R Books

CHARACTERS! MOST EXCELLENT
Griffon Cabot, head of External Security Team, assassinated.
Lucas "Hawk" Hawkins, extra-ordinary expert sniper.
Jake Holt, expert on gathering information. [where is his story].
Jordan Cross, secret CIA agent and member of Cabot's special team.
Carl Steiner, now head of the Team but can he be trusted.
He is intent on closing down the Team.
Hawk's kill was not sanctioned so Steiner wants him brought in.

Ah now, the other players.
Tyler Stewart, 38 year old model, glitzey, beautiful and broke.
Her agent destroyed her security.
Enter Amir al-Ahmad, wealthy, handsome play-boy. He is determined to marry Tyler.
Malcolm Truett, Amir's secretary gives Tyler the pass key to his room.
She catches a glimse of a sniper and knows she is in trouble.

It just keeps getting better - fast paced - murder, intrigue - deadly accuracey - one shot, one kill.
Two people on the run - Hawk calling in favors - brotherhood of the Team.
FANTASTIC STORY!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED --m - Definitely a keeper.

I enjoyed the book. Ms. Wilson made sure there were no holes in her plot, I appreciate that respect for the reader. The hero and heroine came just shy of touching my heart though. It's a pity because after the intro, I really wanted to know them better. But instead I followed their mystery to their happily ever after without being convinced that these two deserved to (and would) beat the odds.

I really enjoyed 'The Bride's Protector'- what a wonderful tale! I enjoy romance novels(my favorite type of books!), but this one was an extra special treat! I couldn't put it down until I finished it. I was hoping to have the story continue on, actually.
The basic plot is that on her hastily arranged wedding day, bride and former model Tyler Stewart has serious second, third, and fourth thoughts about marrying her sheikh playboy millionaire fiance. She finally decides that even though she's supposed to marry within the hour, she can't go through with it and must talk it out with him instead.
Rushing to his hotel suite to talk to him(he's supposed to be meeting up with his father who is attending the ceremony amid threats of assasination attempts), she walks in on a murder. The killers, having seen her are now after her, and her only hope is the strange man whose hotel room she 'borrows' to hide out.
Right from the start she knows that there is more to him that she can see and she never gets the whole story about him until almost the end of the book, but that doesn't stop her from trusting him and falling in love with the man she only comes to know as "Hawk".
Luccas Hawkins-'Hawk'- is in fact a government assassin who at the start of the story avenges the death of his colleague and boss. He's very good at his job and he's an incredibly dangerous and tortured man with a very bad past and no one in his life he cares about anymore except for the other members of the covert team he used to work with on operations. But while on the run with Tyler, he finds himself drawn to her and falling in love. She thinks of him as her white knight. He knows better and comes to hate the day when he'll have to tell her who he really is what he does.
Hawk is one of the most compelling heros I've ever read about(I loved him!) and Tyler is great heroine for him. She's a real woman with spirit and depth. I think Ms. Wilson developed her characters very well.
This started out as a trilogy(The Bride's Protector, The Stranger She Knew, and His Secret, Her Child) and I read them out of order because of what became available at the library. I loved all of them and am now reading the rest of the books in the lineup(Men Of Mystery/Phoenix Brotherhood), but this one is my favorite! A really great read!

Absolutely a page turner. Unfortunately, I will also judge other Harlequin Intrigue novels to Gayle Wilson's work. I could not put the book down and actually felt like I was there with Tyler and Hawk. Great story! I didn't feel like I was just reading sentences, but I could feel the story. I have read other Harlequin Intrigue novels and although they were good, Gayle Wilson's has been the best. I wish there had been more of these gentlemen to write about in her trilogy.

I enjoyed the book. Ms. Wilson made sure there were no holes in her plot, I appreciate that respect for the reader. The hero and heroine came just shy of touching my heart though. It's a pity because after the intro, I really wanted to know them better. But instead I followed their mystery to their happily ever after without being convinced that these two deserved to (and would) beat the odds.

Book was in perfect condition, arrived in timely fashion. I am pleased with the transaction!

