King Books

This is a wonderful story and a great book I was able to share with my students. The only drawback with the book is that the pages are not in color, but the extremely low price allowed me to purchase the books for my students out of my own pocket.

Katherine Woods' translation is the only English-language version of The Little Prince which captures the beauty, simplicity, clarity, and profundity of the Antoine de St. Exupery's classic, penned in French.

(The newer translation is appallingly horrid and bland, mistaken, and frankly perplexing.)

This is really not a children's book, although older children will appreciate it.

Don't measure the value by the thickness of the book. De St. Exupery, himself a WWI pilot, writes with a great economy yet produces here the most beautiful poetry with a delightful playfulness and childlike innocence -- a fresh vision which thus sees clearly and does not obscure the profound.

Mr. Fred Rogers used to quote from de St. Exupery, whose image and illustrations once graced the 20-franc note (in the days before the euro).

There simply is no other work like this one. It is an exceptionally rare treasure, a masterpiece.

Be sure to read Katherine Woods' translation. Read it privately, when you have time to savor each word. And keep a box of tissues nearby.

The Little Prince has often been heralded as a youthful book, required reading in elementary and high schools alike. In delivering it this way I think The Little Prince is missed by the only audience that is likely to truly appreciate it, that is adults. It is not an uncommon misconception that this is a children's book. Indeed, I keep the pictures stored on my computer, and am often asked where they came from. I reply that they are from one of my favourite books, and without fail the response is along the lines of, 'I don't mean to be rude but is that a children's book?'. 'No', I explain, 'it is not'.

The Little Prince is most needed, I think, by adults. It is easy to be caught up in, as De Saint-Exupery describes it, 'matters of consequence' and forget that it is not these matters which bring meaning to life. By pointing out the futility of professions practised endlessly and in isolation of other people, it becomes clear that the Little Prince, with his rose, is the only character with a life of consequence.

This book is beautifully written and translated by Katherine Woods. It speaks volumes through its simple tale, strange though it seems that matters such as these only become clear when they are somewhat removed from reality. Matters such as love, innocence, imagination and priorities. The Little Prince is a gentle and stirring reminder to never forget to see the boa constrictor from the hat.

I was an adult when i read this book, and i really appreciated the lessons in life that Saint-Exupery shares through the Little Prince.

A great book, full of beautiful illustrations, easy to read, while fun and sad at the same time.

I personally read it as if Exupery is sharing with us the conversations he has with his own inner child, in the image of the Little Prince. That is why the Little Prince would ask many questions, but rarely answer the ones he was asked. Like all our inner children he's been hidden inside and kept silent for a long long time, and now that he was given his chance, he will speak. And we better listen, for he is an integral part of our psyche, who will take us through the most unbelievable adventures.

I popped in to a bookstore to buy this book and noticed that it was a new translation. New translation? Fortunately I had the foresight to thumb through it. I promptly left it behind and went straight to a second hand bookstore to buy a copy of the original translation. How could the publisher eliminate the wonderful poetic language? I read The Little Prince as a child ( which by the way wasn't so long ago) and I loved the language. Antoine De Saint-Exupery's work is all about painting pictures through language. This watered down mess is no better than an edition of Cliff Notes. I actually apologize to Cliff Notes. At least with Cliff Notes would have explained the intention and nature of the language. I am sorry to see that this publisher allowed the dumbing down of this beautiful classic.

This was one book that I remember reading when I was in fourth grade. I bought this copy for my daughter, who is a total bookworm. If you are interested in Ancient Egypt, this book is wonderful.

I first read this book when I was eleven years old, and have loved it ever since. I cannot even count the number of times I have re-read it. It is excellently written with a deep plot, well-made characters, and an amazingly believable feel of the world of Ancient Egypt. Even if you are not a fan of ancient Egyptian books, you will soon become interested in the characters and before you know it, caught up in a whirl-wind of spies, secret plots, Pharaohs, and above all, the love story of two young Egyptians.

I have loved this book since i first read it so many years ago. Mara, its lead character, is a joy to get to know

This is a wonderful little book. It is mainly geared to female readers, boys will not enjoy the romance (IMHO). Mara is resourceful, spunky and at times self serving. Above all she is a survivor. Nice romance with a girl power theme.Interesting Egyptian setting which is different from the usual Celtic/British background for so many of these novels.If you enjoyed this, older teens and adults will enjoy Judith Tarr's Lord of the Two Lands.

