Ace of Aces Books

After stumbling across the Wingman series I found myself hooked on all of Mack Maloneys series...especially Starhawk. I found that I couldnt put it down. I look forward to the spring/summer of 2003 for Starhawk #4. I recommend the Starhawk series to everyone.

I have read all the books by mack maloney, the wingman series specifically. The chopper ops were good, too. I just new there had to be a continuation with the Wingman books. The Starhawk series is an awesome continuation of these. The Fourth Empire was awesome..... I was literally on the edge of my seat throughout the book. I am just waiting because I have a feeling that the villain Victor from the Wingman series might surface.. I could be wrong, but that is my theory.... as it seems as Major Hawk Hunter is coming closer to discovering his roots.. I hope that Mack Maloney releases a new book really soon.. I will definitely be on the list for ordering it'
Good job Mack.

I must say that if I were to review this series I would have to give it 10
thunbs up and 10 thumbs down.

Why?

For the same reason.. :)

10 Thumbs Up -
I bought all three books at the same time. I could not put them down!

10 Thumbs Down -
Now I have nothing to read for the next 6 months, and have to go see if
there are any good books OTHER than Mack Maloney's at the book store! :) :) :)

The best of this series, the development of the plot is well drawn and set into motion. Found the same play and modeling of the earlier WINGMAN series coming thru with the full power of the science fiction genre. The exploration of the Fourth Empire sets a vehicle to explore all manor of the human experience. I have been fortunate to read some of the ancient classics and actually even more fortunate to have some smart folks explain a lot of what was written. This author explores the human experience in much the same way in his well crafted style in this book. War, struggle for life, deep dives into the face of evil that man will rain down on his fellow man, tie ins with classic literature set to fast paced science fiction. Well conceived scientific developments abound. Tie ins to religous mystery and faith. I can not but help project some of the recent events the United States and the world has faced against the fabric of this book - it is just that good. The action was solid, well paced and placed. As a military aviator not enough flying scenes from the cockpit, but you can not have everything. The battle scenes and the relentless drive through future history excellent. The probing of the mysteries excellent. The connections and lacing to the authors other works continues and is a great part of these books. Again I credit the well developed writing style and intelligence to allow the reader to start with this book and read any other book in the various series without being frustrated or lost. Enjoy, this is a great read and primes the reader for the next one. When will these books and the rest of the series come out on audio tape and CDs? One can only hope soon.

Two words to describe Star Hawk: The Fourth Empire: gripping and thrilling. It was difficult to put down once I started it. Star Hawk begins to explain how Hawk Hunter was transported into the future. In the book, we learn what has happened to previous empires. It has twists that keep the reader hooked. Hawk Hunter is a true patriot and he shows his love for America. This is refreshing to read due to 9/11 and the revitalization of our country's patriotism in all walks of life. This book is a must read for Hawk Hunter/Wingman fans!

I became interested in the original novel after I watched the movie and found the story to be captivating. It is the tale of a soldier and his view of what it takes to be a Citizen and the entailing responsibilities. It is easy to read and the science-fiction premise makes the story attractive to a wider range of readers.

I first read Starship Troopers probably about 44 years ago. Since that time I have read probably thousands of Science Fiction Books, and while I have read some really good ones over the years, I keep coming back to Starship Troopers over and over again. There isn't a heck of a lot of Science, but there is Robert Heinlein's acidic sense of humor mixed in with a moral lesson and an incredibly captivating yarn. Regardless whether you are an adolescent or approaching the "golden years", this is a good read. Like most of Heinleins novels, you can live in this one for a day or so. Great escape, great entertainment, with none of the ever-present filth that pervades much entertainment media today. Read it, and enjoy it.

I first read this novel my junior year in High School, and it has remained one of my favorite novels ever since. Some have said that this book makes light of fascism, but this couldn't be further from the truth...

In the far future mankind is under the rule of the Federal Government, where before you can vote you must serve the government in some capacity. Usually this is done via a hitch in the military.

Rico enlists in the Mobile Infantry, fighting the enemies of mankind in a suit of super powered armor. After surviving his training he goes to war against a race of deadly insects bent on the extermination of mankind.

I'm new to Heinlein, but I had heard this book was completely different from the movie. It's a fantastic read and if you go in expecting a lot of combat and killing, be forewarned that is not the case. This is one of the best science fiction books I have ever read.

When Heinlein first penned this work in response to a call by some politicians to unilaterally disarm the United States, I doubt if he thought it would become one of his best known and most controversial works, a work which continues to have steady sales and whose influence on the science-fiction field has been enormous.

It's a simple story, one of the growth of Juan Rico from boy to man, as he enlists in the military of the future, and learns just what duty and responsibility mean, what his own capabilities are, and just what he wants out of life.

What is controversial about this book is the philosophy that suffuses it, is in fact the heart of this book, as Heinlein posits a future where, in order to vote or hold political office, you must prove your willingness to support and defend the society through either military service or service in one of the non-combatant auxiliary services. As part and parcel of this idea, no one can be refused entry into these services, even if blind or paralyzed, so political franchise is available to anyone who so desires (as opposed to some of the limitations that have been put on the voting franchise by various states at various times - and remember that this book was written in 1959, long before the Voting Rights Act of 1965). Heinlein further posits that such a society, even though the people who hold office were no better, smarter, or otherwise more qualified than our current leaders, would be a more stable society than our current one because their authority is balanced by their proven sense of responsibility and duty towards that society, a point that is certainly debatable, but in the absence of any real-world society so structured, must remain a conjecture.

