Burton Books

I bought this book for my 10 year old son who loves star wars and loves to draw; he hasn't been able to put it down. The book is very explicit and shows you in a very graphic manner how to draw characters, machines, and others. Very good indeed I'm glad we bought it.

The quality of the Youtube videos surpasses the quality of the book; expectations for the book after watching the videos weren't met. Ideas for future additions might include expanding on Mr. Bush's acrylic painting techniques (future book, perhaps:>); you may enjoy the rudimentary instruction, but in my opinion it didn't align with the superior instruction given during the videos.

Muy buen libro, tiene todo lo básico para iniciar el dibujo de personajes de Star Wars, interesante e ilustrativo.

I purchased this book for my nephew because he loves to draw and is a Star Wars fan. I was amazed at the quality!

Spiral bound, hardcover, with transparent flyleaf pages for many of the illustrations, this is way more than I expected for my $14.

Our nephew loves the book, and really enjoyed showing me some drawings he's made using the suggestions in the book. Our other two nephews who don't draw also really liked reading it just for the 'insider' Star Wars info.

A great find!

I bought this for my son's eight year old birthday because he loves the How to Draw books. This one is the hardest I have ever seen. It's is aimed at a teenager in terms of drawing ability.

a whole new world view in a book, that this myth of science which i myself learned as a child has been so uncommented on is disturbing. a bit dry and short.

This is a handy book to have around if you want to correct modern "flat-earthers" who deny, not the evidence of science, but the evidence of history showing proving that a spherical earth was not a complete unknown in the Middle Ages. It's a quick read, too. Some people might find the large number of obscure names daunting, but I encourage anyone not to be discouraged if they sometimes feel lost. The thread is easy enough to pick up again.

The most significant flaw, I think, is the repetitiveness--ironic in such a short book. Someone deeply interested in the things Russell is talking about will not have a problem. Others might want to cry out: "enough already! I get the point!" Some things needed to be expanded; others, trimmed.

Despite these failings, Russell has written a much-needed book, and I can't recommend anything better on the subject. I know it seems like I'm damning with faint praise, but really, it's a good book, and when it first came out it was groundbreaking.

I do want to take the time to reply to another reviewer. Frank Tipler wrote that "there were a few rather serious factual errors in the book. For example, on page 13, Russell writes "The astronomers reviving Proltemy's cosmology in the fifteenth century created a more complex system of spheres modified by smaller spheres called epicycles and deferents. " Actually, as some of Russell's own references (e.g. his reference 69, Thomas Kuhn's The Copernican Revolution) would have informed him, the epicycles and deferents were part of Prolemy's own system; they were not added by the 15th century astronomers. Further, epicycles and deferents were CIRCLES, not spheres."

These comments are based on a couple of misunderstandings. First, Russell does not mean that the fifteenth-century astronomers (I suspect he has in mind Peurbach and Regiomontanus) complicated Ptolemy by adding epicycles and deferents; rather, he means that by reviving Ptolemy, who used epicycles and deferents, they complicated the earlier, simplified view of the cosmos based on true concentric spheres. (For what it's worth, Russell has left out a lot of detail here, like the simplified version of Ptolemy learned from Arabic textbooks and taught in some 13th and 14th century universities--but that's another issue, and not terribly relevant to what Russell's trying to accomplish.)

Second, epicycles and deferents definitely WERE spheres according to quite a few major astronomers, including Ptolemy himself, who described orbs based on those circles in the Planetary Hypotheses. In the fifteenth century Peurbach wrote a popular astronomy book explaining Ptolemaic astronomy in terms of sets of orbs. His work was based, ultimately, on a similar textbook by Ibn al-Haytham (known to the Latins as Alhazen). The idea was actually not that uncommon in the time Russell is trying to describe.

Russel has written an excellent introduction to the history of the perception of the sphericity of earth. As most historians of medieval thought already know and agree upon, the view of the sphericity of earth was more or less common knowledge among the learned people of the middle ages (and for the reviewer who points to the Hereford mappae mundi as "proof" of otherwise, he can't have read Russels book very thoroughly - the Hereford map, a wonderful work of art, is a classical T-O mappae mundi, a map meant for religious use, not navigation. The stupidity of such statements would be similar to believe that the Rand McNally 2005 US Road Atlas shows that modern americans believe that there are no other continents because it doesn't show them in this, also very flat, map).

