Science Fiction and Fantasy Books

The old adage "be careful what you wish for" comes true in this original body-swap fantasy that reads like a fairy tale. A magical wishing well twists the wisher's words to bring misfortune; can Nuria, used to getting her way, trick the well into giving her what she wants after her own wish goes awry?
Billingsley creates vivid complex and dramatic characters. Her lyrical storytelling is slightly old fashioned and reminiscent of Hans Christian Andersen, though wordier.
The plot is a neat way for Billingsley to explore issues of identity, friendship, promise, and trust. This title makes a nice addition for fantasy fans; it may serve as a tie-in to folk and fairy tale units for older children, create an example for children who wish to write their own original fairy tales, or raise a discussion about differently-abled people.

The Well Wished by Franny Billingsley is a five star book. It was Great. The thing I liked best about this book was how one girl wanted to share her traditions with her friend that was handicapped. There were no illustrations in this book but I could imagine the pictures in my head because of the descriptions. I didn't learn anything new from this book, but it was great anyway I would recommend this book to a friend because it is a very good book. However, I think only people that like "made-up things" would like this story.

Well Wished is definitly one of my all time favs. It's about a young girl named Nuria, who lives in the mountains with the Avi, and her new friend, Catty. In the town of Bishop Mayne, there is a magical and misterious wishing well with a mind of it's own. Everyone can make a wish, (one per person), but wishes usually go wrong. Once, someone made a wish that made all the kids of the town go away. That is, all except Nuria, who is the only kid left in the town\surrounding area. This is where Catty comes in. She and her family move back to the town of Bishop Mayne, and she and Nuria become friends. Catty, however, has misteriously crippled legs and has to use a wheelchair. Nuria swears to make a wish to return Catty's legs to normal, but I won't ruin the story for you by telling you any more!!!!^^ This is a GREAT story with interesting charecters and, well, DIFFERENT settings. Every chapter unfolds more information and mystery, and will leave you breathless. HIGHLY RECCOMENDED (can't you tell??^^).

This book is quite the master piece for children or people of any age. The title, "Well Wished" gives a nice, yet mysterious description of this book. It makes the book attractive and also gives the reader a lot of suspense about the book. This book is basically about a well that (who) has "a mind of it's own". Most wishes made from that well brings a whole chain of wishes-gone-wrong. That is what Nuria found out when she wished for her friend, who lost her wish because she wished for something that vanished all children from her town. "One wish for a life time" the book quotes. My personal favorite about this story is of Agnes, the well's guardian. She sits there and announces the three rules of the Well. Living in complete sadness, she was freed when Miss D'Estuffier furiously ran to the Well and made a wish for more wishes, therfore she replaced Agnes.This book is a creative and enchanting book is well worth reading!

Well Wished by Franny Billingsley is a good book. The main character is eleven-year-old Nuria Magdelena, who lives in the mountain village of Bishop Mayne with her grandfather, the Avy. In this town there is a Wishing Well, and everyone can have one wish in a lifetime. But the Well is dangerous, and a lot of the wishes backfire. It was one of these wishes that made all of the children in the village disappear, and now the Avy has wished for them to come back. One child returns, Catty Winter, whose legs are crippled. She wants Nuria to make a wish for her to walk again, and Nuria decides to make the wish for her new friend. But the wish backfires, and Nuria and Catty switch bodies. Will Nuria ever find a way to get back to her own body, or will she be stuck in Catty's body forever?

It is clear the author loved the book she was writing. This is a unique and fresh voice that I hope to read more of. It's not easy to send a subtle moral or life lesson without sounding preachy, but Rita Salter shows the ramifications of human behavior without ranting and she has a tremendous talent for tickling the adventure bone in readers of any age. The tension is great and you'll have no choice but to keep turning those pages once you start reading.
Chrissy K. McVay
author of 'Souls of the North Wind'

When he doesn't get a special present on his tenth birthday, Robbie gets angry and makes a rash wish upon a falling star. When his wish comes true, Robbie suddenly finds himself in a strange new and dangerous fantasy world, involuntarily separated from everyone and everything he has ever known! He wakes up to find that he has become a newborn Brontosaur! Now Robbie must learn how to adapt to his new surroundings in order to simply survive from one day to the next. He has the companionship of an older Brontosaur named Bronella and makes friends with Saura. Together Robbie and his new companions struggle against the Terrible Ones, a vicious group of meat eating dinosaurs led by the feared T-Rex Tyra. Can Robbie survive, will he risk his life for the sake of his friends, can his birthday wish ever be undone? The Wishing Star is an original, entertaining, deftly written story that carries a message of courage, compassion, and friendship while thoroughly enthralling young readers with a fantasy adventure that will be remembered long after the story is finished and the novel set back upon the shelf.

