Kevin Murphy Books

They say we're all "a wee bit Irish" on St. Patrick's day, and reading this book will color you a very deep shade 'o the green. Following fifteen year-old Kevin Murphy's adventures in Ireland brings the reader face-to-face not only with leprechauns and fairies, but also the scarier ghosts, banshees, and demons that inhabit authentic Irish folklore. Delving into legends much deeper than lucky shamrocks and pots of gold, Kevin finds himself in life-and-death struggles with forces that will appeal to sword & sorcery-loving teens, as a thrilling new challenge waits around every corner. Author M.J. Smith does a fine job of capturing the mood of a teenager whose parents don't "get" him, even when he embarks on a heroic secret life that follows in the footsteps of his Irish great-grandfather. This book covers a wide range of issues: sibling relationships, budding interest in girls, family heritage and roots to the old country. The vivid geographical descriptions of the Irish countryside, with its charming people and intriguing mythology, are bound to ignite teen readers' interest in the magic of the Emerald Isle!

I have not read the entire book and am not qualified to give a proffesional review I thought it was a book that reveals the deepest side of manand of nature.Thank you for letting me and others read it.I always like to read a good vampire novel... You never know what's out there.

This book has helped me with my master's class on constructing psychological tests. Great reference book.

FoM is just exploding with new spells , magic items , tw weaponry , and majic occ's . Also to me it foreshadows the coalition war campaing nicely. It would be far too hard to itemize every thing here but magic lovers will find this a must have book. With that said Quite a few of the occ's are very powerful and should be used in higher powered/level play.(the mystic knight and Mage lord in particular should be in groups that are 2-5 levels ahead of thier level i.e. a 2nd lv mystic night ina group of characters that averages 5th or 6th lv would be about fair )

Sorry, I haven't read it, but i will like to have it in Spanish, because I work with Special Education, in fact, with kids that have DDA. Sorry to write here, but I would like to have this, I did not see where to write about my request, my english is not good at all, and if somebody can help me, I will apreciate it, from my heart, seems to be the best. Thanks

I really do wish they'd reprint it! Mage 2nd edition has potential! Stories can *happen* in it! It's not a bunch of gaming execs trying to squeeze a few bucks out of Vampire and Werewolf players so they can have stupid little duels to prove which kind of supernatural PC is tougher, unlike some more recent stuff! Mage 2nd edition is the *total* modern fantasy game!

Forget Revised, this is what the game is really about. A generic setting in which you can launch a game in any time, any where, with any who. The revisions made from visionary-but-glitchy First edition make it much clearer and smoother to run.

Has everything you need to start an Ascension War chronicle (whether you want to get involved in the War or not is another matter), including details on the Technocracy, governments, secret organisations, the Umbra, the Digital Web, and a little on history.

Magick is appropriately powerful, and the game flows much more than the "crunchier" games like Vampire or Werewolf. It's a harder game than those, requiring more in the way of maturity and intelligence, but far more rewarding. And you don't have to play some kind of freaky monster.

Let's face it, in the World of Darkness, hope is all too rare. Vampires are abberations of the natural order whose agelessness serves only to illustrate the beauty of death. Werewolves are fighting a losing battle against the Wyrm, the spirit of active destruction. Wraiths are dead souls wishing for Oblivion. Hunters are angsty mortals with nary a clue about their benefactors' identities ... but they kill the Outsiders anyway. (Changelings I don't know, sorry.)

And among all this chaos ... the Mage stands tall, looking to Ascend.

Oh, it's not all fuzzy bunnies, being a Mage. There's pain, and death, and the rest of the World of Darkness to contend with. But Mages have something to fight for other than survival. They have ideals. (Perhaps morbid ideals, but nobody ever said morbid is wrong ...) They have dreams. And, in the World of Darkness as in our own world, the perception of reality shapes reality itself. (Okay, I play too many Malkavians in Vampire. So sue me.) This is what it means to be a Mage.

