Fantasy Books

From the opening sentence to the closing line, The Reflection is captivating, compelling and an exciting--fun read. I found myself trying to out-wit the author at every twist of the plot, only to be surprised and out-smarted each time by the cleverness of the story. Joe Bright's vivid description of the locale made me want to re-visit England just to search for the manor and his portrayal of the characters made them so very believable.

My copy of the sequal, The Key, just arrived from Amazon and if it is as good as The Reflection, then I want to read everything written by the talented Mr. Bright.

The Reflection keeps you hanging on for almost the entire book. There are many twists and turns to keep you totally intrigued. He builds the characters so completely that you feel you know them personally. I have been reading (or been read to) suspense novels from a very early age. Good luck in figuring out the ending before it happens.
I recommend buying "The Key" (the sequel)at the same time because you won't want to wait to find out what happens next.

The first night I read it was just before bed--huge mistake. The haunted house scenes (there are few so I'm not giving anything away) prevented me from turning off my night light.

If you think you can pin the ending of this book Joe thought ten steps ahead of you. I was constantly guessing and never too sure how it would end.

The main character, Bren, is well-developed and likeable, you want to meet him and make him a friend.

I LOVE murder mystery and I LOVED this book. Just try and put this book down, I dare you.

If you like suspense this it the book for you! There is no way you can figure out what is going to happen next. What an imagination author Joe Bright has! I am looking forward to reading the sequel, "The Key".

I challenge you to put this book down for it will keep you guessing until the end! More than a mystery novel, the main character's observations on human nature strike a chord. Strongly recommend this book.

This is definitely the most enjoyable store bought module I've adventured in. Our group has had a lot of fun going through this one.

There are two main features to this module that I enjoy the most:

1. Encounters are challenging.

There appear to be very few of what I call "fluff" encounters. Most of them fully challenge the abilities of our group. In this respect, it gives everyone a chance to contribute to the success of the encounter, not just the fighter type characters. Rouges, wizards, clerics and bards can all play an important role. (Our bard has been especially helpful.)

2. Role playing opportunities.

This adventure is not just a dungeon crawl with only combat. There are a number of encounters that can give the player characters a chance to practice role playing.

I'd rather not say much more, because I don't want to spoil any surprises. I'll just add that there appear to be some plot lines that could extend beyond this adventure. Perhaps WotC is planning a sequel?

Of all the 3rd edition adventures, i must say this is simply the best!
I just got this book and it kept the players wide awake all night long.
The enemy encounters are real challenging and you should be well prepared.
The plots, items, spells, and new templets are great.
This will get you WAY up after you have finished.

This book, its worth EVERY cent!

regards,
A satisfied costumer

I recently finished the original 1985 version of the Temple of Elemental Evil. For a DM who only plays for about 10 days total per year, this took years for us to complete. Near the end, we were like, man, when is this going to be over!? HOWEVER... this was definitely the coolest adventure I've ever been involved with. If you love solving puzzles, exploring rooms, killing weird monsters, and finding excellent treasure, this is without a doubt the greatest adventure you could possibly get. It's not too bad on a DM, either, since everything is well laid out and explained in marvelous detail. Keep in mind, this adventure will take you from low level way up the ladder, so there won't be much room for side adventures, although you might want to make a couple side adventures anyway to break some of the monotony, which may occur at times. Overall, assuming the new adventure is basically the same thing as the original (which I'll bet it is), I think you will be very pleased.

Although I agree with most of the feedback that this is a great module (the dungeon levels are excellent and well-documented). I would point out that the overland maps, while beautiful, are NOT TO SCALE and DO NOT MESH with the Living Grayhawk material. Also the maps and sketch of Hommlet DO NOT MATCH the old AD&D module (esp regarding terrain). Unfortunately this is typical of the Dungeons and Dragons product line. For example, the text says it's 30 miles to Verbobonc, but the overland map shows 90. There are no details about the river that flows past Hommlet, nor the one that flows past the moathouse. Nor are there any roads shown for the route to Rastor. While this is fine for hack and slash GMs who don't care about realistic whole-world detail, the more discerning GM will spend hours remapping and/or rescaling all the overland areas. Because there are no published detail maps for the world of Grayhawk, the GM must make his own maps, and face the prospect of reworking them later to fit future modules into the campaign. All-in-all, this is really just a case of poor editing. I would suggest dropping this module into your own campaign world and forgetting the World of Grayhawk altogether, since it so inconsistent and patchy. You may have to redo one or both of the two overland maps, but at least you can make it mesh.

