5 comments about Batman: Dark Victory.

1. "Dark Victory" is the follow up to Loeb and Sale's "The Long Halloween". The story picks up where "The Long Halloween" left off. Holiday has been arrested, and the crime families of Gotham attempt to use this time of calm to rebuild. However, a breakout of the inmates of Arkham Asylum fills the streaks with "freaks", as the mafia put it, throwing the world of Gotham crime into chaos. To make matters worse, a new killer is on the loose, Hangman. Every holiday, a police officer connected with the rise of Harvey Dent is murdered, and pinned to their bodies are cryptic messages encoded in games of hangman which are drawn on the old files of Harvey Dent. All fingers point to Two-face as the culprit, but some people have their doubts.
   
   Dark Victory is a great book, and if you enjoyed "The Long Halloween", this is just as good as that book. You'll get to see Batman as a detective, which is when Batman really shines. Don't miss reading this book. I recommend it highly.



2. Dark Victory picks up after the events of The Long Halloween, and it has been a dark victory for Batman and Jim Gordon. With the capture of the serial killer known as "Holiday" and the death of some mob bosses they have a small victory, but with the loss of their friend and colleague, Harvey Dent to his new identity, "Two-Face", the rise of other members of the mob families, and a new D.A. that is making things difficult for our hero there isn't any time for celebration.
   There is also a new serial killer in town, only known as the "Hang-Man". As the body count grows the Batman and Jim Gordon try to solve this new puzzle while Bruce Wayne tries to woo Selina Kyle, still unaware that she is Catwoman. Just as things start to come together, a certain future Boy-Wonder comes into the mix.
   With a fantastic noir-detective story, details that will make any fan of BATMAN BEGINS and THE DARK KNIGHT smile, and an ending that will make any Batman fan very happy and make you think about the first time you saw Batman and Robin fighting side by side, this book is a must for any Batman fan. Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale at their best!!! I loved the Long Halloween, but I think this book may actually beat it.
   
   
   
   If you ever see a Batman or Superman book by Jeph Loeb, pick it up, he is one the best and most influential comic book writers around. Accompanying the fantastic writing with Sale's moody and noir artwork this is an amazing Batman story.
   
   
   *It is highly recommended that you read The Long Halloween first*



3. I'll admit, at first, I was hesitant to pick up "Dark Victory." Its predeccesor, Loeb and Sale's classic "The Long Halloween" was such an awesome, page-turning whodunnit that utilized all of its characters so well, that I thought this would fall prey to the usual curse that befalls sequels and come up short of capturing what made the original so great. But I was wrong. This tale IS great, deserving of being placed on the same level of "The Long Halloween."
   
   The tale picks up right where the original left off. Batman, along with his ally Commissioner Jim Gordan, is still devastated by the loss of one of the few people in his life he had come to trust: the former District Attorney Harvey Dent (whose origins as Two-Face were spectacularly retold in "Long Halloween"). Meanwhile, Gotham City's various Mafia families, particularly the Falcone Family around which the previous story centered, are regrouping following the death of so many of their members at the hands of the Holiday Killer, and their grip on the city continues. Standing in their way, however, is the rise of the "Freaks," the familiar members of Batman's rogue's gallery (The Joker, Poison Ivy, Mr. Freeze, The Penguin, The Scarecrow, etc.). Led by Two-Face, they intend to drive the Mobsters out of existence and sieze the city for themselves. The city is once again a battlefield against crime.
   
   Enter the Hangman Killer. Echoing the Holiday Killer's method of attacking on holidays, the Hangman goes after former and current police members, hanging them by nooses while leaving crude renditions of the children's game "Hangman" pinned to their bodies (all of which are mysteriously written on materials closely associated with Harvey Dent). And thus begins another page-turning round of Whodunnit, as Batman must once again put his master detective skills to work, deducing the killer's identity in the midst of his battles against Mobsters and Freaks alike.
   
   The tale is amazingly coherent, keeping you at the edge of your seat from the start to finish as you yourself try to deduce who the Hangman may be. And let me tell you: it's a shocker. I sure didn't see the revelation coming, and I doubt many others did. It was all a great payoff to all the build taking up most of the tale. And to top it all off, this story also contains a retelling of the origins of Robin, as Bruce Wayne takes in an orphaned Dick Grayson (whose parents' death is loosely tied into the main plot of the story) and finds in him an unexpected partner in his war on crime.
   
