5 comments about Lover Unbound (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 5).

1. before reading this book I read many of the bad reveiw about it. I thought the book was extremly imaginative and entertaining. and I loved the ending, it was an enervative move on J.R. Ward part and it leaves the door open to many more enjoyable stories. this is an author that can think outside the box.



2. So I began reading JR Ward with Dark Lover: A Novel of the Black Dagger Brotherhood (The Black Dagger Brotherhood), and I was hooked. I liked the characters and the set up for the vampire culture. It was also a great romance with a strong heroine, I love Beth.
   Anyway, the love continued with Rhage and especially with Zsadist.
   However, Butch's book left me with something to be desired. So I was really looking forward to Vishous' book. Ms. Ward had set it up to be great.
   Therefore, it is with much regret that I feel that I can only give V's book 2 stars.
   Jane just doesn't seem like a strong enough heroine for a vampire, let alone someone as strong as V.
   And I really didn't like how dark JR went with all the S&M, it really took away from me being able to still like V so much and then the whole thing with Butch, I am sorry that was too much for me!
   Then the last straw was the ending with Jane, seriously she thought this would be the best way to end the book?
   I agree with the review that the problem with the vampires is that they are dwindling and Ward has them all pairing off with characters that can't have children, what?
   Anyway, here is to hoping that the rest of the books will get better. I want to see the great storyline and emotion return that was in Wrath's and Zsadist's (Lover Awakened (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 3)) books.



3. Great read although alittle disappointed with the ending. Gives the impression the reader is running out of ideas....



4. I HAVE READ THIS SERIES FROM THE VERY BEGINNING AND ITS ALWAYS A PLEASURE AND A TREAT TO GET TO GO BACK TO THIS WORLD OF THE BLACKDAGGER BROTHERHOOD!VISHOUS'S[I LOVE THESE NAMES]STORY IS ABSORBING,EROTIC AND THE SECONDARY CHARACTERS ARE FASCINATING AS THEY EVOLVE AND GROW.THIS IS ANOTHER EXCELLENT STORY IN THE BDB SERIES AND I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE NEXT!!!



5. A brutal slayer of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, Vishous is the son of the Bloodletter, the infamous vampire warrior known for his sadistic nature. As a pretrans in his father's war camp, Vishous suffered gravely at the hands of his own father, shaping up the warrior that he has become. Yet centuries of harboring the pain is quickly manifesting its effect. Like a panel of glass with a multitude of cracks, one tap is all it would take for him to break. It appears that the last vestige of hope is lost for him until a fight left him in the care of a human doctor.
   
   Dr Jane Whitticomb is one of the best in her field. But no years of study and medical practice could prepare her for the physical anomaly that she discovers about her patient. And as she thought about how "the Cardiology Department is going to go nuts over this" while at the same time threatening her strange patient "You die on me and I'm going to be really ticked off", fate was weaving the web of their destiny which will alter both their lives forever.
   
   Just when he thought his visions have dried up, Vishous knew only one thing as he looked at his savior - MINE. And for reasons he could not explain, he knew that Jane was coming with him no matter what. But can V avoid the destiny that his mommy dearest had planned for him - that of the Primale who will mate with the Chosen to breed a whole new army of warriors?
   
   Before I write about V and Jane together, allow me to deviate for a moment. It is impossible to write about him without touching the subject of his relationship with Butch. After reading Lover Revealed (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 4), I knew that Vishous was floundering helplessly into destruction. Watching Butch with Marissa and living in such close proximity with them was killing him. Reading about this pain did make me wonder about his sexuality and the extent of his feelings for Butch. Ward has answered those questions (and then some more) in this book. Learning about his childhood has helped me understand about his "phobia" with intimacy and why he felt that way about Butch. After thinking about it, I am in agreement with Butch that V's feelings for him were a result of him "caring about someone for the first time".
   