First of all, let me say that this is easily the best module I have ever gotten my hands on for Dungeons and Dragons. It is very well written, provides everything in great detail, and is a hell of a lot of fun to run. As the DM of my home campaign, i must issue a few warnings to those who want to use this adventure. My campaign is set in the Forgotten Realms and thus I needed to do a fair bit of conversion to set the adventure in Faerun, but in the end it was well worth it.
DMs should remember before running this adventure that it is intended to be the backbone of an entire campaign, and if you run the entire thing, it most certainly will be just that. After conquering the Temple, your PCs will have saved the world (hope I'm not spoiling this for anybody), and the question for the DM is simply: Where do I go from here? Frankly my PCs are a bit disenchanted with the entire "Save the world, um, again" theme. I'll still give it five stars since it is the best module available as far as content is concerned, just make sure you want your campaign to be remembered as "When we did the Temple of Elemental Evil".

This second hardcover of the Runaways is as amazingly well-done as the first hardcover.

Included in this trade is Runaways Volume 2 issues #1-12, as well as the X-Men/Runaways Free Comic Book Day crossover from 2006.
The Story Arcs:
True Believers (issues 1-6)
Star-Crossed Lovers (issues 7-8)
East Coast/West Coast (issues 9-12)

The X-Men/Runaways crossover is correctly placed in this trade, after issue 12, where it takes place.

Superb characterizations extend the simple (yet extremely interesting) original idea that control and authority are two very different things.
These three hardcover volumes rework, refine and re-explore that idea brilliantly. The seven paperback volumes contain the same material.

Wikipedia may help you avoid buying parts of this amazing saga more than once.

It took awhile for this to arrive but it was worth it. An excellent follow up to the first volume. Runaways is probably BK Vaughan's best Marvel work. I can hardly wait for Volume 3. I wish that Marvel will collect the rest of Runaways issue even though its not by Vaughan in a similar hardcover format. (ie Runaways/Young Avengers: Civil War.
An excellent buy for me.

I said it before and I'll say it again. This is THE way to read Runaways. Under the attractive dust jacket, the cover is made up of a soft black vinyl material that is extremely durable. The book itself is huge, letting you appreciate the art in a way that it may not have been able to be appreciated in the original comics and the infinitely smaller digest trade paperbacks. Plus, the book is loaded with extras.

This time around, we get twelve issues. One six issue arc, one two issue mini-arc, and one four issue arc. The cherry that tops off this Comic Sundae is a twelve page Runaways/X-Men crossover story that was given out on Free Comic Book Day. Other than the original comic, you can't find this story anywhere else. But, that being said, there's no reason why you'd want to. The story is inconsequential and the art is horrific. It's cool as an extra, but don't look forward to it as an epic super-team crossover issue.

Now, about the actual story: I reviewed the individual arcs here Runaways Vol. 4: True Believers and here Runaways Vol. 5: Escape to New York, but I'll reiterate. The stories are great and the dialogue is snappy as always. This is Brian K. Vaughan here. Its elementary knowledge that he'll always deliver a story that'll make you laugh and nod appreciatively at the talent of his writing. The art ranges from okay to great; Alphona isn't great at drawing the major marvel superheroes, but he excels at drawing the major "Runaways" characters. Speaking of those good ol' kids, I'm sure you returning readers are wondering how they've been. Their lives are no less tumultuous than they were in Runaways, Vol. 1, but the situation(s) they're in are nowhere near as epic as that of the first eighteen issues. In fact, this entire volume feels like set-up for a big story to come. That's both exciting and disheartening. This book could've been bigger and included more plot development than hinting at what is going to come, but even so; the more-or-less standalone arcs of this series are always entertaining, funny, and often poignant and, as an aspiring writer, I can safely say that Vaughan's writing is inspiring.

