Greens Books

I have been very ambivalent about the organic culture and wanted to understand more about the origins of the organic movement, its significance, and the trends I observe it to be following.

Samuel Fromartz's account of the organic industry (as I have come to see it) was a solid introduction that I will have to probably reread to fully take in. Peppered with facts, figures, vignettes, anecdotes, and opinions, it is clearly the writing of the converted, rather than a deliberately skeptical examination. Nonetheless there is room for reflection and critical analysis - I flagged dozens of pages that gave me points to ponder and further examine. The book touches on related topics like local agriculture without straying too far from the topic at hand.

My one criticism, after moving on to other books about food agriculture, is that this book, when it was dealing with facts and figures, seemed get weighed down, but at the same time, seemed to leave identifiable voids of information. How a book could be both occasionally tedious, and occasionally too light, I'm not entirely sure.

When you think of organic foods, do you mentally picture aging hippies in co-ops, small roadside stands, and stores with counter-cultural values? That image was probably valid until the 1980's, but has rapidly been displaced since.

Organic foods sales grew at 20 percent per year during the 1990s, attracting the attention of the food business. In the process, organic went mainstream and became an accepted niche market at grocery chains and even big-box retailers such as WalMart and Target. The author's real question is whether this represents "progress" or "problem" for fans of simpler lifestyles and all things organic.

The documented answer is some of both. Fromartz is a highly accomplished business journalist who takes a (mostly) unsentimental look at the business of marketing organic foods. Interviewing small and large merchants plus the `man on the street,' Fromartz discovers that organic is profitable and growing, yet at the same time poses a risk to traditional fans who are unlikely to shop at big boxes for the food they know and love. While the mainstream consumer `discovers' organic, the core organic customer may be wondering if she can trust anyone, anywhere, any more. This dilemma, the author notes, resembles putting up "a neon sign for an organic Twinkie."

After an entertaining and excellent investigative look at the business of organic, Fromartz holds out hope that both kinds of organic - mass market and small market - may find ways to thrive. For the core customer, related values like humane treatment of animals, fair market pricing, and sustainable agriculture may become more relevant indicators of value than the simple phrase `organic.' These savvy shoppers may continue to trust the small, unique brands and identities of traditional organic suppliers.

Meanwhile a certain amount of industrialization, mass-market methods and persuasive advertising messages can be expected to boost sales of anything termed `organic' in the aisles of a mega-retailer near you, where the organic business is currently booming.

Whether you like your organic "all natural" or with "always low prices," you'll be likely to find it readily available. Which type you choose will say a lot about your personal values and expectations.

Armchair Interviews say: The good news, from the author's point of view, is that at least you'll get to choose! In a free market, our choices define our future opportunities.

I enjoyed this book. It was a great introduction to the organic world.

"Organic Inc" by Samuel Fromartz offers a good introduction to the natural food movement. Written primarily for a popular audience, the book combines research with short histories, case studies and profiles of prominent personalities and companies that have shaped the industry. Although the author's frequent interjections about his own personal experiences and infatuations with organics becomes somewhat annoying, overall the book succeeds in granting insight into the organic movement, its foundational ideals and the possibilities for the future.

Mr. Fromartz provides a brief history of organic farming as an alternative to a deeply flawed agro-industrial production system. We learn that organic methods were developed for ideologically diverse reasons but tends to produce nutritionally superior foods when compared with conventional farming practices. Although yields are usually smaller, the author discusses how organic strawberry farms in California are an example of how organics can outperform when allowing for decreases in energy and fertilizer input.

Mr. Fromartz profiles some of the small organic farmers whose deference to health, environment and community were shaped by the 1960s counterculture. A small but vital network of farmers, distributors and retailers supported a fledgling movement that defined itself by remaining outside the conventional food system. The author describes how such farmers often devised creative marketing strategies by catering to specialty restaurants or selling their produce directly to the public at farmer's markets. As health and safety concerns about pesticides and rBGH growth hormones caught the public's attention, organic farming has become more widespread, emerging as an increasingly important survival strategy for more and more beleagured family farmers.

Mr. Fromartz traces the rise in popularity of pre-packaged salads and refrigerated soy milk to discuss how mass market success has created divisions within the organic community. The development of large-scale organic enterprises has intensified competition and shut down smaller, less efficient producers. Regulation has become a contentious issue, with small farmers seeking to hold large farmers accountable to maintaining high standards. As supermarkets such as Safeway and Wal-Mart have begun to add organic sections to their stores, issues of local production, fair wages and sustainability are heightened. Yet, the author is upbeat in his assessment that small farmers can continue to find their niche by satisfying the needs of the more sophisticated organic consumer.