Right alongside this idea are statements that rights must be earned (a critical failure of our current society is the inculcated belief that people have these rights just because they exist - that they are `owed' things without having to make any effort of their own), that correct moral attitudes are not inherent but must be taught (and a lack of corporal punishment in the early developing years does not help in this education), that war is a political statement whose level of violence must be geared towards what the political goal is, that the dictum that `violence never solves anything' is hogwash, that communism is based on faulty premises, and a whole host of other such ideas.

Now quite a few people have labeled this book as `fascist' because of this military service requirement, when it is no such thing (just look up the definition of fascist). Heinlein does glorify the military to some degree, but he also shows (often by counter-example) just how screwed up the military can be. And far from robotic adherence to commands, he clearly indicates that military people should question orders they think are suspect (at the right time and place - not while the bullets are whizzing over your head). There is a well-established court system, that like ours is pretty much insulated from political influence, and a political election process that is far away from any fascist government organization.

His depiction of boot camp and later military operations is excellent, comparable to similar descriptions in things like Leon Uris' Battle Cry. Rico is very well portrayed, a man that is very easy to empathize with and understand his thought processes. The plot seems to ramble a bit, as the story is not really about the Bug war, but about Rico's development. Once you understand this, it is very logical, coherent, and often exciting. The philosophy is presented with anecdotes, analogies, and concrete examples that make it easy to understand and far from being just `dry lecture', though perhaps that is the only real flaw with this book, as there is perhaps just too much of this `telling', rather than `showing'. But in general this is extremely readable, with Heinlein's typical unforced, near-folksy prose and clear thought processes.

This book has been, at various times, on the recommended reading list of all of our military service academies. I would go further, and recommend that this book be added to the list of `required reading' that our high school students are subject to. Whether you agree with ideas of this book or not, at the very least this book will make you think, and that's not a bad thing for students to learn how to do.

--Reviewed by Patrick Shepherd (hyperpat)

My face is a bit red. Matter of fact, I'm almost embarrassed to admit this. I am a lover of Western novels, but had never heard of Elmer Kelton. I have been visiting my daughter's (second home) ranch in Colorado and started doing some horseback riding - at the tender young age of 71! In connection with this I started a subscription to American Cowboy magazine, in which I found an article about Kelton. On my next visit to Barnes and Noble I looked for Kelton's books and lo and behold found a shelf full. I selected The Time it Never Rained as a trial read. I quickly discovered that I couldn't put the book down. I am now on a mission to read all of his works. Definitely five stars.

This is the first Kelton book I have read and the first fiction novel that I have read in decades. I felt like it was real to life and forgot it was fiction. I live there-West Texas, Panhandle. Surely there is a sequel. He left it open to finish out the lives of the major people involved, in at least one more book but ended this one as he should.

Elmer Kelton was rightfully honored with a number of awards for this thoughtful piece of work originally published in 1973. While it is about ranchers trying to survive in one of those long droughts that seem to come more and more frequent to the West and particularly the Southwest it is much more than a story of survival. The nearest community in the book is called Rio Seco and while it only exists in our mind's eye Kelton describes it well enough that it could be one of thousands such communities scattered across Texas and the West. What came to my mind as he described it is the movie from a number of years ago called, "The Last Picture Show". The book is a beautiful study of evolving and conflicting cultures on so many levels. Kelton does a fine job of laying out the past and showing the future of changes between Angelo and Hispanic to include the continuing question of undocumented immigrants. Another is the "old school" way of looking at things rather than the new way. One of the focal points of the book is the role that government aid plays in changing groups such as ranchers forever. The "hero" (and I'm sure he never considered himself a hero of any kind) of the book, Charlie Flagg refuses the aid and thereby creates tension for himself and others around him. What's amazing, and something to which I consider an honor, is that I was reared in a time and community to have known men just like Charlie Flagg. This book has been re-published several times and I can understand why. Really much of what you read in "The Time It Never Rained" is timeless while other parts provide a beautiful look to the middle of the last century in Texas. While it's considered a western it's far from a "shoot'em up". Other of his books go there but that's for another review.

This book is unlike any of Kelton's other works. The time setting is the 1950s and the seven-year drought we experienced during those years. The plot/theme is the end of the era of independence and freedom among cow men ... the time when they told themselves the drought forced them to sell themselves to the government to receive hay in return for their souls and their pasts.

I think of this book as a companion read to Abbey's, Brave Cowboy and McMurtry's, Hud (the book). All three writers were capturing a time and an attitude representing an end of an era when ranchers continued to curse the government out of habit while accepting welfare money as gracefully as the city poor they despised for doing so.

Kelton's book is as good as the other two, maybe better.

Being a Texan in Texas during the drought Elmer Kelton describes in The Time It Never Rained, he seems to write about it first hand. I remember the deluge that ended the drought, and it was the experience I remember. I worked at the San Angelo Standard-Times while Mr. Kelton did, and his day to day newspaper work was a preview to his books to come. He has West Texas nailed down to a T, and I love all his books. But this one especially strikes home.

