Fantasy Books

I enjoyed all his books, I have read all published books to date (Books 1-11) I say keep reading, even though sometimes Jordan rambles on, and such, even what some say is a Average/Poor book from his. It still is head and shoulders about all written Series save a hand full on equal par. HOWEVER, I DO HAVE VERY BAD NEWS, BUT ALSO GREAT NEW FOR WHEEL OF TIME READERS, AT LEAST WITH REGARDS TO HIS FINAL BOOK #12. Please read the following passage all readers need to know both bits of information.

Robert Jordan (this is his publishing name, not his real)....his real name is JAMES OLIVER RIGNEY, JR. Here is a link so you can read it all([...]). James Rigney (aka Robert Jordan) passed away in September of 2007 (last fall)....however there is still good news for all the readers. The whole staff and editors have the notes and spoken ideas Jordan left while in the hospital the last few days before he passed on. The Book will be named A Memory of Light! The family and editors have hired a Fantasy writer to finish the Series and last book. This Writer (Brandon Sanderson) was a personal friend, and was mentored by Jordan too over the years. He will also have Robert Jordan's wife... Harriet.. helping (she edited and helped on all the books with him). They say on their web-site that they are shooting for Late Fall or Early winter (Sept-Nov) in 2009 to have the last book in the Wheel of Time Series on the shelf. This will be called as I said Memory of Light and will be book 12 and will finish the Wheel of Time. This is what they our saying at least, and they know the book might be BIG, and very hard to get all plots and everything in place...... so the Last Battle can be fought....but they will do it, so they say. I really enjoyed all the books, and I know with all the help from his wife (who knows a man better then his wife) this will be worthy of Robert Jordan's Memory and Life.

Ross Hill (who is just a simple man that RJ helped change with getting me to read a lot and that helped me Graduate with a Bachelors of Science in Management)

I picked up the first three books in a set at a Books a Million, and after I started reading in December I haven't been able to stop. I'm about 1/2 way done with book 7 after about 2 months of reading in the series. It's a very engaging series and has merits for readers across multiple ages and preferences. I recommend this series to everyone except people who don't have at least 2 to 4 hours a day set aside to read, because you won't be able to stop yourself.

See my review on boxed set #3 for my brief series thoughts. Jordan is a good author, and has me hooked on a few of his characters. Perrin and his developement, in particular, has become my favorite. Features of the series nonwithstanding, I always like boxed sets for the ease of storage and organization, as well as the slight discount. On top of that I order two new boxed sets at once, and with the free shipping from amazon on orders over $25, it almost always turns out to be less expensive than buying used and paying shipping. This makes it an excellent value in my opinion, especially for print junkies like myself.

I have had all of these books before and lost them. It was well worth it to me to re-purchase them after approximately 6 years. I am re-reading the books for the 4th time and I still like them. The complexity of the story allows me to find new insights every time. I will admit though that it might be difficult to follow all of the different threads of the story when reading it for the first time around.

This might be one of my fav books of all time! This is a amazing story. Robert Jordan is a master at creating a world that comes alive in this series. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading.

It is First Summer's Eve. Every year the elves celebrate as the black moon's shadow fades from the world. It also happens to be Luthiel's fifteenth birthday. Luthiel's sister, Leowin, gives her a rare and magical Wyrd Stone. Luthiel is reluctant to accept it since Leowin stole it from a dark sorcerer. Yet Leowin insists that the stone belongs to her. Luthiel had been found, abandoned, as an infant and raised with Leowin's family. The stone had been with Luthiel at that time and the sorcerer had taken it from her. Knowing this, of course Luthiel accepts the Wyrd Stone. Shortly thereafter, a Blade Dancer arrives in the village. They are the solitary guardians of the Minonowe. A Blade Dancer always brings bad news, normally the name of the Chosen. The Chosen is the one elf each year that is taken from his family to the dark and ancient Vyrls who feed on the blood of elves. But this year, three, instead of one, has been Chosen. And the arrival of the Blade Dancer means there has been a fourth elf chosen.

The Chosen is Leowin. The Blade Dancer tells Luthiel in confidence that she has a choice. Luthiel may do nothing and Leowin will be taken to the Vyrls. Or Luthiel can break the highest Faeland law and venture alone to the Vale of Mists to offer herself in her sister's place. If Luthiel chooses to confront the Vyrls, she must hurry. Othalas, the eldest and most feared of all the werewolves, is en route to pick up Leowin. Luthiel will need to meet with a powerful sorcerer, somehow past huge, intelligent spiders who weave webs out of nightmares, and travel through the glittering mists with the power to reshape flesh. Only then will she reach the Vyrls. Either choice will bring death.

But Luthiel is stronger and braver than she could possibly imagine. Good thing, because it will take everything Luthiel has to learn the secrets about her Wyrd Stone.

***** I stress that this is the first book in the Luthiel's Song series. Though the story will end in a good spot, there will be many questions left unanswered and many future tasks left to achieve. However, everything in my synopsis of this story is completed by this book's half-way point. So much more happens than I can tell without some major spoilers (for this book and the future ones).

