Opera Books

Anne McCaffrey is one of my favorite authors. I have not yet read everything she has ever written, but I'm almost there. The novels about the dragons and dragonriders of Pern are masterpieces of science fiction writing. This book combines three sequential novels that make it easy to get into the stories of F'lar and Lessa and the passage of the Red Star dumping thread on an unbelieving Pern after the 400 year Long Interaval and continues to the rediscovery of the rich heritage that their ancestors have left for them with the unearthing of Landing. I highly suggest this book for anyone who does not have any of the three and would like to start a collection of some of the best science fiction books on earth. Other McCaffrey books are equally good, especially the brainship series, the crystal singer series, and the many other dragonrider of Pern books.

This series is one of my favs. The story is original and the characters and action make for pleasant reading. An excellent read, especially for little girls.

Ok, I read Dragonflight for the first time in 1995 when I was in 9th grade. I fell in love with this author after reading that book, and since then I have tried to read everything she has written. She does a great job with her story concept, and I just loved the idea of dragons and dragonriders. It was amazing!

This trilogy and the Harper Hall trilogy were the first adult SF-Fantasy I read as a voracious 7th grader. I felt so very grown up, even when I had to look up words and re-read pages to understand the socio-political machinations. I loved the world of Pern and it set a benchmark in my mind that few authors have met since then. I recently rediscovered these books in my childhood cache. Twenty-five years later, I'm as enthralled as I was then. Now that's good fiction!

I have had a lifelong love of all things dragon and have long been a fan of Anne McCaffrey and her Dragonriders of Pern series. Such a fan, that I've read my paperback versions again and again until the only thing holding them together were rubber bands! Thus began my quest to find hardbound copies and thanks to Amazon this became a reality. Anne McCaffrey's Pern, dragons, and their riders capture the and imagination of young and old. I recommend this series to avid SciFi/fantasy readers as well as anyone that enjoys a well written, action packed story. After all, just yesterday, space flight was considered Science Fiction!

I highly recommend Tatooine Ghost. The book has many of our favorite characters, e.g., Han, Leia, C-3PO, and Chewie. The action sequences are outstanding. Han gets in trouble, and Leia helps him. Leia gets in trouble, and Han helps her. Chewie helps everybody as he continues in his usual role of Unbeatable Wookie. 3PO tags along and does what he can to help out. The Millennium Falcon roars into life a couple of times and helps out the entire merry band of adventurers. It's funny how, after years of seeing the Falcon and its quirks and reading even more about it, one comes to think of the battered freighter as an entity having a life of its own. It is much loved by Han and Chewie, and they seem to know the precise limits of everything on the ship.

That is an excellent group of characters, but there is certainly more. The Imperials are on the scene in force, and some of their troopers are led by a new officer who appears to be an alien and who is much more capable than the normal run-of-the-mill Imperial officer. Reliable insiders tell me that this is our first glimpse of Thrawn. He turns out to be one of the saga's more memorable characters in other books. We also spent time with Squibs and Askajians during important parts of the tale.

The best part of the book to me was the return of Leia to Tatooine and her efforts to understand the impact of the trip on her soul. She is influenced by several hazy directions from the Force. She gets to meet individuals (Kitster, for example) who had firsthand experience with her father in his early days as Anakin Skywalker, and she is given an electronic journal kept by her grandmother Shmi. As she advances through the journal and talks with people who knew her father, her feelings begin to change. She realizes finally that it might be possible for her to have children with Han and not have them succumb to the temptations of the Dark Side. All of her emotional struggles and soul-searching are extremely interesting.

I only had one real problem with the book and that is with the reason that brings our heroes to Tatooine in the first place. An extremely valuable Alderaanian painting called Killik Twilight is to be auctioned on Tatooine, and it is imperative to the security of Rebel Alliance agents that the painting be recovered before any Imperial forces find that an encrypted Shadowcast containing Rebel Alliance codes is hidden in the painting. I just never got over my feeling of silliness that all of this effort and danger was directed at recovering a painting. However, this is a minor quibble. Mr. Denning tells an excellent tale, and it is extremely interesting to follow Leia as she comes to understand her ancestry.

If you like Han and Leia better than Luke and the others, you will like this book. If you do not like the Han/Leia thread you will hate this book since that's all you're getting.

In a nutshell, Han and Leia go off to Tatooine, supposedly to recover a stolen painting from Alderaan. Then it gets complicated as it turns out the Imperials are after it too, and it also happens to be the hiding place for some important information which we can't let the Imperials get a hold of. THe painting is stolen from the auction and Han and Leia are off on a quest to get it back. They are accompanied by some Squibs, a bunch of deal-making aliens who are great for comic relief. MEanwhile Leia starts turning up all sorts of information about a boy named Anakin Skywalker who lived on Tatooine a while back. So the quest for the painting turns into a quest for some answers about Leia's past. Not to mention the impact these answers might have on her future.

All very intriguing stuff. the Squibs, as I said, are hysterical and lighten the mood. Han and Leia are newly married and occasionally slip off the edge into sappy/cuteness but thankfully Denning yanks them back before the cute level gets too high.

the bits about Anakin's mother and what happnened on Tatooine after he left are intersting also. However I can'te decide if everyone KNEW that Anakin became Vader or if it was this big secret and no one knew what became of him after he left Tatooine. at times the book seems to imply both versions of the story. this was the only plot point that bothered me in this book.

Overall I recommend this book as a good installment in the Star Wars universe.

