Celtic Books

These notebooks are absolutely beautiful. I saw one at a museum gift shop and purchased the only two that they had. Then I found out there were 4 designs and set out to collect them all. I prefer the tactile pleasure of a book or notebook over the use of computers at times and these lovely notebooks are both pleasing to the eye and nice for writing. I use mine for research notes.

It also has a "memory" pouch in the back. I use this for photos or note cards related to my project. A handy way to keep loose things from getting lost.

Highly recommend them. The company also has other interesting notebooks and planners. All very pleasing to the eye and touch.

I purchased this as a travel journal for my niece who will be traveling abroad to Spain this winter. The cover is absolutely beautiful and I know she will appreciate the fact that the book will lie flat as she captures her memories (probably while riding in trains, planes and taxis). As other reviewers have noted, the spine is open but it gives it an "old world" feel that just adds to the beauty of the book.

I just got the journal recently, and it's really beautiful and intricate. I haven't had it long term, so I can't say much about durability, but it seems like it will hold up well. I have friends who own the same type, and they say it can take a beating. It's very cool looking and comfortable to write in.

After using two of the beautiful Book of Kells series as journals, I began the third and was quickly disappointed. The first two were excellent; in the other two, the paper is too hard to take ink. The books are much better suited as a platform for scrap-booking, where items are pasted in. Forget about writing in these unless you check them before hand.

This is the second version of this journal that I've purchased (the other has a slightly different cover, but it's essentially the same journal). I loved the first one I had so much that I actually went out of my way to find the companion journal when I'd filled up my first journal. These journals are unique and beautiful, and I wish they weren't so hard to find (Borders used to stock them, but now they don't).

This journal is made up of 178 7x9 pages, and has a hard cover that's ridiculously sturdy and rugged. I've brought this journal on every vacation I've been on in the past 5 years, from the coast of Maine to Texas to Tortola on my honeymoon, and while I've made no special attempts to protect it from scratches or tears (in fact, I've been quite terrible to it), this book has not a dent, nick, scratch or tear. The only thing that reveals this journal as being a well-traveled book is slightly rounded corners. The cover is beautiful, and over the years, even the rainbow-iridescent threads that highlight the intricate cover design are completely intact and still as shiny as the day I bought the book. Yes, this book has some iridescent sparkle to it... You can't see it well in the picture, but trust me, they're there and they make the cover look holographic and sparkly, giving depth to the cover design.

I like the paper in this journal too, which is thicker (almost like card stock), which makes it great to write on but also will take glue and tape without wrinkling or looking like a mushy mess. I disagree with the other poster that says the book won't take ink... I use ball-point pens with no problem. Even the pens that tend to leave those irritating ink blots seem to write easily and smoothly on these pages. As a fun little bonus, the back cover has a little folder pocket to put notes and mementos. While it's expandable, it's meant to take a lot of stuff, it's a nice little odds and ends, and since the folder opens to the binding, stuff won't fall out easily.

The binding is the coolest feature of this book... It's a stitch binding, not a traditional bind, which reminds me of the stitch binding you see on Chinese journals. Very cool. I worried that over time, the binding would wear apart, but on my first book, it's been 5+ years and it's in perfect condition. Because the binding is stitch binding, not a traditional spine bind, the books pages lay completely and totally flat, making it super easy to write on. However, I wouldn't use it for scrapbooking at all, as was suggested before. If you add too much, the book won't lay flat since there's no room for it to expand. I'd use it for maybe the odd newspaper clipping or picture, but serious scrapbook/journaling together should probably go in a different book.

This is a great journal, as is its sister journal (to find it, look in my reviews as I reviewed it with this one) that, because it's so rugged, I don't mind spending a little more on because I know it'll last and look beautiful.

A fun series of historical fanatasy about Queen Elizabeth I. History with a classic fantasy twist including Elves, magic, evil and romance. This is a must read for any true fantasy fan.

Mercedes Lackey is second to only to MZB in her writing. She caputers your imagination and holds it for the entire book! When your done, you want the next one!

Others might find it long and slow. I am into 16th C England and loved the book.

Mercedes Lackey and Roberta Gellis' ILL MET BY MOONLIGHT is for avid fans of fantasy and tells of an aging king and a struggle for a throne. Elfland becomes involved in human endeavors in this thriller.

Ill Met by Moonlight (2005) is the second novel in the Scepter'd Isle series, following This Scepter'd Isle. In the previous volume, the child Elizabeth was born of Anne Boleyn and King Henry VIII. When the child was presented to the court, Harry Fitzhugh was transfixed by her semblance. Surely this child would become the red-haired queen that he had seen within the Great Lens in Underhill. He decided to present her with his cold iron cross to protect her from the Unseleighe.

Denoriel Silverhair and his sister Aleneil kept close watch on the child and foiled one attempt by Pasgen, their Unseleighe half-brother, to replace her with a changeling. Then Prince Vidal Dhu, with his consort Aurilia, led the next attack. The Unseleighe attacked the child in her quarters, but Denoriel and his fellow protectors were already in the rooms and prepared for the intruders.

In this novel, Pasgen subdues an imp who carries a summons from Prince Vidal Dhu. But how has the creature found him? Under questioning, the imp coughs up a Token made from Pasgen's flesh. Temporarily ignoring the summons, Pasgen hurries to find Rhoslyn and tell her of his discovery.

After finding Rhoslyn at the Empty House, Pasgen discovers that his mother had provided a Token from each of them to Vidal Dhu at the time of their birth. The Prince probably still has one for Rhoslyn, but may not know where it is. Pasgen leaves his Token with his sister to investigate and hurries off to answer the summons.

Vidal Dhu has spent the previous four years being treated for iron poisoning. Some of his healers have died while taking the poison from his body. Now the Unseleighe Prince has mostly recovered from his injuries and thinks to take back his place in court.

