Science Fiction and Fantasy Books

This book finds the quartet leaving Fairie land and walking straight into Ka Anor's territory. There they find the Greek god Dionysis and the very handsome and immortal Ganymeade as prisoners of the Hetwan. Both are on the menu for Ka Anor.They are able to help them escape and try to flee to Olympus where Dionysis claims he can make them all immortal. But to get to Olympus, it means travel right through Ka Anor's hive. In this book we finally get to meet this Ka Anor and Christopher goes through a very big life changing experience in this book. You'll have to read to find out what it is.
It is a great book and I enjoyed it as much as I did the others!

Christopher is my favortie character so of course I would would like this book but then they added some greek mythology and I was hooked. Another factor is they travel to Ka-Anor's city and see Ka-Anor eat someone and discover that Ka-Anor is fear himself. Since they first mentioned Ka-Anor in the first book I've been wanting to meet him. THis is also the first book I've been interested in the real world part of the book I won't talk about it or I might ruin it for someone. I loved this book and I reccomend it to anyone!

Christopher is my favortie character so of course I would would like this book but then they added some greek mythology and I was hooked. Another factor is they travel to Ka-Anor's city and see Ka-Anor eat someone and discover that Ka-Anor is fear himself. Since they first mentioned Ka-Anor in the first book I've been wanting to meet him. THis is also the first book I've been interested in the real world part of the book I won't talk about it or I might ruin it for someone. I loved this book and I reccomend it to anyone!

While this series is no great work of literature, it's definately worth reading. The characters are extremelly well defined and developed, and I find myself liking all of them, even Christopher, more and more. The author herself has an almost bizarre understanding of teenagers, and she writes it just like it is. Anyway, in book six, the point of view swings back to Christopher, and he tells the tale as the four kids travel across Hetwan country, at the center of which is the inevitable Ka Anor, God Eater. They are soon joined by Dionysis, Greek god of wine, and his unbearably handsome young cup-bearer, Ganymeade, who convince them to accompany them to Olympus. Christopher's real world dilemma was interesting as well, but that would be a spoiler and a rather ironic one at that, so I will leave you to read the book yourself to find out the rest. These books are pretty intense, so I can't say I'd recommend them to anyone younger than thirteen or fourteen or so.

This is a great book if you liked Animorphs. When Applegate decided to stop Animorphs I was bummed but then she made Everworld. This was the first book I've bought and I didn't think it would be that good but it is!! If Amazon had ten stars for this review I would give it an eleven!!!

My older children read this book to themselves and were not impressed, BUT when I read it outloud with a british accent they were mesmerized. It's now one of our favorites. The pictures are delightful. Now my five year old is a Redwall fan too!

If you like Brian Jacques' Redwall series of stories, then you will like The Great Redwall Feast. As a picture book, it provides colorful, concrete images of characters that you have seen in your imagination. You'll see the mice, moles, hedgehogs, hares, and other animals prepare a surprise feast for their Abbot of Redwall. Without the violence that is characteristic of the Redwall stories, it is well suited for young children. But it is a fun book for older children too, and even adults (like me).

This book shows the talent of Chris Denise. Being the cover illustrator of the American Redwall books, he shows his work again in this very neat picture book. All the animals are so cute in this book, like hamsters, and it shows you how they prepare, what to prepare, and what to do in the abbey feasts. I recommend this book for all ages.

Fabulous illustrations occupy most of the page in this 64-page poem of 101 six-lined stanzas with an AACBBC rhyming scheme. The story incorporates many of the series' favorite characters, including Matthias and Cornflower, and depicts not only the preparations of a wonderful Redwall feast by hares and mice and otters, but includes a riddle as well.

This book is really beautiful and should be read aloud.

I bought this book because my oldest son (5 years old) saw a part of the Redwall series on PBS. He loved it but the book series is too old for him yet. This book is a great introduction! The pictures are gorgeous and the language and imagery are exquisite. I highly recommend this book and I hope there will be more like it!

I loved this book. I read it a year ago and I still rememberparts of it, especially the day and night sides of Ryloth. It was neathow the friends kept saving each other.

