Stone Books

My two year old son LOVES this book! The rythmic beat of the verse is almost hypnotic for bedtime reading. The brilliant colors draw him to this book every time. This paperback book was a gift from my sister, but it's so well loved that we may end up having to buy the hardback!

I read this book to a first grade class. They enjoyed the bright colored pictures and story line. I highly recommend this book for K-3.

A beauftiful, lyrical book for 2-10 year olds-lovely illustrations and lyrical narrative. creative and captivating. My all time favorite kids book-my three year old boy loves it too!

The illustrations in this fabulous little book are a delight, with rich colors, expressive animals, and marvelous details. The dancing bears float across the sky like a Chagall painting, play instruments, and drive a nifty little orange car; There are also many other lovable creatures, and sometimes you have to look carefully to find all the rabbits and squirrels hidden in the foliage.
The human element is a sweet brown haired girl in a blue dress and floppy flowered hat, and who is afraid of the storm. Her mother introduces her to the bears, and she starts to see the storm as a friendly, magical event.
The highlight for me is the big cat trio with the lion playing the violin, and the verse for this is:
"Then the lions and leopards and lynx play the strings.
Hear them howling and yowling the way the wind sings".
All the verses are simple but well written, and have an imaginative charm that goes well with the pictures.

As an artist/illustrator, I take my hat off to the award winning Phoebe Stone, for her unique and exquisite work in this book. Stone also has made a name for herself as a fine artist, and "When the Wind Bears Go Dancing" was the first children's book she both wrote and illustrated. Art pieces from this book have been exhibited at the Boston area DeCordova Museum, and at The Society of Illustrators in New York City, and my favorite "lion and violin" illustration graced the cover of Booklist Magazine.
If you have a child who is afraid of nature's wilder moments, this book will help to calm their negative feelings, and bring a sense of adventure to scary elements like lightning, wind and rain.
The paper is of nice quality, with a semi gloss sheen, and the color reproduction is superb.

What a delight this book is! As a musician, and as a children's music teacher, I fell in love with the lovely, rhythmic feel! Children will find the illustrations captivating, and the simple musical references in the book are a great teaching tool for young children's music class.

I read this book to my husband on a recent road trip. At times, I couldn't continue reading because of my tears. We couldn't wait to get back in the car to read further!! The beginning of each chapter "From Our Father's Heart" is downright profound in its reformed theological content. Even though it is a "could happen" kind of book, it is very thought provoking. What a lifechanging journey to read this book and receive its message about living a sold out life to Christ! It has definitely caused us to reevaluate our level of commitment to evangelism in our postmodern world.. Karen

I received this book in the mail from I know not where and almost threw it away as junk mail. I am so glad I didn't do that. It was difficult to put down but at times I had to because I would sob so hard I couldn't breathe. This is what the Christian walk should be.

This is not a book; it is a journey that we as the readers have the joy of participating in, through the Holy Spirit. I have tried to find a 'devotional' that I could do with my school age children. One that would be real to them and yet draw them into truth and knowledge of my best friend, Jesus.
Thank you, Jim Corbett for writing such a 'devotional'.

This novel truly touched my heart and changed my life forever. A powerful story that reveals the awesome power of our living God, through people who have surrendered their lives to him.
It's very suspenseful and fun to read. I had a hard time putting it down. At the beginning of each chapter, I loved reading and was greatly inspired by the prophetic words from "From Our Father's Heart". A very well written novel.
I feel that the novel is truly anoited by God and felt a powerful presence of the Holy Spirt while reading it.

I have never read a novel that was so applicable to our Christian walk. This book makes you look at how much of our Christian walk is "man-made" as opposed to "Holy Spirit" made! Awesome! It has changed the way that I view my relationship with Christ. Our teacher has got to be Jesus!

This book is amazing. The writing is different from anything else out there. The plot is excellent, the dialogue is clever and charming and frequently funny, the characters complex. I liked it better than the Fiend in Human. Gray is a truly unusual talent who hopefully will write many more books of this quality.

