Science Fiction and Fantasy Books

I've never read this book , but I'll be buying it. Many , many years ago I had my purse stolen and in my wallet was a snippet of poetry I'd found , somewhere , that I've never been able to find since. It was the poetry written by this author , in this book , held in the hearts of the other reviewers here. It was certainly held in mine all these years. I can't believe it's been so hard to find , or that I finally have.

As many of the other reviewers have said, this book is very special. I first read it as a beginning teacher many years ago (bless my children's lit teacher for recommending it). My only question is...why isn't this book better known?

I found this book in the 5th grade, as a very troubled child living in a very troubled home. Reading it was like being in an extended dream from which one has a hard time waking. I found it difficult to get through - almost painful, for some reason. But it seemed to me - even at that age - necessary to get through the book. I felt there was something to be gained at the end. And there was: wisdom.

In the decades since, I have occasionally asked friends if they'd ever heard of this book. They invariably responded with a blank look. I searched once or twice for it only to come up empty-handed.

"Knee Deep in Thunder" has haunted me all my life. I don't know why. Any book that makes this kind of impact on a person is a very powerful work.

Please - read this book and be changed.

I read this book as a 12-year old and 25 years later am still impressed by its universal message. Overcoming adversity, making well-thought-out decisions, facing fear and danger, all call to the insecure adolescent in us all. The two human characters are a young girl and boy who are accompanied on their journey by a cast of bugs and animals who have amazing human-like traits and are completely believable. The reason for the journey is a mystery to them, and as they travel and overcome odds, they are all blessed with increased wisdom and depth of character. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in otherwordly fantasy, or to anyone facing an arduous journey of one's own, whether it's facing growing up or facing unbearable odds. A great book.

Like the first reviewer for this book, I first read "Knee Deep In Thunder" in 5th grade. I've read it several times since after purchasing it from an online "out of print" bookseller. I cherish my copy although last night after pulling it from my daughter's bookshelf I was sad to see that the front cover is ripping off. The idea of finding the book dawned on me and I searched the house for it (even moaning loudly at one point thinking I may have let someone borrow it who did not return) because I'm bringing it with me to Alaska tomorrow to hopefully read to my dying mother who cannot read any more. Just like Maris's adventure, the story has come full circle because it was my mother, an elementary school librarian, who first introduced it to me. The poem on the front pages, "The Timid Folk Beseech Me..." was something that adorned our bathroom wall. I memorized it then, and I love it still. My mother is just about to walk the fields of clouds and follow vanished lighting and she'll be standing knee deep in thunder with her head against the sky.

Sigh... It's just another one of those "must read" books.

Lethal Heritage, being the fourth BattleTech book I have read, is a solid introduction to the Blood of Kerensky trilogy. I recommend reading the Warrior trilogy before delving into the Blood of Kerensky, for a few choice reasons. First of all, the Warrior trilogy gives you a chance to familiarize yourself with Stackpole's writing style. In addition, the Warrior trilogy provides you with the necessary background knowledge of the Inner Sphere that you need to fully understand Lethal Heritage.

Lethal Heritage is the commencement of the Clan invasion of the Inner Sphere. This action packed addition to the story of BattleTech is necessary in the continuance of the saga. The Blood of Kerensky trilogy as a whole is very important, and Stackpole thrives in the heat of battle.

Yeeeeeehaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! This is an awsome book from Stackpole. THE CLAN INVASION! this is the first book including the tech and mech superior clans.It as plenty of mech action and 1 thing there has never been before! The Inner Sphere Uniting? i recomend this book to everyone who enjoys battletech

This is the first book I have ever read that forced me to put it down every few chapters just so I could breath! This book is packed with action, heroics, tragedy... In the end I was left yearning for the next volume in the trilogy.

Stackpole did a great job for this book.One problem ; needs more a of a glossary.Like Twilight Of The Clans showing the 'Mechs, jumpships,tanks,dropships,and Areospace Fighters. But that was only a minore problem.

This is the first Battletech novel I have ever read.
It is the first in the Blood of Kerensky trilogy and also the first novel in the Enter the Clans Battletech Era, which is comprised of 7 total novels.
The book is confuzing for the newcomers in the Battletech universe. There is a lot of action happening on a lot of fronts, the chapters going back and forth but Stackpole did a good job at making the action integrate seemless. The tranzitions are not rough but a bit hard to follow.
Stackpole is definitely a great writer. The action is great, storyline is rich and intriguing, character development and descriptions are also great.