It would take far more space than I have here to explain the worldview behind Mage. Suffice it to say that Mage (at least Second Edition) is positive in outlook, with a scope that encourages the imagination. This setting focuses on wonder, pain, and Ascension to a higher state. The group Storyteller will either love this game or hate it: love because of the openness of a magic system that's actually -realistic- (okay, you Christians are probably laughing at me now - oh well), or hatred because you've just spent twenty hours of preparation on Umbral Lords and now your players just want to use the spirit world to break into a Technocracy stronghold.

When I read this book for the first time, it was almost a spiritual experience. This is what a magical RPG is supposed to be like, in my view. However, hack-n-slashers can wreak havock on the system, mainly through over-use of Forces. I find that taking Forces away entirely is the best way to deal with this nuisance ... although with a group of powermongers, perhaps Werewolf would be a better game for you.

Warning: Revised Mage takes all the wonder and hope out of the setting and leaves you with the same old gloom and croon of the rest of the World of Darkness. The developers certainly did a wonderful job of making sure that the backstory fit the rest of the WoD, but I'm rather sorry to see hope go. (Life is painful enough without vicarously living through a rotting pile of bones, IMHO.) So, I proudly recommend Mage: The Ascension Second Edition to the Real Roleplayers and Loonies out there, Revised Mage to the Real Men among you (heaven help us all), and Harvard to the Munchkins that exist like worms at the heart of every gaming group...

This is the best game in White Wolf's game universe. I have never played a game with so many possibilities. This book is the core rulebook for Mage the Ascension Second Edition. The book contains everything you need to understand the Mage universe. Every aspect of the game is elaborated on fully or contains enough information for you to come up with the rest of the details. The book focuses on the Traditions but there is also a good amount of information on the Technocratic Union, Marauders, and Nephandi for you to use. The worlds beyond the Gauntlet and Horizon are also touched on along with sample umbrood. With this book any game is possible. You want to play a fireball-chucking mage? No problem. How about a hacker from the Matrix? There's a Tradition available just for that. Want to play a tough martial artist who can catch bullets? There are rules for that too. This is a great book that can stand alone without supplements, unlike its revised edition.

yes, I gave it five stars, and I will get to the why. But I do believe, like other reviewers, that this game might not suit everybody, and it is certainly not easy to either explain nor play without running into some quite peculiar pitfalls. I started out with RPGs when I was 12. I have read, played and "directed" at least 10 different RPG systems. Fantasy, star wars, star trek, marvel superheores (anyone whot thinks I was waaay to deep into it is absolutely RIGHT, I was positively addicted). I even wrote a short monthly column on RPGs for an "alternative culture" magazine for a while. So when my best friend and companion in roleplaying introduced me to White Wolf games (with a copy of Mage as a birthday present), I was openly distrustful. (Mages with computers? you gotta be kidding me!). However, I overcame my first impression and read it, read it and re-read it. I was hooked! What was going on with this game was REAL MAGIC! All the other RPGs I have played and directed have the same problem: magic is a static thing, confined to the stereotypes which are known by all: wizened old men, reading out of musty old books, recipes including bat dung and frog eyes. Interminable list of spells, some of them useless, some inaccessible until the characters were incredibly powerful already, and the eternal problem of mages being weak and useless once their spells were spent. Mage: the Ascension is my favorite RPG (out of, like I've mentioned, many others I've met and struggled with for a while). But, it's not for everyone. It's not a game you can throw at the players out of the blue. It's a challenging game for the Storyteller. Yes, it's White Wolf as far as the basic system is concerned, but the Storyteller must do extensive homework ,and at least skim some of the reference works and recommended further readings given by the authors (some of which, BTW, are very good). Otherwise any chronicle will look and sound bland. I agree with other reviewers in that the designers reach out for much and leave a lot of spaces and gaps: I believe this to be intentional. The flexibility implied by a game where reality is "up for grabs" does not allow any hard-and-fast rules regarding the nature of the stories or the possibilities of what the players might do. For example: the Technocracy's struggle can (in my opinion) be seen as equally "noble" than the one from the traditions, in that they can be understood as seeing themselves as protectors of humankind from "what's out there". They can also be insane megalomaniacs out for world domination, will ye or nay ye, but it's another thing the Storyteller must decide beforehand. The Traditions are another kettle of fish: in my opinion they are more guidelines than models to build characters upon. For example: the Akashic Brotherhood is way too big, attempting to encompass many different real-world beliefs in one page of description. Again in my opinion, an Akashic can be fashioned after Indian yogis or Tibetan ascetics just as they can be made to look and act like your regular action-film martial arts master. I tell my players not to delude themselves into thinking that all Akashics are bald, and assume kung-fu stances, and that not all Dreamspeakers wear loincloths and beat drums. The Avatar is another thing that most people I know who've played Mage seem not to understand. It's a great tool for the players to relate to their character and for Storytellers to keep the pace of the story in moments when the players seem to lose track of everything that's going on under their noses, but, again, if the Storyteller is not consistent with the Avatar thing, it either gets left out altogether, or the players see through it and cry foul when the Storyteller turns their Avatars on them. As for the system: I believe it to be a blessing, through and through. White Wolf's system really lets you forgo dozens o dice rolls, and its by far more "realistic" than any other RPG system in my experience. All the White Wolf books insist on it: tell stories first, roll dice only if it helps the story. Because, despite the occassional confusion in interpreting this or that (or finding stuff in the index: I agree, it's dreadful), can anybody deny that a magic system like this would be flat-out impossible to run with any other set of RPG rules? It's a great game, folks, but in order for it to be truly enjoyable and all that it can be, it does require more careful attention and input than other RPGs. Take the contents of this book as GUIDELINES, to be greatly expanded upon, and more than any other RPG let a lot of you into it. Do not be afraid to innovate, to discard what you don't like, and I venture to say that it will prove an unprecedented, exciting experience for all RPG enthusiasts, players and gamemasters alike.

