Greens 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.

This book was so much fun to read. The main characters, Dana and Jackie, are realistically portrayed, and the interaction between the two holds your attention to the very end. They both have tremendous spirit in spite of facing adversity in the game of love. I found myself rooting for them and feeling personally involved. I can't wait for the sequel!

I want you to know that when I was through reading the book, I actually missed Dana and Jackie - their heart and soul are brilliantly captured by the author. It's a great escape into typical Dallas night life. Who doesn't want to feel the rapture of falling in love again?

Light the fire and pour the wine...sit down for an entertaining romp through "Big D's" glitzy society. This author has her finger on the pulse of single life in Dallas, and protrays her characters in a very believeable way. This first novel is a "page turner", delighting the reader with the author's humor, compassion, and understanding. Ms. Green is an author we will see again...let's hope it's soon!!

Dallas Glitz is a absolute MUST read! The author Dorette Green captures your interest in the first chapter with her vivid discription of the colorful "Glitzy Dallas" characters. You will not want to put this book down, racing chapter to chapter to discover the next event in the exciting Dallas dating scene and intimacies shared by the two main female characters. Captivated until the last sentence, you feel only remorse that this Author finishes the story and closes your personally guided tour through the fascinating lives of these "Glitzy Dallasites". Please, Ms. Green, give us More, More, More.....

Ms. Green's book is very entertaining and draws the reader in immediately. It shows the Dallas dating scene in a fun and exciting way! It's a must read!

This book adds more to mix than found in the earlier Delta Green Book and will expand the RPG experience further. I would highly recommend buying this book after getting the core book for Delta Green. Expands the conspiracies outside of the United States in both enemies and allies. Much more disturbing than the groups in the original Delta Green book and adds different plot angles. Very well written and compelling. A must have the Delta Green enthusiast

This product is awesome, but i don't receive form amazon, i buy from others sellers because the delay of order.

This order be canceled.

If Delta Green is the Best RPG suppliment ever, then this is Number 2. You get more bang for the buck out of this book for $40 than you do in 4 $20 books. It's very well written and is a great read as well. It is how a RPG SHOULD be written.
If you're a Call of Cthulhu gamer, then this book is a MUST! If you like horror, X-Files, etc...then check it out.

If you already have Delta Green, Countdown should be your next purchase (if you don't have Delta Green, BUY IT!!!). Countdown adds write-ups for PISCES (Britain), GRU SV-8 (Russia), The Skoptsi, The Outlook Group, Phenomen-X, Keepers of the Faith (Ghouls), and a new look at The Hastur Mythos. Add rules for the Gift (Psychic Powers) and international templates from all over the world and you have a book that would be cheap at twice the price!!

Pagan Publishing has done it again!!!

Well worth the seemingly hefty price. In addition to containing source material that benefits *any* modern-day game (e.g. details on international law-enforcement agencies), it includes expansions on things alluded to in the main Delta Green book, such as the Army of the Third Eye, and new icky horrors like the Skoptsi.

There is also wonderful information on ghoul society and on the "King in Yellow"/Hastur mythos, concluding with "Night Floors," which is in my opinion one of the best damn adventures ever written.

This calendar is the best thing in the world. The chickens are crazy looking. Sometimes I would just stop and look at it, and say things like, "Wow. That chicken is a gangsta." Sometimes it's hard to believe something so awesome exists, strutting around somewhere and pecking at the ground and looking like a total baller.

Whenever I would turn it to a new month, my fiance would get excited. "It's a new chicken! That chicken is extraordinary." He would not look at the chickens ahead of time so he could be surprised.

It's the kind of thing where the longer you look at it, the more amazing it gets. Sometimes we would start looking at a chicken, and as we noticed more details, we would laugh more and more. Much respect to the chickens featured in this calendar; I wish I were half as cool.

Even though 2007 has passed I still look at it sometimes. I have been trying to find the 2008 one in stores, but I've had no luck.

Great pictures and I love the colorful checker pages with ample space for writing appointments.