I am making my way through the Darkover novels in the order in which they were written. The Bloody Sun is an accidental exception. This is the third Darkover novel, but I found out partway through that I'm reading a 1979 rewrite of it, and not the original 1964 version.

That fact lends some credence to my speculation that MZB improved as a writer over time. I thought the first two Darkover books were readable but clunky efforts, and I wasn't quite sure that I saw the appeal. The Bloody Sun, at least in this rewritten incarnation, was much better!

I enjoyed this tale of a man drawn to his ancestral home, whether they want him or not. He, and the other main players in this book, are well-defined characters, and unlike the earlier books, I wasn't left confused by a plethora of characters and cultures and a dearth of context.

That said, MZB is still a frustratingly inconsistent writer. Even in a good book like this one, certain scenes come crashing down with a resounding thud. A glaring example, unfortunately, is the very last few paragraphs of the book, which read like the dénouement of a Scooby Doo script. Ouch!

I can complain -- hey, I can always complain -- but I did enjoy this book and recommend it to anyone looking for a good entry point to Darkover. I look forward to reading the next Darkover novel on my list. Seeing as I just read a 1979 rewrite, I'll be moving "backwards" in MZB's bibliography to a book written 14 years earlier. I hope it will be a good read!

for the longest, i have wondered why the story of cleindori(aka dorilys of arillian) has never been told. this book does so in a round about way by telling the story of her son and all his troubles growing up and not remembering his past. too bad the story is not told about cleindori with her son thrown in as an afterthought but it is a reaally good story and all darkover vans really should read this one.

Not only is The Bloody Sun a fantastic read on its own merits, it is also a pivotal book in Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover series, marking the transition of the planet Darkover from its zealous self-isolation from the Terran presence toward the growing spirit of cooperation that marks the Second Age. For generations, Darkover has consisted of seven domains loosely ruled by the Comyn, the aristocratic families of those domains. By this time, however, the influence of the Terran presence in the land has led some Darkovans to express a desire to abandon the old ways and form a close and mutually beneficial relationship with the Terrans. The true power of the Comyn has long been found inside the mysterious Towers of the land, but now only the mighty Tower in Arillin can boast of a full-fledged Keeper, and even this primary Tower's circle is incomplete at the time this novel opens. Some of the people believe that the old ways are out-dated and needlessly burdensome, but few in authority have the desire, let alone the courage, to pursue progress of any sort. Thirty years earlier, Cleindori, former Keeper at Arillin, had courageously sought to change the laws (as was her right as Keeper) and free herself and her successors from a life lived under the most severe, isolated of conditions; her ultimate reward had been death and denial as a declared traitor and renegade.

Raised in the Spacemen's Orphanage on Darkover until he was twelve, Jeff Kerwin spent his next several years on Earth with his Terran father's parents; an outcaste on a world not truly his own, he pined for the time he could return to Darkover and learn the truth of his heritage. All he has is the name his Terran father gave him and a matrix jewel of unknown origin. He also has bright red hair, and on his first night back on Darkover he gets into several altercations with Darkovans who mistake him for someone else - a Comyn. When he begins to search for the history of his earliest years, he is surprised and increasingly frustrated to learn that no such records seem to exist anywhere of him or his Terran father. Even the Spacemen's Orphanage has no record of him. Kerwin knows he is being lied to and manipulated, but he has no idea why. Seeking information on the nature of his matrix jewel among Darkovan matrix technicians, Kerwin finds himself pulled in a new direction while the Terran authorities seemingly push him out. On the brink of deportation from the planet of his birth, a voice beckons him through the jewel he wears, and by following this voice Kerwin finds a new home on Darkover - a home within the very Tower of Arillin.

Thus we get an inside look at the work of the Comyn and their sheltered Keepers inside their mysterious Towers. It is a brand new life for Kerwin, accepted into a telepathic circle of power and authority. He finds new friendships, experiences beautiful yet tragically painful romantic relationships, and tries to work alongside a personal enemy determined to prove that he, as a hated Terranan, is a spy who does not belong in Arillin. Ultimately, he carries the burden of knowing that the very future of Darkover depends on him, as the Tower of Arillin is put to a test that will determine whether Comyn "magic" or Terran technology will best serve the Darkovan people in the future. Of course, things get much more complicated than this, and the ultimate revelation is not to come until Kerwin discovers the truth about his parentage and childhood on Darkover. That revelation is rather involved, requiring several moments of "wait a minute, let me get this straight" reflection on my part (which is not to say it does not make sense); it is as meaningful and powerful as it is complex.

The Bloody Sun is a thoroughly engaging novel boasting impressive elements of both science fiction and fantasy. In the context of its place within Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover novels, it is among the most important and significant works, showing as it does the inner workings of the last of the most powerful of mysterious Towers, revealing long-buried secrets linking this story and Darkovan history back to the crucial era of The Forbidden Tower, vindicating completely a renegade Keeper of the past, and basically explaining the impetus for one of the most significant cultural evolutions in Darkovan history.

