Scotland Books

This book was a finalist for sports book of the year in the UK in 2007, and won the Book-of-the-Year Award from the United States Golf Association. Kevin Cook hits it "far and sure."

If you want to learn some of the history of Scottish golf, this is a great book. It is very readable and interesting. I wish I had read it before we made our first trip to play golf in Scotland last year.

This book is a must for anyone who is interested in the development of golf. The history of the game and the development of professional and amateur play is well documented, along with the history of snobbery and class discrimination as well. Much of the latter has remained in the game, unfortunately.

I recently played a round of golf with a pretentious member of a local private club, who informed me he would never play with anyone wearing blue jeans. Why? I've met lots of unscrupulous golfers in Dockers. I'll not be playing with that jerk again.

Simply put, this has it all, from facts we all thing we know, to the lives of this family both the glorious and the very lowest God can hand to us.

In 2001 when my middle daughter was accepted to the University of St Andrews we were elated about the prospect of her studing abroad in a first class institution and she was especially excited about being a classmate of Prince William. Golf was an after thought. I had only begun playing a few years earlier and carried a 14 handicap. I read several books on the history of the town of St Andrews and played the course over a dozen times during the ensuring four years. When a friend metioned that he had read "Tommy's Honor" I was lukewarm but took his advice I ordered the book through Amazon. It was one the best written and compelling books I've ever had the chance to read. The humanity of the characters and the richness of the story line compares well with the best novels. I visited the grave site with mild curosity before but now I am making plans to return to St Andrews to play and to walk in the steps of Old and Young Tom Morris.

Fred Fernatt MA,MS,CPA,CFP

Terrific book, excellent book on fair isle, Scotland and well written. Would recommend it for anyone's knitting library.

I have this book on audio & knit while I listen. The knitting/listening process actually concentrates my attention on both. This is a five-star book!

This is my first book on Fair Isle, and I'm very happy and satisfied with my purchase. The book covers a great deal of history on the art of Fair Isle and the section on color selection is marvelous.

I'm fairly new to Fair Isle Knitting and this book is one I'm glad I purchased. The directions are easy to understand and the book is beautifully laid out and full of color suggestions.

This book is an essential resource for anyone contemplating or doing Fair isle type kintting. For beginners it is detailed and easily understood, for experienced fair-isle knitters it is inspirational and will lift your knitting into another class.

Very fast moving book and a good story. I am reading it aloud to my 9 year old and he seems as interested in this as he was in the first book, Silverfin.

I take great issue with reviewers wanting young Bond to have sprung from the womb with a license to kill. Young James has already become a formidable opponent from the day he became a 00 orphan. That in itself is an overwhelming blow that people in modern era have a hard time dealing with! I will not preach, However I shall tell you what I love most about these novels , they made me fall in love all over again with Bond. To get to know his origins ,his family and how he has processed the most painful losses in his young life has made him more of a real life character to me. I believe Charlie Higson has given true Bond fans even more of a reason to dream BOND! I know that I have another superior series to introduce my boys to, and I am grateful . Please keep young Bond evolving and explaining his quirks and reasonings . I look forward to more young Bond adventures I HOPE YOU DO TOO!

Literary 007 fans are in for a real surprise with Charlie Higson's Blood Fever. A dark and intense story awaits readers and the result is thrilling and enjoyable. At first I was apprehensive about starting it. When I had obtained Higson's first novel, SilverFin, I had immediately jumped into it, excited and curious. With Blood Fever, I was worried that I would be slightly disappointed; that the success of SilverFin might have just been a one time deal. It turns out that I could not have been further wrong. Blood Fever is a fast-paced, exciting, well-crafted, and mature James Bond novel.

SilverFin started to clear up the many, many rumours that this new Young Bond series would only appeal to young readers or the Harry Potter crowd, but Blood Fever wipes the slate clean. This is a darker and tougher James Bond novel than anticipated. Where there were some decidedly cute aspects of SilverFin, such as the horse being called "Martini," Blood Fever is devoid of such moments. The maturity, both of Bond and overall, is much more pronounced in this story.

