Fantasy Books

Count D, the androgynous, keen on the tranvestite clobber owns a very strange, supernatural pet shop, where you want to be careful what you wish for when you ask him for a recommendation. Apart from that, the first part he is on holiday with a detective and his kid brother, and they run across a man who claims to have seen a mermaid 50 years ago, and has been obsessively hunting it ever since.

Thrown in a volcanic eruption, to make it more interesting.

I picked up Pet Shop of Horrors on the strength of it's reputation as both one of the best josei (women's) manga and one of the best horror manga. It's a reputation well earned.

The primary setting is San Francisco's Chinatown, where the mysterious, effeminate Count D (we don't in fact learn his real name, as Count D is actually his globetrotting grandfather, but for the purposes of the story we'll call him D) runs a petshop with a seedy reputation and whose clients have an alarmingly high death statistic. Detective Leon Orcot vows to close the shop and put D behind bars for murder and whatever else he can pin on him. More on that in future volumes - for now we're just getting accustomed to the format of the series.

Each volume generally tells the tale of four pets and their owners and what happens to them after the sale. In the premiere, we meet a gentle, empathetic Bird of Paradise trying to lighten his mistress' depression; a monstrous rabbit who is both her new owners' desperate dream and worst nightmare; a Basilisk who falls in love with her master; and a noble, heroic Doberman determined to protect his blind mistress from the still-at-large murderer of her parents who might be after her next. Of course, this is Pet Shop of Horrors, not Lassie, and when their tales are told, things will only have turned out well for one of the four...

The pet shop scenario allows D and Leon to be a point of reference throughout the series so that new situations don't have to continuously be set up. The banter between them is often amusing, and D himself is fascinatingly ambiguous. In some ways the stories are somewhat predictable (although the ending of one gave me quite a whallop), but that's not always a bad thing, and some have rather deep things to say about treating not only our animal companions but fellow man well. The animals themselves are diverse enough to keep things from getting stale.

It is worth addressing the manner in which the animals are presented here. Throughout the series, they appear to their owners as humans, which anthromorphizes them (think the ballet Swan Lake, the musical Cats, or the anime Wolf's Rain). An interesting aspect is that the animals reflect the human cultures of their indigenous area. The Bird of Paradise, for instance, appears as a beautiful androgynous youth in the traditional dancing garb of Bali to represent his plumage, while the Doberman appears as a handsome young man in a German military uniform.

A mixture of fantasy and horror, this is worth a read for anyone old enough to handle the fact that it is a horror series with some frames which earn it a 16+ rating.

Pet Shop of Horrors has a lot of magic and insight in its stories.
Count D, with his love for nature and animals, webs a mystical tapestry in which mankind is another thread, that constantly menaces to rip the cloth of Life apart.
I recoment this manga for anyone who likes magic and animals, and sweets.

I really enjoyed this series and the artwork is definetly some of the best! ^.^ Also get the DVD version of this. Unfourtunately they only did one dvd of this manga but that was excellent also.

Affectingly humanistic AND gleefully misanthropic all at once, PET SHOP OF HORRORS is a 10-volume series revolving around a Chinatown pet shop, the highly unusual animals it sells, and the (often unpleasant) fates which befall its patrons. Running the shop is "Count D", a young Chinese man with a charming smile. Trying to run him in is Leon Orcot, a grumpy police detective who is convinced D is behind all those nasty, animal-related incidents.

Each volume contains three or four clever, creepy, well-characterized stories focusing on an individual customer. Meanwhile, the series as a whole gradually unveils the story of Count D, and his quasi-adversarial relationship with the dogged-but-dense detective.

A lot of reviewers here explain the "rules" of the series to you. But I really enjoyed reading Book One "cold" and figuring it out for myself. The confusion is half the fun, and the real charm of the series is the way the stories subversively mess with our perceptions.

Some stories are better than others, of course. I was briefly alarmed at a dip in quality at Book 4, but Book 6 bounced the series back. Even so, Books 4 and 5 each contain one first-rate story, and overall work just fine as a brief change of pace. Book 10 concludes the series with four interconnected tales focused on the recurring characters. It is one of the best final books of a manga series that I have yet come across.

The "rating" jumps from T13 to T16 after Book 3. But I think that Book 1 gives you a good idea what you are in for content-wise. The detective does not watch his language, mermaids don't wear tops, many of the stories, uh, don't end well, and there is gore and extreme weirdness. But it is never gratuitous or stupid, and risque content is clever rather than crass. My local library has the full series, but it is STILL at the top of my To-Get List. It is that good.