It's a sad comment on our times that even thrillers centering around serial killers don't give us a chill anymore. So to evoke the slightest ghost of a horrifed shudder, more and more authors are turning to crimes against children - where they will turn when even these fail to appall us? I gave Gray's first Whitty novel, The Fiend in Human, five stars and likened it to a cross between Dickens and Spillane. This sequel is still plenty good, but it didn't have quite as much bite. The previous book's most vivid parts lay in its descriptions of one of 1852 London's most formidable slums. It's difficult to elicit as much color from a Victorian nobleman's country estate, no matter how depraved its residents may be, as this tale tries to do. The Lewis Carroll and "Alice" analogy here is appealing. Too, Gray shows the same solid command of Victorian diction and cadences of speech (which can be so awful when other authors do them badly). Highly recommended.

Edmund Whitty, A London newspaper correspondent who can usually be counted upon for crisp and lurid copy, has fallen on lean times. After his triumphant expose of a notorious serial killer, he has inexplicably lost his knack for sensational reporting. Broke and desperate, he seizes upon a generous offer from a mysterious American to discredit a quack psychic. But how, he ends up wondering uneasily, does the psychic know so much about a scandal involving Whitty's late brother?

When the psychic is brutally murdered, Whitty finds himself accused of the crime and thrown into Milbank prison, the most bizarre institution of its kind in England. Help comes unexpectedly from "the Captain," a gangster not known for charity work. To save his own skin, Whitty must find the men responsible for the disappearance of the Capatin's young niece, Eliza.

Whitty's search takes him to Oxford, where he meets the brillant and eccentric Reverend William Boltbyn, a renowned children's author who delights in playing croquet, devising elaborate stories, and taking artistic photographs of little girls. There he uncovers a looking-glass world, the dark side of Victoriana, and the murder of innocence.

John MacLachlan Gray, who evoked "the mean streets and byways of 1852 London with a skill worthy of Dickens"[Publisher's Weekly] in The Fiend in Human, spins an even more irresistible tale of dark secrets behind the facade of Victorian respectability.

If the highest praise you can give a book is that it leaves you wanting to read more, then White Stone Day deserves top accolades. It has just about everything you need in a novel: a gripping plot, a strong sense of time and place that nonetheless doesn't overwhelm the proceedings, a sure narrative drive, a diverse and well-drawn supporting cast of characters, and perhaps most important, an intriguing and entertaining protagonist. White Stone Day would have been a very good book with any other main character; with cynical, dissolute, at times hapless Edmund Whitty as the protagonist, it's a great book--perhaps even more satisfying than The Fiend in Human, to which this book is a sequel.

Gray plots his second excellent Victorian literary thriller around two activities that were all the rage in mid-19th century England: photography and spiritualism.

Edmund Whitty, the earthy London newspaper writer and man of excess, first seen in "The Fiend in Human," has fallen on hard times. All his best ideas are being uncannily scooped by a rival correspondent and he's in "fearsome debt" to the Captain, a London crime boss, "the result of a wager in the sport of ratting, with compound interest growing like a tumour and default a mathematical certainty."

Approached by an American Pinkerton agent to expose a fraudulent psychic, Whitty seizes the opportunity, but the séance does not go according to plan. His brother David, who died in a rowing accident at Oxford, appears, plaintively proclaiming, "I did not live as you think I lived! I did not die as you think I died!"

Meanwhile, in Oxfordshire, Rev. William L. Boltbyn, based loosely on Lewis Carroll, is singularly enchanted by the Lambert sisters, particularly Emma, who is on the cusp of womanhood, a fact Boltbyn bitterly bemoans. He whiles away hours telling the girls tales and taking pictures of them in various romantic and classical poses, some suggestive.

Before it's over Whitty will be accused of murder and cast into the bowels of Millbank prison, only to acquire a new commission - the breaking of a child pornography ring which may involve both his dead brother and the abducted young sister of the distraught Captain, a girl bearing a strong resemblance to Emma Lambert.