During the past two years, Oberon forced Pasgen to take responsibility for the Unseleighe Court after several raids against the humans. Pasgen definitely hasn't liked having these responsibilities, but he has managed to control most of the monsters in his charge. Now that Vidal is back, Pasgen wants to position him firmly as the ruler, so that Pasgen himself can do something else -- anything else -- other than continue in charge of these unruly Unseleighe.

Vidal Dhu isn't aware of just how long he has been gone and just how weak he is. However, Pasgen acts timid and subservient to bolster Vidal's reputation in the Unseleighe Court. Some times Rhoslyn has to remind him not to strike down Vidal, but Pasgen gradually removes himself from the court.

Rhoslyn is pleased that Pasgen is no longer trying to kill Elizabeth. She would rather join the Seleighe Court than continue to treat with Prince Vidal and has gradually weaned herself from dependence on the Unseleighe habit of feeding on pain and suffering. Yet she is unsure of her reception and believes Pasgen would prefer to remain in the Unseleighe Lands.

Denoriel has also been undergoing treatment for the last four years. He almost burned out his magical power by channeling lightning in the mortal realms. He still has only weak magical abilities, but can do passive magic such as gating. Now he is ready to return to the mortal realms to resume his relationship with Elizabeth.

In this story, Pasgen is not longer trying to abduct or kill Elizabeth and believes that over time the succession problem will resolve itself. Since Prince Vidal is still insisting of taking Elizabeth out of the picture, however, Pasgen starts looking into ways of discrediting her. Still, he takes an unhurried approach and spends much more time doing other things, such as studying the mists of the Unformed Lands.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth is upset with Lord Denno and still believes that he is lying about Harry being alive. Denoriel takes some chances to let Elizabeth meet Harry in the mortal realms and almost gets Elizabeth caught by Mary and her retinue. Afterward, Elizabeth becomes more cooperative, especially after being allowed into Underhill.

This story covers the latter years of Henry VIII's reign through his wedding to Catherine Parr. As usual, King Henry is having problems with the Scots and the French and spends a great deal of effort keeping them apart from each other. He has a temporary alliance with the Holy Roman Emperor, but that turns out badly. Of course, Vidal Dhu is trying to stir up conflicts wherever he can.

Highly recommended for Lackey and Gellis fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of the Tudor monarchy, English politics and the precocious brilliance of young Elizabeth within the fantastic context of sidhe magics.

-Arthur W. Jordin

This book is tremendous fun and an exceptional look at at life in Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche's inner circle, which seems to have been quite a place to be.

I'm probably in the minority, coming to Perks' earnest and rambunctious account via my research into Celtic spirituality rather than Buddhism. So, I had no bias really one way or the other starting this brisk book-- regarding the reputation of his idiosyncratic "mahasiddha." Having known only of Chogyam Trungpa's reputation by its coverage in Rick Fields' "How the Swans Came to the Lake," read over a decade ago, Trungpa hovered as a hazy presence to unenlightened me. Francesca Fremantle, a student in the same era as Perks (although she's not mentioned by him here) and co-translator with Trungpa of the "Tibetan Book of the Dead," mentions him with affection in her preface, but somewhat gingerly regarding "crazy wisdom" in her scholarly commentary on the TBoD, "Luminous Emptiness" (also reviewed recently by me). So, when I found out Perks' current interest in "Celtic Buddhism" via a web search, I tracked down this autobiography of the servant and the man he served.

It's advisable-- as probably the vast majority of readers will already possess-- surely to know about Buddhism first. As one of the few opening this narrative with rudimentary understanding, it helped that footnotes explain most of the terms. The book does skip about, and it's wise that Perks interspersed short chapters analyzing his earlier escapades from a somewhat more chastened perspective. It's fast-paced, if heavy as many such first-person, small-press tales tend to be, on whatever the author wants to chat with us about at the moment.

As another reviewer found to his disdain, but I thought typically off-kilter for Perks' attitude towards his adventures in its unexpected profundity (but I have an unpredictable mind too), the juxtaposition of a consideration of oral sex with our passage through the birth canal showed how Perks' erotic and spiritual tutelage under one who appeared quite experienced in the sacred as the profane had progressed to fruition. However, Perks' embrace of the promiscuous and the liberated under the guise of enlightenment and privilege also led me into growing unease at the course such an example might have effected the trust of many followers, not only Perks from his intimate level of observation.

Perks, as Elbert Porter's detailed review summarizes, covers his checkered past with vim. Our protagonist's obviously quite a conniver, and he reckoned Trungpa'd be no match for him when he stumbles across him in the early days of hippiedom in Vermont. But how, I kept asking myself, did such an extended lost weekend sustain itself practically? I did wonder, reading the jet-setting flights, the frequent globe-trotting holidays, and the considerable expense that kitting out a retinue of servants and hangers-on as the entourage of "Shambhala" masquerading as the royal retinue of Bhutan cost, as it trundled across the Aquarian Age into the Me Decade. How many students paid tuition for a three-month "seminary" retreat in good faith that these funds would be furthering serious investment in Buddhist teaching in America? I wondered at what seemed to me the play-acting, the role-playing, the debauchery and drinking and drug-taking under such auspices.

Perks does wrestle, as anyone with a conscience, with such dilemmas, even if he does not in the text articulate the ethical conflict as I have. It's more visceral: Trungpa's alcoholism and his decline. I sensed when I read Fremantle's carefully worded longing an echo of the feeling that the master must have inspired in his servants, but I also wondered about the damage done by such a leader in the eyes of those not as skilled as the inner circle of Shambhala's court jesters. Perks circles around this delicate matter, but I wanted him to take it on directly.

