Science Fiction and Fantasy Books

Score, Helaine, and Pixel travel to the planet Dondar. They help a herd unicorns of defeat the most powerful wizard of the planet, only to find their troubles are just beginning. I have read several of John Peel's books, and I think this is the best one. It's a real page turner. I wish I could give it six stars.

My daughter loves this series! She enjoys the adventure, magical powers and the good vs. evil aspect of each story. What can I say? She's reading and enjoying it!!! If you like stories about magic and adventure, you'll probably enjoy it!!!

This book was a thriller. It kept you guessing at everything. The stange pictures and wird names took me many days to figure out how to solve them. I have read the first two but this one explains every thing that you would need to know. Every page brought new suspence. I would recomend this book to anyone that likes action, and magic books.

Amazing. I have had my diadem set for 4 years, and I never tire of sitting on my couch and reading for yet another time, Diadem. John Peel writes with the feel and certaincy of an established writer, for that is who he is. The book is very, very good. Just a question, why is the fourth book so rare?

All the "Diadem" books are MUST READS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love the over-all plot and wonder how Peel thinks of all the wonderful stuff he puts in his books. The Helaine, Score, and Pixel have interesting traits & personalities. People that give this book under four stars are out of there mind! I LOVE JHON PEEL'S BOOKS. He MUST write more "Diadem" books!! If you liked these book you'll love "The Secret of Dragonhome!!

Peel takes the kids on a mystical magical adventure with Unicorns. Best book of the entire series, the magical unicorns are actually fun the way they are written, very human. The kids in the book are working together very well, and care about each other.

I think this is a great book. I myself am a horsefan, and I have a hard time finding interesting books that have horses or horse-related animals in them. The plot is great, and the role the unicorns play in this book is very interesting. I am definatly going to read some more of John Peel's work.

the fact the this series was written was great pleasure. I was able to read 1-6 and they were a great experence to the imagination. This is one of the best I have read in my life. If you like fantasy, mystery, and tons of mistical creature this is your type of series.

If you want to know the truth, I'd give this book 100 stars but 5 was the maximum. Not only Diadem Book Of Thunder was amazing, but the rest of the Diadem books as well. Magic is everywhere with exciting events, and hold onto your seat, because you're not only going to another world, you're going to another universe! Our three completly differen't companions learn to combine their power, and become unstoppable. I suggest this book to anyone who's ready for the chill and the thrill.

In the story entitled Diadem, Book of Thunder, three children called Helaine, Score and Pixel travel again to a world called Dondar after narrowly escaping the evil wizard Sarman and the Three who Rule, to answer a cry for help from Helaine's unicorn friend, Flame. Flame's father, Thunder, the leader of the herd, has been challenged to a Rite of Combat by a strange newcomer, Tychus. Score only just managed to stop Tychus from killing Thunder, and they are all forced to leave the herd. But Helaine stays with Flame, to keep a close watch on Tychus. Later, in the castle of a wizard that the "Chosen Three" had defeated, Pixel and Score discover that Tychus had drugged Thunder in order to win the fight. Soon after, Thunder has a vision that takes the unicorns and the Chosen Three on an enchanting quest to right the wrong, and mostly to survive.

The Children of the Lens are the culmination of the Arisian breeding program, and are to be their weapons in the final assault on Eddore.

Kimball Kinnison and Clarissa MacDougall have had four children. Born with the abilities Kim possesses, these kids will become the 'third stage' with an ability to join their minds in an all-powerful gestalt.

They are talented enough that they can shadow the Second Stage Lensmen without them knowing, and help them out. Each of the four has a favorite among the Second Stage Lensmen, even if they won't admit it.

This book has a different feel, in that it is a tiny bit focused on family, and the mental war part of it means the insane space battles are a much smaller part of the whole thing.

The end is the final battle between the Arisians and the Eddorians, with the third-stage Kinnison gestalt as an important part of the assault.

Afterwards, what the Arisians tells the Children comes as a bit of a surprise.