Other viewpoints include a comically psychopathic pair of thugs for hire and the daring, foolhardy Lambert sisters keen on ferreting out the sinister secrets of the local Duke. Steeped in Victorian sensibilities of romance, propriety and the gulf between the classes, redolent with London's stewpots and taverns and bustling streets, Gray's witty, suspenseful story builds to a tense and satisfying climax.

--Portsmouth Herald

I hope the Sedona Chamber of Commerce is ready. "A Window on Sedona" just might spark a huge new influx of would-be Red Rock country residents, not to mention tourists. The photography alone in this book is worth the cover price. The information it contains is a wonderful bonus. A great gift for anyone who has ever visited this beautiful portion of Arizona, or who plans to visit in the future.

The Arizona Republic, Sunday, November 14th. Book Review Section: A Window on Sedona, written by two Sedona transplants with a penchant for the charm of smallish towns, slow living, and great interior design, bills itself as a glimpse into the heart of Sedona through the lives of its residents. This means a melange of Southwestern recipes, essays on light, and a series on impressive Sedona interiors. The photos are fabulous vignettes of unique Sedona scenes that are sometimes coordinated with the text, sometimes included to showcase local beauty. By the time you get to page 50, it will all be decided. You'll know you have to get to Sedona right now. The pictures will make you craxy to leave the city and go traipsing in the Oak Creek country until you've stumbled upon the scenes in the book and taken them in with your own eye.

Reading the book brought back fond memories of a family reunion held in Sedona. It's a fun book that brings the beauty and warmth of Sedona to the reader in any part of the country. The recipes are great! I recommend it to anyone who is interested in visiting Sedona or who just wants to relax and enjoy Sedona in daydreams.

My wife and I stumbled onto Sedona many years ago and we have had the pleasure of seeing it grow. "A Window on Sedona" allowed us to get a glimpse of Sedona through the people who live in this magical setting. Journeying to Sedona is worth the trip, but very rarely will you get to see this wonderful community from the homes of the people that inhabit this area. Truly a breathtaking look at the homes and landscapes that make up Sedona. If you have not had the opportunity to visit Sedona, then make sure to put it on your list of places to see in the United States. I highly recommend this book.

The authors reveal a unique understanding of living in the red rocks. With the book's exquisite photography of the panoramic views and intimate dwelliing places, coupled with the descriptions of the private lifesytles of locals, I found myself absorbed in both time and place - remembering and longing to return. It is truly a book that will remain on my coffee table.

The Worry Stone By: Marianna Dengler
I thought this book was outstanding and it will bring color into any child's life. This book would be a high-quality book for any parent or older sibling to read to a younger child because of the wonderful pictures and inspiring story within its cover. Also, it is a story that you can make happen in your own yard.
This story is about an elderly lady named Amanda who as a child had a wonderful, caring grandfather. They would spend all their time together, telling stories and she was very fond of him. One day she discovers a stone her grandfather says is a worry stone and by rubbing it in your hand all your worries go away. Now, several years later, her grandfather has passed away. She goes for walks in the park all by herself and is awfully lonely. One day, a little boy comes and sits next to her. He too is lonely. No other kids would play with him and Amanda can't stand to see him sad. Then she gets an idea. The worry stone could help. Does it help, and do Jason and Amanda become friends, or will both of them be lonely and alone?
This book is very touching and will show kids that read this book compassion and understanding. I rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars. You should defiantly read this book to a child who is about 3years old and up. See how touching it is for yourself.
**Kalie**

As a school librarian, I chose to read this book aloud as a source of comfort for our students after the attacks of Sept. 11 and then gave each student a "worry stone" (a polished river rock) to keep. The kids were spellbound by the story and seemed to treasure the memento.

The three stories in one gives the book a timeless quality that spans generations. An added bonus was the curriculum tie-in for us in California through the Chumash legend. I give this book my highest recommendation.

This is a wonderful book. It shows the power of positive thinking. It is three stories in one, and looks at the value of older people in our lives. It also gives advice -- without being preachy --about keeping our worries under control.

I recommend it for everyone.

