Science Fiction and Fantasy Books

you positively must.

Rarely have I ever come across anything as uplifting and inspiring as this book. If you have a dream, whether it be to own your own business, or to help starving children around the world, or simply to have a healthy happy life, the keys to finding and unlocking those things within yourself are contained in this book.

I'm still in the middle of this book. Some of it is a little silly, and I gleam over those parts in a rush. They are relatively few and far in between, and the wealth of useful knowledge and insight throughout the rest of the book is worth it. I am beginning to apply many of the principles for the first time... its not a magic formula, but it has initiated noticeable progress where before I was stagnating for some time. Its small and easy to carry around to read when you only have one or two minutes available.

The only strange thing about this edition is that authorship is credited to Napoleon Hill, but much of the book speaks of Hill in third person, as if the revising author (who I think is W. Clement Stone) takes liberty to speak on behalf of the original author.

The first batch of significant books that had the greatest influence on me in terms of attaining personal achievement includes mostly Napoleon Hill's books:

- The Law of Success;
- Think & Grow Rich;
- The Keys to Success;
- Success through a Positive Mental Attitude;
- Succeed & Grow Rich through Persuasion;

The others were from Clement Stone, Dale Carnegie, & Earl Nightingale.

That was the early 70's when I had just started work as a young engineer.

The author, Napoleon Hill, had impressed me most by his relentless dedication in spending some two to three decades of his life in pursuing & researching the success secrets of the rich & famous...with a little help from Andrew Carnegie, of course.

As matter of fact, many of the famous people he interviewed were also favourite role models of mine e.g. Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, just to name a few

Till this day, I have never forgotten what he said:

"The most powerful instrument we have in our hands is the power of our mind."

I have never ceased to be fascinated by the simplicity & the potency of his ABCs of personal achievement: CONCEIVE, BELIEVE & ACHIEVE!

It is certainly enlightening to note that even Stephen Covey had drew inspiration from Napoleon Hill's work even though he never made that credit. He only admitted that the
7 Habits had its origins from "200 years of success literature in the United States." That remark itself is self explanatory.

Anthony Robbin's Mastery program as embodied in his books as well as his audio/video resources is no exception, even though he has been influenced in larger extent by NLP.

If you look at & compare the 17 principles of personal achievement in 'The Law of Success' &/or the 13 Steps to Riches in 'Think & Grow Rich', one can obviously see the uncanny resemblance of the 7 Habits & the Mastery principles...in one way or another.

At this juncture, let me outline the principal theme of each book:

The Law of Success: the original course on the fundamentals of success - all the seventeen essential principles of personal achievement;
Think & Grow Rich: The seventeen essential principles are reframed & condensed in terms of thirteen concrete steps to wealth creation (in actuality, this is a condensation of the Law of Success);
The Keys to Success: a further elaboration of the seventeen essential principles with concrete suggestions, exercises & advice;
Success Through Positive Mental Attitude: joint authorship with Clement Stone, with a further emphasis on developing a positive mental attitude;
Succeed & Grow Rich Through Persuasion: joint authorship with Clement Stone, with a further emphasis on developing master salesmanship & networking;
[It is pertinent to note that Clement Stone actually built his insurance business empire with these principles.]

My most productive, personal learning experience from Napoleon Hill's work is the understanding - & application - of his success principle #1: Develop Definiteness of Purpose.

[Very surprisingly, J Y Pillay, former Chairman of Singapore Airlines, - who had been credited for building the airline to what it is today, A GREAT WAY TO FLY! - also credited his work axiom to this same success principle, but he attributed it to an ancient Hindu scripture known as Bhagavad Gita.]

I am certainly gratified to note that Napoleon Hill's work had casted so much influence on - & empowered - so many people in the world, including myself.

I have to admit that I am a confirmed fan of Napolean Hill. I love Think & Grow Rich, have bought many copies and recently added the new and revised hardback to my library.

Succeed and Grow Rich Through Persuasion was one of those books that was collecting dust on my library shelf. I had browsed t his book a couple of times, but never read it completely. In fact, I have been doing that with a lot of my books recently.

The principles in Succeed and Grow Rich are like the principles in Think & Grow Rich. They are timeless. And they work. If you want to master persuasion, read this book.

