Science Fiction and Fantasy Books

Lisa Shearin's Armed & Magical Armed & Magical (Raine Benares, Book 2) is the second book featuring Raine Benares: elf, seeker, and one of the wittiest heroines that its been my pleasure to read. Raine's ability to summarize a terrifying situation with a few well-chosen words makes these books really funny, even when bad things are happening.

As in the first book in the series, Magic Lost, Trouble Found Magic Lost, Trouble Found (Raine Benares, Book 1), Raine is up to her pointed ears in adventure and a little bit of romance. Unwillingly bound to the Saghred, a ravenous soul-slurping, city-leveling magical object that wants to take over Raine and the world, not necessarily in that order, Raine constantly fights the temptation to use the Saghred's power to defend herself and her companions as dark forces try to take the Saghred for their own bloody political advantage. Not wanting to be the Saghred's BFF, Raine flees to the wizards on the Isle of Mid, her best hope for cutting her tie to the Saghred for good.

Much of the book revolves around this often-violent political maneuvering among factions of goblins, elves, and wizards as they attempt to seize control of Raine and the Saghred. Further complicating this explosive situation are the present (and past) loyalties of the goblin and wizard that are competing for Raine's affection. The only thing that Raine can count on is the support of her family and friends as she waits for the wizards to find a way to separate her from the Saghred.

I love the world that Lisa Shearin creates in these books. There's no "Lord of the Rings" nobility for the elves in this series; members of Raine's elven family operate businesses that are mostly on the shady side of the law. Goblins and wizards round out the cast of characters as both sexy heroes and really terrifying villains. I can't wait for the third and fourth installments in the series to see what comes next.

Armed & Magical is the 2nd in a unique fantasy series by author Lisa Shearin. The books feature contemporary characters and dialogue in an old world setting of taverns and tall ships, sorcerers, pirates, and magic. Raine Benares is an admirable heroine: she is plucky, resourceful, sassy, and ultimately determined to do the right thing. I want to be just like Raine! I found the secondary characters to have remarkable depth; their personalities and backgrounds are unfolding to the reader just as the story unfolds over time. This is a sequel which will definitely have its readers begging for more! Ms. Shearin has hit on just the right note of fast-paced entertainment and intriguing plot-twists. The first book, Magic Lost, Trouble Found, and Armed & Magical, sit side-by-side on my keeper bookshelf anxiously awaiting the arrival of the next book in the series, The Trouble with Demons. I strongly recommend Armed & Magical- it has a special magic all its own!

Raine is back! The adventures of Raine Benares, seeker and sorceress, continue in this 2nd book in Lisa Shearin's series. Shearin doesn't waste any time getting into the action. From the first pages, Raine sets off on rollicking adventure that will carry you away. I read the entire book in one sitting because I couldn't bear to put it down. Readers of this book can look forward to engaging characters, snappy dialogue, a tantalizing bit of romance, and a wonderfully written plot. Raine is one of my all time favorite characters in all of fantasy (my genre of choice). "Armed & Magical" is an excellent read that will leave wanting more. Let the countdown to Book 3 commence!

This is the sequel to MAGIC LOST TROUBLE FOUND, and it is just as good if not better than the first one. I spent a lovely evening on the Isle of Mid. I don't know where this series is headed but I will definitely go with it.

Raine Benares finds herself at the center of trouble again, the Stone of Saghred still claims her as its holder and some of it's secrets only come out when unexpected. The Goblins want the stone back, The Mages just want it contained and the politics of power are all working togather to force Raine to do something with the stone that she doesn't want to. Her friend,Piaras, is one of the most powerful spell-singers to be found, and he needs to be trained. His power is coveted by many on the Isle and when spell-singers begin to vanish, who can say why or who is next?

When Raine discovers a thousand yr old spell-singer connected to the Stone is still around, she must do what she does best and that is what ever she needs too. I love this character.

Mychael is the Paladin of the Guardians and stays close to Raine, helping her and trying to find out who is targeting the spell-singers. He and the archmage are the only ones who seem to simply want the stone to disappear back into its box.

Tamnais the Goblin is back, with his Black Magic under control for now. But his unacknowledged son is one of the spell-singers taken, and he still covets Raine. I really like him too. Good book and great characters.

Do not miss this one!!!!!