Very impressed with the current information found in this book - there are many adult ADD books on my shelf, but this is in my top 3 books for everyday referals...worth purchasing!

After completing this review, I realized that if you have ADHD (like me), you may need to take a break in order to make it through to the end.
I am experienced reader of books on the subject of ADHD. The first thing I noticed about the book was the small font and paragraphs which extended very close to the edge of the pages. This is not ADHD-friendly. That said, an effort is made to use summary paragraphs. However, as most all ADHD books feature blocking information, summarizing, and reviewing. I tend to expect this rather than appreciate it. Another feature of the book which threw me off (repeatedly): randomly placed (long and winding) case studies (e.g. "Amy had just been diagnosed ...).
Per the DSM IV, "ADHD" is the proper term and covers three sub-types. The term ADD is no longer used (it's a sub-type under "ADHD"). The author explains this and then, states: "In the interest of simplicity, we will use the term ADD to refer to all three forms." I stopped and scratched my head ... does he believe his reader base to be so inattentive as to render them unable to deal with an extra letter to describe the very condition about which the book is written? That leads to the second question, does simplicity really call for the incorrect labeling of the subject matter of you book? Lastly, even before the DSM IV change, "ADD" as a label leaves out hyperactivity (and combined) - making it simple, but wrong. Why not refer to it properly and in doing so, encompass the entirety of those with the DSM IV's definition of ADHD?
Okay, this guy is old school and wants to save "H" for "simplicity" of reading. I moved on. Shortly thereafter, I got the sensation that I needeed to break out the pom-poms. I don't read about my ADHD to learn all the "wonderful" things I can accomplish despite my condition. At this point, I was becoming impatient. I flipped to the front of the book and noted it is still on the first version which is dated 1995. I knew the medication chapter should make for some useless reading. I had to flip to the chapter covering medication to find out just how useless. As expected, the chapter is pitifully outdated. Without getting specific, I will just let you know that the chapter spends most of its time on Ritalin as the AD(H)D medication and Prozac as a good anti-depressant. Don't waste your time. "Scattered Minds" by Adler (2006) offers medication information to such a greater extent, that fact alone would justify choosing "Scattered Minds" over "Out of the Fog" if you had only once choice.
So, why the 3 stars - kinda high based on my gripes, huh? I set aside my "ADD" label annoyance, worked through the small font and crammed pages, long and winding case studies, and woefully outdated medicaion infomation. What I found is this book offers very useful coping strategies for Adult ADHD. The book also does an excellent job of identifying problems ADHD creates (which leads to the coping advice). The author knows the subject very well. In this regard, the book is better than average.
I have to mention the book's information regarding how to cope with everyday life. You need to take advantage of technology's cutting edge equipment: "computers, fax machines, calculators, and voicemail." Wow. The calculator? It sure is an improvement over that time-intensive abacus.
Those with ADHD will find the layout of this book poor to the point to classify it as a non-starter. If you desire to understand a loved-one's condition, you would certainly benefit from the information (except medication and technology) provided. If you are looking to get your ADHD life under control, I suggest "10 Simple Solution to Adult ADD" (Sarkis, 2005) because it is laid out with the intended audience in mind. It is a quick hitting, information intensive read. (Yes, Sarkis also calls it ADD - oh well.)