In this book by Hill, you have the principles to become a top persuader. COnsidering what Hill accomplished in selling his philosophy with no compensation from Mr. Carnegie, don't you think Hill has something to offer in salesmanship?

This book will show you the person you have to be and offers exercises and tips to reach your goals. Another classic by Hill and must reading for all salespeople.

Dayne Kuttner has made a challenge to God that the deity cannot refuse. To give the damned souls of Hell another chance to repent. The ineffable deity has responded to Dayne's challenge in an unexpected way releasing several thousand Hellspawn into the State of North Carolina. And while heaven may be offering them a chance to repent, Hell has other plans. They are to tempt more souls into hell, starting with the soul of Dayne. Holly Lisle delivers a book that is full of fun and hilarity, and some food for thought as well as she takes a look at the institutions of heaven and hell and the world of humanity in between.

As with most of Holly Lisle's writing, there's a good dollop of humor in this story, keeping it from becoming darkly serious and overdramatic. This allows the story to be thoughtful without becoming overly preachy. Our heroine Dayne is delightfully tough and intelligent, a strong adversary for the fallen angel Agonostis. And while most of the devils and demons remain more comical than outright darkly evil, and some even downright likable, the characterization feels appropriate to the tone of the story.

Despite the humor, there are moments of true poignancy and epiphany that keep this story from being merely fluff. It's the reason I keep re-reading this book even though it's beginning to fall apart on me and I'll need a new copy soon. While the look at religion is not necessarily the traditional one (Holly Lisle plays fast and loose with some of the conventions) there are still profound messages that Ms. Lisle conveys about the essence of faith, the nature of good and evil, how Heaven can exist if there is a hell, and what does it truly mean to be a human being.

One of my few complaints with this book is that while it offers a satisfying conclusion to the protagonist's story, it leaves an open ended teaser ending for the next story in this trilogy-and these books are a bit difficult to get a hold of. Readers who enjoy humor, fantasy and romance and don't mind a rather tongue in cheek look at the denizens of Heaven and Hell are encouraged to give this book a try. If you enjoy this one, the second book in the trilogy is THE DEVIL AND DAN COOLEY, and the third is HELL ON HIGH. And you may also want to check out GOOD OMENS by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett.

Happy Reading! Shanshad ^_^

I recently read the Hell books by Holly Lisle (or at least the first three). The books are concerned with the presence of the hellraised on Earth and the interplay between Heaven and Hell.

In SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL a young woman who is convinced that her ex is in hell offers up a prayer to give everyone in Hell a second chance. The request is so pure that it must be answered. Since everyone in Hell already has a chance for redemption, Heaven sends residents from hell to North Carolina. These hellraised equal one percent of the population of the state. The woman is made a target for temptation while the rest of the state has to get used to its new residents.

Overall a pretty good story and an interesting handling of Heven and Hell and they way they interact with the mortal world.

Convinced her ex-husband is burning in hell, Dane asks God why he could allow such a thing and begs him to give the souls of the damned a second chance. God answers, and frees a number of souls into the world. They may do as they will, provided they do not harm anyone or coerce them into harming anyone. That, and they have to stay in North Carolina.

If you go to Holly's website, you'll find that she was under a lot of duress while writing this. The anger and angst she went through shows here and makes for a wonderful examination of religion in general. It starts off very bitter, but becomes something greater. In the end, she does not hate God, but it seems she comes to terms with him.

Sympathy for the Devil is funny, introspective, and even romantic. This is a hard book to find, but if you can get it I strongly recommend it.

When I read this book, it was quite apparent that Holly Lisle's writing style and insight into our present day society was unique and superb. I laughed at her views of the computer in not only our world, but in Hell (which is to say a little of Hell will be ever present though out the rest of our lives.) This book also shows in the difficulties of and choices we must make on the basis of our feelings. I think that Holly Lisle is one of today's greatest writers, and all of her books have brought the delight of fantasy into my small literary collection. Any person, who is a fan of fantasy and humor, would do well to read this novel, or any of her other fantastic books.

Just pick up the book and read the first page. If you're not laughing out loud enough to embarrass yourself, then this is not the book for you.