Perhaps, like Fremantle as another intimate, Perks cannot do this wholly. The contradictions may be too painful. The moral relativism of the Seventies certainly presents a far different guru than the Dalai Lama's monkish asceticism, and I understand intellectually Perks' struggle to reconcile the hedonistic "holy fool" with his relentless testing and teasing of his self-appointed butler.

Still, there's a jarring gap between ideals and reality here, and no wonder Perks felt he tempted madness in navigating between subservience and dominance of quite an unstable individual. I wonder what ever happened to Max's poor dog, Myson? I get the point of Trungpa's lesson in attachment and renunciation, trust and discipline, but it does appear needless cruelty to a trusting pet to teach Perks his dharma lesson. Did Myson ever return from running out the door into a Vermont chill?

That being said, the narrative does give, in perhaps inevitably uneven fashion, how one gets initiated into wisdom as a devoteé of a guru. It's an unsettling tale for those of us less courageous or daring, but the insider's entry into a heightened state-- with or without drugs-- I found engrossing. Not sure how Perks' respectful if irreverent story compares with Stephen Butterfield's equally controversial version of his stint under Trungpa, "The Double Mirror"!

I was also intrigued by Perks' extended "dream" of Celtic and Buddhist goddesses. I wanted more, given my druthers, on the fusion of these visualizations, and how they came about. But, except for a hint early on that his mother was a Wicca healer when he grew up in Kent around WWII, there's nothing much until very late about Trungpa's encouraging him to look into Celtic parallels. Not even any (if any) significance of why his middle name's Riley. The book does touch upon Celtic matters, but only superficially. A page on an Irish visit and half of that's a guy spewing up Guinness. I'd have expected more clarity and depth here.

Then, suddenly, a few pages discuss "Celtic Buddhism" again-- but only in general terms near the end. However, the blurb tells us that Perks now's writing a book on this subject. I wish I learned why he felt he had to break with the Tibetan teachings to form what appears to be a new lineage grounded in Celtic tradition, but perhaps this upheaval awaits his sequel. I'll be reviewing it, certainly.

The other reviewer's comment that Shambhala refused advertising for this book adds considerable interest to it. What does Perks have to say that Shambhala doesn't want us to hear? Why is the book self-published, and available only from the printer?

Shambhala's snub is all the more interesting in light of the devotion, the adoration, radiating from the text. This book is no guru-bashing expedition. It's practically a long love letter from disciple to guru. Shambhala seems to want to solidify a tame, unthreatening image of Trungpa for posterity.

Perks is not a good little boy; he is, in fact, very naughty and fairly fearless. A mother-approved thief as an English boy in WWII; happily ensconced in a special education class for his first couple years of school; marrying and divorcing passionately, starting schools from scratch and running them with creative panache. Making love in the open amidst night time thunderstorms in the Vermont summer with half-seen women he won't recognize the next day. Awe-struck stupid in his first interview with Trungpa.

Perks, having barely met Trungpa, attends the first Seminary (1973) and witnesses Bhagavan Das' hair being cut off, and gives us the sympathetic afterthought that there is an Indian tradition that the grieving devotee cuts his hair when his guru dies (which was Bhagavan Das' situation). We start to see Trungpa's prankster spirit here, and we see Perks distinguish himself by bringing Trungpa food when everyone else is saying "we're sorry, please come out." Perks goes on to serve Trungpa for a year-long retreat in Massachusetts, and we see a bit more of Trungpa the funny prankster, are disturbed by his cruelty to a dog (but a Bodhisattva cannot harm another?), and wonder how he can take six hits of the LSD that makes the others (single-hit-takers) melt down. If the story is true, it suggests that Trungpa was not just an ordinary Joe who lucked and connived his way into a juicy guru role.

I am nonplussed to witness Trungpa's appropriation of the myth of Shambhala or Shangri-La, appointing himself the King of this Kingdom, and his embrace of victorian British ruling class etiquette and ritual. It is fun, it is playful, it is pointed, it is a vehicle for teaching, but it all, also, conveniently feeds a grandiose sense of self, of one's own importance - the 'self' and the 'one' being none other than Trungpa. Why does it just so happen that there are no "teachings" that appear to be at the expense of that self, rather than inflating it? Why are his consorts always young and beautiful? Trungpa bounces on the bed while Perks searches under it for the pill that Trungpa deliberately cast down. ("Ha, ha," says Perks, "you may think from reading this, that we are buddies." No, sir, I do not.) And why does all Vajradhatu have to drink sake just because Trungpa does? Why do petty Shambhala Level I teachers have to be late for their talks, just because Trungpa was always late for his talks? Gimme a break, this is not mindfulness, it is slavish imitation.

In the Chapter 9 Commentary, we read how Khyentse Yeshe Dorje (1800-?) transmitted illumination to Patrul Rinpoche - and it sounds pretty much like a drunk, abusive Trungpa. So here is one more "crazy wisdom" story to support the assertion that Trungpa was acting in a tradition. Why doesn't Vajradhatu/Shambhala International gather such evidence together and place Trungpa in it honestly, instead of whitewashing his biography?

By the end, I am moved, not by Perks' telepathy and visions, but by his devotion, to something like shame for my critical judgement of this man I never met called Chogyam Trungpa, Rinpoche.

...if only to get a more balanced view of Chogyam Trungpa than you'd get from reading most of the Shambhala-approved, hagiographic stuff, such as the autobiography by his widow, Diana Mukpo.

It's good to keep in mind that the author himself is not exactly the most mentally stable (at least in any conventional use of that term) individual, which becomes obvious through his wild visions/dreams that he continually goes back to throughout the book. From this book, Perks is probably best described as a spiritual eccentric, with a very colorful background, mercurial and impulsive personality---yet he does have a decent understanding of Buddhist psychology and teachings as well, underneath the sometimes outlandish, sometimes flaky and silly devotional zeal he has towards Trungpa as his guru.