Usually, in most series by the time they reach book 10 it is beggining to get cheesy and unsatifying, but this is an exception. In fact, I think that this book is even better than the other three books in the second series of Young Jedi Knights, though I generaly liked the first series better. For one thing, even though there is one more book after this one, it seemed to tie in just about all the subplots of the series into a flawless intertwining story, that is much better than most people give it credit for, just because they are kids books. Anyway, in this story, The Young Jedi Knights (Jacen, Jaina, Tenel Ka, and Raynar) finally decide that they have waited long enough for Lowie (their other friend) to return from visiting the Diversity Aliance and they must assume that he has either joined them, or is being held against his will. (both bad things) So they take off to go to rescue him, but are captured by the Diversity Aliance (who is fanacicly anti-human) and thrown into the spice mines to slave out their remaining years in agony. Will they save Lowie and escape? And if they manage to will they survive in the nearly inhospitably cold exterier to Ryloth? You'll just have to read the book to find out. One thing that bothers me, is that when they ask Lusa to stay behind and cover for them saying that they went on a mission or something, well wouldn't the adults imediatly be suspicios? I mean they are just a bunch of fifteen year old kids, wouldn't the adults feel responsible if something happened to them? Yet everyone seems to simply take it in stride as a normal accurance untill Zekk and Lusa come forward and tell the truth for them. Also, these budding relationships between all the kids, while extremly innocent, are starting to get annoying. Actually, the relationship between Jacen and Tenel Ka is fine, it being fun and interesting to watch. But do we really need more than that? Now new characters have actually been created just so other characters aren't left out of this, or so it seems. Zekk in particular was never one of my favorite characters, though despite myself I am begining to like him more. I am still completly against him forming a relationship with Jaina though, despite the fact they like each other. While I suppose Jaina does like him for the right reasons, they are better as friends. Their so called relationship is not only boring, but also completly unneccacary. A poor attemp to relate to teenage girls who would be reading this book. I'm a girl, and I'm fifteen, but this still seems silly and unneccecary, as is Lusa and Raynar, and Lowie and Raaba. Well now that I'm through complaining, I'll sign off by saying once again that this is a great book that I reccomend to any Star Wars fan, especially those interested in seeing how Han and Leia's kids turned out.

I have recenlty found to my suprise that many YA novels are very interesting. The "Young Jedi Knights" series have a lot of these novels and this particular book is easily representative of the breed. It helped that I have read some of the previous books of the series, however, otherwise I would have been completely lost in the character interrelationships.

This is a great book. one of the beast. A good part is when Jacen & Tenel Ka get lost in the ice land. "The first thing Jacen noticed was the cold. He shivered and looked at Tenel Ka,her lizard hide boots rose to midcalf, but her scaled armor only covered a minuscule portion of her uper thigh and left her arms bare. You must be c-c-cold,he said. This is a fact,said Tenel Ka. Chill wind went into the cave like knives of ice. Jacen, unable to thik of any other comfort, put his arms around Tenel Ka and pulled her to him in hopes of sharing some of his body warmth. Tenel Ka's arm slid around Jacen's waist and hugged him". so they are frezzing to death. It gets a bit more buddy buddy for Jacen & Tenel Ka. Now Jaina &Ranar are in the hot lands. " Raynar did his best to keep up with Jaina as they trudged between cracks, lept over open spaces like ovens, and hid from the heat in any shadows they could find. Now I know what a nerf sausage-- on a hot plate feels like,said Raynar. Jaina couldn't anser. Her skin was red and raw from the heat, her hands and feet had good number of blisters already. Jaina climbed up a rockface, along a cleft in the tones that heid some shade. She slipped briefly and reaching out to steady herself, touched an outcropping of rock exposed to the direct sunlight. She hissed in pain and snached her fingers away. Red burn-welts sprouted on her skin. Working it the mines is starting to sound like a vacationto me,she admitted. we don't have any waterout here, no food or protection...said Jaina". So they have to deal with the heat. This is a great book, to see what happens you got to get it.

Jacen, Jaina and group held off to get Lowie back from the Diversity Alliance but it doesn't go well at all instead they end up slaves in a spice mines leaving Lusa to come after them. Another interesting installment of the Young Jedi Knights asside from a few little details like them traveling around the Galaxy at fifteen or them telling Lusa to cover for them (like no one's going to notice they have left the planet?) I like each book better then the last. They're fun adventures and each charactor is well written. I like the little tiny crushes between Jacen and Tenel Ka and Jaina and Zekk their cute but not overly annoying nor are they the main focus of the stories and that works for me.

I have to say that when I spoke with the author he set a very high bar for his book. I was worried at first that the book would not be as attention grabbing as advertised though he seemed a very capable storyteller.

The world that he described, the technologies he spoke of, and the cast that he just barely hinted on sounded on par with epic novels like those written by Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, Piers Anthony, and other authors who have captivated audiences around the world from any culture or creed.

That being said you can understand both my excitement and my hope to not be disappointed. Now I do not claim to be a critic or a professional reader in any depth but I do know that however high he may have set the bar the book hurtled it without so much as the assistance of a running start.

The backgrounds captivated me with the beautiful visuals almost as much as the characters gripped me with their ideals, ideas, idioms, and idiosyncrasies. I believe only once did I read less than fifty pages in a sitting.