   There's also the usual quality from the Loeb/Sale team that we saw in "The Long Halloween." Sale's art is just as good as ever. The gangster drama and action plays a great part in the story alongside the murder mystery, and, like the previous story, is accompanied by more references and nods to film noir and Mob movies, particularly "The Godfather" (there's even a scene in the book that is taken directly from the famous horse-head-in-the-bed scene!). Basically, all the magic of "Dark Victory's" predecessor is intact, still as fresh and as amazing as ever. It truly is a testament to the skills of both creators that they were able to make such a high-quality sequel.
   
   In short, "Dark Victory" is a most excellent tale, a worthy follow-up to "The Long Halloween" in every way, and should be an essential part of every Batman fan's graphic novel collection. Enjoy the action, enjoy the drama, enjoy the mystery, because I promise, none of it dissapoints.



4. This Comic is very good, but before you buy "Dark Victory" do you need buy "The helloween". It's a serie, the fisrt one is "The helloween" and the second is "Dark Victory".
   The quality of the product is good, the paperback is like a plastic paper, the pictures are amazing, I love the style of the pictures.
   You should not miss to buy the "Dark Victory".



5. A great sequel to the Long Halloween, this book is just as intriguing as the first and is a damn fun read

5 comments about Keep on the Shadowfell (Dungeons & Dragons, Adventure H1).

1. I've run this module for two different groups now. They have both hated it. In 25 years of running D&D this is the first module I've had a group simply quit in the middle of it. It is a series of miniatures battles almost incoherently stuck together. There is almost no roleplaying, exploring etc.
   
   Here is a sample of how the module basically works. The characters start out immediately in combat on a map. After winning this battle, they arrive in town. Then they can talk to various NPCs who have little depth or information. If you ask the right questions, the NPCs gve you directions of where to go next, like "The keep is northeast of here." Then, if the characters want to go to the keep, they are instantly there (well, they get ambushed first, using the first map again).
   
   What if the characters don't ask the right questions? It doesn't matter. My players wished to find the hidden lair of the kobold brigands. How hard is it to find this hidden lair? Well, the module says if the characters decide to search for the hidden lair, pull out the lair map and start the lair encounter. I felt like I was in a bad 1980's computer game "click here to go to hidden lair."
   
   So essentially the module is all about combat. Is it fun combat? My players haven't enjoyed it. The worst part of the module is it makes it hard to tell if 4th edition is flawed or if just this module is bad.



2. For a long I hadnt seen a D&D product so beautiful.
   Made me remember of the old campaign box, wich came along maps and other utilities. Not quite the same thing as the past but as much as nice.
   Better than the 3rd edition commom paperback adventures.



3. I've dabbled in DnD since it first came out and couldn't wait until my kids were old enough to play. I had introduced them to the 3rd edition, and it was fun, but the rules seemed so daunting to them, they never felt like they could do more than scratch the surface. So we all were looking forward to the 4th edition rule set.
   
   I have to say that I was a little taken aback when I first started reading the 4th edition rules. They seemed a bit too simplistic and were more streamlined than I anticipated. But once we started playing....
   
   It actually took a few sessions to for the spirit of game to really sink in. This version is all about letting the players try anything they want. They are heros! And the rules are there to support that mindset. They made my job as the DM so easy. I could focus on the encounters and the players were spinning the story as they went!
   
   As for the Keep on the Shadowfell module, I think it provides a wonderful example of how to design compelling story lines. The encounters were well balanced with a good mix of interesting creatures and great settings. The tactical options were countless. Our group wanted to run through some of the scenarios multiple times because new strategies and tactics were constantly being discovered. I've never had so much fun DM'ing! The encounters are well laid out. They will serve as a great model for me as I dabble in creating some of my own encounters. There are many threads in the story that will make compelling jump off points for an ongoing campaign.
   
   Another great thing about the module are the concise 4th edition rules summaries that are included. They have made it really easy to get new players up and running in just a few minutes. It really is all a group needs to get started with DnD.
   
   The long and short of it is this: My kids and I are having a blast! We only play once a week, but they now talk about DnD all the time. They have gotten so many of their friends excited, we don't enough room to let them all come over and play at once. This has convinced me that the new rules are the best yet at striking the right balance between having an approachable game for newbies, a compelling game for gamers, and a wonderful vehicle for DM's to participate in the unfolding of epic adventures! Keep on the Shadowfell serves as a good example of how various 4th edition elements can be mixed up to produce compelling encounters that will keep players retelling their stories for years to come!



