Queen The Books

Queen Esther's Reflection: A Portrait of Grace, Courage, and Excellence is a thoughtful examination of the role Queen Esther played in God's divine plan, and the lessons that every Christian woman can learn from Queen Esther's ascent to grace. Chapters recount Queen Esther's story, then go on to show how Esther's experiences apply to modern women's lives, especially with regard to tending to one's marriage. Study guide questions for personal or group reflection enhance this wonderful discussion of gracious living for Christian daughters, wives, and mothers.

What an incredible book!! This is a must read for every woman. Ann has a unique way of putting together the history of Esther with the practical application of the truths from Esther for use in our daily lives. Ann portrays the grace and beauty of Esther in her own life and does so with Southern Charm.
Our Women's Ministry Team chose the theme of Ann's book for our fall retreat. When we all read the book...there was no doubt that the Lord's annointing is all over it. The book came to us ...for such a time as this... and we believe God will use it in our lives as well as yours.
You will not be disappointed by this book...it will be a read over. Special blessings to all who read this book.

Ann Platz is a very gifted writer and this book is a wonderful inspiration to women. Ann takes life lessons from this ancient story and applies them to our lives today. There is a lot that women today can learn from the life of Queen Esther, and Ann applies her wisdom gracefully and practically.

I didn't realize the book had study questions at the end of the chapters.
These relate to the book of Esther. She is my favorite Bible character. I feel the book directly relates to woman today. Esther was a woman of great courage in hard times. Life today is no different. I enjoyed the book very much. I recommend it for study and reading. Ann Platz speaks very gracefully.

I give this book 5 stars. The content affects the very depths of a woman's soul. It is without a doubt, timely, due to the world events. As a pastor's wife, I have used all of Ann's books as teaching materials for my women's ministry. She is open, honest, scripturally sound and teaches with wisdom and understanding as a mature seasoned woman. Ann is not fearful of teaching truth and righteousness, as she lives it. I keep a generous supply of her books in my office, to give as gifts to women I counsel. Don't miss taking your own personal journey with Ann, as she opens hearts and eyes to the life of Esther. A woman of grace, courage, and excellance! IT!S A MUST READ, expecially for young women.

Lutyens, the architect of Queen Mary's Dolls' House, also designed the city of New Delhi and the Viceroy's House, one of the largest and most unique palaces in the world. Sadly, he was one of the world's greatest artists, but is remembered only for this (comparatively) tiny tourist attraction.

Tourists, architectural students, and historians should buy this book. This is the only thorough analysis of any of Lutyens' buildings, and as such, is an important historical document above and beyond its tourist appeal.

I was so enchanted by Royal Collection Official Guide Book to Queen Mary's Dolls' House that I ordered this one figuring (correctly) that there would be other unique pictures. This is the better of the two books - nearly three times as long and filled with more pictures, especially detail shots of the tiny furnishings and decorations. I am charmed by Cripp's method of showing scale: he poses the tiny cricket bat next to a regulation cricket ball, and the little golf clubs next to a real golf ball. This also includes a section on how the house is aging: fading wallpaper, damaged paint, etc. All of the pictures, except for a few that are historic, are in color. This is unfortunately out of print, and may be more expensive, so the purchaser will have to weigh issues of cost and availability for themselves. I think that either would do as a souvenier.

If someone is really interested, I would recommend getting both books. The Royal Collection Official Guidebook is a pretty good buy at $11.95 and a nice supplement to this one. A very few of the shots are in both, but not enough to make them redundant to the person who wants all the information they can get. Generally, the duplicate shots are slightly large in the S-W book. To compare and contrast the two, while the S-W book has more of everything, the RC book still has some unique shots. The photographs in this book take in the entire room, while the RC book often shoots the room at an angle, cutting off part of the room, but what is shown is sometimes in better focus and a bit larger. To compare the shots of the Queen's bedroom, the Stewart-Wilson shot shows the entire bedroom. The Royal Collection shot, at an angle , reveals some additional details such as the fire screen and the chinoiserie cabinet, but cuts off the exteme left-hand side of the room. (Her Majesty has apparently been rearranging her decorative items since the S-W book.) The S-W detail of the 18th century pietre-dure table concentrates on showing the design on the top. The RC detail shows more of the table and the objects normally on it. The historical sections, revealing how the house came to be built are the most different, and the RC book has more pictures of people who participated in creating the doll house and of the room in which it now sits with the Phillip Connard mural. The captions are overlapping, but not identical, and so one gains more information by having both.