"The Bloody Sun" is the first of the Darkover novels set in "The Second Age" of the Terran/Darkovan contact. The Terran Empire has rediscovered its lost colony and has set up a spaceport on Darkover. But contact between Terra and Darkover is still tenuous at best. The "Comyn" rulers of Darkover are keeping Darkover out of the Empire and are keeping the Terrans restricted to "Terran Zones". In the decades since making contact, nothing has changed. With individuals, there has been communication and interaction between natives of Darkover and Terrans, but this has always been on a person by person basis and not any sort of policy. Some on Darkover, however, are pressing their lords to allow more interaction from the Terrans and to join the Empire so Darkover can move out of the "Dark Ages".

Jeff Kerwin was raised on Darkover in the Spaceport Orphanage. All that he knew was that his father was Jeff Kerwin, Sr, a Terran citizen. Working in the Terran service he finally gets an opportunity to transfer to a world of his choosing and Jeff chooses Darkover. He had been dreaming of Darkover his entire like and he felt as if something was missing from his life. On Darkover, Jeff tries to learn of his heritage and finds that, officially, he has none. The Orphanage which he so deeply remembers has no record of him ever being there. His bright red hair marks him as a member of the Comyn (telepathic ruling class of Darkover), though he believes himself to be Terran, and this sets him apart from any Darkovan citizen he meets. Because of his actions outside of the Terran Zone, the Terran authorities intend on deporting Jeff offworld. Instead Jeff follows a voice inside his head and joins up with the Tower of Arilinn. A Tower is where the major telepathic work on Darkover is done. He finds a sense of home at Arilinn and also learns that he will play a major role in shaping the future of Darkover.

This is the first time that the reader has had the opportunity to see the inner workings of a Tower on Darkover. Finally we get to see what it is that the Tower Technicians do and what matrix work is. The inner workings of a Tower have been hinted and spoken of by characters, but never before has it been seen in action ("The Forbidden Tower" was outside of a Tower structure).

While Bradley deals with the same main theme that she does in every other Darkover novel (a Terran finds himself having to adapt to Darkovan culture and the conflicts of two different cultures meeting and trying to understand each other), she tells a rather good story in "The Bloody Sun" and shows aspects of Darkover which have been previously left hidden. Bradley uses her main theme to explore how the Terran Empire is starting to change the lives of the Darkovans and how it is going to change the culture of the planet, which affects the Comyn ruling class. Bradley uses her main theme to show the changes in the Tower culture and how the telepathy can survive on Darkover. There are betrayals, heartbreak, and the amazingly fast romance that somehow morphs into a long lasting love which will last for years.

"The Bloody Sun" is one of the better Darkover novels and one which is as good a starting place as any for the series. It is a standalone novel, but ties into the novels earlier in the chronology and is the starting point for the "Second Age" of the Darkover/Terran era.

-Joe Sherry

I really enjoyed this book and was fascinated by the life in a Tower. someting which was only hinted at before. Then I read a later edition of this book and was very!!! annoyed. Is Jeff Kerwein really the son of Lewis Alton (brother of Kennard) or the son of a Ridenow. Between the two editions MZB changes her mind and this affects the books later in the series( Sharras Exile, Heritage of Hasture and the Marguerida Alton series)

One of the all time under-rated fantasy "series" (it is a diptych in an age of trilogies) The Lost Prince and King Chondos' Ride were dark and innovative in their day in 1982. They have stood the test of time and are still fresh and oozing with style in 2004.

A study in contrasts and character development in a High Fantasy backdrop, Paul Zimmer also writes in a dark style and was not shy writing about gore, sexual themes and adult situations. The reluctance of the author to remove this material from the novels lead to mainstream publishers like Del Rey rejecting the work. Playboy Paperbacks published the first printing, with Ace picking up the reprinting in 1987. While the story is better for the adult feel, this probably was the major factor in why the series did not make it onto most bookseller's shelves and why it is so unknown. To be clear, the novels are not full of smut; there are only a few scenes in question. However, back in 1981-82 when squeaky clean Del Rey dominated the fantasy genre, that was enough to be make sure they would be rejected.

As noted by other reviewers, the world of the Dark Border is beset by evil that literally lives within shadow and darkness, a visible border across the sky which destroys and turns to ash the wholesome earth that falls under its sway. The denizens of this evil land are nameless and they are no-holds-barred-evil. There is no romanticizing the bad guys in these novels. While humanity's morality is gritty and grey and very ambiguous, the true evil within the Dark Border are monstrously twisted and possess an alien hatred of all life.

That is not to say there is no moral relativism in Zimmer's writing, it is a sophisticated novel in terms of its morality. There is much here that compares with Glen Cook. But True Evil™ is presented as something that cannot be understood or bargained with; it can only be opposed. I find that clear imperative as refreshing now as in 1982.

The characters are memorable. Istvan and Martos are very much tragic figures. Like Hector and Achilles, they are the best their age has to offer. Like Homer's heroes, they fight for their own honour, even though good sense has abandoned the men they serve.

Chondos is, on the other hand, a man you do not like initially. It is only as Chondos grows and finds himself that the reader comes to smile when the next chapter focuses on him.

Jodos is a study in how a society can pervert a mind and nurture alien values through lies and deceit. A human, raised by those within the Dark Border, his view of the rules of that society and the alien morality that underlies it are the reader's only real insight into the monstrous evil that besets the heroes.