One way this new level of maturity is obtained is in the development of the characters. Many of them are standouts in this novel, starting first with the villain, Count Ugo Carnifex. Villains, both in the Bond novels and films, have to be above par to create an interesting enough challenge for Bond, and Carnifex meets the requirements. He is ruthless and cruel; Higson's characterization of this villain is full of details; and...of course, where would a good villain be without a well-designed and dangerous lair? An improvement over Lord Randolph Hellebore of the previous novel, SilverFin. The other obligatory character is the Bond girl--in this case, the determined and efficient Amy Goodenough. Again, as in the case of the villains, the improvement from SilverFin to Blood Fever is clearly evident. Amy is introduced early on in the story and Higson allows the character plenty of time to develop and become someone that readers actually care about. She is the perfect candidate to be the girl who needs rescuing. Her interaction with James is handled wonderfully and very believable for the reader.

The darkness of Blood Fever is accented by the violence, which seems to have been increased for this second novel. James Bond is much more agent 007 than Young Bond in Blood Fever. In SilverFin, he was unsure, but determined and not willing to give up. Even with those qualities, it was evident that this character was clearly no 007...yet. Blood Fever now takes James Bond on the path to 007. Even the first line, 'James Bond hated feeling trapped,' shows that this boy is restless and one that does not take the common path in life. He must know that there is an exit where ever he may be, and his real ambition is to be free. He realizes that he does not fit in with Eton, the so-called common path. This boy is different from the others. All of this essential information about the back round to this character is presented on the first page describing him alone (pg 15 UK first edition paperback).

One standout scene of Blood Fever (and one that was certainly anticipated before the release of the novel) is the torture sequence involving James Bond. The form of torture is the deadliest animal in the world: mosquitoes. As Ugo Carnifex says, 'they are a nuisance, aren't they?' The scene is written magnificently, from the lack of mutual respect between James Bond and Ugo Carnifex to the sense of hopelessness James feels after he is left alone. Blood drips from the uncountable bites on his body and the creatures are relentless and ruthless in their mass attack. Help eventually comes, but not after James experiences a world of agony and pain. In a way, this scene (which succeeds wonderfully) represents a transition from young Bond to the adult 007. Charlie Higson proves he can make a scene like this work very well. The violence is increased, but sex still remains very PG. Bond tries to resist Vendetta's uncontrollable attempts to kiss him, thinking the action to be embarrassing. He does however kiss her 'hard on the mouth' when trying to get a point across, but the idea of Amy as a girlfriend is 'nonsense' to him.

Do not resist this second Young Bond novel if you did of SilverFin because the idea seemed too childish or silly. Charlie Higson is an accomplished writer and his work on Blood Fever is definitely deserving of praise. This is the best kind of Bond novels--young or old. It grips you from the start and truly does not let go until the conclusion. The characterization is deep and rich, the settings described in detail, and the plot interesting and exciting. Equally as important, there is a point: Blood Fever continues young James Bond on the road to 007. Both James Bond and the readers are in for quite the journey.

commanderbond.net

Thirteen year-old James Bond is pulled into another adventure. This time, James stumbles upon a dangerous secret society at his own school. When his teacher and some of his classmates decide to visit Sardinia over a break, James tags along. He has a nearly takes a fatal fall at their archeological dig site, and James suspects one of his professors. James then leaves his group to stay with his uncle who lives nearby. But danger soon follows, and James discovers a conspiracy involving the secret society, pirates, and a power-hungry monarch.

In this second Young Bond adventure, there is even more action and suspense. Blood Fever definitely has the feel of a true James Bond story. James gets captured, (mildly) tortured, and even has a girl to save. Higson has done a wonderful job of staying true to Bond's character, while making him a much more innocent young man. And the secondary characters are remarkably vivid and exciting. Both children and adults who love action and adventure will love this series.

Blood Fever
By: Charlie Higson



The main character in the story is James Bond and he is a boy who is adventurous and likes to be sneaky at school. He also likes to be in secret clubs like the danger club.


When James Bond goes on a field trip he is on a exploration with a friend from school and on the trip with enemies. He encounters a group of men and gets knocked out. He also meets a big criminal who wants to kill him and watch him suffer.

The setting of the story is in a school, in a carnival, in a mansion and they were all in the middle east.

The theme was about bravery, greed, and death. The story was about bravery because James had to be brave to save the girl that was trapped. It was about greed because two big criminals were fighting for a big treasure. The story was about death because one of James's friends died and that was very big for James.

I liked the story because I like action and adventure type books and this book is very good and once I started reading I couldn't stop. Another reason I liked the book is because it had some parts that were very sad witch quickly changed into anger.