As a member of a group of modern knights and swordfighters I was happy to see the mental and physical arts come to a remastery but even more so as an avid lover of science-fiction and science-fact I was pleased to see a realism and reason behind the emergence of that ancient martial art of combat in mind as well as in body.

Setting aside all flattery and praise this book is one of the best if not THE best that I have read. It kept my attention, was never far from my mind, and I am now desperately waiting for the second installation of the series. I have mentioned it to many of my friends and now have many people who want to borrow it.

I am honestly thankful for the opportunity to read this work and I hope this fantastic book spreads like wildfire to the masses of people who I am sure would not only enjoy it, but need to read it.

-Corwin Parker

Richard Friar has created an extremely intelligent, poignant and entertaining vision of the future. His imagination is seemingly boundless. The war machines he describes would make excellent fodder for the film/video game industry!

I love the fact that his antagonist is strangely likeable! His protagonist Logan, is also extremely well-developed. Friar has a unique knack for setting story elements up that will pay off later in the novel and keep the reader surprised. I found myself constantly thinking, "Oh, yeah... I forgot about that!" That's the thing, his set ups are seamless and when he confronts the reader with the payoff later on, it's largely unexpected! Friar is clearly a visionary whose aptitude for history, science and politics is staggering.

I recommend this book to anyone! But definitely see a place on bookshelves for fans of science fiction, history, romance, military/war stories, technological developers, scientists, politicians, animal rights activists and anyone who enjoys a challenging, satisfying read.

Richard Friar's new book, The Keepers is an eerie, monumental (650 page) novel portraying the rise of a fourth Reich in Germany and the start of WWIII beginning in the 2030s, the third decade of the 21st century: a mere 22 years away. The new Hitler, Geiseric, seeks to transform earth into a highly controlled master utopia modeled on Aristotle's great classic Plato's Republic. His new society is based on Isaiaism, a pseudo religion of which he is the Messiah.

Friar skillfully blends history, and social theory with scientific imagining to portray the rise of the new republic, which has been planned down to the tiniest details. Social transformation, expansionist diplomacy and a war of conquest fought with fantastic new weaponry all unfold simultaneously. The new society being planned has both profound similarities and significant differences with Hitler's third Reich. Nationalist propaganda, in the tradition of Leni Riefenstahl's film Triumph of the Will (a film commissioned by Hitler to glorify the Third Reich) is used effectively by Geiseric to begin the expansion of a new German empire. Although the regime is as ruthless as its predecessors, it is not anti-Semitic. Geiseric chooses to recruit Israel and exploit Jewish talent instead of engaging in Jewish genocide. His "new republic" is vegetarian (Vegan) and highly paternalistic, ruling the conquered slave population through propaganda, ample life amenities, and a drink called "ambrosia."

The most ingenious (and in some ways most disturbing) element of the book is the evolution and use of new classes of super weapons developed by the new regime. Geiseric's regime, the Apex, employs high tech bio-mimicry to create war chariots that hover like humming birds, ships that move like sea creatures and tanks that gallop on all fours. The Juggernaut, a giant tentacle machine ravages the coasts of resisting nations. Geiseric's armored warriors look much like ancient knights as they cruise above battlefields in airborne Kolibri war chariots. All the war technology is lavishly illustrated in a high sci-fi style that will appeal to military science fiction fans.

Although the 2030s seems a little early for these fantastic technologies to be operative, it is possible that the author did not want to make the Fourth Reich too distantly removed from the Third--severing some of the historical causality that might have been more problematic if he had placed the action in, say, the 2090s.

The timeline of The Keepers follows the new empire from its early acquisition of Austria to its successful conquest of the United States, and the retreat of the American and British forces to Mars and the moon, leaving only a small underground movement behind. As Geiseric enlarges his empire, subverting and outwitting the allies at every turn, the reader is treated to a lavish spectacle that is fascinating, overwhelming, and somewhat alienating--as if one is watching important events from a great height at which individuals seem insignificant. While he does trace the lives of one small group of conquered people throughout the period of conquest, they seem like tiny pieces of flotsam in a tsunami, with no power to change or influence their destinies.