Rebeccasreads highly recommends THE WISHING STAR as a lively tale about getting what you asked for, finding courage & valuing friendship.

Robbie's a spoiled boy, who's skilled at throwing fits & causing guilt trips. He really hasn't paid any attention to the fact that his Dad recently lost his job, so when his parents don't give him the mountain bike he wanted for his tenth birthday, Robbie's really mad.

That night, bitterly disappointed he watches a meteor shower & decides to make a wish on one of the falling stars. The next morning, as far as Robbie's concerned, nothing has happened so he sulks off to school. When he gets home his Dad has been rehired & takes him to buy that mountain bike. Naturally, Robbie has to throw a fit about which one he wants...

So now he's pedaling along without a care in the world & doesn't see the fallen tree trunk in time... Wham! Slam! Down he goes & gets knocked out.

When he wakes up he's in a whole new world... the one he'd wished for... slab dab in the middle of the dinosaurs, & he's a newborn Brontosaur. Who will he meet? Who are the Terrible Ones? Will he escape being somebody's tasty dinner, & will he ever return to the life he once knew?

THE WISHING STAR is good fun with some lessons to learn, & not only about being a Brontosaur!

This little book is a real gem -- not only does the author come up with a completely unique idea but is also a fast paced story that will keep your kids glued to their seat. It also teaches (without preaching) valuable lessons about relationships, courage, and compassion. Not often do you find a children's book that encapsulates good lessons for the kids together with a great story. Your kids will love it.

When I started reading this book, I thought Robbie was a real brat. Then I started cheering him on. His adventures with the dinosaurs were sad, funny, and scary, specially when he got chased. The dinosaur characters were really neat and fit in very well with the story. It moved along fast so you didn't want to put it down. I highly recommend this book for all kids.

I rented this book from the library and it is a really good book. I like how they touched upon other fairy tales. It was a good read and hard to put down - I needed to know what will happen next...Will Lump change and be a better person - will he find love - will he forgive his mother - will he forgive himself.

This wonderful tale of the witches boy named Lump, is one of the best children's books that I have ever read. Though at times the story becomes a bit too dark and the vocabulary too difficult for the young ones. Hey, who am I kidding, at times the vocabulary was tough for me. That being said I read this book over about a month to my 8 year old daughter before bed and as we got into the second hundred pages we both began to look forward to bedtime. Like the other reviewers, I found the retelling of several fairy tales to be the books greatest strength but the characters of Lump, Ysul the bear and Falance the cat are characters that won't soon be forgotten. With the spate of fantasy movies being made these days, I hope some filmmaaker options this wonderful book as a movie, done right it could be a "classic" as well.

Great book, I think its up there with Wicked, just marketed toward a younger audience. Don't be put off by the cover, which I don't realy think fits this great book. Read it, I could not put it down!

THERE WERE PARTS IN THE STORY THAT WERE SO ENLIGHTENING I HAD TO GO BACK AND READ AGAIN ESPECIALLY THE EXPLANATION OF WHAT WITCHCRAFT REALLY IS...I WILL TREASURE THIS STORY AND CANT WAIT TO READ IT TO MY SON.........