All six books went fast and furious...but what reading!!! Terrific stuff! Smith definitely had the jets to tell one of the best yarns in all of science fiction. All the other reviewers citing how later movies, series, and stories were influenced by these books...WERE RIGHT!!! One of the best science fiction series you will ever read. Period.

Galaxies wide adventure. This is the last book of the Lensman series. While the book can stand alone, the earlier Lensman books lead up to this conclusion where the combined mind powers of the Lensman children, together with super science manage to defeat the super villains for the victory of good over evil.
E.E. Smith wrote these books around the middle of the century, and some of the writing style appears less sophisticated than current authors. However, I enjoyed the extremely positive depiction of the human nature and future - similarly to what the author did this in the Skylark series. Highly recommended..

Having started the six book series with Triplanetary and ending here, I thought the series started to trail off after Galactic Patrol. Triplanetary has been heavily criticized as giving away too much of the series and of the pro- and antagonists too soon. However when the Eddorians are finally confronted here I didn't feel as much as a build up to their powers as Triplanetary instilled. In Triplanetary you really felt that the Eddorians were almost omnipotent beings and the task before the Arisians in seeding planets, including Earth, preparing for the eventual confrontation to save Civilization. Galactic Patrol really carried on the beginning of the series with Kimball Kinnison, but I thought the quality dwindled starting with Gray Lensman and the dated 50's slang really picked up then. It's not just because it's written in the 50's, I've recently read several works by Alfred Bester, Arthur C. Clarke, and others written in the 50's and they have no where near this level of 50's slang.

Another thing I started to find unappealing is Smith's heavy regard for the `wide girth' of Kinnison and of his space-ax swinging cohorts. In reality, strong ambition comes often from those that have not been so physically gifted in life and so have to fight their entire lives against people's initial reactions to their appearance. Lois McMaster Bujold's Mountains of Mourning of a diminutive protagonist's personal battle against his grandfather's attitude, and possible disgust, of his physical stature comes to mind. So it is with irony that I can picture some skinny kid sitting outside in the 50's reading this book and `barrel-shaped chests" as the big neighbor kids come up to him and say `hey poindexter, whatcha reading...' or something.

However, the originality, and impact this series had upon science fiction cannot be understated and is why I am giving it a respectable four stars. Several reviewers have mentioned that they can see scenes from Star Wars lifted from this series. What I see even more so is what Star Trek lifted from this series. Even down to small details such as a ship having to lower shields in order to fire a weapon against an enemy. And many other movies, tv shows, and books influenced comes to mind including Alien, The 5th Element, Heinlein, certainly the original Star Trek as well as the Next Generation and Deep
Space 9, Wing Commander and others.

255 Pages, Publ 1954.

I have read this series at least 4 times. If you like SCIFI, you will cherish these books and buy the whole collection (as I did).

Why all the 5 star reviews? Am I really that picky or is everyone else that easy? Did we read the same book, I mean the WHOLE over 1,000 big pages? Well enough questions, there were some really excellent stories in this compilation namely "The Crowd", "The Autopsy", "Sticks", "Yours Truly, Jack The Ripper", "Dread", "How Love Came To Professor Guildia", "MacIntosh Willy", sadly those were in the minority. Some stories as in most compilations this vast were from early 1900's and the language requires careful reading to interpret the words or phrases used in those times. Also so many stories stacked side by side with winners like those mentioned above seemed to have almost nothing at all to do with horror and left me completely bored such as "The Asian Shore", "night side", others were just about unreadable and must have been included on a bet or a favor of some sort such as "The Jolly Corner" and "Larger Than Oneself". Glad I only paid over $6 from an Amazon Marketplace shop instead of the $29.95 cover price.

Part of a larger series that takes a look at various types of horror writing, with an introduction giving some detail and thoughts on the topic, as well as to each author and story.

This is a good collection, and is well to the ghost story end of the spectrum, in general.