   Now as for what happens between V and Jane, I initially had mixed feelings about the whole thing. Their story is almost bittersweet and gloomy in the end. I did like the fact that Jane has the strength of character needed to be able to deal with V's character, while V did his best to be the man for her to the point of sacrificing his own desire and needs to keep her safe. My gripe, however, was Jane's destiny. Although I admit that after giving it much thought, I believe that Ward has other plans for these two and I will wait for it to unfold in future books.
   
   LOVER UNBOUND proves what a gutsy author J.R. Ward is. While other authors would have opted for a sweet ending to appease the reader, Ward bravely defies expectations and opted for the most unexpected twist - one that left me initially disappointed, yet now hopeful for the future. This may be the least of my favorite in the series but I am looking forward to reading Phury's story, Lover Enshrined (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 6)

5 comments about Spook Country.

1. Spook Country is a nice novel from W. Gibson. I'm been a fan since my first read of Neuromante, and have to say that the years doesn't seem to pass for William. High tech, junkies, spionage, and a nice argument. The characters are interesting and they grow up on me in every chapter. Can't wait to read more of you Gibson!



2. as a gibson fan since neuromancer, i found pattern recognition a worthwhile departure into the present/near future world of google and post911. spook country explores a similar setting but with less insight. i found the exploration of some of gibson's older themes in this new light thoughtprovoking, but ultimately locative art isn't as cool as cyberspace. despite its shortcomings it was topical with references to many intriguing technosocial developments. as usual the characters are thoughtful and a bit ponderous and the villain is mysterious but transparent. a worthy followup to pattern recognition but also a return to older gibsonia yet not really as engaging as either. still gibson never ceases to be prophetic and i think many of the ideas in this book will have surprising appearances in the real world.



3. Having read Gobson's more illustrious early work (Neuromancer etc being truly ground-breaking), this book came to be a disappointment. The first author to truly explore the concept of virtual reality, Gibson's efforts here at intregrating VR with GPS suggest nothing more exciting than the "mash" already implemented by Google et al. Worse, is the feeling that is a forced attempt to recreate the success and originality of Neuromancer and worse still, the fact that the technological creativity does not integrate closely into the story itself, and although presented centrally at the opening, is ultimately no more than a curious side-show in a rather plodding and routine thriller.
   
   As a thriller, this book does not achieve the pace or tension of less challenging airplane and beach reading. The plot builds extremely slowly and the various threads (which taken in isolation are not particularly gripping) fail to integrate until at least the halfway mark. When at last the book does come to life, the anticipation leads eventually to disappointment because the final development of the plot becomes predictable and routine. In terms of characterization, the slow development is an opportunity missed: most of the players are one-dimensional, and the only interesting dynamic is between the childlike interpretor and his handler.
   
   Unlike typical airplane reading, the book is at least well-written in its precise use of English. Having said that, Gibson has an unfortunate tendancy to combine multiple concepts in a single sentence and to produce "garden path" sentences which only give up their proper meaning at a sencond reading.
   
   The two most positive things I could say are that (a) it is intellectually more demanding than the average thriller and (b) the photographic portrait of the author on the back cover is exceptionally good. In general, I would say that unless you are a dyed-in-the-wool Gibson fan, give this one a miss and pick up a Nora Roberts or a Clive Cussler for your beach reading this summer.



4. The writing style is engaging, and the characters are interesting - but the book seems more like a rough (and unfinished) draft than a completed novel. This is not the William Gibson I know and love.



5. This is not one of Gibson's best novels, but it is worth reading. The mystery he conjures up is fascinating and there are some interesting gadgets like CG art correlated to real world locations, or something like that. Though, in the end I do'nt think Gibson weaved all his threads together in a really satisfying way.

5 comments about World War Hulk (Marvel Comics).

1. In short, there's good news, and there's bad news. The good news: WORLD WAR HULK is a good story. The bad news: WORLD WAR HULK is a good story. Following up on the success of PLANET HULK was not going to be any easy task: in PLANET, the green giant was exiled by a group of Marvel superheroes to an alien world known as Sakaar where he was forced to fight for his life in arena-style combat, eventually triumphing alongside a group of other alien outcasts, and he ruled the world ... for a brief stint until the world was destroyed by his spacecraft. WORLD WAR HULK picks up detailing the events of the Hulk's return to Earth, where he's declared war on the Marvel universe. Accompanied by the small band of allies he made on the planet Sakaar, the Hulk makes a last stand against the forces of Earth, and ... well, the conclusion is best left to the reader, but it is worth the time.
   