I've been using the extra ordinary chicken calendar for three years now. No other calendar is good enough for the REAL chickenenthusiast! Loaded with beautiful chicken portraits of high artistic quality.

I needed a new calendar for my cube at work and was rummaging through the discount bin, and I found this beauty. What luck! The cover, title and Vegas-style "lights" as edging hooked me. What better way to get a chuckle?
The calendar, despite what I consider ridiculously laughable content, is high-quality. The photos are top notch, the pages have a good weight and a semi-glossy finish. I actually think I can start to appreciate these fowl over the coming year. Who knew?

After purchasing this as a "gag gift" for my mother, I had to get one for myself. This calendar makes me smile everyday simply because it is silly and light. I have mine on my refridgerator and no one walks through my kitchen without commenting on it. You don't have to be a farmer or a collector of chicken memorabilia to enjoy this. You simply have to be willing to step out into the silly side and enjoy it.

It can be difficult to find a fairy tale collection that manages to hit on a wider spectrum of stories, rather than the hish-hash collections of everything that everyone has memorized or the collections that go out of the way to find the most unknown and unusual. This has both, from the familiar to the distinctly different, and told in a classic Victorian voice. There is a story for everyone here, romantic, macabre, and even funny, and from a variety of countries and cultures. It's a good, basic show of different types of stories, and each one is memorable! Defintely a must-have for the fairy tale collector!

I originally heard about the Red Fairy Book in the Annotated Hobbit, it was listed as one of J.R.R. Tolkiens influance's.
Anyways I found it and started to read it, and I must say it is the best fairy tale book I own. It's much more lush and interesting than Grimms, though Grimm is great, this book is so far my favorite.
Quite possibly the best fairy tale book ever written.

I bought Lang's Red Fairy book on a lark, expecting it to be just another re-collection of Grimms' tales and various English and French fairy tales that I had already been exposed to. I expected it would be nice, light bedtime reading and little else. When I saw that the first tale was the Twelve Dancing Princesses, I settled in for a rehash of a tale I've know since childhood.

Was I ever surprised! The Twelve Dancing Princesses was related in a manner I had never read before, the end result being a much more engaging storyline. The hero and his bride were given names, personalities, and a depth that is missing from practically every other fairy tale collection I own. The result is a story that is short enough to be read to a child at bedtime, but lush, engaging, and interesting enough to grip even the most jaded folktale enthusiast. Just a small list of the differences in the Twelve Dancing Princesses story from the "traditional" versions I already owned:

1. The hero seeking the elusive answer is not an old, jaded soldier, but a young, thoughtful peasant boy.

2. The princes who fail to find the answer do not have their heads cut off by the murderous king (a plot device which made no sense, because it discouraged questors who might gain the answer, not to mention that the kingly fathers would likely object to this treatment of their sons), but rather "disappear" completely - a development that is carefully explained in the story.

3. The princesses come to accept the loss of their nightly amusements and relish a chance to grow up, put away childish things, and become queens.

4. The princess who marries the questor marries him out of love and acceptance, and the marriage is a joyous one, not a form of humiliation and punishment of the 'proud' princess.

Each of the stories is this way - old, familiar, completely recognizable, and yet totally new and compelling. I cannot recommend this collection highly enough, and once I finish the Red book, I will happily move to the next colors in the rainbow.

As Tolkien's enthusiastic, I read The Red Fairy Book because I wanted to know about Tolkien's early influences.
Andrew Lang's books were the first books that Tolkien ever read, he owned The Red Fairy Book and even after long time he remembered it fondly.
If you are searching for Tolkien in this book you will not be disappointed. You will find there the source for the name of Pippin for instance, you will find in the stories grains of ideas and themes that later found themselves in LOTR.

But you will find there more than just LOTR references. You will find great stories, some of them a little naive for the cynical reader, but all of them interesting. Even if you are adult, this book will conquer you completely. This is a book for all the members of the family. You will love it and your children will love it. Some of the stories are suitable for very small children to read to them before bedtime.