4. Keep on the Shadowfell is was a very good product and is useful even without the other core books. Definitely worth the money.



5. Great product! Very easy to read through. It does a good job of explaining how the adventure should be run, but also allows for changes that you deem appropriate. If you're thinking of DMing an adventure for the first time, start with this. Even if you've been DMing for awhile and would like a campaign to run, try this one, you'll enjoy it.

5 comments about The Killer Angels.

1. I admit that I wanted something else when I got this. What I expected was your typical history on the Battle of Gettysburg. What I got, was something much better. Mike Shaara has written a marvelous novel. When I read this book, I knew the basics of how the Battle of Gettysburg went, but here, it came to life. Mike Shaara has a beautiful way of putting you inside the minds of men like James Longstreet, Robert E. Lee, Joshua Chamberlain, and several others. You feel like you are actually there and are defending Little Round Top, spying on the Union position, leading Picket's Charge, or discussing battle plans for the next day. All I can say to sum it up is that this is an execellent book that is great for Civil War buffs, or anyone who is looking for a good book to read. Trust me, you will love this book.



2. The author takes Chamberlain and Buford of the Grant's army and Pickett, Armistead, and Longstreet of Lee's arm and gives them a personality of the men they were rather then the legends. If Early had reported to Lee that Grant was on the move. Lee may have been able to take Gettysburg, but Washington would never have fallen to Lee's efforts. The outcome of the war would not have changed. This is a great book for students of the Civil War to read, because they can see the human side of these Generals and not just the facts of the textbook page. By Ruth Thompson author of "The Bluegrass Dream" and "Natchez Above The River"
   
   Writing as a Small BusinessQualifying Laps: A Brewster County NovelSins of the Fathers: A Brewster County NovelTravelersThe Bluegrass Dream: A Wilderness Adventure of Early SettlersNatchez Above The River: A Family's Survival In The Civil War



3. Way back in 1989 I had to read this book as part of a American Military History class. Since then I've read it 3 or 4 more times and I've recommended it to countless friends and students. Surprisingly, the audiobook was an entirely new experience for me - it was much more powerful than I remembered.
   
   The audiobook was brilliantly read by George Hearn and uses music from the 1993 movie adaptation of the book. This really is a beautiful production. More than once I had to stop it for the tears that came to my eyes due to the tragedy and spectacle of the battle (I am a Civil War softy - I tear up every time I watch Glory as well). It lasts about 6 hours and is well worth the purchase.
   
   Highest recommendation.



4. If I would rate this book out of 5, I would definitely give it a 5 as the semi-fictional account (I enjoy a war book) was heartfelt and tragic, even if you knew what was going to happen. The Killer Angels is something that takes from fiction and non-fiction. All the people and their accounts are real, but it flows like a story and takes the perspectives of a few Generals. The generals' names are: Chamberlain, Lee, Buford, and Longstreet. The author was careful in their research, taking the diaries of the respective men he carved out a story portraying both sides of the war and used only what they knew. He added nothing except maybe the personalities of the commanders. He spends sometime in solidifying the ideologies behind the war. He makes no side the enemy, just to conflicting ideals union and of having the right to govern themselves. He makes this clear; the south was not fighting for their slaves but their freedom of property and choice. This is signified when Tom Chamberlain the brother of Joshua Chamberlain one of the commanders laughs as he said some of the prisoners say that they are fighting for their "rats", misunderstood by Tom as the accents are different. Confusion in the story is quite clear as you take on the aspects of the character that you are reading of only knowing what they know, feeling for instance Longstreet a surviving general whom is the South's last great general after the death of Jackson. Longstreet was forced to follow orders as part of an en echelon attack to flank the Union to break through and decimate the Union army. It was an inevitable failure as the men and their captains were getting nervous as one lieutenant put it with a hint of desperation "General will you look at the ground? We can't even mount artillery" (200). This was due to the longing to end the war, Lee who was the general saw Gettysburg as an opportunity, and everyone knew the war was going to end, but Gettysburg determined it all. One more interesting this was how it was generalized and not full of logistics. The Confederate troops barely heard about Vicksburg from where they were in Pennsylvania. It did not go into depth about logistics as the textbook did but it was informative about lives and how they went in the war. I would give it a 5 for it gave an accurate account most of the time, the personalities being fabrications as well as only adding the significant battles and not all of them made the account less accurate but gave it a good flow like a story should have.