This novel is excellent for a number of reasons. I recieved it as a gift, and I read it in one day.
Pros:

Mara (the heroine) is a character with a distinct personality. She jumps out at you on the page rather than just sitting there as a bunch of words jumbled together.

The descriptions are vivid and exact, and the writing style flows effortlessly.

The story is gripping and intriguing and takes a few unexpected twists.

It seems very historical, though I am no expert on ancient Egypt.

The cover is very beautiful for those who like "pretty" books.

Cons:

None that I can think of.

I highly reccommend this book to avid readers, young or old!

I feel compelled to write this review because I feel this book is a good read with an engaging plot. It is a page turner for me but lacks a little bit of "something special".
Firstly, I wish that the story did not focus so much on Joanna's even though, it helps give dimension to Llewelyn's character. I wish the author spoke more of the historical events of the time.
Secondly, I wish we had appendices listing all the Welsh words and their translation as well as places. But mostly I wish for a list of characters and their relationship (ala Dorothy Dunnett) as well as a family tree for the Welsh and English royal houses. This would add more depth to the story as the reader could better understand the politics and relationships between states.

As is, the book is a good read, but if you wish for some good historical fiction, Dorothy Dunnett is the queen of that domain.

I hate to stand against the general favors here, and in spite of my effort to really enjoy it, I failed to do so. After all the raving reviews on Amazon, I threw myself into the book with excitement, only to be disappointed by mediocre characters, literary style and storyline - although it's based on history, regardless, it's a blend of fiction.

I confess that I'd had extremely high expectations on the book, but I think it natural, after all the inavoidable exaltations. I also admit that while the plot was none-too-unique, the general flow of the story was smooth and that there were, though very few, scenes in which I found my heart reaching out..
A decent book to spend your spare time on; not to loose sleep over.

Lovers of historical fiction search long and wide for new titles that can engross them back in a time brought to life through masterful writing. Here Be Dragons is one of those books. This well researched and expertly woven story centers around the arranged marriage between King John's daughter Joanna to Llewelyn, Prince of North Wales in order to forge an alliance. The dread Joanna experiences as she travels to her new home amongst strange people and rough lands tears at her. As she accepts this fate, love begins to blossom with this new land and the story of love between Joanna and Llewelyn is told. Highly recommended reading for historical fiction lovers.

Sharon Kay Penman is incredible, again. I really liked this book. Probably not quite as good as Sunne in Splendour, but a fantastic story about real historical figures that prior to this book I had never even heard of. I empathize with some of the reviewers who indicate the book drags a little in the middle, which it does, but I think the ending makes up for it! Ultimately, this book is a great story and I highly recommend it.

Good book but too long. Begins to be more of a task to finish than an enjoyable adventure about half way through the book.

To sum it up in one word: AMAZING!!! I discovered this author about four years back when I read his "The Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches #1." I've since read everything he's written and have multiple editions of each. My favorite editions of the illustrated ones - all of the illustrated ones are top shelf.

Many reasons to like a good Stanek novel have been pointed out in the reviews. His prose is spare yet his descriptions are sharp. He is a master storyteller and able to create whole worlds and whole characters. The plots of his books are well paced with many twists and turns.

In this book, the many threads finally come together fully and the reader finds out exactly what's happening (at least part of it). Adrina meets back up with Emel. The elves arrive. Vilmos gets to use his magic. Lots more. I was surprised when I got to In the Service of Dragons and found some of the things foreshadowed here come to fruition.

Highly recommended.

The second volume in Stanek's popular "Keeper Martin's Tales" continues the story begun in The Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches. Vilmos the unlikely mage and Xith, his mentor, are journeying toward destiny while Adrina, the young princess of another land, is caught up in the struggles to save her people as she journeys south. Seth, the leader of the elves, is in trouble, and all hope for him and his people seems lost.

Stanek's skill as a wordsmith shines in this one. There is a large cast of characters and complex story lines, yet the clear thoughtful prose makes the plot easy to follow. Readers must be familiar with the first novel before beginning this sequel.

