No comments about Mission Of Honor (Honor Harrington Series).

5 comments about Pleasure Unbound (Demonica, Book 1).

1. I didn't care for this style of book at first.... I thought it was a little farfetched... I meand a seminous demon that lived on sex.. how crazy.... But I continued to read because I always give the author a chance to win me over... And boy did she. In the end I really enjoyed the book and have since read the second one and I am getting ready to start the third one!!!!
   
   If you buy this book and don't love it in the first few chapters.. keep reading cause I can almost guarantee you will be wanting more by the end of it!!!



2. If you are a fan of this genre, then you must read this book. I Highly recommend it. AWESOME!



3. Welcome to Larissa Ione's utterly imaginative world of Demonica, full of demons, vampires, shifters, weres, slayers, humans and every combined half version of them. PLEASURE UNBOUND is a great ride that I just couldn't put down; action packed, erotic and sinfully dark with witty humour and engaging, fresh characters. Including a kick-ass heroine and her uber-sexy, scrub wearing Demon love interest. It's the perfect combination of paranormal romance and urban fantasy and it's oh so good.
   
   Tayla has been taught that all demons are evil and since they are also responsible for the death of her mother she has dedicated her life to destroying them, she is a demon-slayer, an Aegi. So when a slaying goes bad, killing her partner and she finds herself laid up in UGH (underworld general hospital) all she can think about is taking names and then taking the place down. (And unreasonably the cute doctor able to heal with a simple touch.)
   
   Eidolon is a Seminus demon doctor, sworn to heal and protect even the worst of his world. He is also nearing his transition, a change that will cause him to go mad with lust, craving every woman in his path and likely getting himself killed by a jealous male in the process. He is fighting the change but when Tayla enters his realm even though he hates the Aegi, all bets are off.
   
   The underlying moral here isn't unique; what if your entire belief system was destroyed by getting to know and spending time with your enemy? What if you discovered that they weren't the evil incarnate you'd been led to believe but in fact were no different from yourself? That they had families, jobs and problems and thought YOU were the evil one. And what if it then came to be that you were actually one of them?
   
   Pleasure Unbound is the first in the Demonica series and like I said it's original and fantastic. Eidolon's demon brothers really piqued my interest and I look forward to reading their books in particular bad-boy Wraith`s story. I would also highly recommend this to fans of the Ward's BDB who will see several similarities between the sets of "brothers" with their tortured pasts, sacrifices for each other and continual bantering. Cheers!



4. I'm a big Larissa Ione fan. The Sem bros are my favs. Love the whole series.



5. great awesome romance and book 2 for the brothers, this one the sexual tension was heighten somewhat with mystery around the brothers loved this more then book 1 but this brother out the three is my favorite, must read.

1 comments about Martial Power 2: A 4th Edition D&D Supplement.

1. This book is another of the never ending expansions of D&D 4th ed. It provides more options for martial powered character classes and some interesting ways to expand your character thru the fighting style feats. My only criticism of this book is that too little of it is devoted to motivations and indeed goals of martial characters. Hopefully another volume will be published dealing more with this aspect of the game and less of the variations on the base character classes.

5 comments about The Mysterious Benedict Society.

1. This book was the greatest book I have ever read! It had adventure, humor, mystery, and lots more, in one book!
   What I liked most about this book though was that it was all about kids. The kids in this book figured everything out themselves. Plus it shows that everyone has his or her gift, we all are different. It has a great story line and always has excitement coming around the corner. This book also has no bad lauguage and is appropriate for all ages. I know the size of this book and the small print is very intimidating, but if it wasn't this big then there woudn't be enough room for the adventure. I had a hard time putting the book down! I hope you'll read it!