Murphy's "Out of the Fog" was published in 1995 -- that's 11 years behind the times! While he might include some informative and interesting stuff here, ADD/ADHD research is piling up with new insights and implications for personal and social-political use.

The very best new work out there, as of 2006, is Thomas E. Brown's "Attention Deficit Disorder: The Unfocused Mind in Children and Adults." Brown, a psychiatry prof at Yale's School of Medicine and the associate director of the Yale Clinic for Attention and Related Disorders, hasn't written a self-help guide here; instead, he's crafted the best overview of current thinking about ADD. He answers doubters -- and, refreshingly, discusses why a number of doubts about the very existence of ADD exist.

If you really want to know about ADD, this is the book.

After completing this review, I realized that if you have ADHD (like me), you may need to take a break in order to make it through to the end.
I am experienced reader of books on the subject of ADHD. The first thing I noticed about the book was the small font and paragraphs which extended very close to the edge of the pages. There is an effort made to do use summary paragraphs so that the ADHD reader can stay focused. Most all ADHD books feature blocking information, summarizing, and reviewing. I tend to expect this rather than appreciate it. Another feature of the book which threw me off (repeatedly): the randomly placed (and long and winding) case studies ("Amy had just been diagnosed ...). There are too many of them and they are too long. Remember your audience.
Per the DSM IV, "ADHD" is the proper term and covers three sub-types. The term ADD is no longer used (it's a sub-type under "ADHD"). The author explains this and then, states: "In the interest of simplicity, we will use the term ADD to refer to all three forms." I stopped and scratched my head ... does he believe his reader base to be so on short concentration we will be unable to deal with an extra letter to describe the very condition about which the book is written? That leads to the second question, does simplicity really call for the incorrect labeling of the subject matter of you book? Lastly, "ADD" as a label leaves out hyperactivity - making it simple, but wrong. Why not refer to it properly and in doing so, encompass the entirety of those with the DSM IV's definition of ADHD?
Okay, this guy is old school and wants to save "H" for "simplicity" of reading. I moved on. Shortly thereafter, I got the sensation that I needeed to break out the pom-poms. I don't read about my ADHD to learn all the "wonderful" things I can accomplish despite my condition. At this point, I was becoming impatient. I flipped to the front of the book and noted it is still on the first version which is dated 1995. I knew the medication chapter should make for some useless reading. I had to flip to the chapter covering medication to find out just how useless. As expected, the chapter is pitifully outdated. Without getting specific, I will just let you know that the chapter spends most of its time on Ritalin as the AD(H)D medication and Prozac as a good anti-depressant. Don't waste your time. "Scattered Minds" by Adler (2006) offers medication information to such a greater extent, that fact alone would justify choosing "Scattered Minds" over "Out of the Fog" if you had only once choice.
So, why the 3 stars - kinda high based on my gripes, huh? I set aside my "ADD" label annoyance, worked through the small font and crammed pages, long and winding case studies, and woefully outdated medicaion and technology infomation. What I found is this book offers very useful coping strategies for Adult ADHD. The book also does an excellent job of identifying problems ADHD creates (which leads to the coping advice). The author knows the subject very well. In this regard, the book is better than average.
I have to mention the book's information regarding how to cope with everyday life. You need to take advantage of technology's cutting edge equipment: "computers, fax machines, calculators, and voicemail." Wow. The calculator? It sure is an improvement over that time-intensive abacus.
Those with ADHD will find the layout of this book poor to the point to classify it as a non-starter. If you desire to understand a loved-one's condition, you would certainly benefit from the information (except medication and technology) provided. If you are looking to get your ADHD life under control, I suggest "10 Simple Solution to Adult ADD" (Sarkis, 2005) because it is laid out very well for those who struggle to keep focus. It is a quick hitting, information intensive read. (Yes, Sarkis also calls it ADD - oh well.)