Stanek definitely has outdone himself in the second installment of his Quartet. Overall, The Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches 2 was a great second installment to the set, staying true to the series and providing decent plot development. It did give more details into the storyline than The Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches but it still kept the reader hooked! I loved all imagary and description. Dean and I could sit and read it for hours you should get the Audio books as well the narrator really helps you feels the emotion the author is trying to convey.

This book created a beautiful picture of a world that every child has or will dream of. The Kingdoms and the Elves #1 is one of those please don't end books. You would think there is no possible way Book #2 could be better but it is. This is a book is for all ages to sit down and enter a world full of magic.

The Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches 2 is a wonderful book with an epic story and detailed environments. The author, Robert Stanek, describes the world of Ruin Mist with such detail that you can envision every place in the book easily, every character as if they were right in front of your, and every event as if they were unfolding right there before you. The book starts with the divided companions coming together, some for the first time. Previously, Adrina and Emel had split up, Xith and Vilmos were separate, and the elves were struggling to stay afloat. The story is amazing and immediately sucks you in so you have to see what happens at the end. I give it five stars out of five stars.

Listen to the MUSTN'TS, child,
Listen to the DON'TS
Listen to the SHOULDN'TS
The IMPOSSIBLES, the WON'TS
Listen to the NEVER HAVES
Then listen close to me
Anything can happen, child
ANYTHING can be.
~ pg. 27

I first heard about Shel Silverstein in a strange way. One of his poems is about Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout and LUSH beauty products has a shampoo with the same name. When I looked the name up online I found the amusing poem about a girl who never takes out the garbage.

These poems are at times laugh-out-loud funny and at times delightfully silly. There are quirky drawings throughout that make the poems even more enjoyable. One minute you are laughing and the next you are having memories of Alice in Wonderland or other books you read as a child like The Little Engine that Could. The only poem I question is "Dreadful" but I suppose some people think it is funny.

There is a place where the sidewalk ends
And before the street begins,
And There the grass grows soft and while,
And there the sun burns crimson bright,
And there the moon-bird rests from his flight
To cool in the peppermint wind.
~ pg. 64

A few of the poems struck me as especially profound while the poem about the Giraffe was very creative. After reading this collection I'll definitely look for more books by Shel Silverstein. While these poems may have been written for children they can be enjoyed by anyone from 9 to 120.

~The Rebecca Review

Nothing I could write here would explain how great of a book you are about to purchase. All I can say is... I loved it as a child and my son loves it. Stop wasting time and buy it now!!

let me just say first off (and some of you may boo at me for this) that i am not a big fan of poetry, especially those that don't rhyme, layered with so much metaphor wrapped in some sort of old english language. those of you who can appreciate those, know i'm more than eager to submit in the "im not worthy! im not worthy!" throes. call it barbaric or just plain shallow, but i'd rather stick to the sing-songy rhymes of my elementary days.

now, saying that i absolutely loved Where the Sidewalk Ends should not be construed as a statement that Silverstein's work is shallow. piddling my knowledge might be about bodies of poetry, in whatever form, this one thing i am sure of: that though this book can be read to kids (and [gasp!] can actually be understood and enjoyed by them), it somehow still manages to deliver punchlines that could draw forth a surprised smile or chuckle from an adult--at least those not totally drowning in cynicism or morbid depression. but who knows...

a lot of the poetry here are funny (not outright hilarious, more like plain goofy), and yet come to think of it, still some of those are actually quite sad, with undertones about life and life experiences we take for granted. like the "Snowman", "Invention", "What's in the Sack?", "I Won't Hatch!", "The Garden", "The Little Blue Engine", and even the subtly poignant "Love".

whether you actively seek a moral in any of the poems or just want to go for some light reading, this book (in my opinion) is sure to leave you with a wistful feeling. exactly about what...well, i can't say. but i loved it. and for me that's more than okay.

Got it for my girlfriend.. she loves it. I had never read it before and the poems are very cute, for both kids and adults. I highly recommend it.

Shel Silverstein's poems are so enjoyable because they are fun but also touch on the realities of life. Along with the fun poetry are some great illustrations!