Raine Benares continues her exploits, but now with the Thief of Souls augmenting her magic powers, she's crossed the line. She's invincible, solves problems easily with spiffy new magical abilities, and has two boyfriends (Tam and Mychael). The [Mary] Sue-dom is strong in this one.

The novel has the pacing of 'urban' fantasy, but is a straight fantasy offering. This means action, humor, and frenetic movement from one situation into the next. It also means fluffy characterization, skimpy details, and a plot which you shouldn't think too much about. Don't ask questions like 'why isn't Raine's father playing a role in this novel?'

Finally the Shearin commited the LKH sin: about three full pages of background details are copy and pasted directly from the first novel. I read this immediately after Magic Lost, Trouble Found (Raine Benares, Book 1), meaning half of chapters one and two were boring re-read tidbits.

Armed and Magical isn't memorable, though the pace kept me through the whole book and landed it three stars. It might fill an afternoon, but I'd rather read a better story.

I purchased the Sweep series for my 13 year old daughter in the hopes that maybe she would read. "She hated to read." Well I was amazed, and could not get her to go to sleep, as she would spend the whole night, with a night-light on reading these books. She enjoyed them so much, and could not stop talking first about Cal and then Hunter, that I had to see what all the fuss was about.
Well after two weeks, a book a day, for a girl who hated to read, it sparked my curiosity, so I started reading, and was surprised to find out how enjoyable a Teen book about Teen Witches could be. I am not really into Wicca, but these books are really enjoyable. I am on my fifth book, and my daughter read each twice, and is know on the Circle of Three Series. I have to highly recommend these books to those parents who can not get their daughters to read. These are excellent stories, full of fantasy, horror, and fun.

This one is also good...just like the other ones. Morgan is still trying to understand her powers, but doing well when she has Cal with her. But, something strange is happening that is making Morgan scared. What could it be? You will have to read and find out, just typing this review temps me to read it again. GO get this book, you wont regret it.

Morgan is a blood witch. She was adopted. Morgan's life has been changing and is changeing still. THen Hunter another blood witch enters her life. From the very first moment she saw him she disliked him but now she absolutely hates him. Hunter is saying things about Cal that hurt her. Then things take a turn for the worst and Morgan is to blame. What did she do? Read this book and find out!

Morgan's seventeenth birthday is approaching and she should be very happy. But the rest of her life is not a wonderful as it should be. Cal is great, and her anchor. But now she has learned more about her mother and her clan. Her coven is losing some members and might be losing more. Bree is still distant and is mixed up with a strange witch. Who are the strange witches and what do they have against Morgan and Cal?

Most of these questions are answered by the end of the book which culminates on the night before her birthday.

Another fine book about a girl coming to terms with the changes in her life (adoption, love, witchcraft, friends, etc.).

Morgan is still trying to piece her life together. Bree has deserted her and her adoptive family can't even begin to understand her. The only person she seems to trust and have on her side is Cal. Cal her wonderful boyfriend who believes they are murin breatha dans, soulmates. But then Hunter comes and shakes things up. He claims that he is Cal's half brother and a member of the International Council of Witches. He says that he has been sent to investigate Cal and Selene who are believed to be practicing dark magick. Morgan denies this and refuses to believe him. But she does feel that something dark and strange is going on and if she doesn't figure things out soon she could face hte same tragic death her parents did.

The best thing about this book is that throughout the story you're never really sure which side Kane is playing for, and the fact that he's a barbarian and smarter than everyone else in the book at the same time makes him all the more interesting.

1) I label this is dark fantasy. The main character is not a good guy and thus does things that most "protaganists" won't do.

2) I got hooked on Kane from the Wagner book Dark Crusade. Kane as a character does carry the entire story because he is so good at everything...and believably so.

3) I like how this book reveals a little about Kane whereas Dark Crusade didn't say much of anything. Kane's mystery still stands even after this read making you want more in order to truely understand who he is and where he comes from.

Fun read. Wagner is great with action scenes and creates a wonderfully likeable "bad guy" type character here.

When a strange bloodstone ring is accidentally unearthed from where it has lain for countless centuries, it marks the reawakening of an evil of elder Earth. And when that ring falls into the hands of the mystic warrior Kane, it marks a dark day for all of mankind. Kane, with his vast experience, is playing a game, a game that only he sees the end of, and even he might just have miscalculated.

