Fantasy Books

I used to give copies of this book away. I would "lend" it to a friend, but knew it was never coming back. I had to stop doing that when the paperbacks became harder and harder to find.

I don't often re-read books, but I've certainly read this one at least 10 times. If you like technology and a good story with interesting storytelling, don't hesitate to pick up a copy. You won't regret it.

...that I give to any friend who is looking for an introduction to Science Fiction. This is the first book I get into the hands of any new friend (and Sci-fi fan) who has not yet come across Daniel Keys Moran. These books are on the same shelf as my Frank Herbert, Larry Niven, Robert Heinlein, William Gibson, Neal Stephenson, Asimov and Tolkien.I'm hard pressed to think of any higher praise I could offer on its behalf.

Trent, thought to be one of the Castanaveras telepaths that caused the Troubles and drove tens of thousands of people instantly crazy, is at the top of the U.N.'s most wanted list. The problem is, while genetically perfect, Trent is not a telepath, and just wants to live a quiet life as a master thief. Now that one of the U.N. Peacekeeper Elite cyborg officers is on his trail, Trent is forced to run and maybe, just maybe, pay the Peacekeepers back for the cold-blooded murder of everyone he knew and loved.
This book is fast paced, funny and occasionally thought provoking. It is a nice easy read. It is also my all time favorite. I actually own two copies, one is a limited edition hardcover. I have read this book easily over a dozen times.

This book has redefined the way i view science ficiton the writing is suberb and Trent is the man. Make sure to read emrald eyes first and catch the last dancer for a little bit more about his adventures.

I wish I could write well enough to give this book the kudos it deserves. I cannot, so I will not try. All you need to know is that as of this review, this books rates 5 stars on 19 reviews. That should be more than enough to convince you that you need to read 'The Long Run' & 'Emerald Eyes'.

Like everyone else on this list, I read this book over and over when I was a child and then misplaced it. I can honestly say that I never forgot it, though I did forget the title and twenty-some years later I was still going online from time to time and doing random hopeless searches for it. But - !I came across my battered old cover-less copy in a storage box over the weekend and reread it, and it is just as lovely as I had remembered, and the illustrations are even lovelier. It is a very simple but beautiful story; I highly recommend it for every little girl. I'm so pleased to have finally found it, and doubly pleased that it's been reissued.

I first read this book when I was eight years old (in the late 60's) and still have my copy of it. It is a great book about a long lost doll that is finally found after many years. I always wanted a grandfather clock because of the one in this story and mine has a proud place at the top of my staircase too. Wouldn't it be neat if there were hidden treasures in every aunt or grandma's house! This is a must read if you love spooky, but not too spooky, old fashioned stories.

bought one for myself and my sister. My first copy was from the Scholastic book sale at school in 1973. This is a very delightful and innocent mystery that captivated me as a child. This is a beautiful book to share with your daughters, nieces, granddaughters,etc. It is nice to sit back and remember when it was very cool not to be whiny, materialistic, over exposed and selfish..when it was wonderful to just to be a sweet, kind, helpful and respectable little lady.
Metaldiva Sez: Buy as many as you can for all the little girls in your family..great book about a tantalizing and gentle mystery..

I had to buy this book! I read this book as a child, but misplaced my copy decades ago! When I realized that I could find it on amazon, that it wasn't lost to me forever, and that I could have my daughter read it, I felt like I was being given a gift. There is nothing like a truly good book when you're a child, and this book is a timeless wonder. I bought one for my daughter, for her third grade teacher, and for her second grade teacher whose daughter is named Elizabeth. Now its magic will inform further generations.

I read this book over and over as a kid of eight or nine - it was an especially good book to curl up with when I was feeling lonely or blue. My dog-eared copy gave out finally, and I never could find another. Often I have been sad that I couldn't share some of the most beloved stories populating my imagination as a kid with my daughter. Imagine my joy when this lovely book came available again! I'm not ashamed to say I was emotional and shed a few tears of happiness (a good book will do it to me every time). And, of course, I bought a copy for my little girl, to whom I'm going to read it aloud.

This book is sweet without being cloying, it's an adventure mystery without villains or violence, it's a puzzle to be solved without competition, it's a "growing up" book without preachiness. It's charm is boundless. Adults will enjoy it, I think, as much as their children. Good reading!