IF you like action or adventure I would suggest you read Young Bond Book #3: Double or Die

I loved this book! It is a great example of Mary Stewart's ability to create suspense and atmosphere in writing. I only wish that she would write another book sometime. I don't even know if she is still around.

This was the first Mary Stewart I read and I was hooked. It is still a favorite along with Madam Will You Talk and The Ivy Tree. The author is masterly in setting up the suspence and romance along with compelling action.
In Wildfire at Midnight, the setting is the Isle of Skye and the tension becomes quite frightening as the heroine feels drawn to a possible murderer. Someone is committing ritual murders on the mountainside and the murderer is likely one of the guests at the remote lodge.

This is a very good book, but the first chapter is a beautifully polished gem. The description of the heroine's look-alike but very different ancestor is unforgetable: "the Vixen Venus ...a Beauty in the days when beauties had a capital B, and were moreover apt to regard beauty and capital as one and the same thing."

Some books are like relatives. You love them despite their lack of perfection. Perhaps they are better than other books in the ways that count - with characters who truly live in their pages and your imagination. Or perhaps they become alive because they transcend the confines of genre fiction and have the complexity of real life.

I love this book, and the author's Nine Coaches Waiting, but both books raise issues about love and trust that I don't think they resolve realistically. However, it is probably my persistent re-reading of the books that caused me to see flaws the casual reader would not.

But it is a great book. I enjoyed the whodunit atmosphere, and of course the sligh twang of romance in the air. Again, this book was written in the 60's I think ,so some of the feminine perspectives might be different, but I enjoyed this novel for all its minute details! Mary Stewart makes her characters come to life!

When I was a child in the 1970s we were on a holiday on the west coast of Scotland and by chance, taking refuge in the car from the torrential summer downpour in the barren square of Portree, my father turned on the radio. What came on was a creepy, disturbing drama set on Skye. A young woman, the only visitor to this country hotel not on the suspect list for a grizzly murder is sitting in the dead of night by the unconscious body of another would-be victim of the murderer. "How appropriate!" my mother laughed, and we listened on. The landscape of the story was the same landscape that was around me, though I couldn't see it for the rain, and there were strange characters, a crazed climber, beltane fires and murder. I thought it was great and it really, really stayed with me. It was years later that I read Wildfire at Midnight and realised that this was the self-same story I'd heard as a child. It's cracking, unashamedly romantic, but really rather well written. A good read for a sick day tucked up on the sofa, or a quiet night in. Mary Stewart's great - if only new pulp fiction could manage the same alluring balance of literary poise and good swash-buckling plots. No one else does it as well.

I loved this book. It is a book I love to read over and over again just because every story is a delight. The characters are well developed for the length of their stories. I especially love the way the authoress' had the all stories tie together.

If you're looking for a christian romance or interested in genealogy, this book may hit the spot for you. With segments written by four different authors, I found it rather uneven. The concept sounds good, but I just didn't find some of the heroines engaging.
It starts as a contemporary romance with Audrey MacMurray taking a genealogy class. She's attracted to the instructor, but backs off when she realizes he's a youth minister. Soured on religion by her missionary parent's abandoment of her, Audrey resists efforts to draw her into the religious activities. As she continues her research, the book jumps to ancestors of hers. This generates several sub-romances set in different periods of Scotland. One character, Celeste, is quite passive, though her growing feelings for her bodyguard mingle with her spiritual growth as he reads the Bible to her.

I thought this was a wonderful book! I read it in one day. I have never read a book like this before and wondered if I would like the fact that there are four stories in one book. However, I will be reading more books like this one. The characters were wonderful and the message was too! I highly recommend this book!

I enjoyed every second of reading this book.
It is so refreshing not to have to skip through pages of
endless smut that does not do anything for the story.
This was a wonderful blessing to read ! As a
family genealogist , it really made the stories
even more enjoyable to read.
Hope to see books like this to buy.
God bless and enjoy reading !

I'm not a real critic like some others. I just know what I enjoy and don't enjoy. I enjoyed this book very much. I read it to my husband at night in bed. We both enjoyed the book.

I have read several books with four stories in one book, and really enjoy them. I believe when four people write an ongoing, connecting story it must be hard to keep things together. I like the connecting story of Audrey in this book.

Reading out loud to my husband, I found myself reading with different voices for the different individuals. I guess I really got into the stories.