2. The Mysterious Benedict Society, a New York Times bestseller by Trenton Lee Stewart is a great book that is a mixture of mystery, adventure, and friendship. It is a wonderful story, and good as a summer read. It is suspenseful, interesting, and it is never boring. It is a good children's read, and also good as a read aloud book, or for a book club.
   Orphan Reynard (Reynie) Muldoon is living at an orphanage where his only friends are the books that he reads, and his tutor, Miss Perumal, when he sees an add in the local newspaper that states "Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities?" Reynie, a very gifted child indeed, proceeds to participate in multiple strange tests, including questions like "are you brave?", and "The territories off the Naxcivan Autonomous Republic and the Nagorno-Karabakh region are disputed by what two countries?" Soon, Reynie is caught up in an adventure including a cranky girl, a strange machine, a boy who remembers everything he reads, and a strange school called the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened (or L.I.V.E.). As Reynie is swept up in the mystery of a strange machine, known as the Whisperer, he is also caught up in friendships that could last a lifetime with three other "gifted" children accompanying Reynie on his mission.
   This book is very good for children from the ages eight to thirteen. It is interesting, funny, and you are able to relate to the characters well. The way that Trenton Lee Stewart weaves the story is both mesmerizing and creative. It shows kid's how important it is to have close friends, and how, in a time of need, you should always be able to turn to your peers. I was hooked from the first chapter. It is a great read.
   The setting in the book is both creative, and it adds a little to the story. L.I.V.E. is situated on an island, which adds to the feel of desolation that overcomes Reynie in parts of the book. It also creates a more interesting story, and helps you visualize the book as you read it.
   This book is interesting, hooks you, and creates a realistic yet interesting setting. It is a great book for children and tweens. It is a great book for group discussions, and also creates a sort of fantasy life, while at the same time it creates a very real world with the very real problems of a twelve-year-old boy. It is a wonderfully thrilling book that is filled with puzzles, clues, and laughter, memories, friends, and, of course, a sense of magic and adventure.



3. Katie,TN
   
   This is my all time favotite book! Trenton Lee Stewart is So briliant ! I have Never read such a great book! I got it about two years ago and I have probably read it 5 or 6 times! It like never ever gets old. I recomend this book to anyone who loves a great story!Now stop reading reviews and just buy the book!



4. I had purchased The Mysterious Benedict Society and The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey for myself. I enjoyed them so much, I decided to purchase both for my son and the teen he tutors. The unlikely situation that prompts the Society to take form is not really so different from some of the peculiar things that turn up now-and-then, in the news. I found the characters lively and enjoyable. There were enough surprises to keep me engaged. I'll be purchasing The Mysterious Benedict Society and Prisoner's Dilemma (and any future volumes, as well) for both my son and myself when that book becomes available in paperback.



5. "The missing aren't missing, they're only departed, all minds keep all thoughts - so like gold - closely guarded." There is an add in the newspaper, calling for exceptionally smart children. When Raynie goes to figure out what it is all about, he finds out it is to take a test, he does it. He gets accepted for the project, which turns out to be to save mankind from having everyone's memory erased, so the world can be taken over.
   
   From the first page, The Mysterious Benedict Society (TMBS) is a capturing story, full of adventure and fun. It's an interesting story, of four very smart kids, that end up having to save the world. In a way that's really cool, but its also kind of cheesy. The book is really good, but at times it is a bit childish. If you are okay with that sometimes, than it is a fine book for you. But if you are more into serious realistic books, it may not be.
   There are four main characters in it, Raynie, Kate, Sticky, and Constance. They are all very different, and I think almost anyone can relate to at least one of them. When you read about these characters and their interactions, it is very relatable to real life. They have some interesting and abnormal qualities about them but in a lot of ways they are like anyone else.
   
   This book is full of mystery (hence the title) and is very in-depth. Trenton Lee Stewart wrote this book very well, as he kept you involved and wanting to read more. There are sometimes puzzles in the book, which the kids have to complete, and usually you can't help yourself from trying to figure them out yourself. Sometimes you cant though!
   
   I would highly recommend this book if you like a story about mystery, friendship, and adventure. One thing that I really enjoy about this book is that in a way it motivates you. That may sound kind of weird, but it does. These kids are all perceived as nerds at the beginning, but they actually do something huge by being so smart, and are thought as different people, who helped the human race. Over all, I really enjoyed The Mysterious Benedict Society, and you might as well. There is also a sequel and a prequel, which I have not read yet, but will in the near future.

5 comments about Impact.