If you've read this book I seriously hope you've read the two preceeding books of this trilogy or else you'll be just a tad bit lost. That being said, this is the best book in the three part series by far. The writing is at its best, it's pollished and the typos that so plagued bothe previous books are thankfully gone so it's safe to give to kids without telling them all the grammatical messups from before. The story arch works rather well and nothing feels too forced. Instead you're offered a perspective of Peter Pan's origins that don't seem too forced and that offer a great reading experience for kids and adults. All three books should take you about a week and a half to read at the most because they are truly a light read and chapters are rarely more than ten pages long. so if you're in the mood for a light read and have always wondered where Peter Pan came from, how Tinker Bell was created, why Peter's shadow is detached from him or why that huge crock has a huge ticking clock that won't quit, you should definitely read this series.

This book is non-stop action. There is no down time. You must catch your breath after each chapter. We enjoyed the whole series immensely. Perhaps blasphemous, but this series is better than Harry Potter. No loose ends. Very tight, raucous story. The best EVER!!

If you like the notion of Peter Pan, Tinkerbell, etc. this series is really excellent. I don't use the word WONDERFUL much, but they're a great read. They really do carry on the story of Peter and his friends in a believable and fun way. Really AWESOME and you won't be disappointed. The entire series is highly recommended - all three books so far.

It's sad that this awesome trilogy must come to an end, but I'm happy to say that I enjoyed every minute of it, from the moment those boys and that girl met up with each other and a horrible secret to the end of this installment when Never Land finally becomes familiar.

This story completes the bunch when Peter and the crew are kidnapped to a horrible kingdom where kids are slaved and the darkness of the universe has a horrible plan for the earth.

This is just as exciting as the previous two books, though I think the fantasy went a little annoyingly Star Trek at a point. Still, it was fun and witty and answered a lot of questions. Finally.

great story it is the continuing story of Peter and his friends against the evil shadows snatchers

"We must find the heir -- and soon!" - Jasmine, p2. of RETURN TO DEL

The end is here in this thrilling conclusion to the Deltora Quest series. The gems of the Belt of Deltora have been restored, and now Lief, Barda and Jasmine must find the heir... before it is to late.

Who is the King, Who is the spy, who is an Ol. Find out.

In this book lief , jasmine and barda battle numorise monsters in the world of deltora.in the book the chacters are lief , jasmine and barda.
i think this is a good book its filled with adveturs and combat.
the main point in this book is to get all 8 gems and put them back on the belt and find the hier.there are 8 books but there are more colletions.the evil shadow lord cast a spell over deltora lief , jasmine and barda are trying to stop him the 8 gems were taken by the aka-babes they've been live for 500-1000 years.i think you should read this book if u like a advetures.

My name is Andrew. I am 7 years old. (My daddy helped me write this.) I liked when the seven ak-baba swooped down from the tower. And then it was cool when Lief put on the belt and destroyed the Ols and drew away the ak-baba.

You should read this book because it is very interesting and you'll read about a lot of monsters and magic.

This is most defenantly the best book of the series (at least the origanal Deltora Quests)! Others follow closly, but the end of the story and all the secrets revealed takes the cake! The climax gives just the right tone- choas and desparation. Excellent!

Having all seven gems, our three heroes are on their way home to announce the heir, with seven chosen ones to guide them.Each chosen one represents a gem and together thay are the belt.The last book is a confusing and long book.There are betrayals, secrets, mysteries and hopes.All beleifs will be clashed as loved ones will be killed, and all may be lost.But this powerful and beautiful world will show its triumph as they pass the lake of tears, and it's deaths as they pass the evil city of the rats.Lief, Barda and Jasmine have many ideas on who the true heir will be.They search all areas, up in trees and down in tunnels, and also in the imperial palace.Where hope will be lost, hope may be gained in this thrilling book.This book concluded the whole series extremely well, and for once I was truly satisfied.

I bought fours books of the series thinking mostly on my daughter, I thought my really boy 6y son (who likes Ricki Ricotta kind of books) wouldnt want to read them. I was so wrong!! We read two tonight and he is taking the other two to class tomorrow to share with everybody!!
I absolutely loved them.

All these books are amazing. My grandmama read them to me; and I read them to my children. All four of us (including Grandmama) loved these precious stories. I love the moral at the end; it helps me and my three year old talk about how the moral applies to the story and our lives. The large text and beautiful pictures help children with shorter attention spans stay engaged in the story; and it helps young readers read on their own. These are classic stories that should be on everyone's shelves.