This book has become one my family's favorites - hard to read without a catch in your voice. A story about the circle of life and the importance of grandfather/grandmother figures in a child's life. I cannot recommend this book highly enough! Beautiful illustrations!

This story is a beautiful interweaving of three stories, a Native American woman who loses her husband in war, a girl's relationship with her grandfather, and an old woman who discovers how to reach a lonely child that she has seen in the park. It is a gentle and lovely way to introduce to children the concept of death and a chance to discuss the value of the people we love in our lives and to understand the feelings of others. The story is wonderful in itself, but the illustrations make it even more so. They seem to glow with an inner light.

Get your best buds together , dress up in funky attire, and GO CRAZY ! ! ! ! ! !

Now, I'll admit, I was skeptical about a the new role playing game, Agent X, when I first heard of it. A table top game with a system that flawlessly translates into live action game play, that sounds too good to be true, right? Too good or not, its the truth. Agent X's simple and realistic mechanics made all the games I've played in run smoothly and only aided in establishing a mood of mystery and suspicion that kept players coming back for more. If you're looking for a new kind of game with all the right stuff look no further than Agent X.

Finally a game that allows players to step into the world of Agents like Scully and Mulder. A must buy for all X-Files fans. Why only watch the show when you can experience the world of the X-Files through this game "Agent X"? I am surprised that Fox hasn't approached these folks about licensing it as the Official X-Files Role Playing Game. I had a great time playing it at ConQuest and will be looking for Agent X games at all the cons I go to.

Agent X has a great new system that differs from all current roleplaying games on the market. It a must buy for any serious gamemaster looking for a new genre for their group, and an even more important buy for the first time and long time roleplayer looking for a new style devoid of fantasy world play. The content addresses the more realistic side of roleplaying giving you the rules you need to play a real government agent. A must try.

I played the game at Comic Con International in mid-August, and I must say, I was impressed. Now, I'm not saying this just because it was two of my friends who were running the game (Hi Lee!), but it was actually a well thought out game. The system is simple, easy to learn and easy to play. Go out and by this game... NOW!

Whose side are you on?

Gargoyles have gotten to be very popular recently, and any gargoyle fan ought to get the book _American Gargoyles: Spirits in Stone_ (Clarkson Potter) by Darlene Trew Crist, with photographs by Robert Llewellyn, because American gargoyles are fun. It wasn't the original job of gargoyles to be fun. One of the explanations of how gargoyles got into their exalted positions in churches is that they were placed there to entice pagans to come and worship at Christian locales. Those who ran the churches thought that pagan symbols, and scary ones at that, were a good marketing ploy. Perhaps we American moderns are simply amused by carvings of fearsome dragons, but there are plenty of gargoyles shown here that are deliberately humorous caricatures.

The pictures are a treat. This is not a big, coffee-table book, but there are scores of pictures from many American sacred, commercial, and academic buildings. Though American gargoyles reflect the traditions of Europe, many are truly American. The University of Pennsylvania, for instance, has a strictly medieval style of quadrangle, complete with gargoyles, but one of them is a football player. At Washington National Cathedral, there is a gargoyle showing a crooked politician; he has horns, a big belly, a cigar, and a pocket full of dollar bills. There are a pair of gargoyles there which were given by a grandmother in thanks for her two grandsons. One is angelic and one is demonic, and she never said which is which; the grandsons are now grown up and still don't know. A weeping sea turtle is there as a statement of environmental protection. Out of the mouth of a monstrous duck stares a tourist with a camera, a payback from the carver who was the subject of thousands of pictures as he worked.

_American Gargoyles_ could have been a lot bigger, but Crist has included a reading list for those who want to see more. It is a good-looking and informative book.

Having read this book, I have a new outlook on American Gargoyles which truely are spirits in stone. This book is very educational, picturesque,informative, well written and I simply love it!

I bought this as a gift for someone and now I wish I would have also bought myself a copy! The pics are great, as is all the information regarding gargoyles. Only drawback for me, I thought it was going to be bigger, it's no bigger than maybe 10x10 or so.

