Science Fiction and Fantasy Books

I had this book as a young person and loved it. this is a replacement of a long lost friend. The illistrations are exceptional and the stories wonderful.

When it comes to illustration books, Froud and Lee's collaborative "Faeries" is, quite simply, divine. This book captures the subject matter unlike any other work(s) from any other fantasy artists. The real magic and majesty of the "Faerie Realm" of British Isles and Irish mythology come to life within the pages.
If you love great art, get this book. If you love great legends from ancient lands, get this book.

An amazing book, it totally takes me away when I'm reading it. Beautifully illustrated, the drawings are amazing, so detailed. This one specially is a superb edition, very well designed, and totally worth the price.

I totally love fantasy, folklore, and mythology, so this book was naturally of great interest to me. The pictures of various classes of mythical creatures were absolutely wonderful, and the text that described the myths upon which the pictures are based was interesting and fun to read. I would highly recommend this book for someone interested in a book about fairy folklore that's not overly academic.

I LOVE THIS BOOK ABOUT FAERIES. I READ IT OVER AND OVER.
THANK YOU
PEGGY BOND

This book is the third out of a series covering the twins Caramon and Raistlin. This book was a great book and explains the story of Raistlin becoming the greatest mage to ever live. Great book, very hard to put down.

This book was a great ending for the Legends trilogy! It is beautifully written and touches your heart. I got really scared when Caramon and Tas went into the future and saw Caramon's corpse. The world couldn't end! But I luved the ending, where it teaches a valuable lesson: there is good in even the most evil people.

Loved the book, LOVED it, but very very disappointed that the saga doesn't continue forward from this spot. There are other books that pick up later on (much later) but naturally I'd like to see a smooth segue' into the next segment of this same tale. Oh, well...the series and this book are still well worth reading.

This book wasn't what I had in mind and I was sorely disappointed in it. I thought this book was going to have a twist to it and that Raistlin was going to be persuaded into the good side by Crysania at the end or that he was going to turn back to were he left her. I also think that the author should have gave Raistlin some love and caring at the end. I was touched by how Margaret Weis wrote that Raistlin was blinded by tears, but I was also wondering why he didn't just go with them at the first place. I think that there should totally be more love and a bit less death.
Besides this point about Raistlin, the book was OK, but I don't think it was better than the two others. I have to give props to the painter of the cover though; his paintings for Margaret Weis' books are spectacular and make everything more realistic. The conclusion was strong with emotion, but to me, it wasn't the best conclusion to fit the other two incredible books.

Test of the twins, the concluding novel in the Dragonlance Legends trilogy, is the story of "saving a soul". The story is, in my opinion actually the concluding novel in the six volume series compiled of both the Dragonlance Chronicles and the Legends. The novel effectively and entertainingly ties off nearly all of the loose ends and left me with a distict feeling of completeness.

In the author's own words, the book is about "saving a soul". The reader is, and was in previous editions, led to believe that it is Raistlin's soul that needs saving, however it is notl; it is his twins'.
Caramon, the twin, is the one who needs saving. He is Raistlin's opposite and keeping with the theme of the series, his soul must be saved by the light in order to balance the evil of Raistlin.

The authors also do a reasonable job of dealing with time travel. The pebble, Tasselhoff, is superb in his role and is easily the "best" character in the series, with Fizban coming a close second. Fizban in his limited role, almost seems as a kender himself.

About the only part of the novel that I did not like was the limited definition of magic. The term casting of a spell means nothing more than it says, more details are needed.

I would recommend this novel and series to anyone looking for an easy, fun, engaging read!

DELTORA QUEST are a fantastic book series for juvenile readers, filled with action and magic and adventure. THE FORESTS OF SILENCE is anything but silent. It absolutely SCREAMS fine work and captivates readers on the first page. The Shadow Lord is a non-appearing villain in this book, much like the main villains in LORD OF THE RINGS and ERAGON & ELDEST, but Rodda makes up for it easily with Gorl the evil knight, the sinister Grey Guards and who could forget the absolutely wicked Prandine. This book is a true modern classic and will and should be remembered for years.

This is absolutely one of the best series. Sure they are short books. There are 15 books in all. The main story is Leif and his friends Barda and Jasmine have to go on a very important mission to save all of Deltora. I'm not going to give any of the plot away though!

I was rather surprised to see so many positive reviews of this book, but I guess I'm not the standard in this case.