Some aspects of the book are lacking, though. Russel goes so much into the minority beliefs of Cosmas and Lactantius that these two atypical writers occupy more space in his book than the vast majority of medieval and ancient writers who took the sphericity of the earth for granted from their observations and corpus of learning. Also, he doesn't really discuss why modern people (post-1900) haven't revised the popular view - his hypothesis that the progressivist worldview that predominates today makes people WANT to believe medieval academics to be stupid because it fits the idea of constant development is probably valid, but he does not show this sufficiently.

On the other hand, his bibliography and source listings are excellent, and are the main reasons I had for buying his book.

While I really do not profess to know Russels' religious views - he might certainly be a christian apologist - this does not matter. Letting a foolish contrafactual myth stand in the face of all evidence in textbooks and the popular mind has little to do with apologism and more to do with correcting the prejudices of the modern age.

In the end, I'd like to quote a little tidbit from the Norse Middle ages Russel probably does not know of. The "King's Mirror", a secular book written for the education of younger sons of norwegian nobility of the 13th century, has the following to say on the shape of the earth:

"Take a burning candle and put it in a big room. Then suspend an apple from the roof near to the flame - so near the apple becomes hot. Then, it will almost put in shadow the one half of the room or even more. But if you hang it by the wall, it does not warm up, and the candle light the entire room, and the shadow of the apple on the wall is barely the size of the apple itself.

Now you must know from this that the earth's sphere is like a ball, and does not at all places come as close to the sun as others. Where the rounded part of it comes closer to the sun's path, it will be hottest. And in some of the lands that lie directly against its beams, one cannot live"

While this quote certainly shows that norwegian high medieval nobility had some incorrect ideas of the movement of the sun and the earth (as elsewhere, due to their lack of observational instruments), it cannot be disputed that they agreed that the world was a sphere.

I can only imagine staring up at the sky and watching the moon seeing it's shape obviously round and globular, now believing the earth wasn't flat would not be a hard sell.

Bottom line- not everybody thought the earth was flat. Funny though, even today's top scientists and weathermen still insist that the sun rises and sets.

Isaiah 40:22

Russell convincingly argues almost all of the leading Christian intellectuals have believed the Earth to be a sphere. However, I cannot give the book five stars because there were a few rather serious factual errors in the book. For example, on page 13, Russell writes "The astronomers reviving Proltemy's cosmology in the fifteenth century created a more complex system of spheres modified by smaller spheres called epicycles and deferents. " Actually, as some of Russell's own references (e.g. his reference 69, Thomas Kuhn's The Copernican Revolution) would have informed him, the epicycles and deferents were part of Prolemy's own system; they were not added by the 15th century astronomers. Further, epicycles and deferents were CIRCLES, not spheres. A more serious error is on page 21: "But unlike some modern Christians, few of them [the Church Fathers, St. Augustine being singled out in the preceding sentence but one] took the Bible as a guide to scientific truth." St. Augustine certainity took the Bible as a guide to scientific truth. As an example, see Russell's own reference 62, "City of God, Book 16 Chapter 9. St. Augustine says that there cannot be people living on the other side of the Earth (the Antipodes), on the grounds that the Bible says all humans are descended from a single male-female pair (Adam and Eve) and no human could possibly have travelled from where Adam and Eve originated to the Antipodes. (on page 20 Russell himself summarizes this part of St. Augustine's argument.) But the question of whether all humans have a monogenetic or a polygenetic origin is surely a scientific question. Finally, I take strong issue with Russell's claim that "... historians and philosphers [have undercut] the reductionist assumption that science [is] the only way to truth ...(p. 74)" They have done no such thing. Science IS the only way to truth. Recent historians and philosophers indeed THINK they have undercut reductionism, but a study of their arguments show only that they have failed to understand the actual relationship between classical and modern physics.

In spite of these errors, I would still recommend reading Russell's book. Until reading it myself, I had mistakenly thought that St. Augustine was a Flat Earther. Upon going to the passage in City of God cited above in this review, I realized that I had misinterpreted this passage in St. Augustine, who in fact was neutral on the question of sphericality. Thank you, Professor Russell, for correcting MY error.