England's Queen Mary--grandmother of the current Queen Elizabeth II--commissioned the construction of her extraordinary dollhouse (or "dolls' house" as it is referred to here) in 1921, during her own reign. It resides at Windsor Castle, as it has since being constructed there. Designed by Edward Lutyens (famous for his graceful furniture), the house is a reproduction of Windsor Castle right down to the last nail--almost literally.

David Cripps' photography beautifully captures the interiors of this amazing dollhouse, from the grand to the plebian. Here is the linen closet, each batch of towels tied with different-colored ribbon to denote whether they were intended for the nursery, the staff, or the kitchen. Here is a lacquer cabinet with gilded stand, dovetailed working drawers, and gold-leafed decoration. Here is a bed, complete with pillows, bolsters, sheets, blankets, and even a tiny walnut-handled bedwarmer. The toilet, complete with toilet paper discreetly placed in a bowl alongside, really works. The toothbrushes are made of ivory and have bristles made from the hair of a goat's inner ear. In the cellar, bottles of Chateau Margaux are properly corked and waxed and labeled. The pantry shows real bows of Fry's Chocolates sharing space with McVitie & Price biscuits, barley sugar candies in hefty glass candy jars, and Frank Cooper's Seville Marmalade in squat jars tied with brown paper and string.

The garage houses a miniature bicycle with brakes "in perfect working order," not to mention a Rudge motorcycle and sidecar, a seven-seater Rolls Royce limousine-landaulet, a Vauxhall, a "Sunbeam open tourer," and two Daimlers. Gorgeous royal crests are hand-painted on each. The house even has its own petrol pumps and fire appliances, as was normal for large houses in that era.

The house's garden is splendid despite the absence of a single living thing. The lawn, made of cut green velvet, boasts several tiny mowers (both motor-powered and not), and the nearby garden has its own lovely benches, hoes, spades and the like. There is even a robin's nest, complete with eggs, and a tiny, tiny snail.

Perhaps the most extraordinary thing in the house is the book collection. Famous authors were asked to contribute their own works. Arthur Conan Doyle obliged by submitted "How Watson Learned the Trick," an original 500-word short story done in his own handwriting. The bookplates for each of the books were designed by beloved Winnie-the-Pooh illustrator Ernest Shepard. Rudyard Kipling submitted not only two poems, but illustrated them himself as well. Other well-known authors who gave their own works to the Queen's house included G. K. Chesterton, Joseph Conrad, Robert Graves, Aldous Huxley, Hilaire Belloc, Rose Macauley, W. Somerset Maugham, and Vita Sackville-West. Topping off the fine works of this distinguished crowd are the leather-bound autograph books--one each for famous folks from stage and screen, famous folks from the military, and famous politicans.

There is even a room for storing the scepter, crowns and other regalia--all featuring flawless gemstones!

The details are endlessly fascinating and the house and its furnishings so well-constructed that without a tennis ball or coin or some other everyday real object, you easily forget that everything your eye falls upon here is miniature. For those who cannot get to Windsor Castle themselves to view the house in person, this book offers a very fine tour.

To further correct the first reviewer, the Doll's House is certainly not a copy of Windsor Castle. It is nothing like it. Windsor Castle is a CASTLE - stones and very old, and big. The Doll's House is an "ideal home" of the early 1020's - albeit intended for royalty and not for your average Joneses.

With a couple of corrections of the first review, I'd like to make sure that it's known that Queen Mary did not commission this dollshouse. It was the original brain child of the Princess Marie Louise, who spearheaded the creation of the house. Queen Mary was "extremely surprised" but agreed. The initial shell of the house was erected in Lutyen's office, then removed to the drawing room of his house in Mansfield Street in London.

It was unveiled to the press, once completed, in the Mansfield Street house, then moved and reconstructed in the Palace of Arts at Wembley. It went from there to Windsor Castle, then to an exhibition at Olympia. In February of 1925, the house was returned to Windsor Castle. The Daily Mail donated a glass case through which we can now view the dollshouse in Windsor Castle.

This wonderful book has photographs of the letters written by Princess Marie Louise to all the firms and manufacturers involved in the dollshouse creation, as well as numerous photographs of the interior and furnishings. Pictures of tiny dollshouse ledgers, keys, and even a garden snail grace this book.

Queen of Angels is simple enough to read quickly, but deep enough to read again and again.

Queen of Angels opens the veil that separates humans from the spirit world. Phenominal in content, surprisingly simple, why has it taken so long for this information to be available? Mary's answers to universal questions show us - finally- how to make life worth cherishing. A breakthrough in the phenominology of science, spirituality and psychology, this is a masterpiece! Thanks!

