Science Books

I love this artist and am always inspired by this book. I first bacame familiar with this artist through a series of greeting cards made from his art. When my mother found this book we both had to have one. It is a nice shelf size, with full page and double page images. There are also excerpts that are blown up to show detail, sketches to show initial concept and process, and clever writing to keep you engaged in each piece. I was delighted as I read the book to find out just how much symbolism he uses. It makes his pieces much deeper than the common fanciful fantasy art. It was a real pleasure learning more about James Christensen. No matter how many times you look over these pictures, they will never get boring. You'll always see something new.

I love this book! I am an artist and illustrator. When I need inspiration to open my own creative juices, I study the pages of this book. Christensen's images come from a pure expression of the inner creative child blended with the quirky imagination of a "Renaissance" painter gone wild!

I got this book as a Christmas gift along with a painting by the artist. He's a good artist. Make no mistake about that. But you'd better be an ardent gamer to really enjoy his subject matter.

There's really no way to tell what James Christensen's art is like. It's as unsatisfactory as trying to describe what chocolate tastes like to the person who's never tasted it. It has to be experienced to be appreciated.

This is a wonderful collection reproducing almost all of Christensen's earlier work. It includes some "serious" works of which the artist clearly is a master, but his fantasy art is unlike anyone elses. It takes flights of fancy and works of whimsy to completely new heights. The person who can go through this delightful romp among a truly creative genius' works and not find themselves smiling for most of it is suffering from an atrophied sense of humor.

If you like fantasy, get this book. If you like art, get this book. If you have a sense of humor and the willingness to use it, get this book. Warning: you may have to take this book in small doses, or your smile may suffer from overwork.

This book causes you to see through the eyes of a child again, playing with reality and delighting in possibilities. It gets your "imaginative juices" flowing to where you won't look at ordinary, every day objects in the same way again. The artist provides the reader with insight into his whimsy, while at the same time providing a magical feast for the eye!

I am a fan of the Wendy Ward novels and decided to give this one a try. It was OK, but a little disappointing. I liked the premise, but it seemed like it took a long time to build any suspense or to head in any kind of direction. Then the final climax scene was a bit of a let down, too. It seemed to me this book could have been either a lot shorter or a lot more complex. But it was not terrible. It's worth a read, especially if you are a Passarella fan.

John Passarella's KINDRED SPIRIT is a creepy, ghostly chiller that will keep you turning the pages into the wee hours of the morning.

It has been one year to the day since Heather Galloway was murdered, leaving behind her husband, Tom Galloway, her five-year-old son, Shane, and her twin sister, Hallie Moore, who is a popular television reporter in Philadelphia, Pa. In memoriam on this day, Hallie drives to the country roadside monument the family erected in loving memory of the murdered Heather, whose killer the police never identified and caught, leaving the murder unsolved.

Alone at the site, Hallie experiences a psychic connection with Heather, something she has not felt since the sisters were children, when Heather suffered a concussion that closed off the telepathy that had once existed between them. Stunned by the experience, in which she feels herself in Heather's body at the time of her murder, Hallie struggles to see who the killer is, but fails to identify him. When she comes out of the trance, she finds Heather's gold photo-locket and chain in the field where she died.

Hallie knows Heather somehow contacted her, and led her to the missing piece of jewelry: Hallie also believes that if she can further channel her dead twin, she will solve the murder and find the killer. What Hallie does not realize, however, is that the killer has already found her, and plans to commit the perfect murder twice. Can Hallie survive not only the apparent possession of her body by her dead twin, but also the deadly intentions of a crazed killer who is stalking her?

Highly recommended reading, with all the lights on!

Kindred Spirit brings us into the lives of Hallie and Heather, twins who share a very special bond. As it happens, Hallie and Heather can speak to each other without talking and it's not until Heather falls from a tree and breaks her arm that things between them become different. Years later, having begun separate lives (Hallie as an up and coming news reporter and Heather as a wife and mother), Heather is murdered quite brutally. Even with this tragic event, life seems to be moving forward normally...that is until the one year anniversary rolls around. Hallie goes to the memorial site and upon touching the cross that marks the site, she is transported to the night of her sister's brutal attack and relives it in every grisly detail and from here on out, things are never quite the same for Hallie. Once the vision is over, she finds her sisters heart pendent in the grass at the site of her attack and she knows instantly that the murderer has recently visited the site.