If there is a weakness in the logic of Geiseric's conquest, it is that it is hard to see where the resources for all these rapid worldwide conquests come from. Even as Geiseric usurps the assets of conquered lands, it is difficult to understand how he could mobilize and redirect these resources swiftly enough to facilitate his rapid world conquest, which takes far less time, than say, the conquests of Alexander the Great. Even Hitler's panzers moved more rapidly than the system that manufactured and supplied them. That said, The Keepers is a pretty impressive piece of speculative fiction--written plausibly, dramatically and comprehensively in prose that is better than one often finds in books of this kind. If speculative future history and hard military science fiction appeal to you, this is a book you are sure to enjoy.

i would like to share my thoughts. i am a harsh critic for almost anything. i am however a regular reader although not of science fiction but i do read a lot of fiction in general.

overall i have to say i was impressed with this book. the imagination
that created the futuristic world and weapons was super impressive.
really showed an amazing understanding of technology and design. the
ideas about future weapons were scary actually they were so
destructive. A+ on that.

also A+ on the political aspects of the book. you can tell the author knows their history. the way that he showed the egos of the world
leaders was great. the way the countries interacted was hilarious. i
might have made the US president more of a leader and less of a Bush
type because hopefully in the near future we will see more of that and
i would like to hope that we learned our lesson with Bush but who is
to say and to put anything past americans is foolish. anyways all of
the political content in the book was right on.

also right on was the plot content concerning logan and crew. i liked
a lot of the interaction between characters, it was very realistic.
good character development and you had me caring what happened to the
characters which is crucial.


my least favorite part of the book was the battle scenes. there were
some that were well written and exciting but i found myself bored with
others. i think this was due to trying to put too much scene into it.

in general man i really enjoyed the book. i finished it in a couple of weeks which is impressive for a book that size. i read it quite a bit and was curious to see what geiseric was going to do next. i have to say man good job. i cant wait for the next one.

This was a great account of things that could come. Friar has an excellent way of bringing his words to life. I would recommend this book to anyone.

It goes without saying that Life of Pi is my favorite book. Pi and Richard Parker won my heart years ago and I give this book away to everyone I know.

When I saw the illustrated version had been released, of course I immediately ordered it and was enthralled at the beautiful paintings and sketches that highlight certain elements of the story. It made re-reading it even more of a joy.

It was exactly as my mind had pictured it.

Beautiful edition and highly recommended.

GREAT read- and this edition has amazing illustrations. Life of Pi is a fantastic story about a boy stranded at sea in the company of a Hyena, Orangutan, a Zebra, and a Bengal Tiger. Pi must learn to face these animals as well as himself. **awesomeness**

This is a wonderful story. I decided to buy this edition because of the illustrations. The colors are brilliant and beautiful.

A rather outre plot but one beautifully rendered. A boy (Pi) grows up in a zoo (which his father owns)which makes him familiar with wild beasts. It is a familiarity he will need as, on the family's way to Canada, together with many zoo animals, their ship sinks and Pi (alone) finds himself on a lifeboat staring out onto a great expanse of blue sky and green sea. Others find their way to the same lifeboat, all animals, one of which is a great Tiger. Surely death must come to Pi.

The illustrations do enhance the wonderful writing and I would suggest buying the illustrated version.

Have you ever been watching a drama on TV and half-way through the season it switches to a comedy, complete with laugh track? Or reading a scientific text on the lifestyle of gorillas that suddenly morphed into British Chick Lit? Did you enjoy that? If so, you'll enjoy this book.

Life of Pi is wonderfully written. Martel elegantly captures the twists and turns of his character's mind, and exquisitely describes his world, particularly as it relates to the animals. It feels as if Martel's spent thousands of hours sitting and observing various animals, just as his character did. I had no doubt that I was there in the zoo with Pi, watching the animals. His intricate details on marine life were both accurate and enthralling. Truly Martel knows how to create. I also appreciate how Martel plays with the line between fiction and nonfiction in the beginning of the book, to bring us into a netherworld of reality. And the illustrations- Oh! So beautiful they could be paintings in the middle of the book.

And yet. And yet. I was profoundly disappointed with this work. For I was gripped in the middle of a fascinating story- fiction to be sure, but believable- that suddenly changed into magical realism. Don't misunderstand- I enjoy magical realism, much as I enjoy good comedies on TV. I just don't like my genres mixed. The change was abrupt enough to be jarring, but hidden enough that the reader is at a loss to understand what has happened until many pages later. Thus at one point I am thinking that Pi is suffering from dementia, and I begin skimming the pages, only to discover later that the dementia- as fantastic as the events seem- is meant to be reality. Or are they? Later Martel plays with an idea little better than the Dallas dream retcon, in which a wonderful realistic story of a boy lost at sea with animals becomes something horrific worthy of Stephen King.

The descriptions were wonderful but Martel has great difficulty in describing settings. I still don't understand the layout of the lifeboat and lifebuoy, because no matter how many times I went over it, it didn't make sense. The illustrations were wonderful but they too often telegraphed events. We have a chapter of an individual being rescued, mentioned by name, and it is clear that the author intends us to think this individual is human. But the picture on the very same page shows a tiger being rescued in the middle of the ocean. The religious subtext was interesting, but ultimately a red herring that didn't illuminate the finale, and was frankly insulting to numerous religions with the caricatures and stereotypes of the worst of them.