I am yet another reader who wore out the library's copy of this book, with its purple and yellow cover, reading it over and over and over again in junior high. I particularly remember the story about the little girl on Venus who was so homesick for the sun, which came out there only every seven years -- and the other kids in the class locked her in the closet, so that she missed it. I looked it up here tonight because my son was asking me if I'd ever read any Robert Heinlein. But of course! This collection got me started on his work as well as that of many others. What a pleasant surprise it was to read these reviews and discover that I am not the only one who's still haunted by the imaginative scope and the sense of wonder in the stories in this anthology.

I just recommended this collection to a friend and came here to look for it-- about 30 years since I first checked it out from my grade school library. It was, in fact, one of two quasi-adult SF titles in our little library and as such is one of the books that introduced me to the genre. Just reading the reviews here has made me deeply nostalgic, not only for Tomorrow' Children but for many of Asimov's other books-- things like Foundation that I discovered after reading this edited collection.

I just checked and Ebay has a paperback copy-- in Australia. It's only $9US with BuyItNow but shipping is twice that and it doesn't look to be in such good condition. I'll keep an eye open there, and meanwhile I'm going to ILL this tonight. If you have access to a library do the same. You won't regret it.

I came across this book after watching the Twilight Zone Movie. I had only seen the very end of the third part where Anthony uses his powers to make a car. Out of curiosity, I looked up the movie and found that that part was a remake of the episode It's A Good Life. It wasn't until after I saw that episode that I learned that that episode was based off of the story from this very book. The rarity of this book is just amazing, so I knew it must be good. When I finally got it through interlibrary loan, it exceeded my already very-high expectations. If anything, It's A Good Life might have been my least favorite story. My favorites are Star Bright, Gilead, The Father-Thing, and The Little Terror.

Star Bright (by Mark Clifton) - Star is a very smart three-year-old girl. What her father doesn't realize, yet, is that she not only can read advanced textbooks and encyclopedias, but she also knows how to read minds and time-travel! This is a must-read. The ending will amaze you.

Gilead (by Zenna Henderson) - A boy who's known how to fly ever since he can remember must learn that he is different and find those who are like him.

The Father-Thing (by Phillip K. Dick) - Charles notices that his father has been replaced by some other creature that looks just like him. Don't forget your kerosine!

The Little Terror (by Will F. Jenkins) - After her grandfather lies to her about a magic trick, a girl is convinced she can make things disappear. She becomes so convinced, that she actually develops that power! Lots of Bishop Berkeley references (to be is to be perceived).

UPDATE: 18 Jan 2006 - I just won an ebay auction for this book for $26.22 including shipping. It's described as: hardcover - ex-library book with usual library markings. first blank page missing. book is worn. binding is not as tight as it could be, but pages holding in fine. still a good read.



I also checked this book out at a public library many, many times during my childhood, and some of the stories haunt me to this day. I would love to find a copy of this book.

Another author I read during this period, and stumbled on again recently, is Madeleine L'Engle. She has a trilogy of time travel which begins with "A Wrinkle in Time". If the names of Mrs Whatsit, Mrs Who, Mrs Which or Charles Wallace sound familiar, this is where you will find them, and they are available.

Am I ready to shell out over $30 for this book? There's already a cart full of Orson Scott Card, Diane Duane & Ursula K. LeGuin to pay for! But even if it has to be wish listed, I'm delighted to know that Tomorrow's Children is available.

I first read this book over 30 years ago. When I was about 11 my family moved from a city with a large library to a small town with a one-roomer adjoining the fire station. I hunted through the ubiquitous pop lit that lined the shelves, desperately seeking something readable. Finally I found a small section with about 5-6 shelves packed with 50's & 60's SF.

Having never read SF before, I sampled a couple of books and then dug in & read shelf by shelf. Heinlein, Asimov, LeGuin, and others transformed my small town library blues into pure gold. Tomorrow's Children was on shelf #4. As those who've read it can attest, the stories are outstanding, contributed by some of the best SF writers of the period.