Queen of Angels, Mary's Answers to Universal Questions is a delightful, simple question and answer way to develop useful spiritual savy.The Daily Applications of Mary's answers really work. I particularly like the Meditation on page 177, in reference to the question: "Spiritual Mother, how shall I plan for the future?" - - After Mary's loving response is the following Meditation: "Little children know they can control little. Wise people know they can control nothing." I find special enlightenment each time I read some part of that book.

Queen of Angels fills a great void in the modern world. It presents the spirit of Mary as our ever present mother watching over us, guiding us, protecting us. Each page overflows with the wisdom of the ages.

The author has written a wonderful book about all the appearations of "Mother Mary" in a graceful style of daily meditations. I must highly recommend this book. However, what the author should consider is that Mother Mary is actually Mother God (cf Sylvia Browne's books on Journey of the Soul--also totally excellent), and further she states that "Christians do not believe in reincarnation" which is not exactly correct. Gnostic Christians do believe in reincarnation. Edgar Cayce, being a Southern Baptist and Sunday School teacher did not at first believe in reincarnation, but then after numerous meditations to help the hopelessly ill, he could not ignore the fact that our past lives do affect our health and well being. (Edgar Cayce's books are also excellent on theology and heaven). Reincarnation was edited out of the bible by Constatine/Augustine c. 350 BCE because they felt the illiterate masses could not properly understand such a complex doctrine. From a historical point, early Christians did believe in reincarnation and when the 4 gospels of the New Testament were originally written, the disciples and Jesus himself made numerous clear references to reincarnation. (Syliva Brown has a list of these biblical passages in her Journey of the Soul Series, or you can write me direct for them.)

other than these minor corrections, the book is wholly excellent in that it draws one much closer to Mother God in an extremely religiously correct manner explaining the full beauty, grace, love and mercy of God, and that is the whole point of our existence on earth. there is no doubt that Ms. Connell's books have sold well. Mother God is behind her and Mother God loves and protects fiercly those that come to her.

Although Mother God does not care what she is called, it is still best to understand that Mother Mary is Mother God is Mother Earth is Gaia, Diana, Isis, etc. and all the hundreds of names that people have called this most gracious, full of love apparation throughout the long milleniums of our existence.

She is there, She loves us and She cares.

Read the book, see Her grace and glory

I loved this book. Based on real-life characters, it touches base with a great deal of historical fact and weaves in a wonderfully rich story of the amazing life of the main character from the gypsy life of her childhood through a compelling life with her renowned and troubled husband. I didn't want to put it down. This was the most surprisingly delightful book I've read in a long time.

A deeply moving portrait of the joys and pains of living with a mentally ill partner, one could feel Juliette's spirits lift and be dashed as if they were their own. Mina Samuels truly captured the vision of being with the brilliant but tortured soul Charles Pierce on both an intellectual and emotional level. Juliette was a most engaging heroine.

From the moment I read "The Beginning," I was drawn in, engaged, intrigued. This is an extraordinarily imaginative story of one hopeful woman's love and devotion---and survivorship. At a local bookgroup meeting, I was privileged to listen to Mina Samuels discuss her research, motivation, and writing---and to hear the truths about the story was such a rare treat---so exciting and gratifying!

While I'm usually not a fan of historical novels, I really enjoyed The Queen of Cups and enjoyed the period details, especially the references to New York in the 19th century. I also appreciated that Juliette's journey was not romanticized -- she is a real woman in a complicated relationship. After being rejected by her mother, her character deepens as she seeks love from her difficult husband. There is no fairytale happy ending here, yet the book is moving and authentic.

If you like deep historical detail and strong characters, this is your book. But, perhaps the most thought-provoking thing is the way Samuels traces the natural development of Juliette Peirce's psychology--from the gypsy camps to high Paris society, to her absolute faith in a brilliant but abusive and drug-addicted husband, the real-life American philosopher Charles Peirce. When our book group discussed this transition--Juliette's family and community is stripped away from her piece by piece as a child, before she has the mental facilities to fully grasp what is happening--nearly every one commented on their own relationship choices. I'd be surprised if any reader did not find some of themselves in the story of how Juliette came to America and made her way with amazing grace and charm--and complete mystery. To this day, no one knows where she came from, but The Queen of Cups tells a story that, in both historical and psychological detail, cannot be far from the truth...