There was so much in this book that I enjoyed. Had it not been for the twist gotcha ending I would have rated it higher. As it is, it felt like this was a failed writing exercise by an excellent writer. Or in Yann Martel's words, "Your theme is good, as are your sentences. Your characters are so ruddy with life they practically need birth certificates. The plot you've mapped out for them is grand, simple and gripping. You've done your research, gathering the facts - historical, social, climatic, culinary - that will give your story its feel of authenticity. The dialogue zips along, crackling with tension. The descriptions burst with colour, contrast and telling detail. Really, your story can only be great. But it all adds up to nothing." In this case, it was not a missing spark of emotional death- it was a cruel cancer spreading throughout the work, only revealed in the last few pages.

"Never Ceese" is the tale of a vampire and a werewolf who seek what we all seek deep down in our souls...redemption. Both were cursed unwillingly, and both have fought all their VERY long lives to never pass on that curse to another, but to cling to their beliefs that were ingrained in them as children.

Ceese finds herself lured to the castle of Penelope and Richard against her will, not certain what she will find once she arrives there. Richard isn't fond of visitors of any kind, and especially not visitors of Ceese's nature.

But Penelope persuades them both to accept one another and that they can help the other break the curse that binds them, thus giving them the ability to choose their own final destiny.

I know it sounds so far fetched that two of the most unimaginable creatures and most make-believe beings could have such strong desire for the things of God...but believe me, IT WORKS! And it makes the lure of God's redemption all the more powerful to see it played out in a work such as "Never Ceese".

This book will stretch your imagination to its farthest reaches, and almost make you believe...but not quite, because believing in something Sue writes so well is just, well, not something I find myself wanting to do!!

I'm giving "Never Ceese" five out of five bookmarks, with a tiny cross as a charm...because that is where our destiny changes, no matter who we are or where we're from. It all starts and ends at Calvary.

Happy Reading!

Deena

Sue Dent has done the unthinkable. She's pushed the boundaries of Christian fiction, circling the camp with a small publisher, howling for someone to take notice. And it's working.

"Never Ceese" is a blend of traditional vampire themes and modern smart-mouthed characters. Ceese is a werewolf on her way to a British castle, where she will rendezvous with Richard the vampire. Ceese is in a constant struggle with "the wolf" inside, while Richard is trying to maintain a modicum of control over his fang-toothed desires. This unlikely pair, united by an old woman named Penny, discover they have mutual childhood links. As they travel to meet a young college-age researcher, their pasts come to light. Romance flits about in unexpected places. And a self-seeking professor angles to take their immortality for himself.

The standbys are in play--garlic, crucifixes, wolfsbane, etc--but Dent adds a few of her own elements to this classic battle between the old ways and new. There are few surprises, but the story moves at a quick pace, leavened with humorous dialogue and clever insights. Dent's characters struggle with their cursed sinful natures, seeking release--if such a thing is possible.

In the end, all is resolved--if not a bit suddenly on some levels--and possibilities are left open for the sequel, "Forever Richard." I guess I know what book to add to my Christmas list. With Dent circling the camp, someone's bound to wake up to this genre's possibilities.

Richard has been cursed so long he can't even remember his life before he became a vampire. He spends his days with his long time friend, Penny, in his luxurious castle in Britain. Richard's world is forever changed when a young werewolf named Ceese arrives at his door claiming to be old friends with Penny. Ceese has also carried her curse for ages and she wants nothing more to be rid of it once and for all. Richard has long ago given up hope of ever being free from his curse and Ceese must convince him to hope again. Now vampire and werewolf must work together to discover a cure for the immortal curse that binds them both.

Sue Dent has done what few have dared to try, mixing elements of vampire and werewolf lore with themes of faith and spirituality. The result is an intriguing and exciting piece of fiction that is obsessively readable and entertaining on every level. Richard and Ceese are cleverly crafted characters who face insurmountable odds in their quest for redemption. Dent adds to the richness of the story by giving equal balance to both werewolf and vampire mythology. Many of these elements were familiar to me, with a few surprises that only added to the mystique of each character. The incorporation of faith is never forced and fits seamlessly into the storyline, making the messages of sacrifice and redemption that much more powerful in the end.

Never Ceese was a pleasant surprise to me and if it wasn't for Eric Wilson's Amazon review, I never would have picked it up. It's a shame that major CBA publishers aren't willing to pursue more "outside the box" fiction like Never Ceese. I'm glad to know there are publishers out there (like Writers' Cafe Press) who are willing to give these types of stories the recognition they deserve. I can't wait to sink my teeth into the sequel, Forever Richard.

