Fiction Books

If you've been following this fascinating series, you'll already know that it is based in a fantasy world called Ruin Mist. This first book of a completed four book sequel series to The Kingdoms and the Elves. It starts with a mighty titan watching a procession of giants. When the titan returns to his over world, his mystic companion is nearly swept away into a swirling gray abyss and thus starts a truly amazing story of men, elves, titans, royals, commoners and fair folk.

This well-written book is terrific reading for all ages. Cool monsters, shadow warriors and bad guys abound. This is one of those series where you just gotta get them all. Good thing all four books are available.

You know it still surprised me when I run across a kid who hasn't read one of Stanek's Kingdoms or Dragons books yet. These books are so amazing and so descriptive, the comparisons to Lewis, Dahl and other great writers are right on. Kids is my classroom aren't exactly sheltered, but they often don't hear of all the wonderful new authors and each year I love introducing them to Stanek's books. I have five copies of his Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches #1 in my class library and after the first few weeks kids were already begging me for Book #2 and Book #3. They were thrilled when they found out there was a Book #4 and I saved the best surprise for last, this whole new series, In the Service of Dragons, with four more books for them to enjoy. The first in the Dragon series, Stanek raises the stakes, adds in a couple new heroes and villians, and basically ratchets up the tension while cutting down on the easygoing moments. We get to see the bigger scope of things through Noman, who's on a rescue mission to save nothing less than the entire world and all the magical realms. It's bound to make readers happy (and it does). "In the Service of Dragons," will satisfy its die-hard fans. A fine addition to a fun, fast-paced series.

Just a warning here, these books are like potato chips, it's very difficult to eat only one!!! ...and then you'll find yourself walking around singing Eldrick's song of the tree brothers or longing to reread the part where Vilmos plays Edward in King's Mate or wanting to jump ahead to get to the next trio match.

I bought this book around Christmastime and found the story to be fascinating. As soon as I finished, I found myself reading the next book and then another. After that I was ready for the fourth and final book. (I also recommend the Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches books as the place to get stated.)

In this first volume in Stanek's In the Service of Dragons series, magic splashes across virtually every page. First, a brief, cryptic prelude tells of "the Gathering" being formed and hints at great changes. Next, readers meet the mystic Noman, who also sense the coming changes. Stanek quickly thrusts the reader into the heart of the mystery and fantasy when Noman is nearly swallowed by the swirling gray. Here the fantastic story becomes even more mysterious and magical as the story races off in a new direction and the reader meets the Eagle Lord and the King of Gnomes. With likeable unlikely heroes in Vilmos and others, fast-paced plotting and a plethora of mystical oddities, this series is sure to garner a host of fans.

In the Service of Dragons is a fun and exciting book. I highly recommend it. 3 lives, 3 fates intertwined

VILMOS
When little Vilmos Tabborath (a village boy) flees a bear in the woods, he would've never guessed that it would set off a chain of events that would put him face to face with evil shapeshifters, enemy soldiers and magic-loathing priests.

ADRINA
When sad Adrina Alder (a princess) wishes for change, she would've never guessed that it would come so soon and that it would make her life even more miserable than ever, that she would have to face the dragon king, avoid killers, and escape kidnappers.

SETH
When unworldly Brother Seth (an elf) seeks to learn about humankind, he would've never guessed that it would mean he would lose touch with his own kind, that he would be ambushed, betrayed and left for dead.

My favorite things that I like about this book are the ancient heroes and legends who have returned to help restore the land

TITANS
Titans were the original rulers of the worlds. They ruled with iron fists.

EAGLE LORDS
Eagle lords were once a mighty people. They dwells in the mountain ranges.

MYSTICS
Mystics have powers of illusion and control. They were all but forgotten yet still feared like wizards.


These ancient powers return in the form of Amir, Ayrian and Noman. Amir, son of Ky'el, is one of the last and he uses orbs of power to travel the lands. Ayrian, the lord of the gray eagles, has returned to reclaim what his people lost and to battle the ancient evil. Noman, a master of illusion, has returned to form a company of companions that just may save the world.

In the Service of Dragons is a well-written and exciting book! It will keep you reading and reading. Two thumbs way up!

Received this book in a timely fashion, arrived as expected. A little used but nothing that would disuade me from buying again.