Fabulous Formless Darkness : Smoke Ghost - Fritz Leiber
Fabulous Formless Darkness : Seven American Nights - Gene Wolfe
Fabulous Formless Darkness : The Signal-Man - Charles Dickens
Fabulous Formless Darkness : Crouch End - Stephen King
Fabulous Formless Darkness : Night-Side - Joyce Carol Oates
Fabulous Formless Darkness : Seaton's Aunt - Walter de la Mare
Fabulous Formless Darkness : Clara Militch - Ivan Turgenev
Fabulous Formless Darkness : The Repairer of Reputations - Robert W. Chambers
Fabulous Formless Darkness : The Beckoning Fair One - Oliver Onions
Fabulous Formless Darkness : What Was It? - Fitz-James O'Brien
Fabulous Formless Darkness : The Beautiful Stranger - Shirley Jackson
Fabulous Formless Darkness : The Damned Thing - Ambrose Bierce
Fabulous Formless Darkness : Afterward - Edith Wharton
Fabulous Formless Darkness : The Willows - Algernon Blackwood
Fabulous Formless Darkness : The Asian Shore - Thomas M. Disch
Fabulous Formless Darkness : The Hospice - Robert Aickman
Fabulous Formless Darkness : A Little Something for Us Tempunauts - Philip K. Dick


Spectral look.

3.5 out of 5


Play things.

3.5 out of 5


Danger light haunting.

4 out of 5


Mythos scoffer mortality.

4 out of 5


Seance surprise.

3.5 out of 5


Ghost house.

3.5 out of 5


Poisoned woman not all gone.

3.5 out of 5


PR work not nice, free death not popular.

4 out of 5


Loopy writer problems.

4 out of 5


Nightmare rather solid it appears.

4 out of 5


Our house got lost.

3 out of 5


Invisible monster.

4 out of 5


Ghost visit.

3 out of 5


Wind in the tree monsters.

4.5 out of 5


Turkish twists.

3 out of 5


Lodging lacks lager and fun.

3 out of 5


Time to avoid own deaths.

4 out of 5

Disaster! That super-secret hush-hush Project the military was supposed to have under control has torn a rift into another dimension just ten miles from town, and maniacal flesh-hungry monsters are pouring through by the score, tearing their shrieking victims apart and turning the world as you know it into a charnel house. You've got to pack up and get outta Dodge quick---but what to take? Clothes, boots, food, hunting knife, guns and ammo, extra fuel cans, chainsaw---oh, and if you're a horror junkie like me, you've gotta have reading material during the Siege, right? And since you'll be holing up a long time---maybe forever---the tome you choose had better be a good one.

Forced to haul one single volume off your horror shelf before you pack everything into the heavily armored civvie Hum-Vee, I would choose David G. Hartwell's masterful compilation "The Dark Descent." This Leviathan of a book is chock-full of more than one-thousand pages of the best horror ever written by some of the Grand-Masters of the genre (H.P. Lovecraft, Poe, Stephen King, M.R. James) and some of their lesser known adepts and apprentices. For such a modest price, having this much shivery, ghoulish goodness stuffed between the covers is nearly an embarrassment of riches.

Anthologies are often treacherous ground, and success hinges on an editor's style and judgment. Hartwell demonstrates his impeccable taste and considerable acuity in the selections he makes; best of all he begins the collection with a remarkably astute, entertaining---and mercifully concise---little essay tracing the evolution of the terror and horror tale. Certainly we are treated to the seminal classics of the genre, and a few of the tales are overly represented in many other collections---but as horror crown jewels, they have their place here. H.P. Lovecraft is represented by two ensanguined ambassadors: "The Call of Cthulhu", a sweeping account of global panic, terror and slaughter spread by the resurgence of a primitive cult of an obscure Squid-God, and the Poe-esque "The Rats in the Walls". M.R. James has a less auspicious presence, "The Ash-Tree" being one of his less powerful works and an inadequate introduction to the Master.