Written after the theatrical release of Attack of the Clones but before Revenge of the Sith, in Tatooine Ghost author Troy Denning leverages the first two prequels to weave a tale of Princess Leia confronting specters from her past. Set four years after Return of the Jedi, this book has Han and Leia visiting Tatooine to attend an art auction featuring a relic from Alderaan, the beloved painting Killik Twilight. While the painting is rich in nostalgia for Leia, having hung in the palace she grew up in, far more urgent is the communication key for Shadowcast, a secret Rebel broadcasting mechanism, which is concealed in the painting's frame. If the Imperials were to get their hands on the key, many Rebel lives would be lost.

Let me say this up front: I am a fan of all three prequel movies. I thoroughly enjoyed each one and felt they added considerable richness and interest to the Star Wars universe. Therefore, I'm firmly in favor of books such as Tatooine Ghost which attempt to merge the sometimes disparate flavor of the original trilogy with the prequels. This book is heavy on links to the prequels, particularly the scenes set on Tatooine, of course, so readers that exclusively prefer the originals may not find much of interest here. However, those like me that enjoy the whole saga will likely have a great time.

Particular elements brought out of the prequels include extensive time spent in Mos Espa, an adult Kitster as a recurring character, Teemto Pagalies and the Podracing Arena, and a climatic scene involving the Tusken oasis where Anakin found his mother in Attack of the Clones. Leia also gets her hands on Shmi Skywalker's journal and entries from it are scattered throughout the tale. Shmi's perspective on the ten years after Anakin left for Coruscant adds great poignancy to her story and especially to its brutal ending. Leia has been grappling with the knowledge of Anakin being her father ever since the Battle of Endor, and all the information she finds here on Tatooine aids her in healing and making peace with her past.

Another tantalizing element of this story is the inclusion of the Imperial Star Destroyer Chimaera under the able command of Captain Pellaeon. Very lightly alluded to is the presence of Grand Admiral Thrawn, soon to be the greatest enemy of the New Republic in the galaxy. Denning does a superb job of seeding these characters and preparing the way for the Thrawn Trilogy, next in chronological order in the Expanded Universe. Particularly compelling is the idea of Thrawn suited up in stormtrooper armor going with his troops on ground missions. Timothy Zahn's portrayal of Thrawn as a calculating and intelligent opponent made him into one of the most memorable Star Wars villains and this book is a nice addition to his storyline.

The Courtship of Princess Leia featured some rather dubious characterizations of Han and Leia, and thankfully Denning brings them back to the hero and princess we know and love from the films. The events of Dathomir are touched upon, but most interestingly Denning explores their different viewpoints on whether to have children or not. Reasonably enough, Leia is reluctant to bring children into the galaxy knowing what she does of her Skywalker heritage, whereas Han believes children are an expression of hope for the future. Denning's handling of their evolving relationship is sensitive and presents a nice contrast to the stereotypical reluctant man being pressured into children by his wife.

Denning accomplishes much with Tatooine Ghost. It presents compelling links between Star Wars' past, present, and future, fleshes out a key part of Han and Leia's relationship, and even throws in several illuminating glimpses of events still decades away down the timeline (for instance, the opening scene of the book is deliberately echoed in a scene with Jacen Solo in the nine-book Legacy of the Force saga, and the Killiks are prominent players in the Dark Nest Trilogy). The best part is the book manages to weave all this in while still being an adventurous and brisk romp. Highly recommended!

Really enjoyed this book-- shows how Leia learns about Anakin's life as a boy to give her more insight. Also shows Han and Leia just married 6 months.

I've read almost every Star Wars novel so I consider myself somewhat of an expert. Troy Denning is one of my favorite Star Wars novelist but I have to admit that this story was slow and boring. I suppose that is was the lack of Jedi duals and use of force powers--aside from a few visions experienced by Leah. It is worth reading because it does fill in some gaps but only by serious fans. I wouldn't recommend this novel to the casual reader as I'm afraid it would turn them away from reading more, better Star Wars novels.

Not as fast paced as the firt of Allston's books in this series, but still easier to read that Stackpole's books.

The adventures of Wraith Squadron continue in Iron Fist, book six in the X-wing series and Aaron Allston's second contribution. The Wraiths have successfully completed their first covert mission, although there were losses along the way. One of the elements that keeps these books engaging is that characters are actually killed once in a while, giving them an element of danger sometimes lacking in the books following the main film characters. To replace Wraith's losses, they pick up Dia Passik, a Twi'lek and former slave dancer, Shalla Nelprin, a martial arts expert, and Castin Donn, a computer hacker who has issues with non-human species.

As the story begins, the Wraiths are brainstorming in an attempt to discern Zsinj's overall plan. Several entertaining team sequences lead to the conclusion that the key to Zsinj is his Super Star Destroyer Iron Fist. But how to draw him out? They develop a plan to pose as pirates in the hopes of gaining Zsinj's attention and eventually taking a shot at him. The first mission involves stealing equipment including TIE Interceptors for the pirate charade they've planned. From there the missions involve staged pirate assaults on various shipping and planetary concerns aligned with Zsinj.

The Wraiths' fake pirate band is named the Hawk-bats and skilled actor Garik "Face" Loran poses as their leader, General Kargin. The Wraiths walk a delicate line between pretending to be pirates and not actually inflicting harm on innocent civilians. It's an intriguing tactic and it feels more like a strategy of the Rebellion rather than the legitimate government of the New Republic. However, it's part and parcel of the infiltration tactics Wedge established as a cornerstone of Wraith Squadron. In the end this pretend-pirate strategy does not force the team into any significant moral dilemmas with one exception that takes place in a memorable dinner sequence with Warlord Zsinj himself on the Iron Fist.

A small concern I had with the fifth book, Wraith Squadron, was somewhat magnified in Iron Fist. Allston's plots feel a shade unfocused, as the team seems to drift from mission to mission. I believe this may a deliberate tactic by Allston to capture the feel of being sent on missions that don't always have clearly explained objectives; it also plays into the chaotic vibe of the Wraiths as a group as they try to figure out who they are and what they can do stop an elusive enemy. However, for the reader it can come across as disjointed, and occasionally in the middle of a chapter I had to back up a bit to remind myself exactly what planet and what mission they were currently on.