Doubting and disgusted, heroine Dayne challenges God to let the demons in Hell have a chance. Just like physics, for every action Hell's got an equal and opposite reaction. In this case, Satan sets demons loose in North Carolina to claim as many souls as they can including Dayne's.

The story examines good and evil, heaven and hell, but with a light brush. "Sympathy" is both amusing and thought-provoking. IMHO, the best of Holly Lisle's work so far.

Robert Bowwman is a great author.I love his books you pick up one and cant put it down.

This is a great book. Our teacher Mrs. Something read the book to us. It kicks Harry Potters sorry [...]. K, i admit Harry Poter is also interesting. Anyway, the book has inspiring detail and well, awesome. I'm glad The Three Vests II Musicular is out. It and The Three vests are the best books ever!

The three vest is a really neat book it supence and makes you want to keep reading. The threevest is about three kids who like to go and explore bolder cave. There names are Juan, Samantha and George. when they go into boldercave they find a chest Juan and samantha want to leave but George wantsd to open it and when he dose a voice appears and says to Juan to you the power of invisbility net he says to Samantha to you the power of knowledge and to George the power of flight. They have alot of trouble with the vests but the worst problem is the shadows so if you want to know what the shadows are you have to read the Three Vests.

This book I will admit are the kind I like. My teacher read us book one in sixth grade and I never forgot it. Now there's Book II and it's fabulous. The Three Vests, the first in this series, takes a lot of time getting into characters and scences, which is perfect because it leads so well into book II. Get these books.

Okay, so I was a little skeptical when I first saw the title...I mean Vests, come on. But then after the first chapter it was like this is just awesome. I kept reading and reading and DID NOT WANT IT TO END. Cannot wait for the second book to arrive! If you like adventure stories, this one is a must-read.

We're thrilled to join Tick & Tock on their adventures! With the amazing illustrations it's almost as if we're right next to them. So there's another book in the works? We're so there!!!

GREAT STORY! This was a fun read and a great length for a bedtime story. The pictures are very colorful and are quick to grab you and your child's attention. The story line is fun and whimsical and is an easy read outloud. I enjoyed interjecting my own voices for Tick, Tock, Tommy, and the narrator. My 4 year old daughter already wants book two read to her tonight (I had to tell her it's not out yet....so she's settled for book one again...and again....and again....and.....). We all can't wait to see what happens next. NICE JOB!

This is a great kids' book. It is perfect for reading aloud to little ones, and also perfect for older kids to read for themselves. The illustrations are incredible with unbelievable detail and color. I think elementary teachers and librarians should have copies of this book to share. COOL BOOK!

If you're looking for a book your kids will love and that you will love reading with them, look no further. Here it is!!! Tick and Tock are delightful imps; their friend Tommy is a precious little boy; and their adventures will delight you and your kids (or grandkids) while teaching them a valuable lesson about getting along with others. And the colorful drawings are more than half the fun. Brent Evans truly has a gift for taking you inside the secret world of clock pixies with his beautifully drawn pictures. Tick and Tock are sure to be on everyone's list of favorites.

I loved the story. I loved reading it, knowing the children in my life were going to love it and get a kick out of the pictures and the adventures of Tick & Tock. My 3-year-old niece wants to know what happens next...I can't wait for the next book.

Todd Mitchell's THE TRAITOR KING tells of Darren and Jackie, who have always known their family was strange - but not by how much. A fantasy mystery revolves around the family and once they discover some of the secrets, a vanished uncle's plight draws them into a world they never imagined.

To be honest, I picked up this book because I liked the cover. When I read it, I was expecting a fun read. And the book is fun --great characters, adventure, mystery and imagination. But what surprised me is how much I kept thinking about the book afterwards. There's far more going on beneath the surface of this book than one might expect of YA fantasy. Some heavy issues are dealt with in a new way. I've since spoken with ten year olds who love this book, teachers who discuss it in their classes, and family therapists who have their clients read it. All I can say is check it out --I haven't read a book this good in a long time. And I envy you for getting to experience The Traitor King for the first time.

The Traitor King is an imaginative, well-crafted novel; a blend of fantasy, realism, and mystery that kept me in a reading frenzy from cover to cover. The quirky characters came alive under Mitchell's literary spell, nearly jumping off the page, and I absolutely loved the book's message. Maybe it's the Irish in me, but I have to say it's one of the best y.a. novels I've read. Mitchell knows how to write a good story; I can't wait to see the next card up his sleeve!