I was skeptical about this book at first...but the storyline pulled me in. And I must say I'm happy I was pulled in.

Kudos to the author for coming up with not only this storyline, but the strong character/heroine behind the story. I don't know if there are many women out there who could've endured "the price of passion"....

Compelling storyline...you'll be engrossed from the first chapter to the last!!!

Where do I start? Where do I begin? Well for one thing, don't be fooled by the title of this book(smile). Ms. Palfrey is an excellent writer, and excellent storyteller. I first read this book in the late 90's early 2000's, and I have to say that it's better the second time around. Ms. Palfrey's style of writing is so down to earth, it's like you can visualize what she has to say. "Walter" needed his"%&@" kicked for all that drama he put "Vivian" through, and she's a class act for just dealing with him. "Marc"....whatta man,whatta man!!! Chapter sixteen where they (Marc and Vivian) finally do the do was so spicy that I had to throw cold water on my face!!! All the other characters in the book are exceptional as well, and "Sondra" from "Three Perfect Men" was an added treat. This novel started my love for Evelyn Palfrey books.

Walter is a very Passionate man. Walter also feels the need to spread the love to other's, woman outside his marriage especially. Being a Politician he is labeled as a person with a lot of power. Woman fall for men with money and power, plus Passion made him iresistable. His wife Vivian of ninteen year's married him for all the same reason's. But what is Vivian suppose to do when Walter birngs home a baby out side of the marriage? Should she stay or should she leave? If you were in this situation what would you do?

This book was good. I couldn't stop reading the book! Walter, man, if I was Vivian he wouldn't be alive! This was an awesome book. 5 stars!

I loved this book. It is so weird that Tigerclaw becomes leader of ShadowClan. I was wondering how long it would take Bluestar to realize that Tigerclaw was trying to be leader.

All of the Erin Hunter books are great! I just love them and have read them many times over. I am not a reader, I hate to read!!! But give me a Warrior series book and leave me alone for a few days. They are the best. Thanks Erin for opening up a new world for me.

A good book. Really though if you are new to the series get one first! And Into the Wild book one not Midnight. I had a friend that did that and she didn't get it at all! Besides that spioles it!

Pre-teen and early teen girls love the series. It has my 10 year olds attention. She is reading like never before.

like i said before, it's a pretty good book. the only reasons I'm marking it down is because of Cloudpaw and Bluestar. Cloudpaw constantly gets in trouble and that gets very annoying, especially when Fireheart doesn't punish him enough. And Bluestar's frustrating, thinking that everyone is a traitor and not coming out at all. She has also given up belief of StarClan. Overall, a pretty good book

In my school district we talk a lot about social, emotional literacy. This book is great in showing students that differences and individuality is what makes everyone unique and exciting. I used this book with seventh grade students and they loved the fact that I was reading them a storybook. For many students it has been so long since an adult has read them a storybook but I feel it is important to continue to model how to read fluently.

at teaching good things in a fun way. This book shows that a looking different doesn't make a person less fun or likeable. It has great rhymes, & is a quick read before sleep time.

Seuss teaches so much to my daughter that I would have a hard time starting a conversation about. My daughter doesn't quite get the stories so she asks me and we have great conversations about right and wrong.

I ordered this after seeing it on Amazon. It was one of my favorite books growing up and I wanted to share it with my three daughters (8,6,& 2). After reading "The Sneetches" to my 6 year-old, she looked at me and said that it wasn't very nice to treat people badly because they aren't the same as us. I was thrilled that she got the meaning of that story right away. Dr. Seuss is a genius for getting these moral points across in a way that children understand and making it so fun at the same time. She thought that "The Zax" was funny. She didn't understand why they just didn't compromise. Every story in this book has an important lesson and it's such a great way to spend time with your children too!

My 3, now 4 year old loves this book. He loves all the stories but especially the last one about the pale green pants. He likes to feel a little scared (boys!) and then have a happy ending, so this story with its good messege is a perfect match for him. He can "read" it to me from memory. It's amazing. He says that McMonkey Mcbean in the Sneetches, isn't a very nice little monkey." It slays me every time, and he's learning a great lesson. His Dad's name is Dave, so that story if fun and makes him laugh. He would pick this book almost every night for his bedtime story if I would let him.