I recommend this highly readable and informative book to everyone.

Can big agribusiness and local organic farming co-exist and thrive? Samuel Fromartz' new book, Organic, Inc., is a fascinating journey through American agricultural movements, starting around the turn of the century, when farming was still a small-town venture and tracing its development into agribusinesses whose products are now found on most American tables - and the movement into locally grown, organic foods, which represents not so much a return to the past as a return to wholeness and healthy living.

The problem seems to be that the organic movement itself is being challenged by the very agribusinesses it once eschewed. There are really few ways to farm sustainably (which will in most cases mean organically and without genetically modified foods or chemicals) AND use the systems that have come to mean "factory farms" - livestock confined for their entire lifetimes in areas so small they cannot turn around or lie down (chickens, for instance, and pigs), never mind see the sunshine or walk around and enjoy fresh air, eating what they would eat if humans were not around.

Agrisystems, as they exist today, are basically unhealthy - and unsustainable. But they are profitable, and make it easy for "food" (if you want to call it that) to arrive at your table packaged neatly and processed to death. Rare are the children being raised today who knows what "food" looks like in its natural state. Do they know what a carrot or beet looks like, while it's growing in the ground? Do they know that the hamburger they eat comes from a being that has a face and makes sounds, and may (depending on your viewpoint) be sentient?

Being removed from the source and sight and smells and knowledge of how your food comes to you - how it was grown, and what has happened to it all along the way - makes for some dangerous possibilities. We cannot know (or control very well, despite so-called legal safeguards meant to protect us) where our food has been, before it reaches our table, unless we have grown it ourselves (which is not easy or possible for most people) or have bought it from someone in our community whose farming practices we know - and could actually go there and see.

Fromartz comes from a reporting background, and knows how to dig out factoids that will leave you breathless for the sheer scope of what has happened to our food and our food production systems. It should leave you with both concern and hope, at the end.

Organic, Inc. Is not exactly the "story of food" but it truly is the tale of two different visions for how food is produced and made available to consumers. One (local biodynamic farming) is sustainable; the other (multinational, corporate agribusiness) is not.

Fromartz carefully traces how we got where we are, without suggesting where we will go in the future. However, his bias for a sustainable natural foods future is clear - and it's one I share. If you care about what you eat, how it got here, and whether you will be able to find more like it tomorrow, you should read this book, think about what it means, and DO something about what you believe is the best course of action for a world where what we eat determines how healthy we and our future generations will be.

Yours for extraordinary dining -- for everyone,

Nancy Boyd
www.find-great-organic-gourmet-foods.com

The author made it sound so real.It made me beleive again.Its a great book for the whole family(especially those that are young and young at heart!)

Oh man, My daddy got me this book two years ago and for the longest time I was like "Yeah, right Santa Claus, pffft . . ." and I threw the book in my closet. Then this christmas I was sick with the flu and I found it again. Having nothing else to do I began to read it and was sucked into the vast imagery and delicate artwork found within it's pages. It's many fanciful scenes involving the growth of Santa and his escapades in the mushroom forest and various other psychotropic locales dovetailed nicely with the effects of my cold medecine. An awesome tale of the jolly fat man if there ever was one . . . .

I am adult who still longs to believe in the myth of Santa Claus: that a jolly old man is still roaming the earth in his airborne carriage delivering happiness to all of the good Christian boys and girls out there. But as a buddhist, I have always stood outside this tradition and wondered if his life was relevant to my own Chinese background. But with this book the universality of santa's benevolence is brought home to all. May all the faiths buy this book for the Holiday season and the Chinese New Year!

I have been following the stunning art of Sienkwiecz since I was a 13 year old, when he was illustrating for Marvel Comics. Imagine my surprise when I saw this, with such detailed artwork. I have a feeling that years for now, this will be considered one of his major pieces of art. Not to mention that it has the origin of Santa Claus as well!

I read "Santa, My Life and Times" with my two boys, ages 4 and 6, over the week prior to Christmas. We took advantage of its longer format to spread it out over several nights, one or two chapters at a time. While I was at first worried that the youngsters' short attention spans would wane, the story, writing and illustrations are so rich that their interest only grew with each night's installment, dovetailing perfectly with their mounting anticipation of the holiday. I wish there were more longer-form children's books out there that offered such depth of experience for my whole family. We'll be reading it again next year, for sure!