I just finished reading Sue Dent's tale of Never Ceese. I think the other reviews have already covered just about everything that can be revealed without giving too much away, so I will have to be satisfied in saying I thoroughly enjoyed the book. Normally, I am not one to read about vampires and werewolves; not my cup of tea. Other people, however, gave rave reviews that had me very curious. I was suspicious, but Ms. Dent has successfully blended the creatures of horror stories with sound Biblical principles. It teaches about faith and love without being preachy. Much of the subject matter is dead serious (forgive the pun), but Ms. Dent has included plenty of comic relief. Really, I love her offbeat sense of humor. I read it rather quickly since I couldn't put it down for long.

At first? Reluctant. Next? Intrigued. By the second page? Thoroughly engaged. Sue has brought the urban mythos of vampires and werewolves to the spiritual plane. She causes her readers to delve into tragedy while hoping for redemption. Bravo! I eagerly await the promised sequel.

When I first started this series, I was a little dissapointed. Not only was the dialogue boring and a little tedius to get through, but the characters weren't that likable from the start. BUT, as the book progressed, their were a few more things to keep it interesting. The end of the books was ok, a little abrubt. But, I can't say anything about it without giving away some of the story, so I will let the readers decide.

If 1)You are a fan of Dragonlance, 2) You are a fan of Mages in Dragonlance, then you should get this book. It takes place nearly 300 years after the Cataclysm, and really gives insight into the magical side of Krynn.

This is a great book, depicting the attempts of a young man, one Guerrand DiThon, who wishes to become a mage, despite the orders of his older brother, Cormac, and Cormac's influential wife.

But when a mysterious man wearing red robes named Belieze rolls into town and gives Guerrand a magical piece of glass that allows him to see to far places, he and his familiar, a seagull named Zagarus, both set out to the Tower of High Sorcery in Wayrenth to study the arts of magic and, perhaps, even take the Test and become a legend.

Studying under Justarius, Guerrand soon learns of a scheme that would undo the whole of Krynn. Belieze plans to enter the magical Citadel where all the knowledge of magic is stored!

Will Lyim, Guerrand's friend and Belieze's apprentice, fall victim to the evil mage's intentions? Or will Guerrand find himself in an inevitable struggle with the Master of the Red Robes? This awry tale will take you on a trip to Nuitari and back, so hold onto your hats and let Mary Kirchoff, the author of Wanderlust and Kendermore, sweep you away to a land known as Krynn.

I am in the process of reading this novel (half way done) and I came upon some ironic information. For any fan that read and enjoyed THE OATH AND THE MEASURE, I would strongly urgue you to buy NIGHT OF THE EYE. The two books both mention a 5 year period on which magic is at its peak. And while the plot of these books are different, it makes you kinda wonder about the timing of these novels. Both THE OATH AND THE MEASURE and NIGHT OF THE EYE are excellent novels to read at anytime.

I think of myself as a fairly avid fan of Dragonlance. And there are a couple of elements about the series that i like; like the fact that the some, 90+ books that have been written about the world of Krynn are, well, just that, about Krynn. What I mean is that the saga, once you're into it and familiar with the history, geography, etc, you can read a new story and things make sense. Another element that I like about the Dragonlance saga is the fantastic element (ie, dragons, chivalry of knights, and MAGIC). I like that fact that this book reassures me in both of those elements. The setting starts the book around the time slightly before the War of the Lance and the Companions, in a not-so-well known part of Krynn. And since the entire book is about magic and the study of it, it gives a very good look behind the every-day workings of magic, and insight into how and exactly what magic skills mean. Magic has always been such an elusive force in the Dragonlance world, where all they talk about is uttering of words and vague things like, "concentration" and "feeling of magic inside". This book really helps to change that.

This book was an excellent read for magic-lovers like myself, and had most of the elements that make a good Dragonlance book, like a good plot, a love interest, and and a well-developed, main character. If you like magic/Dragonlance/a good read, get this book. It may not be one of the VERY BEST DL books I've read, but it's still well worth the time, especially if you're a DL fan.

In fact, my only problem with this book was one aspect of the ending (if you haven't read the book, you may want to look away now...); Guerrand's sister is not addressed in the ending... She was perhaps my favorite character(i think it was because she seemed like such a helpless caged bird that tried so hard, and i'm really taken in for those "romantic"-type characters) in the book, and everything wraps up nicely except her... what happens to her? Why didn't she find out where Guerrand lived and ran away from home to Palanthas? Why didn't she just run away to begin with?? I know that the second book continues the story, so I'm hoping for the best....

I liked this book a lot, since I'm a mage fan and this book is completly about mages. The author developed the charactors well, like Rand's terrible, (but rather funny) family. The climax was very good, it had me on the edge of my seat. Read the other two books too!

JUST BECAUSE I'M A KID DOESN'T MEAN THIS BOOK STINKS!!!!!!!!! :-) Have a nice day.