The sequel is even better! Too bad i can't give it six stars! As the world struggles for survival in an epoch of pain and war, storm clouds cover the horizon. The Bringer Of Storms is coming... and with him and dark host bent on locking the land of Kirthanin in shadow forever. The plot deepens as the Light, the Darkness, and all who are trapped in between seek to survive the coming war.
Not just any fantasy book, believe me, I have read enough boring cliche fantasy to know when I pick up a jewel. And BOS is definitely a gem in my book collection.
~SI +==}=========*

My family hates when I read a book like this--no meals are made...the clutter builds up--so I did a marathon read of this second book in the series and truly enjoyed the characters and the story. There are strong action sequences plus real depth of character development. This book will appeal to both male and female readers who enjoy fantasy, including those who love Tolkien.

Not all fantasy novels are foul language free. This one is. The love relationships spare us graphic details, too. There is violence (it is about a war, after all) with some details, but not to the point of gratuitous violence.

The best thing is that there is richness, depth, to the story. You not only care about the characters and the outcome of the story, but the book goes deeper than that--to the heart. I can't wait until my next weekend OFF, so that I can read the next book in the series

This novel continues the story began in Beyond the Summerland and takes the threat to Kirthanin to the next level! The ramifications of a certain stunning event at the end of the first book is the driving force behind the lives of the characters some eighteen years in the future. City rises against city in the search for justice, while many others are affected by the long struggle. The truly dangerous enemies use this to their advantage and then a massive threat breaks loose-- causing an even more critical confrontation. The Bringer of Storms and the armies of the enemy arise! This book also ends with a shock and I am sure the ramifications of what happened will be felt throughout book three. This story should flow into the next book without too much of a time gap, as the conflict that was pressing, was not fully resolved.

The only slight mar to the book is the same as I mentioned about the first one, which is that some of the dialogue seems too modern at times. Mom and dad, instead of mother and father, and similar things that just didn't feel "medieval" enough. This is a very minor concern, though, and is very subjective. I am definitely looking forward to book three in this great series! Buy the first two-- you won't be sorry!

LB Graham added deeper character development in his second book. The characters are interesting, and the story flows better. Very strong new writer. Looking forward to book three. I have already pre-ordered.

On page 88 of the book, he has a police chasing 2 white guys and another guy with the look of the old blackface almost looking like monkey saying he's been running from authorities for over hundred years...interesting drawing

I consider Busted!: Drug War Survival Skills the most useful and informative book in my library. Being a libertarian, I've never been a fan of authority and arbitrary authority at that. That's all the War on Drugs is - an arbitrary group of people (the government) telling us plebs what we can and cannot put into our own bodies. Anyone that has half a brain realizes that this sort of behavior is antithetical to freedom, and certainly fascist in nature.

Busted! has over 300 pages of drug war survival skills, from not getting busted (the first half of the book) to what you'll need to do and go through in the criminal justice system (the second half of the book) if you do get busted. Every page is filled with witty humor, and various 'dope ditties' that tell about different cases of people getting busted and what they went through...most of them completely outrageous. You want to avoid ending up like those people, because the drug war is very real and very serious.

Even if you don't use drugs, you probably have some friends and family or know someone that does drugs. I would recommend this book for you as well. The WOD affects everyone, so it's good to be on your toes and know your rights fully. A lot of people have been put through the shredder because they were ignorant of their rights...don't be like them. Get with the program.

Get Busted!: Drug War Survival Skills.

I have yet to complete this book, but its great so far. Entertaining, and educational. hard to mix the two and keep my interests. I hope this helps sway you to purchase. HAPPY SHOPPING

Both sad and hilarious at the same time, this book is a must read for anyone who wonders at our current criminal justice policy. Almost four decades of the drug war have produced no discernable reduction in drug use, but loads of folks in prison and a steady erosion of our constitutional rights.

I'd say this book is extremely informative for the responsible, occasional sit at home drug user. I read it and learned a few things about the law I didn't know about. Definately a must read for anyone who uses any drugs whether it be a little or a lot. If you're a dealer it gives you an outlook of legal information, but one of the author's commandments in the book is "Thou shall not sell" which every dealer already knows. The only rule for dealers is DON'T GET CAUGHT.

Piper Berry is special. She has a dog named Booger, a small town that surrounds her (complete with waggling tongues) and her poetry. When Piper's family splits up she is left to make sense of it. While her parents act like children, Piper turns to writing and finds her world through her words.

Buttermilk Hill is an unassuming book - the cover looks like a "dog story" and preteenish....but remember - do not judge this book by its cover. What you will find when you open the cover is a touching story of a girl who notices everything, writes about a lot of it and has a lot to teach readers.