This book has been very helpful so far. It is giving me new ways to think about old problems. I'm only half-way through, but am trying to get a handle on the time management/organizational problems with the help of one of the strategies suggested. I would imagine that most of this information would seem very obvious to the "normal" person, but to those of us who are "in the fog", it is invaluable. Thanks for writing this book Dr. Murphy!

R. Simmons, St. Charles, MO.

I had read the first two books years ago, and was thrilled to find that I could now get my hands on the third and fourth. I agree with much of what other reviewers have to say; that the book is woven through with weird and wonderful ideas, that the writing is often lyrical and that Jame is a fascinating and complex character.

But the process of reading the book was a frustrating one. I found myself at times skimming through paragraphs because the events or the decisions that characters made seemed so obscure. However, as I worked my way through the book I became more and more engaged, more fully aware of the relationships between characters and the issues that loom large for Jame and for Torisen.

It is a fine story, and I have more and more appreciation for its intricacies the farther I get into the tale. There are just times when I find it difficult to understand how two characters relate to each other, or how a moment of action plays out. I think it has to do with the fact that Hodgell does not hold the hand of the reader; she does not over-explain and give us a character's every thought (like Mercedes Lackey?). For example, it is not until this third book that she actually mentions that Jorin, the ounce, weighs 40 pounds. Until this point there is absolutely no reference for how large Jorin is or will grow, except for the fact that Jame can carry him. I had previously found myself wondering, "Tiger, or house cat?"

This is an absolute must-have for any fantasy reader. I have read and re-read her books and eagerly anticipate the arrival of the next ones to find out what happens.

The characters within have a depth to them that is really pretty impressive. The detail in the cultures and the world has astounded me. Can you tell that I am a Hodgell fan yet? I won't go into the details on the storyline, you owe it to yourself to buy the book and find out for yourself.

Every fantasy lover owes it to themselves to do that

i read the second book and i find that it continue flawlessly into this book.I lov the way Jame had been potrayed and i can understand Torisen apprehension at finding Jame.But i think their relationship will grow better in the next book as i think that Jame,Torisen and Kindrie formed the three faced God.Each one of them represent a different aspect of their God.Toriesen and Jame shared a connection that strong enough that those bind to Torisen are bind to Jame and vice versa.I probably had read the book a couple of times since i had it.
I find that every line convey a certain richness and i had my favourite lines and scenes.But the best scene for me is when TOrisen disowned Kallystine not only for what she tried to do to him but to what had happened to Jame.Jame'presence had freed Torisen from Kallystine influence so i think the twins nwill slowly but surely rely on each other strengths.Torisen will learn to trust Jame and Jame will be the rock in Torisen life.I do think this is one of the best book that i have read.

It is not as fluid as the first two but still an excellent story.
Really intriguing characters and development. Great job, Patricia!

The whole Jame series is so good. I love them. They are so good because the plot is so original, there are so many books out there that should be sued for stealing plot lines. These books are such a refreshing read and amazingly enough, our main characters aren't omnipotent gods. While Jame has a great deal of power as a Shanir (aka, Kencyr Highborn with supernatural abilities) she is haunted by her abusive childhood and adolescence that she is only starting to remember. She makes terrible mistakes and is tempted to make selfish decisions. Torisen, her brother is the Highlord of the Kencyrath, and also has great power. But unlike Jame Torisen tries to deny his heritage as one of the Shanir (once again, thanks to an abusive childhood). One of his abilities is farseeing, particularly in his sleep, and so he is an insomniac, haunted by the voice of their insane, dead father. The Lords he governs with on the High Council at best try to minipulate him, and at worst would love to see him dead. It doesn't help anything that in the first book Jame made the Kencyr High Priest stationed in the city of Tai-Tastigon, Ishtier, hate her either. And our other protagonist is Kindrie, a Shanir Priest with a awsome gift of healing, but has been locked out of his own soul by Ishtier and his allies which greatly limits his powers. He is also troubled and as result of his priestly upbringing in the luxurious Priest's College is completely unprepared for the journey with Jame that he embarks on, especially now that his healing powers are nearly nonexistent. Jame must also deal with responsibility for her semi-demonic half brother. Turned into an undead shadow being that was killed and then forced to keep on existing by a freak mistake, precipitated by Jame who had without knowing blood bound him through another one of her unknown Shanir abilities. This means that his sould is bound to her to death and maybe beyond, and now he must perforce consume other souls to remain in the world. Jame has to deal with the guilt of creating this thing and putting her half brother through such pain. Not to mention the fact that since she had blood bound him she was now resposible for him. Obviously Jame and Tori go through some awsome trials and yet do make mistakes. Everyone should read this book.