I searched for it tonight because I was thinking of Asimov's story about the nurse and the Neanderthal boy (Asimov claimed he always cried when he read that one - me too). For contrast, there's a story (by Bradbury?) about a couple of kids who sic a virtual lion pride on Mom & Dad - kind of 50's Freudian but effectively chilling - and technologically, still fresh. I would love to read those stories again! So I'll have to decide whether to ramp up for an ebay quest - or pay the amazon price, and be grateful for the opportunity!

Meanwhile, it's thrilling to read these reviews, and to feel kinship with all who remember this book with affection and respect. We are among a fortunate minority. . . early in life, we encountered a powerful, challenging vision of what our future could be. May all children be so lucky!

This is really a lovely book. The story is sweet..a nice extension of the original Twinkle, Twinkle song. The illustration are just lovely, and somehow shiny on the page, making my one year old love to touch them. My only caveats are that some of the lyrics/words are written in gold ink, and that makes them difficult to see in certain lights. Also, when you sing it, make sure to set a fast enough pace, or else it is a LONG book! Because it's so sweet and serene, it's easy to start off slow and cuddly, but by about the 4th page, you're losing their attention and your patience. Overall I'd recommend..it's just beautiful to look at. I also like that the pages are paper, but a little thickier -- sturdy enough for little hands to turn and thumb through without tearing.

I have this book that I have read over and over to my children when they were little. both kids are in school now and they still love the book. i would highly recommend this book to any parent with little ones whether they are babies or toddlers even up to 2nd grade.

The author does it again with this production. My children and I love her extended versions of these old children's songs. And, as usual, it includes the music on the last page, which is a nice addition and teaching tool. It is wonderful!

We have many Iza Trapani books and my daughters and I usually love them. My 3 year old asked me to read this last night and I decided this is my least favorite. Some of the pages are difficult for me to read in a dim bedroom because of the gold text on blue pages. To me, it drags on more than others and the story isn't as fun. My daughter was concerned about a little girl going out without her mother. I think it is an OK book but was surprised at how many reviewers thought it was wonderful. I just don't think it is as good as "How Much is that Doggy in the Window", "I'm a Little Teapot" or some of the others ( I think we own at least 6 of her books).

This is a great everynight bedtime story. This is actually my second copy because reading it everynight to my boys wore it out so I had to get a new copy for my daughter. It is so precious when they say it back to you as you read it and because they hear the song a lot it makes it easy for them to learn. My 2 1/2 yr old says it almost word for word already. My favorite is the last line... "What a special star you are!" It is a great way to send your child off to dream land.

This series of Sisters Grimm books by Michael Buckley has characters familiar to adult readers and to many kids, too. The characters come from fairy tales and from other children's literature, with this author's own spin on them. The books are as entertaining for an adult to read as for a child. My nine year-old and I both read them very quickly and did not want to put them down.
We also enjoyed the Harry Potter series, but after reading these books find the Potter books to be much longer and wordier than these. These are quick reads, yet have a lot of action in few pages. We definitely recommend them.

The second book in this thrilling fantasy series introducing Sabrina and Daphne's school, filled with strange mysteries. Tantilizing secrets about characters are revealed, an evil plot is discovered, and Sabrina and Daphne, as the fairy tale detectives, must find out what's going on! This fast-moving, magical, epic tale will keep you on the edge of your seat!

The Sisters Grimm series is an awesome series. When my mother first told me about it and I saw it, I thought it wouldn't be that cool so I didn't buy it. But then I got it from one of my friends and I read it and it was AWESOME! That immediately made me want to read the second book, so when me and mommie went to the bookstore and I saw the second book there, I really wanted to get it. Now that I got it and read it, I immediately want to read the third book.

I really liked how surprising it was when it seemed like some of the people at first I thought were going to be the bad guys turned out to be the good guys, and some of the good guys I liked turned out to be bad guys. An example was Principle Hamelin, when we thought he was helping Rumplestiltskin but then it turned out that Rumpelstiltskin tricked him, so Principle Hamelin became good again.

My girls, 8 and 10, thoroughly enjoyed this book. They are always begging for 'just a little bit more' every time we have to put the book down. They love making the connections to the fairy tale characters that they are familiar with from other stories.

I've enjoyed reading "The Sisters Grimm", and recommend it.
I particularly appreciate the "Wizard of Oz" references.

One section had me laughing out loud, an unusual occurance (outside of a Stephanie Plum novel). Even today, two weeks later, I still smile thinking about it. Without revealing anything, I'll just refer to the ink "drawing".
...get the series, and read it!