Unlike a lot of fiction for young adults and children, Buttermilk Hill does not preach or belittle its readers. The characters are treated with rescue and affection by the writer. This book is the perfect read for almost everyone I know.

At only 168 pages, the story is complete - touching and beautiful. I'd highly recommended it for readers who love a good story about people and how they cope with what life hands them. Relax, enjoy and savor. I'm really quite moved.

In the Book butter Milk Hill There is a girl named Piper Berry and her parents are divorced.And her dad gets remarried and Pipper was not real happy about it.Pipper rights poems and her poemss are very good .Her mom is going out with someone else to and they went away for awile.

There is a yr. old girl name Piper Berry and she is spending the night at her grandma and aunt Lindy's who is the same age as Piper too. Piper and Lindy love to listen to grandma's bedtime stories all the time. On Easter Sunday during chruch service Piper and Lindy where sitting by Mr. Mack fell asleep and started to snore and they started to giggle and then Mrs. Mack poked Mr. Mack in the side and he woke up with a jerk. Then fell asleep again and started snoring again too. And then he started to fall on top of Piper then her moom came and pick him up off her and he didn't wake up and Piper's mom said,"he is DEAD," and Piper went running out of the churh crying. If you want to know what happenes to little old Piper you should read the book.

In This book(buttermilk hill) it relates so much to my life. My parents started off fighting and ended up separateing and getting divorced. Then I became a kid stuck in the middle of my parents fighting and bickering for anything. I started writing poetry at an early age and I even also read and entered it ina contest and won!.!.! And AS for Piper I had me a very best friend, by my side thru it all. This book related so much to my life as I read it I felt like I was the one writing it. Love IT. -Oreo-

It was a good book. It is about a young girl who is going through a major change in life. Her parents are getting a divorce. Her whole life changes. After her father gets married again and he starts to forget about her. She begins to feel left out. Will she ever feel apart of a family again. You will have to find out.

This is a very long book. It is full of detail, with configs & scenarios backing up the theory.
Although if you are interested in following the scenarios on real equipment, you will need to take out a hefty bank loan to cover it.

If anyone is having trouble understanding certain topics in BCMSN especially when it comes to practical configuration, then this book is a good addition to your existing BCMSN study guide.

I really like the chapters on AAA and Multicasting. The author explains on how to configure a Cisco Secure ACS 3.2 along with router/switch configuration command. Other BCMSN study guide just throws you the router/switch configuration command and let you figure out the AAA server configuration by yourself.

The multicasting chapter explains step by step on how sparse & dense mode, multicast routing table, IGMP really works. The step by step explanation on how the IGMP packet flows when the client first request a multicast group in sparse mode and step by step explanation on packet flows when a source initially multicast a group in dense mode.

Overall, this is a good book with many practical configuration examples. Howerver, I wish that this book would also include MST.

There is a new contender in the heavy weight LAN switching category of networking books. Justin Menga's CCNP Practical Studies: Switching, is an excellent addition to the Cisco Press family. Many consider the Clark and Hamilton book the acme of LAN switching, but Menga's book stands right there in the upper echelons.

The book starts off with basic switch connectivity - identifying the different Cisco Catalyst switches, operating systems, supervisor engines and switching modules as well as installing, configuring, monitoring and troubleshooting a Catalyst switch on a network.

More advanced topics such as VLANS, trunking , spanning tree, inter-VLAN routing, layer 3 switching, multicast and security are covered in depth. Each chapter has several configuration scenarios that help in understanding the subject matter and reinforcing concepts.
Working with actual equipment would be best but for those who do not have access to switching equipment; the configurations are detailed and clear enough to follow.

For those who will be implementing VoIP on their networks, a good grasp of QoS is essential. The QoS chapter adequately covers how to configure end-to-end quality of service on a LAN.

This work is a great effort by Justin Menga and I highly recommend this book both as a reference book and to prepare for the CCNP switching exam.