Our daughter received this book when she was about three, we started reading it to her one night, and for the next five years at least we continued reading and re-reading through it every night. Talk about an early start on the great Greek Myths! To this day I'm sure Athena's owl is still flapping and hooting about in her brain. Really, this was the best possible way for our kids to discover and imbibe these great god and goddess, hero and heroine legends. Each tale is told in a straightforward page or two with one or two unpretentious but memorable color illustrations. That treatment worked well because the stories themselves are so plainly marvelous. Our son liked them too for quite a while, but then moved on to the D'Aulaire book of the Norse myths, and ultimately he was attracted more to non-fiction than to fiction. I hope my own writing is influenced by the years we spent with the D'Aulaires. Take Me With You When You Go

When I was only a few years old, the first book my father ever read to me from and that I in turn read from was D'aulaires Book of Greek Myths, and that has proven to be the spark that kindled my fascination with human societies. My single greatest passion is the chronology of human history, which was stirred in me at a very young age by this book, without which I cannot even imagine the difference in my life. I never would have read the Iliad and the Odyssey, which spurred me into the Aeneid, which in turn created a desire to learn more of factual Greece and Rome (respectively), which then broadened my interests towards the civilations of Mesopotamian antiquity, eventually encompassing the whole world. I am now an undergraduate student of anthropology at one of the best liberal arts colleges in the country, and my life would never have been the same without the advent of this book.

I bought this for my godsons (5 and 7) based on my own fond memories of this work. I remembered the wonderful drawings and the vividly told stories from Greek Mythology and was happy to have passed this along to another generation. Some of the stories require a bit of editing when used as bedtime storytelling ("Why did he marry his sister?"). I plan on getting the Norse Myths collection for Christmas this year.

I really like the way this book is written because each story blends easily into the next. The pictures really help the younger ones to follow along and it makes the myths more enjoyable to read. I bought this to read to my young daughter and she really enjoyed it.

This book was one of the greatest memories of my childhood. I was in kindergarden and my older brother brought it home from the elementary school library, we devoured every picture and every word. Between my brother and I we checked out and re-checked out this book hundreds of times. I loved it so much that we both bought copies of it when we grew up. I am 41 now and read it to my son, he loves it too. This book was originally published in the early sixties, so it's old but wonderful. The author also did a very similar book on Norse Mythology that is equally great...I own that as well.

I loved these characters, and thanks to Sharon Kay Penman, wanted more for these people than life had given them. When fiction, history and life can so perfectly mesh, a true and rare treat is waiting for you to pick it up and read it.

I read this book about 25 years ago and am pleased that I am enjoying it very much again! She writes very well. In the meantime, I have becomes convinced by reading new studies of the subject, that she has the wrong guy killing the "Princes in the Tower", but she's such a good writer and builds her story and "case" very well, so I am going to enjoy it anyway!

Rather than a novel of Richard III, this book was the tragedy of Richard III. I thought the writing was incredible and engrossing. Part one was a little slow, but necessary to paint the whole picture of Richard. Overall it was a book that was well worth the time and attention. I absolutely loved it. The mystery of the princes in the tower combined with the circumstances surrounding Richard's death and his short reign as King, made this book one that will haunt me for a long time.

The Sunne in Splendour tells the complicated story of Richard III, the last of the Plantagenet Kings. Younger brother of Edward IV, Richard would never have become king if not for a series of political maneuverings on his part. History (and Shakespeare) have made Richard out to be an evil, greedy hunchback; Sharon Kay Penman tells the story of a man who was fiercely loyal to the people he loved and who was reluctant to take the throne. Richard had his faults, to be sure; but in this novel, he comes off as extremely sympathetic.

Penman has a writing style that literally had me hooked from the first sentence. A trite cliché, I know, but I was definitely drawn in from the first page. I knew in advance of reading the story what the outcome would be, but still I kept on reading to see what would happen. The novel is fiction based on fact that sometimes seems like fiction.

The characters are well drawn; and while the book is ostensibly about Richard, we get to see the story as seen through the eyes of others, which I thought was well done. Penman has a knack of really getting into her characters, no matter what the time period or where they come from, which is nothing short of genius. The author even gives a thoroughly believable explanation for Richard's behavior with regard to his nephews, the Princes in the Tower, which was quite satisfying. And although the book is over 900 pages long, it only took me about a week to read; I was disappointed when I reached the last page. I can't believe that, with my interest in historical fiction, it's taken me this long to discover Sharon Kay Penman's works; I can't wait to read more by her.