If you are searching for so called "sophisticated" books, this book is not for you. It contained simple stories, some of them with moral and it is lacking complex motives and emotions, after all, it is fairy tales.

When I was in third grade, my school had the Red, Blue, and Yellow Faerie books, and as I was an avid reader I read all 3 of them. The one I continued to check-out and reread over and over again however was The Red Fairy Book. I have fond memories of many hours spent turning the pages of this book, and admittedly, it could be that I am looking back thru rose colored spectacles, it made such an impression on me that I am now collecting the whole fairy book series.

I had not even heard of Enid Blyton until an aunt in Australia sent me a copy of 'Five Go Down To The Sea'. That would have been about 1955 and I was immediately captivated by Enid's pure sense of mood and adventure.
I must have re-read the book a half-dozen times in just a few weeks and got to know farmer Penruthlan, Yan, The Barnies and Clopper the horse as if they were real friends of my very own.
I relived that adventure again when I got to read a chapter or two aloud each night to my two sons when they were toddlers. They, too, were enthralled with the story. And I truly believe that the noble actions of Julian, Dick, George, Anne and Timmy helped to mould my sons' lives, as they did mine.
Even now, at the 'grand old age' of 57, I am not ashamed to admit that, seeking escape from this troubled world, I have read Five Go Down To The Sea again, by myself.
Now, I can't wait to have grandchildren, so I can read the book to them at bed-time...unless my sons beat me to it, of course!

when i was a kid of 7 or 8 my mom got me interested in books by Enid Blyton, like Famous Five, Secret Seven, and those Adventure series. I just loved famous five and in fact have read all 21 of their regular books. In addition to that i also read their special editions, around 10 . These books are so addictive, once my father even told me u shouldnt read that much , u're studies might get affected, or i'll weaken my eyesight! haha! but in reality these really capture the imagination of a young kid and i highly recommend them to any kids new to reading novels

I could not put it down once I started reading it. After I finished reading the book, I felt sad. I have read the book two times in two days!

I must have read every Famous Five book and Secret Seven book I could get my hands on when I first took an intrest in books. They kept me sneaking the flashlight under the covers to finish off that exciting chapter and wondering what the next chapter had in store for me...please I hope they all come back out in print soon!

My aunt, who lived in Edinburgh (Scotland), sent me Famous Five novels for Christmas and birthdays. I don't think I ever enjoyed any presents so much in my entire life as those books. I highly reccomend them to any prospective young readers.

I love this band. I love their story. Their CD's are on my desert island list. Acquaint yourself and set a spell. You won't be sorry. Then get their music. Love it and laugh, and cry. And, Steven, if you are out there, "the ballad of 4 happy cats" is my favorite song ever. EVER!

It's Friday night in Goshen and I have just a few minutes to myself before I take off the volunteer at Goshen's homeless shelter . I finished "The Good Book", (I windexed the cover and whenever I pick it up I feel its shiny smooth surface :) ) As soon as Julian, my seventeen year old son finishes it, there's a whole line up of my fellow employees at Care At Home Services where I work (who were with us Saturday night at the Brew) who want to read it. I loved your music, the lyrics, the stories . . . it's like i figure, stories and music bring people together and make them forget about their preoccupation with beliefs and ideologies; if original sin can be thought of as separateness, (an idea from Matthew Fox's book-"Original Blessing" that I kind of like,) then art, music, dance and storytelling, etc., etc., are what can save us. I haven't set aside my miseries with such abandonment since I rode the Tilt-a-whirl at the Elkhart County Fair as I did at the Brew Saturday night.

Keep looking for the rainbow. Love, Carolyn

Y'ALL isn't so much a band as it is a world unto istelf: eight years of making music in a relationship has inspired the pair to metamorphose into an impressive home industry with its own product line (calendars, pamphlets, hand-painted rhinestone T-shirts and six albums with a seventh on the way); vocabulary (with words like "bedazzled" for their rhinestone fashion); original holiday recipes; and most impressive, a good back story, which is lovingly chronicled in a 300-page hardcover autobiography they just published.