Great author, great writing. My guess is that Wren Journeymage will come out around June 24th (2006!)

Overall, a wonderful book, and a wonderful series. My Thoughts is that in"Wren to The Rescue" we'll see a develooping relationship between Wren and Connor. Also, my suspect is that Wren is part Iyon Dain (Hope I spelled that correctly).

While I enjoyed all three Wren books, I found this one to be a little weak in the end. The war ended somewhat abruptly. I also felt that, while it was obvious the author wanted to leave things a little open-ended for a potential sequel, there were loose ends that should have been tied up before finishing the story.

Generally I think it was a good book, but it could have been better.

Hopefully it isn't just a quartet =P

Anyway, this series is simply fantastic! A friend recommended it to me, so it bought it, all three of them. Guess what? I finished all of them on the same day. And no, I don't usually finish multiple books in one day. I absolutely love her writing style, it's not difficult to read, and extremely lively and interesting. I have no idea why hardly anyone knows of her books, they are simply fantastic! As for the books, I especially loved the ending to Wren's War ;)

ps. Does anyone know of any good Wren fanfiction out there? I can't find any, FanFiction.Net has very little. Thanks.

Hello! Got good news to tell you, Wren Journeymage is coming up in 2005 or somewhere around there. Just heard it myself! I am happy as anything.

Anyway. Wren's War was fantastic. I like it that Sherwood Smith didn't focus the whole thing with Wren as the heroine all the time. She gave Wren's friends a chance to shine as well. Yup. You HAVE to read this.

I have a bad habit of reading books out of order. The reason being my local library doesn't contain certain volumes. Even though, I started with this volume I felt as though I didn't miss a beat. When reading this book I felt that this world is waiting to be discovered and I have to say I'm proud to be one of the few that discovered it. Ms Chester has a unique way of drawing you in and wow, I felt like I was in entirely different universe which separated itself from anything out there. The whole infrastructure of the Viis empire and community was interesting. The Viis being superior to any race out there gave you an understanding of how Ambris felt. She felt supressed and seeking out a way for every race to feel equal. Even though she was a slave turned famous gladiator she stayed true to who she was and what she believed. No mattered what had happened to her especially when she gave birth to genetically experimented children she still believed in the greater good of things. Everything in this book shows how Debra Chester had great depth of knowledge of this universe. So now goes on my search for part one and part three.

The Alien Chronicles by Deborah Chester are among the finest books I have ever read. The journey that the characters undergo is so epic and far-reaching that once you experience them, you will feel as though you have lived an entire life within this alien universe. The characters are well-defined, rich and provocative. The story itself is so much more than what it seems to be. Even though those living within these tales are fantasy species with abnormal customs, they are so unbelievably human. The trilogy revolves around the quest for freedom. The abiru -- a race of slaves who possess no rights whatsoever -- are considered greatly lesser than their Viis superiors. They are beaten, sold and killed at the whim of their owners, echoing the horror of our own history of human slavery. The oppression of the Viis leads to in-fighting and betrayal amongst the abiru, making it nearly immpossible to trust another untouchable. But even amongst this reign of distrust lies the hope of long-lasting, beautiful frienships -- as demonstrated by the wily Kelth thief (Elrabin) and the lovely and powerful Auron pet/gladiator (Ampris). The bond that develops between them is almost instantaneous even though it takes Elrabin years to realize how much Ampris means to him. They share a sort of unrequited platonic love. Unrequited in that it's not what they say to each other but what they do for each other. There are also strong antagonists, from the fear driven mad-gladiator Ylea to the tempermental spoiled sri-Kaa Israi (whose ascension to power is far from pretty). She is such a fantastically written villian that you will find yourself wanting to jump inside the book and slap her silly. The decisions she and those before her make in regards to the abiru are often times disturbing and haunting. (The period Ampris spends in the medical testing facility of Vaas Vess is particularly horrifying.) In summation, this book she be heralded as so much more than dime store science/fiction. It should be placed among books such as 1984 and Animal Farm. I know I will be recommending this book to everyone I meet henceforth. Even those who would never think of picking up a science fiction novel. Deborah Chester should be lauded immensely.

I you like books that get you hooked this is one of them. You enter a new world with strange creatures. But it is writen well enough that you can almost see the creatures. This book is about a strange creature called Ampris who is forced to fight as a gladiator. Many of the fights are described including her last one were she makes a life changing mistake, in her fight for piece and freedom...