This was a really good story. The restaurant scene was hot. Loved it. Some juicy sex scenes also.

So this is the first book I have read about D/s it was very interesting oh yeah and HOTTTTT. Seriously it is worth the read it is awesome, humor and passion. Hm I'll have to try this one day lol...

This book was so hotttt! I enjoyed the interaction between the main characters. It was a hard book to put down. It is extremely sexually graphic and not meant for the faint at heart. Very good read!

Marina is a cop, an intergalactic investigator who is the best in the business. She is assigned to solve a case involving the kidnapping of Earth women, several of whom have been seen on the BDSM planet Xarta as submissive slaves. In order to solve the case, she is to go undercover in the local bondage clubs, aiming to be kidnapped and taken to Xarta. There, she will work with Kaden, a Xartan Intergalactic Marshall. Marina must play the submissive to Kaden's Dom, a role that is against her aggressive nature. How will she maintain the subterfuge for as long as it takes them to break the intergalactic kidnapping ring?

This novella is the 1st book in the Chains of Love series. The plot is set up very believably as a crime investigation (although I'm kind of surprised at the number of planets in the galaxy where BDSM seems to be the preferred style of sexual relationship). The pacing of the story is good, and the characters are developed realistically. The story is extremely sexually explicit, containing scenes of bondage and Dominance/submission, oral sex, anal sex, the use of sex toys, voyeurism, and light erotic scenes where females explore their sexuality with other females. I enjoyed the novella as a fast, light read. Warning: Be sure to have a cooling drink nearby while you are reading this story, because you will become overheated! -- Jean, Fallen Angel Reviews (courtesy of Fallen Angel Reviews)

This was my first romantica book ever purchased or ever read and I must say it was a good read. I finished it in 2 1/2 days. I thought the story had a great concept, and it was out of the ordinary which made it interesting. I liked the way the author writes because she kept the story flowing...and I liked the pace of the story. It's not a literary work of art by any means, but that is not what the book is written for, it's written for the erotica scenes and it does not disappoint.

If your children love cats, then this book will soon be one of their favorites. If not, then opt for one of the other "Touch and Feel" books, like Bathtime, Pets, or Farm, which include a variety of pictures. The textures in this book include fur, sandpaper (kitten's tongue), plastic (food bowl), and weaved basket.

We have two cats at home, so "CAT" is the only word besides "MAMA" and "DADA" that our 10-month old says. She loves flipping through the sturdy cardboard pages and petting the furry cat on the front. And, of course, saying "CAT" as she does this.

The textures on this book surpass others I've seen out there.Even real cats..
very well made,long lasting and the Furries don't wear out after many strokes.
I cant wait to get my hands on the whole series.

Our little boy really enjoys the touch and feel series, and this is a good one, especially since he likes cats!

He loves the rough tongue of one cat, and the shiny tag on another. The little kitten in a wicker basket, but then you find two whole pages taken with a cat and his "hard yellow food bowl." ?? Couldn't DK, a publishing house with some really incredible books out there, have thought of a better one than that?

Still, the cat is cute, even if the bowl texture is boring. And one page doesn't ruin a book (though it's a short book!)

I can still recommend this one enthusiastically, especially if your little one is a cat or animal lover!

We have two cats in the house and she just loves to look at this book and play with all the touch and feel objects. It's her favorite book!

Surviving Demon Island is the first book in a series by Jaci Burton. Ms. Burton does a great job of giving the background information needed to understand the story without overwhelming the reader. The book is fast paced, full of action, and has a great romantic element too. Derek and Gina are both complex characters who have painful pasts that they must work to overcome. They are characters you can really root for. The action element keeps the reader hooked, waiting for the next demon to get melted or blown up. The weaponry used in the story is really cool. I can't wait to read Hunting The Demon (already out) and The Darkest Touch (October 28th).