8/10

My attention was drawn to "Runaways" when I learned the Joss Whedon would be scripting the title this summer. With three volumes of reprints providing all of the pre-Whedon issues of "Runaway" I decided to keep the current issues on the shelf while I went back and started from the beginning. This was not only because I am inclined to read everything that Whedon writes, but also because in checking out "Runaways" I learned the title won the 2006 Harvey Award for Best Continuing or Limited Series (meanwhile, over at the Eisner Awards, it as Whedon and artist John Cassady whose "Astonishing X-Men" was named Best Continuing Series for that same year). "Runaways, Volume 2" collects "Runaways" #1-12 plus "Free Comic Book Day 2006," and much more so that the original run of the title in Volume 1, I understand why many fans see this title, written by Brian K. Vaughan and penciled by Adrian Alphona, as something different.

The first six issues make up the "True Believers" story-arc, which begins with the kids trying to kids trying to do something about the supervillains who are starting to show up in L.A. to take advantage of the power vacuum created by the defeat of the Pryde. Meanwhile, a teenage superhero support group named Excelsior gets an offer of $1 million to track down the Runaways. That is before the kids get a new mission when a future version of Gert pops up and warns that in the future a man named Victorius is going to betray and kill not only the Avengers, but the Fantastic Fourteen and every other superhero. Before she dies, future-Gert tells them to find Victor Mancha, the boy who will grow up to become Victorius, and kill him now, before he becomes too powerful. So basically this is the old quandary about killing Hitler when he was a baby, with the added question of exactly who is Victor's daddy. Of course when the Runaways find Victor, the Excelsiors find them and the fun begins.

"Star-Crossed" is a two-part story (issues #7-8, drawn by Takeshi Miyazawa) where Karolina learns that another important thing her parents neglected to tell her, besides the fact she is an alien, is that they arranged a marriage for her. But when a space ship lands and her fiance shows up, which is the first of several interesting twists. My only complaint is that these interesting things end up on the back burner by the end of the story (good thing I have everything that follows, so I do not have to wait months to see where this is going).

Finally, there is what Molly calls the "Field trip" that is "East Coast/West Coast" (issues #9-12). If the superheroes will not come from New York City, then the Runaways will cross the continent courtesy of Cloak. It seems Dagger is at death's door and the Avengers think that Cloak was her assailant, so Cloak turns to the Runaways for help. I think there are some economic considerations in having the kids go to the right coast because that means the kids run into not only Captain America but also Spider-Man and Wolverine (a.k.a. "a hairy little Canadian guy"). I wanted the kids to stay in L.A., but the scenes between Molly and Wolverine tip the scale the other way. The "Free Comic Book" issue also teams up the X-Men and Runaways, featuring art by Skottie Young, as the mutants show up to try and persuade Molly to be one of them. Also included are the full script for (new) issue #1 and an Adrian Alphona Sketchbook.

On the one hand the Runaways exist on the superhero continuum between Power Pack and the New Mutants, but on the other hand the series reminds me a lot of Marvel's "New Universe" titles (1986-89), which took place in a more realistic world, totally divorced from the Marvel Universe and operated more or less in real time. Not that "Runaways" takes place in a world devoid of aliens, magic, supertechnology, etc., but rather that it is off the beaten path. New York City has always been the center of the superhero world in the Marvel Universe, but with the Pryde there is an explanation for why Los Angeles has been relatively devoid of supertypes. Of course, in the aftermath of the Civil War each state gets its own roster of superheroes, which will probably have an effect on a series that is dealing with, as Iron Man calls, them "more super-kids," which will be Whedon's headache.

Jimmy Liao is my favourite illustrator and I was excited to find his book translated into English. I have seen the illustrations before in the Chinese book and enjoyed them on a visual level. However, having the text in English really brought the story to life.

The story is of a young woman who is going blind - it is an exploration of sight and how imagination can compensate for the loss of sight. The ending is inspiring.

