Science Fiction and Fantasy Books

For years Zac has visited the Other Place, visiting medieval fortresses, Avalon, Sherwood Forrest and anywhere else his imagination takes him. Normally he snaps right out of what he calls "Hamlet Dreams" when he hears the sound of an alarm, an ambulance passing, or when he feels a light touch. Since he started dating Cecile, Zac has not visited the Other Place as frequently. When he does visit, Zac finds it increasingly difficult to rouse from the dreams; it is as if something holds him there.

For six months Zac and Cecile have dated. While they have come close to consummating their relationship, Cecile always withdraws before they can. Nightmares of a vicious attack prevent Cecile from relaxing enough to make love with Zac, regardless of how tenderly he holds her. Her roommate suggests their mutual virginity may be part of the problem, but Cecile does not agree. Moreover, someone knows of their difficulties, turning their challenges into an opportunity to release evil into the world.

On the first day of a new semester of teaching, Cecile discovers a mysterious note that states: "I have not forgotten you." She reads a hint of hidden menace into the words, fearful her stepfather has returned to stalk her in retribution for his jailing. Eventually, she discovers Zac slumbering so deeply that she cannot wake him; summoning aid, she helps to hospitalize him. But the doctors are baffled and eventually label Zac's case psychiatric. Cecile does not suspect that the force holding Zac captive is not of this world and brings incredible danger to them both.

Author Jennifer Barlow creates a surreal landscape of deceptive danger and lurking menace in HAMLET DREAMS. Both Zac and Cecile love each other deeply but are young and naïve, making them easy to prey to the malevolent forces that seek to manipulate them with their own fears. As Zac travels the labyrinth of his own psyche, he must confront the dark fantasies and hidden desires that even he has never acknowledged. Traversing a landscape constructed of fear and impossibility, Barlow leads the reader through a stunning tale of delicious malevolence and dangerous desire. No reader will want to miss this unusual and compelling novel. HAMLET DREAMS earns the WordWeaving Award for Excellence.

An excellent book for anyone willing to look at the darksides of ourselves we don't like to admit to.

Have you ever been afraid of your own depths, of your past, of what you might be capable of in extremis? So are Barlow's characters. What a harrowing motif, to be almost as afraid of yourself as you are of the bad guys... I love books that don't readily fit into well defined classifications, and this psychologically sophisticated page-turner gracefully walks the line between dark fantasy and fantasy. An original concept, lucid prose, great pacing, a fine stylist. I hope to read more from Barlow soon.

In North Carolina, Zac knows he is the poster boy for the stereotypical boring nerd. However, when he dreams of "The Other Place", he fantasizes that he is Hamlet, frequent visitant to Avalon, Lilliput, and Sherwood Forest among other locales. In his reverie realm, Zac as Hamlet is the master of all he perceives.

Recently Zac has changed since he fell in love with Cecile. He no longer seeks escape from the mundane or the ugly. He no longer needs The Other Place as Cecile now provides him with solace. However, Carcajou, the real ruler of The Other Place, refuses to free Zac and even tries to come to North Caroline through his host's dreams. Carcajou even forces Zac into sleep whenever he desires to do so. Zac, as he has recently done many times before, turns to his beloved Cecile for help, but though she loves him, she has her own demons to contend with.

HAMLET'S DREAMS is an exciting tale that can be interpreted on two distinct levels as either a taut fantasy thriller or a deep psychological drama. Either way, the impressive vividly written story line takes the reader on a journey to another plane controlled by an outside force or perhaps the realm of the hero's subconscious controlled by his mind. The lead couple is weak individuals unable to stand up for their values including their love yet battle they must. Zac and Cecile's lack of courage even when danger confronts them as both need encouraging external catalysts to act. This adds depth to a scary surrealistic story line that leaves readers metaphysically pondering whether the demon is inside or outside man?

Harriet Klausner

For years Zac has visited the Other Place, visiting medieval fortresses, Avalon, Sherwood Forrest and anywhere else his imagination takes him. Normally he snaps right out of what he calls "Hamlet Dreams" when he hears the sound of an alarm, an ambulance passing, or when he feels a light touch. Since he started dating Cecile, Zac has not visited the Other Place as frequently. When he does visit, Zac finds it increasingly difficult to rouse from the dreams; it is as if something holds him there.