If you plan on reading Battletech books in the Clans Era [years 3049-3059] this is the book to start with and make sure you read them in order.
This is the order of the books in the Clan Era:
Lethal Heritage
Blood Legacy
Lost Destiny
Natural Selection
Asumption of Risk
Bred for War
Malicious Intent

I cannot say enough about how much I enjoy this book and this series. It is number 2 in the Nine Kingdoms series by Lynn Kurland. I have always loved her books because of her creativity, dynamic characters and romantic stories; stories that are truly romantic, not trash. I bought this book a month ago and already have read it twice. I guess I'll just have to keep re-reading the first two until the third book comes out! I can't wait!!! I always loved her other books, but I am now a life-long fan. Kurland is without a doubt my FAVORITE author. If you like fantasy-historical-romantic-ish books YOU HAVE TO READ THESE BOOKS!!!!

Enough said.

This is an AWSOME book!!! My congrats Ms. Kurand on a job well done. The first book is one of my most favorite fantasies. This book was no let down. As good as or better than the first book it has me eagerly awaiting more!!! READ this book!!! It is wonderful!!!

I love this book! The story line is so original and refreshing. I am looking forward to the next book.

Lynn Kurland delivers her usual fantastic read with this new trilogy. I loved this second installment and am looking forward to the last book. It has just the right touch of adventure, romance, and fantasy. She left me hanging again with the end, but I don't mind as I know she will tie up all the threads into a fantastic package. This series is not predictable in the least and I found it very refreshing and enjoyable.

Definitely start with the first book--and if you like it, you should really enjoy this one!

Morgan was a good Mercenary, good at swordplay and good at her work. Then she got caught up in the problems of the Kingdom of Neroche, particularly the obnoxious king of Neroche who has lost his magic and worse--his youngest brother, Miach, the Archmage of Neroche. Morgan has a deep-seated hatred of magic and mages. Sadly, Miach had hidden his identity and magic from her and Morgan was attracted to him before she found out who he was. At the end of the last book she was poisoned by the evil mage Lothar and was taken back to Nicholas of Lismor for healing. Still weak, Morgan returns to Gobhann, where Weger trains his Mercenaries and where magic is banished.

Miach comes to this grim tower, where his magic is unavailable to him, determined to find Morgan and ask her forgiveness for his deception even if he has to submit to the harsh mercenary training and win Weger's Mark--a tattoo of a sword on his forehead. And even if he risks his brother's realm, besieged by magicks that he needs to defend it from daily. He takes his duty to his realm seriously, but he also knows he cannot live his life without trying to reconcile himself with Morgan.

It's a romantic tale, no doubt! And there is lots of fun swash-buckling when Miach comes to Gobhann to prove himself on Morgan's home ground. Morgan is weaker and more vulnerable than she has ever been, but still strong. She will need to face her future and her past and the hated magic--as well as her heart--if she is to survive. Not only is the kingdom of Neroche threatened... but evil magic and mages are abroad and no one is safe...

Morgan and Miach grow as their adventures progress. It's a pleasure to read all about it! I can't wait for the next book.

When I was a kid I loved reading Piers Anthony's Xanth novels. I was a young tyke when I read his initial Xanth entry, A SPELL FOR CHAMELEON, when it was first published. I then read the next eleven installments as they came out, culminating with MAN FROM MUNDANIA. These twelve Xanth novels are the best this series has to offer, and I firmly believe the books that followed them lack a little something. Offhand, I say, part of the reason the earlier books are better is because they seemed to be a bit more serious minded, even with all the puns, whereas the later books just seemed to wallow in ever sillier and unfunny puns. Whatever, maybe I'm old-schooled. I prefer the classic Xanth books. I just re-read the first three books and MAN FROM MUNDANIA a few days ago and I must say that they again instilled in me the same kind of enchantment I felt when I read them all those years ago. In contrasting these excellent entries with the later, more drab Xanth offerings, well, it's really not even a contest.

My favorite Xanth books are A SPELL FOR CHAMELEON, THE SOURCE OF MAGIC, CREWEL LYE, and MAN FROM MUNDANIA. I like MAN FROM MUNDANIA mostly because, for the first time, Piers chose to have a character from our side of the fence (Earth, or Mundania - as Xanth folks call it) become the main protagonist. (SPOILERS begin) Grey Murphy is a normal 18 year old guy drudging thru city college and toiling thru a tepid course in Freshman English. Grey is as average as you can get. His driver's license indicates his hair as "hair-colored" and his eyes as "neutral." The weirdness begins for him when his computer seems to gain sentience and begins to affect Grey's personal life. It offers to set him up with odd young women with dubious names such as Agenda, Euphoria, and Salmonella. The computer eventually arranges a meeting between Grey and a girl named Ivy. Grey is intrigued with Ivy, who is pretty, quaint, and charming, despite her assertions that she hails from a fantasyland called Xanth and is a princess. According to her, Ivy had used the Heaven Cent, a fantastic penny device which sends the user to where he or she is needed the most. But now, Ivy wants to go home and Grey agrees to help her.