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I loved this book! Very interesting and fun with a lot of action and steamy sex. Although there was a bit much of the 1st person analysis and self-doubt, it didn't take from the story at all. Derek and Gina have great chemistry.

loved this book,loved this heroine she is my hero. The action is fast paced if the story is a little predictable at times the author makes up for it with her descriptions, you could almost feel the tension in some of the scenes

Hollywood action star Gina Bliss agrees to join the cast of a Survivor-like reality show that will test her physical limits. When she first meets trainer Derek, sparks fly and the two engage in verbal sparring as well as plenty of competitive action. What Gina and the rest of the folks who have joined the "game" don't realize is that it is not a game at all, but rather an elaborate ploy to recruit demon hunters. And the demons will stop at nothing to destroy the Realm of Light. Yeah, it lost me there too. Of course, most of the demons were as easy to kill as the Sleestacks from the cheesy 70's TV show "Land of the Lost," so one wonders how they could be such a threat.

Had I known that this was a paranormal story, I probably would have skipped it, as there were many times I rolled my eyes and thought "whatever." But while suspension often needs to be held, and there are a lot of predictable situations, Burton can write a very sensuous story. Derek and Gina are equals - both strong and alpha. And when they give in to their desire, even the most skeptical reader can't help but get caught up in their passion. While I rarely read paranormal stories, I want to know how the series ends, so I can't wait to read Nick's story. Overall, it was a little above average 3 star read.

I am a bit wary of former Ellora's cave authors, but Jaci Burton does a great job of transitioning to main stream romance. While still majorly steamy, crude language is kept to a minimum and she avoids the 'anatomy lesson' type love scenes that tend to break the mood for me.

This book has it all. Great leading characters, great supporting characters, and great action sequences both in the bedroom and out on the demon hunt. Gina is a great action adventure heroine, she is an adrenaline junkie, competitive and capable. And even better, unlike many of the kick-butt heroines in current fiction, she is smart. She doesn't just rush in and get herself into all kinds of trouble by being one of those too-stupid-to-live smart alecky women who just drive me nuts. Derek is ultra macho with a bad boy aura that makes him irresitable to Gina. Gina and Derek both have similar painful pasts which they've dealt with by keeping past lovers and relationships at arm's reach, but they recognize in each other kindred spirits and innately understand what the other needs. This is one of the things that makes the relationship between them so steamy - they connect at such a deep soul mate level.

Burton has created an interesting world with demon's and demon hunters and I can't wait to read the next one, Demon Hunters: Hunting the Demon (Book 2),lucky me it's just out, so I don't have to wait!

The author of this book surely has a lot of experience with veneering, but in my opinion there are better ways to do things than some of the ways he suggests. For instance he uses regular wood glue (PVA) to apply veneer by letting it dry and then using an iron to reactivate the glue. I would never trust this to hold over the long run and PVA glue is not the best kind of glue to use with veneer anyway. It is to thin and it doesn't dry to a hard glue line so it will allow the veneer to creep with seasonal changes in humidity. He also never mentions using a vacuum press. While a press might not be for beginners, it is the easiest, best way to veneer a flat or curved panel.

This book is okay. There really aren't that many new books on this subject, and it's cheap, hence the 4 stars. It's worth buying, though more for non-professionals.

I was hoping to learn more than I was able to in this book. This book covers small veneering projects. If you build cabinets, entertainment centers or other large pieces, you'll find better sources for info online.

The section on vacuum pressing was a joke. I feel as if he was forced to include the subject by his editor and he made up the most ghetto vacuum press I've ever seen (don't waste your time or your tools following his instructions). On that subject, don't let some moron try to convince you there is something wrong with a vacuum press. It's simply the only economical way for a small shop to properly adhere veneer, especially on large panels. If you hate excellent results, good tools and modern ways, then avoid the vacuum press.

He also makes strong statements, then ignores them in his projects (I'm thinking about facing MDF, specifically). I turn to books like this to guide me with examples and I lose faith in the authority when they cannot follow their own advice.

This is a really, really good book. The format is excellent (color photos, well organized) and he covers all of the important topics including flattening veneer, substrates, shop-made equipment and of course, cutting and fitting veneer.

However, there is a big gap in his coverage: the use of a vacuum press.

I've used a vacuum press numerous times and have excellent results. Mr. Barton, on the other hand, has never wanted to make the capital investment (~$700) in a quality vacuum press and consequently a lot of his projects didn't go well. Because he didn't have success with a retrofitted vacuum cleaner and thin plastic bags (both are inadequate for the task), he ignores a very useful tool.

Nice, relaxed writing style. Good information for anyone interested in learning about veneering from the ground up.