1. It's because of Relic. I liked it. Implausable, but likeable. A nice sense of "place". And then I got burned. and burned again. But being a slow learner, I bought this shaggy-dog story. I will give you all of the satisfaction to be derived from this remarkably contrived tale and save you some money. Q -- "Why do elephants paint their toe nails red?" A -- "So they can hide in strawberry patches." There ya go. Every bit as good as the book. yummy.



2. Well developed and intriguing plot-line. Strong character portrayals. You really find yourself caring and rooting for the"good guys."



3. Engaging, suspenseful and fun to read. And though it's in the familiar cloak and dagger genre of sci-fi thrillers, it has a very original premise and plot lines, and enough twists and turns to keep you interested without reaching for cliches. I find this to be characteristic of his writing, and I've never been disappointed by any of his books(or any in collaboration with LC).
   
   btw: to any nerds who want to argue the validity of strange matter and interplanetary weapons systems in the story, just go away. Some novels are actually works of FICTION written for entertainment, and don't seek the approval of the scientific community. It's called having an imagination.



4. In typical Preston fashion, he takes a scientific--albeit theoretical--idea, a likable protagonist, a very nasty human being, and a beat-the-clock plot pitting everyone against each other. As in his other undertaking, Blasphemy, we have all the elements of a great thriller, and how he manages to juggle everything without leaving the reader confused is one of his many talents.
   
   By bringing the aforementioned scientific theory to life, he is officially in the upper echelons of the Michael Crichton School of Writing. Other authors have tried, and failed, to do what Crichton did effortlessly (e.g., Jurassic Park), and Preston is one of the select few to pull it off. This is what happens when you have a science-educated man writing thrillers for a living; he breathes new life into heretofore incomprehensible concepts, and he does it all by keeping one thing in mind: always entertain the reader.
   
   Without giving away the plot points, as it would diminish the book's "impact" when things start revealing themselves, let's just say that Preston once again kept me up very late as I was unable to put the book down. The entire plot, and mini plots, came together so brilliantly in the end I was a bit surprised I didn't see it coming. Hooray for Preston! Most times I see the denouement coming a mile away, but this one left me saying, "Well I'll be dammed!"
   
   The reason I'm not giving it five stars is that I felt the characters could have used some more development. Don't get me wrong: I love a page-turning thriller that doesn't spend excessive time on character development (see Stephen King) and less time on action and adventure. This, however, was just shy of being balanced correctly. I wanted to know more about Wyman Ford and his background (I believe he was introduced in Blasphemy), especially since I couldn't remember why his name sounded familiar, and helpful for new Preston readers.
   
   Do not let this stop you from reading Impact. You'll enjoy the science, the adventures, the plot, the multiple climaxes, and the final shebang. It gives new meaning to that other book's title, New Moon. Have fun!



5. Judging by the 49 others who gave this book only 1 star, I'm not alone in being turned off by gratuitous profanity, and a major character who is a selfish brat with a chip on her shoulder. It is REALLY hard to care about such a waste of skin.
   
   I also ended up skipping over a lot of unnecessary description during the climactic boat scenes. Yeah, it was stormy, there were lots of island inlets, yadda yadda. It felt as if Preston's editor demanded a certain number of words, so he 'plumped it up' with meaningless reiterations.
   
   Doug, next time try making an admirable person an important part of the story. No matter how clever the hook, if you don't want to spend time with the character, it is wasted.

5 comments about Bone Crossed (Mercy Thompson).

1. Each book in the series gets better and better....which is hard to imagine because the first 3 were great...but they do!!!!!! I can't wait until the 5th one comes out!!!!



2. Summary: Car mechanic and sometime shape-shifter Mercy Thompson has learned - the hard way - why her race was almost exterminated. When European vampires emigrated to North America, they found Mercy's people had a hidden talent for vampire slaying. Unfortunately for Mercy, the queen of the local vampire seethe has discovered her true identity.
   
   The undead queen is also furious when she learns Mercy has crossed her and killed one of her own. Mercy may be protected from direct reprisals by the werewolf pack (and her interesting relationship with its Alpha), but that just means Marsilia will come after Mercy some other way. So Mercy had better prepare to watch her back.
   