I am very happy to say that the story is excellent! There are so many creatures, twists, surprises, and adventure. Author Robert Marston Fanney's imagination is a deep well of fantasy mysteries. I can hardly wait to see where he takes me next! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

This is one of the most original fantasy worlds I've seen in years. Elves mixed with vampires and werewolves... and many more creatures. But the story has been told and retold since King Author: orphan finding out they are royality. The only thing that kept this from a five star rating is the lack of growth of the romantic aspect. The two characters could have been developed better from that standpoint to give them more depth. For kids and the men who do not want a lot of male-female interaction, this book is excellent. The simple plot:

It is First Summer's Eve. Every year the elves celebrate as the black moon's shadow fades from the world. It also happens to be Luthiel's fifteenth birthday. Luthiel's sister, Leowin, gives her a rare and magical Wyrd Stone. Luthiel is reluctant to accept it since Leowin stole it from a dark sorcerer. Yet Leowin insists that the stone belongs to her. Luthiel had been found, abandoned, as an infant and raised with Leowin's family. The stone had been with Luthiel at that time and the sorcerer had taken it from her. Knowing this, of course Luthiel accepts the Wyrd Stone. Shortly thereafter, a Blade Dancer arrives in the village. They are the solitary guardians of the Minonowe. A Blade Dancer always brings bad news, normally the name of the Chosen. The Chosen is the one elf each year that is taken from his family to the dark and ancient Vyrls who feed on the blood of elves. But this year, three, instead of one, has been Chosen. And the arrival of the Blade Dancer means there has been a fourth elf chosen.

The Chosen is Leowin. The Blade Dancer tells Luthiel in confidence that she has a choice. Luthiel may do nothing and Leowin will be taken to the Vyrls. Or Luthiel can break the highest Faeland law and venture alone to the Vale of Mists to offer herself in her sister's place. If Luthiel chooses to confront the Vyrls, she must hurry. Othalas, the eldest and most feared of all the werewolves, is en route to pick up Leowin. Luthiel will need to meet with a powerful sorcerer, somehow past huge, intelligent spiders who weave webs out of nightmares, and travel through the glittering mists with the power to reshape flesh. Only then will she reach the Vyrls. Either choice will bring death.

But Luthiel is stronger and braver than she could possibly imagine. Good thing, because it will take everything Luthiel has to learn the secrets about her Wyrd Stone.

~R~

Being a Terry Brooks fan among others, and having reviewed within the romance and mystery genres for quite a few years away from the fantasy/science fiction genre, it was a refreshing and unexpected delight to read such a well done tale of fantasy! Luthiel's Song: Dreams of the Ringed Vale is light and dark, with a heart-felt touch of character dilema sandwiched inbetween. It's Luthiel's fifteenth birthday upon which her sister Leowin presents her with a wonderful gift; a Wyrd Stone. But the treasure is not the only thing that comes to Luthiel upon the day of her birthday. A Blade Dancer comes bearing a dark and very disturbing message. A message meant for one Luthiel holds dear in her heart. So disturbing and dark is the message the Blade Dancer bears, Luthiel is faced with a horrifying choice. Should she do nothing and wait for death to steal away a cherished loved one, or does she go against the most sacred of laws and make a journey alone into one of the darkest places known to her kind? Death lays in wait which ever way she chooses. But whose death will she choose? Only her Wyrd Stone, a window into the world of dreams can help her avoid the inevitable choice. But will she find the secret the stone holds before it is too late? Find out as I did, and read this wonderful first book from author Robert Fanney. My appetite for fantasy is now hungry for more! Very well done!

One of the absolutely best written fantasy books of all time. What I liked about it, everything. What I disliked about it, nothing. Ok there was one thing, none of my local book stores carried it, but fortunetly Amazon had it and for a very good price. If you have kids get this book for them but make sure you read it first or get 2 copies so you can enjoy reading it, because once you give it to your kids you won't be able to get it out of their hands.

A thoroughly enjoyable book. Mr. Fanney's characters, creatures, and storyline made the book hard to put down. And unfortunately, when I did put it down (three days after I started it), I quickly went to Robert Fanney's myspace, I thanked him for Luthiel's Song, and asked when the next addition to Luthiel's story was coming out.

There are few authors who's books I've read more than once (Tolkien, Kurtz, King, and Eddings), Robert Fanney is the newest author on that list.

As the author states in the introduction, this book is not as good as people made it :-)
the story may be compelling, but there are many faults in this book that make the reading boring and exhausting:
Despite the fact that the story walks with the main character from childhood to adulthood the book fails to portray it as a real person, which results in lack of proper complexity that each one of us have. This goes for all characters of the book. The author touches each one briefly and unsatisfactory.
The dialogs are short and sometimes childish.
There is an irritating inconsistency in point-of-view where one sentence starts with one character point of view and 2 sentences afterwards you see it through another's character point of view.
The story is slow and when I was half way through the book I was wondering when will the autor ever get to the point.
I am sure this book at the time was considered better and maybe even innovative, but today after reading many good fantasy books, it just doesn't cut it.