This book would be excellent to expose children to a different perspective of the world and also would make a lovely gift for any adult who enjoys detailed and whimsical illustrations.

The reason I bought this book is I rented a movie called "The Sound of Color". It is a movie about a woman who is blind, strong, resourceful and full of joy. In the movie she teaches a man who becomes blind how to live and navigate around the city he once knew. The movie has drawings from the book and I became intrigued. The director of the movie told how he loved the book but it was hard to bring it to film. I disagree with him because his film and the book tells of one persons joy with the world around her even though she becomes blind and can't see it anymore. The beautiful ink and watercolor drawings with the powerful story will show you another way to look at your world and inspire your imagination.

This books is good in English, but I preferred the Chinese version much better. In English, things got a little over simplified, where as they were more complex in Chinese. I recently saw the Chinese version available for sale on the China Books website.
This book is age appropriate for older children to adults, not exactly children. I wouldn't buy it for anyone younger than 10.

Captivatingly colourful and creative illustrations combine with dreamy inner dialogue to carry us along on a journey of reflection, isolation, loss and hope. This book envelopes our whole family and sweeps us away.

With allusions to "The Wizard of Oz," "Alice in Wonderland," and psychologist/anthropologist C. G. Jung, "Color of Sounds" tells teh story of a blind young girl who rides a vast subway network because "I have a journey to go on. There are some thing I need to find." What follows is a remarkable narrative about internal and external discovery, with some of the most luscious and creative illustrations in recent memory.

The girl disembarks at various subway stops (subway illustrations are always panelled strips running across the middle of a two page spread), and climbs colorfully patterned stairs (often reminscent of M.C.Escher) and arrives at archtypal settings: An apple tree sitting Eden-like in a verdant forest, alongside dolphis and atop a whale, a topiary-adorned maze. Jimmy Liao presents his metaphors on both adult and children's levels. While adults may recognize the symbolic conflicts and issues presented by a maze; for example, children benefit from the explicit text: "Sometimes the street twist themselves into a maze.But if you look hard enough, there's always a way out. Other sections may benefit from discussion at an age-appropriate level. At one subway station, there are four trains going in both directions, all filled with people, and all colored differently. THe girl stands between them, "Which is the right one? It's easy to get lost underground."

At his point, she seems to take her own route, riding a kiddie train (decorated with motifs decorated a la Guaguin, Matisse, and others), then abandons the train to a white swan swimming against a cloudy yet luminescent background (a mystically beautiful and serene illustration). She slowly arrives at her answers. "HOme is the place where everything I've lost is waiting patiently for me to find my way back." She realizes that because she "went forward, step by step, into the dark," used her other sense (listening "for the sound of colors I can't see"; smelling the shapes and tasting "the light and dark," and hoping for someone "who'll sit beside me, sip tea, tell me her hopes for the future, and listen to mine." (Here, the two-page spread depicts her sitting on a green oval-shaped chair, surrounded by four rows of empty chairs in various colors, shapes, and sizes.

Towards the conclusion, the young girl encounters a butterfly, whom she believes may offer the answers to her hopes and dreams:

She'll tale me
to the friend I need to find.
She'll lead me to the place
where all the colors are.

she'll bring me back to the light that I lost,
still glowing here, in my heart.

An enormously colorful mosaic of birds, flowers, eyes, and other motifs surround the now smiling girl, when Liao write "in my heart." It's neither saccharine or precious. While the book may be read at many levels, and it simulatneously present many emotions and moods (fear, comfort, solitude, hope, wonder) the overall effect is an almost staggering visual and narrative display of poetry. The undertones can be dark and may even frighten some children (know your audience), but for othos who have begun their own journies of self- and other- discovery, for those who feel lost or have experienced pain, poor health, or disability, this book highlights the fact and ignites thought of possibility and transcendance.

I have loved this since I was a kid. I only have it on tape (I'm old). Once you get used to the actors and once you stop trying to compare it to the movie, you will like it.

The only scene I hate is the one where Vader is torturing Leia. It is laughable. Actually, you should listen to it because I guarantee you will laugh it is so poorly done.