This book is one of the best books I got from amazon. I got the two books Holy Terror's and American Gargolyes... it was a great deal. The book is loaded with pictures of gargoyles from across america and desrcibes what type of gargoyle and where it is located in america. The photographs are beautiful and descriptive through out the book. If you gargoyles get the two books for the price of one. Highly Recommended!!!!

I was a little skeptical when I first picked up "American Gargoyles: Spirits in Stone" but a friend had reccomended it so I decided to read it. Boy, am I glad I did! If I hadn't I would have missed out on the wonderful details, breathtaking pictures and an all around fascinating history of American Gargoyles. The pictures are well shot, and I have to admit, were the first thing that caught my eye. But, when I sat down to read the text the author shared all these captivating little details about the gargoyles which I loved! The author tells you the story behind a particular gargoyle and if there is anything special you should look for when you see it. This book was so fascinating that I was inspired to take a trip to some of the sights mentioned in the book and check out the gargoyles for myself. I reccomend this book to all readers, it appeals to all audiences.

As a guy, I first read the back cover review of the book, and said "chick book". But I gave it a chance. How wrong I was. It's an incredible 'recollection' of life in Africa through the 1900s, as told by the women of different generations who relate their stories.
This is all a revelation to me - how would a white boy living in the US have any clue to what daily life was like then and there?

But, it turns out to be absolutely fascinating. The author creates her stories 'visually' extremely well - you feel like you're right there, observing the scene or event that's being described. Highly recommended!

A great novel shows much and leaves more for the mind to unwind. Ancestor Stones does just that. I finished the last pages with tears on my face and questions left unanswered.

The bits of story left untold about the war and the safety of family members (Adama and her soon to be born child heading into the forbidden forests for example) serve to make this a stronger novel. I enjoy the fact that Forna leaves me with living stories, not cast off unnoteworthy letters and diaries as she puts it.

I will read her memoir and await further writing from Forna. The life stories she holds are vivid.

This is a fine example of how crucial a front cover can be for grabbing readers' attention. I, too, was attracted to "Ancestor Stones" by the colorful letters and graceful cover composition (Atlantic Monthly Press edition) in the first place. Rest assured, the promise made was kept!

I value novels that weave facts into the storyline and thus give me a better understanding of different cultures and mindsets. Along with the women's many personal triumphs and tragedies I learned a lot about the country's (assumed to be Sierra Leone) history, customs, social and cultural changes and, sadly, intense political upheaval. Ms Forna's beautifully crafted prose made me marvel at bygone village-life in serene, Eden-like surroundings, while later on I almost choked on the atrocities of civil war. Of course, given her writing talent she never needs to get graphic.

I don't give a full five stars because the book felt a little bit overconstructed with its prologue, epilogue and the four individually themed blocks that bind the chapters together. In addition, the chapters don't carry on the life-stories where they left off in the previous chapter. To know what had happened in between would have been interesting on the one hand and helpful on the other. I often needed to turn back the pages to remind me of the particular history of a protagonist.

However, I don't consider this a flaw. One just doesn't have to comprise this book as four comprehensive biographies, but rather pivotal periods in each woman's life, each opening a window into their world and times. In the end, I felt both uplifted and humbled by their courage and resilience to all kinds of adversity.

I will definitely get Ms Forna's memoir and hope that she will soon publish her next book.

My eyes were first drawn to the subtle colors of the cover, then as I reached to retrieve the book from its place on the shelf, I was captivated by the title and then by the image on the cover; both are appropriate and evocative.

While I have just begun the novel, I was impressed with Forna's use of metaphors and similes which, for me, created vivid, and thought provoking images.

I look forward to reading a novel that from the first words draw the reader in, that take me on a journey for which I have paid less than $30.00, and only hope that after such an incredibly well-written prologue I am not disappointed.