For six months Zac and Cecile have dated. While they have come close to consummating their relationship, Cecile always withdraws before they can. Nightmares of a vicious attack prevent Cecile from relaxing enough to make love with Zac, regardless of how tenderly he holds her. Her roommate suggests their mutual virginity may be part of the problem, but Cecile does not agree. Moreover, someone knows of their difficulties, turning their challenges into an opportunity to release evil into the world.

On the first day of a new semester of teaching, Cecile discovers a mysterious note that states: "I have not forgotten you." She reads a hint of hidden menace into the words, fearful her stepfather has returned to stalk her in retribution for his jailing. Eventually, she discovers Zac slumbering so deeply that she cannot wake him; summoning aid, she helps to hospitalize him. But the doctors are baffled and eventually label Zac's case psychiatric. Cecile does not suspect that the force holding Zac captive is not of this world and brings incredible danger to them both.

Author Jennifer Barlow creates a surreal landscape of deceptive danger and lurking menace in HAMLET DREAMS. Both Zac and Cecile love each other deeply but are young and naïve, making them easy to prey to the malevolent forces that seek to manipulate them with their own fears. As Zac travels the labyrinth of his own psyche, he must confront the dark fantasies and hidden desires that even he has never acknowledged. Traversing a landscape constructed of fear and impossibility, Barlow leads the reader through a stunning tale of delicious malevolence and dangerous desire. No reader will want to miss this unusual and compelling novel. HAMLET DREAMS earns the WordWeaving Award for Excellence.

A great book if you're learning German (like me) and want to try your hand at some pleasure reading. Most books in second hand shops that are printed in German (at least, the ones near me) only have books by authors that I've never heard of, or who are a dime-a-dozen. Maybe I'm biased because I've loved the Potter series from its beginning, but I would definitely recommend this book.

For those who have read the Harry Potter books and who are also interested in learning German this book is a great tool. I have found it easier to learn new words when I already know what the plot is.
Diese Buch macht sehr viel spass!

I bought this book for a young man who was taking High School German because I felt that he would have fun while learning new words, verb tenses and sentence structure. He had already read Harry Potter in English but suddenly finding it in German was an exciting adventure for him. I would recommend anyone wishing to encourage or improve someone's language skills to buy this book in whatever language needed. Great fun!

This book is a great way to improve your german language skills. I would strongly recommend it to any student of the german language... not to mention it is a great story!!!

Ich finde Harry Potter und der Stein der Weisen absolut fantastisch!! Ich empfehle dieses Buch weil es sehr spannend ist. Das Buch kann dir auch mit der deutschen Sprache helfen.

Ich bin Amerikanerin, und ich hab das Buch niemals auf Englisch gelesen,also ist es schwer für mich, die Übersetzung mit der englischen Version zu vergleichen, aber ich kann sagen, dass die Übersetzung gut genug war, dass ich ab und zu total vergessen, dass ich im Moment Deutsch lese. Ich habe auch die spanische Version gelesen..aber die spanische Version war überhaupt nicht so gut wie die deutsche. Dieses Buch ist sehr gut für alle Studenten, die ihren deutschen Wortschatz vergrössern möchten. Manche Ausdrücke in diesem Buch, wird man nie im Klassenzimmer lernen. Aber natürlich sind die Gedichte im Buch nicht so gut wie in der englischen Version, aber das ist normal....Ich habe niemals eine Übersetzung gesehen, die besser war als die originale für Gedichten und Lieder.

I am an Emily fan and was excited for the new book. After I read it, it was too short, not detailed enough and made it seem like at the end this prince gets all the credit! He is OK and all but I'm a little upset that he is part of the gang now since Emily and him like each other. He didn't really do much mostly Emily and with the help of the other mages stopped the Sorceress from her evil plans.

Well it was a good book and I thought it was OK. It had alot of adventure thats for sure so it made it up and I couldn't put the book down! It was OK but the beggining may be a little boring but the ending makes it all up.

I found the book was ok but not the greatest still it was good but could have been better and I dont think the author tried hard enough. Emily becomes a level two mage has pladin and saves the day the sea dragons and all the ocean creatures and discovers her new powers. The ending is great and full of suspense which bugs me the most because I cant wait till May for the new book! Well again it was a nice book but could have been longer and more detailed like the 2 and 3 books in the new series.