When I bought this book I had never heard of Deltora Quest or Emily Rodda before and the only reason I paid money for it was because I wanted to read a marginally written children's fantasy. But this has nothing to do with my taste in books.

As I read it, I became increasingly embarrassed by the writing. The book's pace was unsettlingly quick so by page fifty the characters were already grown up and had families. It's meant as a children's story so the book is given some allotment of cheesiness, but it's taken to another level with the constant barrage of cliched phrases and cookie-cutter characters that are just plain boring. To be honest, it read like an unskilled preteen's idea of fantasy with a plot line thought up during third period math class.

The majority of my problem with this book doesn't lie with the plot because any plot can be made interesting with some crafty writing. This book didn't have crafty writing. The dialogue was weak at best and the occasional attempt at dated language was painful. The zooming plot line mixed with the excruciating descriptions make it hard to read.

I suppose in the end I got what I wanted, thus the two stars, but this book just isn't that good. Yes, it's a children's book and any child would like it, but even children deserve some quality writing and for a seasoned writer, this shouldn't be considered a huge success.

Deltora Quest by Emily Rodda is one of the best fantasy books I have ever read. It is about two boys name Jarred and Endon who have been best friends since they where little. They lived in a castle, Endon was the son of the king of Deltora and Jarred was the son of a butler at the castle. Endon's dad has just died and he is about to take over the thrown. Jarred has done some research on the belt of Deltora and knows that if Endon does not where the belt all of Deltora will fall to the dark lord. One of the kings friends talks Endon into thinking that Jarred is going to betray him, so Endon has called the guards on Jarred but will he escape?
Deltora is vast land suppurated into 7 tribes who each had a magical gem. The story of the land goes that there once was a blacksmith. He wanted to bring the tribes together. So he makes a belt with 7 slots to put the gems in. After he made the belt He went to each of the tribes to ask them to set there gems in the belt. One by one the each put there gem inside the belt, then he put on the belt and all of the tribes where united and he was known as the king of delta but what he doesn't know is that someone is planing to kill him.
I would recommend this book to anybody with a great since of imagination and adventure.

This book was my first fantasy book, and it made me a lifelong fan. Rodda's way of writing is magnificent, and her descriptions are amazing. For those who read "epic", if you want your kids to become like you, this is a great place to start, reminiscent of Robert Jordan.

Storyline:
Young Lief of Del, a boy living in living nightmare to all, is called forth by his father, Jared. The first half is taken in the POV of Jared, the second Lief. Lief and Barda set out to the Forests of Silence, to find the first gem of the belt of Deltora.

Pros:
-Nice unclichéd characters, although one reminds me of a character from the Wheel of Time, slightly.
-Good worldbuilding that stretches over the entire series; one that could almost be real.
-Great sense of danger; the monsters are unique in fashion; like the Oz tales.

Cons:
-Random seperations of characters; anger used in unhelpful situations.

Sure, this book was hard to put down, but I couldn't figure out why it was labeled science fiction. There are no new technologies, the technology in the book is just electricity, and isn't even the biggest influence in the book. It is a crime to charge nearly 20 bucks for a book that is so poorly laid out in text, and has such a poor resolution graphic cover. Nevertheless, the story is worth reading if you can find a used copy. It's hard to put down, but it's only a quick 300-page read, with just about every moral spelled out for you.

I gave up reading after 150 pages. I was all ready for the premise: the story of a boy and girl in a postapocalyptic city where the hardest thing is to survive. The setting is interesting and the plot was captivating at first - the mix of strange religion, the social divisions in the city, etc. In the end, though, my patience ran out. Maher's style became infuriating: he kept telling you about the city instead of showing it - a bit like a person holding a picture and describing it to you but not letting you see the photo itself. On top of that his descriptions were rushed and had the feeling of 'pause in the action - fill in the background.' The action scenes became annoying as well: too much nose-to-the-ground stuff, a lot of running and telling you of the pain in the knee, the feelings of the body. I got claustrophobic, a feeling that the characters were too much inside their skins, that they were not interacting with anybody, just being manipulated like puppets by the writer. Too bad - I liked enough of the initial set-up to wish it would've been better.

Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (9/06)

I really enjoyed reading "Legend." The story takes place some time in the future in a land that has been ravaged by man. People struggle to survive among the ruins of a once advanced city. People are basically classified into three groups: the Bureauers, the Folkers, and the Disciples. The Bureaurers are very much like people today who are involved in bureaucracy. The stereotypes definitely apply here. The Burearers believe that they are maintaining order by keeping the Folkers in a state of chaos where they have to worry more about basic survival than getting involved with what is happening in the government. When the main hero, Martin, becomes a low level Bureaurer, he finds that he has become a part of a system that really doesn't need him. He goes to work and is well fed, but he doesn't seem to have a purpose. The Folkers are what Martin was born into. These are the poor people that have to fight for food. They will eat anything. While they are not allowed to kill others to eat, they will eat their dead. The Bureaurers see to it that the Folkers are provided with "poorage," however, there isn't always enough to go around.

The Disciples are people that are involved in a satantic-like cult. They are waiting for the coming of Jefus. He is supposed to save the world and make the machines that no longer function work again. The leader of the Disciples, Kreeops, is supposed to step down when Jefus returns. A Folker, Gena, is selected to be the bride of Jefus. The leader of the Disciples wants her for himself. She is forced into the cult and given training. There are powers in both the cult and in Gena. It appears that the greatest power of control comes from the beliefs of the people. Their united beliefs cause things to happen. Gena begins to realize this and uses this knowledge to her advantage.

It is believed that Martin is Jefus. He has to go through three tests to prove this. He doesn't really believe this, but to survive he does what is necessary to prove this. Along the way, he discovers the importance of the power of belief. He sees what Kreeops is doing to control the others. He realizes that Kreeops true power comes from the faith of his disciples. To win and to survive, he has to gain their faith in him. He and Gena need to become gods to win their control. Martin has to be crucified and resurrected to prove himself.

Along the way, Martin and Gena struggle to survive. Sometimes, their adventures are with each other, other times they are off on their own. Gena learns that there is more beyond the city limits than people realize. Because of their fearful beliefs they have limited themselves to this existence. If she and Martin can prove themselves, they can lead these people into a better way of life.

I found this story to be unnerving because I can see how our own society can become trapped by limited negative beliefs. This could be our society someday. The people who choose to be in power, do it for control of the masses, not for wanting to make their world a better place.

This is an excellent science fiction novel. I truly believe that it is destined to be a classic. As you read it, you are glad that it is only fiction and not reality. However, it brought many questions to my mind that made me think, "what if?" Due to the graphic nature of the story, I do not recommend it for young children. However, I do recommend it to other science fiction fans and think that it would be an excellent choice for a reader's group to discuss.

Like all good fiction, this is a book that really makes you think. Part of you wants to put it down to think out some idea the story raises but the story itself keeps you turning the pages. I recommend it. Highly.

On the back of the cover some writer calls this a book about the reunification of the self. I doubt if the guy who wrote the book thought that's what it was about. Better to just enjoy the story and let the plot sweep you along. It's fun, it's clever, it would make a good movie. That's enough.

The book Amy Number Seven is a very good book.It is about a twelve-year-old girl who is a clone . She has perfect powers,and she is good in gymnastics,ice skating,running,and basketball without praticing. And someone is leaving notes in her mailbox.And anyway I would give this book 5 stars. you should read this book.

Do you like mistroys,and avenchers?Then you will love this book.When you start this serises you will not be able to put them down.After you finish the frist book you will not be able to wait to start the next book.
This book is about a gril named amy, who is aregular gril. Until werid things starts to happen. She trys to find out what is going on, but her mom isgetting to protive. So she gose looking for answers while her mom is out with her friend,Monica.