I and my wife are both big fans of the Vampire genre, and we both thoroughly enjoyed Queen Of Darkness by Miguel Conner. The main character, Byron, is both believeable and sympathetic. Meaning, one can relate to him on a human level, despite the fact that he's a vampire.

The world that Miguel Conner has created is both surreal and real. There's nothing hokey or silly here. One believes this world is very real while one is reading. There are shocking surprises aplenty here, including unexpected deaths. Very gritty, much like reality only "writ large." The ending left me wanting more. A sequel. Mr Conner, a sequel please! This would be an excellent movie.

NJM

Author of JEHOVAH UNMASKED and I WAS A TEENAGE JEHOVAH'S WITNESS.

This unique, science fiction-fantasy novel completely absorbs the reader. The author paints vivid, unforgettable images. Surprises lurk around every corner. Surrealism abounds. There is a mystery which gradually unfolds surrounding the life of the protagonist Byron Solsbury. From the shocking opening pages, where the reader learns that Byron is a vampire, to the epilog, there is one fantastic event after another, which, because of Conner's brilliant writing, seem plausible.

It soon becomes apparent that this is a love story and a story of heroism - a story of high principles, a desire to do what is right even when trapped in base circumstances. It is a story of searching for one's identity, and finding that there is more than one. Byron's human memory was erased by the Queen of Darkness, the epitome of evil, who led the Stargazers, as the vampires were called, to trigger the atomic destruction that rained down on the former civilization, blotting out the sun (the bane of all vampires) allowing them to rise to supremacy. Humans were branded and kept as little more than cattle waiting for slaughter to provide blood for the vampires.

The story is set in new cities built by the Stargazers after the nuclear war. Byron is a vampire with no memory (except in his dreams) of his life before as a human leader of the opposition to the Queen of Darkness. There is no dearth of action. Our hero, impelled from one crisis to another, measures up each time. He is often wounded and battered, but never surrenders.

The Queen of Darkness, although the title character, plays a lesser role than Medea, a Warm One (human), who becomes the object of Byron's affections. He took this human with him one night when he flew, as a vampire, to a distant place. The flight is one of the best scenes in the book, awakening latent desires, which I believe everyone has, to be able to fly.

This is not a book for children, but for the rest of us who enjoy imaginative writing, it is one of the best - the kind that begs for another by the same author. I am surprised it does not have a cult following. Or does it?

ummm.... im just a 8th grader , but it doesnt take much intelligence to know that this book is good. The plot , the characters , and pretty much everything of this book is great.The ending could be better and more suspensful, but overall the book is a winner. I hope there is a sequel!!!!!

Two centuries have passed since the Stargazers conquered the earth. To the victors go the spoils and the ability to rewrite history in their image. The Stragazers breed the conquered humans so that they can suck their blood as nourishment.

The MoonQueen assigns the eccentric Byron to travel to the farms to investigate any recent threats that have arisen among their food supply. However, Byron meets one of the "Warm Ones, a beautiful Shaman Appointed who heads up a new religion. The Shaman Appointed begins to convince Byron that all the Stargazers were once humans. He also learns that at one time, he was the biggest threat to the MoonQueen as the leader of the last major human revolt. Will Byron choose to travel the path of rebellious leader or remain on the path of loyalty to his queen?

THE QUEEN OF DARKNESS is a fantastic fantasy novel about a future earth that is not a good place for humans to reside. Byron is a first rate character, who Miguel Connor brilliantly and effortlessly switches back and forth between human savior and cold-blooded monster. This novel is one of the best fantasies in several years because the story line feels real, making vampires seem like another species on the planet. Great opening work by Mr. Connor, who with more novels like this one, could be the next genre superstar.

Harriet Klausner

In the movie Contact, one of the researchers commented: "Who would make the best Astronomers...(followed by a string of reasoning)?" Answer: Vampires.

The Queen of Darkness extrapolates this to the extreme. Sparked by global nuclear war, which blotted out the sun, the glorious new rulers of Earth are the Vampires -- now known as Stargazers. With this premise, I immediately could see only "camp" possibilities for a storyline, but Miguel Conner did something really wonderful and fascinating. He created a well plotted, intriguing and suspenseful novel -- filled with memorable characters of distinction -- and making a thoroughly enjoyable read. Highly Recommended.

A clearly written book that covers number theory at a graduate or advanced undergraduate level. Covers much of the material in Gauss's Disquisitiones, but without all the detail. The book covers elementary number theory, binary quadratic forms, cyclotomy, Gaussian integers, quadratic fields, ideals, algebraic curves, rational points on elliptic curves, geometry of numbers, and introduces p-adic numbers. Only a slight bit of analytic number theory is covered. A good book in my opinion to start learning algebraic number theory. Wonderfully fills the otherwise troublesome gap between undergraduate number theory and overly abstract graduate level algebraic number theory.