If the world of Midkemia feels familiar--possibly even cliched--that's because it is. Ray Feist is writing from a D&D game that he had in college, so the fantasy is not original in setting. D&D itself is a rather clumsily thrown-together goulash of all kinds of fantasy stereotypes and cliches itself.

Despite that, Magician (and the rest of the Riftwar Saga) succeed where so many other novels in the genre do not, due to compelling characters, interesting and intriguing plot, drama, tensions, romance, and a very skilled writer.

So many other "high fantasy" writers leave me disappointed; Terry Brooks, Robert Jordan, Terry Goodkind, David Eddings, R. A. Salvatore... the list goes on and on.

Raymond Feist is one heck of a writer, and that's the secret of his success.

Raymond Feist was not the first author I read a book from when first coming into fantasy, but I wish it had been, he is by far the best in his class next to Tolkien. In the First book magician Pug And Thomas, I gat shivers thinking about it i have never enjoyed another book better then Feist's book's in my 20 years living I would say if you hadn't read this book you missed out on an experience. The transformation that Pug and Thomas go throw both being so unique and so original in thinking that i was blown away.; Arutha by far is the greatest charater in both a book world and someone you might meet on the street. Every character Feist introduces It's hard to explain it's almost like there real just coming out of the page and talking to you face to face he really makes it good and thr depth that the story goes into is almost feels like it could happen. The theres that deep family feeling that comes at you when you read about Duke Borric and Arutha and Lyme and of course Martin WOW!!!!!! Thats something only a Master of words can accomplish.

Magician is the first book in Raymond E Feist's epic Riftwar series. Set primarily on the world of Midkemia, a medieval, rural type world, the story centres on two boys, Pug and Tomas. Pug's ambition is to be a magician whilst Tomas wants only to become a soldier. All is going well in their lives until war erupts, changing the boys' lives forever. The twist in this tale is that the invaders are from another world, a place called Kelewan that is medieval Chinese in style, populated by a harsh and cruel race. They have discovered a rift in space/time that allows them to cross to Midkemia where they cause havoc, murdering and enslaving the Midkemians. Naturally, as with all fantasy books, the two youngsters are, in their differing way, to become heroes and to save the day. One criticism could be that there is not much detail given regarding Kelewan but Feist (along with Janny Wurts) has brought out the Empire trilogy which is a series set on that world. For anyone wanting that extra information, they will find those books a real treat.
This book seems (judging by previous reviews) to be one that you will either love or hate. Many have tried to compare it to Tolkein whilst others belittle that view. It certainly isn't Tolkein, but is an original and interesting book in its own right. Sure, many of the staples of fantasy are there such as elves and dwarfs, swords and sorcery etc. but there is enough originality in this book to make it a very worthwhile read.
This is a big book to read (in the USA it has now been split into two volumes) but don't let that put you off, it's not so heavyweight that it becomes a chore to read, nor so lightweight it becomes boring. It's certainly worth the time of any lover of fantasy fiction.

This is my favourite science fiction fantasy book of all times. Raymond E. Feist created a masterpiece in this book which he continued over his next set of books.

I loved the excellent character development in this book. Pug and Thomas are amazingly complex characters that you feel like you know after reading the book.

I find it very hard to believe that this amazing book has gotten so many bad reviews here. I don't expect everybody to like science fiction/fantasy but if you do, you will love this book.
In fact if asked to recommend a starting science fiction/fantasy book I will always recommend this book.

Myself I have read it many times and no doubt I will read it again. Although some of his later books were excellent none of them came close to this wonderful book until the daoughter of the empire series which was co-written with Janny Wurts.

I loved this book! I feel like these characters are my friends. I find myself rooting for them. An excellent read! Highly recommended!

What I loved about this book was that the protagonists were very intelligent and resilient (but of course faced insurmountable odds). There was no cheesy evil god or some such like you'll see in some epic fantasy, and that is but one of many ways in which this world seems so believeable and real. Its detailed tapestry of a world in turmoil yet still beautiful is surpassed only in the emotions and depth of the characters.

This series is great, and this book is my favorite of all the others. I love the way the author suddenly switches scenes and we are left wondering what happened to the character, but then we forget about them as we become entrapped in the plot of what's going on with everyone else. Overall, this is my favorite book.

I was impressed that the Witches wasn't a one hit wonder. This second book was well planned if not a little on the slower reading side. The first book truly focuses on the relationship between Meghan and Isabeau, whereas this second book deals with the relationship of Meghan and Iseult, and Iseult and Lachlan. Again praise for the research of pagan traditions.