This book is certainly "practical". There are some passages in each chapter for just reading, but the majority of pages in this book are showing actual commands and outputs from several models of Cisco switches. I intend to keep it arms lenghth from my desktop at work as a reference. What if you have a switch down one day because the operating system is corrupted? CCNP Practical Studies: Switching has what to do in this situation for both the Cisco IOS and Catalyst OS.
Justin Menga's 958-page manual is not for beginners to Cisco, or for the CIO who just wants to know the "skinny". In these pages are the dirty details of how the lower layers of the OSI model work in today's campus LANs. Besides CCNP and CCIE candidates, any LAN administrator will find this book useful. The individual who reads this book should have a basic understanding of networking and Cisco equipment.
The first chapter reviews the specifications and capabilities of at least six families of Cisco switches, familiarizing the reader with the equipment that will be used throughout the book. Special attention is placed on the 3550 series switch, which is covered in the CCIE exam. VLANs are covered from many angles in several chapters. This includes concepts, how it works with the big expensive switches verses the lower end models, and the Catalyst versus IOS models. Multilayer switching (MLS) is compared to the next-generation CEF-based Layer 3 switching. However, both are covered thoroughly since both will around for awhile.
A great extra in the book for the certification candidate and teacher are the labs in Chapter 11 and the solutions to them in the appendices. I would really consider the entire book sort of a lab. But the ending labs cover the major parts of the book with two comprehensive assignments. Menga does seem repetitive at times. For example, he remids us several times that if we manually set the speed and duplex on one end of a switched Ethernet connection we should manually set it on the other end. This redundancy is perhaps justified by the probablity that Justin Menga has seen this error many times in network troubleshooting and it can also be an intermittent problem: the worst kind to solve.
One can appreciate the amount of time it takes to write a book of this magnitude. The author had to have access to a number of switches and routers to produce all the output and screen shots in the book. He also shares a number of "notes" that are helpful. Such as, that Cisco has discontinued supplying a tftp server program and recommends a place to download freeware that he has tested.
When reading computer self-study guides, occasionally one finds a volume that accomplishes its goal so well that no other book is needed. CCNP Practical Studies: Switching comes close to this ideal. Improvements that the book could have include a small glossary to help the student define terms that are unfamiliar.

This book is a great book. Doesn't get any deeper than this, but I had a very hard time with the figures and the numbering. The text would refer to a figure that didn't exist but the figure above it would be the right one (with a wrong number). Also, a lot of the figures were missing components called out in the scenerios or text. As a previous technical writer, this book drove me insane to read. Also, the chapters needed to be broken up a little more. 100 pages per chapter is way too long.

Otherwise, yes it is a good book. Tons of detail, however, you will be handicapped considerably without having $10,000.00 worth of switch and router gear just laying around. I bought Boson's Netsim hoping to help, and it didn't have any of the commands needed to do these labs. Bottom line, get the real thing if you can.

The authors have provided a visual celebration for nursing! Clearly the parades were really annual public processions, although the narrative and images demonstrate the religious nature as well. The photographs are a witness to the pride and esteem that nurses held/hold for their profession and the tribute paid to nursing by all those other groups who chose to also march as well as the crowds that lined the parade route. This is a real contribution to the history of nursing!

This book is a perfect gift for any nurse, but especially one who is over 50-ish, has any Chicago connections, and who attended a "diploma" school of nursing. It is a completely unbeknownst to me super-cool annual event out of the city's past. The documentation and photos are great. Thus, it's also a great book for a Chicago historian, nurse or not. I happen to be a nurse, and purchased this book for myself. It's nice to know that past mayors of the city honored its nurses in such a neat public way. It's also a view of how nursing has changed. In the days of this parade, practically every R.N. had graduated from a hospital "diploma" school of nursing. Now those schools are virtually extinct (mine closed over 20 years ago), and most nurses are college, community college, or university educated. The evolution of nursing education is another huge subject, but this book gives a great glimpse of the old days of Chicago and nursing in the 10 years that the parade was held.

Chicago's Nurse Parade is a wonderful easy read with incredible vintage photos deplicting this fascinating historical parade. Being a nurse, there is a pride and a wonderful history of this profession.
Hats off to the authors for showing the historical and interesting journey this profession has!
D. Emerick R.N.

A wonderful book. A very creative way to honor the Nursing profession. It is a classic.

The problem was a serious nursing shortage--one giant step in the solution was to have a parade! Initiating an annual Nurse Parade in Chicago was a very imaginative way of raising awareness for a serious problem. With a minimum of text, this visually delightful book explores, through reproductions of documents, newspaper articles and photographs, the history of Chicago's Nurse Parade. We can learn a lesson from the success of this initiative. When we utilize our creative resources (and remember to have fun!), effective solutions can come in unexpected and interesting forms. The authors, passionate advocates for nurses and the nursing profession, have offered a story relevant to us all.