Full of historical information hard to find elsewhere, very well researched. To cover all the material in this book would likely take two semesters, though most of the important material could be covered in one semester. Requires a background in abstract algebra (undergraduate level), and a little advanced calculus. Some complex analysis for sections 19.7 and 19.8 would be helpful, but not at all a requirement. The author recommends Harold Davenport's 'The Higher Arithmetic' as a companion volume for the first 12 chapters, which according to Goldman is a gem of a book.

This is a superb book. The level is a broad introduction to Number Theory quite unlike any other. Every other N.T. book I know is either of the elementary type that covers all the usual stuff on primes, continued fractions, congruences, diophantine equations, quadratic reciprocity, etc. and then stops without introducing any of the machinery of the modern (ie. the last century and more), algebraic and geometric theory; OR, it is an advanced textbook that assumes a sophisticated and comprehensive knowledge of analysis and Galois theory etc. This remarkable book has substantial sections on the geometry of numbers, elliptic curves, p-adic analysis and much else as well as the 'elementary' stuff and provides a large amount of fascinating historical motivation. The whole book is very clear, well presented and thoroughly pleasurable to read. How all this is achieved in about 550 pages is that the earlier elementary parts are economically presented without too much of the recreational number novelties that tend to pad out some other books, and also a less rigorous approch is taken to (the more difficult) theorems that uses looser, schematic proofs or emphasises explanation of the meaning and relevance rather than exhaustive rigor. This book breaches the vital gap between basic and advanced NT that is conspicuously unfilled elsewhere. More books of this type are desperately needed, although one could hardly expect many to be as good as this.

I would agree with everything the first reviewer has written. This book is very readable, and it introduces a large number of important general concepts in number theory. What separates this book from other "introduction" books is (1) it is pitched at a much higher level than most introductory number theory books, which often assume that proofs and induction are unfamiliar, and so there are many superfluous chapters at the beginning which are just a rehash of basic set theory, how to write proofs, and modular arithmetic. This book starts from the beginning with Fermat and assumes some mathematical maturity -- ability to read proofs, knowledge of calculus, linear algebra, basic definitions of groups, rings, and fields, about advanced undergraduate, roughly. But the difference in sophistication is more obvious towards the middle and end of the book, where more general concepts from algebra, geometry, and analysis start to appear. This allows the author to talk about a variety of topics that are rarely mentioned in "introductory" books. Put another way -- if you want to see what some of these topics are about, you either have THIS book, or else some rather technical graduate textbooks to start with. Where else is complex multiplication, transcendental number theory, quadratic forms, and p-adic numbers all discussed at an undergraduate level? The other aspect which is different is (2) everything is historically motivated, and this is more than a phrase -- passages of original historical text, problems originally studied, historical commentary, and other folklore are nicely put together with mathematics. The result is that the reader gets a very broad picture of number theory, the "big picture", seeing how number theory isn't some static piece of knowledge sitting somewhere in space, but a body of concepts, ideas, and techniques which naturally developed over the past 400 years. For an advanced undergraduate or graduate student who wants a simple answer to the question, "What is number theory?", I would just refer them to this book.

A book that gives you historical perspective on several key mathematicians. It shows the development of number theory, and its intersection with other branches of maths. For example, Gauss made discoveries about the composition of forms. It predates by about a century the understanding of groups. Yet the text shows that Gauss clearly had many of the concepts understood, and with this, he was able to greatly expand algebraic number theory.

Other examples abound in the book. Which also follows developments into the 20th century, by Mordell, Hilbert and others.

The treatment is well amenable to an undergraduate course, possibly at the 3rd or 4th year levels.

The Queen Of Mathematics: A Historically Motivated Guide To Number Theory by Jay R. Goldman (School of Mathematics, University of Minnesota) is a college-level mathematical text that scrutinizes number theory as it was developed through the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. The notable contributions of Fermat, Euler, Lagrange, Legendre, Hilbert are meticulously examined are studied and dissected in a pedagogical manner, along with an especial emphasis on the work by Gauss. A superb combination historical narrative and introductory mathematic text, The Queen Of Mathematics is a superbly presented work of impressive scholarship as well as a seminal contribution to the history of the Science of Mathematics academic reference collections and reading lists.

i read murray's poetic and lively journey of annie taylor in one sitting. it was breathtaking, honest and all too real. Taylor was centuries ahead of her time. Her major flaw was that she believed that her feat would transcend gender. Murray's book should be taught in every grammar school so that children of all genders can exerience the world of realizing one's imaginative and so daringly creative forces. RUN OUT AND GET THIS BOOK! I GUARANTEE YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PUT IT DOWN UNTIL THE LAST GASPING PAGE!