Rich characterizations continue to be Allston's strength in this volume. The arc of Lara Notsil, a former Imperial agent now aligned with the Wraiths and struggling to find her true identity, is compelling. Castin Donn's arrogance coupled with his keen computer skills lead him to an unnecessary end but also to a key aspect of the final plan to take on Zsinj. Face and Ton Phanan have a moving sequence together mid-book and almost every character in this large cast gets an opportunity to shine.

The climactic battle is fantastic as I've come to expect from the prior books in the series. Zsinj is not content with just one Super Star Destroyer, and he makes a play for a second being built at the Kuat Drive Yards in a move which places various members of the Wraiths and Rogues on both sides of the battle (although all working for a common purpose, of course). Great action, high stakes, and as usual not all the pilots come through unscathed.

Iron Fist is a worthy continuation of the X-wing saga. Allston is one of the most amusing writers in the Star Wars Expanded Universe, and more jokes hit than miss. His characterizations are a strong point and aid in overcoming any lack of focus in the plot.

This book continues the adventures of Wraith Squadron, the misfit cousin of Rogue Squadron. All the pilots are a bit off in the head, but what they lack in professionalism, the make up for in luck and skill. Though you rarely get to see main stream star wars names like skywalker, Han Solo, Leia, and Chewbacca, it's still star wars through and through.

This book is highly suggested for those who like action oriented Star Wars literature.

Overall a great read and well worth your time. The "misfits" of wraith squadron continue their effort against the warlord. I liked this book. Read it at all cost. Well maybe not all cost but take the opportuntity if if arises.

Iron Fist is the sixth book in the X-wing series and the second one by Aaron Allston after four by Michael Stackpole. In both of Mr. Allston's books, we follow the adventures of Wraith Squadron, a group of skilled pilots put together by Wedge Antilles basically to wreak havoc on Warlord Zsinj. The members of Wraith Squadron can certainly fly, but they are also competent commandos, snipers, spies, and infiltrators. The cast of characters has not changed dramatically from the previous book. They are an interesting mix of humans and aliens, and Antilles gives them a lot of freedom to innovate as they move from fight to fight.

In this book the members of Wraith Squadron changed tactics and posed as a pirate band in order to gain Zsinj's confidence and join his loose organization of raiders. In order to pull this off, they participate in several raids as pirates and manage to attract the attention of Warlord Zsinj. I found some of these raids to be confusing and kind of helter-skelter. However, Mr. Allston makes up for that with a huge battle at the end of the book. He also manages to leave plenty of room for the next book in the series.

Each of the books in the X-wing series includes a list of characters at the front of the book. The list also specifies species and home planets. This information is very handy and helps the reader to draw a mental picture of individuals, especially if you go to the trouble to read about the species in some of the Star Wars reference books such as The New Essential Guide to Alien Species. The characters are uniformly interesting even though some of their exploits are completely over the top. That really shouldn't bother most readers. If you are worried about things being over the top, you wouldn't be a Star Wars fan anyway.

The next book, X-wing: Solo Command, will continue the adventures of Wraith Squadron, and I look forward to it.

If I would have looked alittle harder, I probably would have known this book was written by one of the main writers of Knights of the Old Republic, which still stands in my mind as one of the greatest RPGs ever.

Of course this would have made little difference, as I bought the book anyways.

It was a great little book; a fairly quick read of a story that is being retold here, but in a very competent fashion. I eaily found myself getting into characters, even some that would only walk on stage long enough to love before leaving the narrative for good.

My only complaint about the book is an abundance of subtle (and occasionally not-so-subtle) winks back to the KoTOR material, but while they can seem self gratifying at times, they never truly ditract from the over feel of the story.

It is truly an easy b ook to recommend to any fans of Star Wars, or Jedi.

A have just recently started reading more of the Star Wars books and this was a great starting place. It does not require much knowledge of the series to be enjoyable. I highly recommend this book for any fan of sci-fi.

I did enjoy reading about the Old Republic. I hope some of the other Star Wars writers do more with this era. That being said I could not get into the book as much as I would have liked. I did not like the fact that the book was "all" about the Syth. The Syth are evil and it is just not my thing. I want to read about the Jedi of that ara, but the book was 90% Syth. If you enjoy the Dark Side of the Force this will be right up your ally.

I think the book was rather well done, but there are some flaws. I enjoy seeing that the book has you caught up enough in the character that you feel for him and you root for him even knowing if is really a 'bad guy'. The beginning depicting the origin of his hatred and how the 'other side' see's the Jedi and the Republic is refreshing and is a good antithesis to the usual books which are from the 'good' point-of-view. There are however, several parts that are kind of disappointing and the ending of the epilogue is so deus-ex-machina as to be completely unbelievable and ridiculous. Overall a good read, but I have read better star wars books.

In the next installment of the ever-growing franchise of 'Star Wars' takes the reader back into time, to an era of the Brotherhood of Darkness, founded by Sith Master Kaan. The old Sith ways were considered arrogant, since by claiming oneself the one and only Sith, brought nothing but betrayal and deception. By disbanding what the Sith once were, Kaan formulated an organization much like the Jedi Order, shaping young apprentices in the ways of darkness.

Until Darth Bane came to change all that.