This begins Grey Murphy's magical adventures in Xanth. Grey, as skeptical and logical-minded as they come, takes a long while to believe in Xanth's magical reality as he insists on finding logical, scientific explanations for every wondrous sight he beholds, much to Ivy's frustration. The story goes on to chronicle Grey's eventual belief in magic and Grey's coming into his own, as he strives to defeat the nefarious Com-Pewter and woo the Princess Ivy, despite the disapproval of her regal parents (you see, only someone on a Magician level can marry Xanth royalty and Grey, of course, doesn't have any magic talent).

Although this is a fine stand-alone novel in its own right, Piers Anthony, as usual, throws in waves of characters from his prior Xanth novels (Stanley Steamer, Grundy Golem and Rapunzel, King Dor and Queen Irene, etc). It also somewhat continues the story of Prince Dolph and his two fiancees, Nada and Electra (which finally gets resolved in the next book ISLE OF VIEW). A sequence I enjoyed was Grey and Ivy's trip to Mount Parnassus and the Muse of History, wherein we get to sneak a peek at future Xanth book titles. MAN FROM MUNDANIA is loosely considered to be the third in a trilogy, the previous two being VALE OF THE VOLE and HEAVEN CENT. Again, the ridiculous fantasy elements and groan-inducing puns (several contributed by fans) abound and benefit the tale. The storyline seems to offer a more mature content, delving more into the Adult Conspiracy, no doubt brought about by Grey's earthbound sensibilities. The Magician of Information is still missing (this plotline has gone on for several books now), but there is somewhat of a resolution offered here. I particularly admire the neat way Grey's dilemma is resolved (involving a reluctant promise he had made to the evil Com-Pewter).

Years ago, after MAN FROM MUNDANIA, I continued to read the following Xanth installments, but found that these had lost the luster. After YON ILL WIND, I finally gave up. But I very strongly recommend MAN FROM MUNDANIA and the eleven Xanth books before it. After that, you're on your own.

The novel Man From Mundania, by Piers Anthony, follows the journey of an unlikely couple on their quest to find the Good Magician and to save the magical world of Xanth. The Good Magician, also known as Humphrey, has the magical talent of knowing the answer to any question. He mysteriously dissappeared and the land of Xanth is going into chaos without his knowledge. The journeying couple consists of Ivy and Grey. Ivy is a princess and sorceress in the magical land of Xanth and is the one that is originally journeying to find the Good Magician. Grey is a seemingly ordinary human being who comes from the dull land of Mundania. He meets Ivy on her quest and ends up joining her. The couple continue their journey to find Humphrey and instead discover an evil machine's plot to take over Xanth using Grey and Ivy as pawns. I really liked how this story is written and the outcome of the novel is great. I also enjoyed the little puns that can be found throughout the story. All in all, this is a spectacular book and I recomend it to anyone who enjoys a funny, well written novel.

Anthony's description of Grey at the beginning is a perfect physical/emotional representation of what many people view the world we live in as. He's not handsome, intelligent or witty, and his driver's license lists his eyes as "neutral" and his hair color as "hair-colored". Perfect. I know people like this. I was chuckling through the whole book, not so much at its absurdity (which is in abundance), but at its truth. Who wouldn't want to step away from our workaday world into a magical land with a beautiful and (admittedly) oddball woman who thinks you're everything you know you're not? I enjoyed all the books in this series up to this point (although I gave up after Question Quest. There is too much of a good thing.), but this one I keep coming back to when I want some fun, irreverent fun. Definately worth your time to kick back and relax with this book.

I have to hand one thing to Piers Anthony: He managed to take a single plot element, the disappearance of Good Magician Humphrey, and make it last for five novels, barely advancing the search for the Good Magician in each book.

After her brother Dolph looked for the Good Magician Humphrey in the previous book and came back with two fiancees, Princess Ivy decides its her turn to go look for the Answer-providing Magician. After stealing back a magical mirror from a magical Com-Pewter, she invokes the Heaven Cent and ....