Karl Edward Wagner (1945-94) was an American author of some of the finest horror and fantasy literature to have been written, and one of his most interesting creations was the man Kane, an undying warrior and scholar. Overall, I found this book to be a positively gripping read. I found the setting to be quite interesting, and the characters to be absolutely fascinating. If you like such fantasy literature as Robert E. Howard's Conan, then you will love this book. I know I did. I highly recommend this book.

Karl Edward Wagner's character Kane is a great blending of Moorcock's tragic hero Elric, with his sorcerous powers, and Robert E. Howard's Conan, with his enormous physical strenght and skilled swordsmanship... Kane is a great hero, with some of the best sci-fi stories I've ever read- and I've read just about all of 'em... Give Kane a try- especially Bloodstone, Night Winds and Death Angel's Shadow...

I don't like swords & sorcery, but I read the Kane stories over and over again. Why? Imagine what Conan would be like if he had brains, class, and a believable reason for being so tough. These are rip-roaring adventure stories that still manage to make you think. And Kane is one of the most colorful and fascinating characters you'll ever read about. Piecing together his history from a hint in one story and a clue in another novel is an adventure in itself. And Wagner is a writer of such gifts that he can make you like and empathize with a character who is as much villain as hero. It's a shame these books are not easy to find, but trust me, they're worth the effort.

I think this was my favorite volume in the series so far. The first two were fun and entertaining, but in this one the plot becomes thicker, more complicated, and we start to see glimpses of a rich backstory behind the characters Grandma Ben and Thorn. People who liked the first two books will be sure to like this one, too.

This is my 1st Graphic Novel that I have read. Jeff Smith is a great author and illustrator. The words along with the pictures tell a great story. Jeff uses many story elements in his book Eyes of the storm. His plot has several conflicts in it. He uses mainly person-against-person, with it being the Bone cousins and village people against the rat creatures. Jeff Smith uses flashbacks and foreshadowing in dreams to let Thorn know what her past was like. He uses cliff hangers to make the story more suspenseful. Amongst all of this, Jeff Smith knows how to lighten the atmosphere by putting humor in the right places. This book kept me wanting more. I can't wait to get a hold of the next volume. This will not be my last graphic novel that I read.

The Bone books are the gratest comics I have Ever read

check em' out ;)

This book I just read is about a boy named Bone. Bone's friend started a cow race, and convinced everyone to bet on a cow that didn't even exist. So now they have to wash dishes at a bar to pay back what they destroyed. They have weird dreams about their past. So they spend days trying to figure out what their dreams were about. There are furry creatures in the woods trying to kill them.
Bone was the main character in the story he is the coolest and funniest in the book. There grandma reminds me of my grandma from when I was 3. She told me that there as no such thing as ghosts. I figured out that there was such thing as ghosts when I was 5. My favorite part in the story is when Bone realized that their dreams where real. If you like comic books then you will like the Bone series. This book was made to be read by kids 11 and older.

These books are fantastic! I have two 7yr old boys that cry if I don't read this book to them at night.

Parents:
Imagine using, I won't read to you tonight if you don't stop right now, and it works...that's how good this series is. At first I thought the book might be a little too scary for them but they were hooked and it wasn't until book 4 that I had to consider sensoring some of the language (things like "idiot"). Any book that brings kids back to the well again and again is worth purchasing.

This product was received in a timely manner and in excellent shape. Was very satisfied.

My son fell in love with this books. Its a good way of having him improve his reading skill...

Book 6 of Jeff Smith's graphic novel Bone series, Bone: Old Man's Cave features a showdown between the Hooded One and the valley folk - and Bone and Phoney Bone at the center of controversy. A secret sacrificial moonlight ceremony threatens them in another fine Bone presentation.

I can see why Bone is so popular! This volume is truly a great continuation of the series. The plot continues to become more complicated and intriguing, and the characters are still as likeable and endearing as ever. I can't wait to read the next volume!

I'm a fanatic of bone products, so i think they are the most wonderful things i have ever bought.