From this moment on things in Hallie's life become less than ideal, she's having trouble on the job, she's losing time, constantly tired, feeling a much stronger connection to her brother-in-law and nephew and doing things that she's never done before...things that Heather used to do and it's at this point that she knows she has to figure out who killed her sister. What follows is a kind of supernatural amateur sleuth story that is both frightening and suspenseful.

Hallie uses her connection to the news station, her psychic connection to her dead sister and her own wit and wisdom to work on solving this mystery before the killer strikes again. For me Kindred Spirit was a tad predictable, as I figured out what was going on and the ending well before it ended, but still enjoyable. I wouldn't be inclined to add this to my permanent collection, but I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who likes amateur mysteries with a paranormal bent. I give it a B, it's not a bad way to spend a few hours being entertained, but it's not the best out there.

I've been a big fan of Passarella's Wendy Ward novels and couldn't wait to get my hands on Kindred Spirit. Once again, he doesn't disappoint.

Kindred Spirit is an intriguing supernatural suspense novel that will have you flipping pages long into the night. You really get into the lives of the main characters and feel their fear as they plummet into the unknown. I won't spoil it, but there's a scene involving a pair of ghost hunters that is not to be missed. Definitely hair raising!

I'd say this is a great summer read, but that would not be entirely true. This is a great read any time of year.

With the publishing of Kindred Spirit, Jack has written a thriller which should appeal to most readers of mysteries. It's not hard to buy in to the idea that identical twins share auras and experiences which the rest of us never know.

As always Passarella's character development is superb. His characters quickly become real, and the settings are easy to imagine. It becomes obvious that he spent many hours researching the places he describes to us. The Philadelphia Zoo; the TV studio; detective work; all are incredibly detailed and real.

This book was hard to put down. I look forward to more works by Jack and would love to see Kindred Spirit as a movie. Sure would beat most of the movies for which I see previews today!

My daughter has been waiting to read this book for months, maybe even a couple of years since she first found it on the web. When she finally got it, she read it and said that it's much better than the movie. She said it has insights to what some characters are even thinking, where the movie did not. I used to love to watch the movie and introduced it to her and it has become her all time favorite. She is always collecting whatever she can that has anything to do with the movie. This book is a must have for Labyrinth addicts!

Basically it is a mix between the original 2 scripts for the movie, making it pretty much twice as awesome!

Those random small things that left you hanging in the movie such as where does the Left Knocker lead?

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

gosh, i was six when i first saw the movie! now that i'm eighteen makes no difference how i love this enchanting story.

smith brings the story up to another level, as he dwelves deeper into sarah's feelings... and also jareth's. the chemistry between the two is undeniable. i would like to think that in another situation both of them would be together, albeit the fact that she's mortal and he a goblin prince.

smith's writing is of course, very detailed and deep, and he tries to explain all the different meanings and reads between the lines of the movie. he has us vying for the king, and rooting for the good guys, too. he makes us want jareth to have a happy ending, and perhaps one with sarah. he makes us want to see the movie.

well, maybe the movie IS old, and the special effects kind of horrid by today's standards, but truth be, enchantments are timeless.

If you liked the movie, then you'll love this book. I bought a mint condition copy for about seventy dollars last year, and I couldn't be happier with it.

Like the movie, the book tells of a young girl draw into a fantasy world by her own overactive imagination in order to save her little brother, who has been stolen by the goblin king, who says he is only seeking favor in her eyes, and seems to have fallen in love with her.

The book follows the storyline of the movie exactly, but offers more insight into the characters thoughts and actions. I can remember in particular that the ballroom scene was quite staggeringly more descriptive. A wonderful book, worth the price; espescially if you can find one in good condition.

this book is worth every penny... its a story about a day dreaming girl who wishes her little brother to a land of goblins castles and of course the labyrinth. if you dont want to spent 50 dollars on this book you CAN GET IT FOR FREE.. just google it and youll find the transcript of the book that you can print out and read.. its not like having the book... but its way cheaper..