This book, out of print for 25 years, is now back in print (I received an early review copy of it this past week) and is basically unchanged, but it is still great to see the book back in print. The scholarly look at Sasquatch by author Green is sober and well-researched. Green, once a skeptic who even put hoax stories on Sasquatch in his newspaper, became convinced in 1958 when he saw tracks in the Bluff Creek area and began to receive reports. Now, over 4,000 reports later, he is thoroughly convinced. The earlier book review I gave for this 492-page tome still stands.
This is a classic for a whole new generation of researchers and is excellent source material for anyone interested in the subject. A worthy edition to any cryptozoological library.

Having been interested in the Bigfoot/Sasquatch phenomenon since I was a child of eight, I have read everything on the subject that I could find. This is "the Bible" of Sasquatchery as far as I'm concerned. It is extremely readable due the author's journalistic background. John Green has performed exhaustive research on this very controversial subject. He provides an historical background on the subject and numerous interviews and incidents. Whether you're a believer, skeptic, or open-minded, this is a very interesting and readable book.

A must read for all interested in the subject. This book never gets old. If you live in the USA or Canada, you'll probably find a sighting near your hometown, or in your state. John Green has arguably the largest private database of Sasquatch sightings on file. His background in journalism comes across in this masterpiece. Will definitely hold the interest of anyone looking for an extremely good read.

This book, clocking in at a whopping 492 pages, is the starting point for many researchers' interest in the subject of Sasquatch. Canadian Sasquatch researcher John Green's writing style is comfortable and assuring, and gives the reader true insights into his longtime research efforts, as well as a virtual catalogue of sightings from all over the United States and indeed in some cases, the world. He examines the old Indian legends, as well as the implications that entails in the modern world. This great book is out of print for the moment, and a bit expensive to purchase, but publishing company Hancock House is republishing the book next Spring at a more affordable price, so if you have a chance to purchase this book, do so.

This book is THE classic for Bigfoot enthusiasts. It is comprehensive, detailed, and hugely entertaining with its scores of fascinating case studies. Mr. Green's writing is calm and collected, yet conjures up great atmosphere. This is the book you'll keep coming back to.

I was a little disappointed in this book, I thought it was a list of things to do. It was more like vague suggestions with web sites to check out. Several of the web sites were no longer working. I didn't find a lot of new information that I have not already read about. This is more of a beginners guide for going green. I would have gotten a lot more out of it several years ago. So if you are just starting to find options for going green, this is a book for you.

Most people want to do whatever they can to make the world a better place and protect the Earth. For them, marching in demonstrations or engaging in direct action is not an option. What to do? In subjects ranging from Air to Water to Food to Global Warming, this book lists many web sites with more information to get the reader involved in protecting the environment.

Perhaps the reader just wants to find out what sort of recycling facilities are in their town. One of their first stops should be to www.earth911.org. To look for reusable or biodegradable diapers, visit www.organicbebe.com. The Wildlife Conservation Society (www.wcs.org) has a very distinguished record in conserving endangered species. For those who have compost heaps, Starbucks will give you their coffee grounds. Details are at www.starbucks.com/aboutus/compost, or talk to your local manager.

A handy wallet card on produce and pesticides called "The Shopper's Guide to Pesticides" (bring it with you when shopping) is available from www.foodnews.org. A good site on global warming is www.climatestar.org. The Busy Person's Guide to Greener Living can be found at www.greenmatters.com. Do you have stuff you no longer need that someone else may want? Before that trip to the landfill, visit www.freecycle.org. Adopt a lobster (and help ensure a continued supply of lobsters) at www.lobsters.org, the Lobster Conservancy.

This is a wonderful book. It's small (it really can fit in your back pocket), it's well laid out, and the reader can pick their level of involvement. It is very highly recommended. Saving the environment does not get much easier than this.

Whether you are young or old, rich or poor, environmentally challenged or conscious, teacher or student, computer savvy or not - you will like this book. It provides real-life resources and contacts, anecdotal examples and insight on how YOU, the reader, can easily help sustain Mother Earth. Great for students of all ages!

As is the list of environmental problems so overwhelming and the scale so global, so is the feeling that one person can't make a difference. And, even in the trying, the choices are so many and the information so contradictory, that it's hard to know where to start. Here, at last, is the logical successor to "50 Simple Things...," better, more evolved, and yet easier. A wealth of choices that can be tailored to match what you feel you CAN do now, what you MIGHT feel you can do later, and what you SHOULD be telling your friends-- in short, a compendium of answers on a scale that any of us can comprehend.