   Whereas PLANET HULK had depth and a massive scope to the tale, WORLD WAR HULK pretty much hits one or two notes: it's a massive (and impressive) slugfest of the Hulk facing off against Earth's mightiest heroes -- one-by-one -- in what could be argued are some pretty predictable outcomes. This tale ain't destined to end pretty (and it doesn't!), but "end" it will ... even that's open to interpretation after reading the final few pages. The Hulk's rage is all that fuels the tale; the bond of friendship rears its head a few times, and the pathos of the Hulk character -- a man trapped within a monster -- tries to find common ground amongst the slugging ... however, all that works here is the rage, given plenty of artwork. While the scope is admirable, it's nowhere near the complexity of the preceding tale.
   
   However, it's still worth the read. Enjoy it for what it is -- a suitable wrap-up to what time may show as the Hulk's greatest adventure -- and keep your fingers crossed that there will be another installment.



2. This book is really good, has a lot of good fights, the story is basic but is a good final to planet hulk, Jonh Romita JR's art is espectacular, if you compare this book with Pplanet Hulk it is a mistake because planet hulk is a very complex-interesting arc, and world war hulk delivers the final, now i want to read Hulk (red hulk) and find out what happens to our green/red goliath.



3. As another reviewer said, this novel seems more like an action packed summer blockbuster filled more with eye candy than real character development. It was fun to see certain characters being beat up by the Hulk, but I was never drawn into the story (no pun intended) like I was with Planet Hulk.



4. Well, it sure is an awesome title. I suspected something like this was in the offing, a very large number of years ago, and I'm glad it finally saw the light of day. But... ugh. I mean, yeah, hulk was never my favorite character... but. Geez, I don't really know what to say here. Reading this volume reminds me of how much marvel has changed in the last 15 years (roughly when I started reading them). Back then I was entranced by the epic storylines, the intricate drawings of McFarlane and erg, Larsen, the complicated characters... It all just came together, back in the early, mid 90s. Then I sort of grew up, ran off to college, forgot about it for a while. Suddenly, there's all these marvel movies at the theatres so I figured, well, might as well pick up a few titles.
   
   I've never felt so ripped off in my life. I spent about 80 bucks, and got 3 titles. This, Planet Hulk and something about the Skrulls. First... hulk is drawn very differently from what initially attracted me to the title, and his intelligence has also increased. But... I dunno, I hate to say this about a comic, but... it's just not believable. I didn't find anything emenating from the pages that I identified with. I guess the problem is that Marvel is sort of like a franchise. The product lives on, but often in very different conceptualizations. Gruenwald (one of my favorite writers) died a few years ago, and now Quesadia (or something) is head of the M guys. He must be a spy from DC, cuz this just feels all wrong. Sorry Marvel, my caveat was `until Captain America dies...' and he's dead now, so make mine something else. ADIOS.