   I was a bit disappointed with this book. After the amazing and awe-inspiring third book in this series, I expected this one to be a home run, or well, a grand slam - if I am using baseball analogies. It seemed like the whole climax of the story was rushed through, I would have loved to have a better description of what went on when Adam and Mercy finished bonding, and also more about the mysteries stick that keeps following Mercy around, although it finally comes in handy in this book. I did like that we learned a bit more about Mercy's powers, and met some new and different characters. I am also still completely in shock and awe of what the mistress did the poor abused Stephan, that was just messed up. This book is a good read to hopefully bridge for a better book in the 5th installment of this series.We shall see.



3. Bone Crossed is action-packed and adventurous. It is interesting from the very beginning. Because I read so many different urban fantasy / paranormal series, I did have to keep pausing to remember what happened in past books. I prefer doing this, though, rather than reading too many recaps within a book.
   
   There's a bit more (not a lot) romance in this book than in past books in the series. In previous books I was torn between Adam and Samuel (even though I knew one of them would not work out). Mercy finally admits to herself, and to the man, that she does in did like/love him. How exciting for Mercy fans!
   
   Bone Crossed contains adventures with Mercy the shapeshifter (coyote), werewolves, vampires, and different types of fae. There really isn't a lull in the entire book. My only complaints would be that it was too short (as is all in this series and the Alpha and Omega series -- I'm guessing it may be the publishers determining book length). I feel this book could have been at least another 100 pages. The way she dealt with the last bit of controversy in the book really needed to be longer. It seemed to be completed so quickly.
   
   I do have a hard time spending the money on this series in hardback, since they are such short books. I waited for Bone Crossed to come out in paperback, but I'll admit that I did pre-order Silver Borne in hardcover. Bone Crossed was that enthralling to me!! I highly recommend this book. However, you will NEED to read the previous books in the series to completely enjoy (and understand) it.



4. Mercy is on the mend emotionally and physically. She's trying so hard to let Adam get close to her, but events leading up to their mating have made it difficult and have made Mercy flinch at a surprising touch or have a panic attack if something brings back memories of the events in book three. She's able to take her mind off this for a bit when Stefan shows up at her trailer mostly dead (well, as dead as a vampire can get) and nearly at the same time a surprise visit from her mother and and then a friend from college, Amber. Stefan has been starved and banished from the local vampire seethe by the Mistress, Marsilia, for his past actions and protecting Mercy. Mercy, Adam, and Samuel decide that by starving Stefan and then kicking him out, the queen was hoping Stefan would head straight to Mercy and kill her.
   
   Amber claims to have seen an article about Mercy and everything that happened to her, and says she has a ghost in her house and she needs Mercy's help. But Mercy thinks this is strange as she hasn't seen or heard from Amber in years. To get Marsilia off of Mercy's back and to negotiate with her, Adam and Samuel think sending Mercy out of town to help Amber is a good idea. Stefan agrees to go with since there is a vampire called The Monster that has taken up residence there. Little do Mercy and friends know The Monster plays a bigger part in Mercy's visit than they realize.
   
   There is a lot going on in this book, but none of it seemed rushed. I do find that sometimes the endings drag on for about 10 pages too long, but what's 10 pages hurt? Mercy is in a world of trouble in this book. Not only are the vampires after her in her own town, but there is a ghost haunting her friend Amber's son...haunting almost to the point of killing the child. There is also Blackwood, the vampire called The Monster, who has his eye on Mercy and has had his eye on her for a very long time.
   
   There are a lot of interesting revelations in this book. Mercy comes to understand her powers better. She also understands more about vampire politics. And finally knows she's meant to be with Adam and for the long haul. She still worries for Samuel's well-being and hopes that it won't hurt him too much if she ends up leaving and staying in Adam's home. The wolf pack is not very happy about Mercy joining them. She's not really one of them, and having her be above them in the pecking order pisses some of them off. There are a few who are Mercy's friends and are okay with it though.
   
   I felt really bad for Stefan in this one. He goes through so much and loses so much that it's hard to imagine he will make it through the book. He really does care for Mercy, but I'm not sure if it's just as a friend or more. This whole scenario kind of freaks me out, because I'm scared there will be another girl/wolf/vampire triangle and then the series will go the way of LKH's Anita Blake. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it doesn't! Stefan seems to respect Adam enough and doesn't seem to want to step in between what Mercy and him share.