I absolutely love this book! I have wanted to try herbal remedies, but had no idea where to start until I read this book. I have been using the cleanse listed in chapter 4 and have lost 6 pounds, have more energy, and feel great! I have lent this book to friends and they have had similar responses. I had suffered from conditions that medication just didn't help and have found relief in just 1 week from remedies listed here! It is very easy to read and it explains problems A-Z. I highly recommend this book!

Not bad for your first herbal book. But it's visually cluttered and treads cautiously (and a little too cutely). A beginner doesn't want to tangle with bad or dangerous advice, though, so it's a good book to have in the bottom of your herbal book pile. As the best of medical advice and practice - "First, do no harm!"

this book is filled with such useful information, everyone should own a copy.

This is the best herbal book i have ever used. Its easy to understand with everyday words. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to understand. My best fried read the book and had to order one for herself. Since I have read the book I am back on the road to better health. I recommend anyone who is interested in herbs to get this book. You won't be sorry. Worth every cent.The herb store I go to also said this was a great book. I actually went to the dr and came back with a clean bill of health and I know it is from going by this book. Thanks Frankie.:)

I got this book, not knowing how useful the information would be to me. I never used herbs before, but now I know how to take care of myself without antibiotics or drugs. I actually lost 23 pounds by following the author's advice/guidelines! Who knew herbs were so useful and they work too! This book is a must have for men and women!

I have been a Christian for many years and student of the laws of the mind for the last 8 or so. Im all of my readings, this book, by far, has been the most clear, concise, and complete presentation of the Law of the Universe that i have ever read. 100 or pages of pure power packed truth that is easy to read and understand whether you are just starting this path or have been on it for many years. Whether you believe in Jesus or not, whether you believe in the laws of the mind or not, this IS the way the world works. This book is a must read for the entire world. We are all putting these truths into effect every day consciously or unconsciously. If you dont read another book this year, read this one.

I used to think that success was all about having a lot of money, having a big house, and wearing diamond studded underwear. Sure, there is nothing wrong with these things...except maybe the diamond studded underwear, that is just wrong on too many levels...but to me, success is not so much about externals as it is a deep inner feeling of knowing that you are doing something with your life that can make you feel good about who you are as a person.

I've mentioned in several other reviews how there was a time in my life where I felt like an abject failure...that I was a huge dissapointment to all of life. I'd look at my world and see nothing but despair and negativity and hopelessness. I really wanted to end my life at one time. But looking back on those days, I realize that I didn't want to die as much as I wanted all those thoughts I had about my life to die.

But how do we change our thoughts? How do we go from thinking that we are failures to thinking that we're successful? We change our thoughts about ourselves by changing the thoughts we have about ourselves. I'm sorry to be so simplistic. I'm sorry I don't have some "Wa-zoo" device I could sell to you like the Nega-vac 3000 that sucks away all your negative thoughts and feelings, but the bottom line is that if you want to start thinking and feeling good about your life, then you are going to have to start thinking and feeling good.

You see, we do play a role in our own lives. We do have a say as to what we are going to think about. If you woke up feeling kind of lousy this morning, I want you to do something. I want you to go back to bed. That's it. Put the covers back over you and get up again...but this time get up thinking a positive thought about yourself...this time get up feeling as though you have something to offer life because you do; YOU!

This book is a total Godsend. It is to be devoured. It is to be assimilated. When you read it you can just feel little skyrockets of joy going off in your mind. I'm not gonna kid you, it does take work to change your thoughts and it takes even more work to keep them changed but think about this, the moment you begin to change, the WHOLE UNIVERSE will change with you. It has to! There is no set reality! All reality is, is your ideas about it, anyway.

So you could be a totally boring, mouth breathing drone or you could actually become something wonderful...something beautiful...you could be like me! And I am wonderful! I am beautiful! I am rich! I am successful! But then again, so are you. The only difference is, is that you aren't thinking it...you aren't feeling it. You are a success now. You really are. Consider this your invitation to become even more successful!

I wish you well on your journey of Light.

Ernest Holmes' philosophy, applied with a somewhat specialized focus and in capsule form. A magnificent book to pack for trips, taking little space and keeping the spirits up. Unconditionally recommended.