I absolutely loved this book. Everybody I know who has read it says they finished it in one night, and I did the same. Mitchell immediately drew me into his story with his quirky, dynamic characters and his page-turning plot. Darren and Jackie are completely intriguing, and while their adventure ventures into fantasy, their struggles are grounded in reality. Mitchell does a fine job of portraying complicated family dynamics - highlighting the ways in which we all struggle against our heritage and they ways in which we also long to embrace it. Anybody who has ever wondered about the mysteries of their family or their past will love this story.

I'm in 5th grade and I read all the time. I've read all the Harry Potter
and dozens of other similar books. This book was by far the best! It
was scary and exciting and I couldn't put it down. I hope Mr. Mitchell
is writing a sequel.

T. Griffin

I met author Frank Fradella at DragonCon in Atlanta, GA a few years back. My fiance and I talked to him, and he gave us a deal on his book - we got two copies for the price of one.

I regret that.

The book is worth every penny, and a part of me feels as though I have stolen from him.

The book appeals to me through a fantastic plot with a seemingly ordinary protagonist who faces great odds. The level of writing that Fradella exhibits is greatly under-appreciated - the man is only starting out, and he definitely deserves to have a growth in fame.

One of the greatest elements of the book is the use of various mythologies, effortlessly and flawlessly incorporated into a single, cohesive unit, with elements pulled most notably from Greek and Norse myths, but also with a few other references.

I apologize for ranting - but I love the book, and, come to think of it, it's about time to re-read it! I do guarantee that any mythology buff will NOT be disappointed, and lovers of great fantasy or romance can also find an enormous appreciation for this title. One of the best books I ever bought. Fact.

Have you ever wondered if there's another world going on around you that you just can't see? Forces at work that are undetectable? The protagonist of Valley of Shadows, David Knox, wakes up one day and finds just such a world imposing itself on his previously normal life. That woman he loves? Not who he thought she was. That opera he took her to - just killed her. And though hidden forces manage to keep his senses at bay for a little while, he eventually peels back that thin veneer, the one that is not strong enough to keep him from his True Love, and goes hunting for answers. If you're looking for adventures, you'll find them in this book. If you're looking for happy fairy tales, well, look again. As David goes from a mountain cabin to the depths of Hades, itself, he's physically and spiritually accosted by beings that just shouldn't exist. Terror, bodily harm, threats to his own life and those of his loved ones, none of it is enough to deter him from finding out the answer to the question: What is real, and what is illusion? In Valley of Shadows, Frank Fradella uses vivid imagery and stark terror to answer those questions, about the world around David and his true friends, as well as the love that he feels for a woman he just can't let go - not even if it means challenging the very substance of his own reality.

I was lucky enough to read this book in one of its later draft stages, and even then it excited my senses. I usually have reservations about reading the manuscripts of friends as it sometimes puts me in the delicate position of having to feign enthusiasm for my friend's work. My worries evaporated quickly as I read the first few pages of this book. Anna bursting into flames and the attendant fallout had me riveted. I barely put the pages down over the next few days as the rapid-fire chapters sunk their hooks deeper and deeper. Seeing the book in it's beautiful hardback edition months later swelled me with pride almost as much as it did Frank.

Another reviewer mentioned AMERICAN GODS. I've read AMERICAN GODS. This book is no AMERICAN GODS. It's better!

Frank Fradella is a true master of the written word and, while the book could use a bit of editing in the punctuation department, VALLEY OF SHADOWS is fantastic introduction to the strange and romantic world of David Knox and his creator.

And just to rub your nose in it: I've already read the manuscript of the next chapter in David and Anna's life, and it's even better than the first.

In the hands of the right director this story would make a great movie. There aren't enough well written books in this genre, which I would call fantastic realism. I literally could not stop reading and, as soon as I finished, I read it again! I truly marvelled at each and every unexpected turn of events, and believe me, there were plenty. This author kept my interest, told a great story and I fell in love with some of the characters, and they weren't even the main ones, and some of them were the baddies. Deirdre Fallon, her pet monster/henchman Chester, Thracian and who could forget dear Uncle Teddy. I really hope this author brings them back if this is to become a series. Joss Whedon needs to read a copy of this book!