Dessel, a young man, has spent his entire life mining in the brutal planet of Cortosis. He has faced abuse from his father, and more so from his father's friends. After a fight that left a man without a thumb, he was forced to retire for the rest of the day in the cantina, owned by Des' only friend, named Groshik. Even there, Des causes trouble, when a card game goes awry that leads to the death of a Republic soldier. Groshik, who considers Des to be a good friend, gives Des a choice to either be turned in, or join the ranks of the Sith army as a way of protection. Having no other choice, Des joins with the Sith, and from there he works up on his way to greatness. To becoming Darth Bane, and destroying the Brotherhood, to return to the old ways of the Sith.

In some ways, Bane's life almost foreshadows that of Vader. Like Vader, Bane has the gift of predicting things beforehand, having quick reflexes, all of these things that make someone talented in the ways of the Force. Bane uses his talent to be noticed in the Brotherhood, to finally be taken on as an apprentice. Bane's life, like that of Vader, was being little more than a slave. And like Vader, Bane turns his back on his teachers, his students, all that he's been taught, to shape things into his own will. The similarities of Vader and Bane might throw some readers off if they were to look for something new. As for this reader, it wasn't such a problem because of how well-written the story was. It is a real page-turner, and although it is pretty straightforward and predictable, one just can't stop turning the pages. This is a rare Star Wars book that is actually worth reading.

"The Hutt Gambit" resumes "The Han Solo Trilogy" five years after the initial installment. In the typical Star Wars fashion, scattered encounters with future key characters such as Lando Calrissian and Boba Fett spice up the cast. The author creates a typical Star Wars story by fulfilling George Lucas's high standards in providing a consistent timeline with pre-existing characters even though the background behind Boba Fett does not match the movie version.

Not only does the novel describe smuggler Han Solo's brief Imperial Navy career but also covers quite a bit of his former love Bria's subsequent life after escaping Ylesia. Han begins travelling with Wookiee companion Chewbacca yet only minor details reveal how the Wookiee slave became indebt to the rogue. The two develop a relationship with the up and coming gangster Jabba the Hutt.

Many character interactions at briefings are corny and much of the banter is oriented to entertain young readers. The first half of the book did not contain any serious plot device but progressed to a strong finish.

A comprehensive appendix would have been useful.

Thank you.

Once again Crispin delivers a fast paced, fun and informative look at the early years of everyone's favorite Star Wars scoundrel, Han Solo.

This one picks up several years after The Paradise Snare. Lots has happened to Han between the first book and this one, and lots happens during this book as well!

Without getting into many spoilers (at lest nothing that's not on the back of the jacket of the book) we see how Han meets Jabba, Chewbacca, Lando, his first flight with a very special ship, how he becomes the reluctant hero YET AGAIN..all great stuff.

In addition, there's appearances from some 'old' faces, both from the original Trilogy of movies as well as the previous book.

Great action, characterization and nods to the Star Wars Universe are all over the place in this book.

Highly recommended to any star wars fan!

This book, though midly entertaining, is not for the old school Star Wars fans that grew up on the original Trilogy. The Han Solo Trilogy lacks the stories of a scoundrel that I expected. This trilogy also has glaring contradictions and plot holes when taken with the movies and other Star Wars books. This book is for the younger Star Wars fan, the generation that believes Greedo shot first.

In this second book of the Han Solo trilogy, Ms Crispin takes us on Han's journey from his days as a cadet at the Imperial Space Academy through a number of adventures working as a pilot for the Hutts and ending up fending off an attack by Imperial forces. At the Academy, Cadet Solo spends four years preparing for a career in the Imperial Navy and developing his skills as a pilot. He graduates and spends four years as an officer before his career is cut short when he rescues a Wookie slave from ill treatment at the hands of a superior officer. The result is a dishonorable discharge. However, the Wookie, who turns out to be our old friend Chewbacca, swears a life debt to Han and promises to follow him everywhere. Obviously the entire Star Wars experience is much richer because of this incident.

Han and Chewie then move on to Nar Shaddaa, the Smugglers' Moon, where they smuggle shipments of spice to designated locations and make various runs for the Hutts, including Jabba. It is also during this period that the High Priest on Ylesia realizes that Han Solo was in fact the individual who caused them so much trouble several years earlier. He contracts with the galaxy's best bounty hunter, who else but Boba Fett, to capture Solo and return him to Ylesia to be killed. Fett's efforts to capture Han are stymied by a new character, a charming rogue named Lando Calrissian. Such introductions are the most fascinating part of learning Han Solo's backstory. Han, Chewie, Lando, Boba, Jabba - they're all here.

The Empire begins to move against the Hutts' lawless territory by authorizing Moff Sarn Shild to blockade Nal Hutta and turn the Smugglers' moon into molten slag. Through a combination of bribes, devious machinations by the Empire, and heroic deeds by Han and his fellow smugglers, the Empire's forces are thwarted. At the end of the story, Han is trying to figure out how to make money and go on with the rest of his life. His plans include coming up with enough money to go to Bespin and participate in an extremely high-stakes sabacc game. I suspect there in the third book we will run in to Lando again and learn of the acquisition of the Millennium Falcon. All of this is simply great fun as we continue to understand the forces in Han Solo's life that got him to the character he was when we first met him in A New Hope. On to the third book of the trilogy.

Ann Crispin's "Han Solo Trilogy" fills out some interesting details of the Star Wars universe. However, it lacks the edge and grittiness of some of the better Star Wars novels (particularly those by Timothy Zahn). Although Han is supposed to be a "scoundrel," you'd never know it from these books; Crispin goes out of her way to portray him as a nice, sweet guy who might enjoy an afternoon feeding ducks in the park.

"The Hutt Gambit" feels almost like a young-adult novel; the dialogue is bright and cheerful and the characters never seem to be in any serious jeopardy. If you thought Greedo shooting first was an improvement, you'll probably enjoy this.