I SHALL NEVER LOOK FOR THE FAE DANCE

This Fairy Tale not only describes its own story it also incorporates many other classic fairy tales from Little Red Riding Hood to Pinocchio, each one with an added twist. Lump is the witch's boy. Abandoned at birth and taken in by a misunderstood witch. He grows up in a world of magic. He is taught by an enslaved djin and nursed by a bear. He grows up with very wrong views about people and the world. Lump thinks he is handsome but truth be told he is not handsome at all. When he finds out and is made fun of and harassed he wishes everyone who had hurt him would burn. When Lumps actions with the humans turn horribly wrong the witch and the boy must flee the sacred woods they had once enjoyed.
Thus Lump is sent on a journey through many worlds and many places. After losing what he truly loves, he hides himself behind a mask of gold and surrounds himself with riches and blames everything on his mother. After abusing life he is cast from the world only to be given a second chance in which he finds himself and the people who truly love him.
Michael Gruber writes about very strong emotions and creates very strong characters. His book has many twists and turns and you never know what's around the next bend.
I would recommend this book. Although it is a bit slow in the beginning it begins to get more and more interesting, and slowly but surely it lures you in. My favorite part of this book is how he incorporated all the other fairy tales and gave them his own twist.

I think Lois Lowry is an amazing writer. My favorite book of all time is The Giver.

All three of these are wonderful children's books! Having the three in a set together makes a great gift also.
I suggest them for advanced 4th graders up to around 7th grade.

The Giver has always been one of my favorite books. I had to read it again more recently for one of my college courses. Then again for a 15 page research paper on it. I got this set because I wanted to know for sure what happened to Jonas and Gabe at the end of The Giver (and find out if my speculations were correct or not (and they were)). I got my fiance to start reading them and he loves it so far. Definately great for all ages. A must-have in any library.

Great trilogy. Haven't read the 2nd 2 yet, so this review is just for The Giver. I bought it for myself and my 9 year old. We both really liked it. It is written in such a way, that you envision a black and white world devoid of emotion and color which is what the author wants. It really was a great book for discussion with my child as it explores having personal choice, love/nuturing/emotions, and individuality. The back of the book has questions that help explore these areas even more. It was interesting to see a child's perspective vs. an adults. This book makes us all think about how society is and how it can be. Recommended.

This box-set is one of the most enduring trilogies I have ever read. The first book is an instant classic, The Giver. I actually read this book back in 1994, when I was in the 4th grade. I read it now again, and I am still just as enamored with it. I didn't even know there were two other books that followed until I did some research. The next two books are just as good, and the best part is that are not carbon-copies. One could actually read them by themselves, but it's so much better when you know the stories before them.

To be honest, I picked up this book because of the live bunny slippers. Who talked to each other, and destroy things. Won't that make you look twice at this book? But Ms. Wisdom made a believer out of me with the love/hate relationship between the witch and the vampire. Jazz, Nick, Irma (the ghost inhabiting Jazz's car) and her fellow witches were entertaining from start to finish. The second book in the series is slated to be released in November. I will be there at the bookstore for my copy, I hope you will be there too.

Linda Wisdom is so good at creating off-the-wall characters that she should be writing sci-fi! I loved the weird stuff, the witchy stuff, and the hot love scenes--she's got a love-scene-in-a-bubble that will knock your socks off! Jazz is a tough, beautiful, but zany witch and Nick is a sexy, smoldering cauldron of a vampire. As lovers, they heat up the night, and the excitement of the last few chapters will have you flipping pages like never before!

I absolutely loved this book. Jazz is my kind of witch, a lady with heart and just the right touch of attitude. And you have got to meet Fluff and Puff! What a hoot! Did I forget to tell you about Nicolai? Deep, dark, and sexy as hell. In short, 50 Ways is a must read.

I enjoy the vampire books of Charlaine Harris and MaryJanice Davidson so this book was just the way I like my paranormal books -- offbeat and funny. The characters of Jazz and Nickolai were interesting and likeable but the secondary characters really made the book interesting. Irma, the cranky 1950s era chain-smoking ghost stuck in Jazz's vintage car grew on me over the course of the book as did Jazz's mortal roommate.

The author found a way to make the presence of witches, vampires, bloody-thirsty bunny slippers and various other non-human life forms seem almost normal.

I look forward to reading the next Jazz book.