This little book is simply amazing! It is a wealth of information,contacts and web sites regarding the environment and ways we can do our part to help. It is like the spark of desire, that hopefully, ignites the fire of action, encouraging us to seek out and "embrace a more environmentally friendly lifestyle". It is witty, informative and easy to navigate. A perfect gift and an exceptional manual for a meaningful life.

My dd (age 6) has listened to this audio book CD so many times she can quote entire passages with the dramatic flair of stage actress. She adores it. She desperately wants to listen to Anne of Avonlea, but I don't seem to find an Focus on the Family Radio Theatre version of that, and I am afraid any other version will fall seriously short of her expectations after loving this one so much. Even her older brother has been accused of secretly taking the cd's one by one and listening to them in his room, but he isn't openly admitting to it. LOL! A fantastic production.

I was never a fan of Anne of Green Gables until I came across this version of the story. And it's all thanks to Mae Whitman, that I now love the story. Mae brings Anne to life so well and she portrays her in a way that nobody else could. I highly recommend this version of the book to anyone who isn't already a fan. Mae does an awesome job of expressing her emotions and describing things in the story. All in all, Mae Whitman will always be a true rose of inspiration to me.

We listened to this story on a recent trip. It was a great way to spend time in the car. Even my husband enjoyed listening to the story!

Anne of Green Gables by Focus on the Family Radio Theater is the best audio product we have listened to in a long long time! My 3 daughters and their friends LOVE it and even my son enjoys it. WE have listened to it daily for several weeks and our enjoyment of it grows. This is a GREAT retelling of Anne Of Green Gables.

I bought this for my 2006 summer vacation road trip with my wife and two boys, 16 and 12. We all laughed, including the boys, and were very moved by the wonderful presentation and acting. There are many more things in this presentation than in the celebrated PBS version. I was concerned that my boys wouldn't like it, but after a few minutes they were really into it and couldn't wait to finish listening to all 4 hours. It is very moving and keeps the magic of this wonderful story intact. I highly recommend this.

This book is a nice version of the pictorial book we found and loved in our local library. I was thrilled to find a version my daughter could color any way she wanted. I felt like it was pretty accurate with how we have experienced starting ballet lessons, including being excited and nervous. The drawings are pretty but simple enough for my preK colorist to handle.

It's a great book for girls very interested in Ballet. My daughter loves it. I gives the correct french names of positions and the pictures are large enough to make colouring stand out. its a beautiful book,especially when it's almost full of colour!

Like all the Dover coloring books, this one is an excellent educational tool as well as a fun coloring book. One thing that other reviewers have not noted is that many of the illustrations feature young male dancers. In fact, the dancers illustrated are of different ages and ethnicities as well which is nice to see.

I am a dance teacher and I bought this coloring book so that my students could learn while coloring. It is a nice book, with actual steps and definitions - quite thorough. It is not babyish, it is useable for students even a little older.

As a ballet instructor, I cannot recommend this coloring book enough for children who are serious about learning about ballet. I use this in my beginning ballet class (ages 5-8), giving them a "memory term" each week. The kids are excited to learn the terms in this book, and they get to color too!

The first thing I did when I got the Green Book was compare which verbs were covered in each book. First of all, there are 149 verbs in the "501" book that are not in the green book. The better news is that the Green Book has 203 verbs not included in the "501" book. That means I now have conjugations for 704 Italian verbs between the two books. I love all the examples and will use them as a study tool. I also appreciate the double pages for the 50 most important verbs. Finally, as an English major and avid grammarian, I was fascinated by the 36 pages which explain in detail how Italian verbs are formed. At Amazon's price of $10.17, this is a must for all those learning Italian.

This is a big but comprehensive book. The explanations are clear but not as spartan (thankfully) as some other texts. The usage examples are good - in the sense that they ring true. As always, one would like more examples but most of them connect the verb with its aligned prepositions (which is pretty essential in Italian). Overall, no complaints.

I went to my local bookstore (Powells!) and examined every "big verb book" they had. I decided on this one due to its easy-to-read layout and general comprehensiveness. There are plenty of contextual examples of usage for each verb, with expanded examples for the more commonly used verbs, especally in idioms (very helpful). There's a nice introduction to the various kinds of tenses. Honestly, though, the clincher was how well laid-out each page was. In a book like this, where the information is going to be essentially the same from version to version, ease of use and general clarity become the essential selling points. This has become my constant companion in my study of Italian. Oh, great index, too!