With passion and compassion, Joan Murray gives Annie Taylor a voice and makes her a heroine, a woman of courage, who did what she had to do to survive. My colleague Jack and I both read this book about the first person to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel, and we each read it in a single sitting--very unusual for a book of poetry. But this is an unusually compelling book. Highly recommended.

This is a book for all! Joan Murray has put into print what must certainly have been Annie Taylor's innermost thoughts and emotions.

Joan Murray deconstructs the boundary between poetry and science, biography, tourism, history, womens' studies. I am a college instructor and plan on using Murray's book of poems in an essay-writing course next year. She has written a stunning, subtle, believable book and has created a new genre.

i read murray's poetic and lively journey of annie taylor in one sitting. it was breathtaking, honest and all too real. Taylor was centuries ahead of her time. Her major flaw was that she believed that her feat would transcend gender. Murray's book should be taught in every grammar school so that children of all genders can exerience the world of realizing one's imaginative and so daringly creative forces. RUN OUT AND GET THIS BOOK! I GUARANTEE YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PUT IT DOWN UNTIL THE LAST GASPING PAGE!

This romantic but very accurate novel made Marie Antoinette come alive for me. I am looking forward to reading more novels about this queen of France. It is Victoria Holt at her best. Why aren't there new novels like this anymore?

If you are interested in history and fiction combined, I cannot recommend a better book than Victoria Holt's The Queen's Confession. In fact, I better understood Sophia Coppola's new film with Kirsten Dunst after reading this dramatic account, and enjoy the movie much more because of it.

This is so much more than a novel about an ill-fated queen and her milquetoast king being too young to rule and paying for mistakes they made for what seemed an eternity; it is a sad story about how someone naive and unsuspecting can fall into the ill council of those who mean to do them harm, and how loyalty is a trait that is very hard to find once you have fallen to the lowest depths. It also shows how people who were once enemies change their tune once they are in the same boat with their target (Take for instance the aunts.). In this we're all the same, and class distinction means nothing in the end.

You will laugh, get angry, and you will cry, but in the end you will see how genuinely human, imperfect, and frequently self-deprecating Marie Antoinette may very well have been due to the fact that lots of stories that were spread about her were the same lies the media dispells about celebrities today. Well, at least now they don't get their heads chopped off! Beautifully written, rich in detail, and entertainingly embellished, this long Holt novel is worthy of every single moment you spend with it.

Keeping in mind that this is a work of fiction, it is still an excellent story about Marie Antoinette and the events that led up to the French Revolution. While the ill-fated queen is the protagonist of the tale, the author does not attempt to excuse but merely to explain the foolish and often callous behavior that placed her in history as one of the most hated women of all time. During earlier chapters we get a tantalizing glimpse into the decadent courts of Louis XIV and XV. Then we watch as Louis XVI ascends the throne, far too young and with no idea how to be a king, but determined to please everyone, including his pretty young wife. The ultimate collapse of the monarchy is mourned by the queen even as she admits her own part in it and recalls steps taken or not taken that might have averted it.

The author does not pretend that everything in the story is true; conversations that might have taken place, suspected rendezvous, and dramatic license regarding people about whom little is really known have been added for flavor. But the historical framework of the story is unfailingly accurate, with an excellent bibliography. I would not recommend this to be the first or only book you read about Marie Antoinette, but after studying some completely factual works, sit back and enjoy being drawn into the story with some vivid speculation as to how some things might have happened.

I am already a huge Victoria Holt fan, and this book made me THE BIGGEST Victoria Holt fan!! It is just wonderful, full of romance and suspense and dispells lots of the myths and lies about the doomed Queen, making a fascinating portrait of a young girl forced into an exalted position. Victoria Holt's legendary attention to detail makes this a book that will educate you as well as thoroughly entertain you. Get the Kleenex out for the last chapter! Sad, yes, but this book is completely satisfying, not to be missed.