I remembered listening to this production on NPR when I was a kid and now that my own children have discovered Star Wars I decided to share this version with them on a recent trip to visit grandma. We loved it! The Star Wars story is expanded and the writing and voice acting is so well done that it will keep the kids and adults entertained. Our trip seemed almost too short because we enjoyed listening so much.

Don't waste money on a DVD player in the car. Stories like this one are much more entertaining and leave the special f/x to the imagination.

I recently wrote a review for the Return of the Jedi adaption on NPR which I gave a mere three stars. I cited poor directing, acting and lack of added material.

These complaints cannot be levelled against this, the first of the NPR dramatisations.
The acting is spot on, with Perry King providing a rougher verion of Solo that goes over well, as opposed to the next two adaptions where it begins to grate. Mark Hamil and Anthony Daniels are naturally perfect at the characters that defined them for a decade and more after the original trilogy finished. Bernard Behrens does a surprisingly good Ben Kenobi, and Brock Peters likewise with Vader. They are not Alec Guinness and James Earl Jones, but they're good enough not to cause problems.

The direction is great, and I never found myself noticing the obvious radio 'cues' which tell the listener what is happening. THe music and sound effects are good and the pacing is not rushed, unlike ROTJ.

And as for added material? Deducting front and end credits gives us roughly five and a half hours, nearly triple the length of the film. The vast wealth of extra material is great and never seems out of place.

In all I would recommend this to anyone with an interest in the Star Wars original trilogy.

In 1981, the phenomenally popular movie Star Wars was adapted into a radio drama. The series ran as 13 half-hour episodes. This being about three times as long as the movie, a lot of extra scenes were added, especially back stories for many of the characters. The only actors from the movie that reprised their roles from the movie were Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker and Anthony Daniels as C-3PO, but most of the actors taking over the other roles do a good job. Most Star Wars fans will probably enjoy this.

I have fond memories of myself eagerly awaiting each installment of this fantastic radio drama adaptation of the original "Star Wars" film back when it aired originally in 1981. Brian Daley did an excellent job via his superb scripts giving us more details of the relationships between Luke Skywalker and his Tatooine friend Biggs Darklighter and between Princess Leia and her father on Alderaan. We also learn here how Princess Leia obtained the technical plans for the Death Star. Both Mark Hamill and Anthony Daniels give superb performances of their screen characters, Luke Skywalker and C3PO respectively. However, the rest of the cast is just as fine with a fine - if somewhat restrained - Darth Vader voiced by Brock Peters and Ann Sachs as Princess Leia. Both the sound effects by Ben Burtt and of course the original film score by John Williams are absolutely splendid. This is a spellbinding radio drama that should appeal to diehard fans of "Star Wars".

My daughter recently turned 7 and she can't put these chapter books down. Great books to read over the summer for girls or any child interested in fairy fantasy. Definitely recommend.

We own all of this series! Started reading them when my daughter was 4 (she just turned 5 now), and they are age appropriate. Not too scary and always a happy ending. One book only takes us about 4-5 nights worth of reading together. The longer ones are good too "Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg" and "Fairy Haven and the Quest for the Wand", but they are a little bit scarrier than the short books (more appropriate for ages 5-7 I would think).

My daughter loves the Disney fairies and she is learning how to read. Because of the topic, she is having a great time reading these and learning faster than she would with other books. Great books!

Its a lovely set of books for beginners to fairies land. Great for grade schoolers. Beautiful pictures easy to read.

We purchased these books for my 6-year old daughter. We read them together and love the stories. We also enjoy the life learning that can be extracted from them.

Masterfully written! The descriptiion and detail put into this book is astounding. Crafted with pure genious I personaly recomend this book to fantays lovers of all ages!

Diana Metz has created a world in which dragons and people share our world. She has a gift for description - if I close my eyes I can imagine I am there among the dragons or soaring above the clouds on the back of one of these magnificent beasts! A wonderful book for any age!