This time its Emilys turn to make some action and complete her destiny to healing avalon. The book gives you a major hint on how they will get to avalon and find it.

Emily bonds with an amazing creature Indi who I think is cute, makes more powerful magic than ever, saves the day, stops the sorceress from her doing, becomes level two, envoles jewel and most of all gets a crush with a prince!!lol.

I also would have to say the cover looks very catchy and catch my attention as I was walking in the store. It includes a encyclodpeda in the beggining for people who haven't read the series and as well as a map of Aldenmore. I wonder how the Dark Sorceress knows so much about Emily's powers??

Anybody who is a fan of Emily, like I am, you will definatly enjoy this book. Emily the healer becomes into a level two mage, bonds with a unicorn, well a power crystal! Experiences more magic than ever,saves the water creatures and one of the farimentals, not to mention a meets boyfriend (pratically everybody mentioned that on the reviews)! Most of all completes her destiny to have a better chance to heal avalon! I am also curious such as somebody wrote from one reveiw, how does the dark sorceress know soo much about Emily's other powerful magic? Ohh well I hope later in the series or sooner they'll mention that. The adventure is very exciting even though its short.

This book is the fourth in the Avalon: Quest for Magic series. The author, Rachel Roberts, does a good job getting the reader reoriented to the Avalon environment again. There is even an encyclopedia type thing in the beginning of the book that lays out the characters and the quest for you. There is also a map of Aldenmor in the beginning of the book that has not been featured in any of the books so far. You could read this book and understand what is going on without having to read the others, though reading the previous books before reading this one would give some valuable background information.
Heart of Avalon puts the focus on Emily, who is distressed that she is only a level 1 mage without a bonded animal or a paladin, while her friends, Adriane and Kara, are level 2 mages and have both a bonded animal and a paladin. The story follows Emily as she tries to figure out how to heal the water dragons and all the water-dwelling animals from something that's making them sick, looks for another power crystal, and looks for the water fairimental who has disappeared. Emily and a rude prince get stuck on an island with a magical creature that eats Emily's gemstone. During the journey away from the island and towards the power crystal, Emily discovers her level 2 powers and some things about herself. The ending of the story is satisfying and the epilogue is intriguing.
All in all a good book. It isn't too predictable or terribly boring. It has a good ending, which makes up for its shortness.

This book is not targeted for my age range (adult), but it is excellent! So very imaginative!! I can't wait to see how it ends, or how the "Volume 2" will be!!

Illustrations by the author are excellent also, the scenes are just as he describes them.

This should hold any kids attention, even ones who don't like to read...

I love this book because every little part of it is very interesting and you are hooked to it the whole time. It has a little mystery, some action, and the author is good at descriptions. This book reminds me of the books by Roald Dahl. I recommend this book to people of all ages.

Monsters are not monsters at all in this great read. I enjoyed reading this as a bedtime story. It was a little tough to stop and display the illustrations to kids on a bunk bed, but the pictures are just too good and meant to be shared.

I was immediately drawn into Here be Monsters when I saw it on a shelf in a local bookstore. It is captivating, seeming to meld the curious Victorian imagery of Edmund Gorey with the density and endlessness of a 100 year old Sears Roebuck catalog.

But I have to be frank. My son has a very active imagination (read "nightmares") and I was not that interested in providing more grist for that mill!

So let me clear the air here. The only monsters are humans, and while they are dastardly and mean, they are not terrifying. Just the same mean, self-centered, narcissistic jerks that life is full of.

The so-called monsters in this book (boxtrolls, cabbageheads and the like) are charming, caring, thoughtful, and endearing. But not scary.

Please buy this book. Buy five copies. Buy ten. If only that you will bless five or ten children (so far I have tested on a five and a ten year old) with a sweet, fun, clever, creative romp through Ratbridge.