5. As always, Patricia Briggs does it again! I love her books and as always, Mercy is at her best!

5 comments about Slaughterhouse-Five: A Novel.

1. When I saw Ethan Hawke was the reader for this classic, I couldn't wait to check it out. When I brought it home and hit play, I was confused. Ethan reads the ENTIRE book an a near monotone WHISPER! I don't know if he was whispering because it was a stylistic choice, or because he wanted to save his voice, but it ruined the book. As a comparison, there is a clip of Vonnegut reading after a short interview at the end of the book, and it was a tremendous improvement.
   
   I was heartborken such a gifted actor delivered such a terrible reading.
   
   Do not buy!



2. Slaughterhouse-Five the wrenchingly sad tale of Billy Pilgrim, tells the story of a man whose experience in WWII haunts him for the rest of his life. When the book was published, most middle-aged American men were veterans of WWI. Billy's nightmarish flashbacks, his contempt for women and his desire to live a middle-class life must have seemed familiar to many of them. Slaughterhouse-Five was a valuable attempt to shine a cartoonish light on the horrible memories that veterans carried in their hearts. It was a counterpoint to the myth of WWII, popular at the time, that WWII was a "good" war, and that the horrors of real war had not existed.
   
   Slaughterhouse-Five is not about the bombing of Dresden. nor about the German people who were killed or survived the bombing. It is about the way the war can destroy a life, even after it is over. Billy Pilgrim, witnesses very little in Dresdin, but sees many horrible things during the war. During the bombing Billy was being is in a meat locker. When this book was published, the most shocking thing about the story was the coverup of the Dresden bombing by the American government.
   
   Slaughterhouse-Five depicts war as awful and senseless. But beyond that, you can't read Slaughterhouse-Five and not feel the loathing that the author had for women. Female characters are viewed by the narrator the way a twelve-year-old boy might treat them--at his worst. Its a kind of objectification that has gone out of style in American literature.
   
   For me the one dimentional, comic book style characters were more depressing than humorous. Billy goes though life in a dream that has little to do with the complexity of the human experience.
   
   There are much better books that describe the horrors of war.



3. As always Vonnegut is a master of the succinct sentence and sublime art of maintaining one's attention. This book is wickedly funny, delightfully sarcastic, and honestly heart-wrenching. It is neither as insightful or well-written as Cat's Cradle, but it is far more touching and it takes a far more realistic view of life. In all, this is a great book, and I highly recommend it.



4. Simply put one of the most important books by one of the Centuries greatest authors. If you want a chance at understanding Vonnegut you must study this work. Yeah, you hear it over and over but in this case it is true. Read it and make your own conclusion, which is one of the wonders of this masterpiece.



5. I picked this book up for fun one day at my bookstore job. It looked interesting & throughout my life, this was one of Vonnegut's books that everyone's crowed about. I just wish I'd liked it as much as they did.
   
   Since there's dozens upon dozens of reviews on here that give the plot synopsis, I won't bother rehashing it here & just give you my opinions.
   
   I liked the book for the most part. It just didn't grab me. The idea of the book is fantastic & I can see where it is very well written. Parts of the book did interest me- especially the idea of predestination. Billy accepts that things won't change, so he doesn't really try to change anything. (Well, assuming that he traveled through time at all. It is debatable to some people whether any of the book was real or just a delusion.)
   
   If you have to read this for class, don't worry. The book is enjoyable enough. Hopefully you'll even like it more than I did. I liked it enough to finish it & recommend it to my sister (who loved it), but not enough to really re-read it like I do some of my other books. If you don't have to read it for class, I still recommend it. It's an interesting enough book. Just check it out from the library first.

5 comments about Shalador's Lady: A Black Jewels Novel.

1. Shalador's Lady is an outstanding conclusion to the fate of Dena Nehele and its people. And these two books, The Shadow Queen and Shalador's Lady are awesome follow-ups to The Invisible Ring, as it concludes the fate of the Shaladoran's after their fight and struggle that the influence of Dorothea, from the original trilogy, caused.
   
