Ace of Aces Books

I LOVE Jan Brett's books! I buy them anytime I see them whether on sale, old ones on Amazon as remainders, or new.. They make great gifts. I have a backup of many to give to children, particularly my granddaughters. The illustrations in this one are so beautiful it is really a keepsake to save as well as enjoy. Give it as a gift and you will make some child very happy and a parent happy,too.

Beautiful illustrations reprinted from over 40 sources. All illustrations are credited on last page. Book measures 9"X11.5" Only down side was that the price changes by the day. One day it's almost $11 another it's $8.97. But that's just the way Amazon works; something to be aware of. (It's worked in my favor often while shopping at midnight--price suddenly went down!)

it's a classic, so of course you can't go wrong, but as far as the best one being out there... well, I'm sure there are much better illustrated ones out there than this one

I bought this for my grandchildren last Christmas. The wording is traditional, and the illustrations are wonderful! This has become a part of the Christmas Eve tradition at my daughter's house.

These illustrations are the best ever for The Night Before Christmas...Stunning even! A worthy heirloom Christmas Book. The illustrations cover both sides of the page for a large panoramic view seldom seen in other books...

"The Fires of Merlin" was about the great adventures that Merlin had when he was a kid. This book was the third of five books in the Lost Years of Merlin series. This book deals with Merlin losing his power. He had to confront an evil dragon that his grandfather had put into a deep slumber. To add to all this, there were ancient bat-looking creatures that stole magic. They were supposedly extinct. There was an evil group on the island that wanted to destroy all magic. The evil group started to raise the bat-like creatures. The group and their bats were responsible for what happens to Merlin's powerful necklace. If you want to find out what happens to Merlin and if he finds his power read the book yourself.

"Sometimes it's easier to see someone else's dragon than your own." "The Fires of Merlin", is an exciting tale of the unforgettable Legend of Merlin. The story tells of Merlin's dangerous quests for others and confrontations to himself. He must also defeat the dragon Valdearg, who had been under a deep sleep for thousands of years, and had now suddenly awakened to cause havoc on the lands of Fincayra.
Before he can face the rampaging dragon's fire, he most face other fires, including the fires within himself. He most avoid or confront the magic-eating Kreelixes; discover the secrets of the Wheel of Wye, and take back his treasured Galator from the evil hag, Domnu. On his quest, he discovers his true magic was not in his staff but within his heart and soul. He learns this through his tragedies and the people that he meets. For example he learns that there is more magic within himself than any within his staff. To understand both sides of this problem he cannot not to judge someone for being related to one of evil doings, for even he has the blood of the once evil ruler of Fincayra, Stangmar, and Merlin's father.
This stunning work of art is an exciting fantasy about confronting yourself and discovering what you are really capable of. It shows the meaning of bravery and the meaning of the heart. The author uses descriptive words and sentences so the reader can understand and get a distinct picture in their head of a scene or speculation. In my opinion, the author really made his point to his readers and wrote from his heart. I recommend this book to all people who enjoy creative fantasies and luminous stories.

Extraordinary ride through a magical journey with unique creatures with an imagination that nevers stops!!! Very moving and speaks to the heart!!!

Make sure to read all 5 books, you'll not be disappointed!!

i loved it.........but it does not compare to seven songs of merlin in any way. the dragon of fincayra's children have been killed (except for 1). now he is on a wraging rampage. the only one who can stop him is merlin. but merlin is fighting simply to keep his magic.

Do not view these as five individual books, but as five pieces of a whole saga. To read only one would be to cheat one's self of seeing an entire picture.

The epic begins with an child with no memory being raised by a mysterious woman in a small village. Both of them are regarded as local oddities and driven to live in a convent. The boy is known as Emrys, but never feels that that is his true name. As he matures, he develops gifts and wonderous powers, along with an increasing need to know who he is. Eventually, he goes upon a quest in search of his heritage, one that will lead him to the lands his mother's stories spoke of, the Hidden World outside of time and this life. He finds himself in the midst of a battle between warring demigods, and finds a new name for his own, Merlin.

As Merlin journeys through the five books, he makes new friends and bitter enemies. This is a world filled with dragons, witches, goblins, and lost treasures. Secrets that are as powerful and painful as a two edged blade are discovered. Otherworlds are crossed, time itself bends to give the boy a glimpse of his own destiny, and choices musst be made that will affect far more than just Merlin.