If you ask me, HERE BE MONSTERS! is no classic, not even a keeper. I tried reading this book to some kids, and they weren't even interested an iota. Even some English children visiting San Francisco turned their nose up at it, seeing it for what it is, a goodhumored attempt to capture some of the late Roald Dahl's popularity by marrying his "children come first" philosophy to the epic fantasy saga plot of Philip Pullman or whoever the latest upstart is. That's where the big money is, you see. I will say that three of the children (ages 4-7) enjoyed Snow's cross hatched drawings of the many inventivce creatures who populate his underground kingdom. Where I see sloppy sub-par Tenniel drawings, children see the many-shadowed intimations of adulthood drawing around them like night shades. I expect that Snow will bewitch some readers, especially those with visual acuity, while turning off some with his witless puns ("I'm a BIG CHEESE") and the incredibly longwinded storytelling--five hundred pages, and this is just volume one! Does he farm out the drawings to others? How does he get all his work done?

As for little Arthur, he was okay, with gumption to spare--but I hate gumption. Long ago there was a great novel for young people called THE GAMMAGE CUP by Carol Kendall--anyone remember this book? It had everything that HERE BE MONSTERS has and more (well, it didn't have MONSTERS' exclamation point, but it didn't need one) (indeed Grandma always said, never trust a book that tries to excite you with an exclamation mark)--only THE GAMMAGE CUP was a shapely 160 pages, so wouldn't make much of a splash in today's steroid driven market where the longer the better. In the meantime, I know a few kids who will be looking forward to the next installment of RATBRIDGE, and one of them has taken up drawing all by himself, after Snow, saying, "Kevin, look at Snow's people, the way they start out by being tic tac toe puzzles, then next time you look they have arms and legs and faces."

Among sci-fi/fantasy books, I think I can honestly say that this is the most amazing book i have ever read. In this story Marion Zimmer Bradley combines adventure, romance, political intregue, friendship, and loyalty, all under the theme of self acceptence. This is not the type of science fiction that holds itself together entirely by lightning fast action and improbable technology, the characters have depth and realistic reactions and emotions towards any circumstance. This is the story of Lew Alton and his fight to remain true to both sides of his heritage and his doomed love for Marjorie Scott, but it is also the story of Regis Hastur and his struggle to accept himself, and his friendship and love for Danilo Syrtis.

This book is an amazing read, and though it has moments that made me laugh out loud, it is, principally, a tragedy. I cried twice, but then, I do cry over a lot of things...

Yes, I deffinitely recomend this book.

This book gives the readers an insight into the power struggles and lives of the Comyn and namly Regis, Danilo, and Lew. It tells the tale of the how Danilo became the faithful friend of Regis and what made Lewis Alton become the bitter, drunk man he was. It gives a unique insight into the politics of the Comyn Council, and why a matrix like the Sharra was banned in the first place.

The struggles between the two are the central theme of the novel. The conflict started years before the action of the book, when Kennard Alton made the choice to marry a half-Terran, half-Aldaran woman. His two sons, Lewis and Marius, end up as a consequence unable to fit into the Six Domains of the Comyn, the renegade "Seventh Domain" of Aldaran, or the world of the Terrans. This, in turn, leads Lew to his participation in the infamous Sharra Rebellion.

Meanwhile, the orphaned Regis Hastur is caught between following his heart and going on one of the Terran starships, and doing his duty to his grandfather and his family by taking his place in the Comyn Council and marrying. Regis is embarassed by his seeming lack of laran ability, and has been told by Lew that he has the gift but it is for some reason barriered. After a long struggle, he realizes that, since laran and sexual awareness often awaken together, he had repressed his laran along with his desire for other men. He has fallen in love with his best friend in the Guardsmen, which is complicated by the presence of a sexual predator with a taste for very young men among the trainers of the Guardsman cadets. It is also complicated by Danilo's cristoforo religious beliefs, which frown upon homosexuality. Regis and Danilo's love story has a much happier ending than that of Lew and Marjorie, another member of the Sharra circle. In the end, Lew's desire to break away from family and tradition leaves him closer than ever to his father, even as he wishes he could blame his father for leading him into the tragedy of the Sharra Rebellion.

Everyone goes through an identity crisis as an adolescent or young adult. Compound that with political intrigue, emerging psychic powers, sexual confusion, love, hate, parental power struggles . . . . and even this is a fairly limited description of this wonderful book. I have rarely seen the internal turmoil of a character treated with such compassion - and that applies to both Regis Hastur and Lew Alton. I could not help crying at various key points in the book. This was a magnificent story, well-told and sensitively written.