Hartwell's King selections are slightly puzzling; "The Reach" is too languid for its own good, while "The Monkey" is tacky and underawing---but then Hartwell knocks it out of the ballfield with the relatively rare Lovecraftian "Crouch End" which, serves up a viciously psychedelic and very different side of King, to say nothing of providing a little side-trip to a part of London (thankfully) not on any map.

Karl Edward Wagner's "Sticks" presages by a quarter-century the discovery of liches in the woods by "Blair Witch"'s unlucky film students, Clive Barker details an experiment in mortal terror gone horribly awry in "Dread", Joyce Carol Oates proves there is a fate worse than Death in "Night-Side", and Lucy Clifford chronicles what happens to naughty little children in "The New Mother".

There are at least ten riveting tales of vintage dread here, any one of which justifies the price of admission. If you haven't met late British terror-writer Robert Aickman, you have three opportunities in "Dark Descent", although "The Hospice" is by far the most ambiguous---and disquieting. "Seven American Nights", an apocalyptic travelogue written by a young Turkish man traveling through a wasted and genetically twisted future America, is by turns terrifying, acutely repulsive, and melancholy, a peculiarly potent spiked little horror-potion cloaked as travelogue by fantasy master Gene Wolfe. Taken together with Thomas Disch's disorienting "The Asian Shore", they might make you rethink getting away from the tour group the next time you spelunk through a strange land.

Algernon Blackwood's "The Willows" conjures up the horror of the spheres that's moved its haunts to remote islands in the Danube; Walter de la Mare's "Seaton's Aunt" is a rich, deliciously unhinged little crawlfest instantly recognizable to anyone who has forced himself through an unpleasant evening with an unctuous, intimidating in-law.

Hartwell includes a number of authors who rarely ventured into the horror genre: William Faulkner does Southern Gothic proud in "A Rose for Emily", Flannery O'Connor demonstrates the wisdom of never judging a book---even a Bible---by its cover in "Good Country People", and Edith Wharton whips up a kind of delayed-blast spook in "Afteward"---to say nothing of writing one of the finest ghost tales of all time.

Hartwell makes some missteps, perhaps unavoidable in such a massive collection. Bishop's "Within the Walls of Tyre" is pretentious and dull, and "The Roaches", "If Damon Comes", and Philip K. Dick's time-twisting "Little Something for us Tempunauts" may give you chills, but they left me cold and bored. But these are forgivable lapses in a collection so varied and rich.

One story in particular that I can't stop thinking about is Michael Shea's unexpected, grisly little delight "The Autopsy", about an aging, cancerous coroner called to a remote mountain town to conduct autopsies on the bodies of miners killed in a mysterious mine explosion---and who rapidly, terrifyingly shifts roles from examiner to subject. It's not a perfect story---not in style, nor even in its final revelation---but that said it's nasty, and remorselessly surgical, and you'll never forget it. Like most of the darksome little nuggets of terror in this vast volume, it's like a tooth you've had removed---you can't stop yourself from digging your tongue into the raw, fleshy gap.

So remember---as civilization collapses and the howls of the mutated and deranged grow closer to your hideaway, throw the bolts, load the rifle, and tuck yourself in with "The Dark Descent"---at least you'll have the ultimate grimoire containing the very finest tales of terror until those crafty army scientists come up with a solution to save the day. And if they don't? Well, you *do* have 1,000 pages to tide you over.

This huge, (topping out at just over 1000 pages!) collection of some of the finest tales from the masters of horror has it all. It was wonderful to read works I had not encountered over the years, along with some of the classics of the genre. Some personal favorites were the Lovecraftian "Crouch End" (King), a truly bizarre and unclassifiable tale, "The Swords" (Aickman), a masterful work of understated horror, "The Summer People" (Jackson), and a classic ghost story, "The Beckoning Fair One" (Onions) A one stop shop for the fan of all things scary.

This publication rivals most of the horror/ mystery compilations printed elsewhere. Some of the most consequential and prolific ink slingers of the creepy and the dreary are featured here, and they don't disappoint.