5. Once in a while I get caught reading a book that I really do not enjoy, but the redeeming quality is their educational value. Like flossing your teeth, while not enjoyable, these books are at least good for you. Unfortunately, The Killer Angels, a story about the civil war battle of Gettysburg, was neither entertaining nor good for me. The writing is cheesy and was meant to be turned into a movie. Here is an example:
   " The rain had stopped, the mist was blowing off. He thought: good." Who summarizes the characters' thoughts with one word? Show us - don't tell us.
   
   As far as educational value, the reader does not really get to understand the main characters. The made up dialogue is embarrassingly unreal. There is little analysis of the battle strategy. There is also little reflection on the battle's significance with regards to the whole war. The three day movement of troops is tedious to follow. Skip this one.

5 comments about Dauntless (The Lost Fleet, Book 1).

1. Fighting a battle in space at enormous distances creates unique problems. I like the way our hero handles the information delays caused by the speed of light. (What about time differences while traviling through sub-space?) Will he and the co-president learn to peacefully co-exist while mysterious aliens linger in the background? Should we buy the next installment to find out? I guess so.



2. I absolutely loved this book. After all the watered down sci fi that's really futuristic fantasy and hides behind magical elements, it's nice to see someone get back to basics. The author - having actually served in the navy - certainly knows his fleet logistics and makes all the interactions believable under the circumstances. Adding to the realism is the fact that he bothers to incorporate physics into the story, not claiming that there's some sort of magical way of getting instantaneous information in normal space. My only minor complaint is that while I loved Geary, I would have loved to see some more developments of other character, especially Cpt. Desjani, but there's always the next book.



3. My first space opera. I can see where the author is starting to repeat and it is just book #1 of six. I cant wait to start the next ones.
   
   
   
   On a scale 1 to 5, Five is Best:
   
   Villian: 4
   Plot: 4
   Creativity: 4
   Uniqueness: 4
   Humor: 2
   Bringing the sexy: 0
   Passion: 5 stars (for duty & honor )
   Laughs & Amusement factor: 1
   Silly Whiners who get on your nerves: 2 (and growing)
   Lazy Author repeating too much from prior chapters: 1



4. I picked up this book (and the next three in the Lost Fleet series) as I enjoy science-fiction and this was recommended to me by another fellow sci-fi aficionado.
   
   The story is about John "Black Jack" Geary, an Alliance Fleet officer whose famous "last stand" has become the stuff of legend. He was presumed dead and lost with his ship during the aforementioned "last stand," but in fact, he escaped in a life pod which kept him in suspended animation for 100 years. Now reawakened and entrusted with the safety of the fleet, he must strive to re-teach the lessons of warfare and codes of honor that have been lost over the last century - a century which has seen continual, unremitting warfare between the Alliance, and the Syndicate Worlds.
   
   Black Jack Geary has been exalted as a hero, but the unfortunate side-effects of this hero-worship is that he cannot simply be what he actually is - merely a man trying to do the best job he can do, with what he's been given. Many in the Fleet expect him to simply lead them to glorious victory like some Greek God of old, while Geary struggles to re-establish the lost art of war and military discipline on a Fleet which has been told that hyper-aggressiveness in battle is the only factor that matters. Geary's use of tactical manuevers is interpreted by some as a lack of fighting spirit, and he struggles all the time against those who would usurp his command authority.
   
   I found this book to be excellent as it relates to the problems of space warfare - that ships traveling through space would have relativistic effects on them that would distort their ability to see things and react, and that fleets of space warships spread over many millions of miles of space would have difficulty communicating because radio communications, which travel at the speed of light, would take several seconds or even minutes to reach their intended recipients. The descriptions of space battles was riveting and wholly enjoyable.
   
   Where I found this book lacking, however, is in the character development. While the main character of John Geary is of course explored in great detail, he's still somewhat one-dimensional. He is cast as the honorable, duty-bound, conscientious officer as was common in the Alliance Fleet of yesteryear, but he isn't really fleshed out as a human being. What are his vices? What makes him happy? What makes him sad? Other characters are similarly one-dimensional. Stalwart captains are always stalwart captains, and incompetent blunderers are always incompetent blunderers. How about a character who appears like an arrogant, incompetent fool in one chapter actually proves his worth in battle in the next? What kind of neat dilemmas could spring from that dynamic? Just some rambling thoughts, but I think that the lack of human depth in many of the characters holds me back from giving this five stars. Otherwise, I like this book very much, and am starting on the next book in the series, "Fearless."