This book is about a girl named Amy Candler. She was made in a laboratory by scientists. People were trying to use her and the other seven Amy's to take over the world. So the other scientists put the laboratory on fire. All the Amy's escaped. One of the scientists who helped destroy the project, called project crescent, took home Amy number seven. The scientists created them to be stronger, faster, more intelligent, and more skilled than any other human. Amy had no idea she had special abilities. When she turned 14 a crescent moon appeared on her back. Then things started to change. In gymnastics Amy could do all the flips, turns, and jumps. She also started getting the best grades in all her classes. Then a movie star came to her school to to a movie. She looked exactly like Amy, but her name was spelled Aimee. Her mom finally her mom told her the truth. Amy tried to get close to Aimee, but guards always stopped her. Aimee thought Amy was started to get attention so Aimee planned to have people kidnap her, so that all the attention would go to her. But the fake kidnappers kidnapped the wrong one. They kidnapped Amy Candler. Then Aimee came to ask why they kidnapped the wrong girl. But the fake kidnappers were the people who wanted to use them to take over the world. So both Amy's fought until they got away. Then Amy Candler told Aimee the story about the lab. Then Aimee pushed aside Amy Candler and said she was going to try and take over the world herself.
Amy Candler is a fourteen year old girl. She has long brown hair and brown eye. She is not tall or short. She is creative and very outgoing. Amy was also very smart, and athletic. She was pretty much good at everything.Her mood was almost always happy. She was very curious about her life. We are alike because I have brown hair, I'm pretty smart, and I'm happy alot. We are different because she is older, she is much more athletic than me, and my hair isn't as long as hers.
I realy like this book because it is exciting, adventorous, and you never know whats coming next. I also like reading fictional books. My favorite part was when Amy got kidnapped, she was so confused. And the fake kidnappers were offering her soda and stuff because they knew it was fake. And tey thought that Amy Candler was Aimee the move star. I would recommend this book to a friend to they came experiance the thrill of the book.

This was a very good book. It is about a 12 year old girl named Amy Candler. Amy can do a lot of stuff better than her classmates. She can answer difficult problems in her head, she can do complicated twist and turns in gymastics, and she can hear and see things from far distances. But she doesn't know anything about her past except that her father died in a accident before she was born. She other stuff to worry about, a stranger is taking pictures of her, her mother is acting paraniod about her talents, and she is getting anonymous letters to keep her talents to herself. Amy knows that her mother is keeping something from her, something she doesn't want her to find out, something about her past and possibly her future. Amy tries to find out everything, before its to late...

Amy is trying to find the answers to a twisted mystery in her life. I loved this book, it was probably the best, easy book, most adventurous book in the world. I've read the other books too and by far this is the best! Marilyn Kaye really knows how to write twisted and suspenseful children's mysteries. I would recommend this book to 10-12 year old girls who enjoy mysteries and adventure. If you like this one then you will definitely like the series. Amy is an all right gymnast that becomes perfect in one day. Amy is rocking teenager that any girl would like. I think everyone would like this if they read it. It might be able to teach mothers how to talk to their sprouting teens.

Wow. Not your typical good guys come to a new planet, good guys save the planet, good guys leave the planet and everyone lives happily ever after. I just loved the ending ,wasn't expecting that!
Now I can't wait to start book no.6!

This entire series is a great children's series. Even though I'm an adult, I still love these books. Set before Episode I, they follow Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn through their early years together as master and apprentice. If you like Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, or the master/apprentice relationship in general, you'll love these books.

Obi-Wan is on Melida/Dan. A planet steeped with violence for as long as anyone can remeber.Jedi should not take sides Qui-gon tells Obi-Wan but he ends up taking sides with a group named the Young who are fighting against there parent to stop the war. Debate rages between Obi-wan and Qui-gon and ..... well you will see what heppens.It includes Obi-Wan getting kicked out of the Jedi Order and staying to help the Young read the next books to see if Qui-gon will except Obi-wan as his apprentice again. I [16] found this to be a great book when i was younger and still do! now that iv finished the NJO series the clone wars series and the Jedi Apprentice series i cant wait for a new one . You will love this book guarenteed.If you dont well i cant give you your money back..... but you would have to be insane not to like it.

Another truly great story from Jude Watson. These books bridge the gap left vacant before Episode 1.
Jude watson has a great gift for fleshing out all the characters we've come to know on a much deeper level.
This particular series gives us the early adventures of Obi-Wan and Quinn -Jon and shows us the development of the two as the later indepent thinking Jedi they become.

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan go to Melida/Daan to rescue Tahl, the Jedi peacekeeper who went there. She was gravely wounded and captured by the Melida, and so Yoda dispatches more Jedi to rescue her.
Young Obi-Wan Kenobi is a Jedi apprentice, he's not supposed to become emotionally involved in a conflict. But when he meets Cerasi and Nield, the young and charismatic leaders of the Young on the planet of Melida/Daan, he is immediately swept up in their just cause. The Elders of the planet are nothing more than defenders of the dead, willing to sacrifice whole generations to get back at each other for past battles. No one remembers the original grievances, just that the Melida are evil or the Daan are evil, depending on who they are. The only ones striving for peace are the Young. They're proud to announce that they're everyone, both Melida and Daan children who want to rebuild their war-torn planet.
The Young help rescue Tahl, but they need the Jedi's help. Though forbidden to do so, Obi-Wan's heart tells him he must help the young save their planet.

