Science Fiction and Fantasy Books
Related Subjects: V A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U X Y W
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the reviewReview Date: 2005-10-26
great seriesReview Date: 2007-01-18
A classic heroic fantasyReview Date: 2005-09-30
FANTASTIC!!!Review Date: 2004-06-06
One of the best books in the Dragonlance sagaReview Date: 2006-11-03
The only complaint I can think of is that the Dwarfgate wars were sort of skimmed over, not revealing too much detail as far as the actual battles are concerned. The leaders of the various armies and factions could have been better fleshed out, especially Kharas and the leaders of the plainsmen and hill dwarves. These are minor regrets thought and Weis and Hickman leave much to the reader's imagination which probably enhances the overall effect of the story. They focus on the main characters and the emotional battles they are going through, and that would have been taken away from some if they had included too much detail about the side stories and characters.
Overall I'd say this is one of the more mature and grim of the Dragonlance novels, without very much humor at all and a lot of tense and dark moments. The vivid characterizations of the book sold me. I'd recommend this entire trilogy to anyone in for a good emotional story.
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I am so glad I found these...Review Date: 2008-09-13
Third in a series that keeps getting betterReview Date: 2008-09-12
This book takes the form of a standard rescue-the-damsel-in-distress story but Alexander keeps the pace brisk and introduces new characters that will return in future books: Llyan, a giant mountain cat, and Glew, a giant. Dallben and Coll only appear in the opening chapters, but returning characters include wandering bard Fflewddur Fflam, Prince Gwydion, and evil Queen Achren.
I woouldn't say that this is the best book in the series (that would be The High King, in my opinion) but it's a close second.
Not Free SF ReaderReview Date: 2007-09-03
When you decide you need to work on the aristocratic side of a girl, of course you would send her off with a pig keeper and a beast man, wouldn't you?
Because of this, and a bit of a princess triangle, they all end up in a Land of the Giants type scenario, or at least in part.
Here, along with a bit of magic, is a fantasy book where a crow actually comes in useful as a good thing.
Chronicles of PrydainReview Date: 2006-11-06
Good book, good principlesReview Date: 2006-05-05
This books is lots of fun, definitely a recommended read, along with the rest of the series.
Overall grade: A-

Keeps getting better!Review Date: 2008-06-18
A must have for any Star Wars fan.
fine 3rd instalment about Obi-Wan's apprenticeshipReview Date: 2003-12-14
This is an exciting story and explores further the developing relationship between Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon. Auxiliary characters are fun, especially the jovial Derida brothers, and Yoda is present in spirit if not body. There are a few battles but violence is not graphic.
Another winnerReview Date: 2003-05-31
The Absolute Best in the Series!Review Date: 2004-12-09
Finally! Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn has taken thirteen-year-old Obi-Wan Kenobi as a Padawan learner, and they're off on their first mission to the planet Gala, to make sure the planet's governmental elections go smoothly. Then, just as quickly as they take off, their ship is hijacked (uh-oh!) to the planet Phindar. But the good news is, Obi-Wan gets to meet up with his new Phindian friend Guerra Derida, from the previous JA book. They also meet Guerra's sister Paxxi. To paraphrase the Derida brothers... not so! Paxxi is Guerra's equally likable, equally funny brother. Together they work to outwit the Syndicat, an evil organization that controls Phindar by renewing the citizens (wiping their memories) and sending them off to another planet. One of the leaders is the Derida brothers' renewed sister Terra. There are also appearances of the Deridas' gentle mother Duenna. Can they foil the Syndicat's evil, or does renewal await them?
As said in the title, this is THE absolute best JA! It's clever and poignant, with clever characters design and interesting environmental details. Really, it's like nothing you've ever read before. It'll blow you away. And without the Deridas, what would the story be? Garabage? No, something worse than garbage. Even if you think "George Lucas is dumb and Star Wars is just a bunch of idiocy!", you'll love this. I highly recommend it! It rocks! Really. It takes poignance and sci-fi adventures where they've never gone before.
The absolute best in the seriesReview Date: 2004-12-06
I'm serious, read this book! It is THE best in the JA series, and definitely worth your time. You're gonna find it hard to put down, even if you think Star Wars is just a bunch of idiocy. This'll change your mind. Extremely poignant, with clever character designation and interesting environmental details, this may be one of the best books I've ever read. It rocked. Really.