I love Christian fiction. I find other Christian people facing trials much as we do today. I find great encouragement and comfort in their relationship with Christ.

This is a great book. I couldnt put it down! - riotously funny in places but very poignant in others. Dont let the title put you off - this is a very memorable book and you will be glad you took the time to read it!

Bill Watkins' second book is at least as good as the first('A Celtic Childhood'), and continues the 'History of Bill' through his young adulthood with great adventure in Scotland('Course, he has to get there first). I rated this book five out of fibe stars only because that is the limit. It's easily a 10!

Bill,
Delighted to purchase Scotland is not for the squeamish. I'm buying a celtic childhood again to give as a gift, what a riot reading this book on the plane,with the headphones on and "Laughing out loud."well, its that sort of funny book

Watkins has only got better. This second of a trilogy has it all.To quote " a smile that would free anyone's soul from gravity. " Read on.

This continues Bill Watkins's autobiography through his time at sea, and in the Scotland of the late 60's and ealy seventies.

As well as the humour, you'll love the evocative prose, which with a surprisingly few words summons up as vivid a picture as any I've ever read.

Especially clever is his rendition of the Scots tongue.

His stories of the start of the Celtic music revival, of living "on the broo" in Edinburgh and the start of the "Silly Wizard" folk group will make anyone smile.

Having read McCaig's other books, I found this one fascinating, but I agree that you might have to be a border collie enthusiast to really enjoy it. The trip through Scotland and finding Gael held my rapt attention. I agree with the Publisher's Weekly review, that McCaig should have stayed on the theme of his new dog and her subsequent life. He left me hanging on that one and I'm hoping there will be a sequel. Despite that, I loved the book anyway.

The only problem with his books are that they seem to read far too quickly. I find myself putting them down just to make them last. He knows how to pull you into a good story. "Nop's Trials" is a particularly great story. Unfortunately for me I stayed up all night with this one in hand until the very last page. Tired but glad to have read this one.

"Eminent Dogs, Dangerous Men" reads great but I'll lose no sleep from this one. A wonderful and captivating read. A real insiders perspective on working dogs and the sheepmen who work with them.

This is a fascinating read for dog lovers.

I have occasionally had friends decide they wanted a Border Collie - friends I knew should not get a Border Collie. I give them this book and it does a great job of changing their minds. And it entertains them at the same time.

I liked this book so much and it stuck with me so when I first read it - the many comments of his "wee bitch" and naming her Gael that my Gael was named from this book. Border collie enthusiasts who see just names on the papers of their dogs may well see some of those names in here. Wonderful people and dogs in real life and an enjoyable read of working dogs, both trials and every day dogs, in Scotland. Loved the book...as someone else mentioned if you're not a fan of border collies you might not find it quite as engaging. Recommended reading for border collie owners!!

A Border Collie owner, I could hardly wait to read this book, and the author's other books, Nop's Trials and Nop's Hope. A one-time visitor to Scotland who can't wait to go back, I eagerly looked forward to this book. And, I was not in the least bit disappointed on either count! The author's style is easy-going and readable, with a subtle humor throughout. His images are brilliant and I just felt like I was present for each scene that he wrote and a part of the action. Someone who has no interest in the working Border Collie might find the book dull. So also might someone who is not particularly interested in the very different lifestyle of the shepherd of Scotland. But for us who love the working Border Collie and find the life of the Scottish shepherd and his/her dog intriguing, this is an absolutely must-read book, over and over again!

Lorrieann Russell researched her personal family tree all the way back to 1600 Scotland and discovered a character with nothing more than a footnote by his name. With this little spark of inspiration, she wove a fascinating tale of fiction laced with reality surrounding William Fylbrigge, the adopted son of Edward, Duke of Stonehaven. Most of the action of the story takes place in the village of Stonehaven, near the city of Aberdeen, in the early 1600's. The book opens with William about to marry the duke's daughter. The grisly witch trials of Europe are still ruining lives in isolated towns such as Stonehaven. As an up and coming young lord, William seeks to lead the town's rulers out of the madness and into the light. The plot thickens....