The author was a founder of the SCA and was a serious swordsman who knew his craft well. The combat descriptions in the novels are wholly unique and the descriptions of the battles are both riveting and compelling. No author has written about swordplay better than Zimmer does in King Chondos' Ride. It is worth the price of admission for those passages alone.

Regrettably, Paul Edwin Zimmer, the brother of Marion Zimmer Bradley, died in 1997. Four novels set in the Dark Border have been published and a fifth was close to being finished when Zimmer died.

The Other Dark Border Novels: Truth be told, I did not find either a Gathering of Heroes or Ingulf the Mad all that well written and they lacked the grit, darkness and charm of The Lost Prince and King Chondos' Ride. If you are looking for more after the last page of King Chondos' Ride has been consumed, regrettably, you will not find it within the author's other novels.

Paul Edwin Zimmer is a fantastic fantasy author with a true sense of good versus evil - the moral dilemmas facing the good, the long term plans of the immortal evil.

In this novel a Lich (for want of something better to call him!) steals one prince twin at birth, and while all people involved assume the lost prince dead, the Lich trains the son in an evil manner giving the boy something no other man has ever known - the power to control the living and the dead.

By the death of the king, the good prince has become bitter and twisted; all his life people have been leeching off him and trying to win him over, politics has ruined his beliefs and faith in his people. With the death of the king, the lich sends the evil prince back to trade places with the newly crowned king. In one foul swoop, evil controls the kingdom and manages to avoid the probing of the meddling Hasturs (the blue robed wizards who eternally battle the evil force).

King Chondos (the good prince) finds himself captured and tortured in a land of darkness and death.
Jodos the usurping evil prince now turns man against man by encouraging a civil war, and Chondos must do what no man has ever managed - escape the darkness of evil with the two weapons he can manage - a knife and some magic rock.

Paul Zimmer not only creates a great story, but he develops his characters deeply. You'll live each character, and when you read the combats you'll realise that Paul Edwin Zimmer knows what he's talking about!

As already stated in others' review, this series is greatly underrated, and it is a shame that these novels are so difficult to find. They are very much worth searching for though. But be warned, don't begin reading this novel before you can find King Chondos' Ride.

The book is great..Does anyone know where I can get the series by Paul E. Zimmer?

Outstanding. A classis example of Good vs Evil. Plenty of Magic, hate, love, betrayal and action. The setting is dark and gloomy, like the Black company books, but in a way similar to Feists books. A world half covered by a dark shadow in which evil wizards,vampires,trolls,goblins and their evil human allies strive to consume all that is in their path. The forces of good, lead by the Hasturs,who are powerful magicians, constantly battle for survival against overwhelming odds. The war is fought on many fronts in different kingdoms by brave men and women. I have been fortunate enough to have owned and read the other two Dark Border novels, King Chondos's Ride and A Gathering of Heroes. This series is fantastic and does not get the credit it deserves. Too bad that these books are very difficult to find, but they are worth the trouble of finding.

One of the all time under-rated fantasy "series" (it is a diptych in an age of trilogies) The Lost Prince and King Chondos' Ride were dark and innovative in their day in 1982. They have stood the test of time and are still fresh and oozing with style in 2004.

A study in contrasts and character development in a High Fantasy backdrop, Paul Zimmer also writes in a dark style and was not shy writing about gore, sexual themes and adult situations. The reluctance of the author to remove this material from the novels lead to mainstream publishers like Del Rey rejecting the work. Berkely Paperbacks published the first printing, with Ace picking up the reprinting in 1987. While the story is better for the adult feel, this probably was the major factor in why the series did not make it onto most bookseller's shelves and why it is so unknown. To be clear, the novels are not full of smut; there are only a few scenes in question. However, back in 1981-82 when squeaky clean Del Rey dominated the fantasy genre, that was enough to be make sure they would be rejected.

As noted by other reviewers, the world of the Dark Border is beset by evil that literally lives within shadow and darkness, a visible border across the sky which destroys and turns to ash the wholesome earth that falls under its sway. The denizens of this evil land are nameless and they are no-holds-barred-evil. There is no romanticizing the bad guys in these novels. While humanity's morality is gritty and grey and very ambiguous, the true evil within the Dark Border are monstrously twisted and possess an alien hatred of all life.

That is not to say there is no moral relativism in Zimmer's writing, it is a sophisticated novel in terms of its morality. There is much here that compares with Glen Cook. But True Evil™ is presented as something that cannot be understood or bargained with; it can only be opposed. I find that clear imperative as refreshing now as in 1982.

The characters are memorable. Istvan and Martos are very much tragic figures. Like Hector and Achilles, they are the best their age has to offer. Like Homer's heroes, they fight for their own honour, even though good sense has abandoned the men they serve.

Chondos is, on the other hand, a man you do not like initially. It is only as Chondos grows and finds himself that the reader comes to smile when the next chapter focuses on him.

Jodos is a study in how a society can pervert a mind and nurture alien values through lies and deceit. A human, raised by those within the Dark Border, his view of the rules of that society and the alien morality that underlies it are the reader's only real insight into the monstrous evil that besets the heroes.

The author was a founder of the SCA and was a serious swordsman who knew his craft well. The combat descriptions in the novels are wholly unique and the descriptions of the battles are both riveting and compelling. No author has written about swordplay better than Zimmer does in King Chondos' Ride. It is worth the price of admission for those passages alone.