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Where the heck is the map?Review Date: 2008-09-18
This novel's highlight is the development of Gaius as a full-fledged primary character. In the earlier volumes, he has been a presence more than a person. His arrival as a character humanizes him. I also like how Butcher reverses the roles: Before, Tavi was the one without furies, while Gaius reveled in his; now, Tavi is starting to come into his power while Gaius cannot depend on his. The First Lord also serves as a foil to Tavi. You can sense a conflict brewing between them based on their personalities. Tavi's compassion and trust will inevitably clash with Gaius's grim resolve. Much of the novels focus on the nature and consequences of service and loyalty. More than any other volume, Captain's Fury shows how Tavi inspires service and loyalty, whereas Gauis compels it.
By now, we know Tavi's secret identity, and part of me thinks it is a mistake. I like Tavi as a resourceful country boy who succeeded due to, not in spite of, his inability to furycraft. His success showed up the flawed society of this world with its emphasis on bloodline and furycrafting. Now, we have to wonder if his success is inherited instead of innate. Has he excelled merely because of his father? I know that Tavi's identity is crucial to the series and cannot be second-guessed, but I still wish he were a simple shepherd. There are enough stories about peasants who were royal all along.
Butcher's series is entertaining, but I think it is starting to feel formulaic. I hope that Butcher throws a curveball in the next volume. I'm ready for some surprises and betrayal. Also, can someone please insert a map of Alera in the next book?
great reading Review Date: 2008-08-09
Excellent 4th part to the series. Review Date: 2008-07-22
The Codex Alera is a story line that, while not as intricately woven as George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire (or is it Fire and Ice? I forget), it is still very, very entertaining. We're not reading Aristotle here, but I never did enjoy reading him in the first place. Some might say it's predictable, but there are some good twists here and there and the series is going in the direction I really want it to go. If Butcher did something strange and killed off half of the cast to be unpredictable, I'd be upset.
I recommend this book and this series to all those that enjoy the Dresden Files, Orson Scott Card, George R.R. Martin, etc.
Again, it's a highly enjoyable read and I really can't wait to get the next book.
ExcellentReview Date: 2008-07-18
Roman-style magic, military, and politics--nicely doneReview Date: 2008-07-08
Tavi's composure is shaken when he learns that the woman he thought was his aunt is actually his mother, and that his late father was the heir to the Alaran thrown. Still, he believes that the war can be won without massive slaughter--that the Canim are anxious to end the invasion and head to their homes. Unfortunately, Arnos wants his triumph and Tavi can do little from the prison where he's locked up after disobeying orders. Fortunately for Tavi, he has a number of friends, and his powers of magic are gradually growing.
Author Jim Butcher continues his Codex Alera series with an adventure that combines Roman-style military tactics, magic, personal bravery, and political jockeying for position during the decline of the aging emperor. A Roman-style government, military and political system provides a solid base on which Butcher can add his magical system (based on personifications of the different elements). Tavi (Octavian) continues to grow as a character, creating loyalties among his men (and women) that will serve him well if he can survive to become emperor. But at the end of CAPTAIN'S FURY, he's exposed to the Aleran nobility as heir-apparent. His problems with assassins are about to be multiplied.
Butcher is best known for his fine Dresden File series. The Codex Alera series is a great addition to his output. Fans of magical world-style fantasy will definitely want to read this entire series.

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Unexpectedly Excellent!Review Date: 2008-08-07
Laurel has been sent as an Ambassador to the King's Court of Iversterre. Years ago (largely forgotten by most of the people), the Borderlands fought a war and handily defeated Iversterre, now the two countries are approaching another war: smugglers and slavers and reavers from Iversterre have been killing Borderlands creatures or selling them as slaves and trading in their artifacts.
Rabbit travels with his troop, accompanying the Ambassador to the Courts and finds that he's the target of assassination attempts and that he needs to stop being the simple soldier and former farmboy and find out about politics and intrigues quickly. And although magic is totally disregarded in Iversterre, it seems that plenty of magic is at work; something else that Rabbit needs to know more about fast.
This is a solid and enjoyable epic fantasy that has some of what you'd expect (magic and mages and dragons and elves and kingdoms at war) and yet still feels fresh and unique. There is plenty of adventure and mystery and action and betrayal and evil. What's better, they aren't fighting an Evil Overlord, but men and creatures with the typical desire for power and riches.
Rabbit is a good main character. He's a farmboy and simple soldier, even though he's also quite a few other things as well. While he may be a bit TOO much, particularly towards the latter part of the book, the fact that he's humble and doesn't ask for much helps keep him grounded and accessible. The cast of characters who surround him are complex and intriguing as well. The plot twists and turns and is a wildly fun roller-coaster of a ride.
It is very easy for an epic fantasy to fall into the usual tropes and become indistinguishable from one another. This book is saved by its strong characters and clean and accomplished storytelling. I'm happy to recommend this book and will certainly be reading any sequels.
Wow!Review Date: 2008-07-31
The book has everything: humor, intensity, memorable characters and situations, memorable places, haunting images, brilliant dialogue, ideas, philosophy, feelings, symbols... And although, as is always the case with fantasy, a few aspects are recognizable from other works (I'm thinking mainly of Avatar, and the two are very different) there is a flavor of originality throughout.
It's not the kind of book I immediately want to reread, because it is the kind of book I first want to keep thinking about. I keep discovering things in retrospect, and realize how well it is planned. It is the kind of book I don't want just to reread, but to study.
I really, really hope Lorna Freeman doesn't have to wait for posterity to get the attention she deserves. I couldn't even find a new version of her second book on amazon (only second hand). But, as urged by a reviewer here, I wrote to penguin about the rumor of their discontinuing her series.
A great start to a enjoyable seriesReview Date: 2008-03-28
Excellent start to an innovative seriesReview Date: 2008-02-23
Unite to save this author!Review Date: 2008-05-06
Here is where the tragedy starts. Due to what the publisher thinks are low sales numbers Ms. Freeman's third book in this series has been put on hold until further notice!!!
I urge anyone who has read this book and enjoyed as much as I did to contact Penguin Publishing group to rally behind this author and get her books published.
This is one of the many reasons to buy new books when you find an author you appreciate. By buying used books talented authors like this get dumped by their publisher because the sale numbers are high enough.
Support your favorite authors, BUY NEW!!!