This book made a huge impact on me as a child and I've never forgotten it. There was something about the combination of illustration and story that made this very memorable. As my daughter reached the age where books with a moral lesson became more relevant I was thrilled to find that these books by Stephen Cosgrove were still in print! If you read my other reviews you'll see that illustrations are very important to me -- a book has to be visually interesting to appeal to small children. The illustrations in this book are so crisp and just plain cute! Also the story is a fun and easy night time read and has several great messages. The story of a unique pink creature named Serendipity promotes individuality, self esteem, and a sense of social responsibility.

I absolutely adored this series as a child. They share timeless messages and morals that I think we have lost as a society. My mother gave me the book that contains 7 of the stories and that made me really want to track down and find them all again. I was so excited to find them on Amazon.com after not finding them at any other book stores. I plan to begin a career of working with nursery school children and these books will provide the perfect stories just before nap time. Anyone who has never read these stories is truely missing out on a gem of children's stories. I highly suggest collecting the entire series, I know I'm going too!

The book contains a morale about beauty can bloom anywhere, I think it might be Lady Rose but not sure. Its a Serendipity book for certain. There is a rose that blooms on ice or iceberg I think. Does this sound familiar to anyone if so then please E-mail me at Arcimedes8@yahoo.com . I really want to find this book. Please help =)

this is one of my favourite charmed books!!! as it shows true halliwell spirit. basically prue gets the oppertunaty for a front page photo. but the camera she uses sends all the models and pheobe into hades. in the effort to get there sister back piper and prue have to go through loads of greek mythology gods and creatures. this book is a must have for all charmed fans

As far as I'm concerned, ALL other good Charmed books (The Queen's Curse, Whisper's from the past, Dark Vengeance, Mystic Knoll, Inherit the witch, Something Wiccan [just to name a few]) are small potatoes in comparison to this superbly penned Charmed book!!! NO other Charmed novel could possibly be better than Soul Of The Bride!!! Elizabeth's work here, is a masterpiece!!!!

What makes this story stand out from the other Charmed books is her impeccable blend of Greek Mythology and the Charmed ones tale aptly blended in. She mixed the two geneologies flawlessly, very well blended, I should add. Every single tiny detail added in is beneficial for the Charmed ones, and that's what stands out in this book. Alot! For example, the part where Piper takes a quick glance at Prue and realizes that she is still wearing Piper's necklace, makes Piper remember that she had to pay Charon the fee to take them over to the other side of River Acheron, which is taking the letter opener and mother-of-pearl inkwell, just in case. Turns out that the letter opener is useful in impaling the Sirens!!!

I'm not going to reveal details of the story, but I guarantee, whether or not you know about Greek Mythology, you will definitely enjoy this story. Soul Of The Bride is a must-have for all Charmed fans!!!!!! My fave bit is when Phoebe is determined not to give up and succumb to the tasty grub kept in Hades, only to realize they are tainted to make people an empty-headed party animal. Also, all 3 sisters had a vital part to play, and with their team work, girly (and sisterly) support, all the loose knots are tied, the i's are dotted and its a happy ending for them.

My only thumbs-down about this story is just that its seems like a pretty huge coincidence that Nikos had known about Prue's photo shoot and sent Mitchell to make sure Prue's topic is on Victorian Portraiture, using Greek Mythology, which then lures Phoebe to Hades. In the Charmed Universe, coincidence is extremely rare, unless Nikos had known it all along, and places a spell on the them to find out.


But other than that, it is 100% recommeded, you WILL love it, like I did!!!
I paid $9 for this book and every single cent was worth it!!!!

This one of the best Charmed books ever written. I loved the combination of Greek Mythology and Charmed. Unlike the 'Oh My Goddess' episodes, this book blends both genres together effortlessly. The writing is top-notch... it really pulls you into what's going on. I had a hard time putting this book down (finished it in a couple days.. even with work).

HIGHLY recommend this to Charmed fans. You won't be disappointed :).

I am a huge, HUGE fan of charmed, I love the series, but ANY OTHER BOOK PALES IN COMPARISON TO THE SOUL OF THE BRIDE!!! It follows the story of the power of three flawlessly!!! If you are interested in any kind of mythology, or even if you're not, the soul of the bride is a MUST-HAVE!!!!

i have read all the books in the charmed series and this is one of my favorites. it combines the greek mythologies with modern day life, which i think is quite creative. i highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys greek myths.