Regrettably, Paul Edwin Zimmer, the brother of Marion Zimmer Bradley, died in 1997. Four novels set in the Dark Border have been published and a fifth was close to being finished when Zimmer died.

The Other Dark Border Novels: Truth be told, I did not find either a Gathering of Heroes or Ingulf the Mad all that well written and they lacked the grit, darkness and charm of The Lost Prince and King Chondos' Ride. If you are looking for more after the last page of King Chondos' Ride has been consumed, regrettably, you will not find it within the author's other novels.

This was an excellent book! I couldn't put it down and ended up finishing it in one day. Definitely the best book in the series so far, I can't wait to read the next one.

The series First Truth, Hidden Truth and Forgotten Truth are adventure books. If you like Harry Potter books, you'll love the writing of Dawn Cook. Alissa Meson takes us on her journey from being a simple foothills girl to magic, mystery and love. I just can't put these books down!

This book was a very detailed, well written book. However, I bought it on impulse at a bargain bookstore before I even knew there were books preceeding it, so for a while I was kind of lost. I understood the main plot, because they go over it slowly. I am looking foward to reading the first two and any others in the series. I liked the ending, even though it was abrupt, because I know there will be anothre one after that.
This is a really good book, Dawn Cook's characters seem real, and you just want to keep reading. However, make sure you read the first two first, you won't be totally lost, but it'll take a while to understand the plot.

How disappointed I was to finish this book and realize I would have to wait for the next. I picked up the first in the series after reading the reviews and recommendations through amazon.com and have no regrets.

In this third installment, Alissa, our main character, is still struggling with flying lessons as a ruku and is practicing her skills as a master. Unfortunately, during one practice of tripping the lines, she is transported back hundreds of years in time. Back to when the castle was teaming with people. She meets new friends and interesting new characters, but also one old friend.

She tries despirately to get back especially when she realizes she is loosing control to Beast and soon realizes if she does not figure a way home, she could become Beast permentely.

What I like the most of Cook's book is her witty characters. I laughed aloud several times from their antics. Especially in the end. Just remember this: "meat" and "I only need one night," and think of me. I'm smiling again just thinking about it.

Forgotten Truth, the third book in the Truth series, has little to do with the first two books in the series. The plot that dominated those two books was resolved at the end of the second book, and Hidden Truth has the characters pick up with their lives and then throws unrelated challenges at them. It is really more of a sequel than part of a compact series that follows one main plotline throughout.

In Forgotten Truth, Alissa, the main character of the Truth novels, is transported back in time approximately four hundred years to a time when the keep is thriving instead of abandoned. There, she meets Masters she has only heard about and encounters a much younger version of Lodesh, the not-quite-ghost she awakened in the second book.

Though it does not really continue the plot of First Truth and Hidden Truth, Forgotten Truth is still engaging and something that fans of the previous two novels will likely enjoy. Here, the reader gets to see Alissa mature some and become more confident in her abilities as both human and raku. Readers are also introduced to many new characters that they will, in a way already be familiar with from the first two books as Alissa meets the students, Keepers, and Masters of the past.

Cook does an admirable job weaving the plot, focusing mostly on Alissa and what she is learning and doing as she attempts both to find her way back to her time, but also giving time to Strell, Useless, and Lodesh as they try to figure out what happened to Alissa and how to get her back. The jumps from one time to another are never jarring, and they never leave the reader wondering too much, though they do leave some immediate things unresolved to keep interest. It is a difficult balance to maintain, and Cook does it well.

The returning characters in Forgotten Truth have mostly reached the point where they're rather stagnant and there is little development for any of them other than Alissa. They still have the depth that they had achieved in the prior novels, but they do not change much during the course of this one. However, there are several new characters introduced, and they are all also delightfully well-rounded, dynamic characters who are a lot of fun to get to know. It is the characters that Alissa meets in the past that keeps the book from becoming simply another "Lost in the wrong time" book.

Though the general plot has certainly been done before, Cook manages to keep it fresh and interesting through the characters and by tying all the events that Alissa experiences back into the stories and events from the previous two books. It isn't so much what happens that keeps it interesting, but more what the reader gets to see and who the reader gets to meet.

In many ways, Forgotten Truth is better and more exciting than certainly First Truth and to some extent Hidden Truth. Anyone who enjoyed the first two books in the series will like this one and newcomers to the series won't find themselves quite as lost as they would starting with the second book, though they will miss a lot of what is being referred to.

This is my favorite B13 novel, and I have waited years for it to finally get back into print. My old copy simply fell apart from all the rereading. (g)
So when is a NEW Bureau book coming out?

I have playtested and contributed to the upcoming Bureau 13 D20 System Handbook, also from Wildside Press. Mr. Pollotta has captured the essesnce of the Bureau 13 world with his humor and wit. I had to research for the writing and playtesting by reading all three of the Bureau 13 novels. I was visibly laughing while reading the books. I have roleplayed for 20 years and the books have only added to my own Bureau 13 campaign. Mr. Pollotta has added new things to the Bureau 13 canon, and has made it so that we fans await the fourth B13 novel eagerly.

This was the first one of the series that I read. I loved it so much that I dug up the other two books and the original RPG. Next thing I know, I ran the game every Sunday for years. All thanks to this book.