My Brother's Keeper is not just your average first novel. It is a true spellbinder of exquisite dialog and fascinating characters. The author takes the reader down the halls and through the kitchen of Drumoak Castle, while speaking personally with the castle staff along the way. You root for the intelligent kitchen staff who have been enlightened by their associations with William. You will never forget the character called the little mouse by the residents of Drumoak. The villains are somewhat predictable, but threatening nonetheless. The black-hooded, arrogant, self-righteous witch hunters will get under your skin as you realize their similarity to our current neocon theocracy.

Try to ignore the typos: they are the single bit of negativity you will find in this review. The proofreader is no longer working on Ms. Russell's books, so don't let this issue stop you from buying In the Wake of Ashes. The reviews of the sequel seem to be at least as glowing as the ones for this first book by a new author.

My Brother's Keeper deserves whatever accolades you wish to throw at it. This is an outstanding first novel by a new author. Yes, I know the book is six years old, but this is a good time to start reading. You don't have very long to get through the 1100 pages of My Brother's Keeper and In the Wake of Ashes before the third book comes out!

The characters in this book are so well drawn, you almost feel as if you know Will and Ian and Laurel and Mehlyndia as well as you know your family. Very few books have the distinction of drawing me so far into the plot and causing me to so love the characters that I actually cried while reading it. This book has such a distinction. It provides a chilling picture of the times, but it is not without William's hope for an improved world. Highly recommended!

"When I open a book, I am no longer of this time. I want to read a book into which I can become totally absorbed. This process was immediate with My Brother's Keeper. Historical writings (fiction or research) are my passion, and Miss Russell did an outstanding job, allowing me to experience the depth of her complex characters, the brutality of "Churchianity" in this historical period, and to appreciate the power of the human struggle against such adverse conditions. Her descriptive talents allowed me to envision the torments, suffering, fears, and reality of William Fylbrigge without the graphic horror of it all. One's imagination is always more powerful. I must believe that, in the long run, right will always prevail. I could not put this one down!!! Have the sequel, In the Wake of Ashes, readily available.

I have closed my eyes and relieved this story many times. Her words stimulate you to feel, to hear, to smell, to see, and to taste. Put the time aside and experience historical fiction at its finest.

Lorrieann Russell wrote a compassionate and exciting book about medieval England. She captured not only the history of the period but the flavor as well! Russell's words take you to the castles and the events as if you are there watching it as it unfolds.

Her grasp of these people is wonderfully rich and true. You picture each and every person she writes about. Russell uses not only the rich history, but also the color of that period. Her book is rich in pathoes and humor, terror and joy. She brings the reader along with her on her roller coaster ride through the pages, and like the roller coaster, the ride is much too short.

The book leaves the reader begging for more! The last chapter with its diary-like entries make you wanting more. This book is a must for those that love this period in time. It makes for a wonderful summer's reading and I recommend it to anyone! Like all great books and fine meals, it leaves you begging for more...

Take a trip to early 1600's Scotland via the mind of Lorrieann Russell. Meet William Fylbrigge, heir to the Duke of Stonehaven. Remember the difficult past that he has experienced through his flashbacks; and adventure along with the strong, capable man that he has become. While reading this novel, you will get to know each character intimately, as they are completely "fleshed out." Ms. Russell does not hesitate to describe each character's strong and weak points so that the reader feels that they are dealing with true flesh and blood people. No one is too good to be true, yet there are certain characters that will win your heart and stay in your mind forever. The descriptions in this novel will employ all of your senses. You will see the beauty of Drumoak, smell the horrors of a prison, taste Elinor's delicious recipes, hear the horses in hot pursuit of their masters' prey, feel the joy as William and Mehlyndia are reunited and prepare for their wedding; and truly experience pain, both emotional and physical, as you delve further into William's life. Be sure to set aside some time to take this journey with Ms. Russell because once you begin, you won't want it to end - even when you've reached the last page!

Not the easiest book in the six Lymond Chronicles, but The Ringed Castle more than rewards the reader, and anyone who has made it this far in the series will undoubtedly persevere. These books are so awash in swashbuckling one is unaware of how much history one is learning. I can hardly wait to re-read them all to pick up some of what I've missed. Dunnett is a superb writer of entwined fiction and history.

Volume IV of the Lymond Chronicles shows a marked improvement from the somewhat draggy Pawn In Frankincense, if not quite climbing the storytelling heights of the first three episodes.