In this second book, Isabeau takes a bit of a back seat, recovering from her ordeal in delivering the talisman, and learning humility and obedience as a servant in the Righ's palace. There is a shift of interest to her twin sister, Iseult, whom Meghan discovered when she visited the Dragons. Iseult, raised by her faery kin on the icy Spine of the World, seems as different from Isabeau as night is from day. where Isabeau is laughing, impetuous, and headstrong, Iseult, raised by a tribe of fierce warriors in a dangerous, snowy land, is solemn and disciplined. Meghan convinces Iseult that she must leave her tribe and seek out her destiny among her mother's people. Meghan and Iseult meet up with the lost prionssa who has been hiding for years, since escaping from his brother's treacherous wife. He is a bitter young man, passionate in his desire for revenge against the Banrigh, Maya the Ensorcellor. Guided by Meghan, he and Iseult set off on the dangerous quest to unite the rebels, depose the Banrigh, and restore the Coven. To do this, they must rescue the Lodestar, an ancient magical scepter which has been locked away since the day the witches were betrayed, and which is dying from lack of contact with the royal family. The character of the prionssa is delightfully complex. Just because he's supposed to be some kind of hero to the people and to us doesn't mean they or we always like him, and it doesn't mean he always does everything right. Some people prefer cardboard cutout characters that are some kind of archetypal representation of an idea of a hero or a villan or a leader or an ingenue. And some people like characters who are made from their experiences, with a dash of nobility of character which makes them strive to overcome their experiences to be and do more. The latter should be pleased. When you finish The Pool of Two Moons, I know you won't be able to wait for The Cursed Towers (so maybe order them both together).

My boys, ages 6 and 7, love this book. The art work is fantastic, and the story is great. We have read it many times and sometimes we just look at the pictures, which are so full of detail.

I would highly recommend it.

I grew up with this book and it is still relevant. The shipping was fast and the book arrived in perfect condition.

I have all the same things to say as everyone else. I loved this as a kid, my copy was all torn apart, the artwork is stunning, etc., etc.

The story is lovely and teaches a lesson. My 2-year old likes this story because of the illustrations and the COLORS. He likes to name the colors of the goblins. Of course, he does not really understand the story, which is good, because it might be a bit scary for little kids. By the time he does understand, it won't be scary anymore, and he will already have gotten a couple years of enjoyment out of the book just based on the pictures and colors.

I completely recommend this book for all children's libraries and collections.

My children (when they were young) and I LOVE this book. The pictures are beautiful, colorful renditions. The story is one that interests young children, but doesn't frighten them. While this is not the original, full-size art book, it is a very nice printing that can be read and enjoyed many times. I have purchased many copies as gifts and all were appreciated.

I found the story disturbing and no amount of beautiful artwork is going to change that. The goblins plan to steal the rainbow colors, but the flowers beat them to it. Then the flowers lie in wait for the goblins to drown them with the rainbow colors. The rainbow is saved and turns the flowers into colorful creatures as a reward.

Make your own choice, but we are not keeping this book.

Hi, how are you all? Well I know this book is wonderful! Acually i never read the book charmed but i did read the book so little time, which is by the same author. That was a very good book. So if that was a good book that she wote then this should be good also. The book is very intersting and tells you alot of information and some good heads up and tips. Kids my age would like the book, i would belive..... I might not be giving alot of information right now but the more information you want is right inside the book. So i would suggest to read the book and i think you will injoy it! I also think Charmed is a good book to read too.!.!.!.!.! Well i hope i at least helped you out a little bit. And i hope you read BOTH books because reading is good for you , and just enjoy them! Thank you for taking your time out to read this.

I have a penchant for time-travel stories, as they are striking, interesting, not to mention compelling. This book is inevitably one of them. Phoebe being abducted into past by a time-demon during the times of the Salem Witch Trials was huge (amazing)!! I'm not going to reveal details of the story, but what I don't get is that how on earth could the Charmed Ones use their powers in the past, and how the Law of no coincidences is oblivious to the author.


But as this is not the tv show, I suppose authors are able to use their imagination freely. My fave bit of this book is how Piper and Prue was under the evil influence of the root tea Prudence drank, given by Hugh, and they acquired amazing powers, which included being "evil" themselves and coming in handy to rescue their sister. I especially like the fact that Prudence did not succumb to the tainted root tea to nearly kill her own descendant, as the power of good always prevails!!! Also, its nice to involve the Charmed Ones' ancestor to this book, as readers somewhat know more about certain witches from the Warren line. Rosalind Noonan did a good job portraying each sister's characters, and how all their different and unique personalities combined together can pack a huge wallop. True to the series, with dry humour added and the Power of Three situation makes Whispers from the Past all the more enjoyable. And the fact that poor Phoebe, despite "stuck playing cinderella", she was determined to stay focused on the path to solving the problem, is also rather warmth-evoking.

In a nutshell: If you like Charmed, there's no doubt you will like this book. Not as excellent as Soul of the Bride, but close. One of my all-time faves. Well worth it!!!

Finally, a Phoebe episode [well book] that any Charmed fan can get behind. It's a time travel piece and a family get-together. Need I say more?

Fantastic addition to the Charmed series :) Not as good as 'Soul of the Bride' but up there with the best of the books.

I always love a good time-travel story if it's: 1) Well-Written, 2) Believeable. This book gets it on both counts.

The evil piper/prue angle was kinda amusing *ducks* The new powers they got were awesome too (though Piper's was kind of an extension on her stopping tme power)

This book does have a couple errors (Girls using their powers in the past to get home) but considering these books aren't written as fast as the series is ('least most of them seem that way)... we need to give the author's a break. We can't expect them to keep up with the pace/storylines of the show.

Considering SOME of the storylines 'Charmed' has taken, maybe the creators should look to some of these books for plot ideas.