***** Elements of other classics are hinted at, but applied in new ways and familiarity only serves to endear. This is a grand saga without the weightiness of other epics. Rather, it is easy to read and charming. This Merlin can stand alongside Tolkien's hobbits or Harry Potter proudly. *****

Reviewed by Amanda Killgore.

This novel merits the overused label of "classic." This is an astoundingly good read, a wonderful romp through familiar as well as not-so-familiar venues of literature.

Silverlock, the protagonist, is a cynical, heartless scamp. Through a mishap, he finds himself in the "Commonwealth" which is a place in which things happen differently than in our world. Robin Hood is alive and well, and fighting the Sheriff of Nottingham. Circe is capturing men with her magical wiles. And so on. Throughout this gorgeous romp, we see our friend Silverlock emerge from his coccoon to become a real man and a decent human being.

This review cannot do justice to what is a gorgeous voyage through the Commonwealth. No one should miss this wonderful novel. Hopefully it will soon be available on the Amazon Kindle so that I may add it to my electronic library, and have it handy at all times.

This book is a fun read if you like A) classic literature and B) fantasy. The references to classic literature throughout this book are what really makes it fun to read. The setting of the book probably inspired the creators of "the Neverending Story." The only thing keeping me from giving this book five stars is the fact that it does get rather boring in the middle due to the seeming pointlessness of the quest they go on. Basically, it's hard for me to understand why the main character (Silver lock) and his sidekick (Golias) try so hard to help someone who seems so completely self-absorbed (Lucius Gil Jones). You'll see what I mean when you read the book.

A book that is a literary puzzle, an adventure of sorts, and full of sneakiness and tongue-in-cheekness. I have read quite a lot, and when I read this, I had trouble trying to work out who was who in quite a lot of cases. I suppose this is a lot of the appeal, though, being like a really, really hard cryptic crossword, at times.

Silverlock is a fun, roller coaster ride through literature. It chronicles the journey--inner and outer--of an American cynic as he travels through the world of literature. Some of the fun is tracking down the literary characters, from Beowulf to Don Quixote to Becky Sharp. Part of me regrets not having been born in the 1950s to relish Silverlock fully; the Internet makes finding the sources of the characters effortless. Hopefully, readers take the next step and read the original sources to expand their understanding and appreciation of literature. In my opinion, the novel posits that literature is an evolving, cumulative organism. Modern (American) literature is built on the foundation of the stories that came before. The novel shows that someone can find meaning in the stories he or she encounters, and sharing those experiences--and possibly using them to invent new stories--is one of the joys of life. Anyone with respect for literature and the history of speculative reading should give Silverlock a try.

I suspect that this is one of those polarizing books: those that love it REALLY love it; others will be, at best, blandly indifferent or outright bored. I hew more closely to the second camp.

The book has notable adherents and in recent years has been hailed as a bit of a neglected gem, but I found it only moderately diverting. It was written in 1949 and so it's a bit dated (and its attitudes toward women are not the most advanced, but then again, the protagonist is by his own admission a cad and a bounder), but that's really not much of a problem.

The novel is your typical Pilgrim's Progress type of thing, and is divided into three parts, which turn out to be Chance, Choice, and Oracle, or as I see it, Heaven, Purgatory, and Hell, based on the decreasing level of quality (and the not-concidental Dantean shenanigans toward the end). It starts out strong, but the charms grow old fast, and the overarching quest in the middle section simply is not very gripping. In the final third, the book becomes unbearably didactic and wearisome, and then, rather suddenly, the words "The End" scroll across the screen.

On a side note, I found myself often contrasting this book to Stephen Donaldson's "Chronicles of Thomas Covenant". Both feature (anti-)heroes thrust into a strange land and both deal, to some degree, with large philosphical concerns. (In fact, Donaldson acknowledges having read this, and having plucked the titles of a couple of his novels from one of the songs within, but purports to find the book sub-par.) The major contrast, of course, is that Covenant believes nothing of what he sees, but Shandon easily rolls with all that he finds, no matter how fantastical, to an extent unbelievable of someone from mid-20th century America.

Filkers and others who enjoy making songs out of poems will like "Silverlock", as will those who excelled in high school English classes and who can pick out some of the myriad allusions. I suspect most others will find this to be much less than advertised.

I would, at any rate, recommend picking up an annotated version to get details on some of the more cryptic appearances of characters from myth, fable, and literature.

The book came in expected condition. They shipped quickly and did a great job.