When I was a child, no one ever wrote about Black children. We were still calling each other whenever a Black person was coming on TV, "Nat King Cole gonna be on TV tonight." Now, 53 and grandmother to a host of children, to them I can read a tale about Black girls and boys who have adventures, rise above their fears, and so help me God, save the whole wide world! And what a world! Faracadar, where the youngest child continues the bloodline and creatures do, literally, laugh themselves to death. Where people are green and blue, and music, MUSIC, saves lives and chases away evil. I had to wait 53 years before a Black girl could ride the white horse, only to have Ms. Wachspress bare the girl away on a tiger. What fun! How wonderful that a new generation of all children can read of adventures set in my culture. A children's book? Perhaps, but one that reminds us of how to live with and respect each other and the Earth, and of how to fight, and with truth and honor. The Call to Shakabaz is a true, true delight!

Reviewed by Brianne Plach (age 9) for Reader Views (6/07)

Do you want to read a good adventure book with a great storyline and no violence? If you do, you will want to check out this one. "The Call to Shakabaz" by Amy Wachspress follows four recently-orphaned Goodacre children on a mission to do something for their mother who died two months ago.

The Goodacre children named Doshmisi, Denzel, Maia and Sonjay, are living with Aunt Alice and aren't too happy about it. They were raised in the city with malls, computers, televisions and video games. Aunt Alice has none of that in her farmhouse on Manzanita Ranch. They wish they had some adventure. Be careful what you wish for, you might just find out that you have more danger than the boring countryside. The four children take along Bayard Rustin, a talking parrot who doesn't make much sense but has a mind of his own.

One midsummer day, they meet Amethyst who is the gatekeeper of Faracadar. They are armed with their amulets that were given them by Uncle Martin, Uncle Bobby and Aunt Alice. They are told to wear these amulets well and with ingenuity, creativity, compassion, courage and hunger for the truth. The amulets must never leave the neck of the children because no one can take them from them unless they would lose their life. Doshmisi is also given a healing book called Herbal which will magically open to the page of the recipe of something to heal the person.

I really enjoyed traveling with the kids to meet all the different people on their trip. There were parts of this book which were funny. Having a powder which will change you into a different color to hide you would be very fun to have sometimes. Of course, your true colors will come out anyway. There is only so much hiding a person can do. Amy Wachspress has a great imagination. I will definitely read this book again! I liked how there weren't violent scenes in the book like a lot of books out there. This book is terrific reading for ages 9-14. It is fun to see that kids our age can do something important too, even if it is a fantasy book. I could see teachers making this a part of their reading class. There is a study guide at the back of this book too. Answer "The Call to Shakabaz' and enjoy the adventure!

Note from Brianne's mother: This book is a terrific fantasy book for kids. With the popularity of the Narnia series, "The Call to Shakabaz" could easily become a favorite for students and teachers. It kept Brianne very enthused about reading and she couldn't wait to finish reading it.

Head Start administrator Amy Wachspress presents The Call to Shakabaz, a fantasy novel for ages eight to eighty following four newly orphaned children who discover a surprising secret about their family. Accompanied by a pestering parrot, they travel to the faraway land of Faracadar, and seek the immensely powerful Staff of Shakabaz in hope of using it to end the tyranny of the evil enchanter Sissrath. Their adventure carries them over land and sea, into the dungeonlike depths of the Final Fortress, and each of them must discover their own talents and gifts in order to have any hope of survival, let alone success in their mission. Highly recommended.

Colour, music, scents and sentiment spill out of this pictureless fantasy novel and sweep us into a story of suspense, self-discovery and nonviolent resistance. Our girls laughed, swooned, quaked and cheered -- then happily chirped "Satyagraha!".

Doshmisi, Denzel, Maia, and Sonjay always thought Aunt Alice's Manzanita Ranch was a great place to visit, but they never thought they would have to live there. But when their mother died unexpectedly, that's where they moved to. It hasn't been very long since then, and the kids are bored stiff. It's a good thing they have the family Midsummer party to look forward to. Although without their mom, or even the cousins who are inexplicably absent, even that might not be much fun.

What starts out as a rather dull, depressing day gets a lot more interesting with a strange lesson in family history. It turns out that the two brothers and two sisters are "The Four." Descendants of a line of four brothers and sisters who can pass through their own dimension and into Faracadar. With their mother gone, the time of their mother and aunt and uncles have passed. It is up to the new Four now.