Linda Wisdom has written a light hearted and funny paranormal that was a true gem of a read. 50 Ways to Hex Your Lover has everything to suit your paranormal needs. There is magic, action, some nice sex scenes and fuzzy bunny slippers that will munch on everything in sight. This is the first book I have ever read where bunny slippers (named Fluff and Puff) have teeth and are always hungry. When you are around them you better watch your toes. And Jazz, our witch loves to wear them. I think Fluff and Puff should have their own story. Can you imagine the adventures these bunnies would go on?
But for the moment this is Jazz's adventure. Jazz is a seven-hundred year old witch who was cast out from the Academy for Witches on her first day of class back in 1313. Her class was banished for one-hundred years till they make amends. It looks like Jazz isn't doing too well on that end because she is seven-hundred years old after all. But Jazz doesn't moan and groan about her poor immortal life. Jazz is a modern girl and embraces it. She is a working girl after all. She is a driver for the All Creatures Limo Service and in her spare time she helps get rid of curses and spells. But Jazz doesn't work alone because her 1956 aqua-white Thunderbird convertible has the former owner in the front passenger seat. Irma is a ghost owned the car when she was alive and now she won't go to the other side.
Everything is going great for Jazz, that is until vampire Nikolai Gregorvich comes back into her life and that is when things get interesting. Nick and Jazz have always had a very touchy relationship. She tends to throw fireballs at him when she gets angry at him. Nick and Jazz have had years... centuries of loving and fighting. These two can't be cordial to each other, unless their mouths are busy when they are kissing each other. Nick now needs Jazz's help to defeat an old enemy of Jazz's, which send chills down her spine.
What I especially liked was how Jazz and Nick became a great team, not just as a romantic couple, but two people who worked together to solve a mystery and defeat the baddies. These two have great chemistry with each other and the intimacy between them was perfect. And I loved the setting which was right near the beach in California.
Linda Wisdom is an author with many years of writing under her belt with 70 books and many award nominations. This latest by her shows her skill at trying something new and creating really great characters that made me smile and laugh.
A witch, her sexy vampire lover and some rabid but cut fuzzy bunny slippers makes 50 Ways to Hex Your Lover a hoot of a read.

Katiebabs

Aces High is a high class, and high up restaurant catering to the Aces, the Wild Card victims with powers. It is expensive and snooty, run by one of their own, a man named Hiram Worchester, who has the ability to control weight.

The Aces have two serious problems in this book, and the stories all relate to these somehow, the menace of the alien Swarm, and the crazy black magic style power use of the Astronomer, a geeky crazed black magician type.

The other memorable nasty, Demise, with his death gaze and regeneration abilities, also is introduced in "If Looks Could Kill".

Wild Cards 02 : 01 Pennies from Hell - Lewis Shiner
Wild Cards 02 : 02 Jube: One - George R. R. Martin
Wild Cards 02 : 03 Unto the Sixth Generation: Prologue - Walter Jon Williams
Wild Cards 02 : 04 Jube: Two - George R. R. Martin
Wild Cards 02 : 05 Ashes to Ashes - Roger Zelazny
Wild Cards 02 : 06 Unto the Sixth Generation: Part One - Walter Jon Williams
Wild Cards 02 : 07 Unto the Sixth Generation: Part Two - Walter Jon Williams
Wild Cards 02 : 08 Jube: Three - George R. R. Martin
Wild Cards 02 : 09 If Looks Could Kill - Walton Simons
Wild Cards 02 : 10 Jube: Four - George R. R. Martin
Wild Cards 02 : 11 Unto the Sixth Generation: Epilogue - Walter Jon Williams
Wild Cards 02 : 12 Winter's Chill - George R. R. Martin
Wild Cards 02 : 13 Jube: Five - George R. R. Martin
Wild Cards 02 : 14 Relative Difficulties - Melinda M. Snodgrass
Wild Cards 02 : 15 With a Little Help From His Friends - Victor Milán
Wild Cards 02 : 16 Jube: Six - George R. R. Martin
Wild Cards 02 : 17 By Lost Ways - Pat Cadigan
Wild Cards 02 : 18 Mr. Koyama's Comet - Walter Jon Williams
Wild Cards 02 : 19 Half Past Dead - John J. Miller
Wild Cards 02 : 20 Jube: Seven - George R. R. Martin



Fortunato meets a nice girl to go along with his geisha collection, but his pursuit of the Masons through rare coins has terrible consequences.

5 out of 5


Walrus boy ain't what he seems.