5. I bought this first book in this series on the strength of the idea. I'm always on the lookout for good military SF, but these stories disappoint.
   
   The characters are shallow and not very credible and the story reads like a high school students accounting of the cliques in their class.
   
   If you're a person who likes military SF and appreciates the work of authors like David Drake stay away from these - they'll drive you nuts.

5 comments about Confessor: Chainfire Trilogy, Part 3 (Sword Of Truth, Book 11).

1. What started out as one of the more entertaining series in the fantasy genre, has degenerated into one of the most formulaic, repetitive and useless waste of print around.
   
   The author's main focus for the last 4 or 5 books of the series has not been entertainment or to even tell a good story. Rather the focus is to promote Ayn Rand's Objectivist philosophy. This is a philosophy that worships reason over faith and views the idea of a heaven or afterlife as abhorrent. The philosophy also stresses the individual, and personal achievement, which has it's merits, but it views the idea of self sacrifice, the cornerstone of christian thinking, as evil.
   
   The evil empire in this book, the Order, is a twisted mix of christianity, sprinkled with perhaps some muslim philosophies as well. The author devotes page after page to nothing but preaching his atheistic screed and attacking 'faith'. In fact all of the 'good guys' in the book repeat the same arguments over and over again, so that there does not appear to be any significant character development. They all take the voice of the author.
   
   The author also waste some pages developing his 'perfect man' Richard Rahl into his dream god of Objectivism, armed however with various wizard powers. No doubt his own personal wish list is at work here, since the hero wins the love of two beautiful women, his wife Kahlan and his 'friend' Nicci. Since Nicci is the loser in the love triangle, she's permitted to be repeatedly raped and tortured for the sake of the Objectivist god Richard.
   
   Meanwhile the plot tension that 'builds' is the same formula used in the past. Our hero(s) get captured by the bad guys. Hero escapes, bad guys all die thanks to the last second intervention of some obvious allies. Yawn.
   
   Since this book is really a philosophical tirade, it should be criticized for it's flaws on this basis as well. Last time I checked atheism, in a couple of centuries has slaughtered more innocents then all the other religions put together. Just look at the atheist heros, Stalin, Mao, Robespierre, Pol Pot, Kim Jong Il, etc. Maybe the author feels these dictators did the right thing since so many of their victims were christians.



2. Like most of the reviewers here I started with the "Wizard's First Rule" when it first came out, and fell in love with it. In all honesty you could probably read just that one and let it go with that. Maybe "Stone of Tears" as well but anything beyond that your going to have to be prepared for the good, the bad, and the really repetitive.
   
   Because the truth of the mater, at least for me, is that, as tired as I got with hearing the same themes repeated, as much as I found myself mumbling, "I get it already," there is still something undeniably compelling about the story itself.
   
   I just finished reading "Confessor"and as much as I hate reading page after page of the same drivel the characters have been spouting for the last 4 or 5 books, I actually found myself enjoying the book non-the-less. So much so I almost reached over for my well worn copy of the "Wizard's First Rule" Stopping just short of actually opening it up to read. It's like there is a chalk drawing of me in a cave somewhere reading these damn books!
   
   Honestly I kind of zoned out on the parts that were less than interesting but there was enough there to keep me going. Even if some of it did feel forced. The time and care that was put into the rhetoric could have been put into connecting some of the scenes a little more coherently.
   
   I think that it is fairly obvious that the author's passions for his subject matter overrode his storytelling. So mush so I am wondering if he didn't fire an editor as I kept stumbling over typos.
   
   You've kind of got to hand it to him though, he accomplish quiet the story epic... now do I really want to wade through all that crap again for the gems that come fewer and far between as the story draws out...
   
   Maybe I can just stop after "Pillar's of Creation"... who am I kidding.



3. If you are going to copy another authors' work at least try to improve on it. This terrible ripoff of the Wheel of Time actually makes that stretched an redundant series look like a great literary work. Just garbage, do not bother.



4. Terry neatly wraps this book up, and from the beginning you can see this is the end, as all the knots are tied into nice packages. Overall, I give this a 4 of 5 stars because it wasn't up to par of almost all the previous books. It wasn't a book I couldn't put down till it was finished, but overall it's a clean ending.