"The Good Book: the true story of Y'ALL," a Product of Mr. Byrd's hyperactive imagination and boundless energy, tells the half-true story of Y'all's wacky preacher relatives, their fated meeting during a thunderstorm and the lucky green dress given to them by an uncle who advised, "You can't never tell what might happen to you if folks have a reason to stare."

Well, they said they were going to do it. And, with their undying sense of pluck, the simple country boys of Y'ALL have finally told their tale in a hardback book. And what a gorgeous production it is, too. The members of this backwoods cabaret act have always aspired to mixing their simple hillbilly tastes with the utmost professionalism. Anyone who writes about performers in this town is swamped with self-published projects, and it's only natural that Y'ALL gets it right. Even the actual writing is fabulous.

They're living in Nashville now, but Y'ALL occasionally returns to remind us that New York City's best gay act of the 1990s was all about a simple love story. James Dean Jay Byrd and Steven Cheslik-DeMeyer wasted too much time here trying to get attention with their touching songs and funny stories. Frankly, they deserved all the acclaim that ended up going to Hedwig and the Angry Inch. They never had a chance here, though. They refused to be decadent, and they didn't know how to be victims.

That's what makes The Good Book such an inspirational read. These two lovers come from a country background that isn't nearly as fantastical as it seems. The fictionalized history is still based on the special backwoods indulgence of eccentricity. Jay gets his lucky green dress from his crossdressing uncle, and Steven's grandmother--who crochets hotpants on the side--explains to the struggling musician why he was never meant to take over the family farm.

It's really a shame that a book this wonderful was rejected by so many publishing companies. But then, publishing companies rely on victimization to sell books. They wouldn't know what to do with a simple saga about determinedly happy gay men celebrating their family and heritage. Fortunately, there's an untapped audience out there--both straight and gay--who would love getting a gift this simple and sentimental.

Okay, I have to admit that when I started reading The Good Book getting the 'I Read the Good Book' bumpersticker was foremost in my thinking. I bought my copy at a release party, so I figured I'd be one of the first to read it, the first to write a report and the first to get a bumpersticker. Thing is, I got so into reading it I forgot all about getting the bumpersticker. (Later I forgot to write the report. So it turns out the only thing I managed with any amount of urgency was the reading -- but that I did quickly.)

I think what got me was the characters. Not Jay and Steven so much as the people they encountered: fun, funny people who seemed almost entirely not quite real. The people and the stories in The Good Book are like a good Texas yarn: outlandish and phoney, but also so real that you want to second-guess yourself. Who was Steven's phantasmal lover? An allegory or a real person? Did Jay really go from a tent revivalist child to winning rodeo beauty pageants? Did Jay's lucky green bedazzled dress really catch Steven's eye during a midwest thunderstorm? Why not? Who knows? As anyone who's been to a Y'all concert knows, trying to figure out what's truth and what's stretched is not nearly as engaging as just hearing the stories flow.

So, yes, I recommend The Good Book. It may not be quite as famous as that other 'Good Book', but it certainly has more men wearing dresses, and hey, that's something.

This book gives a comprehensive history of Green Bay Packers from the beginning. It highlights great players and coaches. It is hard to put down.

Very good reading for a Green Bay Packer fan.

This is a great book. A very comprehensive history of the team with tons of great photos. I would definitely recommend this book to any fan of the team!

ive been a packer fan since the lombardi era, but only vaguely knew the pre-50s history of this franchise and players, this is a well researched and informative history of the earlier years . there are lots of pics and sidebars highlighting the packers own hall nof fame greats, as well as how the fans and citizens of green bay have stuck by this team through many trials and financial hardships . in the fight for survival,( that is the money generated to keep a pro franchise in town), this book exposes the great character and love of a city and its inhabitants to support above and beyond the call of duty, the glory as well as the lean times , my love for this, the last of the small town teams from the beginnings of the nfl has renewed my passion and makes me want to move to green bay to live the dream, unique among the nfl and at the top!!!!!!!!!