This is one of our favorite storytime books. We love Boynton books and this is one of her best. You should buy it if you have a little one.

We love to read this book and act it out with all the BIG KISSES AND HUGS AND SNUGGLES in the appropriate spots.

Well. The nieces also love to run away :)

My daughter gets so excited about this book - she pays rapt attention, smiles, and wants us to read it again. This book was given to us as a present when she was born - and we have been reading it, among others, since then. For the past few months, this has been a clear favorite book. She loves that at points in the book we give her a big smooch, she is attracted to the colors and illustrations and big letters that indicate you are supposed to be singing those words loudly. We sing the words to this book to her - we don't straight read them - but we do this with other books, too, and she doesn't get nearly as excited. Simple book...my husband and I have others we like more...but this one wins hands down for the baby, and that's what really matters!

This fictional work lacks character development, and just about anything else fine literature is supposed to display. But it has furry animals hugging, kissing, singing, dancing, and doing all other manner of cute things, and my 15 month old loves it. Boynton must me laughing all the way to bank...seriously, she must be worth a mint.

This is easily a favorite in our house. we first started reading this to our daughter when she was 9 months old. Since then, she has grown to love it more everyday. She's now 18 months old, and never tires of it. She generally likes all the Boynton books, but this one, she loves.

Here's the gist of the story: a mommy dog is baking cookies with her puppy, and tells him/her a story about how much she loves him. The illustrations are classic Boynton: cute and fun. The rhymes are great. This one isn't as silly as some of her other books, but the sweetness of it makes up for it.

I highly suggest getting the CD that contains the song of "Snuggle Puppy." (I think it's on Philadelphia Chickens...) Once you've learned how the tune goes, you'll love the book even more. And what's even better, is that once you learn the song, you can sing it anywhere. This does wonders for my daughter when she is being uncooperative or grumpy. Whenever I sing her the song, she always smiles, and usually becomes more agreeable.

The Three Musketeers is one of my favorite books and Twenty Years After is practically just as good. The only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars is because the editor, David Coward, gives away the ending of The Man in the Iron Mask. He tells you what happens in the last chapter of the last book in a footnote! DON'T read any of the footnotes in the last 20 pages of the book unless you want the story spoiled, in that case just go to wikipedia.

As the title says, it is twenty years after the events in the Three Musketeers. The four heroes are living their lives as they wanted, but are all slightly disaffected.

Cautiously, they agree to undertake a task for the Queen.

Complicating matters is the son of Milady de Winter, who is an anti-fan of these men, you could say.

The Musketeers must learn to work together again, even if their politics are aims are not all the same.

Thoroughly entertaining, "Twenty Years After" is a fulfilling sequel to a classic swashbuckling masterpiece.

Twenty Years have passed since D'Artagnan and the Musketeers triumphed over Cardinal Richelieu, preserved the Queen's honor, and brought justice upon the face of evil, Milady. The wave of time has carried the four friends down very different paths of life, and they have not been in contact for many years. D'Artagnan, looking for fortune and lost glory, offers his services to the wildly unpopular Cardinal Mazarin. The Cardinal accepts, and commissions D'Artagnan to unite the quartet for the service of France. What follows is a plot filled with twists, turns, surprises, and adventure. Many characters return from "The Three Musketeers," while several new characters play significant roles in "Twenty Years After." One such character, the son of Milady, has a twisted soul intent on the "revenge" of his mother.

Readers of "The Three Musketeers" who loved Dumas' four heroes for their youth, energy, and courage, will now love them for their maturity, wisdom, and honor. Undoubtedly, these are not the same four men we were left with at the end of the first book. The beauty of "Twenty Years After" is Dumas' ability to age the characters appropriately, and show the effect of time on their nature. In doing so, we see that while time has changed much, it has not changed their undying loyalty to each other.

My only issue with "Twenty Years After," and I'm surprised to find myself saying this, is the lack of a romantic aspect. D'Artagnan's love for Madame Bonacieux in "The Three Musketeers" actually pulled the reader in, making D'Artagnan's loss the reader's loss. There is no such story in "Twenty Years After," which I found rather disappointing. Despite this, "Twenty Years After" is an excellent sequel and I recommend it to anybody who enjoyed the first book.