Here, in this volume, you will find it all. The works of King, Bradbury, Jackson, Lovecraft, Poe and many others are at your reading pleasure. Some of my personal favorites: The Beach (King); The Call of the Cthulhu (Lovecraft); Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper (Bloch)...I could go on for ever.

All of the Dragon books by Donita Paul are well done. The characters are loveable and exhibit many of the struggles, doubts, introspections, etc. that all of us as regular humans experience although our lives are not set in an imaginary world like theirs. This book has a bit more sadness in it than the others but it is presented in an interesting, vulnerable and satisfying and grace filled manner.

We are enjoying these tales of multi races and critters as they interact in their adventures. They may have been written for young people, but even in our seventies, we like them. These tales are truly fantasy, with only a little relationship to real life. And that's what make them fun to read. If you like dragons, you'll find several different kinds and sizes here.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Each successive story in the "Dragon series" by Donita Paul has been more fleshed out, complex and satifying. I can not wait for the next book to be released. Thank you Donita for creating a world for both young & old to enjoy.

it draws you in and can't let go. couldn't till i read all four that i have

What I most appreciate about this latest edition are the `principles of Wulder' scattered throughout--principles that are really Proverbs. What a great way to impart Biblical truths without having to sit through a dry sermon.

I also loved the fact that Kale and Bardon are now married, though through most of the story they are separated. I'm hoping that in the next book they will be on a quest together. They are a dynamic duo, and it'd be interesting indeed to read about them working together as husband and wife.

As readers have come to expect, there are lots and lots of dragons. Without giving away too much information, there are a few heartrending scenes that are unexpected.
Kale's depth of character is expanded in this tale. Readers will relate to her yielding to temptation, and the resultant sorrow and repentance that follows.

This is a great read for adults and young adults who enjoy fantasy--fantasy without dark, oppressive undertones. It's a modern day parable that grabs the attention of the reader and won't let up until the last page.

Review by Michelle Griep

The breadth and scope of this book is staggering. It's an exhaustive tome on pretty much all the genre fiction of the Victorian age, and not limited to the UK fiction of the period either. It's a must read for fans of steampunk, Victorian science fiction, the pulps... But what it really is is an unbelievable gift to writers - the story concepts stuffed into every page of this tome are unbelievable. There is years and years of amazing inspiration here. The book is sold out, but track down a copy however you can.

Where is this book? Why is it sold out? Is it being reissued? Does anyone know?

This thing is a brick. Hardbound, weighing in at just over a thousand pages, this book could stop a bullet or cause serious damage if dropped on the toes. And all those pages are crammed full of entries describing Victorian era novels. All of my favorites are here, plus hundreds of books I've never heard of. All nations and genres are represented, not just
Sci Fi and the Brits. Better still, Nevins is not afraid to editorialize. It's shocking, but not altogether untrue, when he claims that The Wizard of Oz "can easily be interpreted as a horror novel" or that Ivanhoe is superior to Sir Walter Scott's other works in that it "is readable." If you like Victorian fiction, but find its offerings uneven, Nevins can be an invaluable guide. My only complaint about this amusing and informative tome is that it's all but useless as an actual reference work. Entries are organized alphabetically by the names of central characters or settings, rather than by title or by author. To find the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, you would have to look under Sherlock Holmes or Sir Nigel. There are decent see-also references, but no index. Still, I am mostly content to browse its oddly organized pages, in search of the good stuff. This book represents a serious investment in both money and shelf space, but if you enjoy Victorian era fiction, you can't really afford to be without it.

This was given as a gift. The person who received the book enjoyed it very much. It is a good reference resource for writers and artists.

I love this book. It is very comprehensive and I cannot wait for the release of Mr. Nevins next book on Pulp Heroes. We need more books like this.

This is a real treat for not only Ellison fans, but any SF fan worth his salt. Features some of the best and worst pieces of fiction by Ellison. It could have been alternatively titled "How I became a writer - Harlan Ellison", for through the pages, we (literally) travel through time and realize how Ellison's writings matured and shaped over the years, from his early teens to the present.