After recieving this book, which was HIGHLY anticipated, i must say that I was not dissapointed in ANY way! Being a fan of both dragons and fantasy, I am particularly had to please with literature, but this book surpassed all my expectations!!! I'm now anxiously waiting for the next installment of Talon, and I must say, a big, "WELL DONE DIANA"!!!

I loved this book! Diana Metz finds a great new approach to a dragon fantasy! The words weren't neccesarily as fullfing as the plot was, but it was still great! I recently e-mailed the author and found that there was to be another book! And another after that! I can't wait. You're great Diana!

"I don't know who I am anymore" Talon sighed heavily. "A year ago I knew who I was, a young mercenary with a knack for battle tactics. I trained hard, fought where I was told and planned the deaths of hundreds of young men just like me. That's who I was. Now I'm what you, an old man, and now a dragon queen, say I am. I don't know if I like what you've made me." (pg 154)

When I first read this book (I've read it three times now) I found that I could not put it down. The story is amazing. A young boy named Talon once a warrior, now a wizard, forever the Krrig Daa. He goes through many ups and downs, physically and mentally, and through the incredible writings of Diana Metz you go with him. Her portrayal of Dragons as not only intelligent but incredibly social beast full of magic is one of the reasons I couldn't put this book down.

Thank you Diana for such a great book.

Jax is a vampire hunter and she is after Drace, a rogue vampire that killed her father. Her need for revenge runs deep because she also believes a vampire caused her mothers death when he attacked her mother right before she was born. Jax is determined to rid the world of all vampires, but this hunt may change her view of vampires forever.
Ian is about to become leader of his clan of vampires and he is after Drace for killing Jax's father, he is setting an example to rogue vampires that if they attack humans they will be punished. He is about to meet his match.
Ian knows another hunter is after Drace and he gives the hunter credit for his ability. When he catches up with the mysterious hunter he is shocked to find out its a woman. She knows what she is doing, there is no doubt about that, but Drace is his and no woman is going to stand in his way...no matter how attractive she is. Jax has gotten so close, she is not about to let this new guy take her hunt. As they both start fighting for dominance in the hunt deeper feelings start to arise. Ian wants Jax for his mate, but he now knows Jax's true purpose is to obliterate all vampires. How will Jax react when she finally realizes Ian is a vampire? Will Ian be able to convince Jax to become his vampire mate? Read this book and see how Patrice Michelle brings this all together.

Ian and Jax really sparked in this fantastic tale. Patrice Michelle has done well with this series, she paints a vivid picture and unique story for the world she has created. The creative mix of erotica, romance and action was well done. There were a couple of discrepancies regarding the way Ian looks but they are not too obvious so it did not alter my rating. I recommend this book and I will be checking out more from Patrice Michelle.

Kudos Patrice, I would like to hear Mark and Blake's stories.

My first book by this author (and unkowingly, the second in a series by her ) was a great adventure. The heroine, Jacueline (Jax) is out for revenge on the vampire who killed her dad. I liked Jax, because she was a strong heroine, a fighter, and not some, "Woe-Is-Me" chick. She takes charge and kicks some rogue vampire butt. While on one particular hunt she encounters Ian Mordoor-half human/half vampire, who's also nic-named, "The Enforcer". With his mixed blood, he is able to be in the sunlight, which is a handy attribute when you're killing rogue vampires. Jax wants this kill, as this is THE vamp she's been hunting for so long, but Ian wants this vamp's hide too, so they fight each other to see who gets the honors. Sexual tension ensues, as Ian has never met a female like Jax before and is instantly drawn to her. Being as this is an erotic romance, the sex is pretty graphic and hot, so if you like your romances a bit tamer, this book is not for you. There's plenty of action, great charcter development, and a wonderfully writen story that keeps you interested and hanging on every word through the whole book. I ordered book 1 and book 3 and can't wait to read those too!

The follow-up to A TASTE FOR PASSION, but stands completely alone as a novel. This vampire culture is fascinating, intriguing and delicious. There is an instant connection between Jax and Ian, plus one with readers. There are ups and downs, angsts and resolutions, good and evil in this tale, all of which keep a reader hooked to the pages. A Taste for Revenge is soulful, powerful and one of Ms. Michelle's best!