I found this to be an exellent source of information on Veneering. I have been a woodworker for over 20 years but am just now getting into Veneering....

i am not poor at hold'em.
but i am a master of hold'em after i read this book.

This is a great poker book. I did have to return it since it was a duplicate of a book my husband already had but it is a good book to learn about Texas Hold'em.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is a beginner and would like to learn how to play texas hold em. The author does a good job of explaining all the basic principles of the game and by utilizing this information, anyone can walk into a cardroom and play profitable poker. This book is not for advanced players.

This is a decent book on low limit Hold Em. Note that Low Limit is a 2/4 or 3/6 game, not the $30 blind games in Vegas or the big CA tournaments. The psychology and right moves in low limit are very different from no-limit or tournament style play, and it is important to read a book directed at where your play is.

Burton gives you very little of the theory behind poker, the odds, the "whys" of the best move. Now, for a beginner low limit book, you don't want to get too bogged down in that stuff, but personally I find it easier to remember, "I should do XX because the odd of getting YY are so much better than the odds of ZZ." Figuring out the basic odds isn't too hard, but it is treated only briefly in this book, and Burton doesn't really drive the point home.

Frankly, this book has a lot of info, but it doesn't boil it down into strategies that you are going to remember when you are at the table. You might get frustrated because you be paranoid about remembering everything that is laid out in a very verbose format.

Personally, I didn't find this book as useful as the one by Lee Jones (Winning Low Limit Hold Em). If you only buy one book, go for Jones's, because he really breaks down the hows plus the whys of each move, and every chapter concludes with a cheat sheet for you to remember your new Hold Em "rules."

There are a a lot of books available to the beginning student of poker. If you are just taking up limit poker, I'd advise buying Lee Jones' book instead of this one. At best, I'd buy this one as a supplement.

I absolutely agree with Uncle Trick's analysis of the book -- especially regarding its lack of depth. The problem can be highlighted by comparing Burton's treatment of Ace-Jack offsuit in early postion with that of Jones.

Burton simply says "(AJo)is playable in early position, but if you're raised you may be in trouble. You have to consider who's doing the raising." In fairness, these statements are basically true, but I find them pretty superficial.

In contrast, Jones devotes a lengthy and thoughtful paragraph to AJo, concluding that inexperienced players should probably fold it in early position. I took up poker about three months ago, and did not fully appreciate all of Jones's thinking when I first read his book. But I have found myself rereading paragraphs like the one in Jones on AJo and gaining understanding on second and third readings. It's a very valuable resource.

Burton's book is relatively inexpensive and does provide some useful information for the beginner. The tables of starting hands are about as good as any, and there are tables of odds stating, for example, the probability of hitting a flush given two suited cards. If you find this kind of thing useful, you may want to have the book in your library. But you won't find yourself rereading this one often!

The Rogue's Game is a hell of a ride through post WWII Texas. It's got a great poker game seemingly at the heart of it, until you realize that poker is just a means to an end.

Burton's characterizations are quite unique, and drip with the flavor of West Texas. His sense of the slang, and character nicknames are very appealing. If you like movies like The Sting, anything to do with poker, noir novel, or sharp local dialog like almost no one writes today, run to get this book and make sure to check out his second book, The Sweet and the Dead, which is a true five star read. We can only home that Milton Burton is going to be with us for a very long time. This is one hell of an entertaining read.

Mr. Burton's characters are very well developed .
It is hard to believe he has not written more books.
I hope to read more of his books in the future .
The plot moves quickly and is never dull.
One of the best grifter plots i have ever read.
It is bizarre at times and captures the imagination
of the reader .

CAPPY

I just read The Roque's Game in two sittings. It takes place in Texas, the oil booms and big poker games, right after World War Two. The foreshading and plotting are just fantastic. You suspect what might happen but you are turning those pages in a hurry to find out. All the behind the scenes descriptions of oil leasing and the oil booms are totally authentic. My Dad was a geologist/landman. I was the Director of Petroleum Land Management at Texas Tech for many years. The detail and obvious historical research make this one fine book. You will love this book!

Johnny Hughes, author of the upcoming novel Texas Poker Wisdom

This is a great first book. As a native Texan I thoroughly enjoyed this tale of old time Texas in the 40s, oil wells, greed and con men. Plus a little dose of WWII intrigue. Looking forward to Mr. Burton's next effort.