Certainly exceptional at the time it was written; it is not one of the
earliest written Darkover novels, but it was written much closer to
the beginning than to the end of MZB's career, and it is at least as
good as, and perhaps better than, many of the books that were written
after she'd developed a great deal more experience and seasoning as a
writer. It is one of the best "coming of age" stories I've
ever seen, partly due to the fact that it involves the coming of age
of not one or two, but three main characters, and partly due to the
fact that it is perhaps the single most tasteful, insightful,
believeable, and moving story of the coming of age of a young man
coming to terms with his own homosexuality that I've ever seen. If this
concept truly bothers you, then perhaps this book isn't for you, but
if you're even willing to attempt open-mindedness on the subject, give
it a try.

In the chronology of the Darkover series, this book falls
just before "Sharra's Exile" and "Winds of
Darkover", and just after "The Bloody Sun". It is the
story of the Sharra rebellion (often referred to in the books that
fall later in the series) and is the story of the coming of age of
Regis Hasteur, Lew Alton, and Danilo Syrtis, all characters seen in
other books as older adults.

If you're looking to start reading the
series, this is as good a book to start with as any. If you've read
any other book in the series and liked it, this book is a must.

a great read...mixes seers from different traditions gracefully. i hope to see many more.
star santa cruz ca

As the third book in the series, Madelyn Alt has managed to show you characters that grow and you start to feel attached to them. This is the key to good story telling and Ms Alt has it down.

There is a natural progression, since Maggie is hesitant to jump into Wicca and everything paranormal, this story shows Maggie, and the reader, that even "wholesome" folks such as Amish may have sides we don't understand and thus are afraid of. Bringing us back to the fact that any spiritual path is only as good as the individual's intent. So Maggie has more to contemplate by the end concerning her spirituality.

The characters are truly delightful and the plot is credible. The romantic tension that begun in book 1 has been developed and continues in this one, making me scream for the next installment to find out how this and that turns out!

I think my favorite thing about Madelyn Alt's writing is that she writes like she's your girlfriend telling you about this awesome adventure she went on! While I'm reading the book, I just want to reply, "Maggie, Luc is HOT!" . :-) Another fun book in a great series. Can't wait for the next.

"Hex Marks the Spot" plunges the reader into the world of the Amish as Maggie and Liss visit a craft fair in Pennsylvania Dutch country. Madelyn amps up the romantic tension in more than one way as Maggie and Liss follow the clues to solve an Amish craftsman's death.

It's been fun watching the growth of the characters within the series, and Maggie is finally coming into her own as she discovers who she really is as a person and becomes more comfortable with her gifts. There are plenty of twists and turns and in the end, Madelyn managed to surprise me.

With every book, her stories just get better and better. This third book really showcases Madelyn Alt's growth as a writer.

I read a lot of books (Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction and Fantasy) and Madelyn Alt is definitely someone to watch. I can't wait to see more of Maggie and company.

If you've enjoyed Shirley Damsgaard, Victoria Laurie, or Yasmine Galenorn, be sure to try Madelyn Alt, you won't regret it.

This is Book Three in the "Bewitching Mysteries" series, and continues the story of Maggie O'Neill, who works for Felicity Dow, a Witch, at Enchantments Antiques and Fine Gifts in Stony Mill, Indiana. Maggie is an empath, and she senses all is not well in her peaceful hometown, but she can't quite put her finger on what's disturbing her.

However, when Maggie and Felicity attend the annual craft bazaar they find not only lots of tasty food but also a beautiful handmade armoire decorated with hex signs by a talented Amish craftsman, Luc Metzger. Luc is a gifted artist as well as a yummy man exuding a distinctly sexual aura. He is also a husband and the father of four children. When Luc turns up murdered on the side of the road later that evening, the mystery begins! Once again, Alt has created a delightful Witchy mystery novel filled with endearing and quirky characters. An excellent read!

This book is the bomb! The art is amazing and facinates the imagination, the quality of the book is perfect, The cross-sections are the best and are getting bigger... and better than the last book and I can expect the next one to be the best of them all. Excellent job, Curtis J. Saxton. I am most pleased. Star Wars rules and may the force be with you!