It's been twenty years since the close of The Three Musketeers, and only D'Artagnan remains in service to the French Crown. Richelieu is dead and his protege Mazarin now holds the power behind the throne. Anne of Austria rules as regent for her young son, and civil war threatens France.

D'Artagnan is sent to bring the Musketeers out of retirement, but they find themselves at odds between the two sides in the civil unrest. D'Artagnan wants to be promoted to captain and Porthos who wants to be a baron, side with Mazarin, Athos and Aramis with the Fronduers (sp?). However, they soon find that although much has changed, their love and friendship for each other remain intact, particularly when faced with the evil son of Milady, who is bent upon revenge against those who executed his mother.

There's way too much plot to even try to explain, leave it to say that there is much adventure and derring do, from the civil war in France to the conflict between Charles I and Oliver Cromwell in England. I especially enjoyed the nail biting, sit on the edge of your seat excitement during the escape from England and Mordaunt, along with the rescue of D'Artagnan, Porthos and Athos from Mazarin (what fun!). Along with the excitement comes the humor of their constant banter and escapades making for a near perfect read.

I personally liked the parts in England the best, but I think that's because I have a better understanding of English history than French. Even after researching that period in France and Mazarin online, I still got a bit confused at times, but that is a minor issue in comparison to the rest of the story. Dumas is brilliant (as always) and his dialogue is among the best (as always). An awesome sequel to the Three Musketeers, and I am looking forward to starting the next chapter in this story, The Vicomte De Bragelonne.

It is truly amazing how many people don't have any idea that the Three Musketeers appear in more than the novel of the same name and "The Man in the Iron Mask." I must admit that for many years I was in that category myself but I was absolutely delighted to find that their adventures continued in this book and I must say that I found the exploits in this book to be almost as thrilling as the exploits in the first book.

Dumas played extremely fast and loose with history in the first book and he spends a good deal of time in this installment trying to correct some of his earlier deficiencies. Most notably Cardinal Richelieu, the great villain of the first book is in this book venerated and our heroes even bemoan the fact that they opposed him. It is also notable that Dumas is considerably more faithful to history in this book than he was in the first but don't make the mistake of thinking that this will read like a historical novel because as usual Dumas never lets the facts get in the way of a good story.

Athos, Porthos, d'Artagnan and Aramis have gone their separate ways and have completely lost contact with each other in the twenty years that elapse between the first and second book. So much so in fact that when d'Artagnan tries to put the group back together he has trouble finding his comrades. At the behest of Cardinal Mazarin who has replaced Richelieu d'Artagnan begins to search for his former colleagues so that they can unite to protect the Cardinal and the Queen from a growing revolt in Paris. He does recruit Porthos but the other two are in league with the rebels and then they face each other again when they become involved on different sides of the English Civil War.

In the end however their friendship and the deadly threat posed by someone from their past bring the friends back together and together these men are as usual unstoppable. Dumas has again provided for a swashbuckling good time and an adventure story that few authors can match. If anything, this adventure is more thrilling than the last as it takes place in two countries and even on the sea with only the occasional break so that the always-hungry Porthos can have something to eat. Anyone who enjoyed the first book will certainly enjoy this one and will do so maybe even more so than the last. These Musketeers didn't lose a thing over those twenty years.

I think this is my #1 favorite book of ALL TIME. I have a lot of favorites, but I will never forget this one. I originally bought it at a book fair at my school and read it in the 5th grade (1996). It has stayed in my mind since then and I came here to see if I could find a newer copy since mine is somewhat tattered. ;)

After i read The Juniper Game i just had to find more by the author and this book is a gem. Im tempted to buy it again to see if it is as good as i remember it to be when i was yonger.

I adored this book. I continue to. I read it over and over before I lost it. Years later, I came across a used copy. I devoured it. Read it three times in a row. Couldn't keep my hands off of it.

I have honestly thought about the heroine of this story nearly every day since I first read it a decade ago. She is an inspiration, as is Sherryl Jordan.

And strangely, only upon my latest reading of the book (probably the 200+ reading in my lifetime) did I notice the creepy Jesus imagery. I feel a little violated. I don't know if I'd have liked the book as much if I originally had noticed the Christian bent. It's a real turn-off to me and I know it is to some other people, so I thought I'd offer the warning just in case it helps someone out. It is a *very* slight reference, hardly important, but still made me (Jewish) feel a little awkward. It's out of place.