5. The comic book media (Marvel)hyped it, and hyped it. It was big, check, it was big,... that's it. As for story line, don't expect much. I was surprised at the huge sales this title made. Shows that Marvel is sort of WWE, more glitter than substance, judging by this title. (SPOILER ALERT folks!!) Not to mention, Civil War (take the ending itself) was a rip off. ANother 'slugfest' between super types, who quickly pick sides like teens, and squabble where they should more realistically be (after a long established trust) reaching a juncture of agreement, with a few displaced allegiances here and there between the less stellar characters. The only good twist in this story: 1) Hulk blindsiding Dr. Strange by breaking his hands, showing off a dangerous new level of intellect coupled with his ferocity, 2) The arena in which he makes the 'heroes' fight each other, trying to vent off some of that pent up frustration he feels toward them. As for the rest of the story, Sentry's angle was pushed indeed, a little too much perhaps. Rushed is more like it. Even the action is not quite 'just' and fair to the other characters. Seems they pushed Hulk a bit too far here. Black Bolt, another good character from Marvel, lost all his credibility in 1 swift moment. True, Hulk has strength. But where the hell did he get the power to clog his ears???? How did gamma radiation do all that? His powers to me were always bordering on the side of realism, sort of driven by science and consequently, primal rage. But here, Black Bolt, who shatters mountains with a whisper, lost in a jiffy. That is why they never showed this most aniticipated of brawls: it was off panel. Black Bolt could probably go on whispering, at the least to keep Hulk at bay, and the inhumans have a load of science at their disposal to escape, relocate (like they have done before), while Hulk and Black Bolt laid it down. But Greg Pak rushed it, as it was difficult to show the fight to obtain that result: Hulk knocking out Black Bolt. Next, for a 'Sorcerer Supreme', it seems Strange really really has limits. Seems his billing as 'supreme' is also another 'overrating'. It seems Hulk is above magic, with Strange coupling with an extra dimensional magical demon, and yet coming up short, whatever the scenario. Anyhow, if it is a straightforward (minimal twist) slugfest between good guys you wish to see, this is for you. If you are indeed somehow looking for indepth turns and twists that were found in earlier Hulk tales (Planet Hulk, if you ask me was a very good angle), this is going to dissappoint. Cheers.

5 comments about Blood Rites (The Dresden Files, Book 6).

1. I'm something of a reluctant fan of the Dresden Files series. The whole premise behind the series seems a bit silly, and the quality of the books has been somewhat uneven. Still, there's something about Wizard Harry and his misfit companions (why does that sound familiar?) that is downright irresistible.
   
   In Blood Rites, Harry is still in the midst of his one-wizard war with the Red Court of Vampires (though the book focuses only on the Black and White Courts). The plot of the book is split between Harry's discovery and planned annihilation of a Black Court nest and Harry's sole Vampire ally Thomas Raith enlisting Harry's help to protect a friend's adult film studio from magical harm. The latter plotline finds Harry dangerously entangled in a White Court power struggle. The Black Court storyline is handled well and probably should have been the subject of an entire novel. It had a Vampire$ feel to it, which is a big plus in my book. The White Court storyline was compelling for a different reason. The adult film/evil eye part of it was, to be blunt, stupid, but the detailed look into the politics, powers, and players of the White Court was quite interesting.
   
   As interesting as each Vampire Court storyline was, they both took a back seat to the revelations Blood Rites contained regarding Harry's background and lineage. This is just the kind of character development the series needed, and will make for some very interesting reading ahead.



2. These books are great! If you love science fiction you will love these books. The author is funny, witty and holds your interest from cover to cover. I ordered the complete set and read through it in a week! I hope they bring the television series back to SciFi. It is more entertaining a series that SciFi brought back, Dr. Who, or as I call it "the doctor's non habit forming sleep remedy"! I'm going to reread them soon since I enjoyed them so much! I'm sure there were things I missed on the first go around. I'm also looking forward to the next book in the series.



3. Still loven' the Harry Dresden Files. He still keeps me guessing. Good book, was hooked.



4. Blood Rites is another masterpiece by Jim Butcher. Where Else can you get Flaming Monkey poo, Assasins, Hellfire, Vampire Porn stars, a dash of Fallen angel and Family all tied up into 2 detective cases and a personal grudge. Its great to see characters from the previous books and the tying up of some lose ends.



5. This was by far the worst book of the series. After I finished it, I decided that I was not going to continue the series; I was done. I am glad that I changed my mind, because books 7 and 8 were fantastic, Blood Rites was below average. As in all of his novels, Butcher creates great character depth. Additionally, the overall plot (the war with the Red Court, the drama with the White Council, the Nevernever, his involvement with the fairies) progresses in this novel. However, the fact that he uses the set of a porn film for this book was a little over the top. I have problems believing that this is where supernatural beings would wage battle. This novel can't be skipped because of its importance to the series, but I wish it could be.