I you like books that get you hooked this is one of them. You enter a new world with strange creatures. But it is writen well enough that you can almost see the creatures. This book is about a strange creature called Ampris who is forced to fight as a gladiator. Many of the fights are described including her last one were she makes a life changing mistake, in her fight for piece and freedom...

This lives up to the first book and usally you don't think the second will be as good as the first, only on a rare occasion, and this is one. It was better, faster paced, and gives more understanding to the character's roles. If you read the first you HAVE To pick this one up. I waited forever to have this one out, and I couldn't wait very long. This is a good book, Terrific, and Deborah Chester is a great Author.

I love this book. My mother first read it to me when I was about ten, and I enjoyed it so much that I made little clay figures of all the characters, then took pictures of them and sent them to the author. He wrote me back a lovely letter (including a drawing he did of Davy Duck) which is still nestled between the pages of my battered paperback edition.

Over 15 years later, I've picked it up for the second time, and I am every bit as charmed by the story as I ever was, but reading as an adult, I am seeing the story differently. I rather wish that, as a child, someone would have pointed out to me that all the trouble in this book happens because the characters don't communicate important information to one another.

The characters all have distinctive personalities, and are in no way cliche. Can you name any other children's book which contains a character made out of long underwear who is obsessed with numerology? I didn't think so. This book still has the ability to make me laugh out loud, and can just as easily bring a tear to my eye.

If you ever believed your toys could become real with enough love, if you ever wanted to go on a pirate adventure for gold treasure, if you love nursery rhymes and boats and the sea, find yourself a copy of this book!

I just finished reading this book. It broke my heart. I won't spoil anything, don't worry. I just don't think this is a good book for young children. It's all fun and adventure till someone gets hurt. That's all I'll tell about the plot. It broke my heart and i don't recomend it for children. I just don't think they're ready for such things unless they have a tendancy to be overly optimistic. If they can find the light in anything then they'll find the light in this book.

This book is one of the most beautifully imaginative stories ever written. I read it over 20 years ago and still remember it with great fondness. It's a wonderful book for girls and boys alike, best for ages 8+.

My 4 year old son is big into ships, particularly pirate ships. This book captivated him (and his 2 year old brother) every night for over a month. Many of the Mother Goose references were familiar to him and he enjoyed hearing the poems over and over. Pirates became the biggest intrigue and the action had to be edited toward the end. Still, it will be a book I am sure we will read again and again. The song "Greensleeves" has taken on a new meaning in our home and the boys are learning the lyrics, it is now the most requested night lullabye.

On a whim, I googled this book today to see if I could buy a copy online somewhere. I LOVED this book as a child and feel a strong desire to reread it. Call it 'comfort food'. I was so enamered with the story, the writing, Amy and the Capt, that I was upset when I turned the last page of this book. It is an amazing fantasy- Kennedy pulls your imagination out alongside his. Highly recommened for any age, this story will inspire your child (or yourself) to become an avid reader of fantasy, such as "A Wrinkle in Time", the Narnia Chronicles, etc. Can't wait to get my new copy.

This book mixes fact and fiction in a very entertaining way. This is not some cheap weird horror novel. The amount of history and research that went into the backstory is amazing. Even if you have not played the video game, this is great. If you have played the video game, then you must read this to find out what all was left out. The book answers a lot of questions that might have come up in the game. The game was cut short because of time and budget reasons, so several things were rolled into one. The book gives you the complete story.

A well written, entertaining story, that parallels the game very well. If you have played and enjoyed the game you will enjoy this book also.

The beast within was just a really great book. Jane Jensen doesn't get wrapped up with sexual tension, even though there is an attraction between Gabriel and his secretary. It's action packed, and just very interesting. Keeps you on the edge of your seat and wanting more. I can't wait until another one comes out. There better be another one. If you like Anne Rice, her she is, without all the adjetives, descriptions, and long agonizing histories that take up half of the book. It's action and horror- pure and simple.

This book is so great. It really brings the charcters to the point of which you think you know them yourself. Yes ladies and gentelman Jane Jensen has done it again and even better than before. A must have for super-natural and mythical realated likings. This bokk is by far one of the BEST books I have ever read...Kudos Jane...Kudos

"The Beast Within" is the novelisation of the best-selling computer game by Jane Jenson, the sequel to "Sins of the Fathers" (also written in book-form), but you do not need to play the games nor read the previous book in order to enjoy and get the full benefit from "The Beast Within".