Excluding the first trilogy written by Zahn these are the best Star Wars books ever if I may say so having just rediscovered this series in a local used book store. There is both action and adventure. In this installment imperial center has been captured but so has Corran Horn and Tycho Celchu stands accused of being a spy. Also the "well" has been poisoned and reader is left to question how the Alliance is going to be able to hold on to its hard won gains?

Even though you know that the main characters are never in any real danger the first read through makes you feel as though they could be. Michael A. Stackpole has created a universe of his own here with some familiar characters but also with new ones such as Corran Horn and Tycho Celchu he even manages to strengthen already established characters like Commander Wedge Antilles.

Overall-it is also refreshing for me to remember how scary Kirtan Loor and Ysanne Isard were as opposed to most of the Imperials in Star Wars fiction that couldn't inspire terror in the Rebel Alliance with instructions and a map.

If you like to watch "Peoples Court" you may like this book. There is plenty of legal mumbo jumbo as Tycho's trial drags on and on. There is no action until the end, and then the ending is too unbelievable, even for a Star Wars novel. There is too much concentration on the political environment in Stackpoles books, and not enough action. Prepare to endure long secessions of meaningless character interactions.

Rogue Squadron vol.1 was good
Wedges Gamble vol.2 was pretty bad
Krytos Trap vol.3 Very Impressive
I must say I was putting aside StackPole medicority in the last installments because of my interest in Rogue Squadron and X-wings, after
"Wedges Gamble" I was contemplating giving up on the series. Boy did StackPole redeem himself.
The Krytos Trap very cleverly spreads the story out into many other characters perspectives. Wedge, Kirtan Loor, Corran Horn, Nawara Ven-Tycho Celchu are each handling their own conflicts and sharing some others that all (with great precision) link to one another little by little. Every chapter you felt more and more compelled to read the next yet no two chapters where from the perspective of the same character.
Through all of this the mysteries that have been set up thus far in the series are boiled down and revealed in quite a fulfilling climax.
I only recommended the sludge that was "Wedges Gamble" because without it this book would not have been set up so well.
I have said in my reviews of the last two books that I did not like Corran Horn, in this book he as well as many other chracters finally get the development needed so you can actually start relating to them. The X-wing space combat finally returns after its mass lack of in "Wedges Gamble." I can truly say it lives up to its cover. Still amazingly its the trial of one of the main characters that makes the backbone of this book. While you venture into the other conflicts the characters are dealing with you can't help but get excited to see how the next court session will turn out.
When I finished "The Krytos Trap" I smiled and went for a nice walk to fully enjoy the great book it was. Sorry StackPole for giving a poor review for Vol.2 but you made up for it and then some. I highly recommend this book, the only downside I can think of is the fact that you have to read "Wedges Gamble" to appreciate it.

Standard entry by Stackpole in the Rogue Squadron Series. Even allowing for Corran Horn's latent talent in the force, his escape from Lusankya seemd easier than it should have.

Corran's discovery of his family's Jedi heritage seems like a set up for future adventures in the Corran Horn story line.

The rest of the story seems mostly a set up for the next book, The Bacta War, which I am acually looking forward to, based on the first 2 books of the story.

X-wing: The Krytos Trap by Michael Stackpole is the third book in the X-wing series, and it continues Mr. Stackpole's success in weaving a fascinating tale about the stalwart members of Rogue Squadron. In the previous book (Wedge's Gamble) the Rebel Alliance captured Coruscant thanks to the efforts of the Rogues in bringing down the planet's shields and allowing the Rebel fleet to move in and attack. In this book the Rebels are quick to learn that their problems are not over. A killer virus called Krytos is wiping out the indigenous population in accordance with the plans of the vanished Ysanne Isard, the Director of Imperial Intelligence. Chaos is rapidly taking over on Coruscant.

At the same time, Rebel hero Tycho Celchu is on trail for treason and for the supposed death of Corran Horn. Celchu's trial is an indispensable part of the story, but Corran Horn's imprisonment by isard in the hidden fortress of Lusankya is the really gripping tale in this book. His efforts to escape from a place that is supposed to be impregnable will keep you turning the pages.

Towards the end of the book we are treated to one of the most amazing images of the entire Star Wars saga. It involves Lusankya, Isanne Isard, and the planet of Coruscant. I will say no more about it, but you must read the book to see what I'm talking about. Don't miss it.

better say a good short story made too long.
the main idea of the book is very good: someone is playing games for his living, and he encounters a game which is life itself.
but most of the book describes in length this someone playing a game which you can't actually understand. and that is getting real boring after a while.

Reading a "Culture" novel is great. If you haven't read a Iain M. Banks book about the "Culture" give this one a try. There is a little bit of sociology, linguistics, and humor.

I've always liked books from a series that "stand alone." The Player of Games, by Iain M. Banks, is the second book written in the "Culture" series. You'd never know it, and you don't need book one. However, this one is intriguing enough to make you want to read more of them.

Culture is the future culmination of humanity and artificial intelligences (and probably a number of other sentient species; not the real focus of this volume). Jernau Gurgeh, a Culture-wide game player of significant renown, finds himself "volunteering" to serve the Culture as a member of Contact, an element of Culture that interacts with new beings, cultures, and empires. He's invited to a game tournament in the Empire of Azad, a game played every six years that determines one's place in Azad society, even the Emperor (as long as you are not a male or a female).

Gurgeh finds himself surrounded by a race that considers games of greater importance than even he does.

Culture finds Azad society troublesome.

Gurgeh cannot win. He should not win. Yet he must win.

It is, after all, THE Game.

Banks writes well. The characters are interesting, the various cultures are imaginative, and the story is engaging.

What more can you want from a sci-fi novel about life in a distant human universe? Except for the other books in this series, of course!