I'd read that this book was better than Barron's and I agree. It has good explanations of the tenses, with adequate examples. I like the layout of the conjugations in the format
1st person singular 1st person plural
2nd singular 2nd plural
3rd singular 3rd plural
much more than Barron's listing, I find it easier to read. There's a lot more examples given of usage, idioms, and related expressions. The CD I thought was a bit of a non-event, rather boring, and the multiple choice answers fairly obvious, testing you more on your ability to be a good guesser than to actually have a deep knowledge of the verbs. I definitely recommend this book, but don't bother with the CD version.

This is a practice book that is good for any level of student of Italian. That it comes with a CD makes it even more useful. Only one problem I see --- it did not work on Windows Vista for me; but, there are no problems with XP.

There just might be SPOILERS.

Writing with gusto, Britain's Simon R. Green is as entertaining an author as they come, and BLOOD AND HONOR, released in 1993, is a rousing fantasy adventure rife with royal machinations, false identities, ghosts, and dark sorcery. And sword fights. Let's not forget the brawny, bloody sword fights. Having cast a thespian as his main protagonist, Green, in these pages, gets a chance to draw from his past experiences as a small time actor, having held several stage and television gigs. In the tradition of Robert Heinlein's Double Star and Anthony Hope's The Prisoner of Zenda, the protagonist of BLOOD AND HONOR is hired to enact a secret impersonation. And then, amazingly, the fin hits the shan.

The Great Jordan hasn't been having a great acting career of late. His best days behind him, he's been ekeing out an existence by touring the countryside, performing one-man acts and earning pitiful wages in tiny villages. So when he's tapped to pose as an exiled Prince returning home to the intimidatingly-named Castle Midnight, he accepts the proposition. But the task is far from a walk in the park. His role, that of Viktor, a prince of Redhart and wielder of fire magic, quickly immerses him in deadly politics of the purple and makes him an instant target for assassination.

With the murder of the king and with no clear heir to the throne of Redhart, Viktor, the middle of three quarrelsome brothers and believed to be too quick-tempered, means to become the new monarch. Jordan, as Prince Viktor, has his work cut out for him, not only with the royal succession but with the constant, unremitting encroaches into Castle Midnight by the nightmarish boogeymen and beasties of the Unreal. At least, Jordan's gift for sleight of hand comes in handy as his role necessitates a constant demonstration of fire magic. And he does make friends with a lost little boy and a sad-eyed hound, which is a lucky thing, because, well...no, I don't think I'll tell.

BLOOD AND HONOR makes for compulsive reading, one of those unputdownable books which'll keep you flipping pages. If you like your action fraught with indiscriminate blood-letting, then this one's for you. Green's writing, never mistaken for being subtle, is again gleefully over-the top. Reading his stuff is like jumping on a runaway train careening off a cliff. As expected, BLOOD AND HONOR is chock-full of weird shenanigans, over-the-top dramatics, and breathtaking action sequences. The Unreal are relentless and malignant, the three princes of Redhart seemingly irredeemably evil (yes, even Victor), and certain other personalities in court seen as extremely dubious. Green writes with directness and with a refreshing vigor, and his enthusiasm is infectious. There are passages in the book which will keep you on the edge of the couch, as when Jordan ventures into Castle Midnight's West Wing to quell an Unreal outbreak. Then there's the exciting, all-out climax. And, yes, there's even a bit of mystery as the king's assassin is eventually unmasked.

Green makes his characters stand out, cloaking his cast with a larger-than-life aura and giving them splashy names (the valiant Sir Gawaine Hellstrom, the trader Robert Argent, the steadfast steward Catrina Taggert, her doughty assistant Damon Cord, the enigmatic Monk, silent Ironheart, etc.). The Great Jordan himself is a pretty damn colorful character in his own right, and makes for a solid and very agreeable protagonist. Meanwhile, Green continues his streak of creating strong women with the no-nonsense and very capable Catrina Taggert.

I sometimes wish I lived my life like Simon R. Green writes his books, with zest and a disregard for conventions. Green couldn't care less if you think he's unfashionably over the top, he's too busy raking in the green and gathering in the plaudits. Unlike the stuffy, deadly serious fantasy epics of, say, Robert Jordan, Terry Goodkind, or David Farland, Green relishes a certain tongue-in-cheek approach in his writing. And it somehow works. Green can go from the sublime to the ridiculous in a hurry (check out Shadows Fall and Blue Moon Rising, both fabulous). For those who haven't read much of Simon R. Green's very addictive works, BLOOD AND HONOR takes place in the same world as BLUE MOON RISING, Beyond The Blue Moon (Hawk & Fisher), the Hawk & Fisher stories, and Down Among the Dead Men. All titles mentioned above are worth reading, but especially Blue Moon Rising, which is one of my favorite fantasy books.