So, you've already read over and over again what this book is about--I won't bore you with a summary, let me instead tell you that I first read this book in 9th grade and the story was soo rich and imaginative that I am now 24, still own the book and still read it from time to time. You will not be disappointed.

A slave woman sentenced to death (for slacking off) is rescued by the most powerful man in the world. Installed as his handmaiden (a highly covetted position normally reserved for the females of the most prestigious families), Elsa is granted the unique oppurtunity to see the world outside of mine where she was born. However she never forgets where she has come from or what she left behind.

Raw determination overcoming adversity is a common theme in books of all genres. What makes this book unique is that Sherryl Jordan was overcoming adversity of her own when she wrote Winter of Fire. Jordan's own determination gives her writing an edge that enhances the story quite a bit. Furthermore the plot is tightly woven and progresses in a way that is very believable.

Akira is simply amazing. The art is beautiful, the story is genius, the characters are incredibly likeable, and the themes are disturbingly cool. 'Nuff said.

The entire series is an essential item in the library of any aspiring graphic artist or graphic novelist. This is my most important resource concerning the modern styles that predominate manga and anime today. Taking on the complete set, I expected to be blown to pieces but instead I found myself slow cooked in a pot, sliced into thin slivers over the course of a few weeks, and put back together again. If you can stand the pain, it turns out to be quite a ride. Perhaps because of their experience of being the only nation ever to suffer the effect of nuclear war, I suspect that the Japanese have mastered the depiction of post-apocalyptic dystopia. However, Japanese graphic art has a long history dating back hundreds of years. I am not surprised that this is an excellent example of visual elements taking charge of the storytelling where words provide the common ground on which you may stand with others in the audience. I suspect that even in its original language this work would captivate just the same. Perhaps not to the taste of many avid readers of graphic novels because of the sparse dialogue. Personally, I tend towards more graphic elements so this was a treat.

Akira is awesome. Even from a time when you would have just about had to commit a crime against the person of a Japanese tourist, or pay ridiculous amounts of money to get anime and manga and things like that, Akira was available.

It is no surprise that it was, as is an example of that artform at its finest.

Neo-Tokyo is a city recovering from devastation and world war.

When a young bikie gang leader rescues a young boy named Tetsuo, after almost running him down, Kaneda soon comes to realise this is no ordinary boy, because of the government interest in him.

I have heard many people say that the books are better than the movie, I don't think this is true. The movie version of Akira is much better than the books. I'm not insulting the books but the story of Akira is better in the movie. The books contain much more detail and character development but lots of the events I thought didn't move the story along; like Tetsuo taking over the clown gang and that society Tetsuo starts in Vol. 5. The movie moves along very quickly and all of the detail's are important. It moves along faster and the ending is better. The books are still much better than most I have read and Akira is the only anime I find really interesting but the movie version is better. I would recommend this after seeing the film.

One of the best comic/manga books in the history, with the original black and white artwork in a nice and decent package.

I only wish they released it in the japanese original reading, not the americanized left-to-right reading. At least they made a great job and didn't leave backwards texts and other mistakes like that. I'm curious to read the other volumes to see if they inverted Tetsuo's "mutated" arm.

Charmed Life is about some kids who go to study magic with one of the official guys in charge of magic. He has a couple of kids of his own, and they are the usual school age to have the school age disagreements and fights and not being nice to each other that goes along with that.

The eldest also gets a bit peeved at being thrown in with the young brats, too.

A young boy, Cat, must deal with his crazy and selfish older sister Gwendolyn who is obsessed with her own magical powers. Certainly much slower and less exciting than Jones' Howl books (read: more for children), but still has her enchanting and seemingly effortless style that captures a world where "magic is like music". Jones is always a good read. The characters are mysterious and thoroughly enjoyable. Gwendolyn is ambiguous and silly and selfish and delightful. Cat is an innocent; Chestomanci is Jones' typical ambiguous and passive wizard. The imagery of magic, particularly Cat's matchstick nine lives, is absolutely delicious. Grade: B

I am constantly on the lookout for new fantasy reads, because not only is it difficult to find a truly lasting (and by "lasting" I mean you think about it all the time, read it again and again, and gulp down every one of the author's other books) fantasy story, but if you do that author is usually what they call A Lofty One-Piece Wonder who writes one astonishingly beautiful story, gives it to the world...then settles into retirement and ignores all letters posted to them begging for a sequel.