My son received the first in the series when he was nine. He has a university reading level and thought it might be to preachy. Then my son praised the books and felt them to be the best he has read. In my ignorance, I don't think preachy would be a correct term. They (books) are well written pieces that express the fundamental good and evil realm.

this book was really good, as are all the others in this series. i really enjoy reading them, and i can't wait for the next one to come out!

This is a fabulous book series. I "pre-read" it for my 12-year old, but I'm hooked! Can't wait until the next one comes out.

The next to the last installment in the ever popular Dragons In Our Midst/Oracles of Fire series, Last of the Nephilim holds more mystery than ever before. This book continues the theme of God's love, provision, and power. I can not wait for the final book, The Bones of Makaidos.

Last of the Nephilim picks up right where Enoch's Ghost (Oracles of Fire) left off. Literally.

There's no getting around it this time. Bryan Davis writes in his author's note that readers are recommended to read the Dragons in Our Midst series and the previous two Oracles of Fire books first. Do it. You'll need them.

I mentioned in the title of the review that the book does move a bit more slowly than I'm used to from Bryan Davis. That's okay, though. It gives this wonderfully tense feeling of the roller coaster ratcheting up the chain lift. Then you get to the end, and the roller coaster has stopped looking over the edge of an enormous hill. That's Last of the Nephilim, but don't think of it as a bridge between two books. It's a great story, very worth the read. More deep characters who learn relevant lessons. One complaint: The next and final book doesn't come out 'til next year!

First Sentence: The approaching Mayday festival drew larger than normal crowds to the unholy city of Carcassonne.

It's 1241, Pope Gregory is soon to die and the Inquisition is responsible for the torture, murder and burning of those deemed heretics. Dame Esclarmonde de Foix, the High Lady of the Carther Christians has been captured and brought to Carcassone to be tried as a heretic.

Ramon is a Troubadour whose mother had been burned at the stake. With the aid of a scores, a Templer, the Baug Balar entertainers and other friends and allies, Ramon has a plan has a plan to rescue the Lady.

What a remarkable book. Armstrong symbolizes each of the main characters with a card from the Tarot deck, but each character is also taken from history and the events of the time. It is not necessary to have any knowledge of the Tarot to understand or enjoy this story, yet I found it interesting to learn how old it is.

It's hard to say enough about the characters. Many of them develop as the story progresses. There is Ramon, the talented, fair and roguish troubadour; Arnot, the strong and tattered Templar, Nevarra, an albino woman with a white owl who can cast magic; and many others. They become real; you cheer for the heroes and heroines and you despise villains.

The story is set after the Crusades to the Holy Lands and the Cathar Crusade, during the time of Inquisition. Armstrong, through his sense of place and the characters, illustrates the brutality of the period. The descriptions of the battles, torture and deaths are graphic and horrible. These are offset these with scenes of humor, charm, romance and a touch of magic; black and white. The action in the book escalates with each chapter to a wonderful conclusion.

But it's not the end. Book 2 of the trilogy, "The Last Quest," is due out October 1st and I've placed my order.

You don't have to know anything about the mysteries of tarot to enjoy this engrossing, fun read. It's a well-done combination of sword-and-sorcerer fantasy and historical adventure set in the 13th century. The tone is light, yet layers of period detail give it more depth than you might expect, and the characters are fascinating whether or not you understand their tarot inspirations.

Ramon Troubadour, the hero of the trilogy (yes, this is the first of three volumes), is a Fool extraordinaire on a quest to save the holy Dame of the Cathars from the fires of the Inquisition. The story is full of knights and kings, circus acrobats and animal acts, mysteries and magic, not to mention continuous action and sharp-tongued humor from the Fool as he goes about the business of discovering the secrets of the age.

The Catholic Church doesn't come off very well in this tale, as you might expect since it's set in a period when red hot pokers were as important to the holy orders as communion wafers. The trilogy itself is driven by a quest to find the world's most important religious relic and the machinations of the Pope and the evil Diableteur, a scythe-carrying devil. Other fun characters include a one-eyed Knight who may or may not be a Templar and a circus fortune-teller who also happens to be a witch.

The story moves along and carries the reader with it. I found it both engaging and entertaining.