In "The Sins of the Fathers" Gabriel Knight became aware of his heritage as the German "Schattenjager" (translation: Shadow Hunter) after meeting his last surviving relative whilst solving the Voodoo Murders case. However, with the death of his great-uncle Wolfgang during the course of the story, the task of Schattenjager now falls to him. He's inherited Schloss Ritter, the family estate, and the services of the lovely housekeeper Gerde Hull, and his latest novel (based on his last case) is actually popular! But along with all this comes the responsibility of his calling, and he's about to face his next case...

The townfolk of Rittersburg come to his door one nightfall in order to inlist his services: a young girl has been killed, and the family believe it was the work of a werewolf. Gabriel agrees to take the case, and begins his investigation. The family home was outside of Munich, and soon Gabriel finds his first lead: there have been more than one wolf attack on the outskirts of the city, and the blame has fallen on two zoo wolves that escaped not too long before the deaths.

But are these wolves really responsible? Gabriel follows the suspicious zoo administrator to a nearby hunting club, where he's taken under the wing of the charming, aristocratic Baron von Glower. Within the secret society's closed doors are a host of secrets and suspicious characters, especially that of the irrational and violence von Zell.

Meanwhile, Grace Nakimura is minding the bookstore back in New Orleans. She was Gabriel's research assistant on the last case, and has eagerly awaited the arrival of a new case. Imagine her indignation when a letter arrives from Gabriel claiming Gerde can handle the research - she's off to Germany! But on arriving, Gabriel has already left, and Grace settles with researching werewolves. In the Schattenjager archives are references to not one, but two cases involving werewolves, and strangely enough both mention the shady figure of "the Black Wolf". The two cases are hundreds of years apart - could they be related?

She believes so, and is intrigued when King Ludwig (historically the last king of Bavaria before its union with Prussia) pops up in her research. What could he possibly have to do with werewolves? And is it relevant to Gabriel's case? The answers seem to be yes as Grace begins to unravel the tragic mystery behind "the fairy-tale king".

It sounds all very melodramatic, but believe it or not creator/author Jane Jenson makes it work. Both Gabriel and Grace's storylines intertwine perfectly, and her use of historical facts and mysteries surround King Ludwig and Richard Wagner was a touch of genius. Jenson definitely did her research, both on the historical enigma and on werewolves in general. Gabriel and Grace are both likeable characters, despite their shortcomings, and are backed up by equally intriguing people and places.

Sadly, Detective Mosely is not present, but is replaced with Kommisar Leber (who is a good character in his own right) and the story gradually becomes faster paced and more interesting as the chapters go by. Believe it or not, you'll actually end up learning some interesting facts as you read, and you'll definitely never look at King Ludwig the same way again.

If you have already played the game and are a fan of Gabriel Knight, then there are many reasons why the book could come in handy. More so that the novelisation of "Sins of the Fathers", the book gives more answers and details that are often missing in the game. For instance, it explains the reasoning behind the chandeliers and crystals that are so important to the final act, and reveal who the "High Priestess" is from the tarot card reading. Likewise, Gabriel's case is fully explained, something that was left up to the player to work out in the game.

On the other end of the scale however, I felt that Jenson left out some details - they may not have been important, but they were nice little touches in the course of the story: for instance, Grace's prayer at the lakeside, where she places a lily on the water where Ludwig died and her visit to the chapel of Altotting with an offering for the altar - a silver heart that Gerde has given her. It is funny that I'm complaining about it since my main issue with "The Sins of the Fathers" novelisation was that it kept in two many computer-game elements, but they were nice moments, and I would have liked to have seen them included.

The best way to describe the Gabriel Knight trilogy is to say it's a blend of Anne Rice's vampire novels and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer". Anyone who likes occult mysteries should love these series, both on the page and the computer screen. As I mentioned, the intricate storyline is excellent and well worth a look for any supernatural mystery fan.

Spock's family background.


This is definitely an example of a more interesting Star Trek novel.

Spock, as we know, is a hybrid, and humans don't live as long as Vulcans - his mother is dying.

He returns to visit and try and talk to his father.

Definitely interesting to see the background of this family, and if you are interested in less of the ship solves a mission type Star Trek plot, you could try this book.