I hope Miss Noonan puts in another contribution to the Charmed series again sometime.

This was the very first Charmed book I read and it was solid. I have now watched every episode of every season and there were no holes in it. I love all episodes that the sisters go back in time or forward or relive memories etc. If you are like me, then you will love this book too!

David Eddings' Belgariad series is one of the masterpieces of modern fantasy literature. I fell in love with his books many years ago, and re-read them to this day. His characters are lifelike and amusing, and written in a very human manner. Every time I read, I feel like I am visiting with old friends. Although Eddings writes conflicts into his story, he writes with an assurance that success will come which parallels the great epics of history. His novels, though not thrilling, are relaxing and enthralling in a more stoic fashion-- you will care about the characters and want to see them succeed.

I would recommend this book to the starting fantasy reader, or the reader of modern fiction who hasn't yet delved into the genre. Eddings' personal style and lovable characters have turned me into a dedicated fantasy reader, and I have not yet found his equal among the other authors I've read.

Eddings' series The Belgariad is one of my all-time favorite reads. It's the classic fantasy good-vs.-evil, coming-of-age, lost-kings-returning, quest-with-companions epic. These are common themes in fantasy, but Eddings' writing is so witty, and his characters so intriguing, that it never gets old. He seems very aware he is using some well established cliches, but puts new twists on them and even makes fun of them as the story goes on. I especially love Eddings' twist on the concept of prophesy: In this story, the prophesy is actually sentient, and does not hesitate to tell our hero, Garion, when he is being an idiot.
This series is funny, entertaining, engrossing, and complex. It was my introduction to the sword and sorcery genre of fantasy, and I absolutely love it.

I recomend all of david eddings books to any reader of any age.
David eddings is my idle in a short way of putting it... he has brought a new light to me and my writing since i was a child... His books have a certian amount of amusement in them. Yet the characters are all lovable. This is a book that i promise all will remember and read again... I love all of his books. his philosiphy is simple to understand, yet the writing syle is one that i still have not seen in any other books. He allows a certian amount of ammusement into them, yet keeping them serious. His books are like a good movie that you dont want to end. After reading one of them you want more and more. until you have devoured the very sould of his writing.

To put it short i dont know why i like them there just fun loving and honest to god books.

I have never came across a set of books that is so moving,very few authors have made me as emitional as this athor has with this set.I hope their will be a follow up,it would be nice to see how everything whent after all was said and done,peace doesn't last for ever. Highly recomened,own the full set,have read them so much I can almost tell the story myself.

This is, I believe, Eddings' first real foray into the realm of true Fantasy, and it doesn't disappoint. Eddings does well to develop characters over time and doesn't sacrifice depth for brevity. I've always enjoyed the sense of humor he brings to his works and the repartee that develops between the characters.

If you are looking for a great starter series in the fantasy genre or a more developed work, look no further. Those looking for the complexity and seriousness of high-fantasy should stick with Tolkien and Donaldson.

This was one of my favorite starting fantasy series, and continues to entertain after all these years.

Lee really gets you into this book. Set in a time when dying holds no consequence since you can come back and design a new body and when you can design your own dreams, one young jang girl rebels. Tired of the same thing she tries at first to move up a stage to an older person when that fails she tries at working. She tries all things from digging up artifacts in the desert to making a child and breaks the few rules that the society had set and ends up being thrown from civilization for killing another person against their will. Ready to experience new things she starts her own garden in the desert and oasis of freedom she was exiled to where she can live and be happy until others want that same freedom and the society she was desperate to escape from starts meddling its way back into her life.
Good book, had romance, adventure, fantasy, I loved it. It was long though (I read it in one sitting) so don't buy it if you'll just read a page every other day that really takes away from the story.

I've seen most reviewers class this as SF - but I'd put it in the fantasy section. Other reviewers have given you excellent information on the content of the collection of two novels. I read Drinking Sapphire Wine first as a teenager (my FIRST SF/Fantasy experience)and it's great as a stand alone novel. Reading Don't Bite the Sun gave me the background to understand the heroine/hero's (as you can switch body genders!) actions and why she/he chose instead of PD (where your personality is wiped and you "return" as a child to "utopia"). I identified with the main character, who's name is never mentioned in either novel, as she/he was a loner as I was and still am to most extent and saw the world in a different light than others as well as had a love for pets, archaeology and the desert. I admit to having read this book over and over and over and still enjoy it today as an adult, along with the Sliver Metal Lover these are my favorite novels from Tanith Lee's great volume of work. When I was a teen I indoctrinated my friends to these novels and we used the Jang slang in our everyday language and notes. My first copies were LOST by a friend who SAID they were stolen out of his locker - HA! I don't BELIVE it. He was either obsessed with me (which he outgrew and married a lovely lady) and wanted my property or didn't want to buy his own copies to read and read! Along with the SF of body and sex changes there is the background of human emotions, which have been squashed to only "good" emotions by hypnoschool, revealing some of the darker emotions of the characters and love which will endure the ages. Exiles from the four Bee's, the main character and her/his friends/lovers and followers and some desert animals struggle to make an existence outside the dome - which except for a little android sabotage (AGAINST their programing!), turns out to be a better life than in the cities and the main characters find true love instead of having love of the domes. Would I read this again - yes I have - over and over.