Next is Duncan's story...I'm totally addicted to this hunk!

Ms. Michelle...Well done!!

"Jax"(Jaqueline)Markson was raised with the bleak household, to be a dedicated vampire hunter. Now, ever more driven in her mission to eradicate all vampires, by the recent murder of her father by a rogue vampire. Jax has never known of life with her guard down, her feelings open to others. Jax lives for the hunt.

Ian Mordoor, is a hybrid vampire, born to a human and a vampire, child of a union of true love. Ian is a rarity, able to walk in daylight yet, a vampire. Ian has been appointed the enforcer of order for his tribe. When he hears a rogue vampire has murdered a human vampire hunter, Ian takes action to hunt down the rogue himself.

When Ian and Jax collide, Ian is convinced Jax is his soul mate. Ian is sensible to the fact he must conceal his vampire nature from Jax. Ian sets out with confident persuasiveness, to win Jax. Breaking down her emotional barriers and prejudice toward vampires ? Read the novel ! A spine-tingling Erotic Romance, with an adventureous story of revenge that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Author Patrice Michelle, weaves a complex society of vampires that are engrossing. Inventive scenes of intimacy as well !

I am not a reader of Romance novels. As a consumer, I read many things including, Vampire fiction for entertainment, and recently, Vampire Erotica (which appears to be a genre that is really gaining momentum).

One thing I can say with enthusiasm; author Patrice Michelle has created a very distinctive and nuanced race of vampires for her fiction series. The Kendrian's, have several tribes within their race, each tribe possessing unique variations of inherent ability. Patrice Michelle crafts wonderful characters which, completely draw you into her stories. All are memorable. My only real complaint : the author tends to describe "popular" music in detail, which was a mood breaker for me. I would have preferred
that she merely suggest it. Not all of us care for the same music.

That said, I enjoyed "A Taste for Revenge" the best. Though, I think it would be a true shame to read just one book in the series, all are enjoyable to read, each offer something different. Call me a purist, I like a healthy dose of erotica in my "Vampire Erotica" ! The series is billed as "Erotic Romance", so one does expect a healthy dose of graphic sexual content ! In the first book, "A Taste for Passion", we are introduced to the character of Ian and his brother Duncan. The third book, "A Taste for Control" is all about Ian's twin Duncan (and has cameos from the characters in the previous books). "A Taste for Control" is quite an epic of fiction for an erotic romance, the erotica is absorbing but becomes a little lost along the way. "A Taste for Revenge" had the most cohesive blend of passionate erotica with an action-packed plot, neither element outdoing the other. The other books became more drawn out in the romantic characters hesitation for each other and a bit lighter on gratification, which became frustrating for me. It is odd how things work out. I thought that a book about a vampire hunter would be my least favorite ! Do buy them all though, today !!!

P.S. Patrice Michelle, I can't wait for more books in the series !

I rather impulsively bought all three titles in this series, and am loving them. I found this one to be better than the first, and I can't wait to read the third. The sex is hot, the connections between the characters strong, and is everything I want in my vampire romances. I'll be watching this author, and indeed, have begun to check out more Ellora's Cave releases, since I think I have found a new obsession. Very glad I purchased these.

This third book in the tale of Urza the Planeswalker is much better than the second, Planeswalker, and possibly even better than the excellent The Brothers' War. Picking up where PLANESWALKER ended, TIMESTREAMS tells of the continuing war between Urza and the minions of Phyrexia. Similar to the previous two books, this one spans around 50 years of time, skipping multi-year periods in which armies are built and characters grow older, resulting in a action-packed and exciting read. J. Robert King is a very talented writer, bringing the world of Dominaria to life like few (if any) other MTG authors have.