If you're a fan of the Evil Dead series, Men in Black or Buffy; then you owe it to yourself to check out the start of it all. Read these books and you'll laugh, and wish they made this into a movie/tv show instead.

Mr. Pollotta writes fight scenes worthy of The Matrix--grand and chaotic. He uses a fair dose of humor, but never so much that the narrative turns goofy.

When you read the opening chapter, you will not think my description above applies. He starts each of his Bureau 13 books with a separate scene that sets up the plot, but is not part of it. In these opening chapters, he writes with a steady hand worthy of Stephen King or Tim Powers, proving that he doesn't write humorous stories because he is incapable of being serious. One day we will see a book from this man that transcends the fantasy-comedy sub-genre. Nevertheless, I hope the Bureau 13 stories keep coming, because they are immensely entertaining.

I have a vast library of books, including great classics...but it is THIS book that gets the most reading time. Its truly funny each and every time that I read it. The characters are well fleshed out and unique, the B13 world was masterfully used and the book is just a fantastic read, over and over. Highly recommended.

I like this story. Vikings sail across the Atlantic centuries before Columbus and encounter Teotecs. Casca is taken prisoner and sacrificed to the Teotec gods but his immortality convinces the natives he is a god and Casca runs the show. With help from the Vikings they destroy an invasion from their enemy the Olmecs. I love the description of the fat Olmec king Teypetel. Sounds like he ate too many burgers. At the end of it Casca leaves with the Vikings back to their ships.

This series belongs to those classics such as Robert E. Howard's Conan saga, or Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan. Casca is both memorable and one of a kind anti-hero.

God of Death proves that. High octane action and aventure on a cinematic scale seldom seen. A must read for anyone, both male or female.

The second book of the series, but oddly the third chronologically, follows on from the Barbarian and tells of the voyage of Casca and his vikings across the ocean to Central America where Casca becomes at first a captive of the ancient Teotec peoples.

After surviving a sacrifice he becomes revered as a god and helps win his people a war, but at a cost. For those who wish to find out more, please read this book as its one of the best in the series.

For more Casca, see www.casca.net

As with most of the early Sadler books, this one is a great story of adventure and war. The main premise here is that a band of vikings, led by the main character, reached Central America long before Cortes, and become embroiled in a petty war. Casca's immortality helps him win over the people who regard him as a god but there is a price to pay, as Casca finds out in the end.

This is the second book of Sadler's Casca Series. As with several of the other books in this series, it is not in absolute chronological order. You have to keep reading the series and put the chronology in order yourself. This is okay though and does not distract from the story one bit. This is classical Sadler stuff. The story line hold true and Casca remains Casca. The story concerns his voyage to the new world with members of his Norse group. Each page is filled with typical Sadler action and can truely be classified as a page turner. I am a Sadler fan and do feel this was one of the better stories in the servies...everyone has their favorite though. Recommend this one highly.

If you're new to Varley and want to explore his short stories, or a long time fan but just want a collection of his short fiction, this is the collection to get. It has the very best of his short fiction including three Hugo and Nebula award winners. These are "The Persistence of Vision," "Press Enter" and "The Pusher." I have always thought "Press Enter" and "The Pusher" were two of the most powerful and original science fiction stories I've ever read. "Press Enter" is spine chilling and creepy but only after reading the last page. Before then it's an enjoyable murder mystery and love story. "The Pusher" is the best science fiction story ever written about time dilation for space travelers. In addition, "Tango Charlie and Foxtrot Romeo" will hold your attention to the very tragic end. Varley is one of the best writers in America today. He just happens to write science fiction. This is a collection of his best short stuff with the author's fascinating intros and comments for each story.

John Varley sold his first story, "Picnic on Nearside," in 1974. By 1985 his stories had garnered him three Hugo Awards, two Nebula Awards, and nine Locus Awards, with a tenth Locus in 1987. This collection includes all of the Hugo and Nebula stories and several of the Locus stories. It's a great place to start if you've heard of Varley but haven't read him yet. Even if you have his other collections, you'll want this one as well, not only for the new material, but for the author's extensive comments that precede each story.

Okay -- Christopher Priest is arguably more poetic, and Tim Powers is more literary, when he cares to be. But it's a proven fact that John Varley is the all-around best SF writer working these days. That's even more true when it comes to the short form, as this recapitulative collection demonstrates. Varley is a Texan by birth and very close to my own age and, like me, he spent his early adult years in the San Francisco Bay area. As I rediscovered in his biographical introductions to these stories, we share a lot of the same life-shaping milieux. Of course, I've read Varley's stories and novels over the years with great appreciation as they were published, since the first appearance of his first short story, "Picnic on Farside," in 1974, but reading this volume straight through is like sitting down with a spoon to a quart of caviar. All of his best award-winning work is here: "Press Enter" (still a nerve-wracking read), "The Pusher" (still very unsettling), and "The Persistence of Vision" (still one of the most affecting pieces of writing I've ever read, from anyone). There are also five never-before-anthologized stories, of which "The Flying Dutchman" may, as the author says, convince you to take the train the next time you have to travel. Most of these stories are in the "Eight Worlds" series, though the Anna Bach sub-series (sort of police procedurals but really much more than that) are prominent, too. The weakest piece in the book, to me, is "Options," which is a bit too earnest and cloying for my taste, but it's still an excellent story. And there's one that's entirely new to us: "The Bellman," originally destined for Harlan Ellison's third "Dangerous Visions" volume (also something of a flying Dutchman . . .), which doesn't seem nearly as radical as it would have when it was written in 1978.