P.S. This book is DEFINITLY WORTH The money! Bye!

Ep 2's turn to have it's spaceships and other craft pulled apart and exposed in all their glory. Once again the foldout format is still the best and great for childern and grownups alike.

This Star Wars Cross-sections book is a must-have for Star Wars fans. The detailed renderings of all the main vehicles in AOTC is as impressive as the companion for The Phantom Menace. The writer, Curtis Saxon, has obviously done a great deal of investigation for everything, with so many detailed drawings and fascinating notes. For curios of the inner workings of all the speeders and starships, this is indespensible. Great stuff.

I just recently received this book and all I can say is that it's the bomb! The pages are full of intricate details about both the vehicles and story of Episode II. The foldout of the Republic Dropship is definitely a highlight of the series. If you like Star Wars and want to know more than you can possibly imagine about Star Wars engineering, pick this book up right away.

really ignites a kid's imagination. i got this for my nephew and he loves it!

This is a fascinating story of a travel undertaken by seven children in order to save their native Teletsia. A journey of epic proportions in which even the youngest of the seven discover hidden heroic - and humane - qualities they did not know they possessed. It is an inspiring story which stays with you months and years after you've finished it. Hard to put aside, when finishing reading it, one has the feeling of loss usually associated with having to leave trusted and loved friends. The adventures of the seven kids somehow engulf every day reality, lending it a deeper meaning and even a sense of enjoyment despite adversities. Linda Williams' book resembles Gregoire de Kalbermatten's "The Legend of Dagad Trikon" in that they both feature a revival of heroic tales (not unlike J.K.Rowlings's Harry Potter Series), and center around a collective hero - in which the virtues of feminine intuition and wisdom play a significant part.

Inside this great book I found a wonderful love story. Of the higher love. And I love love stories ! :-)
First you have to find love inside yourself. Love has to flood your heart, so that all other emotions are swept out. If your love is conquering (isn't that a contradiction?) all your fears only then you'll be able to love someone else. And the love has to flood the heart of your beloved, to remove all fears inside. So, the best you can achieve in your life is freedom of your heart!
And it's such a thriller! And I love thrillers! it's breathtaking, and made me part of the adventure, and I felt a teenager again!
if your heart is pure you can even ride a tiger and will succeed against all obstacles in the chaos of your daily life. The inncocent tigers have a subtler instinct to avoid dangers, but the STORY offers a chance of training for the readers to achieve these instincts of innocence.
the text is only black and white, as are the drawings, but the narrator upgrades everything into true colours, believe me!
Read it, you'll love it! And it's also a perfect gift!
much love, toni, austria

I enjoyed The Keys of Wisdom. The story flows smoothly and the characters are easy to relate to. A wonderful story for children and the child in all of us.

I just finished readind this book one, and it gave me such a joy, swinging with the incredible beautiful lands described among breathless adventures. I just felt as a younger again. And finally a story that teaches people of all ages the principles of the truth in such an amusing way that no one can feel bored. And if you know the reality as the Lady the book is dedicated to teaches, you'll find that this story is rather about reality than about fantasy.
Just don't miss it! And just don't miss the experience of you own Tree of Life as the author suggests!

This group of people, they have these strange adventures, but it is not something very unlikely to happen to one living in our world. There are many who will see their own portrait (or the next door's neighbour's somewhere in this book). And the basic journey the young people undertake happens to all of us. But what will happen after ? What can happen after Sasrar ?

A great, new adventure series - young adult, but lots of Victorian literature overtones that the older kids will love. I love the literary, clever writing and creative worldbuilding that Reeve has done. This is a fresh twist on a familiar story where precocious kids with inventor parents are thrown into an adventure where they learn that there is more to their family than they knew.

I honestly think this is one of my new favorite books! Absolutely wonderful! Funny, creative, cute, charming, endearing, fast-paced, and sweet!
Delightful characters fill the book from cover to cover. The plot is both intriguing and pretty complex without being too confusing or obvious. The illustrations add to story and seem very fitting to the style of writing.
The book is filled with wit and heart. I adored it!

I originally borrowed this book from the library to read aloud to my, now six year old, daughter and I have to tell you the truth, I took it back with out reading it. It was too much for me, I couldn't do the accents right and the lingo and speech patterns were just too much for my brain that day.