[....]
The entire guru tradition is very problematic especially within a Western setting, and Trungpa is a good example of why---Perks is not shy about relating what we might perceive as the hedonistic excesses of Trungpa's personal life, though he does not dwell on them in any sensationalistic tabloid manner.

This book simply provides a fascinating glimpse into the reality of living up close and personal with a fascinatingly enigmatic and charismatic teacher, without whom it could be argued that Western Buddhism would not be what it is today. For better and for worse.

Shame on the whole Shambhala empire to suppress this book!

Fair to say I'll never forget this book.

I actually consider it rather bad: the four stars are for its originality. Nevertheless I have something of a soft spot for it.

John Riley Perks was for many years an acolyte, manservant, and general factotum to the famously dissolute Tibetan lama Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche.

His narrative describes how he got into the movement (originally just to meet girls) and how it changed his life. After Rinpoche died, Perks went on to found his own branch of Buddhism: Celtic Buddhism. (This group is still active today: they meet regularly in Ireland and have their own website.)

You should be aware, though, that Perks has no hesitation in holding up his tale to expound on whatever he believes to be of vital interest, such as when he goes into vibrant detail on how to orally pleasure a woman. (I'm not skylarking here.)

As a result, Perks's book is much more far-ranging than a mere autobiographica buddhistica. Perks has led a variegated life and is never hesitant to stray from the main road. The reader may often find himself many meadows away from Perks's proposed route, but he will never have cause to complain of boredom.

Not all of Perks digressions are unwelcome, to tell the truth. Much of what Perks has to relate, such as his childhood in London during the bombings, and his relationship to his parents, make for memorable, albeit bizarre, reading. But there sure are a lot of them.

Cwen, Caen, Talin, Klead and a Feie are on a quest to dangerous holding places of the shards in hopes of saving Aedracmorae from destruction. Each character has their own story, Cwen's by far is the most interesting. She has denied being a Guardian, she no longer speaks to her mother and father because of a misunderstood past on both parts, and she has hardened herself against men.

Trust is hard for Cwen, but she must learn that she needs it to survive and complete the task. Faced with death many times, the group continues to each point of location in hopes of getting the shards and getting them returned to the Queen so that they can be destroyed; for there are evil stone armies that lie in wait beneath the earth that someone is trying to raise to destroy everything that is Aedracmorae. A young lady with a hardened heart finally found a man worthy of her, only to be separated by death.

Jayel Gibson's, The Wreckening is the second book in her Ancient Mirrors series. This young adult book is full of mystical creatures, emotions, and fantasy that will transport young and old readers into a different exciting world. 5 Hearts

In a cavern beneath the island of Réver, Brengven the Feie stumbles upon a horde of stone soldiers known as the G'lm. Anyone in control of this army can easily take over Ædracmoræ. To prevent this from happening, Yávië, Queen of Ædracmoræ seeks to destroy the heard shards of a Great Wyrm, which give life to the stone armies. Unfortunately, sending one of her Guardians would be too obvious and cause certain evil characters to search for the shards too. Their only hope lies with Cwen, the rebellious daughter of the Guardian Nall.

As Cwen is very stubborn and independent, she is reluctant to accept the quest. However, she does, and she along with her friend Talin, a thief Caen, and the feie Brengven soon embark on an epic adventure in search of the thirteen Wyrm shards. During this quest, Cwen encounters old enemies, fights other unsavory characters, finds new allies, and even falls in love. There is no shortage of excitement or adventure throughout this long novel.

While the beginning of the story is a little confusing with the unfamiliar place names and characters, the reader soon becomes accustomed to them as the most important ones are repeated often. I was pleasantly surprised that a story this long continued to hold my interest the entire way through. The ending was a little abrupt, but I look forward to a partial continuation of Cwen's story in later novels. I appreciated the extensive characterization of Cwen, who shows herself to be more than an arrogant and headstrong girl, and how the insight into the other characters' minds was not overdone.

On the surface, The Wreckening appears to be a fantasy adventure, but it is so much more. Jayel Gibson is a truly talented writer. Though it is long, it never becomes too confusing with the plot and subplots. This is the second book in the Ancient Mirrors fantasy series. It can stand alone, but I do recommend reading the first book in the series, Dragon Queen, before reading The Wreckening as it does make the story easier to understand.

reposted from http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com

Reviewed by Ian McCurley (age 13) for Reader Views (4/07)

"The Wrekening" begins as the Feie named Brengven is searching for a meal and stumbles upon a cavern full of demonic stone soldiers. Opening a rift, he hurries to the fortress of the House of Aaradan where Yavie, the Dragon Queen, and her husband Sorel live with Yavie's Guardians. Hearing the news of the discovery of the army and using the knowledge of the Ancient wizard, Grumblton, they decide that something must be done to collect and destroy the Wreken Shards, the heart shards of the Wreken Wyrms, or stubstrata dragons. Knowing that sending guardians would draw too much attention, they call upon the help of Nall and Naere's estranged daughter, Cwen and her friend Talin. At first they refuse, but Brengven, who was sent to convince them, finally succeeds after Caen, who has been good-naturedly stalking Cwen, gets shot by her. The Feie uses Caen, who is somewhat of a rogue, to convince her by saying that he will take Caen on the quest and that she is too weak to complete the quest. In the end, all three of them accompany Brengven. Several days later, they are traveling through Spire Canyon when Cwen is captured by the Thralax, an intelligent, gorilla-like monster. Just as Cwen is escaping on her own, Caen and Talin come to rescue her and nearly kill the Thralax. Cwen saves it by way of a blood oath, and it is forever sworn to protect her. She steals its vast wealth and continues towards the first of the 13 Wreken Shards. After Cwen and her group have collected the first and several other Wreken Shards, they get news that one town has already been attacked by a dark army set free from an underground cavern by an evil enchantress. When Nall comes to tell them to "speed up", he is nearly killed by Cwen, but nevertheless, they hasten in their task as more armies are awakened and more towns are destroyed. As Caen tries to worm his way into Cwen's heart, Klaed, the son of a councilman who like Cwen and Talin refused to be guardians, shows up and vies for Cwen's affections. Can Cwen and her friends recover and destroy all the Wreken Shards before Aedracmorae is destroyed?