A beautifully rendered novel, reminiscent in some ways of Andrea Levy's Small Island which won a few prestigious awards a few years ago. The scope here of Aminatta Forna's novel, though, is slightly larger, representing a range of women's voices, their individual life-stories often clamoring with one another to form a rich, mosaic depicting the various fates of a community of African women living through social and political changes. While the novel focuses on the women's personal stories, it does not by any means insulate itself from the ever-encroaching social, political and historical pressures exerted by Western imperialism, colonialism, as well as independence and the ensuing civil war.

Since Publishers Weekly and the Booklist provide a summary of the novel above, I won't repeat it here, but I would say that I disagree with Publishers' comment--that the novel here is really a collection of linked stories--because that is simply untrue. While each chapter is a first-person narration of one woman's story, they are not self-contained; they are simply not structured that way, and as a casual and critical reader of linked stories, I would say that, experientially, it doesn't read like that either. Moreover, to see this text as linked stories instead of a novel is perhaps to miss what I think is one of the novel's fundamental points: that these stories are inseparable from one another, the multiple voices not only building on each other, but also proving to be indispensible to the telling of this continuing collective history--or perhaps herstory--of Sierra Leone.

I would also contest the comparison the jacket cover makes between this book and Amy Tan's Joy Luck Club. One of the many things I appreciated about this novel is precisely that it resists overly sentimentalized and/or utopian depictions of this community of women. To be sure, the novel dramatizes the struggles and defiance of women living under Sierra Leone's patriarchal culture, this novel does not devolve into tear-jerking melodrama, or reduce the problems to patriarchal oppression alone. Instead, it offers a range of subtle (and not-so-subtle, though never didactic) critques of not just African patriarchal culture and its practices, but also of the many guises of Western colonialism and its legacies, as well as of the power inequalities, struggles and hypocrisies among the women themselves, who, in many and various ways, contribute to the social and political problems addressed.

Overall, Ancestor Stones is a good, substantial, fluid read, the writing lyrical, but not overly so, with plenty of narrative tension, as well as critical complexities that challenge Western assumptions about Africa and African women, sometimes holding up a proverbial mirror to reflect back images of the West and Western attitudes towards African people. I would give this a 4.5, but since that's not an option, I've chosen to give it a 5 instead of a 4. Well worth the read.

Just got this book in the mail , maybe 3 days ago, and already i have increased my knowledge on animation!Being new to classic animation, or golden age , as it is sometimes called, i needed a reference, and this book qualifies! So easy to index , with just the information you need to know before buying the dvd.Very pleased with this purchase.

Reviews (on several sites) indicate that this is a book for someone who wants to be recommended certain titles. It is NOT that type of book: It is an encyclopedia, with a foreward and a 3-page explanation of the entry format. The rest contains only listings of DVDs with short synopses and factual information. It is a very thorough book for its express intention, but it's not a guide for someone who wants listings divided into genres (although adult-themed DVDs have a separate section). It will not "recommend" films to you. I have no found such book, nor website. (If you can recommend animated/sci-fi films, I'd be grateful. I was inspired to buy this book because I revisited The Fantastic Planet...eeesh! INCREDIBLE film!! I like trippy, classic, exemplary and subversive films, though I find anime sort of incomprehensible.)

Animation On DVD: The Ultimate Guide is a comprehensive listing of over 1,600 animation and anime films currently available on DVD. While the majority of the DVDs listed are Japanese animation, non-Japanese DVDs from Superman cartoons to Disney movies are also included. A black-and-white photograph of each DVD prefaces every listing; the capsule entries include a summary of the animation contents, a listing of special features and notes whether it is subtitled, fullscreen, has any inserts, and the like. Animation On DVD is divided into two sections, a general animation section with the majority of entries, and a mature/adult section expressly for DVDs rated R or X (note that the DVD photographs of entries in the mature section do include suggestive images inappropriate for young children). The mature/adult section descriptions does contain "laundry lists" of sexual acts within explicit DVDs, in order to inform the reader beforehand what he or she would encounter viewing the DVD in question. An index makes individual titles easy to find, and an easter eggs segment includes hidden tricks one can find in one's DVD collection! Packed cover to cover with useful and practical information for anyone who enjoys animation, whether the casual viewer or serious collector, Animation On DVD is a superb quick and easy browsing reference.