This is an amazing and original fantasy novel.

It takes place in either the future, or on another planet. Death has been illiminated along with sickness and old age. You change bodies, change gender, change anything, the whole world (which appears to consist of three domed cites in a large uninhabitable desert wasteland) is controlled by human like androids.

You go to school until roughly the age of five and then you're "Jang", or teenage for up to a hundred years afterwards. Jang are encouraged to kill themselves and come back in wacky bodies, have sex with dozens of people in both genders (though they have to get married first and annual it afterwards) and take tons and tons of drugs, mostly ecstasy pills. Also Jang are encouraged to steal, but since no money exists and paying consists of putting out emotional energy to power the domes in forms of excessive "thank yous", it doesn't really matter if they do.

Basically this society has no soul, no responsibilities. Androids handle everything. Death means nothing, so life means nothing. (Which is a very profound concept if you think about and not one I've seen used in fantasy before.) And one mostly female Jang rebels (in sort of a roundabout fashion) and changes all that.

It's a cool book and it reinforces ideas of the human spirit. I look forward to reading other books by this author (this was my first.)

Five stars

I was surprised that no one saw the connection between the theme of this book and the theme with Dostoevsky's "The Underground Man". Whereas Dostoevsky takes the idea that man is inherently lazy, selfish, and easily bored and illustrates it in subtle ways in what was the present for him, Tanith Lee basically magnifies everything Dostoevsky has to say in a way that you can't ignore it, and puts it waaaaay into the future.

For those of you who haven't read Dostoevsky, as it isn't common with teenage sci-fi lovers, Dostoevsky was basically a conservative in the 1800s when communism was just begining in Russia. Russian communists beleived that through communism, man would live in a paradise, with all needs met, and do work for the sake of work and his love for his neighbor. Communism placed way too much trust in the goodness of human beings. Dostoevsky knew that no matter what, humans would never be content with what they had, and "The Underground Man" was a sort of warning against this idea.

Anyways, Tanith Lee understood all of this, and in her book takes us into a future where everything runs on the power of human emotion, and the need for human workers has completely vanished. Because human emotion is vital to make the city run, humans are encouraged to indulge in their every whim, to unleash all their restraints and do whatever it is they beleive will produce emotions within themselves--happiness being the preffered emotion, for when one is happy one does not question or think or ask for more. Death cannot touch the citizens. You can do anything you want without risk.

Initially, the reader may be confused, because the psychology of the citizens seem reversed. They actually enjoy in some way feeling unhappy, but soon the reader realizes why--in a world where you are pampered and all your desires met, the only way one can really feel anything is to experience a bit of dissappointment.

Anyways. It's a fabulous book, a good introduction to these deeper questions of humanity for the seeking teenager, but I think readers of all ages might enjoy it, if one can only relax themselves into the story and put their faith in the author.

Here is a youthful, vibrant tale about a young, unnamed rebel who sets herself at war with her society. Frustration, exasperation, boredom and a jaded view of her world all come through in the colorful first-person narrative. Adolescents in particular will connect with this book. The feeling that there is something wrong with the world, and the urge to rebel, are particularly strong at that age. Thus this book is probably most relevant to misfit teenagers (like myself when I first read this book).

I don't know that older readers will connect with it on the profoundly emotional level which I first experienced. I was young, and more naive, and here was a book that was saying what I was feeling. It just felt right.

When I was older, I realized that there were flaws in the story for all its wacky grandeur. Another reviewer has been astute enough to point out that there could be more here. There is definitely potential for it. A morally bankrupt society bent on pleasure and run by robots--there's some big potential there for philosophical and political thinking. It isn't, however, all that political or philosophical, at least in a formal way. It's much more oblique, being told through the eyes of a "Jang" or teenager in that society.

What I'm trying to get at is that this story is more likely to resonate with young people because it is geared at them. There is stuff to entertain the older reader, but the book is more emotional than intellectual, and any possibilities for complexities may have been left out intentionally because it is written for a younger audience.

I would by no means excourage older readers from picking it up. It's a fun, zany read. But by all means, if you know any young people, it should be recommended to them as well.

Five stars to Biting the Sun, the love of my adolescence.

Ichigo "Strawberry" Kurosaki is just your average teenage boy... except that he can see spirits wherever he goes. Ghosts, evil spirits, accident victims, all kinds.

So it's not exactly surprising that he gets involved in wild, dangerous adventures, at the start of the humorous, action-packed "Bleach." Since this is just the first volume, Tite Kubo's art and plotting experience some basic growing pangs, but the stories are fast-paced, amusing and sometimes incredibly poignant. And the spiky-haired Ichigo has the makings of a great manga hero.

One night a strange girl appears in Ichigo's bedroom, and is shocked when he can see her. She explains that she's a Soul Reaper, who helps the dead pass on to the Soul Society (a sort of afterlife... thing), and purifies evil spirits called Hollows.

