Bradley Books

It is important to realise that this is a book for beginners. If you are an experienced developer wanting to cross-train from C++, Java, VB.Net etc then this is not the book for you. I pretty much speed-read the book in three days (I would have been quicker but I had other things to do as well), typing in code when it looked like it might be a useful exercise. As C# is largely an amalgam of bits from other popular languages it is easy to plough through this book at speed if you do know other object-oriented languages. If you are a complete beginner then I suspect this book is probably at about the right level and for complete beginners 21 days could be about right.

As well as the language itself, the book gives the basics of console input/output, file handling, windows forms, database access and some web stuff. As the author says a number of times, the libraries used for .Net programming are so large, you couldn't do more than skim the surface even in a book of this size.

A few other things to note about this book...

This book does not teach you about the Visual Studio integrated development environment (IDE), or about the code generated by the IDE. Instead it works from first principles - no use of a forms editor here, this is typing in instructions to add a control, position the control, set the control colour, handle the related events etc, rather than having the basis of that automatically generated. Useful to know how to do it manually, but I suspect most people would rather take the IDE route. Personally, I do like to know both, so it is good for me the way it is.

There are a number of typographical errors in the text, most of which are unimportant, but they have also crept into at least one source listing, although that was easy enough to spot.

The errata on the author's web-site is incomplete and hasn't been updated recently. The errata on the publisher's web-site is, well, missing. Just to repeat that bit - it isn't there (or not anywhere that I could find it). Don't bother registering on the publisher's web-site - registering doesn't suddenly provide access to the errata. Thankfully none of the errors that I spotted in the text were serious.

The example code at the end of "Week 2" is a blackjack game. Nothing too bad about that, other than it fails to use the most interesting bits from week 2. It also mixes naming conventions throughout the code, which is really annoying when you are typing the code in. Use camel notation, use all lower-case, use Hungarian - it doesn't matter, but it would make life easier if the author was consistent. The whole example was poor and could have been replaced with something more relevant to the week's work.

All in all, quite a good book for beginners, with the caveats that it doesn't teach you about the Visual Studio IDE and that the chapters on web-development might assume too much knowledge for a complete beginner. Not the right book for an experienced developer cross-training from another object-oriented language.

This book is a great book for beginners. If you happen to be a programmer the first couple of chapters are a review but the later chapters make up for this. I would have preferred a little more about creating windows applications but this is still a great book. I recommend this book.

This book is just fantastic. You can really learn a lot from it. I am only 14 and already know how to create a simple program. I'm looking to get into the gaming industry and this book will definently help me get there. I recommend it to everyone who wants to learn C# without the hassle of using up a lot of time. 5 Stars.

Could not put it away until finished reading it.
Book is very well written, with detailed explanation of every topic and has very good examples, I also liked excersizes and questions at the end of each chapter. I am not afraid now to program on C# and hopefully will find job using C#!

This book was awesome! I just finished reading it today and I am amazed of how much I learned.

I disagree with the comment that rates it bad for not talking enough about Visual Studio.... There are good books about "Visual C#" which target this audience, however the best developers are those who learn how to build software from scratch without fancy tools.

Trust me, before this, I had no idea what was all the code Visual Studio (and even SharpDevelop) generated by default.

Recommended path:
I read 1 chapter a day; then took the chapter quiz, and did all the exercises.

Also play with the "Type and Run's", they are a lot of fun!

I am now writing my own C# applications (Console, Windows-based, Web, and even for my Pocket PC).

Excellent book, great job Brad Jones!

Although it came out six years ago, Brad Edwards' book is still second to none. If you want to learn a lot about what a space elevator is, how it might be designed and built and what it will be used for, this book will give you all the details.

This engineer's quite positive reaction to this technically impressive book is overshadowed by his own obsession with the mundane topics of spelling and punctuation. That's much more my own problem than it is the author's. But for any of my fellow obsessives out there who consider taking on this book, I must warn you, there's hardly a page where you won't find yourself grinding your teeth over the lack of respect for the standards of our language. Unfortunately for us apostrophe freaks, that can lead to an irrational lack of confidence in the logic and mathematics of the content.