Autumn 1459. A seven year-old boy gets lost in the forest. His easy-going eldest brother has had better things to do than watch over him, that is to say seducing a pretty servant girl. After a prolonged search the lad is found, having bravely fought his fear, and despite being afraid of punishment he doesn't even think of informing against his sibling. A fiercely loyal and earnest boy, he is the youngest of his family, small, dark and intense and very different from his three tall and fair brothers. He is Richard Plantagenet, who, as King Richard III, will go down in history as the epitome of evil.

The reader wonders what happened to turn this earnest child into a murderous usurper. Murderer he wasn't, claims Sharon Penman. Believable and compelling, the story of the four sons of Richard, Duke of York unfolds with all the relentlessness and inescapability of a Greek tragedy.

"The Sunne in Splendour" is a magnificent book. Intimate family scenes alternate with bloody battles, scenarios of betrayal and murder are followed by tender love scenes. A host of unforgettable characters populates it. There is the lovable Edmund, the first of the four Plantagenet princes to die; proud foolish Warwick and his tragic brother John Neville; the icily beautiful Elizabeth Woodville, Edward's queen; Bishop Morton, the snake in the grass; sweet-natured Elizabeth of York and Richard's dignified mother Cecily. All of them are complex, and stay with the reader for a long time.

Ms. Penman does not make the mistake to present Richard. Although far from being the monster More and Shakespeare described, her Richard is shown partly responsible for his nephews' fate. In her version he does not order their killing, of course, but he does not realise that by his taking the throne the children become pawns in other people's power games and pay for his thoughtlessness with their lives. Ms. Penman's explanation of the princes' disappearance and Richard's strange silence is as good and plausible as others. Her Richard is brave and loyal, but he can also be aloof and stubborn to the point of inflexibility. He can display subtle irony, but also biting wit, and is capable of considerable aggression, yet lacks the ultimate ruthlessness to secure his power. Reflecting upon his decision makes him admit his guilt - that he yielded to the temptation the Crown of England represented - and for the last months of his life he fells bitter remorse. Ms. Penman describes his depressed state of mind with such chilling accuracy, that his mother's fear for his immortal soul is almost tangible and very painful, and the ending leaves the reader bereaved as though he had lost a loved one.

The drama that was Richard's life and the way it is elucidated here makes one wonder why it hasn't been filmed yet. There is a cinematographic quality to many of Ms. Penman's scenarios; look for instance at the council meeting leading to Lord Hasting's execution, or at solitary young Richard riding in blazing sunshine towards Warwick's army camp to win Clarence back - these just beg to be filmed! Certainly, the ending is tragic and would leave the audience aching, but a skilled screenwriter may find a solution. A similar problem has been handled very well in "Braveheart".

Wherein now lies Richard's attraction? The Tudors, commonly associated with the beginning of the Modern Age, superficially appear more interesting as opposed to the Plantagenets who seem to symbolise the superstitions-ridden, unenlightened Middle Ages. Richard was born on the brink of the Modern Age and grew up in a world that witnessed the death throes of the medieval system of values, and yet, at a time when all conventional notions of loyalty and feudal allegiance had become a sham, there survived in him a core of chivalrous conduct that is very appealing, apparent for example in his just administration of the North and his legislation as King - supporting the weak as demanded by the knightly code of conduct. He seems a man born too late, and trying to adhere to such a strict code of behaviour needs must clash with the attitudes of more opportunistic characters who felt more at ease in this era of change.

Richard's physical courage, praised even by his detractors, originates in his chivalrous ideals, and his last ferocious charge down Ambion Hill to challenge Henry Tudor to single combat evokes heroic tales of earlier centuries, and indeed his decision to die a King rather than to flee was mentioned in a contemporary ballad.

Close to the end Richard's niece and nephews mourn their uncle's death and discuss their future, still hoping for fair treatment; future judicial murders and the destruction of Richard's reputation are only mentioned in the epilogue. However, learning about their fate is chilling. On the road to glorious Elizabeth I the Plantagenet blood seeped away as Henry VII and Henry VIII got rid of all potential heirs of the old dynasty.