Enter Grey Murphy, stage left. Residing in magicless Mundania, he has managed to obtain a computer program that procures girlfriends for him. And its latest procurement? No prize if you guess Ivy. Following the by-now standard Xanth formula, they undertake a journey (back to Xanth) and fall in love along the way.

But it's a good journey. Piers Anthony made two very, very good decisions with this novel. First, he abandoned the juvenile tone that infested earlier and later entries in the Xanth series. Second, after umpty-ump Xanth novels made tangle trees, ladies-slipper bushes, and other magical marvels seem mundane, Anthony chose to approach much of novel through an outsider -- Grey Murphy.

Even as he confronts wonder after wonder, Grey Murphy refuses to believe in magic. A sailing mountain? Special effects. Invisible giant spouting a river of blood? Food coloring. A half-human, half-equine centaur? A robot. A hate spring? Ordinary water, backed by a strong superstition that it will make people hate each other.

Despite his disbelief in magic, Grey Murphy is nonetheless the typical Anthony protagonist, with a code of ethics that uniformly matches every other protagonist we've seen out there. Not that I mind ethical characters, mind you; it just gets tiresome when, after a dozen books, all the good guys display identical codes of ethics. Kind of ruins diversity of characters.

The plot continues, with Grey having to meet a certain challenge to successfully assert a claim to Ivy's hand in marriage, journey all over Mount Parnassus, and overcome a rather nasty oath that's been forced on him ... but things might just turn out well for this happy couple, right? Right??

If you would like to inflict the remainder of this series on yourself, this book is a very good jumping-on point. Grey Murphy's unfamiliarity with the land of magic makes him a good proxy for an unfamiliar reader, but the book's other flaws (uniform characters, linear plotting) keep it from a perfect rating.

"Man from Mundania" is number 12 in Piers Anthony's ever-growing Xanth series, which makes it the third volume of what I think of as the 'next generation' of Xanth novels (the first um, 'trilogy' ended with number 9, "Golem in the Gears"). In a way, it also marks one of the last of the old style Xanth books: although the series continues to be entertaining and amusing, I am less often enraptured by the characters of recent times. Perhaps I'm just getting old. Regardless, "Man from Mundania" remains one of my favourite Xanth novels that I have returned to many times to read and savour.

Our heroine for this episode is Princess Ivy, now eighteen and of marriageable age. Being a Sorceress, she must marry a man of similar calibre magic, which presents a slightly awkward situation, since no suitable candidates currently exist in Xanth. Ivy isn't too worried, though- she's in no hurry to get married. Instead, she decides to set off on a Quest: to find the missing Good Magician Humfrey, who has mysteriously disappeared (since volume 10, "Vale of the Vole"). Her quest sends her to that most terrible of blah and boring places, Mundania. Here she meets Grey Murphy, a seemingly ordinary mundane Mundane with hair-coloured hair, eye-coloured eyes and no apparent distinguishing features at all. Grey teaches Ivy about Mundania, while she attempts to convince him about the existence of Xanth, finally taking him back home with her. Along the way, of course (this being a Xanth novel, after all!) they fall in love. And this presents yet another problem, since Ivy must marry a Magician, and Grey is a Mundane who has no magic talent at all- or does he?

Ivy and Grey's adventures in the lands of Mundania and Xanth are inventive and entertaining, filled with the sunny good humour of the Xanth series. Characters with a satisfying amount of depth and a well-constructed plot add to the mix to make this one of the best novels in the Xanth series.

8.5 stars out of 10

I love this whole series of books. As an individual who has always been interested in the anthropological and archeological study of the Native American people, I find the whole series of books to be well written with just enough historical evidence to form characters and be intriguing and interesting but without being so crammed full of information the story is lost. Another job well done.

I have read all of the current books in this series and by far this ranks as my all time favorite. There are also follow-ups that accompany this book, the Anasazi Mystery Series that greater explains in detail about events that actually led up to this book. If I could go back, I would have read those in succession first and then this book. All in all, this book has all of the great elements that I love to read about in a book. It has romance, betrayal, mystery, and complexities that are much like the human experience that occur sometimes in life. It is about the intense love shared by two people and what they sacrificed to finally be together. The consequences for their actions greatly influenced their entire community.

Engaging novel set among the Anasazi of the 1200's. Probably as close to an actual living breathing recreation of that culture as anyone will ever write. These authors do not begin with a modern Christian perspective and proceed from there, they take the good and bad, humorous and shocking of a past nation and tell it like it was, "warts and all.'

at first it was hard for me to get in this story but after a 4th to half of the book it got better and I could not put it down. this book goes good with the new book MOON and the Anazazi triogy books.