I am not rating or dissecting the actual stories cos that takes half the suspense out of the plots .. Just a line of recommendation: GO BUY IT!

Here it is: 50 years of the splenetic imaginings of Harlan Ellison, who writes like an angel on speed, and doesn't care, God bless him,
if he offends you or not. Read "REPENT HARLEQUIN! Said the Ticktockman,"
and "A Boy and His Dog." Ladies, don't let Ellison's misogynism spook you: you'll be better for having enjoyed the stories of this prolific, disciplined madman.

i ordered this book because i just recently discovered the awesomeness of mr. ellison's work, and i wanted more of it. more is what i got! nobody told me how huge a tome this thing is... it weighs at least 5 pounds and it's as thick as one of those dictionaries you get at the public library! portable it's not, but if you want absolutely as much of ellison you can get for the money, look no further.

I bought this book initially so I'd have a copy of the essay 'Xenogenesis', which scared seven shades of pea soup out of me when I first read it in IASFM. Further perusal gave me a thorough glimpse of the work of an author I'd been skipping, as I considered him a product of the 'second wave' of science fiction/science fiction-influenced authors (first wave involving Heinlein, E. E. 'Doc' Smith, and so on). Good to have been proven so wrong, and now it's a book I'll recommend to those of my friends who see 'Harlan Ellison' and only think 'that guy from Babylon 5'.

For the uninitiated or causal reader, "The Essential Ellison" represents the best compilation of the author's works between two covers. With 1400 + stories under his belt, Harlan Ellison is one of the most prolific writers of any genre of fiction. The amazing thing is that all of them are good. Even better, most of them are great. And better yet, a good number of them are some of the best short stories written in the last fifty years. Though classified as a sci-fi author, Ellison writes fierce and barbed tales about the alienation of the individual in modern life, whether it's the guise of sci-fi, fantasy, or non-genre fiction. With defiant tone, Ellison passionately defends the individual against the impersonal machinations of ridged, authoritarian systems and their apathetic leaders. Unrelenting and sincere, Ellison's prose and characters take a stand for those who can't or won't. "The Essential Ellison" contains most of the author's greatest stories. From the spiritual longing of "Grail" to the utter insanity of "I Have No Mouth, And I Must Scream"; from the mute hopelessness of "The Whimper of Whipped Dogs" to the phantasmagorical absurdity of "Repent, Harlequin! Said the Ticktock Man"; from the prophetic frustration of "Along the Scenic Route" to the rebellious shriek of "A Boy and His Dog." Mercurial and pointed, purposeful and thought-provoking, Ellison rarely writes for bemusement's sake alone. And like all great authors, the reader leaves a story with more than they started with. So, if you're tired of the same ol' sci-fi/fantasy story of "an ambitious young farm lad who is really of noble birth assembles a cadre of trusted misfit warriors and does battle with the great evil that threatens to envelop the world" rot, then I whole-heartedly suggest you check out the work of Harlan Ellison.

I have been a fan of Fushigi Yuugi for a long time now. I have all of the manga, and have seen most of the DVDs, except the OAV (which I really wanna see xD) but it's amazing! I reccomend it!

I've been a Watase fan for about 2 years now. I have finished Ceres:Celestial Legend, Imadoki, and Alice 19. I started the Fushigi Yuugi series last year and am on the book 12. I learned that there was a prequil to the series! I was very impressed right from the beginning!The art is better than ever! And the character's are even better that what I expected. But with Watase there are always surprises!