But when Rukia is injured in a fight with a Hollow, all her powers are transferred to Ichigo -- and with them, the responsibility of killing Hollows all over his town. Ichigo is not enthusiastic about his new role, but he can't pass up the opportunity to help innocent spirits. And he finds out that it isn't easy juggling his new responsibilities with his everyday life -- especially since the powerless Rukia is now attending his school in a fake body, and living in his closet.

Even worse, his extra duties with Hollows are affecting his friends. First pretty, flaky Orihime is stalked by a Hollow she is very familiar with -- someone who was closer to her than anyone else. And Ichigo's enormous, mostly-silent pal Chad is given a "cursed parakeet," and immediately dangerous things start happening to him -- what is the parakeet's "curse," why is a Hollow pursing Chad, and why does his new pet seem to be intelligent?

The first volume of a manga series is usually the bumpiest ride, since the author/artist is busy introducing the characters and the main storyline. So it's not surprising that "Bleach's" first volume has a few bumps in the road, especially in the first couple chapters -- getting Ichigo into the whole Soul Reaper situation, introducing about half of the main cast, and to the whole worldview of this particular series. Things get much more complex later on, but at this point Kubo is just laying out the groundwork.

The artwork is also rather sketchy in the first few chapters -- Ichigo looks almost prepubescent and a bit thuggish in the first chapter, and the action panels look abrupt. Fortunately by the time Orihime's storyline rolls around, Kubo's art has settled into a smoother, more even style -- if still a bit rough around the edges.

Primarily this is an action manga, with lots of monster-slaying with swords (in Ichigo's case, a freakishly huge one) and a complex battle between Ichigo and a grief-maddened Hollow. But Kubo fills these scenes with a sense of pathos, such as Chad's fondness for the little parakeet, or Orihime's fond memories of her older brother, who saved her as a baby from their horrible parents.

Don't worry, there are a lot of comedic moments too -- Rukia's awful drawing skills, Ichigo playing baseball with pepper bombs, and Ichigo's kooky classmates and family. Not to mention Chad's quiet explanations ("Yesterday... I collided with a motorcycle").

This is our first introduction to the various characters, but Ichigo "Strawberry" is a pretty good hero, albeit in the mold of most action-anime heroes -- rough, fight-prone, determinedly lonerish, but very good-hearted. He doesn't want to go out and just be heroic, but he can't pass up a person who needs his help. The smart, prickly Rukia and sweetly flaky Orihime round out the cast, although gentle giant Chad hasn't been explored much yet.

The first volume of Tite Kubo's "Bleach" is a warmup for the bestselling series, but Kubo really hits his stride -- with art and story -- in the second half. Definitely worth getting, if nothing else to acquaint you with the world of the Soul Reapers.

Ghosts are everywhere. Ichigo Kurosaki knows this because he can see ghosts. But his life takes a huge change when he runs into Rukia Kuchiki, a Soul Reaper, and he learns about the spirit world. In fact he joins it to protect his family. For the first volume it packs a lot of details, setting up the world within the book and the characters who live within it.

I really enjoyed to whole concept of this series. This book does a good job in setting it up.

the first bleach book, it takes you into a fantasy world that is impossible to put down.

bleach is one of my favourite manga comics.I think every fan of manga should read at least one part of bleach.If you like manga I also recommend death note and naruto.

I have a hard time deciding what to write here. Orson Scott Card is able to write passages that literally take my breath away. There was one in "Ender's Game" and there was one at the end of a chapter in this book (you'll probably know it when you read it, and rather than spoil it I'll merely say it reminded me of the famous "For want of a nail the kingdom was lost" bit).

Make no mistake, this is a dark fairy tale. While he doesn't go into overly graphic details, he gives enough so that the reader can clearly 'see' what's happening. There's blood, sex and violence (sometimes all three at once) throughout. The characters are memorable. The writing is clear and sharp. The connections between the main characters are somewhat complicated, making them even more interesting. I felt the choice of 'summarizing' the chapter in the voice of the narrator, at the beginning of each chapter, to be a somewhat odd choice. In many respects this ties into the ending, but it removes much of the suspense. Still, there were other twists that kept things fresh.

Two things kept me from giving it 5 stars. The first is that the book meandered a bit in the middle. Yes, most of the meandering had elements in it that became important later, but the flow bogged down a bit.

But the ending failed for me and is what kept me from giving it 5 stars. There were a couple of elements here. The first was quite simply a typo in the very last paragraph that forced me to stop to see if I'd misunderstood the thrust of the sentence. I hadn't, but it broke the flow of a well written piece of writing.

*mild spoiler alert*




The book also tried to throw a twist in at the very end. The interesting thing is, I'd been thinking about the twist beforehand because I'd just discussed a similar concept with a friend about the use of the 2nd person 'voice' in writing. It was a clever idea, but the execution just didn't work for me, mainly because I never 'identified' with the character I was supposed to, to make it work properly. Now, maybe Card just meant for the reader to feel like he/she was reading a story written, rather than hearing a story spoken, in which case it may have worked better. But I ended with the latter impression not the former, and it just didn't mesh.

Finally, the story introduced a couple of characters as friends of one of the main characters, but they were almost completely absent at the climax and were brought up again briefly at the very end making me wonder where they were at the climax itself.