   I have to admit that the first book in this duology, The Shadow Queen, had its weak moments for me, in that there was a lot of focus on older characters, taking away from the new ones, and I wondered if that weakness would continue. It did not! So many things I loved about this book. The characters, the Scelties, the way the old characters blended so perfectly into the plot with Cassidy and her court as she restores the Old Ways in Dena Nehele. And of course the relationship between Cassidy and Grey!
   
   Cassidy and her first circle are front and center and they shine. Cassidy's fears of rejection still torment her as her rival, Kermilla, the self-centered vile Queen who stole her first court right out from under her, travels to Dena Nehele to ask Cassidy a favor. But what transpires due to Kermilla's presence drove this story and gave it depth. It allowed Cassidy to look within herself and at the men who have sworn to defend and protect her as her first circle is suppose to do, and realize that she is worth the loyalty they give her. And as they stand and fight for her, she must stand and fight for them.
   
   One thing I do miss in the books since the original trilogy is that dark grittiness, those sometimes disturbingly gruesome scenes. I have not encountered that intensity in the last three novels, but that's not to say that I did not enjoy them. I did. Very much so. I love being given the opportunity to explore the Blood and the Magic that makes up the Black Jewels world, learning about different aspects of the people who live within the Realms.
   
   This was definitely a remarkably amazing addition to my Black Jewels collection! If you're hesitant to read this one...DON'T BE!!
   
   Hell's Fire, Mother Night, and May the Darkness Be Merciful!
   
   Happy Reading!



2. I hesitated buying this at first because I'm trying to stretch my book budget and thought I could maybe wait until it came out in paperback.
   
   I caved and am so glad I did. I read it in one day. One long delightful day. Adding my co-sign to the other reviewers who loved this book.



3. Oh, I loved this book! I can't believe I am going to have to wait an entire year for the nexr installment in this fantastic series! Anne Bishop is such a talented writer! She has a real knack for characters, and plots, too. In this adventure, I especially loved all the Scelties - so much fun! And I liked how all the major characters made at least brief appearances... It is just a really fun series! I adore these books!



4. rarely you can come across a book (or in this case a series) that makes such pure magic. Having reread the black jewels triology over and over again over the years, I have come to realize that what makes the book so enduring is its sense of humor and its characters. the books stays faithful to its world always. It's good to see ms. bishop dig herself out to be able to create that magic that draw me in the orginal black jewels triology. These are truely characters that readers would never want to let go. If you loved the original triology, you will love the shadow queen and shalador's lady. It has that same magical spark to it that will make you turn the pages and laugh and blush and choke. I can't wait for ms.bishop's next book. As much as I love the black jewels,I really hope she can eventually grow out of it and create another series just as dazzling and enduring.



5. If you are a fan of the series you will love this book. Anne Bishop has created a world that I am always glad to revisit.

5 comments about Ender's Game (Ender, Book 1).

1. Ender's Game is a scifi masterpiece, with a psychological twist. Fantastic read! It's surprisingly meaty for young adult literature. This book should be mandatory in every high school.



2. This may be the worst book of science fiction/fantasy I ever finished. I should have dumped it after the first fifty pages, but I kept thinking it had to get better based on all the awards it won and the rave reviews. Unfortunately, the vast majority of the books is absolutely terrible.
   
   You should know that this book is geared almost entirely to pre-teens. And it is so far fetched as to be laughable. Now I realize that Star Wars is far-fetched too, but that's not what I'm saying here. It's the whole premise--the idea that the military is going to scout grade school looking for the next great world leader. But they're not trying to get them through high school--heck no, that would be too late--the really good commanders peak around age nine, right?
   
   The vast majority of this book is spent recording the military training of Ender Wiggins. This training is almost exclusively in a zero gravity chamber where teams of little kids battle with their "freeze suits". Somehow this is supposed to prepare them for battling the insect-like hordes of aliens that are warring with Earth. In reality, this training has nothing to do with anything. It's brainless, repetitious and so utterly abstract as to be meaningless. "Ender kicks of a wall, does a double backflip. The team forms a ring--no one saw that coming. Wow--Ender won again. This kid's a genius!" Yeah, it really is that bad. And it goes on, and on, and on.
   
