middle Earth is on the origins of Tom Bombadil and the Ents. While neither is mentioned, there are ample hints that both are beings who sprung up from the bones of Middle Earth itself, independent of any efforts by the Valar. This explains the total difference between Bombadil and every other character in `LOTR' aside from Treebeard and the Ents. The Elves, the Wizards, Sauron, dragons, and probably dwarves, hobbits, and men all arose out of immigrants from `The Undying Lands' or were created by the Valar.

I find the single most interesting character in these pre `LOTR' stories to be the Noldor (elven) leader Feanor. He seems to have the air of Prometheus about him in that he defies the gods (the Valar) without being an evil force like Melkor / Morgoth or Sauron. When Feanor is not on the stage, my interest drops several notches.

These are the first two volumes of the twelve volume `The History of Middle Earth'. While several of the volumes seem independent, I would not venture to read any of them without having read `The Silmarillion'. They will make very little sense without this background in hand.

This was a wonderfully written fantasy novel. I immediately fell in love with the main character and her world. I would highly recommend it to kids *and* adults!

Interesting read. Certainly a different writing style. Difficult to hold my interest until late in the book. It shows great imagination. It is not a casual read.

In the old Zork video games were these nasty critters called grues. If you went into the caverns without a candle you'd likely be eaten by one, but you never encountered them in the light and had no idea what they looked like. Somehow, it was a lot spookier that way.

I'm not saying that Billingsley based her Folk off the Zorkian grues, but both were likely inspired by the same old legends about ravenous teeth lurking in the unknowable darkness.

Instead of avoiding the Folk, like a video game adventurer would, fifteen-year-old Corrina Stonewall seeks them out. Armed only with her courage and a collection of dubious charms, Corrina spends long hours in the cellar "tending" the Folk--that is to say, keeping a journal of what the ravenous creatures eat and providing a bit of herself on the occasions that they're still hungry.

Corrina has to pass at being a boy in order to keep this plum of a work assignment, but at least it's better than scrubbing floors.

As we get to know Corrina through her Folk journal, we discover that this Folk Keeper's gender is not her only secret. She also has strange abilities and a secret past that she herself does not even guess at. The writing is powerful and poetic, and the ending is sure to please.

If you read this book, make sure you have a nightlight handy in your bedroom. Or else, you might be eaten by a grue.

I know there are a lot of books about girls pretending to be boys ( like the books by Tamora Pierce), but this one blows them all away, until only The Folk Keeper stands in all its glory on a podium made of gold.
Now, I did not think I would ever read a perfect fantasy book. Either the character is not fully developed or the writing style is boring/cheesy or it is bogged down with romance. After reading The Folk Keeper, I knew I had found the perfect book. Corinna is immediately a lovable character, a character you stand up for, that you know like the back of your hand. The plot is formed out of seemingly magical hands, spinning a tight web about you that you just can't break till the end. The end, I must tell you, is perfect, it is glorious, it gives you shivers on the back of your neck. And it's all because of the author's extraordinary writing style. Each word is perfectly placed, each scene completely vivid in your mind, until Corinna's world seems to be surrounding you on all sides -- until it is part of you, until you are part of it. I will say again: Do not stop with Tamora Pierce, thinking that no one could possibly write another good book about a girl disguised as a boy. Read The Folk Keeper(it is a million times better!!!). Enjoy!

This is a great book. It's not Tamora Pierce or anything, but that's too much to ask for anyway. At times the main character seems a little too knowledgeable about her own hard-heartedness, the romance a little too clumsy, and the plot a little too thought out, but, all in all, The Folk Keeper is a really intelligent and suspenseful story.

Corinna Stonewall has disguised herself as a boy-Corin-to become a folk keeper. Folk keepers protect the surrounding lands from the fierce folk, who destroy crops, livestock, and food if unpleased. Suddenly, a lady comes to take her away from her cellar. There is a dying man who wants to see her, one who not only knows that she is a girl, but many of her other secrets as well. He makes her swear to leave her town to come to his mansion, where she will be a folk keeper. She agrees, knowing the folk there are fiercer than anything she has ever encountered. While trying to keep these horrific beasts at bay, she discovers many old family grudges in the mansion, as well as secrets about herself she had never imagined. In the end, she will have to choose between the place she loves best and the place she has always been kept from...

Despite the slight stylistic problems, I myself have read this book ten or so times. It is definitely a worthy addition to any fantasy-lover's collection, and is all-around a wonderful book.

Considering I paid over $15 for the sequel, and would hardly have done that for ANY book. This is a series that is begging to be finished, but not only that, would make the current movie fare blush were it to make the big screen. Incredible work and in a class all by itself. Mr. Perry.

A friend loaned me these a long time ago. I had forgotten the title, until a bit of isfdb query writing and some browsing taking a guess at the year found it again. Awesome, over the top super powered fantasy action. If you like the girly David Eddings heroes are more scared of the shrewish tongues of their girlfriends than the Dark Demon Lord, than this is very likely not for you.

It is dangerous to be a good guy. Very dangerous. Demon Lords (and Lordesses) are BAAAAAAAAADDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD.

Based around Celtic mythology I highly recommend these two books as a blast. A pity he never finished the series, maybe one day?