More of us need a mirror so we can truly see ourselves and discover that there are positive changes we can make that will enable us to be better people and that can make the world a better place to be. This is perhaps the weakest book of the five, but is still a good read. Do start at the beginning, however, of the series, or nothing will make much sense (if anything DOES ever make sense in this mixed up world of today).

Mark Rodriguez 2/26/06

The Mirror of Merlin, Author: T.A. Barron, ISBN: 0-441-00846-1

The Mirror of Merlin book review

As Merlin realizes that his home, Fincayra, is in grave danger of the ever growing haunted marsh, he steps up and decides he is going to find who made that happen and why. This story takes place at the legendary island called Fincayra, just before the medieval times. The characters in this epic story are Merlin, his friend Hallia, the evil witch Nimue, and a friend he meets on his way, Ector, (otherwise known as Arthur). As Merlin and Hallia find a ballymag (a water creature who lives in the marsh) in a stream instead of a marsh, he tells them that the haunted marsh is growing rapidly. They also discover that the marsh ghouls are attacking innocent people, which they only do when someone invades their territory. But they don't know that the evil witch Nimue is behind it all. The reason why the haunted marsh is growing so rapidly is because Nimue traveled through the magical mirror. This can take people into the past or future. Since she traveled through the mirror she has the power to control the marshes because someone unexpected taught her about the magical way. So she uses her magic for evil and controls the marsh ghouls and the marsh itself so she can take over the legendary island Fincayra. This book is one of the better fantasy books I've read.
The reason this book tops my list is because I really like fantasy books and that this book seemed really good to me. This book was also a real page turner. It kept up with the story and it sometimes got really suspenseful at times which caused me to read it even more. There are also really good descriptions throughout the book. I really enjoyed this kind of genre for this book because I love fantasy and anything with swords, dragons, or wizards has always interested me. This book really hit on all of those things that I love. I would recommend people from 6th grade to 8th grade to read it and if you are the kind of person that likes fantasy I would really recommend this book for you. Also there were a couple of surprises in the story that really got me. One of them was finding out that the little boy named Ector is really King Arthur. So if you need a book to read, pick this one up and enjoy!

This novel is a fast, fun, and thoroughly entertaining read. While not on the same level as the classic fantasy novels, Barron has found a way for the reader to connect to the young boy Merlin, and always want more at the novel's close.

I liked this book because it presented problems not yet thught of in the average reader's mind. This bookis also intertwined with the other books so you didn't have to meet the whole cast of characters. It took little characters from the other books and made them bigger in one way or another.In every book new information is presented, this book holds alot. Not considering learning about Fincayra itself this book is only second to the fifth book.
I think the best part of this book was when he meets himself, it was a comical meeting. Full of questions and anwsers. The meeting of young and old made me feel and think of pity, sorrow, laughter and wonder on what is to come in the future.
I think the most vivid part of this book was when older Merlin grows a tree right in his own house. In the middle of his own living room! Reading the tree grow is as if you are right in the room when it happens. As if the tree is planted in the book and you are riding it yourself. Not only do you feel that you were there but that you belng there.

I first read this book 50 years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. My father had served in WWII so I was interested in stories from this time. I enjoyed rereading the book at 65! I admired Douglas Bader then and still do to this day. I went online and learned about his life after the war.

Excellent book about a truly amazing man. If you enjoyed this one, try Fly for Your Life, by Larry Forrester, which chronicles the life of RAF pilot Robert Stanford Tuck. Tuck is mentioned several times in Reach for the Sky and his book is another 5 star, Battle of Britain story.

I ordered this book for myself after having read a borrowed original first edition hard cover from a friend.
The story is wonderful and inspiring, and I wanted to own this book. This soft cover reissue version is O.K.,
but the photo reproductions in it are shamefully bad. I'll continue to search for an original copy ...

I read this book in middle school YEARS ago, well, ok, I wore this book out in middle school. When I saw it on Amazon I had to get it! What an amazing, inspirational story. Anyone with an interest in flying or history will find this a fantastic read!

An excellent and accurate story of a historical figure, Douglas Bader. It was interesting to read and thoroughly enjoyable.

A strong female character that for the most part is not perfect, fantastic. How many times have you read a book where the main character, male or female, is perfect? There's no tension, no anticipation, since you already know that she or he will come out on top and they will obtain everything they always wanted. While Raine manages to get though all sticky situations, a little scratch might be nice. I don't want the character hurt, just a little scratch.