When I saw the cover of this book in person I was a bit concerned that I'd made a mistake...and now I find that I didn't. The two novels that make up Bloodwalk come together seamlessly, and the characters bring an extra depth to what could have been a slick "vampire-cop" pastiche. Buy a copy for yourself and one for that mystery reader you know who is always on the look out for something different. No one I've suggested this book to has complained yet!

This is a damn good vampire novel, but it's also a damn good police procedural. My husband's a cop and I'm a reporter, so I know the police beat pretty well. I can tell you Killough did a good job capturing the feeling of a small town police force, as well as the mechanics of cop politics in general.

From the standpoint of a vampire fan, I really enjoyed the portrayal of Garth and his struggles with his changed existance. In fact, I think Killough does the best job with that transformation I've ever read this side of Anne Rice. However, Garth is a much more admirable character than Rice's vampires, as human as he is superhuman.

Overall, finding a good vampire novel can be tricky, but Killough's book is so good I've read it a dozen times. And that says something, since the majority of vampire novels I buy I can't even finish because the writing style or characterization or plotting drives me nuts. But this book worked right down to the ground.

Do yourself a favor and buy it.

As a conspicuous consumer of vampire novels, I am often looking for something "new under the moon." Blood Walk filled the bill most satisfyingly. With it's well developed characters and neatly twisting plot, it's a refreshing departure from some of the worn cliches of the genre. I found myself reading hte final chapters slowly, only because I wasn't ready to say good-bye to Garreth Mikalean just yet, who by the end of the book became someone I wanted to give a nice warm bowl of blood to. Get this book and plan to stay up late with Garreth, Lane, Harry and the rest.

Blood Walk is a compilation of Lee Killough's two Garreth Mikaelian novels Blood Hunt and Bloodlinks. The writing is straight to the point, no frills, the characters interesting, and the action just strong enough to carry the whole thing along. Not a bad airplane read. The references to various 80's-related paraphernalia made it an interesting ride into nostalgia land, though were I the editor of this edition, I would probably have had the author try to update the technology just a little bit. If you're looking for a quick no-nonsense Laurell K. Hamilton read, this is a great book for you, and a great alternative to the Anita Blake books. If you're looking for something deeper and more prosaic, stick to Anne Rice or the other up-and-coming gothic authors.

I read this book when it first came out, and was delighted when the sequel came along. I'd reccomend these books to anybody who enjoys the 'vampire-detective' genre. A subset of the vampire genre, which for me which started with these books, and remains my favourite theme in this area.

I'd love to read some more books with Gareth in them. My only dissapointment with these books was that there hasn't been more in the series.

I purchased this for my undergraduate tax class. I haven't had much of a chance to use it yet but it came in excellent condition.

I purchased this book for my tax class. Amazon offered it NEW for the same price the bookstore offered it USED. I decided it was a pretty good deal. I didn't purchase the book for personal pleasure, but I found that it is actually a pretty interesting read. It is not thick to understand, but each concept is supplemented with an example (or multiple examples) which makes the material a LOT easier and thorough. I would recommend this book for anyone who wants to learn the tax system and make the most out of their tax return. I know I will be referencing it in the future.

This book helped me pass the REG section of the CPA Exam. I did not do well in taxation back in college, but this book helped me understand the reason why a certain tax code exists. This book explains concepts very well and rightfully justifies its title.