Ah, not so with Diana Wynne Jones.

Hearing about her was actually an accident. I had picked up the book "Inkspell", the sequel to a book I'd enjoyed very much (Inkheart) and saw, on the back, that there was a quote on the back from "Diana Wynne Jones, author". For fun, I wandered over to the J's. Only a few Diana books were there -- THE MERLIN CONSPIRACY, ARCHER'S GOON, and -- the book that forever endeared me to this amazingly talented author -- EIGHT DAYS OF LUKE.

Having five dollars just aching to be spent and about that many minutes left till we had to go, I bought it on a whim.

And inhaled it that night.

I was going through withdrawls. NEED -- MORE -- DIANA -- WYNNE -- JONES -- BOOKS!!!

I got back to Borders and began to scrounge the shelves. Hmmm. "Chronicles of Chrestomanci". Looked okay -- not as good as I'd thought "Eight Days of Luke" was, but -- what was?

I read a little, put it down. Read a little more, and -- couldn't stop.

I am now on Book II, "The Lives of Christopher Chant".

I think you understand what I'm trying to say. Buy this book -- and while you're at it get "Eight days of Luke", too.



Rating: Very Good

"Charmed Life" is my first Diana Wynne Jones book (I know, I know ... I'm a little late) and I'll openly admit I came to her work through Miyazaki's amazing film "Howl's Moving Castle". Imagine how stupid I felt when I realized that I had been missing out on one of the best writers of our age. While it starts off slowly, Jones's first Chrestomanci book is still a grand, magical, yet simple adventure that sweeps the reader off their feet into a quirky yet solid world that readers will enjoy again and again.

Eric, a.k.a., Cat Chant, is a small and passive boy who thinks that he has no magical powers unlike his sister Gwendolen. Gwendolen is an ambitious, spoiled, and powerful girl who dreams of controlling the world. One day, when their parents die in a tragic boat accident, Gwendolen's powers attract the attention of the dapper and eccentric Chrestomanci. Chrestomanci is an enchanter, and a nine lived one at that, so that means he controls and governs all magic in the twelve related worlds. Chrestomanci seems to take an interest in Gwendolen, so he invites her and Cat to live in his castle.

When they arrive at the castle, both children dislike it at first. But Cat, being the passive boy that he is, quickly makes friends with Chrestomanci's two children even though he's absolutely frightened to death of their father. But Gwendolen has other ideas. She hates the fact that she has to learn maths and history instead of magic in school, and she is absolutely appaled that Chrestomanci doesn't take notice in her powers. Soon, Gwendolen sets out on a war of wills and magic against Chrestomanci and his castle, and Cat is unbeknowingly caught up in the whirlwinds of his sister's dangerous ambitions.

Jones is brilliant in her prose and writing. She easily writes with a sense of whimsy, while at the same time fleshing out realistic characters and villains. Cat is passive at first, but he soon grows a spine and stands up against the one thing that holds him back (I won't ruin the surprise). Jones' magic is an everyday and casual part of life for the characters, but it comes in second to their emotions and the overall story. The story takes so many surprising twists that shocked and surprised me, I was literally biting my nails towards the end wondering what would happen next.

"Charmed Life" is a delightful and charming surprise. While not a grand and sweeping epic, it will still sweep readers off their feet with the simple and quiet humor, magic, and sheer enjoyment that Jones so evidently finds and puts into her work. This book is not to be missed, and I can only end with saying how foolish I feel now that I didn't find Diana sooner.

This story and the next ("The Lives of Christopher Chant") are easily the most complex and interesting stories in the Chrestomanci series, and really the ones that the rest hang upon, because they really explain who and what the "Chrestomanci" is, and the role he plays in the fascinating universe Diana Wynne Jones has created. This is fantasy at its best, well written and very inventive, with characters that seem both familiar and bizarrely unique. It is, I suppose, not life-changing fiction but it keeps you there and makes you care and gives an opportunity to wonder. (It is no accident that Hayao Miyazaki based his latest film - Howl's Moving Castle -- on one of Jones' novels: they seem to have imaginations that operate on the same wavelength; like him, she is endlessly inventive and capable of a sublime blending of the supernatural and the ordinary, and loves finding magic in machines, and has an obsession with cats.)