I really enjoy this series in my oppion it is best to read the series starting with Book 1 so that you know what is being talked about. If you are a Indian or love to read about Indians and their history then this is a Great Series of Books to read. It gives great in sight to the beliefs of the Indian Nations and their ways of life.

This book is a great thriller. It kept me on my toes and wanting to read more. This is definetly a hard book to put down. I would reccomend this book to anyone who likes science fiction.

Prowlers is a rip-roaring horror thriller with touches of the 1987 movie The Lost Boys and Dean Koontz's Twilight Eyes. It's not a sweeping, apocalyptic novel set on a grand stage but, rather, is more of an intense and personal study on loss and grief, offset with grim, no-quarter-given skirmishes between average but resourceful Jack and the relentless Prowlers.

Jack Dwyer is a hardworking 19-year old, who helps run the thriving Bridget's Irish Rose Pub with his co-owner and older sister Courtney. His social life is basically nil. The few times he goes out, he does so in the accompany of his best friend Artie and Artie's girl Molly. One night, he is set up with Molly's friend Kate and they double date with Artie and Molly. Tragedy strikes when, on their way home, Artie and Kate are savagely attacked and killed.

The weirdness begins when Artie's ghost manifests and warns a still grieving Jack of the true nature of his and Kate's slayers: the horrific, shafeshifting Prowlers. Jack's newfound knowledge puts him in deadly peril as he confronts the ravenous pack of monsters, who quickly become aware that Jack knows more than he should. Very, very soon Jack, Molly, Courtney, and bartender and close family friend Bill Cantwell will be furiously fighting for their very survival against insatiable, superhuman creatures who stalked the earth before man ever crawled out of the ocean.

Christopher Golden takes a slightly slanted approach with this "werewolf" tale. In his take, Prowlers aren't humans who are bitten and then transform into cursed werewolves, but, rather, are murderous, inhuman creatures who assume the identity of humans to blend in with their unwitting, chosen prey.

Prowlers is an addictive, stay-up-all-night kind of read. Golden does take some time to set the stage and introduce the pertinent characters. But, oboy, once he revs up that engine, this novel is a non-stop thrill ride. Golden uses simple, straightforward, yet effective prose to relentlessly drive the storyline. Because Golden makes very sure to emphasize and dwell on the close-knit relations of Jack and friends, the reader invests more into the characters, especially in scenes where they are put in grave jeopardy. Maybe, too, because of the extra exposition at the start, his main protagonists Jack and Molly have substance and thus seem very real to the reader. Needless to say, Courtney and Bill are also very easy to root for.

And here's the good news: Prowlers is the introductory novel to thus far a four-book series. The sequels, in sequential order, are titled Laws of Nature, Predator and Prey, and Wild Things. And if you like the way this prolific dude writes, also check out his Shadow Saga, the Menagerie series and Myth Hunters (book 1 of the Veil series).

Author Christopher Golden puts his own twist on the werewolf story (and then cleverly proposes his "reality" as the genesis of the mythos) in Prowlers, the first entry in a series. Jack Dwyer, 19 (and not Ed Gorman's P.I. of the same name), and his sister Courtney, five years his senior, have lost both of their parents -- their father left and their mother died -- leaving them in charge of the family business, a Boston pub called Bridget's Irish Rose.

After a double date with Jack, a new girl named Kate, and Jack's best friends Molly and Artie, Kate and Artie are savagely murdered on the way home. As if it weren't bad enough that Jack and Molly have lost their best friends, now Jack is also being visited by Artie's ghost.

Artie refuses to "go on" until Jack does something about the creatures who killed him -- the Prowlers. The Prowlers are creatures that are fully animal, but can appear human. Though the police seem to know of their existence, the Prowlers have never made the newspapers because, after every murder committed by them, the Boston police swoop in to clean everything up quickly, making sure that no one tells what they say ... because who would believe them anyway? So now it's up to Jack and Molly to rid Boston of the Prowlers, especially pack leader, Owen Tanzer -- scion of a Prowler dynasty -- and his bloodthirsty (and rather cocky) followers.

After fifty slow pages of exposition, I almost gave up on Prowlers, but it picks up speed soon after. Golden keeps the plot moving briskly but doesn't neglect his characters' inner thoughts or relationships. His ability to get into the minds of young adults in remarkable -- all of his characters are realistic. Though they are caught up in an unreal situation, these characters behave and respond like real people -- albeit ones a bit more heroic than average. This is the first full-length novel I've read of Golden's (I'd previously read the novella included in Four Dark Nights, and it's made me eager to find others. Luckily, to begin with, there are three more novels in this series, beginning with Laws of Nature (Prowlers #2).