The Door Within was seemingly written with two large goals in mind: the first would be to absolutely enthrall young readers with action, adventure, and the ever-deepening courage of someone their own age. Many young people have thought "wouldn't it have been cool to be a knight" or to turn from everything you've ever known to an adventure that few believed was real; this books tells that story. The second goal was to challenge the reader to truly examine what they believe in by drawing age-appropriate parallels between the main character and the reader. This goal was readily accomplished, as well, as the main character, Aiden, is real enough and each of us could identify with the various aspects of his personality.

While reading the book, I found it very difficult not to compare it with The Hobbit and The Chronicles of Narnia. As this book falls into the same genre as those two, I was pleased to say that while this relationship was easy to see, it stands alone and cannot be confused with either. As I was related to one of my student's parents, "it is a great book that is kind of a hybrid between the two; it takes the elements of each that make them great and creates a new work that you must force yourself to put down." I had one parent tell me that she and her daughter were reading the book before bedtime. When the child left the room, she confessed to reading ahead after her daughter was in bed. She had even gone to the bookstore and purchased the Rise of the Wyrm Lord and The Final Storm and was not going to feel bad about reading ahead, even if she had to do it in secret.

Regarding the spiritual nature of the book, I can say that there is definitely a good message about using the gifts that one has been given for the benefit of mankind. Throughout the book, there are countless occurrences of self-sacrifice and other spiritually-sound happenings. When I turned the final page, I was saddened that it was over, but excited about what was to come. That sense, too, is aligned with a person's spiritual journey through real life. The book is incredibly well-written by an author who is not afraid to write outside the box.

Age recommendations:
Children reading the book alone: 11 years
Children reading with a parent: 9 years

Faith affirming/spiritual message (1-10):
9 - The book seems to be written with the intention of challenging the reader to examine his beliefs.

Overall Rating (1-10 scale):
9 - Lots of action, lots of intense self-examination by the protagonist makes for a read that is difficult to set aside.

Would you find this in my personal library?
ABSOLUTELY! It has a permanent place in my bookshelf.

Would you find this in my classroom library?
Yes. It is a good piece of literature that might help a struggling young person through life's ever-present difficulties.

Start the adventure of your life time as you join Adian Thomas as he discovers another world,at war. Watch as the noble King Elim fights against the death, deserving knight Paragor. Enjoy Adian's quest as he fights for King Elim and must learn the price of loyalty.

Door Within

The Door Within starts us on a three part adventure that takes us into our memories and our imaginations. The characters are so dynamic and well articulated, you can't help to hope to meet them some day. Encapsulating an awesome message that takes place in this wonderful and beautifully crafted world. We begin by embarking with Aidin on an adventure that will pull him out or our world, and you will be thrilled as you go with him. He must endure a struggle within himself and against the villain Paragory. This book will take you up and down, and everywhere in between. It is a well written exciting adventure for middle aged children and up.

Aiden Thomas is heart broken. His family has moved away from everything he's ever known--including his one and only friend Robby--to take care of a grandfather Aiden thinks belongs in an `Old Folks Home'... until he finds the scrolls in his grandfather's basement. They change his life, and show him how to enter The Door Within. With Wayne Thomas Batson's fast-paced, action packed, writing style and incredible characters, you'll need to cancel school the next day... then sprint to the nearest bookstore and grab the next two books in this trilogy.

The Door Within is the first in a trilogy of fantasy books for middle-age readers. If your kids are fans of C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia, they (and maybe even you) will probably love these books as well. The story is not too hard to follow, but is still masterfully woven together. The characters are very lovable and reading about their friendly antics is quite entertaining. It has great moral lessons and doesn't include the inappropriate material other books in this age group may have. The spiritual undertones in the book can be very much appreciated by believers, and maybe get unbelievers asking questions about God. This book is a wonderful fantasy tale that's perfect for kids from middle school to adult!

An absolutely beautiful and deep character study. You don't have to be a Trekie to enjoy it.

The book was well written and Robinson's knowledge of the lead seems so very authentic.

He created an entire backstory that blends in very well with the DS9 series. It makes watching the show in syndication even more fun, especially when Robinson is on, because it's like you, the viewer is in, on the secret.

I look forward to seeing more of his work, be it as an actor or as a writer.