4 out of 5


An ally makes a desperate teleportation attempt to warn Jube of the Swarm.

4 out of 5


The death of his alien ally and the loss of the singularity shifter and a garbled message of warning distracts Jube from the xmas cheer.

4 out of 5


The death of his alien ally and the loss of the singularity shifter and a garbled message of warning distracts Jube from the xmas cheer.

4 out of 5


Jube hires Croyd to find the alien corpse, and anything with it. Devil John biffo.

4 out of 5


Modular Man made, Swarm invade.

4 out of 5


Singularity shifting. Don't try and mind-control androids.

3.5 out of 5


When Jube realises his ally meant the Swarm, he knows he needs the power of the Singularity Shifter rather more urgently.

3.5 out of 5


Astronomer hires Demise eyes.

4.5 out of 5


Jube enlists the transparent infobroker.

3 out of 5


Punks find Shifter.

2.5 out of 5


Girl shy Turtle.

4.5 out of 5


Astronomer, Swarm, Takisians all prove to be a little overwhelming.

3 out of 5


Captain Trips drops back in, as Tachyon's relatives show bad timing, capture them, Turtle, and others.

5 out of 5


Tachyon and Trips vs Takisians and Swarm for the fate of the world.

5 out of 5


On the Mason trail.

3 out of 5


Astronomer has hostages and Shakhti machine, but the Aces rally for a raid.

4 out of 5


Swarm sighting.

3 out of 5


Yeoman finds the Singularity Shifter while taking out Egrets. When Tachyon learns of this, he has a plan to take the fight to the Swarm.

5 out of 5


Jube tells Red about some aliens and decides his allegiances are local.

3.5 out of 5

This is the second book in the Wildcards series. This book focuses on the lives of many of the aces of the wildcards universe, with the main unifying plot of the stories being the threat of an alien invasion.

Aces High is a more focused book, dealing with a smaller group of aces and returning to them more often rather than the sampler that the first book was. Many of the favorites return; Fortunato, Dr. Tachyon, The Great and Powerful Turtle, but there are some really nasty villians that appear in this book, as well. The villians are not nice people, so be warned, but they are interesting characters. The leader is pretty much evil to the core, but his hirelings are much more human, each with their own motivations which are explained pretty well in the book. They aren't all evil; many are just looking to get ahead and backing the team that they think will win. Well, and perhaps are a bit more accepting of the "win at any cost" mentality.

I can't think of a story I didn't enjoy in this book, either. All were well written, and were tied together well. I think my favorite story may have been the exploits of Modular Man, but Captain Tripps is a very interesting character as well. I hope to see more of them in future books.

So far, it seems that these books should be read in order, so if you skip Wildcards 1 and start here, you may be lost. Just a word of warning, since I know the books can be hard to find.
I recommend this book to all Wildcards fans and any superhero fan that has not read this series yet is doing themselves a disservice.

A great installment in the Wild Cards universe. An alien swarm is headed on a collision course with earth and the Aces must unite to fight the impending doom of the world. However, "the Astronomer" - a super-villain- is trying to stop the heroes, and employs any devious methods to reach his ends... There are new characters presented such as Demise - who can look in your eyes forcing you to relive his death, and thus die yourself...and Jube, the walrus-like newspaper salesman with bad taste in jokes and equally bad fashion sense... who knows what motives he has?

This is a great story, and I can't help but think that the wild cards would make an excellent series on the sci-fi channel.
I look forward to the next episode!

Relic113

The continuing short story collection set in the shared world as introduced in 'Wild Cards,' this is the continuing stories of those Aces and Jokers (and sometimes plain old natural humans) in the fallout of the genetic Wild Card virus. We're in the eighties now, and a new menace looms on the horizon - a dark alien organism is on its way, and the Swarm Mother sends terrible creatures down to attack earth in many places - and who else can stop them but the super-powered Aces?

The nice thing is the story-arc merely starts with the swarm assault, and from there, the weaving in of new and old characters is superb. We revisit some of the best characters from the first volume (The Great and Powerful Turtle is my favourite so far), and the story of the Swarm Mother certainly doesn't end in that single attack. This is solid stuff, and very well organized to say that it's a shared world.