Otherwise, this is a very interesting and complete presentation of an important approach to escaping our planet.

Now we have seen the failure of the shuttle it is time we had a look at some alternatives. What we have here is a first-class study of a `Space Elevator'. If such an elevator could be built it would revolutionize space travel.

Written in easy style and does not need much technical skill to read. The writers here have done a good job here.

If the figures quoted are correct such a scheme would be about 6 to 10 billion dollars. In today's world this is not that much money. Overall it sounds too good to be true. I am sure that we could add a few more zeros as everything in space is more expensive then quoted. Still it does show the project might be possible and affordable if it can work something I am not qualified to say that it does depend on materials that we don't have yet.

I think the writers have proven their point that it is within reach of current technology and we should do a more detailed study on this topic.

The authors managed to convince me in a very short time that Edwards' plan of a Space Elevator could indeed be feasible in a very short time from now (given only a few technological breakthroughs yet to be achieved).

The layout of the book is utterly sophomoric, even more of a surprise as Edwards apparently had a professional writer at hand to co-author the book. These guys have obviously never heard anything about LaTeX or other quality type setting systems that are, mind you, standard in the maths/engineering scientific community. The readibility of the formulae suffers most, and the presentation of the tables and figures is a disgrace as well.

Some readers might find the prose is lacking in style, although I quite liked the colloquial approach (I must say that I'm not a native speaker of English, so if I was I might be annoyed as well). The structure of the chapters would profit from quite some refactoring, too.

Still the sheer amount of information provided is impressive and the authors do a great job in convincing even the most sceptical of the feasibility of this project by tackling most, if not all, of the problems at hand with great skill.

I strongly recommend this book to anybody with an interest in space-faring, science fiction or just great technological ideas that should rather be realized today than tomorrow.

Brad Edwards' book serves as 'the manifesto' for those interested in radical thinking for space access. It is a delightful read on the challenges and effort to make a space elevator a reality. The spin-off technologies will be wonderfully useful in the years ahead. I am pleased to see that NASA's Centennial Challenge named SpaceFoward and the space elevator competition its first challenge. Nonetheless, the first competition made little progress. Yet I suspect that the second year efforts will make for better competition to 'beat the house.' Go Virginia Tech Space Elevator Team!

After reading poor reviews, I decided to read it anyway. Boy, am I glad I did! I love this series and can't wait for the next one!

Today's crop of mystery writers seem to be trying to emulate Janet Evanovich. Thus far, only one of the authors I read has come close (Donna Andrews). The formula is pretty basic: a protagonist who has one quirky best friend, another who's gay/lesbian/transsexual, and a smart/hunky cop or dumb/fat cop who may or may not suspect the protagonist of a crime. These protagonists generally have ordinary lives until they're compelled to investigate a murder. While the formula works in many cases, it *is* becoming tiresome. This novel, first in a series, forces the humor a bit but is otherwise an entertaining read. Besides, I must be tolerant of the formula because I seem to keep reading it! Enjoy!

I enjoyed this light and funny read. I have now ordered all her books.

The Brush-Off and Sprayed Stiff, the second of the Hair-raising mysteries, are screamingly funny. "Cozies" are becoming increasingly popular, but they come in all shapes and sizes. Some are serious, these are definitely not.

Having an amateur sleuth who is a hairstylist works really well for Bradley for a number of reasons: hair stylists interact with people from all walks of life, the "salon culture" is a fun world to draw, and stylists have a fair amount of flexibility as they can often work in other people's homes or on unusual schedules. I am really hoping that Bradley writes more about these engaging characters and their unusual exploits.

Lots of people I see are comparing these to Evanovich...some negatively. While I do love Stephanie Plum, I think it's harsh to say that anyone who's writing humorous amateur sleuth fiction is imitating Evanovich. Reyn is very, very different from Stephanie Plum and deserves to be evaluated on her own instead of in comparison.