Yummy characters. Doesn't sound like a ringing endorsement, but it is. Yummy, yummy. From the twisted and dark Diableteur to the golden-haired troubadour, there's isn't a character I didn't fall in love with. The Seigneur who redeems himself through love. The object of his love, the untouchable Dame of the Cathars. I even love the future pope (don't tell anyone!) Cardinal Sinibaldo Fiesco. This is a triumph, everything I love in a historical, from fighting, spunky ladies to romantic men with swords, and other weapons! I have to admit I was a little uncertain at first when the author made this tie-in from characters to Tarot cards. This was how I heard of the book, but I was all ready to hate the idea. I loved it. The Troubadour is the fool. The Magician is a woman, a snowy, white haired pagan sourceress. The Empress was the ever-pregnant mother of the travelling Baug Balar. And the Baug (it's like a circus, with trained horses, magic tricks, acrobats, really nice) is my favorite collection of images. The author throws in a nice dash of humor, but doesn't get carried away, shaking it up with some well-researched historical events and environment. I've been to Carcassonne, and it was so nice to see this beautiful place come to life. Over the top? Not really. Just so much to enjoy! The only thing I'm not happy about is the ending... it's fulfilling, with the main mission achieved, but as it turns out it's the beginning of an even greater quest. Which makes me very impatient for book 2, The Last Quest, which I'm definitely going to order. The Last Quest: Song of Montsegur

If I didn't know better, I'd say that Derek Armstrong wrote this delicious novel purely for my own amusement and pleasure. With wit, wisdom (and more than an occasional wink) he offers a work that panders to nearly every one of my cultural, spiritual, and historical prejudices. Set in thirteen century France - that hotbed heroes, heroines, and heresy - it's a wide-screen Technicolor adventure worthy of a full Errol Flynn treatment... an adventure for spiritual grownups that educates as much as it delights. I can't wait for the next in the series.

Lon Milo DuQuette - Author of Accidental Christ

If you loved the outsized adventures of Gargantua and Pantagruel (Penguin Classics), you will surely be delighted by Armstrong's second novel, The Last Troubador: Song of Montsegur. Set in the turbulent, insecure 12th Century when Christendom set itself against Islam in the east and reforming elements at home, this book has the large stage in which to handle some universal themes.
What sets this apart from most historicals and calls Rabelais to mind is the author's tongue which is so firmly planted in his cheek that even when we are transported by the death-defying action, we're always aware of the multiple levels of meaning. Most historical novels are necessarily short-lived: their view of history is a product of their own moment and so they become dated. The Last Troubador will no doubt be around for a long time because the wink and the nod to the reader is truly timeless.

By the way, I found this book because I'd read Armstrong's The Game, a very different detective novel that shares the same dry inviting humor.

Lynn Hoffman, author of the semi-Rabelaisian bang BANG: A Novel

This book is an amazing piece of work, both artistically and in the strength of its message(s). Some girls grow up knowing exactly what the want out of life and then there are other girls who are "domestically" challenged, feeling very lost at sea. They spend half their lives trying figure out "where" and "when" they will fit in; never realizing that it may never happen, but that there is nothing wrong with that either.Through these compelling photos and insightful statements from the strong women in this book, Ali Smith gets to the heart of that matter. She does an amazing job of addressing the percentage of women feeling alone and depressed in their artistic and unconventional quests - whatever they might be, and whatever form they might take on.

At a time I needed it most, this book was and continues to be, a beacon in the very cookie cutter world around me. I have been crying out for such a book my whole adult female life it seems, and now it is finally here! There are women in here from all "categories" of life. I think every person who purchases this book; while reading it and taking in the colorful and exquisitely designed pages Ali presents to us; one can definitely start feeling a lot better inside about themselves, who they are, where they have been and about the course they choose to chart in these interesting times (not to mention the extraordinary journeys of the women in this book.) I cannot wait for Ali Smith's next book creation! Until then, "Laws of the Bandit Queens" is my constant companion!

This is one of the most expressive collections of photos I've ever enjoyed! Ali Smith seems to really be able to communicate the intentions of these women through her images. I think she may be one of the most undernoticed photographers in New York City at the moment. You can really sink your teeth into the colors and textures of her work...Bravo!

This book was a gift from a friend who I truly admire and it is one of the most meaningful gifts I have ever recieved. Law of the Bandit Queens is one of those rare creations that not only was able to inspire me to try harder to acheive my goals, it also made me very proud to be a woman. It is a wonderful gift for all the women who have ever inspired you in your life. The book includes women from many walks of life. Ali Smith has chosen an incredible mix of women who each have something very different, yet equally as important to teach us all.