5. This was the most awful ending I ever read in my life!
   And worse because many of his books in this series were so awesome.
   I really loved most of his books.But...I just read finished the last book last night.I got it from the library. I'm thanking God I didn't buy it.When I got it from the library, I noticed the spine was all broken and torn. I was intending to fix it...but now I realize it must have been because the last reader threw it against the wall.
   I was tempted to as well, but didn't.
   It was as monotonous and amateurish. Where the heck was his editor??
   I should have listened and not read the book and just made up my own ending.
   
   The one thing I think I hated the most was the way he ended it the whole boring slog.... It was COMPLETELY obnoxious.
   
   His theme in most of the books was to protesting religious zealotry. Those in the Order where following some misguided notion that they were killing in the name of the creator and lived under very communistic conditions.
   
   As I read Confessor the preaching and reminding got so irritating I ended up simply skipping pages and pages of 'reminders'.
   
   Through out the series there seemed to be an acknowledged basic natural(and good) desire to connect with the Creator and the spiritual connection in all of us. And that there was indeed an afterlife and he seemed to be pointing out that those killing in the name of the Creator are wrong.
   
   Also, Goodkind spends many chapters explaining the 'theology' of his fantasy world....how magic works and is connected with the underworld etc etc..But then he completely trashes it AND connects his fantasy world to our real world!!! The whole effect was disconcerting and took away from the 'fairy tale ending'...because you know in this ending the Creator is dead, or consigned to some corner and told not to bother anyone ever again.
   
   In the end Richard destroys the entire afterlife for those banished to the non magic world, where he conveniently alludes to those formally of the Order are now the 'building churches'!!! What?)
   Not mosques, not temples, not circles...but CHURCHES! (and not just any Churches, but CATHOLIC churches because they use medals and 'talismans'. What?
   Excuse me? Is Terry Goodkind really this ignorant, or is he just another patsy for the secular order that is encroaching with the culture of death?
   
   Does anyone want a link to pictures of happy young muslims brandishing the hands of Christians they collected for allah???? Those of the Order where more like militant islam and the Saracens of history and militant communism and nazi's rolled up in one!! Knowing that as of this minute while I write this thousands of Christians are being executed for 'blasphemy' and oppressed with well documented sharia dhimmi laws in muslim countries or as in communist China's case, having children ripped from their wombs because they value life and would want to welcome a new child among them,...but it's against the godless of laws of china. Or what about the mass graves of Orthodox and catholic priests and nuns from Communist Russia and it's former satellites??
   
   What an insult to those really truly have and are suffering on behalf of the values of life and liberty.
   
   Ugh. I was completely irritated that I even read the series to begin with. I will not bother to watch the TV series.
   
   My advice is save yourself aggravation and money and skip this series.
   It's a garden path to nowhere.
   
   M~

5 comments about From Dead to Worse (Southern Vampire Mysteries, Book 8).

1. I started reading this series in 2000 and i have kept coming back ever since. Sookie seemed much more funnier in this series she was cracking a lot more jokes..since the last one was such doom and gloom this was a nice change
   LOVED IT



2. I cannot put these books down once I start. I'm already anxious for the next one.



3. If you are new to the series I would not recommend starting here. Current readers will really enjoy this installment in the series. There are not one, or two, but at least four plotlines at work in this novel, and you get full resolution for each. From Dead to Worse is longer than Harris' previous novels to contain all the action and plot twists. I'm not sure I understand why some reviewers find this novel worthy of less than 5 stars, this is one of the best Southern Vampire novels to date.
   
   From Dead to Worse deals with the economic and political fallout following the destruction caused by hurricane Karina. Both the vampires and the werewolves are in precarious positions...the weres have undergone a recent change in leadership and are left unstable by the power struggle, and the vamps have suffered severe economic losses. Both parts of the supernatural community are vulnerable, and there are outside forces poised to fill in the gaps.
   
   Sookie finds out more about her family history, and an old plotline is explained regarding her ancestory. I was left unsure of the implications but facinated by the discovery. We also learn about her family's future...but that's all I'll say about that.
   
   I can't recommend this novel enough and I can't wait for the next! Also look for the HBO series True Blood in September based on these novels.



4. I enjoy this series as much as the next person, am excited to see the series, 'Tru Blood' next month on HBO, but felt this particular book was pretty average. My problem with it was that the series are called Southern Vampire Mysteries, and this didn't have much of one. Yes Sookie finds some personal things out, and there's a murder or two, but like most everything in this book it all seems like random background noise. Characters that were integral before, now waltz on for one or two scenes that do nothing really to propel the plot, and instead just seem to help establish they're still around. Specifically Bill, Tara, and Jason. Look, for fans it's not a bad book, it just feels like a coda to the previous installment, and besides setting up what I assume will be a future plot point at the very end, the rest feels slightly, well, anemic.