Mychael is one of those characters you just want to root for; he is the hero in the true sense of the word, not just martial courage. He'll stand up for what is right and will defend it even if he does bend the rules. He's smart, handsome but with a bit of mystery, somehow you know there is a lot more to the man that the author hasn't yet revealed.

And I liked Tam's entrance, his timing couldn't have been better but then that's how the author planned it. Tam is your typical, well not quite typical bad boy. Dangerous to be around but you want to be, good both in a fight and bed, based on his reputation and a kiss that Raine still remembers.

While the book is a fantasy, the author presents a cast of characters that are believable, one my favorites is Piaras.

And I like the love triangle between the main characters but I hope it will be resolved in the next book. (I'm voting for Mychael; for once let the clean cut guy win).

The action scenes are well scripted and move at a breakneck speed. Ms. Shearin's descriptions are perfect. Enough detail to give the reader a picture of the characters and settings without being bogged down. Sorry but I still have a problem with handsome goblins. ;-)

The author manages to wrap up the story while leaving the reader just enough to look forward to the next book and I am definitely looking forward to the next book which I read will be out in 2009. Hopefully it will be closer to the beginning of the year then the end.

Elves to the left of her, goblins to the right....and all Raine wants is OUT! After trying to help her friend she wound up with this magic stone the Saghred - otherwise known as the Soul Stealer - and next thing she knew it liked her! Now she was stuck with it, and everyone wanted a piece of her - well, the stone, really, they didn't really want her. But since it hadn't driven her insane, as it was known to do with anyone else who had touched it, a lot of questions were being tossed around. But since her mild Seeker skills had increased exponentially, as well, not too many of those questions were being asked to her face.

For now Raine and her friends have taken amnesty on the Isle of Mid with the Guardians. Raine's father, the former custodian of the Saghred, was a Guardian; they are all hoping that the stone may be contained there at the sorcery school. The spell shields help contain the stone while it is dormant, but soon trouble finds it's way to the island and Raine and her friends are soon at the eye of the storm.

Unfortunately, the Isle of Mid is also home to the Conclave, the sorcerer's governing body. It is clear that many of the sorcerers want the Saghred for their own - the power it holds draws the greed of many - but Raine is not one of the many. She stumbled upon these changes and simply wants her life back, but is slowly realizing that nothing will ever be the same again. But what will never change is how important her friends and family matter - and having this much power to control is teaching her to limit her trust in others more quickly than usual.
When the school's best spell-singer students begin to disappear - and Raine is afraid her adopted brother Piaris is next - Raine decides that she must use the power she has despite the danger of the Saghred gaining strength over her - and her losing control.

I wasn't sure how well I liked this series, even though I read straight through the first book and picked up the second and did the same. It is an unusual sci fantasy series, not like one I've read before: yes, the magic rock, the increased powers, etc. But there is still something different that I haven't been able to pinpoint, and I still cannot say positive or negative. I'll have to say I like it because I am looking forward to the next one to see what happens. Intriguing. Not gory or anything, and not a lot of mushy sex or anything - some romance, but nothing explicit. Teasing, maybe. But interesting. I guess I'll just have to wait.

This series is both beautifully written and great fun. The first in the series,
Magic Lost, Trouble Found was good. I went on to the second, this one. Even
better.
Best series I have read in ages. I have them on my Kindle. So I couldn't easily
leaf through when the action got .... well, to where I simply HAD to know what
happened next. In other words, it is a real page turner.

Another bouncing and magic filled adventure with Raine, an elf seeker.

It was interesting watching squabbles between different fractions, and we got to know a bit more about the magic system and the world this time.
The two serious love interests, Tam and Mychael, played quite big parts in the story, as did the infamous rogue of a cousin, Phaelan.

Lined with action, a ample portion of magic explosion, seasoned with Raine's sarcasm, and sprinkles of fascinaating supporting characters, Armed and Magical is a great and fun read, totally worth taking up book shelf space.

I thought the book was wordy and wandered around a lot. I found it hard to like Raine, or to care if she ever got rid of the link. It seemed to me that the book was written to stretch the tale into a three book series, but it may have been better to leave it as one grand adventure.