Ringed Castle spins two riveting tales, Lymond's attempted remaking of Ivan the Terrible's Russia and Philippa's rise into the upper reaches of the English Royal Court. Vivid supporting characters abound: explorer Diccon Chancellor, chess afficiando Tsar Ivan, astrologer John Dee, and Margaret Lennox, Elizabethan femme fatale. The evocation of the Kremlin is gorgeously detailed, as are Lymond & company's adventures in Russia's unforgiving winter and the heartstopping voyage back to England -- Dunnett's uncanny ability to recreate the exotic past with such force you feel yourself there is in full flower. The book's first two thirds are excellent.

But as in the previous volume, Ringed Castle starts to feel like work down the backstretch. Dunnett's authorial sleight of hand in hiding much of Lymond's viewpoint until the final pages begins to frustrate in its familiarity, this ruse particulary trying given the ongoing story regarding his mysterious parentage.

One hopes for less of this in the final volume...

Most reviews of the Lymond series focus on Francis Crawford of Lymond, the enigmatic, often-tortured central character around whom all the other characters revolve. This isn't surprising because he is the central player on the stage. But my favorite character is Philippa, not just because she is genuinely good, but because whenever she enters a scene, it simply begins to sparkle.

Dorothy Dunnett obviously feels a great love for Philpipa because she gives her the best lines and gave her a marvelous sense of humor. She is a wonderful character, both funny and wise. But her greatest attribute is her strong moral character, her desire to do the right thing. In the prior novel, her desire to save Lymond's son caused to her to risk everything--not everyone would become a member of a harem in an effort to save a life. In Ringed Castle, her desire to reconcile Lymond with his family causes her to place herself at great risk.

With regard to Ringed Castle, I didn't find it as consistently compelling as Pawn in Frankincense, but it is still a wonderful book, particularly the haunting and tragic voyage back to England and the last 100 pages at the English court.

I have a tinge of sadness in the realization that I have only one more installment to see how it all ends, to see if Philippa can ultimately tame Lymond.

Luckily, this series is so strong on many levels I can look forward to many productive and enjoyable re-readings.

This is the fifth book in a series which you will either love or hate. It is also one of those multi-book series which must if at all possible be read in the right order, which is

1) The Game of Kings
2) Queen's Play
3) The Disorderly Knights
4) Pawn in Frankincense
5) The Ringed Castle
6) Checkmate

The Ringed Castle has one of the more memorable opening lines in historical fiction: "Not to every young girl is it given to enter the harem of the Sultan of Turkey and return to her homeland a virgin."

After the shattering events of book 4, "Pawn in Frankincense", Phillipa Somerville so returns to England while Francis Crawford of Lymond goes to Russia and takes service with Ivan the Terrible.

There are two reasons why this series, and indeed the author's similar "Niccolo" series, should be read in chronological order. The first is that the plots are incredibly complicated and if you read them out of sequence you have no chance of understanding what is going on.

The second is that many of the characters meet their deaths in ways which are exceptionally unpleasant both for themselves and for the characters who survive them. If you read the books out of sequence, advance knowledge of how characters are going to die, can have a significant impact on the pleasure you would otherwise have had in reading about the earlier events of their lives when you do get around to reading the earlier books.

Like the books, the central character, Francis Crawford of Lymond, is brilliant, violent, and extremely complicated. Unlike the books he is very flawed. Lymond is a mercenary with particular interests in Scotland and France, and gets involved in nefarious deeds all over the world as 16th century Europeans knew it. Dunnett brings the splendour, cultural ferment, and violent cruelty of the Renaissance world splendidly to life.

In this book Phillipa Somerville, who was scarcely more than a girl when she first appeared in the stories, becomes a more important viewpoint character, developing as a heroine and counterweight to Franci Crawford.

If you are at all squeamish, or do not like having to make your brain work overtime to follow a book, leave this series alone. Lymond's story is neither "chewing gum for the brain" nor a comfortable read. And even if you prefer flawed heroes to knights in shining armour, Lymond may infuriate you from time to time. But if you can put up with these features, these books will richly reward the effort you make in reading them.

There is no middle ground: you will either hate the Lymond series or recognise these books as one of the greatest works of historical fiction ever written. Or very possibly both !

"Not to every young girl is it given to enter the harem of the Sultan of Turkey and return to her homeland a virgin." Now that's what I call an attention getting opening! The Ringed Castle begins book #5 in the series as Philippa returns home to England a very self assured young woman and Francis has hitched his wagon to the mysterious Guzel and heads to Russia to bring Tsar Ivan and his army out of the dark ages with the aid of Francis' highly trained mercenary corps.