You don't want to miss this series. Yet another inventive look at a classic monster mythos by Christopher Golden. Start here and make sure you read the rest of the series, not a bad book in the bunch!

After finishing PROWLERS, the first book in this series by Christopher Golden, the only question I have is why it's proclaimed to be a young adult read. I guess it's because the main character, Jack Dwyer, is nineteen--but besides their age, there's nothing about this book that would make it strictly for young adult readers!

Jack's life is pretty predictable. Ever since the death of his mother in a car accident that also injured his sister, Courtney, the two have run Bridget's Irish Rose Pub together, making it into the type of pub/restaurant that their mother would have been proud of. Jack didn't attend college after high-school, but he's part owner of the Pub, has a number of friends, and is basically content with his life. He's even gotten a date with Kate, a friend of Molly's, who dates Jack's best friend, Artie.

Life is good, until after their double-date, when Jack and Molly have been dropped off at their respective houses, and things get ugly really quickly. Kate and Artie are found dead--mutilated and brutally murdered. The cops don't know what to make of it, and Jack--along with Molly--are existing in a sort of limbo, trying to come to terms with the death of their friends and loved ones.

And then Artie comes back--as a spirit from the Ghostlands, the place where spirits reside until they're ready to move on--to warn Jack about the Prowlers. Prowlers--monsters in human clothing, a lot like werewolves but different, who prey on humans and who are responsible for Kate and Artie's deaths.

What is Jack supposed to make of this? First, he can suddenly see ghosts. Secondly, there's monsters roaming the streets of Boston, and he feels compelled to bring them to justice. With cops covering up the murders that are soon piling up in town (including a nasty dispatch of some security guards at Fenway Park), Jack has no one to turn to except Molly, his sister Courtney, and the Pub's bartender, Bill Cantwell.

A fast-paced, compelling, thrilling, and often greusome read, PROWLERS was absolutely awesome! Action, the paranormal, the story of love and friendship, all weave together to make this a book you won't be able to put down once you start reading. I highly recommend it, and can't wait to read the next book in the series.

I happen to think the Christ story is worth telling over and over again. Did the writer improve on the story...well...really...who could? Did she succeed at bringing a modern day miracle man to life? She did. Was her writing good? I think it was terrific. I too bought it because the reviews were glowing, I'd have to agree with 5 stars!

A close friend and fellow reader handed me this book last year as a "must read." Must read indeed!!! I could not put the book down. Actually, I have read the book 3 times over the past year. The premise upon which the book is written is interesting, different and inspiring. The story introduces us, in the begining, to a young man who is performing miracles in today's world. Who is this man? From whence did he come? This story is intriguing with various twists and turns that keep the reader on the edge of their seat. The characters are well developed. The plot is both complicated and yet very readable and understandable. Readers, as well as the characters in the book, are taken on personal jouneys of self discovery. There are so many different levels upon which you can read this book. It is a mystery. It is inspirational. It is relavant to the world today and to the world in Biblical times. (with it's many references to another young man who performed miracles.) If you witnessed a miracle, what reaction would you have? I introduced this book to my Book Club and we all read it for the April selection. They, too, loved the book. As you can see, I give it 5 stars and a very definete "thumbs up."

I completely enjoyed this book. It presents a question of great importance in a fast paced, fun filled account of modern life. It is difficult for a book to be both thought provoking and fun to read. This one does it all.

I am not a Christian so when a friend told me the premise of this book and urged me to read it I was hesitant. Luckily, I was finally convienced and was pleasantly surprised.

Sacred Ashes is a fantasy thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat till the very end. The twist and turns in this story were so surprising and shocking that I felt compelled to reread the book when I finished it for the first time. Much like how I felt when I saw the movie the Sixth Sense for the first time.

I would urge any lover of great Sci-fi or fantasy thrillers to purchase this book!!!

I purchased this book because of the very high reader ratings, and because the substance sounded intriguing. Next time I will do more homework than just relying on the glowing reports of other readers. I found the writing in this book to be rather impoverished and flat. As a reader I was not prompted to think or inquire more deeply into the occurence of 'miracles' in our life. Rather, this was a retelling of the Christ story, in a contemporary setting, without any penetrating insight into why certain people are drawn to any given set of beliefs. And just in case the author was 'just' writing a story, I must say that it failed to hold my interest.