To a modern observer this policy of merciless extermination appears depressingly modern. For all the beauty, progress and enlightenment the Renaissance brought, the Modern Age was setting out on a road that would lead to the atrocities of the 20th century. Gradually, dynastic wars were replaced by ideological ones, with ever more terror wrought on the common, civilian people who were included in the ideological and/or religious struggles. Already the atrocities of the Thirty Years' War and Cromwell's campaigns in Ireland, not unlike today's ethnical cleansing, loom in the future, premonitory of the final triumphs of secular humanism in the 20th century.

Richard Plantagenet died at thirty-two, his promising reign cut short by rebellion and treason. Ms. Penman brings him gloriously back to life for us, to be seen in a benevolent light at last. It is painful for the reader to lose him again, but the great achievement of this book is to show that there was nobility in Richard's cause as well as in his failure.

Henry VIII is a fascinating man of history. He took six wives, arranged to exchange one wife for another, murdered two, lost one to childbirth, rejected another and died before he could find a way to get rid of wife six. A man of wit, intelligence, excess and greed. He had an enormous appetite for pleasure, riches and love. You'll feel as if you're reading exceptional fiction but it really happened.

This is an excellent account of Henry and his many wives. Well researched, very well written - there's hardly a boring passage.

Watching the Tudors on Showtime got me interested in Henry VIII. I purchased this book because of the depth of its research and historical accuracy. It was excellent. I could not put it down. I tend to be more of a fiction reader, when I read for enjoyment. This was as engrossing as any novel.

If you want to read about Henry VIII's six wives, there are more titles out there that you can ever read. A lot of the material is a combination of guesses and conjecture, with a slant toward the prurient. This book, however, is very different. Alison Weir spent a lot of time looking at primary sources from the Tudor period. She obviously did her homework, and her fictionalized historical accounts are likely the closest to the truth that we will ever find.

Unlike most accounts that paint Henry as a man driven by lust, Ms. Weir paints him as a deeply religious man driven by a combination of duty and fear. He truly believes that the fate of the Tudor dynasty depends entirely on the appearance of a legitimate son. Henry had at least one illegitimate son, Henry FitzRoy, whose last name is a sly poke at his bastard status. (FitzRoy = Son of the King, get it?) As time passed, Henry's sense of duty became magnified and overwhelmed by fear that he would die before a legitimate Tudor prince was born. His son Edward was sick and weak from the beginning, and it was apparent to Henry that he needed a healthy, strong son to take on the mantle of leadership should Edward die. He himself only became king because of the untimely death of his sickly brother, Arthur. His treatment of his wives was based on these twin factors.

Alison Weir takes the dry facts and weaves them into a compelling and interesting narrative, and the tragedy of Henry's relationships with all of the women he encountered becomes stunningly clear. I found the book impossible to put down, and although I knew the bare bones of what happened from history books, I had to keep reading to see what might happen next. This is a wonderful introduction to Ms. Weir's books, and if you read this one, be sure to have the others in your shopping cart. You won't want to waste any time getting your hands on them.

I recieved this book in perfect condition and it came a day before the estimated time of arrival. Thank you.

I've never, in my life, ever said this about anyone, ever.

I am a FAN of Jim Butcher.

He has consistently written top notch novels, one right after the other. He's managed to build multiple, detail-rich over-arcing storylines, significant character change and growth, emotionally-laden highs and lows and the evolution of a world so complete that I have to remind myself to eat, sleep and go to work whenever I get started on a new Dresden Files novel. They are, intentionally speaking, mesmerising, pure magic every time.

As I said, Dresden isn't the ONLY Wizard when it comes to these books.

If you are into modern day swords and scorcery or if you just want a little escapeism. This is the way to go. Butcher starts off with a bang and never lets up. The only thing is you will need to have read the rest of the series to understand some of what is going on. Other than that it rocks.White Night (The Dresden Files, Book 9)

You know a book is good when you've picked it apart, word by word, you know it inside and out, and it still takes your breath away when you re-read it.

This is the ninth Dresden Files book, and yes, it's White Night, not White Knight or White Nights. Easy way to remember: every single one of the Dresden Files titles is two words, with the same number of letters in each word--which is why Death Masks isn't Holy Sheet.

Anyway. The have-nots of Chicago's magical community--those people with just a bit of power--have been going missing. Several have turned up dead, mostly in apparent suicides. And somebody's left a message with the bodies: Exodus 22:18. Harry Dresden isn't religious, but that's a verse he knows by heart: "suffer not a witch to live."