Victoria Holt was one of my favorite authors when I was younger. A master storyteller, she would consistently weave a story that would have the reader turning the pages. This work of historical fiction is one of her best. Riveting from beginning to end, this fictional autobiographical account of the life of Marie Antoinette is superb. Written in the first person, with little dialogue, it is the rumination of a life that was to end tragically. Pampered, spoiled, and fun loving, the beautiful Maria Antonia of Austria metamorphosed into Marie Antoinette of France upon her marriage to the Dauphin, who would eventually become King of France, the ineffectual, but benign, Louis XVI.

This is her story, grounded in historical fact and set within the framework of history. This work of fiction about the life of Marie Antoinette, as seen through her own eyes, is fascinating, as it captures the flavor of those uncertain times and the events that led to the French Revolution and the end of the monarchy in France. It is a reflection on how Marie Antoinette's own behavior influenced the fate of France. Indulging in the excesses of the day, she initially gave little thought as to how her actions might affect the people of France or the monarchy. By the time she realized that her actions and excesses had wide spread political ramifications, it was too late, and the fate of her and her husband was sealed. No amount of personal regret could change it.

This book will be enjoyed by those who enjoy good, well written historical fiction. It is little wonder that this book spent two months on the New York Times Best Seller List. It is simply historical fiction at its best.

This is the kind of book that makes you wish not only for a follow-up book, but that you already had it so you could jump right in.

The story, the characters, the setting and the writing are just superb. This is what I picture when I see or hear the phrase "a good book." That's just what it is, a really, really good book. I can't even imagine how you could possibly be disappointed in this book.

One of the little gems of this mystery novel is the realization that there are really 3 mysteries - 2 normal and one more "meta." The first is the whodunit? murder mystery. The second is whether (and how) anyone will discover the secret about the narrator of the book, the apprentice.

The third mystery appears when the author so perfectly captures those moments of belief from the Renaissance ("his humors were out of balance") and the modern reader has the intriguing puzzle of figuring out what's really going on with modern day understanding. They don't detract in any way from the book, but add a wonderfully neat set of minor little, "Hmmm, that's what they used to think back then, but today that'd be..." that reoccur at least 3 or 4 times throughout the story, and just add all the more to enjoyment.

I highly recommend this book, and like all the reviewers to date, hope this is only the beginning of a series.

From the parenthetical (a Leonardo da Vinci mystery) it seems clear that the publisher and author of this book intend to make it into a franchise. I certainly hope so, because the writing sparkles and really brings to life Renaissance Italy. The book is set in the period of Leonardo da Vinci's life in which he was the chief engineer and artist at the court of Milan. Events are told from the point of view of one of Leonardo's young apprentices, Dino, who has the misfortune to find the dead body of the cousin of the Duke of Milan when he goes missing during a living chess match which has been staged by Leonardo for the entertainment of the court.

Leonardo and Dino interview suspects and search for clues, and we are taken into the world of northern Italian nobility, artisans, and peasantry, as the two investigators turn the castle, the Sforza family crypt, and the town of Milan upside down trying to find the murderer before he or she can kill again. In reading this book, besides being enormously entertained, I learned about the history and strategy of chess, how art was created during the Renaissance, how clothing was made in the Renaissance, how Leonardo da Vinci lived and worked and a host of other things that made the time period come alive for me, which is all you can really ask of historical fiction. I would definitely have given this book 5 stars had the ending not gotten a little too complicated for its own good. And since I fully expect and look forward to reading more from this author a small note to her -- try not to introduce so many paragraphs with the words "So saying..." it was the one distraction in what was otherwise absolutely beautiful writing. I can't wait for more in this series.

A captivating mystery novel that unfolds in the magnificent Sforza castle of Renaissance Milan. The fast moving plot is filled with surprising twists and turns, making the book hard to put down. Besides the suspense and intrigue, one feels drawn into a colorful panorama of castle life filled with vivid characters from high ranking nobility to skilled workmen to humble servants. Of greatest interest is the unique life of the genius Leonardo da Vinci with his young apprentices, with details of their everyday tasks of mixing paints, preparing frescos, making brushes and the like. This book is not only a marvelous mystery but also a rich and entertaining cultural experience.

At the court of the duke of Milan, the royal painter and inventor is Leonardo Da Vinci. He has his own studio and apartments in the palace and his apprentices reside there including Dino. Leonardo may be a genius in many things but when it comes to Dino he doesn't have a clue that he is a female. She chose to run away in order to learn from the master himself how to be the best artist she can be at a time when women were nothing more than ornaments.