Having enjoyed DS9 and having heard about this book through Memory Alpha, I noticed all the positive reviews and decided to give it a shot. It was well worth it, the book is completely engrossing and a joy to read. I wish Robinson would write a sequel.

Someone, just lock Andrew J. Robinson in a room and make him write more. Seriously.

Deep Space Nine was my favourite of all the Trek series, and Garak was my favourite character, so you can imagine how thrilled I was when this book arrived. It is amazing. It goes so deeply into what makes up the Cardassian mind and society, every unanswered question that one could have about Cardassians is answered in this novel. I didn't want it to end! The author is also the actor who played Garak, and the insight he provides about his character is wonderful, poetic, and so moving. Anyone who has ever enjoyed an episode of DS9 needs to buy this book. I've read it three times, and I still enjoy it more than any other sci-fi book that I've read.

Ah yes, Magic the Gathering. The child of Richard Garfield, run through dark magic and incest by the terrifying and evil Wizards of the Coast. I still play Magic, but it will never be like the old days, before Wizards of the Coast became huge. This book was written during the old days, and I reread it every couple years to remind myself of how cool the CCG world was back then.

Arena tells us a story of Garth One-Eye, a mysterious fighter who can control the flow of mana, as he plays a game of cat and mouse (where he's the mouse) in a city ready to tear him apart. Anyone who has seen a Clint Eastwood film will get numerous rushes of recognition. The basic plot of the book follows A Fistful of Dollars, with Garth playing the ruling houses of the city against each other.

So it's a rehash of a familiar plot. Does that make it bad? No. For one thing, it's a familiar plot, but we have to admit it was an entertaining plot as well. And there are twists and turns in this story that go off on their own (albiet Magic the Gathering inspired) direction. But don't be surprised if you start imagining Garth with that Clint sharpness in his voice.

Why read this book? First of all, if you're a fan of the old Magic the Gathering editions, you have to read it, just so you can say you have. Second of all, even if you're not a fan of magic, while it will lose about 10% of its goodness, it's still a great read, easy to pick up and hard to put down.

Any complaints? Only a couple. One, the sequels (by a different author) follow completely different characters and while a couple from Arena appear in later books, the cameos don't quite do them justice. Another downside is that one of the characters, Kirlen, was a potential gold mine of development and plot that only barely gets used.

But I reccomend Arena, especially if it's as cheap as I think it is these days. Pick it up before your next airplane flight or bus ride. It will keep you thouroughly entertained. And it may even make you want to play Magic again.

Although the book is obviously part of the MTG series and world. It really is by far a great stand alone sci-fi fantasy book. This book single handedly intrigued me enough to go out and buy MTG cards and additional MTG books in the series. The card game is ok to play and the rest of the MTG books are not worth the money. However this book is an incredible read, it is no Thomas Paine or Thoreau, obviously, but it is a very entertaining little book. I highly recommend it if you enjoy sci-fi books.

I read this book when it first came out. And still to this day I remember it being a great read and I just recently purchased it again and re-lived the experience. This is one of my 10 ten favorite books.

The main question on your mind right now has got to be "But isn't this just using a name to sell books?"

And I can tell you no. They could have easily just slapped together some drivel, put the Magic logo on it with the card offer, and it would have sold probably just as well. While you may appreciate its connections to the card game, it's not necessary to enjoy the book. The author adds much to a, at the time, thin background to realize a whole city and a system of magic.

The story does seem to come down to the childish, but not too often, and not enough to distract me from the rest of the book. The best part is learning about the different schools of magic and the people that head them!

The worst of these, let's call them childish asides, is that they put in some PG-13 stuff in that takes up all of a page. During the rest of the book the only reference to it is the phrase "It meant nothing", which comes out more than once. Which is true of the story as well, it meant nothing. It's just added as an afterthought I'm sure, to tantalize the younger reader. As I said however, the main story grabbed me unrelentlessly in such a manner that I could overlook such things.

This is a stand-alone book and, as I understand, does not have any direct connection to the rest of the series (new or old).

It's an unfortunate curse that all popular franchises have. You know what I'm talking about - that horrid thing known as over marketing. You start with one thing that that's pretty cool on its own, like a trading card game, or a video game, or even a book. Then someone realizes that there is so much more money to be made by the unsuspecting masses, who are oblivious to the fact that they are about to be bombarded with some of the most ridiculous drivel ever conceived of by mankind. Before you know it, what was once just a really great game, is now an abominable never ending landslide of action figures, T.V. shows, DVD series, full movie theatrical releases, clothing lines, coffee mug sets, and backpacks! Who could possibly live without those awesome new Pokemon sandals? The price for them is unbelievably low - it just costs the tattered remains of your dignity!