So, I borrowed the audio book and let Greg Steinbruner read it to her instead. Which was wonderful for all of us; he did the lingo the accents and the speech patterns of all the different characters flawlessly.

And while she followed along looking at the fabulous illustrations in the book, we all fell in love with Larklight. It's a wonderfully imaginative and fantastic story of the giant spiders who attack Art and Myrtle Mumby and their home, Larklight, which is located in outer space, of course.

If your child likes Peter Pan and pirates she might like this story, though it has a little bit of a scary factor, I could see it scaring some children, there are gigantic spiders attacking after all.

But our kid loved this so much we bought her the sequel, Starcross, and read it to her ourselves. We got the hang of the accents and the lingo and all after repeatedly listening to Greg Steinbruner.

Last year our girl insisted on being Jack Havock, the hero from Larklight for Halloween. And her birthday party last month was planned around Larklight. So, it's really made quite the impression with her.

I highly recommend it and hope you love it as much as we do.

Larklight is a giant Victorian style home orbiting around the moon. It is inhabited by the Mumby's, including 15 year old Myrtle, 12 year old Art, and Edward, their Father. Their mother, Amelia, died a few years back on a trip to the Earth's surface. Edward is studying the habits of Aetheric Icthyomorphs, a breed of fish and sea like creatures that live in space. One day a man named Mr. Webster from the Royal Xenological Society pays a call on Edward to see his work, but Mr. Webster turns out to be a giant white spider that has come to unleash an army of similar creatures onto Larklight. When Art awakens the house is encased in spider webbing and he and his sister have to make an escape, leaving their father behind in the flight.

Thus begins a tremendously adventurous feat of story telling. Reeve has outdone himself with this fine addition to the steam punk, space traveling genre. If Terry Gilliam, L. Frank Baum, George Lucas, and Jules Verne got together and had a lovechild I believe it would resemble this book. Oh, and throw in a bit of Herbert's "Dune" just for flavor. The thing is this, even with all of these influences "Larklight" is a story completely unique in it's own right. A rollicking tale of swashbuckling space pirates, intrigue, and mayhem makes this book a great read and the start of a thrilling new series. I can't wait to read the next one.

Take the arch humor and wild imagination of the Edge Chronicles series, add a dose of alternative universe theory from the Golden Compass, and shake it up with a bit of Victorian-era manners, and you get Larklight, a tremendously fun read. Good upper elementary and middle school readers will find this one hard to put down.

This book has more humans adjusting to life with the Jaran, and some Jaran adjusting to life on earth. Some people even visit the Chapilii, and communication (or not) is interesting. We meet several new characters, while the old ones continue to develop - Tess, Charles, and even Anatoly finally come into their own. It has a cool vision of the internet's future. In some ways this book ties things up... but some new twists are introduced... leaving Jaran lovers impatient for the eventual book number five!!

After "Jaran", which I love (and can exist independently of the rest), the next few have been comparatively disappointing. But this was fantastic. After the book finished I kept dreaming about it. There is just so much depth and potential: in characters and plot. I was a bit sad at the final status of one of the main characters (I'm not going to give it away...) but I'm falling for some of the newer ones. Really you have to have read the previous books to understand much of this book. But if you haven't, you will still enjoy the richly developing characters and the interesting (truly alien) aliens. Speaking of the aliens, I like their culture: long may they prosper!

I just completed book 4 of the Jaran series, and am thoroughly hooked into this story! I MUST find out what happens next! The whole series is fantastic, with each book offering new and exciting twists in the story. The only drawback to book 4 is that the reader is left hanging - just when the story gets even better! A highly enjoyable read - highly recommended! However, M. Elliott, would you please continue the story?? Please? It would greatly help this Jaran addict... :-)

and I patiently wait for the next book ... which may be awhile according to the Official Kate Elliot Page. Seems she has been working on other projects, also good reads.

She plans on several more books in the Jaran series, but it doesn't sound like she'll be getting back to those until she finishes her sequel to _The Golden Key_ (which is an excellent book too, btw) which she'll do after she finishes "Crown of Stars". In other words, we've a long time to wait for more in this fantastic series.