Fushigi Yugi: Genbu Kaiden is probably my favorite Yu Watase title up to date. Takiko, the female lead, is a strong young woman who is not afriad to do what she knows is right and doesn't back down. She can handle herself and will fight to protect what she holds dear. When I first picked up the title, it wasn't because I was a huge fan of the original Fushigi Yugi. Honestly, Miaka irritated me with her generally weak and helpless behavior. To me, it seemed like she always needed to be saved. However, I could not have been more pleasantly surprised when I realized in just the first volume that Takiko was a strong, deep character with many layers to her personality and her fair share of human flaws. All in all you realized very quickly that Genbu Kaiden is significantly darker and aimed towards an older audience than most of Yu Watase's other works. Definitly a manga for you if you're a fan of the creater's work and are becoming immune to the Imadoki-style fluff. The romance in this manga is much more alluring and mature.

I'm a big fan of Fushigi Yugi. Been a big fan for years and just recently finished the manga last year, only to discover the prequel had been released!

Right from the first volume I was impressed. It's even better than the original and to me that's saying a lot.

One thing that is better about it is the romance doesn't develop right off the bat. In the original Fushigi Yugi, one thing that always bothered me (and made me laugh like mad) was the sheer corniness of the romance between Miaka and Tamahome, like how Miaka falls in love with him after first meeting him, and all the constant "Miaka!" "Tamahome!" scenes. Not to mention all the gratuitous near-rape scenes in every volume.

Takiko is a far more mature character than Miaka. She's tough, she's her own woman, and she's hilarious. Basically, she's a strong main character that, this time around, I can actually relate to--she has more of a backbone and isn't as whiny. The overall story is far more mature and refined, with the romance progressing at a more natural, subtle rate. There are no insta-romances here! It's more believeable, and in that I find it a lot more beautiful, whereas I always found Miaka and Tamahome's love cliche and forced.

The story itself is more mature, with more political issues coming into play. Really, the relationships between individual countries and cultures is more defined and more a central part of the story. Similarly, the characters are far more interesting and quirky! Really, each character fascinates me and stands on his or her own, whereas in the original there were some characters I honestly couldn't care less about.

The art is also excellent. Watase has come a long way since the original.

Overall, it's an excellent series so far! And while I still love the original and always will, even after only three volumes the prequel has already outdone the original.

Or, at least it has in my opinion. ^_~

(SPOILERS INCLUDED)
I want to start off by sayin that I'm so happy that Yu Watase made this manga. It can be enjoyed by both female and males, it has a lot of action-adventure and drama to it, and the lovy dovy stuff definetly isnt as much as the original. I always wanted to know more about the Priestess of Genbu, since she was the first priestess to get pulled into the book, and yet we know so little about her. To everyone that doesnt know yet, her name was Takiko Okuda and her Father Einosuke brougth the Universe of the Four Gods from China to Japan around 1923.This story is very much more mature and darker than the original Fushigi Yugi. Takiko is a 17 year old girl who moves to Morioka from Tokyo because her mother wanted to move back to her hometown since she's dying. Anyways she hasnt seen her father in like a year and then he finally comes home with the Universe of the Four Gods, he is obsessed with the book, and continues to translate it, ignoring both his daughter and sick wife. Takiko's mother ends up dying, so she goes to her father, who has just finished translating the book. She is filled with rage, since he hasn't stopped working on the book, and it seems that he doesnt even care about his own wifes death. Takiko tells her father that she know he wished she would have been a boy, and he says "perhaps if you were a boy maybe i could have..." and right after he says that, takiko in her rage grabs the Universe of the Four Gods and is about to start to rip it when shes pulled into it. She end up in Bei-jia a.k.a Hokkan, the Land of Genbu. She is on a snow-covered mountain, this is were she finds Uruki of the Genbu Celestial Warriors, he is a man, but when using his power, he turns into a woman, and he's chained to a wall. He is supposed to be put to death since he has killed 1000 men(most of them being assassins sent to kill him). Takiko goes up to him(he's in his female form) and just as she does, snow demons come out of the ground to feast on the humans. Takiko grabs a stick(mind you she is very skilled with the Naginata) and she trys to fight them, in order to defend Uruki who she doesnt even know. Right when she is about to be killed by the group of demons, Uruki uses his wind powers to kill them all. He is very weak after spending the night chained to the wall, and has a fever. Takiko takes him(still in his female form the whole time) to a inn, where she lays(not sex!) with him to reduce his fever. After she does, they wake up the next morning and he's in his male form. She starts freaking out, and talks about how now no one will ever want to marry her now. He thanks her and she asks him what is the animal on the wall panel, which is Genbu(a turtle mixed with a snake). He tells her about the legend of the Priestess from another world, and how everyone looks at the Priestess and Celestial Warriors as a bad omen. Since the Priestess appears when the country is on the brink of collapse. Qu-dong a.k.a Kutou whos guardian is Seiryu, is invading Bei-jia trying to conquer it since it is the biggest country of the four. We also find out that Limdo is Uruki's birthname. A bounty hunter is after Limdo and is at the inn. He trys to kill Limdo, but fails. Later on Limdo and Takiko are surrounded by a bunch of people who want to kill Limdo. When they are about to attack, Takiko blinds them all by giving off her Legendary Silver Light, which she doesnt even know how she did. Limdo escapes, and Takiko is taken away by the bounty hunter who we find out is Tomite of the Celestial warriors. Remember him from the original, he and Hikitsu guarded Takiko's Shinzaho even after dying 200 years earlier. Thats how vol.1 ends. It's a very good manga, so give it a try! Also thanks for reading my long review!