Some say Love is Hell. Well, in "Valley of Shadows", when David Knox' lover, Anna, literally catches on fire during an operatic performance by famous tenor, Oliver Thracian, Knox awakens in the hospital to discover that a witch can restore his badly burned hands.

More than that, someone magically restores David's old life, including Anna. Only replacement Anna isn't quite right and a chance encounter with scalding water from a coffee pot at his Seattle based bookstore, has Anna Version 2 fleeing and Knox in search of answers.

Nothing is quite what it seems. Anna is in Hades--and she isn't dead. Well, she was never really alive to begin with.

Oliver Thracian will help David recover Anna from Hades as long as David will do a favor for him. This favor literally takes David and his bookstore helper-adopted daughter Vanessa across the River Styx for love.

Frank Fradella's got an interesting take on life, soulmates, Valhalla and warriors in general, and the making and un-making of gods that comes from the "it's not right, but it's definitely real" school of life. "Valley of Shadows" is a strong entry into modern urban fantasy-magic realism and is well worth the read.

If you're interested in this type of story, Jane Lindskold's "Legends Walking" and "Changer" might be worth a read.

Rebecca Kyle, April 2008

I think many might overlook this book, but they would truly be missing out. Easily one of my favorite reads.

fabulous! fabulous! fabulous!
Great epic book. The characters are well-rounded and interesting. I love the banter and play between characters. Yes, this is a fantasy book but you can find so much true to life emotions and interactions between characters alone. The kidnapping, the sacrifice and rape broke my heart. The realionship trying to make it through such heartbreaking difficulties left me breathless. I'm on pins and needles waiting for the next in the series.

Jeri Smith-Ready has continued with her compelling and utterly believable world with this second book in her CROW trilogy. This was a world I immediately felt comfortable in. The animal spirits and rituals were well-detailed, as were the characters. I felt like I knew Rhia and Marek, Alana and Coranna. I wished for an animal spirit of my own. The animal magic bestowed was right on the mark. I had a hard time putting the book down as disaster unfolded for the characters. I needed to know how they faced and dealt with the dark things that fate had brought into their lives.

Uncliched and original!! Vivid and likeable characters!

I'm eagerly looking forward to the next book!

"Voice of Crow" resumes the "Aspect of Crow" trilogy ten days after "Eyes Of Crow" by exploring more character perspectives within masterful writing of beautiful descriptions and excellent action sequences. The tale and the world inside are exceedingly well-developed; the plot flows effectively and provides quality entertainment for both fans of fantasy and romance.

Aside from Rhia and Marek, Alanka the Wolf and Filip, an injured Descendant from the Battle of Asermons, offer different points of view and bring additional variation to a clever story about surviving cultural changes. There are a few experiences concerning the Ilion culture which clarifies the reasons behind the atrocious attacks. The bestowed powers from each Aspect along with the different phases are sound; the balance of magic is reasonably fair with nothing akin to army leveling magic. Many more Aspects are explained but sadly only one more novel in the trilogy is expected.

A detailed map of the significant terrains and comprehensive appendix would have been useful.

I recommend this series to any fan of the romance/fantasy genre.

Thank you.

This book, the second in her aspect of crow series and really
delivered. It could stand alone as a coming into adulthood novel
but also compells the reader forward to the next novel. If you have not read the first book-Eyes of Crow, however I strongly
recommend that you do.
This tale is set in a Post Apocolyptic time period when the Spirits
of Animals, similar to Native American Beliefs have come to guide
and direct people in their lives both daily and spirtually. Every
person gains a magical animal aspect. The heroine of the story has
the aspect of Crow. This second novel deals with a group of
invaders who have lost magical abilities (or maybe never recieved
them) due to living in cities which may have been the fall of
mankind in the first place.
Exciting, page turning and romantic, this was a great read!

My son is 4 1/2 and has just discovered graphic novels, starting with W.I.T.C.H., book 2. We're on to book 1 and ready to start looking for #3 and beyond. He loves these books, surprisingly to me, and I love them as well. He's been watching Studio Gibli movies since he was little, so it makes sense to me that he would like the manga style. Now, we just have to get our library to stock all of the series!