* end mild spoilers *



This was still a very good book, and had a couple of clever writing ideas, but the problems (or at least what I perceived as such) dragged it down a notch.

Burland's king Nasilee's reign is destroying the country, so Palicroval is urged to overthrow him for the good of the country.

He defeats Nasilee. Then, to solidify his position, he takes Nasilee's young daughter Asineth as a bride, publicly consummating the marriage (rape, in other words) so there's no doubt. He can't, however, bring himself to kill her, though his advisors all agree he should. Instead, he sends her away with the wizard Sleeve, and turns to Enziquelvinisensee Evelvenin, the most beautiful woman in the world, whose hand he'd won before his quest.

Asineth, bitter and bent on revenge, is pregnant with Palicroval's child, which ends up being a 10-month baby--magically significant. She sacrifices the child and uses it to become Queen Beauty, turning Sleeve into a court jester and taking Enziquelvinisensee Evelvenin's appearance for herself, turning the real Enziquelvinisensee Evelvenin into a hag.

She returns to the capital and takes over, allowing Palicroval to go anywhere in the land but the capital. She magically watches him and torments him for her amusement.

Finally, the gods take a hand and cause Palicroval to father a child, Orem, whose task, though he's unaware of it, is to set things right.

This is a rather unusually written story--told as an epistle to Palicroval, with the epistle-writer's commentary and advice along with the narrative. It took me a while to get used to the style, but once I did, it added to the feel of the story. It's distant--the omniscient POV doesn't allow the reader deeply into any of the characters' thoughts or emotions--but the story is epic in scale, spanning centuries and involving gods and the fate of a nation; and it's a morality tale as well, so the style fits the story.

The action is gritty, from the rape to the torments Queen Beauty visits on Palicroval, to the events Orem endures on his unknowing quest. Nothing is sugar-coated or coyly avoided, and that too serves the story, showing how even good intentions can result in evil and victims become villains.

And it shows the dangers of attracting the attention of the gods. Isn't there a famous saying about that? Or perhaps its just a truism. The gods' intervention led to the changing fortunes of Palicroval, and the existence and eventual fate of Orem.

It's not that much of a spoiler to say that the ending is open-ended. That, too, serves the story, giving a reason for the epistle to Palicroval.

I'll be re-reading this one more than once, I'm sure.

My only complaint was an annoying sticker on the cover, but I got it to come off with minimal residue. Overall, a solid, strong service. Average speed but great quality of the product itself.

In typical Orson Scott Card fashion, Hart's Hope does not disappoint. One of the things I love about Card is that each one of his books are entirely different, yet they are instantly identifiable as a book that he authored. What's even better is that he always exceeds my expectations. I could build up a book of his in my head for five years, and it would still be better than I could ever imagine. The man is magical with a pen (or a computer) and with Hart's Hope, he has written a truly magical tale.

Orson Scott Card has describe Hart's Hope as the most classic fantasy novel he has written, meaning that the book holds all the elements of a traditional fantasy. It takes place during an unstated time, yet seems medieval in fashion. It involves magic, sorcerers, kingdoms lost, kingdoms fought for, kingdoms saved, vengeance, and kings and queens. It's quite the epic novel wrapped up into a little under 300 pages.

Hart's Hope is the story of Orem, the unknown son of the king, Palicroval. Palicroval has killed the current king and taken the king's daughter as his wife. The king's daughter then decides to take vengeance and becomes Queen Beauty through a truly horrifying ritual of blood and sorcery. Queen Beauty in turn has put the king, Palicroval under a horrible spell and sees his every move. The Hart is a stag of 100 horns, a god of power. The Hart leads Palicroval to a woman who fathers Palicroval's son, though Palicroval is unaware of it. The child is named Orem and has powers that are unknown to anyone, even to himself. All of these storylines interweave into a very complex but surprisingly easy to understand plot that takes us on a truly magical, wondrous, and at times horrifyingly graphic, yet beautiful story.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I've never been disappointed with Card. I've read nearly his whole library and find it very hard to rank books of his in order of which I like best, though I must admit that my favorite book of his is still Speaker For The Dead, the sequel to Ender's Game. The great thing about Card's novels is the love we feel for his characters. He has a gift of bringing a touch of humanity to all of his characters. I care about his characters like no other author's. Hart's Hope was no exception.

I enjoyed this one very much and would recommend it to any fans of fantasy. And for those that aren't crazy about that genre, you may still like this book. The writing and the story itself stand alone without being classified into a genre. Beautiful book!

This book was a complete surprise. I have been reading Orson Scott Card for about the last 15 years, but this amazing little book is quite a wonderful departure.

"Hart's Hope" reminds me of a classic, non-politically correct fairy tale with violence, magic and allegory. Underlying the story are the questions of what is good and evil as well as the power of words and the wonder of making and unmaking. These are classic themes but expressed in such a strong inventive voice.

Since this book is a pretty quick read, I am actually considering going back and re-reading this because I was really intrigued with the way Card plays with the different religions and Gods who are so real in the world of this novel that they have their own faults.

This is a fantasic fantasy read, unlike anything I have read in quite some time and very different from anything from OSC. Highly suggest this one.