But what is "it"? Trust me, they want to know as much as you do. Unfortunately, one of the rules is that they don't get to know much the first time around. All they know is that they have to get the Staff of Shakabaz away from a guy named Sissrath. Who that is, how they do it, why they have to, and even what Faracadar is, they'll have to figure out for themselves. They'll have to work together, learning what each of their strengths are and how to use them, and maybe they'll be able to pull it all off.

THE CALL TO SHAKABAZ is richly imagined and incredibly detailed, both land and story. At first it's a bit like a modern version of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (The Chronicles of Narnia). But by the end of the tale you realize it's so much deeper than that. This is a book about finding personal strength, in all different forms, and appreciating the talents of others, and the strength in uniting different people, and so much more! I want to buy a copy for everyone I know, regardless of age, race, or sex. It's part fantasy, part history lesson, part real life -- I can't even describe it! But, it's beautiful, and it's kind of a picture of what I'd like to see our world look like. Although maybe without the greenish sun -- that might be a little weird.

Reviewed by: Carrie Spellman

Windchaser is a fabulous book for kids who would love to fly. The story involves a boy who lost his father and a flyer who has lost something special to him. A young criminal bound for Australia has a parallel storyline as we watch how Dinotopia opens up new opportunities for them both.

Dinotopia is the place I would go to live in a "New York minute"...no crime to speak of, no bad language, friendly people who actually think of others before themselves are the norm, and playing with dinosaurs makes all characters understand what's really important in life. Boys will especially love this one from start to finish.

Wind Chaser


This book was great because it was about two kids that meet each other in a ship. And one kid which name is Hugh saved the other kid which name is Raymond from being thrown into the deep sea. Because the ship was taking some dangerous man to another place. But the criminals took over the ship when a big storm was taking place. But Hugh steeled things that are why he was in that ship. So he had to be taken to another place to put him in prison. And Raymond was in that ship because he was the surgeons' ships son. But one of the criminals killed his dad and he was about to be killed to but Hugh saved him. He told Raymond to jump into the sea. And than a dolphin came along and saved both boys by taking them to a land. In that land the two boys saw what they had never seen. There were people working with dinosaurs'. Every body got along with the dinosaurs. The people there did not use money to buy things instead they exchanged things. The boys learned many things in that land and had lot of adventures.

It was one of my favorite books. It had action with a twist. I liked how the dinosaurs and people made friends.

Raymond's father died trying trying to stop the prisoners from taking over the ship and fell overboard into a watery grave. Raymond was devastated for a long time. When he found Windchaser and talked to him, he discovered Windchaser lost someone too. They became great friends.

Hugh saw a rock in front of the boat and made Raymond jump overboard and saved his life. Hugh was older and was the best pick-pocket in London because he was very poor. When they got on the island they began to get hungry. Then they saw a fruit that looked like an apple. Hugh became a good friend to Raymond and everyone in Dinotopia.

It was one of my favorite books. It had action with a twist. I liked how the dinosaurs and people made friends.

Raymond's father died trying trying to stop the prisoners from taking over the ship and fell overboard into a watery grave. Raymond was devastated for a long time. When he found Windchaser and talked to him, he discovered Windchaser lost someone too. They became great friends.

Hugh saw a rock in front of the boat and made Raymond jump overboard and saved his life. Hugh was older and was the best pick-pocket in London because he was very poor. When they got on the island they began to get hungry. Then they saw a fruit that looked like an apple. Hugh became a good friend to Raymond and everyone in Dinotopia.

I loved this book. it was well written and it was a very fun to read. Dintopia Windchaser is a fun fast paced action adventure book. for any kid who has ever wished for a book with Dinosaurs, action and adventure this is their book. the book has a great life lesson. The power of friendship. the book is about two friends who get stranded on a island and learn how to fit in. when they are there they become very close friends and meet some new friends who help them on their journey. on their journey they faced very serious problems. but their friendship pull them through.

It was OK, but I wouldn't really reccomend it.

This a great book! Sabrina Spellman breaks a mirror and thinks she will have 7 years of bad luck. But since she's a witch, she only gets 7 days. I think the 7 days were worse than 7 years. Sabrina makes the right choice for one of the spells and gets to see someone she hasn't seen for a long time. Read this book, it's one you'll never forget!