Now I've ordered book three in with the last of my online gift certificates, and hope it arrives soon! Nothing quite like a new literary addiction.

'Nathan

Over a dozen years ago I received the first two Wild Cards books as a birthday present. I read the first one, enjoyed it, but wasn't so sure about the series. But I already had the second one, so I might as well give it a shot, right? What a difference a second chance made.

Wild Cards Volume 2 (Aces High) is, for me, where the Wild Cards series really began. Unlike the first book, which is a series of introductory and mostly unconnected plots, this one features several central plotlines as the storylines all begin to converge. An alien race known as the Swarm is heading for Earth. The Astronomer, leader of the Masons, is preparing for his own conquest. And when one of your greatest defenders is a pimp whose powers only activate when he engages in tantric sex, well, you're in big trouble.

There's so much great stuff in this book it's hard to leave any of it out. Lewis Shiner's "Pennies from Heaven" establishes the Astronomer as a real threat, setting the stage for both this and the next book. Walter Jon Williams's "Unto the Sixth Generation" is one of the cornerstones of the book, both introducing the Swarm into the Wild Cards universe, as well as Williams's robotic hero Modular Man. Several other stories introduce new, very-long-running characters; Walton Simons's "If Looks Could Kill" brings aboard the very dangerous James Spector (aka Demise). "By Lost Ways" has Pat Cadigan bring aboard Jane Dow, the Water Lily who really would be happy to just slink into the background and whose story is more important than one might think at first... Last but not least, George R.R. Martin's "Jube" story twists and turns its way through the book, uniting the short stories almost effortlessly.

Old favorites still abound, of course. Roger Zelazny's "Ashes to Ashes" is a hysterical romp through Jokertown as the ever-unpredictable Croyd tries to go on a simple seek-and-locate mission with predictably disastrous results. George R.R. Martin's "Winter's Chill" has Tom Tudbury discover that being an Ace doesn't make your life great at all; in fact, sometimes it can downright ruin it. Melinda M. Snodgrass and Victor Milan coordinate their stories "Relative Difficulties" and "With A Little Help From His Friends" as Dr. Tachyon and Dr. Trips have to join forces (not once but twice) to deal with Tachyon's not-very-happy relations. John J. Miller's "Half Past Dead" is both an epilogue to the Swarm story as well as continuing the story of Yeoman.

There are very, very few books in the Wild Cards series where every single story hits a home run, but this is one of them (the next book, Jokers Wild, also manages to do this). If you were on the fence after the first book, trust me--this is the one you definitely can't miss.

I'm a high school student and just LOVE this book. I enjoy reading Captain Underpants and things like that, so I picked this up and laughed the whole way through! I passed it on to my two little sisters (who also loved it) and they actually handed it off to my mom, who got quite a kick out of it. This book is a great read for kids and amusing for everyone!

It used to be difficult to entice my third grade son to read - until now. I am grateful to H. B. Homzie for creating a series that my son found interesting enough to read instead of watching t.v. or playing Gameboy. I actually had to pull it out of his hands because it was past his bed time and he did not want to put this book down! WOW! My son was totally engrossed and was laughing out loud. Of course, I was curious, so I read it after he was asleep... and I was impressed that I enjoyed it, too! Move over J.K. Rowling -- H.B. Homzie has created a great series that appeals to reluctant readers without being scary! She demonstrates a great ability to relate to this age and my son confirmed it by asking when he could get the next book in the series! Thank you, H.B. I would definitely recommend this for everyone's home library.

Abby had the flu, they were picking science fair partners. Casey, her partner was sick also. They couldn't decide what project to do. SO they took a vote on it. You should read this book because there was a problem, so you need to read to find it and you can figure it out. The thing I like most about this book was when they did the project. The thing I liked the least was when the problem happen. I like this activy because it helps me learn to type.

I read my son Two Heads Are Better Than One and he loved it! In fact, we are now reading it for the third time. It is so funny that I'm enjoying it as much as he is. Our favorite character is Beta, the alien. My son is going around saying Zaptopkaka! Otto is a fun character, too. A good old-fashioned villain. I can't wait to go out and buy the next book in this series.