Very original idea- games of an alien culture and games of the future human society. The depth and rules of the alien game are hugely captivating, as is the plot involving human/alien relationships. Twists and turns in the plot provide entertainment outside of the entertainment of the game itself (not that the game would be fun for the loser). Player of Games is amongst the best of what Banks' offers, yet there's a lack of technology which is predominent in early Banks' novels, such as Consider Phlebas and Use of Weapons. Satisfied to a high degree, yet expectation was met short considering technology.

"The Player of Games" remains one of the best in distinguished British author Iain M. Banks's highly literate, quite sophisticated, "Culture" space opera series of novels. It is also among the earliest in the series, and one that is certainly most notable for its engrossingly in-depth study into the character of Gurgeh, the Culture's premier master of every game - especially those devoted to strategy - known to this long-lived space-faring human civilization. At the very pinnacle of his success, Gurgeh is bored and restless, until he accepts the seemingly impossible challenge of mastering Azad, the very game of life played by the ruling elite of the relatively primitive, autocratic, almost totalitarian, Empire of Azad, located in one of the distant Magellanic Clouds. It is a game that is rich not only in its intricate strategy, but also, in elaborate deception; an intense game whose very outcome may mean life or death for anyone playing it, especially Gurgeh. Told in incandescent, quite pyrotechnic, prose, Banks' novel comes across as a futuristic Graham Greene thriller set amidst more conventional - if elaborately descriptive - space opera settings. A splendid science fiction novel that is not merely a major landmark of Anglo-American science fiction, but one which ought to be reckoned as high literary art written by one of the foremost writers of fiction - in any genre - in the English language.

This is a readable and oft-gripping version of Mr. Leroux's famous tale. The ingredients are here for a fun read - mystery, intrique, love, danger, difficult choices, etc., all set at the Paris Opera in the early 20th Century. Readers follow along as Raoul competes for the lovely Christine Daae against the disfigured phantom who also loves her, and who taught her the craft that she now performs so flawlessly. We see the bodies pile up, experience the mystery of box 5, and feel the grip of fear haunting the opera. Perhaps the climax occurs when Raoul and the Persian's search the cellars, keeping one hand up and never knowing what trick will next befall them. Reading this novel for the first time I enjoyed the mystery and intrigue, yet felt like something was missing - the ending seemed somewhat unreasonable. Perhaps one needs to peruse the full version for better understanding. Despite uncertainty, this is an interesting, readable tale of mystery and intrigue.

The mask, the music, the dark mysteries, and the tortured, deformed genius who just wants love. "The Phantom of the Opera" is so well known that its story needs no explanation.

But Gaston Leroux's novel is still a spellbinding experience, full of atmospheric horror, a sense of gothic mystery, and lushly evocative language. But its crown jewel is Erik: a magnificently tortured anti-hero who inspires more horror, pity and sympathy than the rather flat hero and heroine.

The Paris opera house is said to be haunted by a ghost with a "death's head," who demands a small salary and a reserved box. Despite the sightings and fears of ballerinas and stagehands, the new managers are determined to stamp out this ridiculous story -- despite threatening letters and increasing accidents that happen around them.

Meanwhile, budding diva Christine Daae is taking Paris by storm, although nobody quite knows who taught her how to sing. And when her childhood friend Viscount Raoul de Chagny pays her a visit, he hears a passionate exchange between her and a man -- but there's no man there. She credits her new vocal abilities to the Angel of Music, but of course, that self-same Angel is the opera ghost.

As the Phantom becomes even more attached to Christine, Raoul soon finds that the ghost is actually a half-mad, horribly deformed musical genius named Erik -- and that after Christine saw his true face, he made her become engaged to him. The young lovers plan to run away together, but the "Angel of Music" isn't about to allow his beloved Christine to leave him...

Apparently there actually were some odd events -- including rumours of an opera ghost -- happening when Gaston Leroux began writing "The Phantom of the Opera." And it's a credit to his imgination that he was able to spin a some odd facts into a harrowing, heartbreaking love triangle that's based on music, obsession, adoration, and a bit of pity. And, of course, a frighteningly sympathetic "villain."

Admittedly the style is very "penny dreadful": melodramatic and overloaded on prose. But Leroux's talent shines through -- he drapes the book in a haunted atmosphere, full of snowy graveyards, dark opera backstages and underground labyrinths, all with Erik's presence hovering over it. The plot is mostly a slow, satiny procession toward the inevitable blowup, but Leroux does tinge it with scenes of romantic drama, a feeling of dread, one shocking action scene, and even some quirky humour at times.

And Leroux's writing is simply astounding as he describes the corpselike appearance of Erik ("... tore his terrible dead flesh with my nails") and his "death's" head appearance at the party. But he also excels at the more poignant moments -- Erik's final, rambling monologue to Christine after she kisses him is heartbreakingly clumsy and saddening.

Though Christine and Raoul are the hero and heroine of the book, they're actually kind of flat. Erik is the real star -- an arrogant genius who is also pitifully lonely. And insane. Despite his crazed behavior -- which results in at least two deaths -- it's hard not to feel sympathy for someone cursed with such a ghastly appearance, and so starved for human contact that a single kiss changes his life ("... he tried to catch my eye, like a dog sitting by its master").

Despite being a bit overblown in the style of its time, "The Phantom of the Opera" is a triumph of atmosphere, horror, and one of the most memorably sympathetic "villains" that you can find on the shelves. Magnificent.