This book was a disappointment. It contained very simple tips that were ridiculously over explained. It spent very little time providing the reader with any substantial assistance. Instead the writer delivered common things the reader should do, such as don't drink to much alcohol or make sure and consume creatine. I also found it very narcissistic. Kennedy used 126 pages to say "I'm better than you because college was easy for me." This is then concluded by a list of grammatical errors made in writing and in speech that he found personally annoying. There is a book called How to Become a Straight-A student that i did find incredibly helpfull. Cal Newport's book uses actual evidence that he obtained by interviewing hundreds of straight A students from colleges around the country. That book saved my college career and i didn't miss a social step because of it. Good luck ~Bryan

Advice or information given in this book may not work for all students?
What may work is worth knowing!
About a 3.9 Star buy!

I'm a sophomore in college when I bought this book. Had only a few good hints I didn't already use. No help what so ever with note taking though, which is why I bought it. He just says to develop your own method. The hints he gave were helpful, some are really just major common sense. The diet was a really nice added chapter since most college students don't think it effects their studies. Overall worth the money for a freshman, a sophomore it would be if it was a little cheaper. Best advice overall was getting to know your professors. I've had plenty of professors change my grade and help out by giving example exams. Just go to their office and treat them like a normal person, well maybe a little more professional for some of you, and if you go once a week I promise you will be getting better grades.

Great how to guide. I bought it for my daughter who will be a Freshman this Fall. Lots of the same things I've been saying (with greater impact coming from someone else other than Mom), plus a whole lot more. Knowledge is power and this guide offers hints from study habits, avoiding weight gain in the dorms, to dealing with roommates - even an appendix on common errors in English! I also appreciated that the proceeds from the sale of the book go to the Boulder Valley Humane Society. Bravo Mr. Kennedy!

Im a high school junior and got this book. I've applied a lot of the tips to my high school life, and my grades are doing a lot better!

I recommend this to anyone in any level of school, from high school and onward.

I remember reading this entire series back in the day. Although some were not as good as others, they were still very much enjoyable.

Now I'm excitied to read the all-new novel in this series - The Musashi Flex!

Good stuff this.

A good one man against the galaxy book, but it never becomes unbelievable unlike a lot of other in the genre. If anything it gets more believable as it goes. It's partly Frank Russell's Wasp where one man can create a larger effect than you might think and part John Brunner's Shockwave Rider where a man is searching for a fulcrum on which to move the world. Both parts are told in separate threads and meet up nicely at the end.

Fantastic.

The Man Who Never Missed is, hands down, one of the finest,entertaining and most original Science Fiction novels to come out of the Eighties. The plot is both action, military and spiritual all in one as the unique journey of the Hero unfolds and we bear witness to his growth and development from a shattered, spiritualy stricken soldier to a freedom fighter capable of challenging an empire. This story remains a benchmark for all military or martial fiction in the Science fiction genre. This is the first of 3 novels in the Matador Trilogy, The Man Who Never Missed is followed by Matadora and The Machiavelli Interface. Collect them. Read them. Enjoy them and may the Spirit of Adventure never leave you.

The Man Who Never Missed is an exciting and engrossing space adventure about a soldier who has an epiphany one day during battle, and as a result decides to take on an empire. He encounters various characters along the way who teach him valuable lessons, both physical and spiritual, preparing him for the day when he will take his fight to the forces of tyranny in the known galaxy.

This is a great novel for what it is - a mythic tale of a hero, how he was formed, and the beginnings of his battle against an unassailable (and of course evil) foe. If you're looking for characters who are "ordinary mortals" or for some philosophy deeper than "good must triumph over evil", you won't find it here. But the thoroughly enjoyable tale that Perry weaves made me look past these points.

Sure, TMWNM isn't a great piece of literature, but it's a helluva fun story. And in the end, don't you want to be entertained as much as enlightened?

The Man Who Never Missed is the first novel written in the Matador series. However, it is the second novel in the series by internal chronological sequence, following The 97th Step.

In this novel, Emile Antoon Khadaji is an former Confed veteran with six years combat experience when he finds himself in a bloodbath on Maro, where three-quarters of a million religious fanatic ran, walked and crept into the Confed fire zones and died. This traumatic event breaks his social conditioning and gives him an epiphany about violence. He runs into the oncoming mob, discarding his equipment as he goes, and later finds himself in a nearby town, where he meets Pen (see The 97th Step).

He realizes that the amount of violence used by the Confed is wrong and looks for a way to eliminate the strong-arm tactics. Pen teaches him how to control himself and Juete teaches him to see others as they are. On Bocca, he learns the nature of politics and military force as well as many other subjects. He wallows in learning for a while, but then moves on to gaining money as a power base.