In this second book of the Ancient Mirror series, Jayel Gibson not only writes well, but also draws the reader in to this mesmerizing story. "The Wrekening" is a book for teens that would enjoy reading about fantasy, dragons and dark armies.

The story: A young woman at odds with family, friends and self comes of age while reluctantly leading a quest for Wreken wyrm heart shards believed to control an ancient army threatening the realm of the Dragon Queen.

Although this story appears at first glance to be nothing more than a fantasy action adventure, it is really a story of overcoming adversity and learning how to be a friend. The main character is Cwen, a girl acting out in fear and anger, who finds it difficult to trust in others and believes that her society's rules will only serve to tie her down and steal her freedom. Within Cwen's crippling, self-destructive moods are glimpses of a fierce protectiveness for a childhood friend and moments of softness that hold out hope for her healing and wholeness. THE WREKENING is a story that anyone who is, or has ever been, a rebellious young person butting heads with a parent due to a failure to communicate can identify with. It is ripe with moments of delight over the author's obvious sense of humor and wonder over her skill at creating environments that assault the senses and contain unusual creatures, such as a sasquatch-like giant, endearing downy fliers and plants with decidedly vampiristic tendencies.

This is a story with enough action to capture and hold the reader's attention, while it deals with the dangers and frustrations of growing up and finding one's place in a less than perfect world. It is sure to please those who enjoy a good old fashioned sword and sorcery, quest driven story with a touch of Celtic flavor.

All in all, it was just fun.

Niece to the Dragon Queen Yavie and daughter of one of the Guardians, Cwen of Aaradan is estranged from her family as they condemn her as evil for having been captured and raped by their enemies. She, in turn, rejects anything related to her heritage even the magic she can employ as she leaves her home behind.

However, her Aunt the Queen is worried with open hostilities already killing many. Yavie has learned that the enemy is plotting to gather the thirteen ancient crystal shards invented by the Wyrms that are scattered throughout their world. Though created by the ancient and long since vanished Wyrms to protect the world from evil; the plot calls for using the crystal to raise an invincible unit of underground stone soldiers. The Queen sends her niece and four companions (Talin, Caen, Brengven and Klaed) to prevent that from happening.

On the surface , THE WREKENING will sound somewhat similar to the Tolkien tales (which in turn paid homage to Beowulf), but has a freshness of its own due to the heroine, who leads her band on the quest, while coming of age during the adventure. Cwen makes the tale as, in spite of loathing her mother Nall who condemns her as being weak and her people who assume she is tainted, she accepts her Aunt Yavie's mission to save their world. Her fellow travelers are fully developed and in subtler ways coming of age too especially her best friend Talin. Fantasy readers will appreciate this fine Ancient Mirrors saga.

Harriet Klausner

Getting to know how this art was born, I strongly recommend to those who appreciate Celtic Art

I have not yet drawn knots from this book, but I have worked through Celtic Knots-Mastering the Traditional Pattern which I recommend at a first book for beginners like myself. However, I had read this book and can't wait to start drawing its knots.

This book will show you how to make Celtic knots and it does contain detailed diagrams, however what this book shows you in 20 pages can be easily shown in just a couple of diagrams while at other times the book shows you in just a couple of diagrams what it should have shown you in 20 pages...So there is alot to be desired.

If you're only buying one of Meehan's books, get this one. It's earned its cost 100 times over in helping me design my own knotwork patterns. The history is interesting on the first read; I'm not working on (nearly) priceless vellum so I can afford rough drafts on scrap paper and don't follow the formal construction methods. But there's plenty of material to serve as a starting point.

The collection of Trinity knots in the back is fabulous--try them in balloon art for a change of scale.

Several years ago I was having a guitar made and wanted to use a Celtic theme for some of the inlay work. As usual, I discovered that this was a more complicated task than I had originally thought. Not all places on a guitar are equal, and trying to find a set of ideas that would work as a whole is almost as challenging as designing an illuminated manuscript page.

I my frantic search through the catalogs for books that provided more than pretty pictures, I stumbled across several volumes by Aidan Meehan, including this one on knotwork. Meehan's focus is as much on design as it is on imitation, which was perfect for what I was trying to do. The book is done in clean legible calligraphy with countless illustrations of both technique and results, making it a bit of an artwork itself.

Whether 'secret' or not, Meehan presents knots, their creation, and use in fine and methodical detail. He works through some important knots, then turns to panel design, plaitwork and spiral knots. Probably much more than I will ever need, but making this a valuable resource for the artist and the historian.

John and Caitlin Matthews are two more authors that I generally enjoy. I caught on to Celtic worship many years ago and for a long while they seemed the only non-Llywelyn published authors which were accessible. They both get kudos for being tireless translators and bringing to mainstream readership many older documents which we would not otherwise be able to read for ourselves.

The Druid Source Book is a compilation of Druid history, scholarship and commentary from a range of sources. It is especially treasured for the beginning section on the Druids in history, quoting many of the sources, Caesar and beyond, and their words. The book also contains a wealth of knowledge spanning the last two centuries or so from historians and practitioners alike. It is a very nice addition to any Druid shelf for this wealth of source material.