I read this book with my children (6 and 4 years old) over the course of several bedtimes, and they really enjoyed it. "Alien Clones From Outer Space" is entertaining and funny, and it was an enjoyable book to read. Highly recommended.

If you're a fan of the televsion series Quantum Leap, this original Quantum Leap novel is the best of the bunch.

A sequel of sorts to the episode, "Another Mother," it provides an enjoyable follow-up to the classic episode.

A great book that included some old favorites from the TV series. Storm did an excellent job with all the stories that were going on at once. A Must-Read book for all QL fans.

You would think being able to write a pre-existing character and doing it right, knowing what they would or would not say would be easy. But I've read books based on series' where you wonder if the author ever watched the show or read up on the characters or anything before taking the job (My main beef being with the Star Trek Voyager book Homecoming. Could barely get through the first few chapters. Truly aweful) But there are those, like the DS9 relaunch series of books and this book that truly capture the essence of the characters and you can picture them very vividly as they say their lines; as if you were watching it as a brand new episode, after all these years.
**(Spoilers)**
I gotta say, the ending was bitter-sweat. I would have preffered Terressa ending up working for the project, especially with them making a big deal about being this genius, akin to Sam. Sure, it would have had shades of Sami-Jo Fuller working for the project, but that just plays into the other coincidences and similarities with other leaps.
For some reason, I would have liked to have seen more happen with George; him being drugged and found passed out seemed, somehow, anti-climactic.
All and all, though, it was really well written. And I loved the running gag of Sam never getting to eat. You never really think about it and in a television show, seeing them eat or perform any other necessary vital functions (like sleeping; we never saw Sam have any down time in the show) and the author worked it in well and made it very real.

This book was wonderful. I really liked the episode and the fact that there was this wonderfully written sequal...
There is too much to say and so little room. It's very inspirational.

Although this book may seem a little slow and boring at first, keep reading! If you remember the Quantum Leap episode "Another Mother" and it touched you, this book will do the same, as it is a continuation of Al's promise to a little girl that someday, he'll come back to her. It has everything in it, from suspense to comedy, while still maintaining the important elements of a good Quantum Leap Novel. This book would make an excellent movie. Don't miss out!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Do not miss this one!!!!!

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

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

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

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

I will not summarize the story line because this has been done by previous reviewers. In particular there is an excellent and thoughtful review by Janna K, that I agree with completely. This book is an easy and quick read. I enjoy the first person POV and the story moves fast, so it is hard to put down. So be warned when you start have plently of time because you will want to finish the book in one setting.

I agree that Raine seems a little invicible at times and it would be nice to see a little more dimension in her character. The romantic tension is enjoyable even though there is no resolution between Raine's choice between Mycheal, the good guy, and Tam, the Goblin with shades of grey. Personally, I find Tam more interesting because Mychael seem so one dimensional. I think the drawing out of this love triangle makes me anticipate the next book in the series even more. However I agree with Janna K, that Raine does not seem in anyway troubled or conflicted by her attraction to both these different men. This seems a little puzzling to me and makes her character seem a little less believable.

Overall however a wonderful book, and I am eagerly looking forward to the next in the series. As usual the wait between books in series such as this seems interminable.

Having read Ms. Shearin's debut novel, MAGIC LOST, TROUBLE FOUND, I could hardly wait to read the sequel. ARMED & MAGICAL was well worth the wait. The lively dialog and engaging action kept me turning the pages, with the tension, both romantic and otherwise, rising throughout the story. Characterization was excellent too, with personalities of both new characters and old easy to picture in the mind's eye. I highly recommend ARMED & MAGICAL, as well as the previous Raine Benares adventure, MAGIC LOST, TROUBLE FOUND. Next out will be THE TROUBLE WITH DEMONS. I'm counting the days.

For a designer+Trekkie like me, this book is a collector's item. This compilation of scenic art, concept sketches and production stills is just inspirational.

When I was first given The Art of Star Trek as a special gift by a close friend I was to say the least, over the moon. The present came as something of a pleasant shock for I was totally unaware that it had been published. As a lover of "the art of" books and an avid fan of Star Trek, I had long hoped for such a title and finally... here it was! The Art of Star Trek has fast become my favourite "art of" book (along with the Art of Star Wars books) and it is always near at hand.