I am sitting at a coffee shop and had to reluctantly tear myself away from Ali Smith"s LAws of BAndit Queens. At first I just opened the book and looked at the pictures. I felt a strange sense of reverence in front of the array of fiercely modern and independent women portrayed there. The pictures caught them in action .The photographs seemed to have captured the essence of each and every women . Nothing glamorous there. Just incredibly truthful. All the women seemed colorful to me, caught mid -sentence. Arrested between a defiant laugh and a provocative gesture. Some of them exuded a sense of radiant peace. Confidence. Clearly Ali Smith has no interest whatsoever in making her photography anything but honest. She captures a moment and that's that.
It's not a platform to stardom or celebrity. Just her take in color on what makes a great woman worth looking at.
Yet the photography is incredibly beautiful, something you might almost forget when looking at the book. Because the laws of the bandit queens will make you first and foremost think. About them. About yourself. About what it means to be a woman. Ali is so self effacing in her commentary that you might even forget she took the pictures and interviewd each woman. A nonobstrusive witness, Ali is noneteless the eye behind the lense, and the intelligent artist who is merely offering her unique take on the modern woman. By authoring the book, she too joins the legacy of all the bandit queens. And mostly establishes herself as a great woman photographer.

Don't get me wrong - the women featured in this book are all awesome, and the photos of them are great, but the I-centric approach Ali Smith chose when interviewing each woman was a huge turn-off. These women are all more than capable of speaking for themselves, so why couldn't Smith have stepped aside and let them do just that? For a book claiming to contain "words to live by" from the women portrayed in it, there were disappointingly few direct quotes from said women, and annoyingly much space alloted to Smith's opinions and impressions - what she thought about the women, what meeting them was like for her, how she first heard of them, and so on and so forth. (I understand from the book description that Smith wanted to create something "intensely personal", but surely intensely personal does not have to be synonymous with heroically self-obsessed?) For an interesting contrast, I recommend the book 'Picture the Girl: Young Women Speak Their Minds', by photojournalist Audrey Shehyn, who does an excellent job of portraying 35 young women WITHOUT stealing their spotlight. I bought Smith's book partly because I thought it would be interesting to learn more about Janeane Garofalo, who is one of my favorite actors and something of a role model to me, but I learned nothing about her I didn't already know, because, as it turned out, most of the text accompanying the photos of Garofalo was in fact about Smith.

I don't fall asleep while reading. When I get sleepy, I put the book aside, turn out the light, and pull up the covers. How anyone can fall asleep with a book in their hands and the light on is beyond me--or at least it use to be. Candie Moonshower's The Legend of Zoey was so compelling that I simply couldn't bear to put it down. I knew I was growing sleepy, but I couldn't stop reading. So finally, I have the experience of falling asleep while reading thanks to Zoey.

The Legend of Zoey is the story of two thirteen year old girls who meet under strange circumstances--strange because they're living two centuries apart! Zoey, your average, mouthy twenty-first century gal boards a school bus for a class outing and finds herself in 1811. She meets Prudence and her mother struggling to survive the wilderness while the man of the house is off converting Indians to Christianity. You'd think that was enough turmoil for Zoey, but no, she picked the months the New Madrid fault took bites out of the Mississippi Valley landscape to time travel!

Clearly, the time traveling is a clue that the book is fiction, but the story's non-fiction details add charming pieces of reality. You aren't just reading a book--you are a young girl traipsing through the wilderness with a very pregnant and grouchy woman you barely know. You hear the leaves crackling under your feet. You feel the cold wind bite at your nose, fingers, and ears. The campfire stings your eyes as it gradually thaws your tired, aching body. You will experience this book, not just read it.

Moonshower does what every author sets out to do--she tells a story so vivid and so captivating that once it's over, the characters live in your head for days. I am especially grateful to the author for allowing Zoey to have a real experience. Moonshower didn't sell out in the end.

Almost all the characters are female, so this is probably a girl's book. However, Moonshower weaves those females into real events and traditional stories about the New Madrid earthquakes of 1811-1812. For that reason, it should be an easy choice for students studying the event--boy or girl.