I love this book and have read it many times. Although I can't seem to find the sequal. Does anyone know the name of the sequal or where to find it?

This book was fabulous! It is an excellent fantasy tale. I wish they would make this into a movie!

Does this version include the ending of the story? I understand that one of the prints has part one and two combined. I too read the first story when it came out in the early nineties (?) and absolutely loved the book. I always wondered if part 2 ever came out and it sounds like it has.

Is this version for sale the complete story, 1 and 2?

I've read the book and it's awesome. To person in Philly, yes there is a second book, i got mine as a birthday gift so i don't where you can get, but it's out there somewhere.
Please make all the books into movies if someone who reads this makes movies. It would be an awesome edition to the LOTR fantasy world.

I first read Book One "The Oneprince" when it first came out in 1992, at the age of 12; I loved it, eagerly awaited Book Two "The Hidden City," and, when the second volume was not forthcoming, eventually the book got tucked away on my bookshelf and temporarily forgotten. Occasionally I would wonder if the sequel had come out yet, but it was not until 2003 that I discovered the author's web site at http://www.infonline.net/~rapideye/bill2/ and found out that a joint edition of both the volumes had finally been published. I have just now finished reading the dual-edition, and it's so wonderful! Essentially, folks, what we have here is a sometimes tongue-in-cheek, sometimes fairy-tale, sometimes burlesque, and sometimes quite cinematic little parable of the Very Word. See, it doesn't take an astute reader long in Part One to realize that the Oneprince of the title--son of the Oneking Above--is the Christ, as incarnated (or however the logistics work out) in this fantasy world of Redaemus, with its Humans and Rats and Badgers, its Laws and its Demons, its King Pentatutinus and its squabbly Hidden City of Yerushela. It's not a perfect parable, not a direct analogy, but that is all the better as it deftly foils your constant games of guessing which character should be Judas, which Peter, which Mary Magdalene...really, they all take turns fitting one role or another. But you know one thing for sure: This delightful, unforgettable Oneprince, now that they've finally found him, is going to turn their world upside down! In a good way. I highly recommend the book to fans of fantasy, especially of the Narnia variety. Now that I've finally managed to read both volumes of the story, it's taken a permanent place on my list of favorites.

I just finished reading "The Destiny of the Sword," the third and final volume of Dave Duncan's "The Seventh Sword" series.

I have never been keen on the whole "modern guy gets transported to fantasy world" plot device. I've also never been much of a fan of major divine interaction in fantasy literature.

Despite the presence of those two elements, I was incredibly surprised that I really enjoyed the books. They were real "page turners," with likable characters, an accessible writing style, and a nicely done conclusion.

If you can find someplace to buy them, I highly recommend picking up all thee volumes of "The Seventh Sword" series.

I had to go to a couple of used bookstores to find this but it was worth it.

Sure it's light reading as far as fantasy is concerned but it is very satisfying. Dave Duncan has a gift for this type of fantasy. Amazon really should sell this.

I have read multitudes of fantasy series to date and intend on reading many more. Very few series pulled me back to read them again(there are so many new books to read why read one you know the ending).
That being said I have read this series three times and will probably ask the Library, in a few years, to yet again search through all their affiliates to find the series for me again.
Many have written here about what the story line is. I am here to tell you even if you are a border line fantasy lover, you will love this series.
It will make you smile and laugh out loud. It will make you feel the characters in a way all fantasy writers strive for.

Last thought; how can you not love the thought of waking up, after being a practically dead chemical engineer, as the best swordsman in the world!!!

I put off reading this book for a long time, by the time I finally did read it I was glad I did. Dave Duncan crafts the most unique and interesting fantasy world I have ever experienced. It is based mostly on one premise, how the lack of something (I won't say what that something is) can change how a world/culture developes.

The cultures and world is amazing. The characters compelling, the plot enveloping. Any fan of fantasy literature should read this series.

The only bad thing is that due to publisher conflicts it is out of print. Used copies can be hard to find. There are ebook versions available though.

I am new to the fantasy world of books, I am a mystery reader convert who had not even realized that fantasy/science fiction would be something I would enjoy. Dave Duncan has a talent of ensnaring the reader within the first 30 pages of his books- by then you are hopelessly enthralled or ready to move on to something else altogether. I, for one, have yet to move on as I find this author to be extremely good at his chosen professon.The first printing of "The Reluctant Swordsman" was in 1968- three years after I was born. But this novel is endearing no matter what age you may be. The characters are believable, and Duncan's style of intrigue introduces you to a host of characters that keep things going at a steady pace. I read this book in one day! I also have ordered the other two books in the series- because I definitely want to follow these stories to their end. As always, this is another of Dave Duncan's brilliant stories full of lessons learned and morals to live by.