And what makes things worse, for Harry at least, is that a lot of the missing women were last seen with either a very handsome man with dark hair or a very tall man in a gray cloak. Wardens of the White Council wear gray cloaks, which makes Harry himself a suspect, and the other man sounds very much like his brother Thomas, who's been secretive about his new job.

The plot is convoluted, but it makes sense once you get all the pieces, and what's really cool is that it's convoluted because that's the way the people involved do things. It's that level of detail that prompts the five stars. Everything in the book has a reason for being there, usually several reasons.

Harry's still training his new apprentice Molly, and that's got a bunch of layers as well--her strengths fit everything we know about her from previous books, and the effects on Harry show, too. It's not just "let's give Harry a teenage girl for a sidekick." It has so much consistency you'd believe they were real people.

Several characters from earlier books show up, ones we haven't seen for a while, and that's fun, and completely plot-driven. No Mouseketeer role calls here.

As you can probably guess from the fact that his brother is a suspect, the emotional intensity is up there. There's also a lot of emotion involved with Harry dealing with anger issues and with Lash, the shadow of a fallen angel who's living in his head. I needed tissues.

There were also plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, and dozens of quotable lines, like "...age is always advancing and I'm fairly sure it's up to no good."

And some very cool special effects, which the TV show will never get a chance to use because it's been canceled, darnitall. Ah, well, they probably work better in my head anyway. Stupid SciFi Channel.

One caveat: this is a planned series: 20 books and then a big old apocalyptic trilogy, because who doesn't love apocalyptic trilogies? Which means that even though the books are complete in themselves, there is something going on that's leading to that apocalyptic trilogy. In other words: read the series in order. You'll get more out of it that way.

Great author and a wonderful book. keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole way.

My wife convinced me that we should give the books a try after the SciFI Channel wimped out on the series. We read White Night first, then we went back to the beginning. Now we're on Small Favor and I feel deep anxiety as we come to the end of the canon . . . thus far.
Harry Dresden presents a clinic/seminar/example on how to face life's little troubles while staying cheerful. Once acquainted with the supernatural existential predicaments of the wry wizard, one finds it easier to cope with dyspeptic middle managers and blithering bean counters.
These books represent an anthem for the downtrodden, lovelorn and heroically unlucky plain folk of the world yearning to breathe the sweet air of fantastic realms . . . like Chicago.

I loved this book, the entire series is amazing. I cannot wait until I read the next one.

Tamora Pierce is an excellent writer. All of her books really put you into the stories and make you feel as though you know the characters personally. This book is no different.

PAGE is the second installment in Tamora Pierce's PROTECTOR OF THE SMALL quartet and it improves on the already fantastic opening novel FIRST TEST. This particular series is again set in the enchanted kingdom of Tortall and features Keladry of Mindelan, now eleven years old and still as determined as ever to become a knight. In FIRST TEST, Kel successfully undergoes a probationary year which had been unfairly imposed upon her by the conservative training master Lord Wyldon, who doesn't believe that women are cut out to be knights. However, Kel truimphs over every test put in her path and Lord Wyldon has no choice but to add her officially to the ranks of pagehood.

PAGE chronicles Kel's three eventful years as a page. Here, she faces a diverse and ever escalating gamut of challenges, from battle lessons to physical tests of endurance and strength, from suffering growing pains (she develops a crush on a friend) to enduring the persisting scorn of several of the male fraternity, and, on one peril-fraught occasion, fighting for her very life as she and her fellow pages must face off against desperate bandits. And then, finally, there's the all-important and extremely difficult fourth-year exam, which will determine whether she'll advance to squirehood, the next rung up to knighthood. But an unexpected, catastrophic event will transpire which will endanger her chances of even attending the test and will pit her against her greatest weakness. Once again, Kel is well served by her fruitful time spent on the Yamani Islands as she habitually makes good use of the adopted martial training and the poise she had learned from her Yamani instructors. Also, now in her second year, Kel has garnered enough friendships amongst her peers that she doesn't feel quite so isolated. Her horse Peachblossom and her helpful flock of sparrows again prove to be invaluable. Meanwhile, her mysterious, unidentified benefactor pleasantly continues to present her with inestimably practical gifts.