5 comments about Summer Knight (The Dresden Files, Book 4).

1. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel,Mr Butcher keeps you engrossed through the entire experience. I would like to thank him for a well written book.



2. These books are great! If you love science fiction you will love these books. The author is funny, witty and holds your interest from cover to cover. I ordered the complete set and read through it in a week! I hope they bring the television series back to SciFi. It is more entertaining a series that SciFi brought back, Dr. Who, or as I call it "the doctor's non habit forming sleep remedy"! I'm going to reread them soon since I enjoyed them so much! I'm sure there were things I missed on the first go around. I'm also looking forward to the next book in the series.



3. With the Dresden Files, Jim Butcher is doing the impossible--writing a series that gets more entertaining with every book. Easily the best fantasy series on the market today, I'd even go so far as to say that the Dresden Files novels are as good as, if not better than another series of books with a guy name Harry in them.
   
   The fourth book in the series "Summer Knight" is one that will not disappoint readers. Picking up a few months after the events of "Grave Peril" in which Harry lost a girlfriend, made a deal with his faerie godmother to save himself and his friend and precipiated a war between the White Council and the Red Council, Harry starts the novel in a bad place. He's obsessed with finding a cure for his lost love Susan, he's barely been in the office in months, he's aliennating his friends and he's got a price on his head by the Red Council. And that's even before he finds out that his faerie godmother sold the favors he owed her to another and the White Council is coming to town.
   
   The story unfolds at a natural but rewarding pace. Butcher has a natural ability to have events build on each other and he pays off hints from previous novels as well as dropping in hints of things to come. And this book feels like just a snapshot of a few of the big events in Harry's life over the course of a couple of days from the grander scheme of things. The strength in these stories is they're rewarding to read just as stand-alone novels, but taken within the greater context of the series, they add even greater layers. And while I will recommend reading them in order, Butcher does enough to bring in new readers that you can drop in on Harry at this point and not feel hopelessly lost. All the while, he doesn't aliennate long-term readers with pages of recap.
   
   A great series of books that only gets better. This is the best I've read in the series and I can't wait to start the next one.
   
   Oh one word of warning: Don't start any of the Dresden books if you've got things to do like sleep, go to work, spend time with the family. These are the types of books that will consume you, demanding your attention to savor every page and anticipating what will come on the next.



4. This book was full of suspense & humorous as well - very hard to put down. This is a modern fantasy for adults with knights, wizards, fairies, trolls, etc.



5. Summer Knight is by far the best novel of the Dresden Files. Not only does it continue the overall plot of the series, but it has a fascinating and interesting plot within the novel. The war between the two fairy realms is interesting. I think this is the most creative work I have read by Jim Butcher. Gone are the hard to believe, out of nowhere scenarios. In this novel the actions are believable within the concepts of the novel. Bravo! I really enjoyed this novel. If you are a fan of the first three novels then I encourage you to read Summer Knight.
   
   There has been a murder and a transfer of power is at hand. Whether the Winter or Summer fairies emerge victorious will determine if there is endless winter or endless summer on earth. It is my favorite novel of the series.

5 comments about A Clockwork Orange (Norton Paperback Fiction).

1. Eerily intoxicating, A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess delivers a graphic portrayal of a futuristic totalitarian society. The epic journey of the protagonist Alex from his extreme highs to his disembodying lows serves as the focal plot throughout the novel. The themes of violence, mischief and revenge leave the reader anxious to see what happens next. Burgess is able to evoke an array of emotions from the reader toward Alex such as anger during his reckless days to empathy after he is left a shell of himself as a result of Ludovico's Technique. Though the nadsat language takes some getting used to, I thoroughly enjoyed this provoking, poignant read.



2. Great book, a little hard to read a first because of the slanguage. But you will get used to it and it will be easier to read. I did not see the movie until I finished the book and the book is better, of course!! A classic!!!