The French ambassador is in Milan for a treaty signing and the two men vie for a painting by Leonardo. They decide the winner of a living chess game will possess the painting. During a break in the game, the Conte de Ferrara walks away and doesn't return. Dino finds him with a knife in his chest and when Leonardo gets the Duke, he is told that the Conte was the new ambassador to France. The Duke of Milan charges Leonardo with finding the killer a Herculean job because there are hundreds of people staying at the palace and the motives of those that want him dead range from the personal to the political. Dino risks her life to help her teacher.

Fans of historical fiction and historical mysteries will find THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT to their liking. Leonardo Da Vinci comes alive in this tale as a true renaissance man who hunts down criminals, invents a wrist watch and is a great teacher who shows his apprentices the intricacies of painting. Yet in spite of the deep look into the life of the grandmaster, Dino steals the show as she proves to be an able assistant while trying to hide her gender from those close to her.

Harriet Klausner

My assumption about a mystery series featuring Leonardo da Vinci conjured up visions of the wise and white-haired Leonardo using his vast years of knowledge and genius to wrestle with mysteries and solve crimes. However, I was delighted to find instead in this book a fresh look at Leonardo as he was in his handsome, russet-haired prime while employed as court engineer to the Duke of Milan.

The book's narrator is Leonardo's young apprentice Dino, whose master is charged by the Duke to solve a murder that occurs during a living chess game that provides the book's motif. Dino is tasked by his Master to undertake various assignments and don several disguises to help Leonardo gather clues, spy on suspects, and uncover dangerous secrets. Along the way, we also learn a surprising secret regarding Dino's true identity.

The narration colorfully evokes Milan during the Renaissance, contrasting the pageantry of court life with an apprentice's lowly station. We follow Dino's unfolding tale through a labyrinth of colorful characters who reveal their all-too-human strengths and failings. As Leonardo is viewed through Dino's eyes, he retains an important element of mystery himself, though we are given enough of his personality and genius, his powers of deduction, and his amazing inventions to make him come alive in this intriguing tale.

My hope when I read any historical mystery is for the setting to be fresh and vivid, to experience the story through appealing characters, to enjoy a page-turning plot, and to learn something fascinatingly new. In all these ways, this well-written book succeeds and provides a delightful read.

Iam half way to chapter two.I really love this book!It is amazing! you would always want to read those books! the book is about kids looking for secret adventures !I like the characters a lot!By how they talk,act,or sound!
THE SECRETS OF DROON is a really good book series!I would always
pick these books!

Its about these three kids who find something in the basment and there is a girl who flys on a carpet and they go somewhere to find the prize but some people arn't playing fair the three kids names are eric,julie,and neal can they stop the other racers from stealing the victory.I like these book because it as lot of adventures,excientment,and experince.

This was a great book about the kids quest to be the first ones to make it to the island with the prize that will be recieved by the deserving winner of race. However the kids run into trouble when they find that Queen Relna has been captured by 2 evil magicians sent by the evil sea wizard Demither. Will that kids get to the island in time to get the prize that will save Queen Relna? I highly recommend this book to any age group because it really is very enjoyable and fun! Thank you Tony Abbott!

I have read every one of the books from this series with my kids and this one does not disappoint - they are already clamoring for Book 11. This book and the whole series is great for reading to kids (my 5 and 8 year old) and for early reading (my 8 year old is always re-reading them). Highly recommended.

The tenth installment in the Secrets of Droon series was a huge hit it my home. Granted, my son (now approaching five) loved each of the preceding nine Droon books and remains intolerant of my inability to force Tony Abbott, the author, to write and publish with greater frequency. My guess, however, is that The Quest for the Queen will satisfy both new readers and faithful followers of Eric, Julie, and Neal, as they team with Princess Keeah to combat evil in the magical world of Droon. Children familiar with the earlier books will perch on the edge of their seats (or your lap) awaiting the fate of the shape-shifting Queen Relna (Princess Keeah's mother, the wife of the Viking King Zello), and they won't be disappointed. New readers will be at less of a disadvantage here because Droon's predominant villian -- Lord Sparr -- remains in hiding (although there is a cameo of his nemisis, Gaelen, the grand wizard of Droon) -- nonetheless, the series works best if you begin with The Magic Staircase and meet the colorful characters in order as this grand, dense saga evolves. Consistent with most Droon adventures, this book crackles with magic (even in the forest where magic has been banned), adventure (a pilka chariot race -- oh my!), and teamwork (with both girls (Keeah and Julie) and boys (Eric and Neal) chipping in and sharing the glory). Again, I applaud Tony Abbott for doing what only the best children's authors can -- making reading (and listening) fun!