Just a quick call to Mr. Perry to please finish this absolutely amazing series. I have been reading sci-fi/fantasy for about 25 years now, and would be hard pressed to come up with a title that surpasses the Morigu series. So if you ever read this stuff Mr. Perry, i am sure i am not alone in praying that we get to finish your great fantasy series.

Fast paced with twists and turns. This is a terrific fantasy book and the sequel to Desecration. The only problem is that the series will never be finished. Mr. Perry went on to other things after the books did not do well enough for the publisher to continue. It would be nice to have completion, but their are not enough fans to warrant it.

Very good story hope to read more some day.
Every time i come across these on my shelf it is hard to not pick them up. Hope you can get the next books out soon! :)

I am yet another reader who wore out the library's copy of this book, with its purple and yellow cover, reading it over and over and over again in junior high. I particularly remember the story about the little girl on Venus who was so homesick for the sun, which came out there only every seven years -- and the other kids in the class locked her in the closet, so that she missed it. I looked it up here tonight because my son was asking me if I'd ever read any Robert Heinlein. But of course! This collection got me started on his work as well as that of many others. What a pleasant surprise it was to read these reviews and discover that I am not the only one who's still haunted by the imaginative scope and the sense of wonder in the stories in this anthology.

I just recommended this collection to a friend and came here to look for it-- about 30 years since I first checked it out from my grade school library. It was, in fact, one of two quasi-adult SF titles in our little library and as such is one of the books that introduced me to the genre. Just reading the reviews here has made me deeply nostalgic, not only for Tomorrow' Children but for many of Asimov's other books-- things like Foundation that I discovered after reading this edited collection.

I just checked and Ebay has a paperback copy-- in Australia. It's only $9US with BuyItNow but shipping is twice that and it doesn't look to be in such good condition. I'll keep an eye open there, and meanwhile I'm going to ILL this tonight. If you have access to a library do the same. You won't regret it.

I came across this book after watching the Twilight Zone Movie. I had only seen the very end of the third part where Anthony uses his powers to make a car. Out of curiosity, I looked up the movie and found that that part was a remake of the episode It's A Good Life. It wasn't until after I saw that episode that I learned that that episode was based off of the story from this very book. The rarity of this book is just amazing, so I knew it must be good. When I finally got it through interlibrary loan, it exceeded my already very-high expectations. If anything, It's A Good Life might have been my least favorite story. My favorites are Star Bright, Gilead, The Father-Thing, and The Little Terror.

Star Bright (by Mark Clifton) - Star is a very smart three-year-old girl. What her father doesn't realize, yet, is that she not only can read advanced textbooks and encyclopedias, but she also knows how to read minds and time-travel! This is a must-read. The ending will amaze you.

Gilead (by Zenna Henderson) - A boy who's known how to fly ever since he can remember must learn that he is different and find those who are like him.

The Father-Thing (by Phillip K. Dick) - Charles notices that his father has been replaced by some other creature that looks just like him. Don't forget your kerosine!

The Little Terror (by Will F. Jenkins) - After her grandfather lies to her about a magic trick, a girl is convinced she can make things disappear. She becomes so convinced, that she actually develops that power! Lots of Bishop Berkeley references (to be is to be perceived).

UPDATE: 18 Jan 2006 - I just won an ebay auction for this book for $26.22 including shipping. It's described as: hardcover - ex-library book with usual library markings. first blank page missing. book is worn. binding is not as tight as it could be, but pages holding in fine. still a good read.



I also checked this book out at a public library many, many times during my childhood, and some of the stories haunt me to this day. I would love to find a copy of this book.

Another author I read during this period, and stumbled on again recently, is Madeleine L'Engle. She has a trilogy of time travel which begins with "A Wrinkle in Time". If the names of Mrs Whatsit, Mrs Who, Mrs Which or Charles Wallace sound familiar, this is where you will find them, and they are available.

Am I ready to shell out over $30 for this book? There's already a cart full of Orson Scott Card, Diane Duane & Ursula K. LeGuin to pay for! But even if it has to be wish listed, I'm delighted to know that Tomorrow's Children is available.

I first read this book over 30 years ago. When I was about 11 my family moved from a city with a large library to a small town with a one-roomer adjoining the fire station. I hunted through the ubiquitous pop lit that lined the shelves, desperately seeking something readable. Finally I found a small section with about 5-6 shelves packed with 50's & 60's SF.

Having never read SF before, I sampled a couple of books and then dug in & read shelf by shelf. Heinlein, Asimov, LeGuin, and others transformed my small town library blues into pure gold. Tomorrow's Children was on shelf #4. As those who've read it can attest, the stories are outstanding, contributed by some of the best SF writers of the period.

I searched for it tonight because I was thinking of Asimov's story about the nurse and the Neanderthal boy (Asimov claimed he always cried when he read that one - me too). For contrast, there's a story (by Bradbury?) about a couple of kids who sic a virtual lion pride on Mom & Dad - kind of 50's Freudian but effectively chilling - and technologically, still fresh. I would love to read those stories again! So I'll have to decide whether to ramp up for an ebay quest - or pay the amazon price, and be grateful for the opportunity!

Meanwhile, it's thrilling to read these reviews, and to feel kinship with all who remember this book with affection and respect. We are among a fortunate minority. . . early in life, we encountered a powerful, challenging vision of what our future could be. May all children be so lucky!