Matthews does a wonderful job of pulling together different treatises throughout history on how the world has and does view Druidism. This is a very dry read, but is filled with great information.

John Matthews is the editor of this book and has put a lot of work into collecting different material on the Druids. Some of the matterial used is difficult to find as it is out of print, or is an abridged form of larger writings.

It contains material from Caesar to Ross Nichols. Also, there is a list of further readings, and major Druid orders if your interested.

I read a review where an individual stated that "this work was outdated'. Well the ancient druids certainly 'are' and here is a good collection of their history! It seems the more and more I read reviews of Matthews work I come across the complaint that its "dry history'. While this may be true there are also gems within the desert if one cares to look. Also all the books that I've ever read about "druid magic, techniques, shamanism etc...I have found to be worthless and just a dressed up version of wicca. The Encyclopedia of Celtic Wisdom is another example of fine writing and research. Once again we must remember this was"an oral tradition".

The Druid Source Book is a fine gateway to information for those researching Celtic religions or starting a quest for a spiritual path. Unlike many books on the subject, the Source Book is a collection of writings, essays, and articles that relate to the religious practice, gods and myths of the celts. The writings are from several different points of view and time periods. The book is devided by chronological periods so you get not only the information the articles offer, but a historical reference on how this particular religious system was viewed at differtent times of history. This book is also helpful in that many of the passeges contained within are extremely hard to find and it is nice to have them collected in one volume(even if alot of them are not complete). I recomend this book to any person with an interest in celtic religions that want to go to the source information,rather than a regurgitation by someone else, and avoid contamination by others opinions.

THIS IS ABOUT THE FINAL YEAR OF THE GREAT DYNASTY OF THE BOSTON CELTICS FROM 1950'S THRU THE 1960'S. ALONG THE WAY THE AUTHOR TELLS A LITTLE ABOUT EACH PLAYER INCLUDING GM RED AUERBACH.ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS DISCUSSED ARE THE RACISM GOING AROUND NOT ONLY IN BOSTON BUT IN JUST ABOUT EVERY MAJOR CITY IN THE USA. I ALSO FOUND THE COVERAGE CONCERNING RUSSELL VS WILT VERY WELL WRITTEN AND TO ME THE MOST INTERESTING PART OF THIS VERY GOOD BOOK. IT CENTERS MOSTLY AROUND BILL RUSSELL, AS WE FOUND OUT THAT HE IS INDEED VERY HUMAN ALONG WITH BEING THE ULTIMATE TEAM PLAYER. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS FOR ALL BASKETBALL AND ESPECIALLY CELTIC FANS. WELL WORTH READING.

I feel the book's strength is that you receive in-depth portraits of many of the star's who played for the Boston Celtics in addition to their announcer Johnny Most. In addition we are also provided with descriptions of Wilt Chamberlain and other NBA stars during this time period. Chamberlain, by the way, acquired his nickname "The Big Dipper" by having to often duck when entering through a doorway. However, the title suggests a concentration on the 1968-1969 season, and only the chapters on the playoffs at the end of the book provide us with this information. I enjoyed the book, but I found much of the same information in Bob Cousy's book and Red Auerbach's recent book. In addition, former St. Louis Hawks' superstar, Bob Pettit, the first man to score 20,000 points, had his name spelled incorrectly both times it appeared in the book and also in the index. If you enjoy the Celtics I'm quite sure you will enjoy the book, but I found it to be repetitious in what I found in other books. It is, indeed, unfortunate that this great Celtics team often played before a half empty Boston Garden before fans who really didn't appreciate what they had representing their city.

In an era when the NBA is about individuals (Kobe, Shaq), reading a book about a true team is very refreshing. To a man, the players on the 1968-69 Boston Celtics talk about defense, rebounding, and meshing their abilities with those of their teammates. Not one of them is concerned about how many points he scored on a given night, only about whether the team won. It's also very interesting to read about an

For those of us who were lucky enough to be around New England in the 1960's the incredible championship run of the Boston Celtics was a wonder to behold. Imagine winning 11 World Championships in 13 years! I really don't think many of us truly understood the magnitude of what was being accomplished. And needless to say, it's a pretty safe bet that there will never be anything like it again in professional sports.
"Dynasty's End" recalls the incredible accomplishments of Bill Russell, Sam Jones, John Havlicek and the rest of the cast that completely dominated the sport for more than a decade. While the focus is ultimately on the Celtics improbable 1968-69 championship season author Thomas Whelan has done a nice job of filling us in on the history of this storied franchise. It is really quite stunning when you realize that for many years the Celtics were winning championship after championship on a shoestring budget and were rarely able to sell out the building. You begin to understand just how smart Red Auerbach really was. Whelan also recalls great fondness longtime Celtics radio announcer Johnny Most. He truly was one of a kind and really was an intregal part of the Boston Celtics story.
While Whalen gives us the lowdown on all of the significant Celtics players of the period he hones in on Hall of Famer Bill Russell. Here was a multi-talented player with an extremely complex personality who toward the end of his storied career would have the distinction of becoming player-coach of the Celts. Some of the stories and anecdotes about Russell are absolutely priceless. Whalen also profiles many of the Celtics key adversaries of the day including Elgin Baylor, Bill Bradley, Billy Cunningham and of course Bill Russell's arch-rival Wilt "The Stilt" Chamberlain. Suffice to say that Russell had his way with the 7'1" Chamberlain more often than not.
"Dynasty's End" is a well written book destined to be enjoyed by history buffs and basketball fans alike. It is a snapshot of a different era in the country as a whole and professional sports in particular. A worthwhile read!