Fans of animation don't need to look much further than this book by Andy Mangles. He has managed to include reviews for almost every existing type of animation that is currently on DVD.
For parents looking for a good guidebook on animated content, this is a must. Japanese Animation fans looking for reviews of shows and series they've heard about (and even second opinions on ones they've seen) will be pleased.
Andy's reviews are concise and well written. He uses a conversational approach to the reviews that doesn't become dry or bland. He also avoids over-using jargon that animation fans tend to throw around.
Andy gives a quick synopsis of the show, his opinion of the work and than lays down any concerns parents might have (violence or nudity). He has also separated out most of the adult themed shows into their own section. With the great quantity of shows to review Andy does get some help. The authors he picked have very similar writing styles and tastes, and makes for an easy transition.
Last but not least, a section of Easter Eggs (hidden special features on DVD's) is located in the back to aid those of us who like to see everything on the disc.
Being an anime fan myself, I found this book to be very helpful. Andy's writing style is entertaining and direct. The only low marks I could give it are for the cover. It's a bit too goofy looking for my tastes. I would also have enjoyed a section in the review that linked one show with another similar show, or with another work by the same creative team. But aside from those minor points this is a very handy book. I'll definitely use it when considering what my next anime purchase might be.

A straightforward listing of animation available on DVD in the US, Andy Mangels' guide is the ideal shoppers' resource. It tells you what's on the disc, hints whether it's worth your time, and also points you at the right Easter Eggs. For someone based in the UK who often has to guess what Region One DVDs she might like, it's very useful. I was a little disappointed not to see the same critical bite that features in Stone Bridge's Anime Encyclopaedia applied to animation from around the world, as there are many cartoons that deserve it -- the Rankin-Bass Hobbit, anyone? But still a good book detailing what you can buy from Amazon.com right now, to add to your collection.

Genre: Historical Fiction

Title: The Anvil Stone

Author: Kathleen Cunningham Guler

Marcus ap Iorwerth and wife Claerwen are battling the Saxon invasion of Britain in the fifth century; an interesting couple that most readers will take to heart. Marcus is a spy with an alter ego The Iron Hawk, while Claerwen is blessed with the second sight, also known as "Fire in the head." The two are embroiled in the search for the sacred sword. Meanwhile the Princes of Rheged are battling amongst themselves while a much greater threat is approaching. Will the sibling rivalry cause the loss of their land to the Saxons or is the elder head of Rheged still in charge? Will King Uther pull himself away from the love of his life, another man's wife and join the defenses? These are just a few of the questions readers will ask as they journey through the countryside with Marcus and Claerwen. During a major battle the two are separated and a long and excruciating separation begins. Will Marcus and Claerwen ever be reunited or will the assassin, Handor kill them both?
Each chapter is filled with suspenseful battles, emotional heart wrenching decisions and the underlying romance of Marcus and Claerwen. Extensive research makes the story realistic and the scenes believable. Although the use of the Welsh names does distract from the plot in that the pronunciation is foreign to most readers, the story is well written and brings life in fifth century Arthurian times to life. A good read for historical fiction fans, especially those enthralled with King Arthur.

Author Kathleen Cunningham Guler is the author of the four-part Macsen's Treasure series, which won the Colorado Independent Publishers Award for fiction in 2002. This book is the third in the series. She is a descendant of the Celtic nations of Scotland and Wales, a member of the Historical Novel Society and the International Arthurian Society.

Highly Recommended by Reviewer: Shirley Roe, Allbooks Reviews.

Title: The Anvil Stone
Author: Kathleen Cunningham Guler
Publisher: Bards Song
ISBN: 0-9660371-5-4
Pages: 410Price: $[...] April 2006

Kathleen Guler has given me a whole new appreciation of the historical novel. She has integrated the elements of romance, adventure, mystery and suspense in this fifth century narrative. Guler has captured the suspense and action of today's most popular contemporary adventure writers.