This book was cute. It won't win any literary awards, but is was entertaining in a Janet Evanovich kind of way. I would compare the main character Reyn Marten Sawyer with Stephanie Plum, although I think Reyn is a little smarter and not as inept. She's also not as funny, either. One note: this was my first time reading an e-book, and there were many grammatical and spelling errors. If your interested in reading this book, I would suggest the paperpack edition.

the book was okay and all, but i heard that ms. waters was living in san francisco under the name nancy reyes. at least that's what it says when you do a "who is" search on her.

she's quite an urban legend.

This story is a classic! It keeps you interested and entertained. Elizabeth Waters is and an amazing author and I hope to read more from her! The story of a woman and her amazing ability to transform - what could be more perfect? :-)

This is one of my favorite fantasy novels, mixing shape-shifting, romance, kings, and adventure into a captivating tale. Elisabeth Waters is a great author and I only hope she keeps on writing!

_Changing Fate_ is an enjoyable fantasy adventure. Elisabeth Waters is not overly ambitious in her world-building, but she doesn't recycle: nary an elf or a unicorn in sight. The main characters are intelligent without being improbably bright. Lack of purple prose and sentimental meanderings make this book more palatable than many other contemporary romantic fantasies. The hero, a young woman hiding her shape-shifting ability, is forced to abandon her ancestral home and undergoes a number of adventures. Most conflicts are solved with misdirection or flight: there is only one short sword-fight.
--inotherworlds.com

All that the other reviewers have said about this book is true, so I won't add to that. I was a close friend of Elisabeth for almost twenty years, and was with her when she wrote Changing Fate. We discussed it over a load of laundry, as I recall. The book is a gentle tale, much like her character. She said the wolf was based on Signy, her Wolf/shepherd cross, and often joked that she lived in a wolf pack, so she might as well write about it. She has an impressive body of work, all varied and imaginative. We collaborated on some tales, notably "Connecticat," in Catfantastic 3.

I loved this series. It's interesting, funny, and, most important, worthy of rereading. I wish she'd write more.

Ok, This wasnt a bad book, and the ending tied in really well with the first two books. Bradley must have had it all worked out ahead of time and that is refreshing to see in the world of fantasy where many people just write to put out another volume...Cough *Robert Jordan... Anyhow my problem with this book is that it was 20 years after Scions Lady and when i bought the book i was assuming TIg would have some adventures in the interim. I dont like books that leap far into the future...some of the majic always gets left behind. If you read the first two books then by all means oyu have to read this one as well to see how Tig (and his son) resovle the issue of the lady pain...

3 and a half stars.... definatly worth a read...

The characters are what I like most about this series. This third book in the trilogy is pretty good. The pace is good and the setting imaginative. Pretty much the story of Tig's son and we see the story through his eyes. I liked the ending and it made sense within the context of the other two books.

If you haven't read Lady in Gil, read it. Then read Scion's Lady. Then you won't need to read any of these reviews, because you'll know how wonderful this series is, and you'll be scrambling to get a copy of Lady Pain as quickly as possible so you can finish the tale.

This is the darkest of the three, but no less wonderful. It's actually the book that convinced me to try the first--I saw this for sale, it looked very engaging, but realising it was the third in the series I found Lady in Gil and sat down to read it, and seem to remember finishing it that evening as it was too wonderful for words.

I love Connie Willis (well, her better work, at least), and I love Mervyn Peake. I love Jane Austen, and I love Robertson Davies, and I love Rebecca Bradley. We must have more from her. Read these books and you'll agree!

Note: a 3 star ranking from me is actually pretty good; I reserve 4 stars for tremendously good works, and 5 only for the rare few that are or ought to be classic; unfortunately most books published are 2 or less.