A Classic Book With a MessageReview Date: 2008-07-15
The author's theme is quite clear, yet not preachy. Forcing readers to look within and celebrate other's differences while recognizing held beliefs is what rides throughout the book. The theme is revealed through its characters and the setting holds to enforce it. The writer carefully questions the normal human nature. Readers are gently forced to face their own disagreements. A book that has been around for generations still provides the right answers to time old questions. Through its read, it is possible to fantasize of a better world.
Loved it then - Love it nowReview Date: 2008-02-26
leaves you wanting more, but still excellentReview Date: 2007-05-29
Memories from long agoReview Date: 2007-04-08
A gentle, thoughtful gemReview Date: 2007-06-01

TimelessReview Date: 2008-05-18
the story of juniper.Review Date: 2006-08-09
A jouney of self-discovery. Not as good as Wise Child, but well-written and still wonderful. Recommend, especially as a sequelReview Date: 2006-08-23
Despite the similar storyline, Juniper is very different from its sequel, Wise Child. Both stories are about young women who live with a doran, working hard and suffering in order to learn from her and train to be dorans themselves. However, Juniper deviates from Wise Child's focus on the nature of love and family: unlike Wise Child, Juniper comes from a stable and loving home. Rather, Juniper's story is about assessing one's own skills and finding one's own path, even if that path takes you far away from the comfort and desires of your youth. This theme of self-discovery is worthwhile and interesting to readers of all age groups: it's instructive and comforting to the young, and reminds older readers that the sacrifice and reward of self-discovery is never really over.
Perhaps the biggest difference between Wise Child and Juniper is the role of magic in the books. In Juniper, magic plays a much more visible role and doesn't fit into the world as we know it quite as well as it does in Wise Child. Talking animals, transforming sorcerers, and magical items all transform the visibility and role of magic. While not as extreme as it could be (there are no dragons here), magic is more obvious and harder to explain in this book. As a result, the story is a little more distant and harder to identify with than Wise Child, making for a less sucessful book. Juniper's story is more exciting, with a more physical and exciting climax, but on the whole it isn't as successful or as enjoyable as Wise Child.
Nonetheless, Furlong writes in a clear, readable style, her characters are realistic and easy to identify with, an the lessons contained within the book are worthwhile and personal. It is a fitting companion to Wise Child and contains many of the concepts and themes that make that book so wonderful. As a prequel, this book successfully provides backstory and characterization that should interest anyone that has read Wise Child. I do recommend this text, primarily but not only as a sequel, and I like to come back to it every couple of years.
Definately read this...Review Date: 2005-02-21
I hope this helped you...
Good for reading to your childrenReview Date: 2005-01-27
Juniper at least is a story that can engross a child while being satisfying to the adult reader. I never once had the urge to plunge my head through the sheetrock in the bedroom whereas when forced to read stories like the Pony Pals, that's all I can think about. The wise women in Juniper are are a bit too knowing and all seeing, the plot a bit formulaic but other than that, it's a story of growing up, persistence against adversity good and evil, courage and adventure and some things in between. Same holds through the rest of the trilogy: Wise Child and Colman though they're not written in order.
I suspect that these stories catch the mind of young girls more than boys and are aimed more at a female audience. I don't know if I would have read it by myself, but with mission to read to my daughters, it was an enjoyable journey. I could see adult women enjoying this for it's own sake. In any case the books of this trilogy are well above the average children's fare for girls or for boys. Definitely worth the price of admission.