3. Warning: This book is not for the faint of heart or the uptight. A Clockwork Orange is a very graphic and dark depiction of a sophisticated young man named Alex, who commits brutal acts of "ultraviolence" with his friends for pure aesthetic pleasure. However, it is also one of the most philosophically poignant books I've read, dealing with issues such as the nature of good and evil, the importance of free-will, and the inherent evils of government. This is definitely a must-read.
   
   The most compelling aspect of the novel is Burgess' heavy use of a made-up teenage slang language called Nadsat (very appropriate commentary for our time, where today's teenage language of hip-hop vernacular and IM acronyms continues to puzzle adults). Although difficult to read at first, once you learn the Alex's language, you will become so absorbed in it that you may find yourself actually using Nadsat words without realizing it.
   
   Also, if you have already seen Stanley Kubrick's film adaptation of A Clockwork Orange, do not pass over the book! It is much better in both style and meaning. At the very least (if you don't want to buy the book), stop by the bookstore and read the final chapter of the book, which Kubrick unfortunately decided to omit from his film. It fundamentally changes both the story and its message.



4. The movie by Kubrick is excellent, and I had seen it before reading Burgess book. The book was much better than I expected. Though the film is visionary I must say the book is more fascinating and original; both gruesome and hilarious. Interesting to note is the very different ending in the book compared to the movie - obviously Burgess and Kubrick had different ideas. Go see the movie, then read the book, or vice versa!



5. I can see how people would find this book to be neat. It's defintely unique. I didn't enjoy it, though. I am a reader who likes to get swept onto the page and become the protagonist's shadow, and with this book's inventive language I found that impossible. I could never get into a flow because too often (every paragraph for at least the first seven chapters) I had to stop and figure out what the protagonist was trying to say. I nearly put it down for good when I got about halfway through it. I'm glad I pushed on, though, because the last third of the book--the point in which I had finally figured out enough of the protagonist's language to not have to work so hard--was pretty good.
   
   If you like Shakespeare, you'll probably like this book.

5 comments about Snow Crash (Bantam Spectra Book).

1. Do we have a Metaverse, with people already online 24/7. Stevenson does a good job at predicting some of things happening now, think Halo3.
   I loved this book, if your a computer guy, its a great read.



2. Great book, lots of fun to read. Full of humor, cool technology, and interesting characters. I highly suggest reading this book.



3. The Art of Innovation led me to 'Snow Crash'. I started reading it over the weekend and didn't want to put it down. It's very funny. For some reason, I latched onto this book. Maybe it's because it talks about the Metaverse. Recently, I got into Second Life (SL). I need to do a little bit of research to find out which came first. It talks about people building houses in the virtual world. I can see some similarities between the Metav...more The Art of Innovation led me to 'Snow Crash'. I started reading it over the weekend and didn't want to put it down. It's very funny. For some reason, I latched onto this book. Maybe it's because it talks about the Metaverse. Recently, I got into Second Life (SL). I need to do a little bit of research to find out which came first. It talks about people building houses in the virtual world. I can see some similarities between the Metaverse that Neal Stephenson renders and the world of SL. I think this book has influenced a lot of people and companies. For example, the book talks about goggled into the virtual world through the vision apparatus, a goggle. Hm...Google sounds a lot like goggle. Was the book the source?
   
   I'm not a big fan of Sc-fi books, but once in a while a book like 'Snow Crash' proves to be readable. I've try William Gibson's 'Neomancer'. I didn't make the leap into it yet. Maybe it's too far out there for me to grasp. 'Snow Crash' seems very plausible. I remember, in my younger days, buying David Brin's 'Startide Rising' because it had a cool cover of the man and dolphin. Uplift series



4. What an excellent book! I read this several years ago when I was still a high school student; I've read it at least four times since then. Every time I read it, I discover something new. There are a lot of issues approached in this book. It really is a gift that keeps on giving.



5. Way too overwritten, with Melville style tangents into things about which nobody cares. Cyberpunk gone bad.

5 comments about The Angel Experiment (Maximum Ride, Book 1).