I like stories with indepth character and plot development. Shorts always leave me wanting more. However, this is just worth reading.

As someone who had only read the novels of John Varley, excepting one short story, which happened to be the last story in this collection, The Bellman, I came to it with fresh eyes and no fog of nostalgia from reading the stories when they were new.

Not only are the stories solid, we also get some brief autobiography and background of the stories containing such interesting info as Varley rates a car as one of the best places he's lived(during Woodstock), his first novel didn't get published, but his first short story, which is contained in this collection, did, he does not like writers groups and showing his work for criticism and generally does not rewrite his work.

Not only do the stories, particularly the 8-worlds and the Anna-Louise Bach stories, have the wow factor one expects from the field, they also make you think. Particularly the 8-worlds stories where gender changing, body changing and age changing is fast, easy and ubiquitious. What happens to gender roles and how people relate when your friend shows up at your door tomorrow as the opposite sex?

One problem of story collections is that it can be a little much to read nothing but short bites of the same author, to badly mix a metaphor, but this collection gets it right despite a moderate length by mixing the stories of his various milieus up. At the end you will be sated with Varley, but not fed up.

Highly recommended, as are his Gaea trilogy.

There are only 9 stories here, but most of some length, novelettes and novellas, including the best story here, the last, and the 'title track'.

A very high quality collection, and all science fiction.

Persistence of Vision : The Phantom of Kansas - John Varley
Persistence of Vision : Air Raid - John Varley
Persistence of Vision : Retrograde Summer - John Varley
Persistence of Vision : The Black Hole Passes - John Varley
Persistence of Vision : In the Hall of the Martian Kings - John Varley
Persistence of Vision : In the Bowl - John Varley
Persistence of Vision : Gotta Sing Gotta Dance - John Varley
Persistence of Vision : Overdrawn at the Memory Bank - John Varley
Persistence of Vision : The Persistence of Vision - John Varley


Recording robbed revenant revenge Rat.

4 out of 5


Plane crash Time Snatch paraleprosy repopulation.

4 out of 5


Clone twin meeting.

3 out of 5


Message filtering separation singularity
shakeup.

4 out of 5


Local accomodations mostly plastic.

4 out of 5


Venusian outfitting issues.

3.5 out of 5


Music lovers planted.

3 out of 5


A man's virtual vacation is extended rather too long.

3.5 out of 5


Communication fuller but lots weirder with fewer senses.

4.5 out of 5




4.5 out of 5

I'm so glad that I happened upon this book. Not only are the stories fascinating and interesting throughout, but they also have such an awesome vision of life and of people-- and although most of the stories take place in the future, the vision really is timeless. Varley understands so many things that just aren't understood, he thinks about things that just aren't thought about, and writes so well that it all (his thoughts) seems so normal (and it is)... this book is definitely mind-expanding.

Powerful. Enjoyable. Thoughtful. Fascinating. Funny. Gifted. First-Rate. Original.
Nine stories that show us the future of man, with his flaws, his merits and his outward spread from Earth. John Varley thinks big also. In many of his stories it is pointed out that mankind was kicked off of the planet Earth by...somebody.
See, that is the best part. Many of the stories happen in a setting in which much of the background is unknown to us or just hinted at. But the heart of the stories are always people, their emotions and needs. Some sex too.
Many of the short stories were later used to create some very interesting movies.

Have you ever, sometime in your life, by any chance, heard of the multi-multi-multi-million copy bestselling author Tom Clancy? Well, when HE wants to be entertained by thoughtful, visionary, intelligent works of fiction -- which generally feature significantly fewer gratuitous explosions than his own work -- then he turns to one of his personal favorite authors, John Varley. "Persistence of Vision," in my humble opinion, is probably Varley's most accessible, yet amazing book.

The stories all feature characters in a remote future, in which everything about the human body, and everything about human society, is completely mutable and within the ability of individuals to choose for themselves. John Varley writes about sympathetic human beings, dealing with what seem to them to be fairly run-of-the-mill problems. To you or me, however, everything about the lives of these characters is simply awe-inspiring... Here you will meet lonely spacemen dwelling at the outer reaches of the solar system; sociological musings on the long-lost institution of the "nuclear family," by future, human inhabitants of Mercury; conversations between an explorer/composer and his alien symbiote, amongst the rings of Saturn; and much, much more. The last tale in the volume, the one the book is named after, is particularly memorable. It features a man who becomes part of a colony of deaf-mute-blind people, who have developed a highly spiritual means of communicating. That story is the most profound one in this collection, but they are all stirring. I highly recommend reading "The Persistence of Vision." Two thumbs up.

Short stories are many, yet few good inbetween. This is by far the best out of one person put all in one book I have ever read in all my years of run on sentences of my own, not his. The depth and sincerity of the heroes/heroines brings it all home. You're there, the only place Varley wants you to be. I would rate this his best, but I am also biased. I love ALL his work. I recommend them all aslo.