This story is a great allegory for young and old. I read this to my son when he was young and he has always remembered the story of a young boy becoming a hero through a series of events in his life. It has wonderful character building lessons and will leave an imprint on your heart.
I bought this for our son for a Christmas gift (he is now 25 years old). He was ecstatic when he opened his gift. He is now reading it with his fiance. Her mother read it and has bought 3 more copies to give as gifts. I highly recommend this for all ages.

My son andI read this book together. The lessons in it are incredible. The story is interesting and the opens the doors for great disscusion about life issues.

I was introduced to this book as a kid at a summer camp in PA and later as a college student at a weekend conference I was re-introduced to it. It is a fabulous collection of stories for children and adults alike that mirror biblical principles. Later when I returned to PA as a camp counsleor I read it aloud to my teenage girls and they loved it! They would ask each night if I would read to them. You won't be disapointted in this book, or the other two that make up the series!

David & Karen Mains' Kingdom Tales consist of three volumes: Tales of the Kingdom, Tales of the Resistance, and Tales of the Restoration. First published in hardcover in 1983, 1986 & 1996 with delightful illustrations by Jack Stockman, these three books have been reissued in softcover in 2000, but now with a limited number of black-and-white illustrations by Linda Wells which don't do much to enhance the text. Each volume consists of twelve fantasy short stories, set in a city ruled by an evil Enchanter who has usurped the throne from the true King. The stories are all separate events often involving different characters, but are bound together as part of a larger story as the Enchanted City is rescued by the exiled King and becomes the Bright City, leading to a joyous conclusion as the people of Great Park and Bright City begin the Great Celebration at the conclusion of the Restoration. The main returning character is Scarboy, an orphan boy who escapes from the Enchanted City with his brother, Little Child, and becomes Hero in the service of the King.

Although the stories have distinctive allegorical qualities, they are more like religious fables or fairy tales, drawing on the imagery of the kingdom that Jesus Christ Himself taught in His ministry. Under the influence of the evil Enchanter, the people of the Enchanted City prefer darkness to the light, and so sleep during the day and work at night. But the King is at work delivering the city and rescuing the poor and needy and bringing them to the Great Park. Even though the Enchanter's men proclaim "There is no such thing as a King", the King's men know "that "Things are not what they seem." They realize that even though the Enchanter had said "Seeing is believing", reality is different: "You have to believe in order to see." Christians will understand that these are important spiritual truths about faith and serving the King Jesus Christ.

Each volume has some stories that were especially memorable. Volume 1 describes how Sarboy escapes the Enchanted City, where orphaned and handicapped children are enslaved. In the Great Park he discovers the wonderful truth about God's kingdom. One of my favorites in this volume was "The Baker who Loved Bread", which describes the King's Baker who bakes the King's Bread, but withholds this bread from poor and needy people, thinking he is doing a service to the king by doing so. When he beats a person whom he believes to be a thief about to steal his bread, he discovers that he has actually harmed the King himself, and learns an important lesson: "Love for the King is measured by one's love for his people. So the Baker fed the hungry and fed them well - lest the One he loved the most should starve." This concept is very clearly based on Christ's teaching in Matthew 25.

How successful these stories are on their own apart from the underlying spiritual truths is hard to tell. The moral of the stories is generally quite transparent, although in the case of a few tales it is rather obscure. But on the whole the message about serving and honouring the King Jesus Christ comes through loud and clear. I found the stories thoroughly enjoyable particularly because of this deeper meaning. I suspect that those who don't appreciate the deeper meaning will find it hard to enjoy the tales as stand-alone stories for their own sake. The concept is similar to the Narnia Chronicles, although not with the same degree of success, because the Narnian stories can also function on the level of stories alone. But although the world isn't as fantastic as C.S. Lewis' Narnia, Narnian fans may find themselves appreciating the Kingdom Tales of the Mains for the same reasons: the spiritual depth. They will certainly lead to a greater love for the King and His Kingdom! -GODLY GADFLY

I came to Amazon to purchase a copy of TALES OF THE KINGDOM by David and Karen Mains. There were several reviewers that were disappointed in the illustrations of the newer editions. So, I sprung the extra money to buy an older copy. BELIEVE me, the old illustrations by Jack Stockman are only "fabulous" if you have some childhood memories to make them special. Otherwise, they are rather ordinary and do little for the stories. The stories themselves shine and shine. Such excellent stories. If I had to do it again, I would buy the newer edition and save my $$ for other books.