Backdrop for story in post WWII Texas is intriguing as is basic plot but story becomes too predictable & the characters are caricatures. The result is a below-average page turner.

My all time favourite movie - I thought that this would be money worth spent because it comes with the original story. Only problem is Amazon don't have this in stock anymore so I was directed to buy it second hand. It came much much cheaper, 15 cents, in all right condtion but the pages were rotted a bit.

The book was poorly written, it lacked detail and dicriptions of the wonderful landsapce of the story and just focused on the plot and the dialouge.

And the original story is enough to make anyone go to sleep.

This book is awesome for one who enjoyed Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow, and are interested of reading the Washington Irving story which the movie was based upon. That is what happened with me. And you can't go wrong for this great price you can get both.
Sleepy Hollow by Tim Burton the book has much added dialogue and scenes that wern't seen in the movie, and Washington Irving's Legend of Sleepy Hollow is a timeless classic but it didn't intrigue me as much as Tim Burton's version.

i love this story. it's always been my favorite short story, and since johnny depp is my favorite actor, christina ricci my favorite actress, and Tim Burton one of the best directors ever, of course i loved the movie, too. i hadn't read this adaptation before, and even though i didn't like the way is was put together as much as the original, is was all in all a great book. YAY!

Sleepy Hollow (the new version) was a very exciting tale. It is quite different from the original version yet contained more thrilling events. The beginning was a little slow but the last couple chapters wizzed by. The original story was short and could have elaborated more on the last scene to make it better. All in all it was a good novel

This book is about a mystery of a killer. There are three bodies that turn up beheaded and no one knows who the killer might be. A frail schoolteacher from the town of Sleepy Hollow named Ichabod Crane goes out on a journey to try and find out who the killer might be. He is surprised to find out that the killer is actually someone that returned from the dead to seek revenge upon the town. Ichabod Crane is sets out to hunt down the headless horseman that has killed many people. The daughter of the host he is staying with that he is determined to marry accompanies him. He thinks he can beat the horseman by using his brain and they set out on a journey full of spook to try and beat the horseman at his own game.
This book is really great for children because it is a mysterious tale that many children can get into. This is a book that can be for adults but it is written in a way that children can read it and love it as well. It keeps kids thinking and wondering what is going to happen next. This is something that a book should do because it keeps kids interested and into the book.

This book and the whole series for that matter, are solid evidence that the Arts should never be ignored in a child's education...otherwise we'd miss out on gems such as these. If you have ever felt the pain of being brow-beaten by religion, or have ever been guilty of delivering those brow-beatings (and want to change), these books are for you. They are full of creative, solid, love-based wisdom...which will always win over fear-based wisdom, if there even is such a thing. No sermon, speech, or academic paper can accomplish what these stories do because those who read them will never forget them. Each chapter is a story in itself, with characters that quickly win their way into your heart.

My mom bought the original book for me in 1983. About 6 years ago, I was walking through a flea market outside Houston and recognized the cover. I had always remembered what the mothers in the Enchanted City said to their children when putting them to bed..."Morning, morning, see you in the night." And that the Enchanter was so jealous of the light that he forced the city to do its daily activities in darkness. I was so excited to find that book because I had a son and looked forward to reading it to him. It is a great series if your kids are too young for other fantasy books. Although, at six, my son is very nervous about the Enchanter. The Christian themes are impossible to ignore!

My reason for the one star rating is NOT that these are lousy books!! I think these are WONDERFUL books. The stories are interesting, imaginative, moral, fun, and every other good thing for kids to hear. I had them read to me as a child, and have re-read them on my own into my adult life.

My complaint against this particular book (and the other two published in 2000: Tales of the Resistance, & Tales of the Restoration) is the ILLUSTRATIONS, which are poor at best. The original printing in 1983 had enchanting illustrations that were as rich and clever as the stories themselves. I would advise that you DO NOT BUY the 2000 publication of these books. Rather, try to find one of the hardbacks published in 1983.

I hate to be negative because THESE ARE AMAZING BOOKS, but as an artist, I feel strongly about the illustrations. Thank you for reading.