I read this novel for the first time about 4 years ago and I knew then I just had to teach it. I've been using this particular translation in my 8th grade classroom for the past 3 years because, in my opinion, it is the best one out there. The language is beautiful, and there is so much that can be analyzed and discussed. I look forward to teaching it every year! Each year the students whine when I give them such a long book, but when they have finished it, they admit that it was actually good! Then when we compare it to the 2004 Andrew Lloyd Webber film, almost all of them say that the book was much better!
This novel is also great to read for fun. There is something for everyone because Leroux includes a bit of everything -- horror, murder, obsession, romance, melodrama, mystery, suspense, tragedy, action, history, gothic elements, supernatural elements... There is a convoluted plot that twists and turns, and Leroux successfully reveals just enough information to keep you reading. In the end, all is explained and the reader is amazed at how Leroux was able to weave together such an interesting cast of characters and a complicated plot.
The setting adds to the story. What setting could be more interesting than an underground lair that is on the edge of a subterranian lake beneath the famous Paris Opera House?
Character development is fantastic and the readers clearly see how Christine could be torn between her love for Raoul and her love for the phantom, Erik. Because Leroux portrays Erik as a very complex character, the reader will have a difficult time answering the question of "Should Erik be pitied or cursed?"
I highly recommend this book!

This review is about the book the Phantom of the Opera I hope you like it.In the early years of the phantoms life's he was s beaten and jeered at home,how could the phantom get away.

The only way for a getaway the phantom could see was to run away.One day the phantom [who always wears a mask] went into a freak show and was offered a job.His act was called The Living dead boy.He soon made himself star.

He was one day asked to perform for a king!The living dead boy performs so well that he and and the boy become friends [or so he thought].One day he heard the king talking to a guard telling him to kill the phantom.The phantom got out as fast as he could.

The phantom was now called The phantom of the opera.The phantom of the opera now lives in a opera.He is feared and because of this he gets money and free seats.[He is feared because people think he's a phantom. He soon falls in love for a girl who sings in the opera.

The phantom at the opera soon finds out that the girl loves someone else this makes the the phantom of the opera almost kill the girl's love and blow-up the opera house but, he comes to his senses and let the lover go and does not blow up the opera house but his love for the girl kills him in the end.

I like this book and I recommend it to people who like good books that keep them guessing till the end.So get this book, don't come home with out the phantom of the opera.

(I am 14 years old) The Phantom of the Opera in the Modern Library version was much better than the 2004 film. I loved the film but then I wanted more so I read this. Gaston Leroux characterizes the Erik (The Phantom) so differently from the Don Juan-ish charcter in the film. Erik is just searching and longing for someone to love him as himself, he's not overly lustful or seducing as in the movie. He also isn't attractive beyond his face, but more described by some as a "living corpse." This new idea about Erik made my parents approve of the book more than the movie (they haven't read the book but they said that Erik was too "creepy" in the movie). I love how Leroux tells it as almost a documentary or a report, I haven't read a book told like that before. Although it seems that it would be so much more descriptive and attention holding if he told it as if he were there. Nonetheless I am very satisfied with this book and I will re-read it in the future! I highly recommend this book to adventure/love/suspense/not-so-gruesome horror story lovers! Enjoy!

A very enjoyable part to the series. Although my favorite in this series is God Emporer, Heretics is definitely up there.

In Heretics of Dune, nearly 1500 years have past since Leto II's (The God Emperor) reign ended. Humanity is finally on the Golden Path that Leto II sacrificed so much for with most importantly, his humanity. Shortly after Leto II's death, his tyrannical reign began to weaken and a great many of humanity went out into the Scattering in search of populating several other planets and spreading humanity out as far as humanely possible. However, not all of those in the Scattering were grateful for what Leto II did and are now coming back bent on conquering much of the galaxy that was in place in Leto's time. Major players in this book include the Bene Gesserit, Bene Tleilaxu, a new Duncan ghola, and Miles Teg.

The Bene Gesserit are the only ones that still adhere to Leto II's Golden Path for humanity. They are also faced with a rather interesting choice, do they continue to manipulate humanity and continue their breeding programs? Or do they help humanity to grow and spread outward in a future where humanity will not face certain extinction? Throughout the series, I was never a big fan of the Bene Gesserit. Yet they are major players in this book and as the reader will see towards the end, they do make the right decisions for humanity and somewhat atone for their manipulative past.

A great deal of this book centers around the formerly retired military hero, Bashar Miles Teg. He is called into service once again for a very important assignment - the training of a new Duncan Idaho ghola, this time from childhood. The catch? There is something very different about this ghola that the Bene Tleilaxu have modified him with and it is the job of the Bene Gesserit and Miles Teg to find out before it is too late. At first Miles Teg doesn't appear to be that central of a character and as others have said is every bit as fun and intriguing as Paul Atreides and Leto II were.

Of course, we cannot leave the Bene Tleilaxu out. After all of these years, they too wish to have their ascension to universal dominance that they have been waiting for so long for. The Bene Tleilaxu are lead by the dwarven-like Waff, their Tleilaxu master. It is his job to ensure that the Tleilaxu destroy the Sisterhood and at the very least gain a monopoly on melange, thus controlling the galaxies.

Many forces are at work throughout the book as the race to prepare the ghola for the Sisterhood's grand scheming clashes with enemies from the Scattering, the Sisterhood, and the mysterious Honored Matres (whorish versions of the Bene Gesserit corrupted by the scattering).

An exciting book from start to finish. I'm so glad I didn't give up on Dune for good 3 years ago. I've thoroughly thoroughly enjoyed this series and now it's onward to the final book! Chapterhouse Dune :)

-Travis

1500 years after Leto II the God Emperor completed his transformation into the sandworm, he is reviled and worshiped throughout the universe... But now the men and women who ran to escape his tyrany are returning to Dune seeking to rule that which once ruled them...

And, other then the whole "Honoured Matres control men with sex" and "The Duncan Idaho ghola is a male Honoured Matre," the book is fairly good. despite minor shark jumping.