Old does not mean goodReview Date: 2008-07-15
A do-over well worth doing againReview Date: 2008-03-07
Totally satisfyingReview Date: 2008-03-06
The first book delivers on its promise to depict the end of the world. That's not so easy to do! Furthermore, I found the underlying science to be surprisingly plausible and even timely, given our new understanding of how asteroids and comets have shaped Earth's history and could do it again. Yes, the characters are all two-dimensional, and of course various social details are dated. But the plot is so compelling that: who cares!
Anyway, the first book leaves you hankering for more, and the second book more than satisfies that hankering. Again there is edge-of-your-seat adventure. But for me the overriding pleasurable impression is of mystery. I won't give away the details, but suffice it to say: they are an excellent surprise, and I wish this had been a trilogy! Nevertheless, the book is actually more true-to-life in that some things remain unanswered and unknown. Really, the mysterious aura of the second book provides a kind of satisfaction in its own right.
Now I've got to find other books by Wylie!
READER OF MANY BOOKSReview Date: 2007-08-26
Classic Sci-Fi!Review Date: 2007-05-20
The book describes the death of the Earth in horrifying detail. The Noah's Ark theme is classic, where a group of survivors board rockets (arks) in order to escape the destruction of the planet. All in all, the authors give a good story, rich with adventure, emotion and incredible new worlds.
Not perfectly explainable in terms of science, but enjoyable even today.

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JESSE IS HOT!!Review Date: 2008-05-22
the mediator 6Review Date: 2007-07-14
Mediator # 6 TwilightReview Date: 2007-07-13
Good, but not the best in the series.Review Date: 2007-06-13
V.Z.Review Date: 2007-01-25

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Great and beautiful book for both adults and childrenReview Date: 2007-11-19
This book is for an adult who is pressed for time. This book includes many valuable lessons and suggests a right direction of life to people. I could learn from this book how important listening to other people is, and I also could think about time I have and spend every day. Momo helps people to listen to themselves by talking to her. Even though I have tried to listen to other people, I would find myself telling more about things I wanted to say. This book makes people realize once again about the importance of listening. Like this book says, people live busily to pursue their happiness, but they tend to lose their happiness because of that. Even if people make lots of money, they could lose their important things and get unhappy. This book tells us that we should take care of people who are around us more and try to feel the change of seasons and appreciate our life. How to spend time that we have evenly is up to us. We can make us be pursued by time. In addition, this book is very exciting. The adventure that Momo shows to take back time from the gray men led me into the exciting and fantastic world.
Una fantasía muy ciertaReview Date: 2007-01-02
Esta historia la debemos compartir con otros, porque no puede quedarse encerrada en nuestro corazón.
Está escrita para ninos, adolescente, adultos y mayores, cada quien con su experiencia sabrá sacar el mejor provecho de las enseñanzas que nos deja esta pequeña niña, no tanto con sus palabras, como con sus acciones.
El lector definitivamente se siente transportado a un mundo que conoce y compate pero se niega a reconocer como verdades, porque nada es más duro que reconocer en si mismo los errores que cometen otros.
Momo debiera ser un libro de lectura obligatoria en la escuelas, pero por no serlo, estoy segura de que más personas realmente lo van a disfrutar en cada una de las etapas de su vida.
A timeless classic for children and adultsReview Date: 2005-04-05
While the story in itself might appeal to very young children (amazon recommends it for pre-school children) I think that its beautiful depth would be lost on them. I am positive that the book wasn't written with this age group in mind.
This fantasy with a wonderful moral starts slow but gathers speed until its exciting conclusionReview Date: 2005-09-13
My wife and I began reading this aloud and stopped because of the slow exposition. But as I continued on my own, the pace picked up, and I was treated to an adventure into the origins of time and back again.
The book has several strengths. Ende draws his characters with wonderful detail: Momo and her friends are drawn with painstaking detail (sometimes too much, maybe, but ultimately with benefit). The moral of the tale, that time enjoyed is not time wasted, is a valuable if simple reminder to all of us in our rushed world. A secondary theme, established early in the book, points to the powerful value of listening to others, another valuable reminder. (As an aside, my favorite book on that theme is Mitch Albom's Tuesdays with Morrie.) As Momo journeys to the origin of time, Ende employs evocative imagery to help us visualize a physical manifestation of time.
I look forward to recommending this title to my children and to other young readers.
For "I dont have time to ..." peopleReview Date: 2005-05-12
It is not because you do not have enough skills to manage your time to...
It is because you choose to happen it to be so.
See (in this book) how
Related Subjects: V A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U X Y W
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