Praxus, a klingon moon has exploded, due to overmining, or possibly sabotage. The Klingon empire's food production has been threatened, as tidal forces have been disrupted and weather currents change; massive shortages of resource seem eminent.

Chancellor Azerbur continues to work with Federation president and the federation responses with medical aid and food supply relief. Azerbur has issued in a new era of peace and commerce with the Federation. The war with Klingon has been official announced, over.

The hardliners don't want peace. Trayne, alias Saren, a Vulcan, secret plans are to use Kamarg, the Klingon ambassador, to attack federation colonies and turn the federation against Klingon. Kamarg is part of the militant group and believes that Klingon survival depends on warfare and land conquest. The Freelans (Romulans) are using Vulcan slaves, as mind control agents and are manipulating the minds of the Klingons and humuns against the federation and Vulcan. Trayne specifically uses Savel's telepathic power, specifically against Kamarg, causing him too hate the federation through vulcan mind control.

Kamarag manages to draw support of many high-ranking Klingons, in his cause. The hardliners want a military solution, centralized control of the federation, and capture of vital federation agriculture, mineral resources, and technology. Klingon invasion plans are brewing followed by Romulan.

The Romulan empire will wait until the federation is significantly weakened from the war conflict and then swoop across the neutral zone and capture federation territory. The Freelans report to the Romulans Lords. Over the last seventy years, the Freelans have been taking Vulcan hostage and converting them to slaves. The plan has been slow in the making, but all the key elements have been put in place. Millions if not billions of lives are at stake.

Sarek has been correspondence with the Freelan ambassador, Trayne. Sarek seek conclusive proof and infiltrates the Freelan data system with the aid of Soren. Freelan lists are discovered but not accessible for download. Sarek and Soren escape detection just as the Freelan security beams into the data center. Later, Sarek will confined in Spock, about his discoveries.

The Vulcans remain strongly dependant on Federation computer and military technology. Vulcan has strong military technology and leads the federation in scientific research. KEHL design was too weaken Vulcan resolve to stay members of the federation.

The Idol cult sect called the Gol is the oligarchy controlling Vulcan society. Sarek's first wife, T'Rea joined this evil sect and divorced Sarek. Sybok was born. Sybok rejected T'Rea's.

Amanda tells Sarek that "life after life" will happen or not happen. Sarek fight tradition and listens. Vulcan's believe in spirit essences encapsulation and that the new host inherits the spirit essence; this idea is similar in falsity to the idea of reincarnation.

Sarek soon after found Amanda, his true love. At the time of the Freelan crisis, Amanda was 93 and suffering from a rare blood disease. Spock was called home. Sarek was force to leave to negotiate the freedom of orion colony hostages on Kadura held by rouge Klingon warriors, under the command of Keraz. Amanda has Sarek promise, he will read her journal before he leaves. Spock warns Sarek that Amanda is about to die. Sarek manages to reach Amanda with his mind before she dies. Sarek shares with the reader Amanda's life, Spock decision to join the federation, Spocks outcast, Amanda's separation from Sarek, and reuniting.

No one had ever seen a Freeland, until Sarek. Freelans lived a secretive life. 70 years early, Sarek discovered the Freelan were Vulcan during the Pon Farr incident. The freelans said nothing of the incident. Sarek kept the secret seeking proof.

Now, on earth, Sarek is meeting with the Vulcan consult and discovers that Induma, the KEHL leader, is being Vulcan mind controlled. Induma is leader of the Keep the Earth human league, who chant, "Vulcans go home". Peter Kirk, nephew to Jame Kirk becomes entangled with the KEHL group. Peter alerts Kirk, to the KEHL movement against the Vulcans. Lisa tells Peter that she fears the Vulcans because they have weapons of mass destruction. KEHL leaders start accusing the Vulcans of espionage, selling out to "Vulcan interests". KEHL has linked to a clandestine Vulcan operation (Freelan), conspiracy proof of the Vulcan consultant being manipulated. KEHL discovers Peter and take him hostage. Kirk wants to talk with Peter and discovers he is not on the planet. Spock deduces were Peter's abductors will take him. A rescue plan is put into action.