5. I have read the critics of this installment of the series, and see where they are coming from. However, I enjoyed the various story lines. I thought it was a nice switch and made me eager to read the next book in the series. I was worried that this series was turning into the Anita Blake series, where every book after Obsidian Butterfly, was the same story but with different names. I would not recommend reading this book as the first in the series, but I felt it delivered.

5 comments about Fables Vol. 10: The Good Prince.

1. Fables continues to be an outstanding comic book series. Of course its not just a great comic series, its a great story period! This latest volume takes one of the minor characters (who has been there from the first few issues) and brings him on a true hero journey. Pick up this volume and enjoy a wonderful tale.



2. After 40 years of reading comics this was only the second time I was emotionally moved by a story in the graphic format. Bill Willingham deserves great praise for creating a true "Fable". One that can hold its own with any fable ever told. In these days of real fear mongering, violence and war, the story of "The Good Prince" brings with it a comforting feeling that a good man, one who cares for people, can stand up to the evils everyone else just accepts and succeed without sacrificing his own moral values. I feel lighter and happier for having read the book.



3. More delightful Fables stories bring us one step closer to war with the adversary. The creators are taking time to texture the world they have created. The Good Prince follows flycatcher (who has has been a periphery character) into the depths of grief, revenge, and redemption.



4. It's a great story about one of the humblest fables.
   
   In this story, the bravest janitor figth against the Emperor using his courage and heart.



5. The conflict between the Empire and the exiled Fables heats up, but in an unexpected fashion, as Ambrose ('Flycatcher') somehow manages to get tangled up in the fate of both powers. If you're not reading Fables already, stop whatever you're doing and start from first issue. Easily one of the best series of recent years - if not ever - Fables has magically stayed as good in this, the tenth collection, as it was at the start. Don't forget to flip through the cover gallery - they're absolutely stunning.

No comments about Anathem.

No comments about The Gypsy Morph (The Genesis of Shannara, Book 3).

5 comments about Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit.

1. Quite possible one of the best books you will evere read. You'll never look at anything the same way again.



2. Being told to read Ishmael, I was very excited in understanding the "life changing" aspects of it. However, as I read further, I realized that this was simply an insult to my intelligence. Before I get into the fundamental flaws, I shall note that the writing of this book is horrendous. The imagery is beyond dreadful and the main character is one of the least entertaining characters there is. Quinn many times references books that he is read simply to drop name. Furthermore, there are so many flaws with Daniel Quinn's book that it is almost a joke:
   
   1. The most common problem is the "Noble Savage" myth. The idea that tribal life is better off than regular civilization is a wrong. The emergence of most of the technological and philosophical understandings of the world are a direct result of the increase in population. The time allowed when not hunting allowed for the innovation needed to develop many of the tools that Daniel Quinn(who is a hypocrite) to spread his message.
   
   2. The timeline for the Neolithic Revolution is put at 10,000 years ago when the more correct definition is 12,000-13000 years ago. Although, I will admit this is a small flaw.
   
   3. Quinn claims there is a a Law of Limited Competition stated as this:"You may compete to the full extent of your capabilities, but you may not hunt down your competitors or destroy their food or deny them access to food." However, he fails to recognize chimpanzees that many times deny competition to their own as well as others. He also fails to realize the symbiotic/agricultural of ants.
   
   4. Quinn biggest flaw is his idea that starvation of one species is better than others. He claims that humans should die off in order to allow for the other species that humans rely on to flourish. The idea that the deaths of humans is somehow better than the deaths of other animals is fundamentally wrong with his premise that all species are the same and needed for diversification.
   
   5. Quinn seems to forget the evolutionary aspects of competition in nature. He believes that the extinction of other animals by humans is wrong and that "Mother Culture" prevents this by not denying other animals foods. However, "Mother Culture" is responsible for a GREAT number of more extinctions than humans.
   
   6. Quinn believes that no animals stores more than it needs. He brings the example of bees. However, he is wrong. Bees frequently store more than they need for the same reason that humans do in that they will have an increase in population supply.
   
   7. Quinn claims often that the problem with third world countries food production is that first world countries supply the majority of food to third world countries. However, first world countries are the biggest importer of foods.