   Trust me, this is one you want to skip.



3. I just recently read Ender's game for the first time. It would have been better to have read this as a child because that really seems to have been the target audience, but people of all ages can find something to like about it. The story is well told but the author isn't very descriptive, you have to let your imagination do the work. The basic plot is that a special boy gets recruited in the the "I.F" and goes through a lot of training and trials until he is finally read to save all of humanity from an external alien threat. That kind of thing either appeals to you or it doesn't. For obvious reasons it would probably be the kind of thing young boys with healthy imaginations would love. Kids pretend to be heroes all the time. This novel does the work of making a boy hero people can cheer for from the sidelines. It will be great to see this made into film. It's already being turned into a comic if you need a visual experience. Audio editions are also out there if you prefer to have it read to you.



4. The novel feels like a literary equivalent of an abstract black and white landscape photograph- interesting, beautiful in its own way, but not sumptuous or immediately breathtaking. My major complaint is the premise that six to 12 year-old children, brilliant though they may be, are capable of becoming soldiers and commanders of intergalactic space armadas. This strikes me as preposterous and I had difficulty believing or accepting this (thus the 4 and not 5 stars). The aforementioned lack of interesting (to me), beautiful prose, led me to dislike the book about half-way through. That is, until chapter 14. The last 60 pages of this book: several revelations, the climax, resolution, epilogue are brilliantly written. The whole story comes together, everything makes sense. This is a story of struggle, despair, desperation, discipline, loneliness, and love. Ender's Game is a wonderful story, first and foremost. Although, I was not entranced by OS Card's literary style - the language and tone are often dull and monotone - the story, when viewed completely, is worthy of the highest praise.



5. In the introduction to Ender's game by Orson Scott Card, Card talks about how many years before the book was written he came up with the idea of the "Battle room" a room for simulated combat. He never came up with a story he could use this idea in, until Ender's Game. Looking back at the book, it is easy to see that the same idea of simulation is used as a metaphor for human nature, war, strategy, and morals.
   The book is about Andrew "Ender" Wiggin. From the start, we learn he is a third. Since the earth has become overpopulated, each family is only allowed to have two children. However, the Wiggin family's two children were both incredibly smart, but both had extreme tendencies. Peter, Ender's older brother, is almost psychopathic, yet calculating and controlling. He is cruel to both animals and his siblings, Ender and Victoria, the middle child. She is incredibly kind, and emotional, almost to the point of weakness. They were both almost sent up to Battle School, a large orbiting spaceship with multiple simulated combat rooms. However, there extreme tendencies kept them out. The government asked the Wiggin family to have another child, to see if he could have the perfect tendencies.
   Once Ender is sent to Battle School at the age of 6, he is immediately once again treated as an outcast. He is put under the control of an officer who is rigorous and precise. He is not even allowed to fire his weapon, out of spite. He is eventually moved to another group, where the officer is extremely lax. The book spends most of the time talking about his time in Battle School.
   This book has so many different levels. One that I've already touched on is simulation versus reality. Not only does the battle room train the children soldiers, there is a "game" the students are allowed to play. It is in reality a psychological test. At one point, Ender goes beyond the realm of the game's programming, and enters a virtual universe of his own subconscious. This area is used as an analogy for the rest of the book.
   Another theme is the interactions between different family members. While Ender is away, Peter and Victoria start false accounts on the internet that they use to showcase their views. However, their online personas are the opposite of their real selves. Victoria's screen name, Demosthenes, is a raging conservative who will rant and rave about American security. Peter, as Locke, is a calm, cool-headed liberal. They are forced to use each other's advice to write as their online personas.
   Another theme we see is that of good and evil; more specifically, the line between the two. The purpose of the Battle School is to train soldiers for the war against the insect-like creatures nicknamed buggers. However, when it comes time to attack the buggers, Ender is stricken with grief, since, in his words, "Once I truly understand an enemy, I love them." A metaphor for this same struggle is found in Peter and Victoria, who are both forced to work against and with each other at once.
   This is one of the classics of science fiction literature. It is much more suited towards a teenage audience, but it is by no means simplistic, and can be enjoyed by adults as well. It is not an action-packed thriller, but a thriller nonetheless. Well written and enjoyable, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in science fiction.