I really enjoyed this book. Bradley's characters are engaging, and the story moves along at a good pace. The imaginative setting is brought to life with economy and liveliness. Set twenty years after Scion's Lady, Tigrallef, accompanied by his family and friends, is still wandering the world, seeking a way to banish the Harashil. Facing a dead end in their quest, they travel to Gil, Tig's ancestral home - and doing so sets off a series of unforeseen and deadly dangerous events.
I did wish more time could have been devoted to Shree, Calla, and Chasco in this book, but I certainly did not feel short-changed by the new characters that appeared: Mallinna the beautiful memorian, Jonno the poetry-writing guardsman, and Tig's daughter Katla. The story is narrated by Vero, Tig's son, and Bradley conveys his devotion to duty, his growing despair, and his wish for something new in his life wonderfully. It was also good to see Tig's combination of intelligence and innocent stupidity through another's eyes.
What is particularly good about this book is that Bradley clearly worked out the whole story before she even wrote Lady in Gil. There is no sense that this book was written out of laziness or obligation, like so many fantasy series. It forms a coherent whole with the previous two books, and the ending is both appropriate, given all that has gone before, and satisfying. Lady Pain is a fascinating and truly enjoyable book. Make sure you read Bradley's previous books first so you appreciate it to the full.

The book comes with the CDs for the compiler. The software for Visual Basic is 100$ by itself, while the book gives it to you for free.

The book is better than the previous version. It has a few more examples, more indepth, and a lot of the errors have been corrected. All the examples worked in the compiler (which can be rare for many programming books). The book offers all the basic skills to start programming. It is a detailed book from elementary to intermediate programming. It was a great introductory book for my college.

Even though Visual Basic and the authors make coding simple, it seems that not all people are cut-out to be programmers. There isn't much programming simpler than this.

It is not my nature to write a negative `book report', but this book (and the Advanced Programming Using Visual Basic.NET - by the same author(s)) does really not deserve the price. This text is full of poorly written vague explanations, the OOP terminology and coverage is watered down to bare minimum. The exercise section in this text do need more work to be understandable and to be more generic to work on the Visual Studio 2003 environment.
The code reviews in general are superficial and unorganized. The reader/student is presented with chunks of poorly explained material like in the database section for example, where very little detail is given on the how, why questions, that goes beyond the mechanics of clicking and dragging data base components.
There are a lot better texts available for a less price.
The "Visual Basic.NET Primer - by Jack Purdum", book is a great, clear introduction to programming and to Visual Basic.NET for far less price.

This is a great price for this product. It also makes VB easy to learn. The samples are great. I love this book and software.

I had to return my first one because the software set was missing but the customer service was the BEST and I got a new one right away. My e-mails were answered the same day and were very polite!

Very well written text book on learning VB. The only problem I had was that the source code at the end of the chapter could have been presented in a different way. That is because I am a code junky; if you are into the concepts of programming, well then you might rate this at five stars. The included copy of VB with the book is worth the price alone. Buy this if you need to learn VB.NET or move up from older versions

Whether you like sports or not, McPhee's book is so well written that it carries you along. Bradley at Princeton seems so ancient compared with the sports scene today, but the story reveals unknowingly how much we have lost in the culture when it comes to heroes.

"A sense of where you" are, offers a fascinating look at a true scholar athlete. Author John McPhee`s debut is well written and gives the reader a look at how a student athlete should approach life and grasp the opportunity ahead. Bill Bradley is the consumate teamplayer who pays tribute to the small and important details of the game of basketball. A hoop junkie growing up, but also a reflective mind,perhaps too reflective to become President of the United States.
An inspiring book that should be read by people of any age, who seek to become successfull at whetever they do.

This book is a must read for all aspiring young athletes and their parents. Bill Bradley always had his priorities straight. Although a gifted athlete, he knew that his education was more important. After being named the best college player in America, he eschewed the money and glory of the NBA to accept a Rhodes scholarship. Can you imagine one of today's selfish, ignorant, anti-intellectual, basketball stars doing that today?