BLOOD AND HONOR is rollicking and suspenseful, fantastical and blood-thirsty, fast-paced and action-packed. It even has moments which will move you. It's peopled with despicable villains and lantern-jawed heroes (okay, Jordan, in his original form, probably doesn't have a lantern jaw, but I'm sure Sir Gawaine and Damon Cord do). And the book flaunts a can't miss, tried-and-true premise. BLOOD AND HONOR, a story of magic and pretending and lethal sibling rivalry, may be considered by others as simply a flitting and pleasant diversion, but, in my eyes and for my particular tastes, for its sheer bravado and entertainment value, it qualifies as a cheeky masterpiece of sorts.

The Great Jordan is an actor who has seen better days. But just when things seem to be at their worst, he is commissioned for a special role. He is to stand in for Prince Viktor who is currently under the weather. Viktor is the middle of three brothers in a small kingdom where the king has recently died. Palace politics would not allow him to seem weak at this time. Jordan agrees to the role.

Jordan is enchanted to look and sound like the prince and is schooled in the ways of the castle and family. But the castle is not an ordinary castle. It is Castle Midnight and it sits on a site where the real and unreal are very close. Without a proper king on the throne, the unreal becomes stronger and tries to break though completely. Add to that the plots and counterplots of the other princes, Regent, and supporting cast and Jordan realizes that this is not an easy role.

Another fine book related to Blue Moon Rising and the Hawk and Fisher books. The action is non-stop and the mysteries keep the reader guessing right up until the end. A fun and serious fantasy.

This is one of two works by Green that I've truly enjoyed, a well put together piece that combines fantasy and mystery.

Green has a very direct writing style that's well-suited for the frequent action going on, making it easy to read although you may occasionally wish for a more descriptive flair. (Then again, there are some gruesome bits I most definately would not want more detail on.)

In fact, he has a rather direct style in all things. His setting I found a bit simplistic but adequate, especially his system of magic (there are four royal children, each with an elemental gift: fire, water, earth, and air--a little too tidy and democratic for me). His dialogue is actually very modern, which again makes for easy reading but prevents this from becoming true high fantasy. (Not that I think that's what he's necessarily aiming for.)

His characters are the true joy in the story, especially the protagonist. His cynicism and wru humor will keep you smiling and rooting for him as he lands himself in the midst of trouble: impersonating a prince whose father was murdered, with the prince's permission--but not necessarily the acceptance of everyone else.

Things wrap up quite neatly, without any niggling loose ends. It's a fairly quick read that should tide you through any rainy day, but I won't award any literary merit to the author. Enjoy it for what it is: a light, amusing read.

I would like to say that this is the best fantasy book I have ever read ( beleive me I`ve worked my way through quite a few ) and am very surprised that this didn`t immediatly become a bestseller. It has all the twists and turns, magic and politics, humour and sheer bloody mindedness of masterpiece.

The hero ( if you could call him such ) is a complex yet lovable rogue who is thrust into the world of demons and politics when he`s hired to impersonate a sickly prince. The king is dead and the three princes are attempting to find his will ( losing it if it doesn`t suit them!) as well as his crown and seal. It soon becomes apparent however that all the princes are willing to go to great lengths, and forge strange alliances to achieve their aims.

The lovable hero twists and turns through the strange politics, magic and assassination attempts with a wonderful droll cynicism which is bound to catch your heart.

Simon R Green`s best work is right here and I`m looking forward to more in this series.

Once again Simon Green has given us another of his long line of very entertaining stories.This one concerns a down on his luck actor who agrees to become through magic of course to be stand in for ailing Prince Viktor.The actor,Jordan soon regrets his decision as he enters the sinister Castle Midnight where the real battle the terrifying unreal and he must match wits with Viktor's evil brothers, Lewis and insane sorcerer Dominic and their various henchmen.This novel has scenes of terrifying menace as the characters battle monsters and other creepy things thrown at them from barriers of the Unreal and there are scenes of lethal court intrigue and machivellian manuvers as each brother plots against one and another and no one is what they seem to be and no one can be trusted! A gripping fantasy novel set in the same world as Green's Blue Moon Rising.This novel also has ingenious murder mystery as you try to unravel who killed King Malcolm to gain the throne.The various villians like murderous Prince Lewis and dangerously insane Dominic were quite memorable as with some of the female characters as brave steward, Catriona Taggart, ruthless Lady Elizabeth and Viktor's ambitious Lady Heather were also great.Add this novel as feather in Green's cap as one of the most entertaining sf/fantasy author in the market today!