While Peter is a prisoner, he falls in love with Valdr. Valdr is bethrothed by Karamag to become Karg's wife. Valdr despise Kargs. Valdr feeds Peter each day. Peter falls in love with Valdr. Valdr plans and executes an escape plan. Kirk, McCoy, and Spock find Peter and join in his escape planning to reach a space port for a trip off the planet. Karg intercepts the group and surrounds the group. Karg stabs Valdr with a knife. Valdr declares Peter, her mate. Peter challeges Karg and defeats him in a duel, but does not kill him. Peter reveals that Karg is Chancellor Corkon's murderer.

Sarek prevents Freelan terrorist from starting a war between the Klingon empire and the federation. Sarek and Spock beam on Traynes bridge, after Sarek predicts correctly the new position that the cloak bird of prey will emerge. Sarek has realize Trayne pattern as a chess move used by Trayne. Conclusive proof of a Romulan conspiracy is established. Sarek challenges Trayne to a duel. Trayne acknowledges the challenge and remembers his early childhood fears, at the time his parents were killed. Sarek and Trayne fight against each other with poison blades, both are injuried, but McCoy manages to save both. Sarek returns to Freelan to liberate the Vulcans. Trayne returns to Romulus to report failure. Trayne's second in command aid Kirk in stopping the Klingon invasion and Azerbur troops arrive crushing the rebellion. Peter Kirk abandons Valdr for his career. Azerbur recruits Valdr to become a staff member. Spock formulates the reunionification theory.

Two words discribe my feelings about Sarek by A.C. Crispin: Good Times.

I really enjoyed this book, and in cadence with the other reviewers I couldn't put it down for the last 3rd. Literally, I hid in a closet and a stairwell at work just so I could get a few more pages in. I laughed and cried and gasped in shock many times during my reading. Every one of the characters acted as I thought they should and gave me new insight into those characters that I know so well. Even though officially it is not, in my eyes this is canon since everything jives so danged well and I love the story. And my word is law in some local bowling clubs.

I loved this one, cause it really delves into Spock and Sarek's relationship, plus you get to see Amanda's point of view on things. It also show's a lot of her relationship with Sarek, shows the sentimental side of him that while loath to show it since it would be a emotional display it also makes you understand that they were truly in love and how they were able to make it work...because love is certainly not logical and humans are rather emotional about these things. I also enjoyed how it explained the falling out that Sarek and Spock had when Spock went into Starfleet. I've enjoyed the other books that I've read also that delve into the father/son relationship:

The Vulcan Academy Murders
The IDIC Epidemic
Spock's World

Definitly read this one

As any Trekkie would do, I got this book that's about one of my favorite Vulcans.

This book is the heart-wrenching story of Sarek's deep love for Amanda, their courtship, marriage, and now his agony and fear at the realization of her terminal illness.

A.C. Crispin has a great way of representing the personalities of the characters, as well as the emotions. The anguish Sarek goes through, as well as other emotions, are well represented and touch the heart.

This is a MUST READ for any Star Trek Fan!

Bonnie and Billy are sent into the Circles of Seven to rescue prisoners. But in a land of deceit and temptation, whom can they trust? From an abandoned town to an island castle to a deep chasm, this story is a feast for the imagination and emotions. The climatic battle is better than any movie because of the realistic characters whom you can identify with.

It took about three days for me to receive the book that I ordered from Amazon. And not only did it come in a timely fashion but it was in excellent condition. No surprises here and that's what I like to see. I would definately come back in the future, especially for the prices.

This series just keeps on raising the bar. The book starts in high gear and never lets up. The final third of the book is just plain UNPUTDOWNABLE!!! Davis just piles on the tension and always is giving us more details about Dragons, Merlin, King Arthur and Excalibur. He very realistically adds to their Myths and makes it seem like this has been part of the Myths for all times. He is very creditable as he leads us along this fantastic journey! Adults who love the lure of Myths should give this series a try. They won't be disappointed.

Now, don't think. Do not pass go. Put this book directly into your shopping cart. The series of Dragons in our Midst is by far the best series that I have read, including the Harry Potter books(can't stand them now that I've seen six truly great books, the four in this series and the two Inheiretance books) And this is the best book in the series, by a single scale. This is definitely worth reading again and again and again. THIS BOOK AND SERIES TOTALLY OWNS!!! BUY IT!!!

The Dragons In Our Midst series is one of the best series of bookks that ther are, and Circles of Seven is the best book so far. Dragons In Our Midst makes Harry Potter seem extremly flimsy and shallow. (Which is actually fairly true in any instance. JKR was overpaid.) Anyway, THIS IS AN AWESOME BOOK!
BUY IT!