Bill Bradley, a three-time basketball all-American at Princeton, Olympic gold medalist, Rhodes scholar, member of the New York Knicks and two time NBA champion definitely has a passion for basketball. This books helps show what goes into the making of a champion. Discipline, selflessness, respect, courage, imagination and passion are elements that made him a success on and off the court. I knew nothing at all about Bill Bradley before reading this book, but I have great respect for his personal code and his shining example.

I'm writing this review because the fact that it didn't have a 5-star rating irritated me. I first saw the McPhee/Bill Bradley piece in the New Yorker Magazine about 30 years ago. After reading it I xeroxed the entire article and sent copies of it to every member of the University of South Carolina basketball team (which for those of you who are as old as I am was coached by the legendary Frank McGuire (the assistant coach was Donnie Walsh, now President and General Manager of the Indiana Pacers) and featured a cast of great college players like John Roche, Tommy Owens, Billy Walsh, Bobby Cremins, etc. All of the players (an unusually intelligent group) loved the article. We had many conversations about Bradley's approach to the game in the months to come. This is definitely a 5-star book for any lover of the true game of basketball. It's great and can't possibly be outdated. Highest recommendation.

This story touched me, man

wonderfu

Agree with the reader from Glendale about the prior reviews. Please contct me so we discuss. Colorado78@yahoo.com

I first read this wonderful story several years ago and it has stayed in my thoughts. As I begin my third reading - I am touched and uplifted by Don's insight into the language of the heart and love. Greg has become my friend, Clare my idol, and Termas that voice within. Thank you, Don, for giving us all something to live up to.

Don't be fooled, this book is a waste of trees! The spelling by the other reviewers reveals that they are either on something to be smoked or something not to give to your children.

See also ...'historey'.. in the review of "Angels" ...hard to see how this stuff gets published but it is a private publisher on this one. Publishing and the wood cutting industry are in enough trouble without more waste. Do not buy it!

Welcome all to the wonderful bizarro/fiction world known as the "Bizarro Starter Kit" (Blue). Undoubtedly this book invites in to a world of altered states in a genre known as bizarro fiction. One author Fracalossy transports you into this surreal existence in his stories that take you into the deepest darkest inner workings of your imagination. Not since Kerouac and Burroughs have I experienced such a journey in to the minds of the bizarro as i experenced with Fracalossy and Gerdes.
In Fracalossy's "Me and the Martian" the conflicts that arise from a three headed extraterrestial makes for a hilarious short story filled with excitement and humor. The human not being afraid of the martian ends with pity for this creature as well as the martian feeling quite the same about the human. GREAT STORY A MUST READ.
Although all the storys are great i have to recommend "Nin and Nan" by a Eckhard Gerdes and Fracalssy's "The Dinner Party". These are Must Reads and really encourage anyone thinking about buying the book to take that chance, step out of the conventional, beige, thinking and step in to the world of Bizarre fiction. 5 Stars.

Yesenia Medrano

"Bizarro Starter Kit (Blue)" has a different but humerous style of writing. With more than ten stories to choose from it's some what difficult. "It's a Jungle Out There" by Ray Fracolossy has been a unique example of this new writing concept. When a man accidently gets crabs, he wonders how on earth he'll manage to get through the night on which he has "band rehearsal". Not being able to cope with all of the itchiness he later decideds to come foward with the truth about his "crabs". He becomes a motivational speaker on behalf of his crisis. With humor and sarcasim, this story was easy to read a long with entertaining as well. Even though we hear everything in the media and everywhere else, it's good to get a laugh out of something here and there.

Another different yet interesting story by Ray Fracalossy, is "Me and the Martian". Here the concept is about the steady obsession we see now a days regarding our personalities. The martian is symbolic to all humans and how deverse and unique everyone is. Ironically the story finishes with the martian concluding that all humanans are worthless. Judging and labeling are part of human nature and we don't hessitate to do either or.