I like this book because my 2 favorite people in the world are in it. And I also like the book because it is funny,scary,creepy and cool.The book is about Patty daring Mary-kate & Ashley to go into a haunted house.And then they see a glowing green ghost.

This is a great book for Halloween. It keept me reading it all day. It's about Patty dareing Mary-Kate and Ashley to go into a haunted house.

Then they see a ghost...

This was a VERY exciting book. You never knew what was going to happen next. I read it in a day because I couldn't stop, because it's soooooo exciting. You should read it!

...but still a great book to read. When I read it I only put it down to sleep. The scariest part was when they actually saw Patty's "Ghost". In other words, it's a 5 star book.

Oh you bet it is

It a great great book I love it

the story was on halloween in a haunted house where the twins taked a bet and go in to the house and then the story begins

Mary-Kate and Ashley Searching for cleus and they come out wiht? ....

this story is I think one of the best books I have reading till now and I hope that there ever come's better books :-)

I was so happy to read this book, it is one of the best I have read recently! I had never heard of this author before and took a chance buying the book before I had read it. I am very glad I did too, and as soon as I finished it I bought the two sequels. (I'm still waiting for them to be delivered, please hurry!)

The story is told from the points of view of Teleri, a magician's girl apprentice, and Ceilyn, a knight. The plot line is a little complex, so I won't go into detail. Glastyn, the magician, has left the island where the story takes place. The knights are becoming lax and unprincipled and hardly anyone trusts magic anymore. Meanwhile, the king's sister, Diaspad, has come to visit, bringing her cruel servants with her. She is bent on taking over the kingdom by causing a rift between the king and queen.

When the story begins, Teleri accidentally finds out that Ceilyn is a shapeshifter, who changes into a wolf. He believes it is a curse, but she thinks it might be one of the ancient noble gifts. Because of his problem, Ceilyn is thrown together with the shy, timid Teleri and they eventually become friends.

During this time, Diaspad is beginning to put her plans to work. An aura of strange dark magic surrounds the castle, and strange things begin to happen. Sudden thick fogs occur and some ancient ancestoral artifacts that have been lost for centuries appear out of nowhere. Gradually Ceilyn begins to suspect Diaspad, but knows that the king will never accept this. He is completely under his sister's influence. Also, Ceilyn avoids Teleri for a while because of other influences, (read it if you want to know) but eventually they make up.

Things come to a head one night when two of Diaspad's henchmen, disguised as the queen's brothers, try to dig up the artifacts from their vault. Ceilyn is watching and tries to stop them, but is badly wounded. He barely makes it back to the castle, after Diaspad leaves, before collapsing. Luckily, it is Teleri who finds him. He is worried because Diaspad doesn't know yet who stopped her scheme, but if he doesn't recover quickly she will find out. Also, iron is poison to him, so the wound is particularly bad. However, Teleri manages to help him begin to heal and the story ends with this part. Arrgh, I hate cliffhanger endings!!!

The main things I liked about this book were the Arthurian feel, (it was just like a King Arthur story without Arthur), the made up literary bits she put at the beginning of every chapter, (it made it feel very real), and the really sweet romance between Teleri and Ceilyn. It was very well done. However, I would only recommend this book to kids over 13 (unless you are very mature) for a couple of scenes. My only other problem is the ending. It didn't tie up anything! I can't wait to read the next book now to see what happens! But, the writing is good, the setting is great and the characters are great, not to mention the fast-paced plot. Definitely a must-read!

I bought this book at a grocery store counter when it first was published, about a decade ago, or possibly longer. The trilogy of which it was the first volume remains my favorite work of fantasy. The characters are memorable, and Edgerton's writing sparkled with wit, grace, delicacy and charm. Edgerton went on to write six more books about tormented young men of genius and the excellent women they love, all are readable, but the first trilogy is some of the best fantasy ever writen.

Child of Saturn is an absorbing blend of some of the most realistic characters I've ever read and an intriguing Celtic-fantasy background. The plot is also excellent, involving the wizard's apprentice Teleri, the knight Ceilyn, the king, queen and, or course, sorceress.

While this could easily have turned out to be a generic sort of fantasy, Teleri's subtle development from a slight, pale shadow into a more mature person is exquisitely done. Ceilyn's depiction as a flawed man who is forced to live up to everyone's image of perfection is equally brilliant.

