Ace of Aces Books

Since the Grethori barbarian hordes kidnapped the two daughters of King Faldain and Queen Alexeika, the royal monarch of Nether has declared war on their foes though they rescued their children. In the latest battle, the clans of the Wind Tribe have united to smash the army of Nether and conquer the capital city as well as the rest of the kingdom. Dain has set a trap for them killing most of them and selling the rest of them as slaves. The sheda (shaman) curses the king with her dying breath. Only the water from the chalice of life keeps him alive until he reaches the palace so the chalice can heal him.

Dain's daughter Tashalya who was in training to be a sorcerelle summoned the being Kaonfrom another plane but is caught by her teacher. Her mentor tells her parents that she must leave school. At her home Kaon convinces her that she can gain the powers of the ancients if she meets with him and gives up the powers of the sorcerelle, which she does. He has her steal it before Dain can use it and she flees to a place where the two realms meet. Her mother chases after her and her two brothers who she kidnapped as well as the royal heir of the neighboring kingdom in the hope she can persuade her hard-hearted daughter to give up her dream of power, release her hostages and save her father.

Princess Tashalya doesn't know what Kaon is but believer herself in love with him and is willing to betray her family and kingdom to be with him. Debora Chester has written a fantastic fantasy full of action, romance, and intrigue as the queen is the focal point who decides what course of action to take but it is Tashalya the antagonist who captures reader interest because she is so complex and hard to understand. Perhaps in future books, Tashalya can redeem herself. Deborah Chester is a world class fantasist.

Harriet Klausner

Phyllis Gotlieb first began writing science fiction with "A Judgement of Dragons": a book of four short novellas featuring the starfaring couple Khreng and Prandra, GalFed surveyors from the planet Ungruwarkh, who could best be described as large red telepathic cats. Their daughter Emerald and her lover Raanung dealt with an interstellar conspiracy in "Emperor, Swords, Pentacles." Now, in what the afterword describes as the last of the GalFed-commissioned chronicles of the Ungrukh, Emerald and Raanung's daughter Bren faces murder and terrorism in the most unlikely of places: Sol Three's Grand Canyon. A group of Ungrukh had agreed to come to Earth, where their mental abilities and physical structure could be studied by resident scientists, but while they were prepared for hostility they did not expect a massacre. There were only four survivors: Bren; her twin siblings Tugrik and Orenda; and a shy loner named Etrem whose panther-black pelt had made him an outcast among his tribe. While Emerald and Raanung continue to realize Khreng's dream of a unified Ungruwarkh, no longer split up into warring tribes and hereditary feuds, Bren and Etrem struggle to avenge the murder of their kin. With the help of a GalFed telepath and a Pueblo shaman, they are successful in finding the killer-but things become suddenly uncertain when Qumedni, the mischievous energy being that created the Ungrukh from Terran leopards and regards them as his own, decides to step in and lend a hand.

Of Gotlieb's three Ungrukh novels, "A Judgement of Dragons" is my personal favorite; it's hard to watch the decline and death of favorite characters as time passes. That said, "The Kingdom of the Cats" is a wonderful book. Its scope is not as wide as some of Gotlieb's other science fiction, as the action takes place mainly on Earth and Ungruwarkh, but the characters are strong and textured and the universe in which they live is meticulously detailed. Gotlieb's aliens are believable as aliens and as characters; their worlds are so carefully written that the descriptions of their landscapes could have been drawn from experience. The mystery is less solid here than in "Emperor, Swords, Pentacles," but the Ungrukh's relationship with Qumedni has been building from "A Judgement of Dragons" and it's good to see it come to a resolution. Gotlieb also does an excellent job distinguishing the generations. For three books her protagonists have been male-female pairs of Ungrukh, but in manner, speech, and action Prandra and Khreng could never be mistaken for Emerald and Raanung or Bren and Etrem. Each duo has its own individual personalities, different interactions and different shadings of their relationships. Nothing is repetitious; everything is lovingly drawn. It's sad to watch the Ungrukh leave center stage-there are no Ungrukh protagonists in Gotlieb's later novels "Flesh and Gold" and "Violent Stars"-but if the story had to close, this is an excellent ending novel.

This is the story of Germany's great WWI ace Oswald Boelcke. Boelcke developed many of the air combat principles that are still valid today. He was also a great ace himself, shooting down 40 enemy aircraft. Much of the book is made up of letters and diary entries written by Boelcke himself,which makes the book as much autobiograph as biography.

Personally, I find that this book indeed has many twists that leaves the reader engaged fully in this tantalizing novel. Not only does it have a beautiful love drama of two men who do not seem as they first appear, but it also collides with the horror of murder and mystery as to a family's past and present. I fully recommend this book to any mystery or romance lover, for it has been beautifully writen by a brilliant mind.

This is the story of the amazing and captivating Princess Joan, also best known as the Black Prince's wife and Richard II's widowed mother. However, there is so much more to be told about her life.

She had its fill of drama and romance. Despite a secret bethrothal when she was only 13 yrs. old, she was married to another man. The King, briefly took her for his mistress; and the common people loved her for her kindness and beauty.

The Fair Maid of Kent, as she was known, was perhaps the most beautiful of all the Plantagenet women. Her passionate love story was lived against the backdrop of such great events as the victories of Crecy and Poitiers, at the brilliant court of Edward III and among his sons and daughters who had their fair share of Plantagenet pride and ambition.

This is the fourth in a series by Juliet Dymoke retelling the incredible and sometimes hard-to-believe story of the Plantagenets. All of the books in the series are unfortunately out-of-print but I found them with a little persistence. I really don't understand why such outstanding novels are no longer in print, it is a shame! The following is a list of all the books in this series in reading order: A Pride of Kings, The Royal Griffin, The Lion of Mortimer, The Lady of the Garter, The Lord of Greenwich, and The Sun In Splendor.

Excellent book with 36 color profiles of LaGG3 series, La5 series and La7 as well as ace roster and informative text. A must have for fans of the PC game IL2 forgotten battles and Aces Expansion (ubisoft). Great to read the history of skins you fly in the sim! I plan on getting more of these! Highly recommended. Includes 1/72 scale 3 view line drawing of LaGG3 series and La5; units that flew the planes; slogan translations and great photos in b&w that are reproduced clearly. 96pp.

If you're looking for good 1930's era pulp fiction, you've come to the right place. Fans of ERB's Mars, Venus, Pellucidar, or Tarzan books will enjoy this novel. True, the plot is somewhat predicatable, and the chapters read like monthly installments (like they were), but its great fun to read. You also have to ignore some of the prejudices of the era, particularly the roles of women and men, but as long as you know that going in, you'll enjoy a good story.

This is a fantastic biography of the most famous canine in Hollywood history - Lassie. From Lassie 1 to Lassie 8, this book gives the reader a true history of Lassie, from 1938 to 1993. Full of wonderful photographs. A great companion book to this one is The Legacy of Lassie, An Unauthorized Information and Price Guide on Lassie Collectibles.

This is a funny, thoughtful, poetic and deeply engaging book. If you don't get it the first read, like me, read it again, and you will realize what the author is trying to evoke and how well he succeeds. I have read this book at least a couple of hundred times. Like Betteredge had his Robinson Crusoe, I have The Last Coin.

Though not a typical reader of fantasy, I was enchanted by Mr. Fleet's story and his ability to tell that story. I wish him the best and openly invite him back to pitch any story he has written or any story he may write in the future.

Sincerely,

Enrique Morales-- The Pitch Factory--broffices@aol.com