I loved so much about this novel, The Legend of Zoey by Candie Moonshower. These are the things I enjoyed the most:

1. Candie blended the past and the present so well together . . . they literally tied into one another. That was a really good move.

2. The two girls (Zoey and Pru) both faced similar problems in their lives, one with modern conviences and one without.

3. Zoey was not interested in the past, but when she had to go to the past she wished she'd paid more attention in her history class.

4. I actually felt at times as though I'd traveled back to the past with Zoey and it made me wonder if I could have been as brave as she was about the time difference.

5. Candie didn't make the kids sound stupid. That's always a plus.

6. The comet! The comet was an awesome detail. I loved how it became sort of like this invisible bridge, and similarity between the two worlds, past and present.

7. I loved the description and close detail Candie used throughout Zoey. Great job!

8. For someone like me, who hated having to study Arkansas history and American history, made history just a little more interesting. Even though the story was about Tennessee history. I actually had very little knowledge of what happened with New Madrid and everything that occurred, so I learned something. :)

9. The novel was very believable. Candie did a great job telling this story of Zoey and Pru.

This novel is a great choice for young adults and adults as well. Happy reading.

Candie Moonshower has seamlessly meshed the experiences of two girls in two different eras into a delightful tale. Against the background of real events, she has written a fun and at times, poignant story and manages to teach the reader, too. Writing about time travel and using two points of view can be tricky, but Moonshower makes the transition between points of time and view with ease. I look for more great books from Candie Moonshower.

I love Zoey's strength and the way she always tries to figure out a solution, rather than just sitting and giving up. Also, it was a nice change to see the main characters aware that Zoey was from another time, rather than the usual dance around the truth and attempts to hide it. Most of all, I love that the links across time don't go away (I don't want to put in a spoiler!) after Zoey returns to the present.

Wonderful, lovely read!

The Legend of Zoey is a charming time travel novel. Candie Moonshower has done an exellent job of integrating the facts of the New Madrid earthquakes with an exciting story. It was a real pleasure to read about two wonderfully diverse characters. It works.

As a parent and a teacher I know that kids are always looking for hockey books to read. This book is a delight. I like the city setting and the pictures are adorable. The rhyming makes it a light and fun book for bedtime!

A great read! My 4 year old can now recite just about every page word for word. The main character is is a girl so the story line promotes equality!

Nice illustrations, good story with rhyme. Better for ages 6 and up probably.

Once again, you have sent a book that will also become my grandson's favorite reading. It is a pleasure ordering books through this website.
Jan

Recommended to us by the PR staff at the Carolina Hurricanes and we love it!

I've enjoyed Timothy Zahn's work for almost a decade now; I think his Star Wars novels are the best ever written in that universe, and his original space operas are zippy, exciting, and innovative.

My only quibble: Too often, it seems that about a hundred pages into a Zahn novel, his characters stop being the incredibly realistic and intriguing folks they've been so far and become flatter, more familiar, and less interesting.

That's why Manta's Gift surprised me so much. Not only does this book run from page one with a kind of non-stop manic energy, but the characters Zahn creates are both consistent and consistently alien. This is a weird, wonderful glimpse into the sort of society that might be buried beneath Jupiter's clouds, a culture alien enough that I never knew what to expect but human enough that I cared deeply about the characters. If you like stories with both a brain and a heart, check this one out!

The holy grail of science fiction is to write a novel from a truly alien perspective in a way that will not only make sense to English-language readers but that will allow them to enter into that perspective and to make it their own. That is precisely what Timothy Zahn has accomplished with Manta's Gift. This is a novel that takes place almost entirely in the gaseous layers of Jupiter, the home of manta-like creatures that guard a secret that humanity needs to know-- and will do anything to discover.

Zahn's writing is sophisticated and richly detailed, and his characters are very easy to get invested in. He manages to employ alien jingoism believably and without the need for intrusive editorial explanation, but doesn't go overboard. The result is a sci-fi novel you won't be able to put down. With Manta's Gift, Zahn joins Orson Scott Card at the top of the list of my favorite novelists.