I received this book over twelve years ago by a relative when I was five years old, and it still remains a treasure on my bookshelf. There are some books that embody a sense of magic well beyond their words and after long putting this one down, the images, love of tales, and the pure passion of the myths stays with you. James C. Christensen's work very obviously could stand alone. The brilliant rich colors and original imagination very nearly breathe life into an eloquent, albeit essentially simple story. You end up `seeing' the adventure as it pans out, on the decks of the Basset as it goes sailing, looking for magic.

The story has always remained dear to me, having characters that not only do you empathize with and care for immensely but end up seeing little bits of yourself entwined in. I love the subtext with the science in a world where physics and rigid rationalities are not shunned out, but rather melded together in an appreciation of what an untamed imagination has to offer a world that works within rules and boundaries; an ideology that I have long since held with reverence and respect. That without the ingenuity and sparks of original thought, the very fuel and passion of science and humanity's natural need and compulsion to understand, would be left lackluster, without the same benefit, and without the very essence that makes us who we are.

It is a quiet little book that has interwoven themes in a light manner and stays in a genre all its own. Someone obviously cared deeply about the origins of the myths, tales, and creatures, and through the perspective of Professor Aisling you shall find footnotes telling of their backgrounds and stories. As a kid this is why I fell in love with reading, the type of thing that leaves a dreamlike quality in the waking hours and sends shivers down the spine.

As that child, I saw the excitement and adventure that often keeps a young one entertained, though also growing up through the last twelve years I have drawn depth out of it. Originating from someone young who cared little for the sensible, polite etiquette of today's society (Cassandra), to now someone who roots and thrives and builds their life off of the science of the world (Miranda), I can see myself in both daughters. I have been both daughters. The book has a story of loss in its pages, and contributes to how our dreaming and imaginative nature is often lost in light of trauma and death, and also how it can wither or steel over as we grow older; as we come to understand the world expects a certain sense of propriety out of us. The two girls here are the split halves of a sphere; the pure willingness to believe with the mind of a child, and the sensibility and maturity of a questioning nature. Neither science nor the imagination is on some level complete without the other, and here they are personified in two strong females rooted in the deep bond of family.

This will be a book to give a child that will most likely appeal to their tastes, though will always remain something accessible to those older, and something that one will never tire of picking up. It's the sort of thing that will always hold something new with each stage of life and therein lays my ardent affection for the mythology, calm wisdom, and art within its pages. A golden and heartfelt story awaits you on a neglected dock. Credendo vides, my friend.

I think that my favorite part of this book were the illustrations. Then again, I hesitate to call the pictures in this book illustration; they step into the realm of artwork. Christensen's artwork is beautiful! The colors are vivid and alive, and sometimes I couldn't turn the page because I wanted to soak in every detail. They were so real, that I had a hard time looking at Medusa's eyes because it almost seemed that they would turn me into stone if I looked.

I loved the way the story and art went hand in hand to tell the voyage of the professor and his two daughters. If you love daydreaming about fantastical journeys, this is the story for you! Everything from Greek Mythology to Mideival Legend is found by sailing with the crew of the Basset.

What great story would be complete without having an equally great message! The message of this book is as beautiful as the story and its artwork. For fear of spoiling anything, here it is in the latin: "cresendo vides!"

If you love fairy tales then this book is for you! with an excellent story and beautiful pictures, I open my book at least once a week! I highly recommened this book to all ages! A true classic!

This is my favorite book. I have read it so many times. The drawings are beautiful. The story is so interesting that you almost feel like you are in the book, that you are Cassandra. There are so many mythical creatures discribed and drawn out for you on every page. My favorite part is when they meet the Manticore and the Sphynx falls in love with him. It is a very cute book that reads easy.

A story about a family coping with heartache and struggling to pick back up the pieces of their torn lives. Full of whimsical illustrations and imagination. For kids and the kid at heart, the only thing you will regret is not going on this fantastic voyage of distant shores and mythical creatures.