The curse has spread to Magic: The Gathering in the form of the novel "Arena". Now we've got an unending series of books that follows all the new releases of the different card sets (which will continue until people realize "Hey, I've spent the majority of the money I've ever made on more and more new cards trying to make a non-existant perfect deck. I need to accept that I have an addiction and quit"). What we've got here is a book that should be absolutely freaking awesome - I mean come on, the entire universe of Magic is already pre-made for the author, William Forstchen. He doesn't have to make ANYTHING up himself. Mr. Forstchen could have given us an amazing plot-driven book with tons of character progression, believable dialogue, and an incredible story. With the entire historical background, geographical areas, major characters, and system of magic already done for him, there should have been plenty of time allocated to giving the readers the most amazing book ever made. Obviously, that didn't happen.

Judging this book solely as a part of the Magic: The Gathering universe, it's pretty good. Lots of out of control combat, gratuitous sex for no apparent reason (and completely contradicting a character's previous statements about his views on sexual intimacy), and an "under-dog" figure who is able to take down the current not-so-nice all powerful deity figure. It's a pre-pubescent boy's dream come true. Judging "Arena" as a stand alone novel, against all the other fantasy novels out there, it certainly ranks among the most trite, self-serving, completely pointless books of the last century. Why give it even 2 stars then? Because, unfortunately, book series based on games are judged by a different standard. Their merit as a novel has to be balanced with how well they stay true to the themes and tone of the game (which this does decently), while keeping in mind that because they exist solely to make company X more money, there will be all kinds of unnecessary stuff packed in to please all the fanboys. If only we treated game based novels as they should be - by holding them up to a HIGHER standard than most fantasy novels (for the above mentioned reason - all the work is already done for the author), but experience has taught that, against all logic, game based novels tend to be substandard in comparison. The use of vivid, or even adequate, description in "Arena" is passed over in favor of popular buzz words in order to keep the action moving at a fast enough pace. For example, when describing a battle between two wizards, the author actually wrote the sentence "He summoned some Llanowar elves". Now keep in mind there is no material either before or after that describes what Llanowar elves are - what they look like (anyone whose played the card game will have seen them, but this leaves all other readers completely out of the loop), what they do, or why they were chosen over any other creature. The most important aspect, the actual details of the summoning, is left out as well. We aren't given any description at all of how the magician accomplishes this feat, which is honestly just sloppy writing.

"Arena" isn't 100% bad writing though. There are some genuinely interesting characters and situations present, although they aren't used very effectively. The character line up starts off with a one-eyed magician/fighter type who is known as a Hannin, because he doesn't belong to any of the guild houses. Curiously, several previous reviewers of this book commented on what an amazing mystery it was to figure out who Garth really is. Obviously they didn't read the blurb on the back of the novel, as it blatantly gives away the "secret", or any of the hints placed throughout the book that were about as subtle as a sledgehammer to the stomach. Next, there is a woman belonging to the intriguing Benalish caste system, which isn't given nearly enough detail as it should have. The obligatory fiery read head type who is too strong willed for her own good makes an appearance here, as well as the old man who isn't really what he seems. The main characters aside, the most fun part of this novel is reading about the four guild leaders and their various vices (although they were done WAY over the top, and again, no attempt at subtlety is made here). The character with the most potential is Kirlen, the leader of the guild called Bolk. Having lived for an incredible length of time by using rejuvenation spells and potions, her body has withered away to the point that she could almost be labeled an undead creature. Kirlen was once the lover of the "big baddy" in the story, and he betrayed her to attain the power to become a Planeswalker - a being who can travel to different dimensions and has near godlike powers. While this could have been the most interesting story arc, it was unfortunately relegated to an un-important backstory, just some filler to tack on the pages.

If you are a hardcore fan of Magic: The Gathering you will probably drink this thing up like it's the elixir of life and then rant about how it's the "best novel ever". Anyone looking for a good fantasy novel with any real substance should probably steer clear, though.