5 comments about Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (Harper Fiction).

1. I am an AVID reader and I am very disapointed with this book. I read the whole book and I was never able to connect with ANYONE. No doubt that this is an original story and does give you the details on what happens before Dorothy and why Elphaba wants to "get" her, but I feel as if the author was and outsider looking in like he was just reporting what he saw. He doesn't really give you inside feelings of any of the characters. You know, very disconected. I prefer storys that pull you in and make you fall in love or despise the characters, this one doesn't do that. The sad thing is, is that dime store novels read better then this one. I hope for my pocket books sake, that the play is better then the book...I reserched by reading and watching reviews from Amazon, youtube, glee and the news, and the play has been put on a pedestal as Awsome and I bought tickets before reading the book. So I hope that the play is better and less ackward, maybe because the characters in the play are "real" I will be able to feel their joy, pain etc. Anyway, my opinion is my opinion, so I hope that you make your own decision about weather to read this book or not. I am only one of a few negatives in a sea of many positives. Oh! I also suggest that this book is an adult book only, there are many wierd sexual inuindos and a very X rated scene that was very uncomfortable to read and I don't blush easily. Thanks...



2. Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (Harper Fiction)Excellent Read! A tale of the unpopular girl... and her history... delightful! True touches of political correctness (or incorrectness as it were)... this book is an intriguing read. Enjoy a trip to the other side! Elphaba, I think you are my Hero!



3. If you're a fan of the old Oz stories, you may be quite disappointed like me. Going into this, I was not expecting or hoping for cursing and sexual vulgarities, and after a while it became annoying. There's too much of it, and the storytelling is not exactly engrossing. There's the musical, which I'm sure is delightful in its own way, but far too much of this book and the musical have to do with the "Let's sparkle! Let's be dramatic!" state of mind. If you're into that, you will probably like this. But if you watched Return to Oz and thought "now THIS is how Oz stories should be", then I'd suggest giving it a miss.
   For the record, this is not folk-lore for Oz. The author is not the same man who wrote the originals, which I think it stands to question: "Why don't you create your own fictional world?" This just encourages the use of remaking things.
   So not my cup of tea. Possibly not yours. It's just a warning.



4. If I had read this weird book first, I never would have gone to see the play. Fortunately for me, I saw the play first. The play is great; the book is awful.
   
   The play is based only loosely on the book, taking only its concept and telling a much better and enjoyable story.
   
   But the book is weird and perverted and no fun. The ending makes no sense: after hundreds of pages of character development, the conclusion is both non-sequitur and non-sense.
   
   Save your money.



5. The problem with this novel is that it started out great; Wicked Witch is listening in on the Scarecrow, Lion, and Tin Man maliciously talking about her. From the offset, the female protagonist is misunderstood by everyone surrounding her. Zoom out to the country of Oz, which is represented as this totalitarian, oppressive force lead by the Wizard. Flash back to the Wicked Witch's birth and upbringing, which is violent and foreboding.
   
   Excellent start-- I'm intrigued so far. You could even say I'm captivated.
   
   Then...nothing....
   
   I'm serious; 400 pages of drivel. Gregory Maguire COMPLETELY drops the ball and loses everything this novel could have been. Elephaba (the Wicked Witch) becomes this insipid recluse; as vapid as her roommate (who later becomes the Good Witch that Dorothy will meet) she fights an ominous force that Maguire never truly reveals, and when she loses she runs away and keeps running from her past until she's inevitably killed by Dorothy.
   
   I'm no feminist, but surely Maguire could have made a stronger character out of her. Even when she was fighting for animal rights it was with this listless "I'm not going to win anyways" attitude; she's given absolutely no power to fight the odds against her.
   
   Long story short - the type of fiction you're writing is FANTASY Maguire; if I want to read prose about those who never try and always lose, I don't have to extend my imagination to a world of talking Animals. I'll look out the window and read the words written in the eyes of those that settle for `mediocre'. This is what this book was, except worse, because its greatest transgression was the potential it had, yet chose to squander. Such are the greatest transgressions of this world.