Eight short stories take the reader through a magic-packed, disaster-filled week in Sabrina's life. When a witch breaks a mirror it means seven days of bad luck, starting now! Just when Sabrina thinks she can handle the bad luck, her Quizmaster has picked this week to test her magic powers by sending seven temptations her way.

Poor Sabrina! She breaks a mirror and prepares herself for 7 years of bad luck...until the Quizmaster tells her otherwise. Witches get 7 days of bad luck-right now!

"Well, how bad could that be?" Sabrina wonders.

But soon Sabrina realizes this week, of all weeks, is not going to be what she expected. Something is at work here...something bigger than herself, her family...and her magic!

I love Sabrina and her series of books and this one is one of the best so far. The plot is clever, going throught seven days of bad luck like that and having different Sabrina author write the days up. It was a break from all the rest of the Sabrina novels, usually being so creeply short. No, this one was practically 300 pages long. But don't expect a extended, dragged out story about nothing. This is actually good (Oh, my God!) and interesting (NO!) except for "Smitten", which really didn't include much of a plot. But it is worth reading...

It would have helped if I read the Hobbit first.

This book had a depth, I had never read before. The complexity of Middle Earth was astounding to the 11 year old boy who first read this book. This was a book that couldn't be put down and mostly read under the blankets late at night with flashlight.

I have reread the book 10 times throughout my life. I lived in Israel for a year and when times were tough or I was lonely for home. I went to the school library and would start reading the familiar pages of this book.

I look forward to my kids discovering the book and Tolkein's world on their own.

I have read each and every one of J.R.R. Tolkiens LOTR trilogy including 'The Hobbit' at least 6 times and I am still not tired of them. They are classics! Some people say there's too much detail. I disagree but I like detail and I think it's the mark of a great author but I understand that some people just want to read the book and not have to listen to the author describe the bark on a tree for three pages (I'm exaggerating, he doesn't go into THAT much detail). These books are great, no language, nothing inappropriate at all. If you are looking for a good book to read on a rainy day I recommend LOTR. P.S If you want to see too much detail read 'Last of the Mohicans'.

I had never read the Rings trilogy. I liked The Hobbit when I read it years ago. I've never been a big fan of high fantasy (elves, dwarves, wizards), but this is the best. The world Tolkien creates is deep and amazing, and although the songs and poems get a bit tedious (especially when they're written in imaginary languages), I really got into the adventure of the characters. I read this right when I got back from Alaska and imagined the landscape to be much like that in Denali National Park.

I bought The Hobbit for my 11-yo son at a school book fair. He plowed through it in no time and loved it so I decided to buy him the Lord of the Rings trilogy as a Christmas present. He can't get enough of these books. He read the first book and absolutely loved it. He's almost done with the second book. He (and I) would definitely recommend any of the Lord of the Rings series. If you like the fantasy type of books then these are a must-have for your collection.

Tolkien was a man beyond his years, he and Lewis (in my humble opinion) started the fantasy genre as we know it today.

Fellowship is so much more than the movie (which I did like) but to read the books as Tolkien wrote them, in the order he wrote them is enchanting!

This story didnt take a couple of weeks but years, a lifetime. There are many reluctant heroes, and many that once in a position to make a difference did. It is about friendship, honor and respect. Things the modern world has seem to forgotton.

(FOR CHRISTIANS?)
I hold a Doctorate in Christian Theology, and I have to say Tolkien knew what he was doing when writing. You are being ministered to...and dont even realize it. You come away from the story wanting more, craving it. Once you find the basis of his story....the Bible, and put the two together you see the kinsmenship. Middle Earth are like parables, take them as such and any doubt you may have about them will soon disapear.

I will admit Fellowship is not the best of the four books (JUST my opinion) but that is not to say it does not blow away most modern books...because it was an absolute blessing to me, and an eye opener on who I wanted to be.