The Art of Star Trek is everything I would have expected and more, stunning colour pictures, informative text and lavish presentation. This long overdue book covers several of Star Treks many and varied incarnations thus far on television and film alike and charts its visual evolution over more than thirty years. It is positively overflowing with many fascinating examples of the sketches and storyboards, production and matte paintings, posters, costumes, props and sets [etc] that fill the Paramount archives and private collections alike. Although most of the designs will not be used for various reasons, they loosely form the basis for how a Star Trek production might appear when completed. The concept art included in this volume has been created by many of the top film-television designers to have worked in Hollywood throughout the years. And who have played a seminal role in shaping the distinctive aesthetic of Star Trek over its almost forty year history. Included are such artists as Mike Okuda, Andrew Probert, John Eaves, Mike Minor and Matt Jefferies, who created the first brilliant prototype Starship Enterprise in the 1960s, one which has served as the blueprint for all subsequent Starfleet starship designs. The many individuals included in this wonderful book are the unsung talents of Star Trek, and who for the most part go unrecognised by its legions of fans. They have diligently worked long hours behind the scenes of Star Trek series and movies to create the multitude of conceptual and commercial art that helps Trek run efficiently. Their concept art and finished designs play an important role in Star Treks appeal to a devoted fanbase around the world.

Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens have carefully chosen a wide selection of the finest art created for this most enduring of franchises. The book is arranged in a chronological order, the first half being devoted to the television series from Classic Star Trek to Voyager. The second half of the book is devoted to Star Trek motion pictures leading up to Generations. With stunning full colour photographs throughout this is a fascinating and engrossing volume that will keep one rapt for hours. So if you haven't already got a copy in your library and are a serious Trekkie and art lover do yourself a big favour and buy this incredible coffee table book, you won't be disappointed.

Since The Art of Star Trek was first published (some years ago now) the Star Trek universe has been steadily expanding, Voyager and Deep Space Nine have long finished, three more movies have been made so far... and Star Trek: Enterprise has sadly been cancelled. In their wake they have left a whole gallery of exiting new material gathering dust in the Paramount archives that hopefully will be used in The Art of Star Trek: volume two at some future date.

This book has some of the best artwork that was made for the first four Star Trek series and some of the movies. It has photographs of the sets and props as well as diagrams of the ships, including Klingon and Romulan vessels, the movie and series Enterprises, and even Voyager. The book follows a plan which views the art history of Star Trek from the pilot film "The Cage" to "Star Trek: Voyager". You'll love this book if you're a Star Trek fan!

My initial reaction to The Art of Star Trek and it's hefty price was skepticism. Once I did purchase it and start running through it, the price could've been twice and I still would've bought this gem. The Art of Star Trek is a pure celebration of everything that Star Trek is and was all the way through it's publication date. It includes articles from the very beginning to the lastest on Voyager and Star Trek Generations. The pictures and drawings are stunning to say the least. This is a book you'll definitely want to add to your collection if you haven't already.

"The Art of Star Trek," by Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens, is to date the ultimate "coffee table" book for devoted Star Trek fans. This book, which was published in 1995, covers all aspects of "Trek" history up until its publication date. Through text and plentiful illustrations, the book celebrates the visual artistry that has been such an essential component of the "Trek" phenomenon.

The book deals with each of the specific series from the original until "Voyager," including both the often neglected animated series and the aborted "Phase II" series of the mid-1970s. All films from "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" to "Star Trek Generations" are also covered.

The amount and quality of items in this visual "museum" are astounding. There are behind-the-scenes photos, concept drawings, photos of models, prosthetic makeup designs, storyboards, movie posters from around the world, closeup shots of props, and more. Particularly interesting were the shots of certain props and aliens which were barely seen in fleeting shots, but which represent great imagination and artistry.

Also noteworthy are the drawings which document the evolution of both the original series "Enterprise" and the "Next Generation" ship. I was fascinated by the concept drawings of possible "Enterprises" for the aborted "Phase II" series, as well as by the rejected new uniforms for the first "Next Generation" feature film.

The concise but clear text is a good match for the wealth of glorious, full-color photographs. This book is, from start to finish, a visual feast for "Trek" fans.