As ever, Kel continues to champion the underdog and the helpless. Here, she takes into her care the homeless and homely but ingratiating mutt Jump (never mind that she's not allowed to have pets) and hires into her service the timid maid Lalasa, who had suffered ill-treatment in her past. Kel aims to foster a confidence in Lalasa by instilling in her a belief in her own worth and by teaching her various martial arts moves for self-protection. Kel also continues her informal evening hall patrol as she keeps a watchful eye out for her nemesis, Joren, and his disagreeable clique of hangers-on, who revel in the abuse of the hazing ritual, too often unlawfully beating up on smaller, newer, and younger pages.

Kel persists in being one of the better young heroines out there. I really liked her in FIRST TEST and, here, she's even more appealing. Unlike Alanna, Tamora Pierce's first heroine, Kel isn't imbued with a magical power and doesn't attempt to hide her gender. Kel is a GIRL and very proud to be one, and she doesn't take short cuts. Pierce nicely depicts sequences of Kel stubbornly working hard to better herself as she stoically suffers every bead of sweat, bruise, and ache brought on by her training. Thus, the reader actually ends up cheering all the more for the approbations she does receive.

By the way, I don't mean to knock Alanna. I also enjoyed the quartet of books about her. Her achievements are what made Kel's endeavor here possible. But, yeah, when you get right down to it, Alanna has a supernatural ability while Kel remains a regular human girl. To get even more nerdy, it's kind of like comparing Superman to Batman. Anyway, if you've already read FIRST TEST, I won't have to talk hard and fast to convince you to read PAGE, or the subsequent novels. I'm in the middle of reading SQUIRE right now, myself. And that one, so far, is even marginally better than FIRST TEST and PAGE.

I gave the first of this series 5 stars, and reluctantly subtract one for the execution of her second. The premise is sound - she planned to deal with Kel as a child, a Page, a Squire, and finally as Lady Knight, but the pace and high drama of this book left many things feeling a bit rushed.

Firstly, expect the content to be notably more mature than in First Test. Kel deals with hitting puberty, hitting boys, being hit by boys, and a brutal regimen of forcing down her phobias. This, in addition to intense training, having (and dealing) with crushes on her fellow Pages, and proving over and over and over that she can and will "run with the big boys."

Despite cramming several years worth of experience (literally) into this book, Pierce does an admirable job of containing and streamlining it. The years are well defined, and the individual 'quests' are tightly written and clear. This book also handles the development of Kel's unique abilities in command. Her growing sympathy for commoners and the weak is showcased in a series of growing climaxes. The ending sequence is especially well-done, and younger readers will be very impressed with Kel's maturity and self-sacrifice.

Again, I find that Pierce writes extremely appropraitely for the age-level (estimating by Kel's own age, the pre-teen market) and I find that her focus on morality and strength of conviction in difficult circumstances is fitting for younger readers. I wholeheartedly suggest these books for parents wishing to instil those ideals in their children, in addition to reading them because they are simply VERY nicely crafted books.

**Lastly, as I warned for First Test = Parents who are very careful of the sexual, homosexual, or magical encounters their children have - PLEASE read these books before handing them over to your kids. I personally see nothing wrong with her handling of delicate issues, but you might. And to set your child on a series of entertaining books, and then later ban them for dealing with unfortunate subjects - this makes rebellious and NEEDLESSLY unhappy children. Please, if you are sensitive to sexual references (including a brief mention of homosexuality and extremely frank dealings with rape) and/or the use and presence of magic, please make sure YOU read this first.

Keladry of Mindalen has passed her test and is now a full page, dreaming of becoming a knight. Kel is keeping up with life but it's getting hard. She still has to handle to fact that many, many people are still mad about her becoming a page. While she deals with this she is trying to maintain her training. And ALSO trying to deal with her feelings for her best friend, Nealan of Queenscove. In other words life is hectic for Keladry of Mindalen.
In this book there is a part where Keladry shows her skills and leads her friends out of a sticky situation where they're trapped by a group of bandits while the pages are on a little 'field trip'.

"Ladies have no place bearing arms..." I've said it once and I'll say it again...that's WRONG!

I hope you'll read this book, 'Page'. I'm sure you'll love it.