1. Is a good book, but I feel like I`m reading Dark Angel. The girl is also named Max and she`s running from a secret place....



2. First book in the Maximum Ride series.
   
   Based on a character (Max)who appeared in two of Patterson's previous novels, When the Wind Blows and The Lake House. Not a sequel, rather more a reworking.
   
   A group of scientists conducting secret and illegal genetic experiments create several genetically enhanced kids who are 98% human and 2% bird. They can fly and they also have other random talents that seem to crop up when they are in a tight spot. Max, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman, and Angel escaped from the lab and are in hiding from the half-human, half-wolf Erasers who want to recapture them.
   
   The book starts with Angel being captured by a group of Erasers. They take her back to the lab, where she is back at the scientists' mercy. The rest of the flock sets out to rescue Angel.
   
   Short chapters with lots of action and very little character development



3. This book was the turning point for my 6th grade son who was reluctant to read anything beyond what was required in school. He ate this book up like never before, and he immediately wanted to read the rest of the series. After he read this book, he started reading for pleasure on a regular basis. Thank you, James Patterson!
   
   I have also lent out this book series to 3 other kids that age, and they all had the same reaction... they loved it and wanted to read the rest immediately. Never mind the negative reviews you might read here. This is a book series that is likely to become an all-time favorite for 12-13 years-olds despite their love for stories like Eragon, Harry Potter, and Artemis Fowl. This is a "MUST READ".



4. This a great book for middle school age kids. Even my mom likes them! Great book!



5. My daughter loved this book. Once she decided to try to read it she couldn't put it down. She finished the last half of the book in an all day reading marathon. She wants to continue reading the rest of the series. Her friend and her grandmother both want to borrow the book now based on her rating of it.

5 comments about Death Masks (The Dresden Files, Book 5).

1. These books are great! If you love science fiction you will love these books. The author is funny, witty and holds your interest from cover to cover. I ordered the complete set and read through it in a week! I hope they bring the television series back to SciFi. It is more entertaining a series that SciFi brought back, Dr. Who, or as I call it "the doctor's non habit forming sleep remedy"! I'm going to reread them soon since I enjoyed them so much! I'm sure there were things I missed on the first go around. I'm also looking forward to the next book in the series.



2. This book is written really well, just like all the other Dresden Files books. It gets the imagination going and keeps it there!



3. In my opinion, this is the best book in the series, so far. Unlike the first four books in the series, I never once found myself wondering if there weren't a better way to continue the story. Harry's life keeps getting more challenging, but he's getting better at dealing with those challenges, too. And Mr. Butcher has come up with some really interesting characters to go up against Harry that keep me wanting more.



4. There is always something new in this series; it keeps you fascinated. Knights of the Cross, The Shroud of Turin & a duel with a vampire are just some of things involved/happening in "Death Masks."



5. This was a well written novel by James Butcher. The plot was a little weak, but the characters were strong. I like the detail he creates about his villains. But saying that, I wonder if the chief and most powerful demon of the fallen would be willing to undertake this action. So the characters are interesting and exciting, but I question their motives and likelihood to commit the actions in this story. Additionally, the end of the novel has an interesting twist that affects the follwing novels. I liked this novel, but this series is starting to annoy me. I feel the individual strengths of the novels are declining while the overall series is very interesting.
   
   This is the best analogy to describe how I feel about the series. These novels are like a 1 hr show on TV; they are good enough, but not great. People pay forty dollars a month for cable and don't expect anything really good to be produced. They want something entertaining and they want it to be good enough that they look forward to the next episode. That describes the majority of this series. When I read the first one, it was like a movie at a theater. People pay a premium to watch it in theaters because they expect it to be great. So these are good novels, but they don't live up to their predecessor.

5 comments about The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure.

1. On of my favorite movies to sit down and watch or come into the middle of and pick it up at that point is The Princess Bride. Ahhhh, such a tale that everyone loves. Who doesn't have a favorite character (or two). However, this review deals with the book that the movie was developed from.
   