On Greaves, he buys a bar and specializes in providing a good time to the troops. At night and in his spare time, he shoots select troopers with darts carrying Spasm, a convulsant that leaves the victims totally incapable of speech and movement for six months, but leaves the mind clear and undamaged. During these six months, he shoots 2388 of the 10,000 Confed troops, including the commanding officer.

When the Confed finally catches up to him, he is on record as being the one and only member of the Shamba Freedom Forces. This spooks the System Marshall and every single trooper that learns the tale. His fame and example spreads throughout the Confed.

This novel is a SF psyops story, focusing on the use of minimum force to achieve political objectives. Underlying this is a martial arts philosophy which teaches much the same lesson. When a political system degenerates into a self-perpetuating organization that preys on its own citizens, it only takes a small event to crystallize opposition to its existence. Witness the fall of the Soviet Union from the inside.

This story is much like Eric Frank Russell's Wasp, but with a more military approach and a different objective. In Wasp, the goal was to reduce the will to resist of the planetary population, but in this novel, the goal is to increase the will to resist of the planetary populations by breaking the reputation of Confed forces.

Recommended for all Perry fans and anyone who enjoys psyops stories in a SF setting.

From reading the other reviews here, I can see I'm not the only person who looks at this trilogy as a "cult favorite." It seems that the Borribles definitely have a devout following!

Good news, friends! A publisher in the UK has recently re-printed all three books, in a single volume. These stories are available again at last! Click on "United Kingdom" at the bottom of your screen, and have "The Borribles Trilogy" shipped to you from Amazon.com in Great Britain.

Wow. What a great, original book. I read if for the first time in the late 70s...when I was 12 years old. It was a stunning work then, and remains such. I didn't care for the sequels that I discovered and read several years later, though. I think the story works best as a stand-alone book.

Regardless, this is an awesome book. Do yourself a favor and read it!

Don't get caught!

Like many here I read this book as a young man. Borribles are children that have chosen to run away from home and live on the street. As they live on the street their ears become pointed, which is why they wear hats to hide the fact from those that hunt borribles. Once you become a Borrible you will remain a kid forever...unless... Many of the cops that work the beat that Borribles can be found are on the look out for them. If a Borrible is captured, then the cops will clip his ears and he will turn back into a normal kid. People that were once Borribles become insanely jealous of those that still are Borribles and also hunt them. Couple this with extra large, intellegent sewer rats that are the sworn enemy of Borribles, and you can see that a Borribles existance is a bit dicey. As a Borrible you can't get a job, so they live by their wits, stealing their supper and defending themselves with thier trusty slingshots. They live in small tribes / street gangs throughout London scratching a rough existance from the sewers and back alleys. Forming alliances and rivalries with each other as well.
The first book of Borribles, a Borrible finds a scout Rumble (really big sewer rat) and his tribe elects to seek out the rumbles and disrupt any plans of attack they may have. Think about a tiny Delta Force unit with sling shots and a candy fixation. Gritty and Tough as the Outsiders with a little Peter Pan thrown in, a great read. I highly recommend this book.

This book brings back a lot of memories. I read it in my teen years, and it reminds me of one of my English teachers who took the trouble to track down and buy me one of the sequels. That was an act of kindness I never forgot, and why I think teachers are such marvellous people to this day (I had excellent ones.)

The basic premise is of children who run away from home to an underworld/sub-world (yes, it's a kind of urban fantasy). The new arrivals have no name until they can prove they deserve one, and they can earn several. I don't remember the plot, but I know that the tribal/merit-based culture and the way they interacted was really interesting to me, and I'm getting ready to track down a copy for my niece who will soon be of an age to enjoy this one.

If it weren't for their pointed ears (which you should know are always well-disguised under a woollen hat whenever they're out in public), it would be very difficult to distinguish a Borrible from a normal human child. They're generally "very skinny", "pretty tough looking", and "always scruffy". Sums up this generation perfectly, don't you think? ;-)

Anyhow, the story itself begins when an enemy Rumble is spotted on Borrible territory by two lookouts, Knocker and Lightfoot. The Borrible instantly smell trouble and in no time at all have assembled a crack team of adventurers to assassinate the Rumble High Command. Naturally of course, not all goes according to plan...

From page one, Michael de Larrabeiti's 'The Borribles' is brimming with action and adventure of epic proportions. It isn't perfect, but whether you're young or simply young at heart, there's something here to be enjoyed.

Highly recommended!

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.