This yarn reminds me of something I read in Carl Sagan's Cosmos book about hypothetical life-forms that could possibly exist in the atmosphere of a gas giant planet. This story goes even deeper into the 'what if' of such an idea. Zahn's writing is fast-paced, and the complexities of the plot make this a real page-turner. When I bought the book I wondered how dramatic life could be in a herd where all the creatures seem to do is eat, sleep, mate, and fight off predators. But this author has woven so many hidden agendas into this story, mostly surrounding the Qanska's interaction with Manta and his with the humans that you're kept guessing about what's going on right up to the last minute.

I picked up this one at a used book sale at the local library for next to nothing... not because reading the back cover (or the front cover for that matter) grabbed my attention (because they most certainly did NOT), but becuase I knew Timothy Zahn from his work on the Star Wars "Heir to the Empire" trilogy and had really enjoyed his writing. Turns out, it was a very good pickup that I thoroughly enjoyed reading.

Unlike a lot of contemporary sci-fi, this one actually DOES make an effort at including science into the fiction, and Zahn does incorporate several creative and thought provoking ideas and concepts into the life and ecology of the Jupiter that he creates.... (as odd and implausible as some of those ideas and "science" may be, they should at least make the reader step back and say 'hmmm, interesting'). Zahn succeeds in giving his story an "old school" sci-fi feel to it that a lot of newer entries into the genre seem to be lacking.

For all the science and creativity though, the story really succeeds becuase the characters are interesting and sympathetic, the plot is fast paced and exciting, the book is not easy to "figure out" 200 pages before the finish (i.e. there is suspense), and the writing is sharp and clear. This one MORE than met my expectations, and I'll be hitting more of Zahn's work when the next opportunity presents itself. In my opinion at least, that's pretty high praise for an author, and this book was well worth the read.

Over the last six months i have reread Manta's Gift over four times. The book takes place many years in the future in the atmosphere of Jupiter. The plot is nothing amazing as far as Sci-Fi goes, but the potreyal of the characters and situations are beautifuly written. One of the more interesting points of the book is the Culture Clash that takes place between the human mind of Manta and rules that govern an inherent prey race, vs a hunter race like humans.
One of the things that set this book apart is Zahn's style of "tricking" you into thinking the book is almost over. Time and time again he brings up situations when most other authors would leave the book off there.
But at its heart, the book is a timeless story of culture clashes mixed with despairing romance unlike the happy endings found in most books today. Zahn combines his knowlage of science with an extremely creative imagination to creat a fantastic read, highly recomended

I had high hopes for this book after reading such glowing reviews, however, I was disappointed. The problem with it is that this author is L-A-Z-Y. She used the word "Stunning" or some form of the word over and over (and over and over...you get the idea.) The two main characters were "Stunned" so many times I began to think they must be using tasers on each other. Overuse of a word or phrase causes it to lose its effectiveness, and becomes distracting to the reader. There are multitudes of wonderfully descriptive words in the English language, authors, use them!

I loved this book! Full of history, romance, and the mystical legend of Merlin made for a page turning romance.

The story between Vivian the daughter of Fire and Rorke FitzWarren knight to William Duke of Normandy is touching and has managed to become one of my favorite stories! Vivian is the daughter of Merlin and she finds herself in the middle between the Norman's and the defeated Saxon's. Rorke is sent to find the healer with amazing powers and brings Vivian back to the battlefield to take care of William. Rorke finds more then just a healer of the physical self but a healer of the heart and soul. This story takes place right after the battle of Hastings and is full of historical detail but not so much that you feel that it is a history lesson. The story is touching and I found myself laughing and crying which in my opinion is always a sign of a GREAT book! I look forward to the rest of this series to make it to my mail box!

Book 1- She is Vivian of Amesbury, the daughter of the great Merlin and possessed of the gift of second sight. Most of all, she is haunted by an ancient curse that prevents her from ever knowing love. Then, in a vision, she sees a Norman knight riding across a battlefield. He is Rorke FitzWarren ahd has come to Amesbury to find the celebrated healer whose powers could save his wounded Soverign, William of Normandy. Together they must fight the force of darkness in a search for a legendary sword.

Do not miss this one!!!

Daughter of Fire, was a great book to read, and am currently reading Daughter of Mist, which so far is pretty good. I like reading the books of Quinn Taylor Evans, a very talented writer.

Both my daughter and I loved this book. It keeps you spellbound. The only thing we are upset about is,you can't get the third book in the series!! This book was a real page turner.