Personally relating to some of the different stories, was something I wouldn't have thought of doing. All in all the new genre of writing is really something that needed to come out sooner or later. Having a little of bizarre in all of us, was a matter of time until someone brave enough wrote about it. I can really say I enjoyed these stories and hope to come across more in the future.

I had never heard about this type of fiction. The stories in this book are different and very interesting. One of my favorite stories was "The Birthday Party" by Ray Fracalossy. It is unbelievable that one paragraph could allow for the telling of so mmany different things. The story is not coherent. The differece in the characters in the story made me wonder what the true intention of the story was. When I reached the end of the story I kept thinking about it and trying to piece it together. Needless to say I did not suceed. It must be good, if I am still thinking about it. The Bizarro starter kit is an incredible additoin to fiction. I have already told several people about it. Nin and Nan by Eckhard Gerdesis an excellent story that should be read by everyone. Even the title is engaging. Another story that I found interesting and entertaining was "ME AND THE MARTIAN" by Ray Fracalossy. It is a funny story about a three headed Martian. The Martian has three heads, each serves a different purpose,which causes conflict at times. Instead of beind shocked or afraid, the human ends up feleing bad for the Martian, thinking that Marians are messed up. Overall I highly recommend this book.The Bizarro Starter Kit (blue)

After reading two of the strangest stories I have ever read, I found myself enjoying them thoroughly. I found "The Dinner Party" by Ray Fracalossy took a far different turn from where I thought it was going to go. I really enjoyed that I did not know what was going to come up next at the table. The second story I read and enjoyed was "At The Shoe Store". I found that the wackiness of the story was very amusing and I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading stories that are just fun. This was another story that did not allow the reader to predict what would happen next, making it hard to not want to stop reading, even after the story is over. I would not recommend the book for a conservative reader, but for a reader who is willing to be amused. In all honestly, I have never read anything like this before! Give it a try, because it's an excellent book!

The book is very interesting and different from many other books. The title alone has meaning to the book and offers the reader an enjoyable read. Fracalossy's "The Birthday Party" is a story that seemed to be a little strange. The story starts off as if it is Steve's birthday but its really not. The point of the story was for the person to get a girl and a pony for his birthday and make it seem as if it had the tables turned. The story was interesting but a little odd due to the seven inch woman, which can only lead the mind to imagine the meaning behind her.

Another story by Fracalossy is "Cornflakes". The story is one that can be enjoyed by all who have lived with a roommate. The story starts off as a bomb being in the cereal box of a person that is enjoying cereal as a part of a meal. Then again he begins to yet eat another bowl with the bomb still being there. The bomb seems to tie in with there being no clean dishes, so they must eat off the bowl with the bomb. The story is interesting but can lead the reader to believe different things depending on who reads it and their interpretations. The book is one to be read by those who have an open mind and are willing to think outside the box. Overall something to definitely read!

This is the third in the mini-series focusing on the Renunciates, within the larger Darkover series. It features the characters that have developed within the previous two novels, Jaelle, Magda, Camilla, and the Terran Cholayna. This novel is much more action packed than the previous two had been, with a fraught and perilous journey across mountains, facing dangers both natural and supernatural, in search of a mythic city mentioned in obscure legends--the city of sorcery.

This novel takes place seven years after 'Thendara House', and Jaelle and Magda are full-members now of the Forbidden Tower. They've both been fully trained in the use of their Laran, and their abilities have grown considerably.

If you've enjoyed the other two books in this series-within-a-series, 'Shattered Chain' and 'Thendara House,' you will love this one--it's definitely the best, and it truly delivers on the potential of the other two. If you've missed the first two, you'll still enjoy this one on its own--Bradley makes sure to provide recaps of relevant past events and relationships, allowing a new reader to dive straight into this story. But, there's no question, if you already know and love these characters from their previous adventures, you'll be even more deeply engaged in this great story.

Having read the entire series, I find that this book is enjoyable, but not as good as the previous two books in the trilogy.

Still, it is worth the purchase and it is good to find out what happened to the main characters.