As a native Bostonian, I can say that a book on the Celtics' most enduring triumph is more than welcome. Anyone who grew up in Boston in the 1950's and 1960's knew that the Celtics were just about at the end of their championship run. After Philadelphia ran the Celtics out of the 1967 playoffs in five games, it was clear that a power shift of major proportions had taken place between the two teams, with Boston on the "down" elevator. The 1968 title was, at the time,their most improbable, their defeat of the 76ers after trailing in the East Finals 3-1 an unprecedented achievement. Their 1969 title dwarfed the noble 1968 entry, and Thomas Whalen has submitted a welcome and long-overdue work on the subject. As an African-American, having attended regular-season and playoff games at the Boston Garden, I can say that Mr. Whalen, if anything, muted the issue of race in Boston. The Garden could be quite an unhospitable place for people of color, not only for spectators, but for visiting and Celtic players as well. Boston's entire history of race relations was prologue for the city's Ragnarok in the 1970's when the buses rolled into the "wrong" neighborhoods. Boston was a tense place after Martin Luther King's assassination, an event which figured largely in the early stages of the Celtics-76ers' playoff series between April 5-19, 1968. The 1968-69 Celtics seemed worn out, a Frank Sinatra opening the show for someone else. Mr. Whalen does a commendable job of taking the reader through the successive stages of the playoffs. I wish, though, that he had devoted more space to the Boston-New York Eastern Conference Final, especially the nerve-wracking sixth game. The Celtics' reward was to be an historic pairing with the "greatest team ever assembled": the mighty Los Angeles Lakers with Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, and Jerry West. How could L.A. lose? An entire chapter devoted to the great seventh game would have been the cherry topping on the sundae. The flaws in the book may be relatively few, but they are, unfortunately, glaring. On page 114, the author writes that the pass stolen by John Havlicek which elevated him to icon status on April 15, 1965 "was intended for [Wilt] Chamberlain." That's a major error of fact. The Celtics were leading the Philadelphia 76ers 110-109 with just four seconds showing on the clock. Hal Greer's pass was intended for Chet Walker. Chamberlain was posted along the baseline, guarded by Bill Russell. Philly had basically four options on the play, including a return pass from Walker to Chamberlain for an easy, series-clinching dunk. Mr. Whalen also writes that the Celtics' late-season 108-73 humiliation to the Lakers occurred at the L.A. Forum; wrong: it was at Boston Garden, where the 14,171 who showed up jeered the Green mercilessly. The mis-spellings of names [Bob Pettit and Dave Gavitt are two] should never occur in a major work; it's the kind of carelessness which forces the casual [or dedicated] reader to wonder if the author is as conversant with his subject as the book's jacket implies. Another drawback is the overwhelming use of footnotes. They are the scholar's tool, but forcing the reader to keep two places in the book, constantly jumping from the text to the source and back again, severely hampers one's reading enjoyment. After more than 100 pages, I simply gave it up and stuck to the text. I also found the writing derivative, lapsing into the "sportspeak" of the 1950's and 1960's magazines, like Sport and Sports Illustrated. It is probably unfair to compare Mr. Whalen, an academic, with David Halberstam, a professional historian, who, in my opinion, has written the two-finest books on pro basketball: "The Breaks of the Game," and "Playing For Keeps." In the latter, Mr. Halberstam crafted a splendid account of the Chicago Bulls' final NBA title without the benefit of a promised interview with Michael Jordan. Mr. Whelan interviewed only one-third of the 12-man Celtic roster; why not the others, or, at the very least Russell, Sam Jones, and Havlicek, plus Red Auerbach? For those who remember that grand spring of 1969, however, the book is more than a worthwhile read, and for the millions of Celtic "fans" who weren't aware of the team before Larry Bird hit town in the fall of 1979, this book can serve as a gazetteer about the NBA's whistle-stops in its early manifestation; an on-point but far-too-brief analysis of an unhappy city and its tortured history of race relations; and a documentary about American sport's most majestic team as it stared down its Gotterdammerung in an epic struggle in a seventh game far, far from the Boston Garden, on May 5, 1969.

If you are interested in the accomapnying software for Andy Sloss' book, search "Proscribe." I found it there.

Just got this book. Looks to be avery good manual, with lots of technical detail.

However, the 191 page book has about 100 pages in the middle devoted to somewhat superfluous examples of line intersections.

I wanted to let everyone know that the software is available for purchase at the author's home page: http://www.net-shopper.co.uk/creative/celtic/index.htm

Contrary to it's title this book is in no way a practical handbook. At first glance when you read through the introduction and part one, the instructions it gives sound easy to follow and it makes it seem as though all this requires is a grid and some mindless drawing of lines. But it turns out that it is the exact opposite. There are numerous rules to remember and different combinations that aren't allowed to be near eachother and the border area is where he really loses you, the structure of the border changes the rules for the entire knot all of which must be memorized unless you want to end up with a jumble of loose ends. It would be enough to say that it sounds quite viable in theory but is completely inviable in practice. I believe the main goal of this book was to sell the computer program that was developed by the author

I have had this book for about two years. It explains celtic knotwork construction in an easy to understand and enlightening manner. Two points subtracted for too much padding in the middle made up of not particularly useful graphs. WHERE'S THE SOFTWARE!! I WANT IT.

This book helped me create my own program for creating PostScript knotwork designs, presenting the structure of the knotwork in a simple, regular manner. END

I love this dictionary. The examples given are excellent and spot on 99% of the time. Information for South and North Walian dialectual differences are also provided. I've recommended it to my friends who are also learning the language and would highly recommend it to anyone wanting a excellent dictionary. The only complaint I have is the binding (paperback edition) doesn't hold up well and the pages will begin to fall out after a bit.

Let me begin by stating that I write here as a student of Celtic languages, history, and culture.