As an avid AD&D player, that has also sampled other RPGs with friends, I enjoy Warhammer immensely. This is a concise core book that is great for players and DMs alike. Being used to a D&D type of world, it's hard to get used to the idea that magic is ultra rare and frowned upon due to Chaos. But, that's a great twist with this game. Those of you looking for a difference RPG system to try, I'd highly recommend this one. The core book is a must of course. ;)

A Fantasy role playing game from those whacky guys that made Warhammer 40K. As a consequence, this is much grimmer, nastier and dirtier than some of the fantasy roleplaying games out there, so if that is not your thing, and you want a more lighthearted high fantasy type of approach, then do not get this game, you likely will not enjoy it at all.

Long-time gamers searching for a change of pace should definitely take a look at Warhammer Fantasy RPG's unique setting and d10/d100 system. I enjoy it much more than your typical d20 system, and the Old World "low fantasy" setting feels more gritty and realistic than your typical D&D game. You don't have to worry about picking the right class and skills, either; your starting profession, skill set, and gear is a package mostly determined by the dice and you take it from there. Since everything is based on D10 and percentage rolls, it's easy to determine your character's limitations and strengths. This makes a campaign easy to get started, even for new players that don't know all the rules since game play is very intuitive and moves along smoothly. Experienced GM's- give this one a try. Fun alternative to your d20 games, and it's also a great way to introduce new players to RPG's. The book itself is very high-quality and gorgeous. There's enough information here to put together a variety of campaigns and there's so many careers and paths to take your characters that you'll never be at a loss for something new.

I was worried when they announced a second edition of the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay rules. Part of the appeal of the WFRP rules is that they are so simple, and I feared fiddling could only make things more complicated. But now, having played several sessions with the new rules, I can honestly say that the changes were a great improvement. They managed to keep the simplicity that encourages role-play over power-gaming while cleaning up some of the more clumsy elements (the magic system is a notable improvement). The same career system is in place, but the careers choices have been balanced well enough that there's a good reason to choose any of them, unlike the old rules where some few careers were hardly worth considering.

Someone who has never played before and doesn't know the rules could have an entire character rolled up and ready to play in as little as 30 minutes. The entire process is die rolls, so you don't have to make decisions that require knowing the rulebook, like when you have to choose skills or spells in other games.

The history of the world is quote a bit lighter than in the previous rulebook, and in my opinion easier to read. Where previously even though it was interesting it was pretty dense and dry, but the history has been rewritten now to be a bit more interesting and relevant for the players.

They've removed a few things that used to be included, for instance in the back of the book there used to be maps and images of common buildings but that has been moved to a supplementary book (the Game Master's screen, I believe). That's unfortunate but I can live with it.

If you're used to playing with more complicated rules, like d20, Rifts, GURPS or similar, I highly recommend trying out the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay system. See what it's like not having to worry whether your mace does more damage than your longsword. In WFRP the story and the lives of the players are the focus, instead of the rules. Less "roll-play" and more "role-play".

Warhammer Fantasy is an angry game. The setting is bleak and forlorn and the system is very lethal making the lives of characters nasty brutish and quite short. Characters are as likely to die of disease or mishap as they are of a sword in the chest and dying of old age (anything over 30) is practically unheard of. Instead of strong kings and a centralized government the Empire, such as it is, is a patchwork of independent kingdoms with a weak emperor chosen by each of the electors. Religion, unlike many other fantasy roleplaying games that skirt the issue, is a very powerful force in the kingdom that is at the same time one of the most unifying and dividing forces in the Empire.

Gods and demons, or at least demons, are as real to the backwards, superstitious denizens of Warhammer Fantasy as they were to the backwards, superstitious people of the 14th century. Magic, while legal under license from the Empire, is hunted down and exterminated as heresy and chaos corruption.

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay has one of the best system-setting matches. Everything is based off of a percentage or D10 roll, armor provides damage reduction instead of making you harder to hit. Landing a good solid blow can lop off an arm, leg or outright kill. Magic is very powerful and consequently very dangerous - spells are only slightly more likely to work than they are to backfire with disastrous consequences.

The book itself is mostly mechanics - there is only a chapter or two of setting information provided. While this might seem to short shrift the setting the concentration of rules here makes later books more able to focus on the setting rather than simply serving to add only more rules to the game.