Political assassins and spies, monarchs and townspeople, make up the cast of characters in this spellbinding work. Swords and daggers replace hand guns and switchblades as the weapons of choice. This is a story of the battle to survive in an era of violence.

A thread of tender affection, romance, and passion is skillfully woven into the story.

Mysticism, magic, prophecies, visions, dreams, and nightmares, are intertwined into the well developed the plot. These add to the sense of danger faced by Marcus and Claerwen. I often found myself experiencing their pain and the loneliness of their separation. I became hopelessly captivated right up to the dramatic surprise ending.

Enchanting settings from Britain's history are brought to life though Guler's word pictures and descriptive phrases. The book has been thoroughly researched. Kathleen Guler is well qualified to author this compelling novel.

I highly recommend this book to both the scholar and casual reader of Arthurtian England. This highly acclaimed series is a great place for the modern reader to take a step back in time to unearth the pleasures of reading another genre of novels. A great reading experience.

Reviewed by Sondra Fowler for Reader Views (3/06)

"The Anvil Stone" is an unusual take on the age old Arthurian tale. We are taken on a side trip of sorts. We meet the characters of Uther and Merlin the magician in guises other than uncaring tyrant and all knowing mage. Uther is given passion and doubt, Merlin, in the character of Uther cousin Prince Myrddin Emrys is an eccentric man with visions and unknown talents. The major forces of this story, the spy Marcus ap Iorwerth and his equally daring wife Claerwen, wind their way through this tale of intrigue and war.

Marcus receives a cryptic warning in the shape of an effigy left by an elusive stranger setting him and his wife on an adventure to uncover the truth behind the effigy, a growing Saxon threat and the mystery of Claerwen's growing visions that lead to a missing sword of great importance.

"The Anvil Stone" is fresh look at a well loved tale. I found myself in a believable world of warrior kings and Saxon invaders. The characters were full had wonderful voices and individual points of view. There was less pageantry and more grit, a behind the scenes approach that I truly appreciated. Even the magic more dark and utilitarian than the usual pyrotechnic displays felt possible. I would recommend this to anyone who is a fan of fantasy or the Arthurian Tales.

This is the story of the continuing adventures of Claerwen & Marcus, a husband and wife spy team in pre-Arthurian Britain. The story began with the first two novels, "Into the Path of Gods" & "In the Shadow of Dragons."

This time the story opens with a gruesome effigy delivered by a mysteriously hateful stranger to Marcus. Is it a warning or a challenge, or perhaps both? Marcus sets out on a quest to find out with Claerwen, who has the gift of second-sight or "fire in the head." Intertwined in the tale is Uther, Arthur's father, Myrddin, otherwise known as Merlin, Octa the Saxon and a cast of many other integral characters.

Their adventures, at times, cause Marcus and Claerwen to be together but at other times force them to be apart for many years. Above all they try to find one of Macsen's Treasures and discover what the name of this object could indicate, Excalibur.

This is a romping good read and every page opens an exciting door to another mystery to be solved. Read these books, you absolutely will not be disappointed! Thank you, Kathleen Cunningham Guler, for another outstanding novel in this four part series! I'm very much looking forward to the final book but will be very sad to see this wonderful story come to an end!

Book Three of the "Macsen's Treasure" series, The Anvil Stone by Kathleen Cunningham Guler is an extensively researched historical novel depicting the tale of spy and master of disguise Marcus Ap Iorwerth, his wife Claerwen, their confrontations with rival factions and the Saxons. As the story progresses, Claerwen, with her sense of secondary vision manages to grasp an understanding of the legendary sword which will be lifted and possessed by a future king Arthur, but the sword must first be found. The Anvil Stone is an outstanding tale and very highly recommended, especially to all fans of medieval literature and lore focused on the Arthurian era and Dark Ages in fifth-century Britain for its highly accurate and enthralling depiction of an already intriguing tale. Also recommended are the two previous books of the Macsen's Treasure series, "Into The Path Of Gods" and "In The Shadow Of Dragons".