I purchased this book for my brother as a Christmas present. Upon receiving the book I shared it with several fans and they were so excited. I thought it was a great book and know that my brother is going to Love It!!!! We have been Packer fans since the 60's.

My 88-year-old father grew up in Wisconsin. He's a lifelong Packer fan. I haven't seen or read the book, but he's absolutely enthralled by it. We talk frequently, and he brings the book up often. Every page has a memory for him.

So, don't take my word for it: take the word of a man who watched Don Hutson catch passes on blustery Green Bay Sundays.

Green Money is the first mystery/thriller that I have read and I enjoyed it thoroughly. This was the first time in a long time that everyone in our book club truly enjoyed reading this book. It was just what the doctor ordered. I do however, have one question, can anyone provide any insight on the title of the book? Why is it titled "Green Money". Great Job Judith Smith-Levin.

Judith Smith Levin can laugh all the way to the bank! She got my money and she'll get more if she keeps writing Star and the Hunk novels. Her work is as good and intriguing as J. D. Robb's Eve Dallas series, and that's saying a mouthfull!

First of all, if you can, consider picking up the audio book version of this novel, by Griot audio. I didn't see it here, so I'm reviewing the PB version.

I met this author at a writer's conference this summer, and she was so friendly and personable (just like her main character) thatI thought I'd pick her book up. I'm not a big mystery reader, but if the author is talented enough, or the characters interesting enough, I grab it up. This one is worth grabbing up. Staletta Duval is an incredible character, an African-American woman (I kept picturing Pam Grier, and if the book were turned into a film, she'd be perfect) who has worked her way up to Detective Liutenent in the homicide division. The book starts off with a bang as a homeless woman is horribly burned alive in St. Francis park. Then a prostitue is killed, and Starletta and her cool Italian partner, who would probably take a bullet for her, start seeing a pattern- the killings seem to be based on a computer game called Vampire's Lair. And guess who secretly plays a lot of the game? Pampered rich kids at the local academy... but there's much more to it than that. The author --who actually has worked for the police-- fleshes out the characters well. When you hate a character, you REALLY hate a character, and when one is likeable, the author knows just how to make us fall in love with them. I also thought I knew just where the book was going, but I was proved wrong several times (I don't read a lot of mystery because I have an annoying habit of guessing the endings).It reads not only as a mystery, but also as a police procedural and crime thriller. Fans of NYPD Blue (and other similar shows) will love the book. I found the storytelling so entertaining and the chacters so likeable that I'm going to pick up the other books in the series-- and read them in order. And if I can get my hands on the audio versions...

The audio book is read by the actor Marc Damon Johnson, who does a tremendous job and is great at voicing different characters-- he does an especially hilarious job with a pimp in St. Francis park in one scene, and a prostitute in two others. The audio version is over ten hours long, but he (and of course, the talented author) made it fly by.

This is a very talented author who created characters I definitely want to spend more time with. Check it out-this series deserves a wider audience!

I have finished the third book in Ms. Smith-Levin's Starletta Duvall series and each one is better than the last. Even though the first book is hard to come by -- it is worth the effort! In a reader's group I participate with, we read The HooDoo Man, and every person in the group loved the book. This speaks to the quality of writing of Ms. Smith-Levin.

If you like to be grabbed by the shirt, just open one of these books and read the first ten pages -- you won't be able to put it down! The stories are great and the characters are real. Enjoy.