Most of this book is taken up by battle sequence after battle sequence, with Urza's armies of students and artifacts fighting off a never-ending stream of attacking Phyrexian mutants. While there is action galore, this book also introduces some great and intriguing characters. Jhoira, Teferi, and Barrin are Urza's disciples and proteges and are each developed into believable and highly individual characters that you'll really get to know as the story progresses. Karn, a silver golem that appears in a number of other MTG books (Rath and Storm, Mercadian Masques, and others), is created by Urza in the first chapter, and much of the book is devoted to developing his personality and purpose. The idea of Urza's Legacy, including Karn and the Weatherlight, is also developed here.

Perhaps the most intriguing thing about this book is the exploration of time rifts, where the flow of time is either faster or slower than normal. King does an excellent job of making this concept seem somewhat believable and uses the rifts masterfully to make this story one you're not likely to forget. I'd feel comfortable saying that this is the best MTG book I've ever read.

Highly recommended.

This is where so many of the characters are developed that lead to the other series. Seeing the obsession of Urza as he seeks a way to destroy Phyrexia and his interaction (or lack thereof) with those around him made the story compelling.Great addition to the cycle; I just wish Jeff Grubb or J.Robert King had done the second book in the Cycle.

This book was pretty good,... I felt that this novel was very choppy. Years would pass all of a sudden, leaving you to wonder what happened during that period of time. I'd lose interest sometimes, leaving the book to sit for weeks before picking it back up again. Despite these faults, I really liked the concept of the "Alliance" of races, and I thought the battles were well written. I'm glad Yavamaya finally got some attention as well. Hopefully Bloodlines will keep my attention better.

This book is so refreshing. Some of the recent MTG books I've read have been rather dissappointing (Mirrodin cycle and Kamigawa cycle) compared to the beginning of the entire series (Brother's War, the Thran, the Ice Age cycle). This book is one of the best of the series... I think I enjoyed it more than the Brother's War.

It gives the a good glimpse into Urza's mind and world post-"insanity." His research is interesting, his artifacts are very cool, and his "relationships" with his students is ever awkward (but then again, how in the world can Urza Planeswalker carry on with mere humans). The metal golem, Karn, also plays a very powerfuly role in the book, exploring his purpose in the world and his role in Urza's plans. He is trying to discover, dare I say, his "humanity."

The whole time manipulation plays a very interesting role in the book, and as always the phyrexians are punks to the very core. I thought it was so facinating how the phyrexians were in a different time speed than Urza's school and the problems that resulted because of this.

I recommend this book to everyone, MTG fan or not. It is fun and interesting. J.Robert King writes a very compelling story with relatable characters on the verge of destruction.

I read this book during my lunch breaks while I was teaching SUmmer School. I found it extremely enjoyable and I particularly liked the way he used time paradoxes when he described the Time Bubbles.

Very Good. My students liked it too.

Great illustrations, characters and an amazing setting make Tut, Tut (Time Warp Trio) a fabulous find for young readers. There's plenty of laughs here for parents as well in this very well written novel.

Join Joe, Fred, Sam and Anna (Joe's sister) as they travel back to ancient Egypt through a book that lands them in quite a situation. The problem is that they need that same book to get back home, and they lost it!

There's non-stop adventure and some wonderful history that may well encourage young readers to seek out more information about this period of Egyptian history.

Recommended!

Time-traveling is not as cool as you think. Being mummified, being trapped in a secret room and having your friend almost eaten by a crocodile is not cool. But what is cool is being treated as a royal guest in Thutmose III's palace, sailing in his boat and teaching him basketball. So, if you like things that are cool and not, you should read this hilariously funny book.

The book was about three boys and a girl who go to Egypt through a book that one of the boys uncles gave him. They have to travel through Egypt and find the book to get back home and meet a little challenge along the way named Hatsnat. I liked this book because we had just learned about Egypt so that made it better to understand.

This book is exciting. You always want to turn the page. It is funny and interesting.It takes place in ancient Egypt.In Tut Tut there is a girl named Annie. She is 6 and two brothers. I would tell you to read it.The name is Tut Tut.

I give this book five stars because it is very funny. It is also adveturous. The characters in this story (Joe, Fred, Sam) get in a lot of trouble and Sam almost gets eaten by a crocodile. I don't want to say more because I want you to read it for your self. I don't want to spoil the surprise.