David & Karen Mains' Kingdom Tales consist of three volumes: Tales of the Kingdom, Tales of the Resistance, and Tales of the Restoration. First published in hardcover in 1983, 1986 & 1996 with delightful illustrations by Jack Stockman, these three books have been reissued in softcover in 2000, but now with a limited number of black-and-white illustrations by Linda Wells which don't do much to enhance the text. Each volume consists of twelve fantasy short stories, set in a city ruled by an evil Enchanter who has usurped the throne from the true King. The stories are all separate events often involving different characters, but are bound together as part of a larger story as the Enchanted City is rescued by the exiled King and becomes the Bright City, leading to a joyous conclusion as the people of Great Park and Bright City begin the Great Celebration at the conclusion of the Restoration. The main returning character is Scarboy, an orphan boy who escapes from the Enchanted City with his brother, Little Child, and becomes Hero in the service of the King.

Although the stories have distinctive allegorical qualities, they are more like religious fables or fairy tales, drawing on the imagery of the kingdom that Jesus Christ Himself taught in His ministry. Under the influence of the evil Enchanter, the people of the Enchanted City prefer darkness to the light, and so sleep during the day and work at night. But the King is at work delivering the city and rescuing the poor and needy and bringing them to the Great Park. Even though the Enchanter's men proclaim "There is no such thing as a King", the King's men know "that "Things are not what they seem." They realize that even though the Enchanter had said "Seeing is believing", reality is different: "You have to believe in order to see." Christians will understand that these are important spiritual truths about faith and serving the King Jesus Christ.

Each volume has some stories that were especially memorable. In Volume 2, Hero leaves the safety of Great Park to return to the darkness of Enchanted City, and work for the restoration of the Kingdom. Here he joins the Taxi Resistance, where those who follow the Kingsways rescue the Lost from the Enchanted City. The climax comes in the last two stories, "Traffic Court" and "The Burning Place", where the King himself is captured by the Enchanter, placed on trial, and burned to death. Just when all who have loved and served the King have lost all hope, the King comes back to life, and glorious day falls upon Enchanted City. This event of New Day Rising breaks the enchantment, and is of course a clear image of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

How successful these stories are on their own apart from the underlying spiritual truths is hard to tell. The moral of the stories is generally quite transparent, although in the case of a few tales it is rather obscure. But on the whole the message about serving and honouring the King Jesus Christ comes through loud and clear. I found the stories thoroughly enjoyable particularly because of this deeper meaning. I suspect that those who don't appreciate the deeper meaning will find it hard to enjoy the tales as stand-alone stories for their own sake. The concept is similar to the Narnia Chronicles, although not with the same degree of success, because the Narnian stories can also function on the level of stories alone. But although the world isn't as fantastic as C.S. Lewis' Narnia, Narnian fans may find themselves appreciating the Kingdom Tales of the Mains for the same reasons: the spiritual depth. They will certainly lead to a greater love for the King and His Kingdom! -GODLY GADFLY

Back to Enchanted City - Hero is commissioned to the office of Ranger and returns to the Enchanted City.
Doubletalk, Triple Tongue and Theysay - Two of the Enchanter's heralds join the resistance of the King, and learn to speak the language of the Kingdom.
The Taxi Resistance - Led by Big Operator, the City Taxi Company leads the resistance against the Enchanter's Burners, Breakers and Naysayers, working for the Restoration.
The Challenger - Hero begins his new assignment as Keeper of the Chronicle of Sightings of the King.
The Most Beautiful Player of All -The famous actress Thespia leaves the Palace of Players and follows the King.
The Sewer Rat and the Boiler Brat - Two orphans who are part of those cruelly enslaved in running the underworld sewer system are rescued by the King.
The Forbidden Princess - Amanda helps rescue a princess destined to live an empty life under the curse of the Enchanter.
The Carnival Daughter - The King rescues Carny, a girl who tries to escape the Enchanter by fleeing to an imaginary carnival world.
The Orphan Exodus - Big Operator and the King rescue orphan children from the evil Orphan Keeper.
The Enchanter's Revenge - The Enchanter seeks revenge for the orphan exodus by a demolition raid on the terminal of the City Taxi Company and killing Big Operator.
Traffic Court - The King is captured and charged with insurrection - pretending to be the King - and sentenced to death.
The Burning Place - The King is burned to death, to the sorrow of his followers, but then returns to life and so breaks the enchantment on the city. - GODLY GADFLY