I don't know how Lynne Ewing came up with this story. I was looking forward to reading about Serena because she seemed to be one of the more interesting characters and I was left sorely disappointed. I don't understand how you can have a romance in a book and not really give the reader anything to go on. If Serena can't remember her memories, then how are we supposed to get a feel for a connection between her and Stanton? They had absolutely no chemistry to me. Stanton and Vanessa seemed to have more chemistry (later I found out Lynne Ewing was originally going to hook those two up). Too bad Lynne didn't hook Michael up with someone else later in the series. Personally, I think Vanessa and Stanton would have made a better couple. I understand others might have a different opinion, but that's just how I feel about it.

I give it two stars for at least being well-written, if not the most interesting or the best of the series. So far, it's my least favorite.

This book is about a girl who might be endangered by a groupd of people who is after her. These group of people are bad people who try to bring good people to the bad side. This book is a magical book with girls who have powers and they are trying to fight the bad people away. I liked this book because each character has a different personality and different ways to handle things in situations dealt together.

I thought this book was good. It had a lot of action in it. I also liked it because it had magical powers that noone in real life could have. This book is great for teens who like a little bit of romance, drama, and action.

This is a story everybody should read including teenagers like us.We could relate some things from ourlife.This book is about a girl finding out what she was ment for.She wouldn't let anything about having a boyfriend keep her down.This story was romantic,action,and true friendship.Serena must know why the Antrox are after her and Jemina has a premonition that Serena is going to betray them.Then Venessa comes again and turns invisible to keep away from from the cold fire.Another thing how could cold fire be cold.Serena was the one who can go through it and save her own friends life.Jemina was thankful that she could try to be more trustworthy and see what the inside from not her premonitions and see for herself.Serena is phychic and she is one of mysteries of the Daughters of the Moon. If you want to hear more about the Daughters of the Moon check out the Volume 3.Jemina couldn't stop thinking of Veto who died last year and he appears in her kitchen.While she was going to ask him what is he doing here he comes up and kisses her in the mouth .Was her feelings still strong?She felt his cheeck and his small scar that was warm.What do you think of that if you want hear more check it out!

NOTE: PLEASE READ THE FIRST BOOK BEFORE YOU READ THIS BOOK. THE STORY WILL BE RUINED IF YOU DO NOT READ THE OTHER TWO BOOKS FIRST. THIS STORY IS HARD TO FOLLOW IF YOU DO NOT EVERYTHING ABOUT THE SERIES AND ALL THE REALATIONSHIPS. THIS BOOK IS POORLY WRITTEN AND HARD TO FOLLOW IF YOU DON'T READ THE FIRST BOOK.

Serena is a goddess, a daughter of the moon. Sent by Selene to protect the human beings from an ancient evil called the Atrox. Jimena, Serena, Vanessa, and Catty are all daughters of the moon. Each of them has a unique gift. Vanessa can become invisible, Catty can travel in time, Serena reads minds, and Jimena sees into the future. Lynne Ewing has designed all of the books to show us everyone's point of view at different times. This book is based on Serena.

The story beginns with Serena at the beach with her brother Collin. Collin is a surfer. Serena gets a little bored watching him surf so she walks down the beach until she stumbles into a party. A girl dressed in a dress throws herself into a fire. Everyone at the party cheers Lecta. Serena at first thinks the girl's name is Lecta. Serena freaks about because a girl threw herself into the fire but then sees that the fire flames are blue. Stanton suddenly calls out to Serena, then all of the sudden she wakes up. Serena is covered with cuts thinking she fell into the ocean. Her brother come's and finds her and asks her what happened, but she can't remember.

Morgan gets a crush on Collin, Serena's brother. Serena can't stand Morgan and doesn't think that Collin and her would be good together. Then Çollin tells her one day that Morgan thinks Serena needs a boyfriend. Serena is very angry and can't help but wonder if Collin agrees with Morgan. To add to all of the mess, Jimena and Collin start fighting. Serena isn't sure she can handle the preasure. To top it off Serena's crushing on a new kid at school.

Then Jimena tells Serena a vision she had. Serena gets very upset because she doesn't want to destroy the daughters of the moon. But Jimena's vision have always come true. A few days later Stanton come's and tells her that she needs to be careful about the new kid at school. He also tells Serena that he erased her memories on the beach. Serena is very shocked by this. Then Stanton tells her that Stanton and her were in a relationship. A few nights later Serena reads Collins mind about Jimena. Then once the secret of the new kid is revealed the key gets thrown into the cold fire. This book tests the faith between all of the girls, and there values.