Even without the Atreides in power, it still seems like they're in control...you'll have to read to find out why. Pretty interesting to see how Leto II's golden path is panning out. Very cool new characters Miles Teg and Sheeana, and the upgraded Duncan make the story about as interesting as the books of the original trilogy, I'd put it right there next to COD.

Beware though, you'll need to consult an online Dune glossary once you get to about page 50. The Tleilaxu lifestyle requires learning roughly a dozen terms that shouldn't be too hard to figure out in a google search. I wonder what readers did without Internet searches, because the publisher rudely left out a much needed glossary. I should leave some props to the publisher, for including a note from Frank Herbert explaining how it took him 6 years of research before even writing the books, which explains the level of detail and imagination. Enjoy.

I was not able to finish this book. I love the Dune series up to this point. And I still think Frank Herbert was a brilliant writer. I'm just not sure what he was going for here. I absolutely loved God Emperor of Dune. I thought that book was exceptionally well written. I really liked the characters in that novel. Especially Hwi Noree and Siona. Not to mention Leto II himself. That's why I was so dissapointed with Heretics. The way God Emperor ended was a perfect ending for this series. To explore the effects of The Scattering may have seemed like a good idea. But it's just too far away from what Dune was originally all about. And it's just not that interesting.

The Reality Dysfunction (parts 1 and 2) could be retitled "The Author's Dysfunction." The books start with some interesting sci-fi scenarios such as living and intelligent spaceships and habitats and human genetic modifications to achieve telepathy. There also are some interesting plots such as the Confederation's struggle to eliminate antimatter weapons and the investigation of an advanced alien society that committed mass suicide thousands of years past. These alone would have made a great, long novel, especially since Peter Hamilton writes well. Unfortunately, Mr. Hamilton could not leave well enough alone. He adds character after character (scores of them by the end of these two books), plot after subplot, location after location. Even more unfortunately, the overriding plot becomes a ghost story. The spirits of the vilest human dead, who have lived as miserable disembodied energy-beings for centuries, suddenly gain access to living persons whom they possess. The first thoughts of these vile re-embodied spirits are to help other vile spirits possess their own living hosts. (I found this unlikely, since the spirits hated each other in their afterlife existences.) But, the ghostly plot gets worse. The spirits, who instantly traveled hundreds of light-years (How did they get that ability?) to possess their human hosts, now have incredible super powers. They can screw-up all electronic devices, throw firebolts, instantly repair or reshape their bodies, work together to bring down buildings, and change planetary climate. And, in yet another subplot, one of the returned spirits is Al Capone, who will probably organize them like his old Chicago mob.

This ghost story now is absurd beyond any believing, because most science fiction does not include violations of the first law of thermodynamics (you cannot get energy from nothing) and of the second law of thermodynamics (high energy systems tend to fall apart unless more energy is added). Even fantasy books with magic usually require some source of magical power.

I should have read more critical reviews before buying (thankfully, in used paperback format) the entire six-book series. You should not read this series unless you can put your logic, reason, and science knowledge on hold.

Not well known in the US this British author is writing the best epic SciFi on the market.I have been reading this genre for more than 50 years and he is a breath of fresh air and this series is beyond a doubt his masterpiece.

If you like hard edged space opera, you'll this! It's Star Wars for adults, with more original ideas and better writing.

The Reality Dysfunction; Expansion is part 2 of 6 in a major story told by Peter Hamilton, including the two Reality Dysfunction novels, two Neutronium Alchemist novels and two Naked God novels. They must be read as a set and in order. That said: Expansion picks up where Emergence left off. The Possessed are finding their way off Lalonde and spreading throughout the known universe as fast as they can, while everyone else is a) trying to stop the problem on Lalonde, b) trying to figure out what is happening on Lalonde and c) trying to stop what is happening on Lalonde from happening elsewhere. Unfortunately they are a day late and dollar short as too many of the possessed, including the very insane Quinn Dexter - a Satanist priest - have managed to leave Lalonde before anyone even knew what was going on.

Several teams of Marines and mercenaries are sent to Lalonde, to very little avail. The only team that makes any headway is one sent down from the Lady Mac, as Joshua Calvert has apparently rubbed some of his luck off onto everyone he touches.

CAUTION, MILD SPOILERS:
One thing that bothered me, however, was that the only woman mercenary - Ariadne - just seems to vanish somewhere between picking up Father Horst and the children and the final show-down where the mercenaries hold off the Possessed so the children can escape. Maybe I missed something, but the mercenaries were fighting in pairs, none of which included Ariadne, and Theo was driving the hovercraft - Ariadne was not mentioned. What happened to her? It's bothersome.

At any rate, this chapter in the series moved much more quickly than did Emergence, and the story seems to be coming together quite nicely. I found that I was becoming more aware of the various peoples and their relations to one another - Hamilton really is a master storyteller to wind so many threads together and make them all work. I feel comfortable recommending this story - at this point anyway - to anyone who would enjoy an epic science fiction story, or epic space opera.

Quite simply, these books are a heck of a LOT of FUN. The overall quality of the writing is high. The world building is amazing. Characters, from monarchs to street rats, are believable and intriguing. The dialog is very natural and the humor is funny (this is rare in ANY genre, trust me.) The future tech is fantastic, the action is non-stop, the plot twists are imaginatively fun...and the bang for the buck is incalculable. (Okay, I'm no prude, but the sex scenes didn't do much for me. They're very short though - 2 to 3 paragraphs maybe?)

Call me sub-genius, but I think one critic said the bad guys were "too violent." Hmmm, keep that cold pack right there on your temple, Johnny... Yes, I occasionally lost track of a character thread that hadn't "been around" for a while. It never took more than a few paragraphs for the setting, character or plot line to refresh me though.

These books are as much fun as the Many Colored Land series by Julian May (read them too!) In summary, if the critics have better stuff, please get it published so I can read it!