The basic premise of the "Chrestomanci multiverse" is that every time there is a major event that "changes" the world, the world actually divides into two alternate realities, one in which the event occurs and one in which it doesn't. Somehow, though, while the possibilities might seem infinite there are a limited number of possibilities that resemble the one Chrestomanci inhabits enough to warrant his general attention and concern. Within each major world variation, there are nine alternates (don't ask why just nine) that are apparently unified because they have the "same" people doing different things in them. It sometimes happens, though, that an individual within one of those realities has no parallel in the others, and so the "lives" that would belong to the other realities actually belong to him or her. Such a nine-lived individual has powerful magic and becomes a likely candidate for taking over the position of the British-hired Chrestomanci (think a mixture of Rowling's Minister of Magic for an indication of his range of responsibilities, with Head of Hogwarts for his overall competency).

Speaking of Rowling, some have compared Jones to Rowling and there are some interesting parallels -- so many that it is hard not to think that Rowling had at least read some of Diane Wynne Jones' stories. Still, I don't agree with others who say Jones is a better writer than Rowling. There is a way in which she is: for her elegance of prose, her compactness of style, for the overall simplicity and completeness of her stories. Still, I think that Rowling is superior because what Jones doesn't try to do Rowling does very well. Jones creates another world whose basic features are similar to ours, but is different in specifiable ways. In that sense it is pure fantasy, a work of the imagination that she can tinker with and alter in various stories but is basically self-contained and organized in such a way that each story can be really complete. Rowling fits her story of another world into THIS world and sets herself with what seems to me a much more difficult task of accommodating her fantasy to the unknown and improbable and strange and unfinished character of any story set in this real world. The edges in any such story are unwieldy and it is a real tribute to Rowling (though in no way a criticism of Jones who has other aims) that she can wield them so well.

First... let me say that words cannot discribe how the first 5 books in this series have touched my life. They were amazing and even after all these years I think of Sita and the trials she went through.
When I began this book, I was excited to see how they would end it, yet the farther I got into the book, the more outlandish and silly it got.
Lets examine the plot: We first learn that Sita has eveolved as a vampire. She can now read minds and move objects with hers. A vampire with telekinisis! What? She is attacked by creatures with ray guns that can vaporize people by turning them into nothing but a cloud of smoke, like something out of a sci-fi flick. Cheesy much!
After this she goes onto a UFO and travels back in time to save the world from the abundance of negative energy, thus causing mankinds downfall. She spends a majority of the tale in the past, where she meets a Satan worshipping sorceror who trpas her in an invisible bubble with a flesh eating monster. Using her telekinisis she defeats him and returns to the spaceship.
I will say the book is good for checking out the last ten pages. It was actually really sad, and interesting to see how Mr.Pike wrapped up Sita's life.
All in all, I would reccomend only reading the last ten pages. The rest is so ridiculously stupid. This book is no where near as good as 1-5. If you ask me, this was an unnessesary installment to the series. I loved the way the first 5 parts were all tied together... yet this one stands alone and has nothing to do with the others. I just dont get how people can post that this is the best one in the series. Get some taste people.

Dis series is probably 1 of the best books i've read so far! its full of action but is also sad and happy :D... it has many twists and i was really suprised when i was reading it cos the story was not as i had thought!! but it was gr8 and i was full of tears when i finished reading it :'( (suprisingly)..lol.. i enjoyed reading this fantasic book~ ~ but beware cos this is a very addictive book... christopher pike rulzz!!

I love the last vampire series, they are the best books ive ever read. the ending was so good and it made me kind of sad and happy at the same time. the characters were so real and i love the unusual names... sita, lalita and kalika. i love these books and i could read them over and over :-)

I thought that Pike couldn't have written it better. The whole damn series was absolutley amazing. I loved the ending....even though it was sad. It just closed up the series even though I wished he would have made a 7th and 8th and so on......Thank you Pike for writing these books! I really wish I could hear more adventures of Sita though :(

I remember I first read this series in middle school at age 13. I am now finishing college and still am obsessed with this series. It was awesome writing and kept me on the edge of my seat to the very end. It had a great romance and stirred a fire in me. I couldn't put the books down. I recommend this series to any young readers and even the young at heart.