   The book of The Princess Bride is self described as the abridged telling of S. Morgenstern's classic tale of true love and high adventure. However, rather than being an abridged story, this is the full story (sorry if you're looking for Morgenstern's tale, a little lie). That said, the tale is told as a writer who's abridging a classic tale from his youth that his dad read to him when he was sick. In `abridging' Morgenstern's work, Mr. Goldman inserts his own comments, whether it's his memory of when his dad read the story to him or when he explains why he removed part of Morgentstern's work.
   
   The Good
   The book follows the movie (or is it the movie follows the book, a little hard to say) very well. All of the scenes you love in the movie are in the book. Additional data is provided usually, but it doesn't hurt what we saw in the movie in the least. In addition, we're given additional back ground data on Princess Buttercup, Wesley, and all of the major characters. I was particularly happy with the additional information on Inigo and Fezzik. While I enjoyed them in the movie, the book brings them forward! Especially when you learn what Fezzik went thru.
   
   The Bad
   Sometimes Mr. Goldman is a little long winded. I know he was trying to capture a writing style, but I think he took it a little to far. Particularly when describing the Prince and his Zoo of Death. As a matter of fact, this caused me to put the book down for a little while.
   
   The Rating
   Boy, on the front half I was only thinking 3 stars. I mean it was a little slow, Mr. Goldman spent a fair amount of time coming up with the idea of abridging the book, acquiring the book, and writing the abridged work. However, once Princess Buttercup is kidnapped the story picks up and the story steps up to 4.5 stars. Given this, I'll call this one a 4 star book. The strength of the book is what we've seen in the movie, quick action with an excellent story that everyone loves.



2. There were a few clever lines throughout the story that had me chuckling. It appears that the author Goldman edited a story written by Morgenstern. There were many places in which Goldman described why he omitted various pages of Morgenstern's work, but what he kept were in Morgenstern's original words. Goldman's editing comments took me out of the story too much. I would have preferred the story without comments. The characters, plot and action were interesting, but Morgenstern's writing style was tedious.
   
   At the end of this book, Goldman edits the first chapter of a second Morgenstern book called "Buttercup's Baby." That chapter provides more details for the ending of "The Princess Bride" which is nice, but it also leaves the reader hanging because it starts a new story with unanswered questions. The writing of this chapter was not done chronologically which was confusing and made the story less enjoyable. My rating reflects my bias toward romance novels. Readers who love action, adventure and heroes with amazing powers would probably like this story more than I did. The ideas were creative and fun but the book needs a modern day rewrite.
   
   Sexual language: none. Number of sex scenes: none. Setting: Unknown time (during sword fighting days) in Europe. Copyright: 1973. Genre: young adult, adventure fiction.



3. I had a hard time emotionally engaging in this book. It is mainly a frenetic joke that speeds rapidly by. I love Rob Reiner as a director and William Goldman is one of my favorite screenwriters. I just didn't love this book. I have always liked the movie, not loved it but thought the book would be better. It just isn't for me.



4. The first time I read this book, I loved it, fullstop. The second time I read it, I was pretty angry about being tricked, but it was still awesome. Reading it all these years later as an adult, I noticed how sexist, racist, and lazy this book is. Don't get me wrong- enough of it is still entertaining that I didn't try to set my copy on fire, but it's not nearly as good as I remember it being.



5. I was afraid to read this book and avoided it for many years. I so dearly love the movie and I just didn't want to be disappointed either way. If the book was better, as is usually the case, then my movie experience would be tarnished. If the movie was better then I'd be wasting my time with the book.
   
   Well nevermind to all of that, because I LOVE this book and now the two separate entities will forever positively reinforce each other in my mind. There are some significant changes from the movie which should help separate them.
   
   I love the inclusion of the character, "William Goldman". Oh, he's not a character you say? He's the author? Well he's one of my favorite parts of this book. I love the interaction between the characters, especially Fezzik and Inigo who throughout the book had me in all kinds of tears: of laughter, of joy, of sadness.
   
   I read every word of "The Princess Bride" and I'm usually a big skimmer and skipper.