As a fifty four year old I can still feel the excitement and joy from reading this book in 1960. (or it could be my meds) I had finally found a match for my vivid imagination and have been a reader and writer ever since. A disservice to humankind if this story isn't availiable to any and all.

I discovered these books when I was in Elementary School. I loved spending the afternoon reading about the adventures that these two had. I am happy to see that these books are now once again available.

I loved these books as a kid, and as a 40+ year old adult would love to get a new copy. Please reprint these books!!!

In the 1950's, I "discovered" the books in this series at my grammar school library by accident (sorry, no wonderful teacher story here.). A miracle they had a cool book like this since we had so few books in there. The title, pictures and the easy to read prose hooked me. So much so that I read it several times and even found the second book in the series - "The Space Ship Returns..." and read that a couple of times too.

As I grew older, I would tell people about these books - asking them to keep an eye out for me at used book sales. I even searched the Web and eventually found the entire series from a used book seller. I plan on sharing these books with the little ones in my family. And I hope twenty, thirty, forty or as in my case, fifty years from now, they will do the same.

I hope they get reprinted so more people can enjoy these fun books.

Louis Slobodkin is well known as an illustrator of children's books. He is less known as the author of this 1952 sci-fi masterpiece, the first in a series for ages 9-12, and once a staple in every library worth its salt. It's the gentle, wonder-full story of Eddie, a boy scout who spends summers on his grandma's farm, and his encounter with Marty from Martinea. The two become fast friends and travel the world in Marty's spaceship, disguised as a little green car and powered by secret power ZZZ. Exciting and easy to read, and drenched with Slobodkin's beguiling illustrations, here's a series kids will love to discover.

So why is it out of print? My copy is stamped "DISCARDED," which tells the sad tale of the days when imaginative books were cycled out of libraries in favor of "educational" ones. This was the first book in the series, others being "The Space Ship Returns to the Apple Tree," "Three- Seated Space Ship," "Round Trip Space Ship," "The Space Ship in the Park," and "The Space Ship Returns to the Apple Tree." The first three books were also reprinted as paperbacks and offered as a boxed set as The Amazing Space Ship Adventures Boxed Set in 1981. Until imagination again gets the upper hand and these books are reprinted, find them used at Amazon and discover Eddie's wonderful world.

Ray Bradbury is one of the great short story writers. Very few can pack as much emotional punch into so few pages as he can: just read "The Lake" or the haunting "Rocket Man" (which inspired the Elton John song of the same name!) to understand the power of his writing. And while I think most of his novels are mediocre at best (I've never liked "Something Wicked This Way Comes," as much as I admire it for the obvious influence it had on genre writers), I insist that Bradbury should never be forgotten, if simply based on the merit of his short fiction. And this book especially, which collects 100 of his best, should be celebrated.

If you buy this book with the newer Bradbury collection, you will have a fairly comprehensive collection of short stories by the master. This collection is not the best. It has it's share of mediocre stories, but even so the great stories are wonderful. "The Veldt", "The Fog Horn", and "The Jar" are my absolute favorites, but there are more gems scattered about the book.


As others have pointed out, it is a tad bit dated. (One of the stories talks about the year 2003). So if you want more up to date stories the newer volume is better. All in all, some interesting stories, but not essential reading.

It is hard to categorize Ray Bradbury as a writer. To many he is known as a science fiction writer, largely due to "The Martian Chronicles." However, he is much more versatile than that, his stories cover many different themes of life, death and strange things in between.
When I was in high school, my favorite story was "The Veldt", where a couple purchase a high quality virtual reality room for their children. However, rather than experience normal children's playrooms, they prefer constant scenes of an African veldt, complete with lions who hunt and kill their prey. The parents try to put a stop to it, but their children whine until they get to keep the veldt. However, the parents finally decide to stand firm and are going to shut the room off. At this time, the room comes alive and the lions kill and devour their parents. I considered this story so good that I must have read it at least twenty times during afternoon study hall. The imagery that the story conjures up is almost visual, which I find is a characteristic of so many of Bradbury's stories.
He is the best writer I have encountered in putting down words in a simple style that still manages to generate tremendous virtual images in your mind. This book is a collection of his short stories and I have read this book at least three times and most of the stories in it in other collections at least twice. Even after all these readings, they are still wonderful, as the images are different each time. Most stories by other writers keep my attention when I first read them, but I find them boring if I try to read them again. It does not seem that that will ever happen with Bradbury stories, which is why I strongly recommend this book.

What can I say about this collection, except that is essential reading for anyone serious about Science Fiction or Fantasy as a form of literature (that's right I said it-the dreaded "l" word) Bradbury has piled up enough superlatives in his life that I don't think I need to go into them.