This book is a wonderfully drawn and written manga(comic) by Naoko Takeuchi. Sailor Moon really shows how much she has matured over the time. It shows you death really is a part of a fight. Love and action is all thourghout this book making you sometimes very sad. If you like the Japanese anime (cartoon) version you'll love this book. I recommend you buy the books in order though.

I thought this was a good book. The writer is a faboulus story writer. I liked the first and second one more than this one though.

This particular story (they don't seem like comics to me) is very emotinal, and (yes!) it has Sailor Saturn in it! Although a little confusing, this story is very exciting, touching, sad, and, as always, there shines a ray of hope for Sailor Moon to save the world! Read it!

the main stories a bit short and theres a "minimoon" bouns tale and the books seem to be geting smaller but maybe thays just me

This is the book where they fight Mistress 9. I have also seen the anime version of it, and I liked the part where Sailor Saturn appears better in the manga. It was longer, in the anime she was just there for about a minute. However, I liked the part where they were fighting Mistress 9 better in the anime because it's not as confusing. The manga is different than the anime because in the anime Mistress 9 looks like Hotaru with longer hair but in the manga it destroys the body so the Sailor Soldiers are fighting a monster instead of Hotaru. All of the Sailor Soldiers are in this - Usagi/Sailor Moon, Minako/Sailor Venus, Ami/Sailor Mercury, Rei/Sailor Mars, Makoto/Sailor Jupiter, Haruka/Sailor Uranus, Michiru/Sailor Neptune, Setsuna/Sailor Pluto, Mamoru/Tuxedo Mask, Chibi-Usa/Sailor Chibi Moon, and Hotaru/Sailor Saturn. (But the English names are used for the Inner Senshi and Chibi-Usa and Mamoru.)
Everything I just wrote probably doesn't make sense if you haven't read the book or watched the anime, so now I'll explain it. Usagi is Sailor Moon, the Princess of the Moon, and the leader of the Sailor Senshi. Minako, Ami, Rei, and Makoto are the Inner Senshi, and they are also from the moon. Mamoru is Tuxedo Mask, Usagi's boyfriend in her past life on the moon. Chibi-Usa is Usagi and Mamoru's daughter from the future. Setsuna, Haruka, Michiru, and Hotaru are the Outer Senshi. Setsuna/Sailor Pluto was originally supposed to guard the door to the future and Haruka/Uranus and Michiru/Neptune had similar jobs. Hotaru/Saturn is supposed to end the world when she awakens in this book. All of this will make sense if you read the entire series in order. Also there are three talking cats, Luna, Artemis, and Diana. Luna lives with Usagi and Artemis lives with Minako. Diana is Chibi-Usa's kitten from the future and the daughter of Luna and Artemis.
Anyway, in the third part of the Sailor Moon series, their enemies are the Death Busters, Eudial, Mimete, Tellu, Viluy, Sipren, and Professor Tomoe. Hotaru is Proffesor Tomoe's daughter. Their family was caught in a fire when Hotaru was younger and her mother died. Professor Tomoe turned her body into a machine and put an egg in her body so she would become Mistress 9. Now the Sailor Senshi have defeated Eudial, Mimete, Tellu, Viluy, Sipren, and Kaori Knight, Proffesor Tomoe's helper. But then, in the last book, Hotaru took Chibi-Usa's soul (Heart Crystal in the anime) and used it to become Mistress 9. Now in the start of this book she also killed Minako, Ami, Rei, and Makoto (but somehow they came back to life - I don't remember how.) Hotaru is trying to get rid of Mistress 9 and save Chibi-Usa and stop Mistress 9 from destroying her body. Eventually Hotaru escapes with Chibi-Usa's soul and brings her back to life. Meanwhile, Mistress 9 ripped apart Hotaru's body and the Sailor Senshi are fighting with him.
In the end there are facts about all the Sailor Senshi, even Hotaru. There is one more book after this, #11, then SuperS 1-4 and StarS 1-3. There are also five seasons of the anime - Sailor Moon, Sailor Moon R, Sailor Moon S, Sailor Moon SuperS, and Sailor Moon Stars. But the American version is bad - they made it for children, took out episodes, and gave Ami, Luna, Makoto, and Usagi annoying voices. However, you can buy DVD sets in Japanese with English subtitles to see the real Sailor Moon. This is also the only way to see Stars. I haven't seen it yet (actually all I've seen is Season 1, and I haven't watched all of it yet, but I have seen the American version - about half of season one, a few episodes of season two, most of season three, and part of season four. Season One in Japanese is a lot better than in English.) I'm not sure if Stars has the English subtitles or not since I haven't seen it, but I think it does.
Also there are guides to 5 of the characters, fashion dolls, 8 novels, and 18 manga books like this one.