This is without doubt the best of all Star Trek stories, both in film and in print. It touches on many grand philosophical, scientific, and technological themes: machine intelligence (both in Commander Data and in the Borg), space-time engineering (the first time humanity has done this, via the efforts of Zefram Cochrane), the first contact from an alien civilization (the arrival of the Vulcans), the confrontation with true history (meeting Cochrane and finding out just who the man really was), and the ethics of highly advanced civilizations (the contrast between the Borg and humanity). This book and the film will without a doubt inspire many a young reader to take up the practice of science, and thus it will do the best job of all. Science fiction has the habit of coming true sometimes, but it also has the fault of underestimating. The future of humanity, as exemplified by the Star Trek crew of the year 2367, is a grand one to contemplate, but the true future will be much better: a world populated by humans and machines striving to be the best they can be; a future that is never static, for stagnation to intelligent life is an abomination. We will do genetic engineering of humans, to be the best we can be; we will do space-time engineering, to travel beyond any immediate confines; we will create intelligent machines, to be our friends and allies. All of these things we will do, and much more. Humans and all other lifeforms, organic or not, will be very different in the time frame set in this novel. But they will be restless, ambitious, and always yearning for more understanding, for more insight, for more knowledge: these traits will characterize the beings of the 24th century...and beyond.

"And you people...you're all astronauts on some kind of...star trek?"

That line, uttered by Dr. Zephram Cochrane in both movie and novelization, has to be my all time favorite from the Trek film series. The most interesting difference between movie and book, as far I am concerned, is that despite James Cromwell's fine performance I found the film's Zephram Cochrane incredibly annoying. I never developed a shred of sympathy for him, because the background the film gave me - the Third World War and its chaotic aftermath - wasn't sufficient to make me understand him. I don't know, not having seen the script from which J.M. Dillard worked, whether she added "Zef" Cochrane's tragic battle with bipolar disorder (a disease that before the War had an effective treatment), or if it was among the elements that inevitably got cut as the film took shape. But I do know that for me, it made all the difference in being able to care about this character and root for him.

The book follows the film with little filler added except for background on Lily Sloane and Zephram Cochrane, which gives it a similar pace. They complement each other well.

As usual, J.M. Dillard does a fine job of remaining true to the source material, while still elaborating on it. The story is an excellent one, with plenty of action and plenty of interesting science-fiction concepts for the more thoughtful to consider. It gives us a bit more insight into the "future history" between the near-collapse of civilization and the beginning of the Federation that has been hinted at but rarely detailed in various episodes of Star Trek, in various generations of series.

The plot and characterization are both excellent and the writing is fluid and professional. The book is a pleasure to read.

This is, of course, the novelization of the highly successful Star Trek: The Next Generation film of the same name. First Contact refers not to first contact with the Borg, for, six years later, Picard still bears the mental scars of his assimilation in the form of Locutus, but to Earth's first contact with an alien civilization. It is a story that had yet to be told, although Captain Kirk and his crew had met the extraordinarily old Zefram Cochrane, inventor of the warp drive, in an episode of the original series; additionally, there had been hints that this pivotal event in human history took place some time after a terrible Third World War on Earth.

As the story begins, the Borg have attacked the Federation, with one of their massive cube ships making a bee-line for Earth herself. Picard and the new Enterprise-E starship defy Starfleet orders and rush to the battle, after which they follow a small Borg ship through a time portal which takes them back to 21st-century Earth. The Borg plan is to destroy the Phoenix, the spacecraft which Zefram Cochrane launches and, by way of its successful warp drive test, captures the attention of a Federation scout ship. If that pivotal event does not happen, the Federation we all know and love will never come to be. While half of the senior staff is planet-side trying to make sure the Phoenix launch happens on schedule, the rest of the crew find themselves battling a Borg infestation onboard the Enterprise herself. Data is captured, Picard is in danger of letting his hatred of the Borg overrule logic and reason, and we get to meet the Borg Queen. Personally, I've always felt that the introduction of the Borg Queen was a disservice to the greatest Star Trek villains of them all. The Borg Queen is a complete contradiction that introduced a level of individual vulnerability into a collective that was, up until this time, faceless and seemingly invulnerable.

This is an impressive novelization of the film, making it a worthwhile read to those of us who are already familiar with the onscreen story. In particular, it provides a great deal of insight into the erratic nature of Zefram Cochrane himself; in the movie, he came across as basically a drunk, but the novelization does a much better job of explaining his behavior. That alone makes this novel a natural and extremely beneficial corollary to the movie.

Star Trek First Contact by J.M. Dillard was an excellent book. it showed emotion, fear, dispair, and anger. IT was a well written book considering it was made after the movie. I encourage all Star Trek fans to read this book and watch the movie.