If you have never read Ernest Holmes before, this is a great book to start with. It is simple to read, yet it conveys Ernest Holmes' wisdoms at the core, and directly.

Ernest Holmes will tell you about the concept of Divine Mind, Spiritual Supply, Mental Laws, and why our thoughts create our experience.

The first time I read his concept of "Entering The Absolute", it really opened up a new way of thinking for me. He says that to enter the absolute means, be able to think independently of any existing circumstances or problems. Meaning, if you have any problem or situation which you wish to solve or get out from, the only way to get out from it is to spend your focus mainly on what you really want - which is the solution/answer. If you are poor, you have to think thoughts of wealth,abundance and success, to dwell on the "Infinite Supply" and never on the present circumstances. Many other authors have written about true stories where people have gotten themself out of their situation of lack, by daily thinking and feeling about what they truly desire.

I recently read that the author Anthony Robbins, many years ago when he was broke, he set such big 'impossible' goals for himself such as owning a huge castle to live in, a limosine, being a multi-millionaire and being the successful person he desired to be. And he mentally rehearsed each goal everyday, as if its already achieved, that within JUST ONE YEAR he achieved all of his goals above! The castle, the limo, the wealth and life he dwelled on everyday!

For those who are interested in this topic, you may want to read "As A Man Thinketh" by James Allen. However, I still think 'Creative Mind and Sucess' is the best. If you are interested in Ernest Holmes, I recommend his other books such as "This Thing Called YOU", "Love And Law", "The Essential Ernest Holmes".

Its kind of hard to believe that this book proceeded Ernest Holmes classic text "Science of Mind", but I am glad it did and would recommend this book prior to reading Science of Mind. This is truly the secret unlocked but with a powerful spiritual foundation. Bottom line we are each God, the Universe in expression, and that truth appears in our life according to consciousness (awareness) and I will say it again and again BELIEF. For those looking for a quick fix, put this book down and go out and find something else. While results may happen rather quickly this spiritual path is for those willing to commit themselves to a better life by expanding their consciousness and putting out to LIFE. Once I embraced and realized my relatonship to the One, a great sense of peace, poise, fearlessness and confidence starting expressing through me. I thought I had these before but the foundation was largely ego based. Many of the ideas and concepts I believed as a child have been revealed to me in this book, concepts, ideas, and truths of prosperity, abundance, peace, poise, health and that I can live in this world bu not be of it. I am by far not a religious zealot or fly by night "im spiritual" type. I use these ideas to better my life and they are expressing through me here and now. I am manifesting more prosperity and abundance in all forms like never before. I pull this book out as a part of my daily study when im feeling good and when I need a pick me up. Former Oaklund A's pitcher Barry Zito sings the book praises for helping him become a a star pitcher.

Ive read all of Ernest Holmes book, but this one has to be the best for those on a new path or wanting to study and practice these principles especially when you cant make it to a local churtch or study group. Science of Mind is the ultimate text, but the language is very rich , Creative Mind was written almost 100 years ago but is still very prevalent today. YOU CANT DO WRONG WITH STARTING HERE!

My 4 yr. old grandson was having a hard time with daddy deploying. Both my son and grandson loved this book and my son was able to use some of the content to talk about why he was going to Iraq. I very highly recommend this book. It's well worth the money.

This book has been great for my kids. It has really helped them with are getting ready for Daddy's deployment. Thank you to all the other readers of this book and there reviews.

This book helped us beyond any expectations I had. My husband is on his second tour in Iraq, and my kids are having a difficult time coping with his absence. My daughter (6) and son (3) both beg me to read it almost daily. Warning to parents!!! I did tear up a little- Especially on the dedication page.

This is an excellent book. Yes, it is a tear-jerker at times, but it realistically covers a wide variety of emotions and situations caused by deployment. I know it has helped my almost-three-year-old understand and accept what is happening to our family because of her father's deployment. One aspect about this book I also really appreciate is that, even though it tells about the hardships caused by deployment, the book remains positive, focusing on uplifting and hopeful things. I TOTALLY recommend this book to anyone with younger children facing their Daddy's being gone for deployment.

This is a great book that helps kids understand what is going on when Daddy is in Iraq. I have gotten this book for everyone that is going through this and I sent it to school and the teacher read it to the class. This is my kids favorite book.