Will,Irma,Taranee,Cornelia,and Hay Lin are 5 ordinary friends with an extraordinary secret.They have been
chosen as 5 guardians of the Veil.They have power over Phobos. Will is the leader of the group.She has red
hair. I like her the most. I read this book about 15 times. This review is written by Nalanda

I live in Sweden, where the W.I.T.C.H. magazine is published. You should all know that the comic came FIRST, before the novelisations and the show. Where else would the comic inserts have come from?

Also, I like the comic much more than the show because it has a nicer style and of course it's the original.

This is an excellent story about five girls who discover they're more than just a face in the crowd.

This book was AWESOME!!!!I own this book. Will,Irma,Taranee,Cornelia,and Hay-Lin learn about the magic of friendship and thier powers in this book. But anyway,if you like W.I.T.C.H., You'll LOVE this book!!!!!!!!!!!!

I like this book for a couple different reasons: one is the drawings, another is it kinda reminds me of well, Sailor Moon and Winx. Even though winx is a few years old,(like, 2002 maybe?) and Sailor Moon's from the '90's, I think in a way it went like this: Sailor Moon went on to Winx Club and Winx club went on to W.I.T.C.H.,maybe? Anyway, back to the review..... another reason I like this book is because it puts you in different moods, like, funny, happy, and a I-wonder-what's-gonna-happen- next-mood.Well I better not tell ya about the story if ya hadn't read the book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 Don't wanna get the story spoiled, do ya?! And plus, I'll give ya some advice: Don't AND I MEAN DON'T try to read like the end, cause that will spoil it baaaaaad!

I think Dave Morris and Jamie Thomson have started something that won't stop until they've created a whole universe. The game is a little hard at first, but that's not enough to lose it any more than one star. It's a really great idea. They've actually produced something that no one has ever thought of before.

I once owned "war torn kingdom" and "cities of gold and glory"
but I lost them both in a house fire. I have always wished to own the entire series. But I would be happy with one for the time being. Info on where to get any would be great.

You're right, these books are genius. Books 1-6 in the series were released in the UK under the name "Fabled Lands". I own books 1, 2, 4, and 5 and would be very interested to know where i could get 3 and 6.

I got this book for my birthday, but didn't play it until 3 months later. I loved it!!!! I found out that Cities of Gold and Glory are part of the Series, all I want to know how many more their and and where I can get them and their name!!!!

My wife found this in a clearance rack at our local Safeway store and thought I might like it. I actually forgot about it until 2 months later. I was drawn into it last week, and could not put it down. I think it is a wonderful role-playing adventure. I only have this one, and am searching for more books. There was a web-site that had the entire series, but it was taken off the web. If anyone can, please let me know where I can find more in the series. Thank you!

The first and third books in the series are good to read once, but Wyvern's Spur can be read over and over again. I can't guess how many times I've read it. While the other books are kind of dark and spooky, WSpur is just fun. It's a kick in the pants. Giogioni is my kind of hero. I doubt the missus'll let me name a kid after him though.... Oh well. Hooray for Giogi!

As a sequel to Azure Bonds only one major character appears in this book. But that is alright as this turned out to be a fantastic story. I did not want this story to end!! My only complaint is that the authors did not write another book using these characters. The story was unique and an all around excellent tale. Nothing lacking in this book. Would like to see a book about how Olive and Jade met up, though, which would precede this story.

What can I say? This book is a shining example of good fiction writing. Good plot, good characters, good pacing and a wonderful change of pace from the traditional trilogy formula of having the main characters in book #1 in dire trouble. I am disappointed however, that the only other novel that I have seen with Giogi and Cat in it has been Ed Greenwood's Cormyr (an excellent book in its own right). Highly recommended along with the two other books in this trilogy.

It appears to be that several TSR writers are themselves readers of the works of PG Wodehouse. If so, I'm very very thankful. I feel it is a pity that Giogini Wyvernspur only appears as the main character in only 1 novel. The realms need more stories with this type of clean yet side-splitting humour.

If you haven't read the Finder's Stone Trilogy, do so. This is excellent Fantasy writing. Novak and Grubb are able to suck the reader into the story.

It's hard to say whether Wyvern's Spur was the best of the three books, they were all so good. You will not be disappointed in reading this book.