MZB rarely disappoints.

A Terran Mapping and Exploration aircraft crashed on the other side of the mountain range that circles the planet. It was presumed there were no survivors and the plane lost. It was presumed so until Alexis Anders walked back into Thendara unscathed, but without her memory. Cholayna, the Head of Terran Intelligence on Darkover, called in Magda Lorne to help her figure out what happened. Magda Lorne, a legend in the Intelligence field, is not simply an intelligence agent, but rather someone who was raised on Darkover from childhood and possesses the "laran" psi power that would allow Magda to see into Anders' mind and find out what happened to Anders. Magda is more than an intelligence agent, she is a woman who has "gone native" and is a member of the Order of Renunciates, an organization that gives women another choice of what they can be in this incredibly patriarchal society.

What Lorne finds in the mind of Alexis Anders shouldn't be possible. By all accounts, there is nothing on the other side of that mountain range. Nothing. Satellite photos show nothing, and it is common knowledge on Darkover that nothing can survive over there. Yet, the mind of Alexis Anders reveals the existence of a hidden city deep in the mountains, a city where there are women of power who are wearing robes. This may not seem too exceptional (except for a city existing where one shouldn't exist), but from the previous novels which feature Magda Lorne, we know that in a couple of instances using her "laran" Magda has encountered strange women wearing robes on the spiritual plane who have called themselves the "Dark Sisterhood". She originally dismissed this because there was no confirmation that what she thought she saw was real, but with this additional confirmation from Anders, Magda believes there truly is a Dark Sisterhood.

When Alexis finally regains her memory, she secretly commissions a guide to find this hidden city. Magda figures out what is happening and that Alexis is attempting something that she does not truly understand, Magda, along with her freemate Jaelle (another character we are familiar with by this point), and a couple of other women (including Cholayna and Camilla) try to track Alexis before she can find the city (or die trying to find the city).

"City of Sorcery", at its heart, is an adventure story, or perhaps a kind of "holy grail" story. The women are all chasing this mythical story, and there are Darkovan legends about this city, but nobody truly believed it could be real. It becomes something of a holy quest against impossible odds. This wasn't a story I expected to be that good (my expectation was that this would be one of the weaker Darkover novels), but it was. This is some excellent storytelling by Marion Zimmer Bradley, and just when she gets to the part of the quest where the story begins to drag, she changes direction and brings it on home and it is fresh and exciting again. This novel was a surprise for me, but a pleasant one. The Renunciate trilogy ("The Shattered Chain", "Thendara House") are some of the strongest of the Darkover novels that I have read, and I can only hope that Magda Lorne and the consequences of this quest will appear in the later Darkover novels (or short stories).

-Joe Sherry

This story is the sequence of adventures of Magda Lorne/ Margali n Ysabet. A terran who join the renunciants group (you can read why and how in Shattered Chain), need to adapt herself to this new ewality, discover who she really is (read about it in Thendara house) and finally goes to search for the city of sorcery, a mistic city, where " crows" cry and dark woman help humanity trhough centuries... she has to face many fears and one dark society... discover who trust and who not trust...This book is plenty of surprises and has links to many others. Im sure you will enjoy reading it!

I know some people consider this finale to the Renunciate trilogy a disappointment. I don't.

If you've already come to love Magda, Jaelle, Camilla and Cholayna, you'll of course want to know more about what happened to them. And Vanessa makes a valuable addition to the group.

I've always enjoyed books about the making of a fantasy-world legend, and this finale to Magdalen Lorne's story is no exception. The reader gets to see her as a very human and somewhat flawed person, as well as the powerful "Lorne Legend."

If you're new to Darkover, I think you should read The Shattered Chain and Thendara House before reading this book (for spoiler reasons), but this one is definitely worth picking up.

Despite being a sword-and-sorcery quest in a sci-fi/fantasy setting, this is in some ways one of the most realistic books I've read. The characters, their motivations, and the interactions between character and society are vivid and ring true for me.