I have eagerly awaited the release of this book. I'm a big fan of Ms. Smith-Levin's. She could write her name and I'd buy it, because I know whatever she puts on paper is going to totally engulf me as a reader. This is the third book in her Star Duvall series and I'm so hungry for another one that I'm going to go back and start reading from the beginning with Do Not Go Gently. Seems to me writing of this quality and caliber should be front and center on every bestseller list there is. This woman knows how to tell a story. Her characters live and breathe. I think I'm in love with Dr. Mitchell Grant, but Star is the woman for him. This savvy, foxy, smart woman makes me proud to be female. Ms. Smith-Levin gives us someone and something to root for. Here are the cops on display, all the good and all the bad, and you love them. Even the bad guys have personality and depth. No cardboard stereotypes here, every character breathes. Star's life away from the Homicide Squad that she commands is real, with friends, family and that gorgeous doctor Grant. Her world on the job is brutal, but Star and her partner, Dominic Paresi make us feel protected, even in the face of the most horrendous brutality. These are two cops you'd want to see coming, if you were in trouble. On top of the fine writing, Ms. Smith-Levin also opens the window into just what it takes to be a police officer, and to maintain your humanity doing a job that most of us would run from. If you haven't read Ms. Smith-Levin's books, I urge you to do so. She has never disappointed. I only hope there's another Starletta Duvall on the way. I can hardly wait.!

This is the awesome 2nd installment in the mega-awesome Lyonesse trilogy. If you like hard-core fantasy with an almost scientific approach to the application of magic, a great storyline, wry humor, witty dialog, and good struggling against evil, this book can't be beat.

This is the second book in the Lyonesse trilogy, and differs from its predecessor in some respects. The tone is much lighter, offering many more dialogues with the typical Vance wit and humor. Casimir plays a much smaller role in the story, removing one of the more brutal antagonists. The sorceror Visbhume is introduced and resembles Cugel more than any other Vance character I have read recently.

The story moves forward the efforts of Ailias to counter the Ska presence in the Ulflands, including reunion with the ska noblegirl Tatzel, and a number of combat scenes. Ongoing machinations of Tartumello (sp) continue, though the sorcerors play an overall small role in the story, Visbhume excepted.

A major plot thread resolution here (the ska presence in the Ulflands) has a resolution which is far too easy, resembling other major political resolutions seen in some other stories by Vance, including The Pnume, The Wankh, and arguably The Dirdir - essentially, protagonist dictates terms to enemy from position of (sometimes) apparent strength, and enemy accepts unconditionally, end of problem.

This is a fabulous book, and I am looking forward to re-reading Madouc in the near future.

The Green Pearl is the best of Jack Vance's best trilogy. It has some of the most memorable, funny dialogues that Jack Vance has come up with, and in my opinion they are what you read his books for. His turn of phrase is unique. Don't read it for character development!

In my opinion, this is the best fantasy book ever written. Vance shows nearly limitless imagination, and this is Vance at his finest.

I must say that it is refreshing to read fantasy that isn't just a copy of The Lord of the Rings. The Green Pearl Draws very loosely on the legends of King Aurthur, but also establishes it's own unique mythology. It is worth reading over and over.

The Green Pearl is the second book in the Lyonesse Trilogy. While the volume stands on its own, I think you'd be hard pressed to get caught up. If you can, read the first volume, Suldrun's Garden, before starting The Green Pearl.

The book continues the chronicles of the Elder Isles, the lost islands of fantasy between France and Britain. As is the first book, Vance skillfully weaves together seemingly unrelated stories into a coherent whole. Mostly, the book centers around the adventures of Ailias, now a king, and his efforts to solve the personal and royal problems that beset him.

As was the case in Suldrun's Garden, there are long stretches that are almost dreamlike in their tone. A long interlude between Ailias and a barbaric Ska princess is remarkable for its combination of lucidity and dreamlike character; when that particular adventure ends, you very much feel you, with Ailias, have wakened from a dream.

The book does suffer the problem of any second book in a trilogy: it's primarily a bridge between the discoveries in the first book and the denouements in the last. But there are enough new characters and new ideas to keep you fascinated. There are comically sinister magicians, recalcitrant nobles, dying kings and a different view of the barabaric Ska. The book is much less obviously derivative than Suldrun's Garden.

Altogether a most satisfying read. Strongly recommended.