The heroes and villains are multi-faceted, the plot absorbing and the world-building complete and rich. What more can I say? Read Child of Saturn-- it's definitely worth the time it takes to find a copy.

On the outside: A raven-haired sorceress, holding a skull, dressed in a 1980's prom gown. A sword-wielding hunk, dressed in a ruffled, billowing "poet's shirt" from the 1800's. A wizened dwarf stirring a cauldron. And of course, a cat. (The cat is possible the only figure in the cover art who actually resembles a character in the book.)

On the inside: An enchanting tale that captures the spirit of Arthurian legend--but without actually being a retelling of it. Yes, parallels can be seen between some characters and events, but this is essentially an original work. The plot involves the King's spiteful sister Diaspad, who sows discord at court, and the Queen Sidonwy, who falls into disgrace as a result of Diaspad's machinations. Our hero and heroine are an idealistic knight who wants to restore the kingdom to its earlier glory and chivalry, and a shy sorcerer's apprentice who doesn't think she has any power. The plot is simple but compelling; the characters grow so real that I literally wanted to slap one of them when he broke my heart. You'll know the scene when you read it.

Two gripes only:
(1) Court dramas, because of the sheer volume of characters, generally benefit from having a "Dramatis Personae" in the front of the book that the reader can refer to if s/he has forgotten who so-and-so is and what his agenda is.
(2) Series-itis! It is frustrating to get emotionally involved with a novel only to find that it doesn't really have any closure. _Child of Saturn_ ties up some of the loose ends of the plot, but leaves enough hanging that this book can't really stand on its own. This is especially annoying since Edgerton's books are hard to find. It looks like I'll probably have to collect them gradually and read them out of order.

Browsing through the college bookstore one day over a decade ago, I found my eye drawn to the spine of *Child of Saturn.* Thinking vaguely about Roman gods, I took the book from the shelf and grimaced at the cover, an all-too-standard hodge-podge of the usual fantasy elements: a dwarf, a long-haired warrior brandishing a sword, a glamorous raven-haired sorceress holding a chalice in the shape of a skull, and a sinisterly bubbling cauldron. Nothing new here, I thought, as I flipped open the front cover for a cursory peek.I could not have been more mistaken. A few pages into the first chapter I was well and truly hooked. In her opening paragraphs Teresa Edgerton established an elegant, yet otherworldly atmosphere many fantasists strive in vain to capture, with her description of the wizard Glastyn's mysterious disappearance from the Kingdom of Celydonn and its effects on the court he has long served--"He left behind him: a whimsical, inconsistent king; an order of jaded, disillusioned knights; and a realm slipping slowly back into the chaos from which he, Glastyn, had rescued it some fifty years before." The parallels to Arthurian legend are unmistakable. Like King Arthur bereft of Merlin, King Cynwas must now reign without the counsel of his most trusted advisor, a situation made all the more difficult by the sloth and complacency of his court. The heroes of yesterday have sunk into lazy, even dissolute middle-age, caring little now for deeds of valor and glory. The arrival at court of Princess Diaspad, the King's stepsister, contributes still further to the decay of the chivalric ideal.The best hope for the future lies with a small band of young knights, as yet unaffected by the corruption spreading through the court. Chief among them, is Ceilyn macCuel, the passionate, idealistic Queen's Champion, who senses all is not well with the kingdom, especially not with Diaspad on the prowl.Frequently mocked and derided by his companions and the Queen's ladies for his rigorous sense of honor and formidable conscience, Ceilyn acquires an unexpected ally in Teleri ni Pendaren, the childlike apprentice Glastyn has left behind him. Shy, retiring, and colorless, Teleri at first seems an unlikely choice to be Glastyn's successor; yet her quiet nature hides unsuspected depths of power and knowledge. United in their shared distrust of Diaspad, Ceilyn and Teleri set out to uncover the truth of the Princess's schemes, before all of Celydonn falls victim to her sinister charms. In the process, their alliance deepens into something rich and strange, that transforms both their lives.*Child of Saturn* marks the beginning of Edgerton's acclaimed Green Lion Trilogy, a series that breathed new life into the conventions of the fantasy genre. Edgerton displays a mature, polished style, a gift for character development, and a genuine feel for the British and Celtic legends that flavor her work. Once read, *Child of Saturn* is not forgotten, and one eagerly anticipates the five additional books featuring Edgerton's wonderful cast of characters. It has been, however, five years since the publication of *The Moon and the Thorn*; whatever else Ms. Edgerton has planned, I hope a return to Celydonn is slated for sometime in the foreseeable future.