I can't help it I just love those gundam boys....though this was a little confusing... i got it in time....

Every Anime fan who wonders what happened to the characters before the series when it isn't completely covered, want a book or movie that explains it all to sate that thirst for more information. Every single book lover has that too. And this is that book for Gundam fans who have seen the series and want that tiny bit of information left out of the original series.

In this book, the childhood tales of all the main characters: The five Gundam Pilots and Relena plus many more. As the deaths of the comrades and friends of the pilots bring them to grief, it brings them closer to being the deadly people who have virtually nothing to loose, and that makes them even more dangerous.
This book is what really shapes the series, besides the movie "Endless Waltz," which I highly reccommend, and it gives the human side of the characters who are slightly vague in the series. The series was excellent and this completes the story.
Two Thumbs up!

This book is the only Official Manga of Gundam Wing. It was not incorporated into the episodes so it was made in a manga format.
It answers all of your questions about the 49 episodes and Endless Waltz. The price is good so its a good buy.

this book is good for any fan(like me). it tells the tale of all the gundam boys' pasts. the only problem is that its got Relena's story and i dont give a damn about her. plus it leaves you with this story that takes place after End Walts but all in all it's a good book but buy End Walts with it couse this leaves out some stuff.

This is an awsome manga! When I first started to read this, I thought,"Okay, so another great manga to read!" but I was far off from what should have been said. It's more than great! I really can't describe it in actual words... The eyes, among the other various places hard to draw on the face in manga style, are incredibly detailed. The artist took a lot of time making things just perfect, and it really shows. The emotion of Mobile Suit Fighter GUNDAM Wing: Episode Zero is unbelievable, and the bishounen (Pretty Boys, you know, what girls consider sexy) will keep even girls reading. There are a bunch of different stories in this book, explaining Duo Maxwell, Hiro Yui, Trowa Barton, and others pasts up to the beginning of GUNDAM Wing. If you like GUNDAM Wing, or any of the GUNDAM series (or just great art), pick up this book; it's worth a read or two!!!

If you like the Harry Potter movies, you will love this calendar! It has most of the famous movie posters and is just plain excellent for any HP fan. I cannot wait for the 2008 one!

This is a wonderful calendar with great pictures from all of the films. I keep this one at work and I get compliments on it all of the time!

This calendar is nice because it features all of the Harry Potter characters, not just Harry. I preferred the 2006 calendar, but this one is still cool.

It captures the characters and events of the movies. As a rule, the Potter merchandise is a great buy and a fun gift for any Harry Potter fan.

It has a lot of other country's holidays marked. That's a plus or minus depending on where you are from!

I bought this calendar for a Harry Potter fan. It is on her wall and well loved.