3. Ishmael by Daniel Quinn *****
   
   Ishmael is a stunning narrative on the way things came to be. A story of awareness and philosophy; the way things are and the way things could be. A wonderfully heart-warming, and heart-wrenching tale of acceptance and tolerance.
   
   Ishmael is a Gorilla, who can communicate with humans. Those who want to communicate with him anyway. Sounds a but Peter Pan I know but it really isn't. After Ismael places an add in the paper looking for "A willing student who wants to save the world" he meets his sixth subject. As Ishmael tells his theory of how things came to be the way things are in the world he divides the world into to groups, the takers and the leavers. Telling who each is would ruin the book. The ending is both uplifting and tyrannical making it among the strongest endings in literature.
   
   The story is easy to follow along with despite it's complicated subject matter. Ishmael is never dull and always an interesting read, and one I will soon make mandatory reading for my class.



4. After I read this book, I bought it for all my friends for Christmas. Definately a book you want to pass along. Powerful message.



5. I'm not going to tell you whats going on in the novel, as many other reviews from the book start.
   
   Ishmael is a great book. I don't read, at all. But I have read this book with ease and found it hard to put it down. And it inspires me to read more books, and I will.
   
   This book, teaches us somethings of life, but not everything, its does not give an exact explanation, of how to save the world. It does explain in ones own philosophy of 'how thing came to be the way the are' and it's marvelous.
   
   Whether you like the book it or not, or even if you have not read it, chew on this.
   
   I think Quinn knows that we can't just up and crawl into the wild. Basically, its to late to do anything like that, well, because there is to many of 'us'. Period. There is no room to put all the garbage that we have created. Those of you who fail to see, without using something other then a human to be the teacher, wouldn't have worked in the slightest bit, and gorillas are cool, you could have used anything other then a human, and who cares about figuring out WHY.
   
   But instead of going back to a primitive life(crawling back into the wild), we need to advance for the better. We, all of us, black, white, indian, oriental... ALL of us have one thing in common, were all human, we all came from the same place. The religions of the world basically cancel each other out. Think about it, There is only ONE way we all got here correct. Ok good, then tell me how is it possible that there are so many different religions and theorys. Look at the big picture, only one can be right, if one is right at all. We are all blinded from ourselves, from our ancestors, from Human beings. What I am getting at is we have NOTHING to look back upon, because frankly no one is right. Until our culture, not America not China or Russia, or Europe, but Humans can understand where our origins came from, we follow a blind path.
   
   I'm not against the 'characters' or philosophy's of the books that religions have written down, I just simply won't accept it. Because how do I know that it's right and the others or wrong. The same thing can be said from another point of view.
   
   When you read Ishmael, instead of plunging your head into it and dissecting everything about it and its statements, sit back and look at the big picture, what has been discussed is our root problem. If something has gone bad at any point, what do you do? You go back to where things were working and find out where things went wrong then fix it. Were not able to go back and fix things because to be frank, its to late to do anything like that, well, because there is to many of 'us'. Period. There is no room to put all the garbage that we have created.
   
   All we have, is to move forward. What we can do is put a wall up. From the time man starting destroying the world we can put a wall up, and in this day and age we can put a wall up. And everything after the wall now would be action's that we've learned from our mistakes. And everything in the middle of those walls, would be the mistake. Harsh, but true anyway you look at it. Get real. I by no means have the resources or brains to do such a thing, nor does anyone else on this earth. But we can all do it together, for we have conquered the earth and we have control over it, just due to our sheer size in numbers.
   
   
   As far as reviewing Ishmael this is my review, this is a little something that I have chalked up in my head after reading it. Who cares about the grammar or the literature of Ishmael, the points that are not valid, if they aren't at all. If you feel you care about those things, then you are just falling in the hands of 'Mother Culture' or whatever you want to call it, and that is the problem, LIFE IS SIMPLE. We have just made it extremely hard on ourselves. These generations living now might not have, but, all were doing is passing on the tradition of what we know, because all we know is what we have been taught, I don't care who you are; that's a fact.
   
   So if you have not read Ishmael, I recommend it. If you can agree with what I have laid on the table here then you know what to do, read it. If you don't agree, maybe you will after you read it. If if you don't agree then you're entitled to that opinion. I'm nobody, I'm just another 'Alan Lomax', that cares. These are some my thoughts and feelings, and they were before I read Ishmael, there just more clear to me now after I have read Ishmael.