WFRP is historically inspired fantasy at its finest - hard-bitten, dark, depressing and violent. Hero is a relative descriptor even in the face of villains that are absolutes. WFRP is a much needed injection of bile in a hobby choked near to death with stale heroics.

Occasionlly I find a book I never want to end. James Byron Huggins is a new writer for me, but I'll be on the lookout for his books from now on. I was captivated by the bravery of Saul, King of the Hares, and Wingate, his friend. I was in awe of Aramus, the great silver wolf, as he overcame his fears and uncertainties to follow the Lightmaker even though it meant a battle to the death against the Dark Lord and the dark council.
A beautifully written story of the epic struggle between good and evil. Some books are to be treasured, savored, and read more than once. This is that kind of book. A Wolf Story is a keeper. Strongly recommended.

[...]
In each life there comes a time when we must choose who we will follow. Will we stand up for what we believe in or blend into the crowd? A young wolf is forced to make the life-changing decision. A Wolf Story will remind readers of "White Fang," or works by CS Lewis. While the lead characters are animals, the reader will easily see human traits. The plot is powerful, filled with action and searing emotion. James Byron Huggins has captured the essence of sacrifice, love, and giving of one's self. Well written with strong Christian values, A Wolf Story will become a family favorite.

Reminds me (in a good way) of a great many favorites: White Fang, Watership Down, Call it Courage, The Chronicles of Narnia, etc. Great characters that are well-drawn. Interesting dynamics between the different types of animals. Great spiritual element that doesn't overwhelm a fun adventure story. Wonderful themes that you want to share with your children - honor, courage, faith. Put down Harry Potter and read this to your kids tonight! You'll enjoy it as much as they do.

Huggins is one of those authors I discovered by chance a few years ago. I have read most of the books he has written, my favorites are Reckoning and A Wolf Story. Both are worth your time and effort.

A Wolf Story is an allegory in the style of Narnia or Lord of the Rings. In part it is a coming of age story, and part the story of good vs. evil. Long long ago, the inhabitants of the deep deep woods were given a choice. A choice that each of them in turn must make for themselves. Those who were about to make the choice would always face trials, temptations and fears. This difficult choice was either to follow the Silver Wolf and his lord, the Lightmaker or else they would join the dark Council and become part of the forces for evil.

The choice has become all the more difficult for the forces of light have been decimated, and the Dark Council is at he door of eternal victory. It is the story of a young wolf, who must choose and has been left alone to make that choice.

In this epic final battle between good and evil, the questions becomes is it really a battle of strength vs. strength, wits against wits, wills against wills. It is a path to the future but will that be a future in darkness and oppression or a path to peace, a peace won through sacrifice and pain. A peace hard won. Tis story is an allegory of the Christian life, told in a way that will captivate readers both young and old.

James Byron Huggins was born in 1959. He is a novelist, journalist, religious activist, and police officer; all these titles appear on his resume. A graduate of Morgan County High School, and Troy State University, Huggins began his career as a journalist with the Hartselle Enquirer. In the late 80's he smuggled Christian materials into Romania. He was a beat cop for 5 years before returning to writing fulltime. His first three novels Reckoning, A Wolf Story, Leviathan were Christian best sellers. Then he broke into the main stream science fiction with such books as Cain, Hunter, Rora, Nightbringer, The Scam, Sorcerer. Both Cain and Hunter have been optioned to be movies and are suppose to star Stallone and Willis respectively.

I read this when it first came out and it has continued to be one of my favorite books. I see it as an allegory, beautifully depicting the spiritual struggle between God & Satan in the form of the animal world.

Unforgettable characters make this book easy to read and keep you on the edge of your seat. They include the wise old hare king Saul and his colony; the brave Windgate, Saul's good friend who becomes king after Saul; young Aramus, the silver wolf still learning to live his faith who meets Saul under terrible circumstances yet that meeting changes him forever; the king of the gray wolves, Giavanel, Aramus's father, strong & wise; other brave creatures who all serve the Lightmaker and because of their faith are under constant attack from the evil Dark Council, servants of the Dark Lord.

This story captures you from the beginning and has you feeling & fighting with its characters along the way. Yet it is also laced with wisdom that can be applied to our own lives. We need more books like this. Harry Potter can't touch the life and death, good and evil struggles that Mr. Huggins has portrayed in "A Wolf Story".

Every family needs to read this book to their children!