He was called Damiano Delstrego: wizard's son, alchemist, heir to dark magics. Yet he was also innocent, a young scholar and musician befriended by the Archangel Raphael, who instructed him in the lute.

To save his beloved city from war, Damiano left his cloistered life and set out on a pilgrimage, seeking the aid of the powerful sorceress Saara. But his road was filled with betrayal, disillusionment and death, and Damiano was forced to confront his dark-heritage, unleashing the hellish force of his awesome powers to protect those he loved.

Among 1983's most highly praised first novel, R.A. MacAvoy's Tea with the Black Dragon was called a "wonderful book" by Elizabeth Lynn and a "delight from cover onward" by Analog. With Damiano, MacAvoy begins the masterful saga of a man who must walk the narrow path between light and shadow. Be sure to read the two concluding volumes, Damiano's Lute and Raphael to complete the adventure!

A string buzzed against his fingernail; the finger itself slipped, and the beat was lost. Damiano muttered something that was a bit profane. "The problem isn't in your hand at all. It's here," said Damiano's teacher, and he laid his ivory hand on the young man's right shoulder. Damiano turned his head in surprise, his coarse black ringlets trailing over the fair skin of that hand. He shifted within his winter robe, which was colored like a tarnished brass coin and heavy as coins. The color suited Damiano, whose complexion was rather more warm than fair. "My shoulder is tight?" Damiano asked, knowing the answer already. He sighed and let his arm relax. His fingers slid limply across the yew-wood face of the liuto that lay propped on his right thigh. The sleeve of the robe, much longer than his arm and banded in scarlet, toppled over his wrist. He flipped the cloth up with a practiced, unconsdous movement that also managed to toss his tangle of hair back from his face. Damiano's hand, arm, and shoulder were slim and loosely jointed, as was the rest of him. 'Again?" he continued. "I thought I had overcome that tightness months ago." His eyes and eyelashes were as soft and black as the woolen mourning cloth that half the women of the town wore, and his eyes grew even blacker in his discouragement. He sighed once more. Raphael's grip on the youth tightened. He shook him gently, laughing, and drew Damiano against him. "You did. And you will overcome it again and again.

I'm happy there are so many wonderful reviews, but surprised that one aspect of these 3 books (published together in this omnibus edition) has not been mentioned yet: Besides enjoying a superior (gently humorous and delightfully vivid) fantasy, you will also be rendered teary at the sad scenes. Until I read these books I didn't think it was possible, outside of a Victorian novel (or William Maxwell's short story, "Thistles in Sweden"), to find oneself wiping away beautifully sad tears. Another bit of clarification: If you can't stand "Wardour Street" medieval fantasies, this isn't one. It's altogether wonderful. Read it, read it, read it!

I recently stumbled across Damiano's Lute and it all came flooding back...being taken to another world from that of my teenage years...so beautifully written. I was immersed completely and wonderfully. Now I will revisit MacAvoy and read anew. Theres just one thing knawing at me - I am not sure where I read about transformations into a tree, eagle and other life-forms..I read other, similar books in the 80's, including The Prince of Hed whose author I can't quite recall??

I think the reason Roberta MacAvoy's fantasies are not better known is that they are so hard to classify. Is the Damiano trilogy an alternate history of a time when the pope was exiled in Avignon, and the Black Death and the condottiere made life miserable, brutish, and short for almost everyone else? Is it the story of a witch who wanted to be a musician, and his little talking dog? Is it the tale of a struggle between two brothers, who happen to be the Seraph, Raphael and Lucifer, Prince of Darkness?

MacAvoy has a way of bringing me into every scene, using precise language and memorable detail:

"His mind was flooded with the memory of this very pasture in the green of summer, when his father would treat the sheep with tar poultices and incantation. Grass up to his half-grown knees, except where the flocks had cropped it. It had been cool then, in the mountains, but pleasant. Sheep's milk. Napping at midday, surrounded by curious, odorous, half-grown lambs."

I wish MacAvoy hadn't killed off my favorite characters, one by one, but it is a tribute to the power of her writing that I kept reading, anyway. I was hooked. I had to know how her trilogy ended.

If history is fair to fantasy authors, Damanio and his lute and his little, talking dog will outlast all of the overblown 'ologies' of Brooks, Goodkind, and Stephen King.