This dictionary presents itself in a very comprehensive manner. It gives the word, whether it is a noun/verb/adjective/etc., the gender of the nouns, and throughout the course of the text there is a large quantity of grammatical reference material that is very helpful. It also places many entries within the bounds of an example sentence, so you can see how many words are actually used, which is especially helpful in understanding idioms, metaphors, and the like. My only complaint with this text is that, like most dictionaries, it does *not* include a phonetic transcription, either in syllables or phonetic notation. This sort of thing is enormously useful, and especially so when learning a language like Welsh, which is a very intimidating language initially to an English-speaker. I recommend acquiring this dictionary along with the 'Hugo Three-Month Language Course' offered by Phylip Brake, as it is the best I have seen in Welsh language aids. It *does* include the words in English syllables!

I am very pleased with this dictionary! This dictionary goes beyond just listing vocabulary. It goes on to explain the syntax of many words which have numerous functions (eg, 'yn'). It is a cross between a dictionary and a reference grammar. This dictionary is undoubtedly for the beginning Welsh student.

The prolific Gareth King has contributed yet another opus to his set of aids for Welsh learners, to go along with his grammar, books of exercises, and introductory textbook (Colloquial Welsh), all published by Routledge. For the learner grappling with spoken Welsh, this is by far the best dictionary I have seen to date, and its price is very reasonable. The usage notes are tremendously helpful, and have illuminated some problems I have long wondered about. Be warned, though, that King's dictionary is a guide to spoken, not literary Welsh--the two are practically different languages, with many differences in grammar and vocabulary. If you plan to learn Welsh only for reading purposes, this book will be of limited use. As the previous reviewer noted, it is not comprehensive, but it doesn't aim to be. However,if you know all that's in this book, you are probably ready to move on to other dictionaries anyway. Spoken Welsh is a fluid entity, and King has made some decisions that other native speakers may not agree with. It would be nice to see some native speakers, especially teachers, review this book.

I've just started teaching myself Welsh, and this book has been so, so useful. It's clear and easy to understand, with mini-sections on mutations, pronounciation, the numbers, the common pronouns, how to say yes and no, a brief but helpful guide to Welsh grammar (for a more thorough guide see www.bbc.co.uk/wales/learnwelsh/grammar, an extremely helpful webside), how to say placenames in Welsh, etc etc etc.
The only thing it's missing are some verb tables!

A fabulous historically based druid tale. One I would highly recommend to Pagan and fantasy readers alike. Very romance and intrigue- filled as well.

I liked this book. It had a great glossary that helped with the terminology. The book itself (cover picture, etc) was beautiful. The story itself was a good story. The Druid lifestyle is very interesting to me, and this book covered it well. For some reason, however, the FLOW was off for me. It just did not flow right - skipped in places sometimes and there were some parts of the book that could have been expanded on - left me hanging. Other than that, it was a good book. I would have rated it a 4 or 5 if only it had flowed better. Worth reading though!!!!

I really enjoyed this book and once I got into it I couldn't put it down. The story is engrossing and very believable, and it's easy to become attched to the main characters - always a sign of a good book. I also found the level of historical accuracy impressive for a novel, the author was clearly trying to paint a picture of what life for druids would have been like at that point in time. It is a great buy as a novel but also contains a lot of valuable practices which could be easily adapted and used by any druid today. The author interview and biblography are also great resources, which make the book more than worth the money - I can't wait for the sequel!

The author has masterfully woven the current understandings of the Celtic Reconstruction movement into a beautiful and moving story. Her characters are engaging and real, her scholarship current, and her purity of intention leaves us with a reading experience that is both educational and entertaining. The rites and ritual actions presented in the book will be familiar to anyone who has studied/practiced any form of Celtic Reconstruction spirituality. By skillfully placing these elements throughout the plot, Ms. Hopman has effectively crafted the first work of fiction, to my knowledge, that incorporates CR spiritual principles into the lives and lifestyles of believable characters. This has the effect of "bringing to life" ideas that may have otherwise remained intellectual constructs with no practical basis. The description of Brighid and her associated lore presented on pgs. 145-146 is one of the most concise and beautiful descriptions I have read anywhere. For all of these reasons, I heartily recommend this book!

I have always love Ellen's work, but this is the first I have read of her "fiction" style. All I can say is I hope there is another book to follow this one!!

This book incorporates information from various accurately researched Celtic sources, yet does not make them out to be something other than what we do know about them. I mean she doesn't imply it has a special hidden usage, so therefore she is not misleading.

I know I would love to have had her go further in depth to share the ceremonies/rituals and such talked about, but in truth we don't know exactly how they were all done and that sort of leaves it up to the imagination and thus drives us to do our own research and work. She does give much though of her own views and a few shared views on the subject in a few of the scene's.

Ellen goes further in that she also accurately shares herbal knowledge and lore for plants that would have been found in those periods and the uses they might have been applied to in caring for those who are sick and injured. This also, I feel, drives one to want to learn more.

I devoured the book in under 3 days. Probably would have done it faster but I had to work too - so I can buy more books like hers! She has inspired me to view some of the works I already have, in new lights. She inspired me to look further into a few things I had a base knowledge of, and she also made me hope that there will be a second book that might go into the life of the characters after the "main setting" - I won't go into details as I don't want to spoil the ending!!

Overall I give this 5 stars. It isn't a "how to" book so to speak and it doesn't promise to be a historical document that one might say is fact, but it is a view of one who follows the path of the Druids and is an accurate attempt to give her view on how life might have been from all her studies. I wish we had more books like this!!

If you are looking for a book to tell you how the Druids of old did their magics and ceremonies and such, then this isn't the book for you. But if you want a good read that is a mind stimulant and thought provoker, this is an excellent source with some good resources on where to look for more.