Anyway, this is a book of Ray Bradbury's greatest stories, which means that these are some of the best stories that imaginative literature has to offer. Why not make it a two-fer and get the "Bradbury Stories" collection with it? Both are worthy, think of "The Stories of Ray Bradbury" is the top shelf A-list stuff, and "Bradbury Stories" is the Solid B list collection. Still great, and best of all, no repeat stories in the two collections! The man was so prolific that he could probably fill up a third volume with no repeats as well...

This collection of stories affected my writing. At least one story I've written has been professionally compared to Ray Bradbury's style. While I never sought to mimic him, I believe I was drawn to his stories because of my writing style and childhood daydreams. This collection is a prime example of Bradbury's work. It's inspiring, startling, spooky, and just plain hypnotic.

Even though I first borrowed this collection from my local library, (and having read some of these stories in others collections), I tracked down a used copy to own just so I could pull it down and revisit my favorite people and places.

A must have for any Bradbury fan... novice or cult-like follower.

I have read most of the variations and book series on the King Arthur legend (Jack Whyte, Bernard Cornwell, Mary Stewart, Stephen Lawhead, etc) as well as a good deal of background information and theories. This edition intrigued me because Jack Whyte has written the forward and he has been my favorite writer on the subject ... to a point (up to the end of "Uther"). But Rosemary Sutcliff, by far, has set the standard for the conclusion of this legend. It is realistic, and most importantly, believable. You want to know the people in this book. You can see, feel and hear what they are experiencing. Her style is intelligent, interesting and true to history. And curiously, she wrote this before any one else did. THIS is how this story should end.

This is quite simply the best dark ages historical fiction novel ever written. "Sword At Sunset" tells the story of Artos the Bear, the war leader who will one day be known in legends as King Arthur, and his valiant struggle to fend off the invading Saxons, Angles and Jutes who are descending on Britain in the wake of the Roman evacuation in ever-increasing numbers. Sutcliff avoids the swords-and-sorcery of the Arthur legends and focuses on relating an amazingly accurate and realistic-seeming tale of what the TRUE Arthur must have been like. This book is in some ways a sequel to "The Lantern Bearers", which tells the story of a Roman soldier who chooses to stay behind after the legions depart Britain in the early 5th century. Here Sutcliff's magnificent prose reaches its zenith as she describes the struggles of Artos and his "Companions" to rally the populace and raise, train, and feed their army. The language crackles with authenticity, the battles are gripping, the historical detail is uncanny, the characters are all complex and multi-dimensional. Arthur in particular is portrayed as a admirable but flawed man whose failings as a husband and father are as much a driving force of his persona as his ability to attract and lead men into war. The book also touches on Arthur's negative light in many of the saint's lives, by describing his conflicts with the church over provisioning his war band. You will not find a more believable or poetically written tale of the dark ages, though Wallace Breem's "Eagle in the Snow" comes somewhat close. This one has it all and will not disappoint true fans of historical fiction looking for a realistic, well-written novel of this fascinating time.

As close as possible to depicting the real King Arthur. Beautiful, gritty, based on history and archeology. No silly fantasy here -- no Merlin, no magic, no Camelot, no Round Tables, and no damn Wiccans dancing in the moonlight.

I read "Sword at Sunset" after reading several favorable reviews from Amazon and other sources. Now that I have finished the book, I must say that I am not disappointed. To date, this is the single best Arthurian novel that I have read.

Rosemary Sutcliff does an excellent job of portraying what the real, historical Arthur might have been like. Most of the novel is based on Nennius' battle-list, although there are clear references to other early sources, such as the Lives of the Saints. She clearly has done her research, and she even manages to incorporate some of the more legendary material from later traditions in a believable way. However, in this story, there is no magic, and no Merlin. Readers who are looking for a fantasy novel might want to look at other works, such as Mary Stewart's Arthurian Saga.

The edition I read was from the 70's, and had a couple of editing errors in it, but no major problems. I assume these have probably been corrected by now. This is an excellent novel, and I can't recommend it enough!

I read this way back in the early 70's. It was one of the first historical novels which impressed me, and to this day I can still see the images Sutcliff put into my mind. No other "Arthur" has come even close to being as real as her Artos the Bear, and his post-Roman Britain. Her writing style should appeal to young readers particularly, because it is sophisticated yet accessible. I don't know how a woman author can get inside a man's head so well. That effort usually comes off feeling artificial. But not with Sutcliff's writing.