As Francis treads the treacherous waters of the Russian court and political intrigues, there is a traitor amongst his troop who has been hired to kill him. At the same time, Philippa is called to court to serve as lady in waiting to Mary Tudor and the delightfully evil Countess Margaret Lennox continues her intrigues against Francis and Philippa. Eventually Francis is ordered by the Tsar to leave Russia, and after a harrowing sail through the dangerous waters of the northern seas Francis comes to London as part of Russia's trade embassy. There he is reunited with his wife, Philippa, who has stumbled across a long hidden mystery regarding Francis' paternity.

As with the first four books in the series, Francis Crawford is a fascinating hero, and is as suave, debonair, flawed and fascinating as only a 16th Century version of James Bond could be. While I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I didn't find it as fast paced as the previous four, particularly the time spent in Russia, although necessary to set up the rest of the story. What I very much enjoyed was the maturation of Philippa and she has become the perfect foil for Lymond, she matched word for word in all their verbal battles and was the highlight of the book. I am dying to read the last book in the series, Checkmate: Sixth in the Legendary Lymond Chronicles and anxiously await the answers to just who fathered Francis Crawford of Lymond. Five stars.

Tense, fractured, unorthodox, often brilliant prose takes us into a mind that is slowly cracking apart, despite the narrator's heroic, nail-shredding efforts to maintain a grip on reality. Throughout the book, she teeters on the edge of madness, fit neither for life, nor for the strait-jacket, going in and out of an asylum, in a disorienting, see-saw journey. Oddly enough, we identify with the tortured soul, and I often found myself rooting desperately for her recovery. The taut, frenetic, often foreshortened, sentences (which sometimes abruptly cut into white space) make for a challenging, unorthodox, sometimes telegraphic, read. There are flowing, suddenly truncated, segments of mental clarity and the sense of the narrator's life cracking, melting, and breaking, in a series of crafty, disturbing, surreal images. There is no sense of a 'whole' life, only of its fragments and remnants--often strewn across a whole swathe of days--like the maimed, mouldering pieces of a jig-saw puzzle. The book is disturbing, sometimes funny and Galloway, ever-creative, has devised a clever, broken, narrative all her own. It is the book that the author of 'Prozac Nation' might wish that she had written.

I read this book when i was about 14.I have had depression since childhood and when I read It I was shocked It was like reading a story about my own feelings.Anyone who Is considering this book,buy it!I borrowed It from the library the first time I read It and I did not want to return It.You won't regret buying this book.Unless you've never been depressed in your life,this book will grab you and won't let go.

Janice Galloways unique technique of writing is very significant in this book, as Joy the maain character is slowly slipping into madness the techniques used show how she feels for example when people talk to joy she uses a script to show how joy thinks nothing said to her s genuine. Also Janice uses joys home outside of glasgow to show her isolation. i recommend this book to everyone. and if u do read it it will show u how we r all so close to maddness ourselves.

My interest in the band "Garbage" led me to this book - its title was used by them to create a chillingly magnificent song on their second CD. I found the book itself to be one of the most creative and compelling works I read this year. The story it tells gets under your skin to such a point that I don't recommend it for those already depressed. For the rest of us, it is a chilling look inside a sympathetic character, a young woman dancing around the border between sanity and madness. She knows she is on the verge of losing it all, and knows she is not getting the kind of help she needs from anyone - least of all the mediocre medical personnel who see her as just one more casefile. Yet she's unable to shake the helplessness and displays the lack of will to take control of her own life which is so often found in the insane and/or suicidal. Galloway makes extremely skilled use of innovative page layouts and even unexpected graphics to really show us her character's imbalanced view of the world. We see through her eyes.

Galloway's novel about the depression and life of a middle-aged, female drama teacher living in Scotland, is captivating and insightful. Galloway uses snapshots from Joy's memory as well as emotion filled diction to create a fictional novel with a lasting effect and unique style. This first person narritive, written from the point of view of Joy Stone, a female battleing a depression over the death of her lover. "Sometimes things get worse before they get better. Sometimes they just get worse. Sometimes all that happens is passing time...The whole point is that time passes. That things fade" (Galloway, The Trick is To Keep Breathing). The novel tracks Joy during a year of her depression and gives a more personal understanding of the world of female depression.