4 comments about Dark Tower: The Fall of Gilead.

1. The young gunslinger will soon embark on his world-spanning quest to destroy his sorcerous nemesis... and Gilead is definitely doomed.
   
   The graphic novel prequel of Stephen King's "Dark Tower" series grinds toward its inevitable end... and as Gilead and everyone in it is about to crumble, the story takes on the harrowing dimensions of a Greek tragedy. "The Dark Tower: The Fall of Gilead" is filled with blood, tragic deaths, treachery, and evil magic -- and it's a truly brilliant story.
   
   Roland wakes to find that he's killed his own mother under the Grapefruit's spell. Even though it's found that she was a traitor planning to kill her husband, he's faced with the gallows. But it isn't the last death that will tear Gilead apart -- Cort's investigations in Marten's room leads to tragedy when he's exposed to a poisoned book, and another of Stephen's ka-tet falls to the Slow Mutants.
   
   As Marten's web begins to tighten around the city, others fall prey to John Farson's plots and die terrible, bloody deaths -- and Stephen Deschain is gravely wounded in an ambush. Roland and his young friends are called upon to save Gilead from the traitors that riddle its population... but they cannot prevent the death from spreading to even the most invincible gunslinger.
   
   "Dark Tower: The Fall of Gilead" is like tumbling down a steep, rocky mountain covered with briars and thistles -- everything just goes downhill, and there's a lot of blood, pain, misery and death. Reading this comic book is a pretty painful experience because our callow young gunslinger is slowly losing everything and everyone that he loves, and the worst part is that there are a few more issues to go.
   
   Peter David and Robin Furth smoothly adapt King's writing into a spare, rough-edged elegance, and they know how to heighten the tragedy of it -- in particular, the destruction of the gunslingers and the loss of the last of Roland's innocence. In fact, the entire story of "The Fall of Gilead" is a shocking string of bloody, violent death -- it was pretty obvious that almost everyone in Gilead would die, but it's still massive shock whenever another gunslinger is murdered.
   
   The artwork is, as always, is brilliant -- bleak, shadowy and locked in perpetual dusk, with bright splashes of red everywhere (blood, scarlet curtains, Aileen's poncho, the Good Man's mask, etc). And it's worth noting that Roland undergoes a change in these issues, slowly morphing from a skinny young boy to a chiseled, strong man. I doubt this was an accident.
   
   This brilliantly dark, bloody series soars into the realm of tragedy in "Dark Tower: The Fall of Gilead" -- it can make you weep for people who never were, in a ruined world that never was.



2. This story and the next (The Battle of Jericho Hill) are what I've wanted to see since they were mentioned or implied in the Dark Tower series. Great job of filling in the gaps. Nice to see what Gilead looked like before the fall and how it fell.
   
   Wonderful artwork. This graphic novel series has far exceeded my expectations. Must haves for any Dark Tower fan!



3. This graphic novel is bringing us slowly but surely to the Battle of Jericho Hill, and the beginning of Stephen King's Dark Tower series. The folks writing the storyline are truly amazing, for they draw you in very quickly and keep you riveted to the plot as it races along like a runaway train!
   
   The artistry is masterful, and it adds tremendously to the plot line. To see the faces of the characters we only read about in King's books is wonderful. I can see this tale working its way to its sad end. I really don't want it to end, but I know it must, so I wil eenjoy it while I can.



4. I really enjoyed this hardcover. We begin with an exploration of Marten Broadcloak & his past. It's a simple but enlightening enough tale. Then the fall begins. Noticeably enough the demise of Gilead comes from within. There are some real harrowing scenes in it and the pace is relentless. Roland takes a back seat of sorts & it concentrates more on his father for as long as possible. The art once again is fantastic and really suits the mood of the book. Overall it's a thoroughly enjoyable read & well worth the look for new & old fans of the Dark Tower alike.

2 comments about Warriors.

1. Warriors is a multiple-author, genre-swapping anthology. The only thing these twenty stories have in common is that a warrior of some kind - a soldier, a mercenary, a religious fanatic, a cowboy, even a serial killer who considers themselves on an important mission - is involved. The stories move between genres, with SF stories followed by crime thrillers followed by fantasy tales followed by historical fiction, the mainstream and the speculative brought together in a manner I haven't really seen before.
   
   Warriors is a resounding success. Martin and Dozois' previous editorial collaboration, Songs of the Dying Earth, was excellent but a few stories fell short of the high quality elsewhere. Warriors is notable for not featuring any weak links at all. Some stories are stronger than others, but there is no story that I'd suggest skipping or not bothering with.
   
   Things get off to a good start with The King of Norway by Celia Holland, which follows two Viking warriors on an epic raiding mission. A strong, combat-oriented story that moves very quickly. Forever Bound by Joe Haldeman is an SF story featuring a team of scientists learning to fight together by teleoperating cybernetic soldiers, and is another good story with an unusually moving finale. The Triumph by Robin Hobb is set during the Punic Wars, and concentrates on the friendship of two neighbouring Roman farmers, one of whom became a soldier and the other a general. An excellent short story.
   
   Clean Slate by Lawrence Block is a pretty savage, contemporary thriller featuring a mentally-damaged protagonist engaging in heinous acts to avenge her destroyed childhood. Powerful and at times disturbing stuff. And Ministers of Grace by Tad Williams is a planet-hopping SF story focusing on a badass cybernetic warrior and is pretty ruthless, with Williams unexpectedly channelling Richard Morgan and doing it very well. Solderin' by Joe R. Lansdale is a funny and entertaining Western with two black men joining the 'buffalo soldiers' and getting into a tough battle. Dirae by Peter S. Beagle is one of the best stories in the collection, being written in an original and different way to some of the rest with a lot more going on under the surface of its apparently obvious revenge fantasy.
   
   The Custom of the Army by Diana Gabaldon takes her established protagonist Lord John Grey on a mission to Canada to assist in the capture of Quebec, and is another fast-paced and action-focused story, although perhaps assuming a little too much foreknowledge of the Lord John novels. Seven Years from Home by Naomi Novik is an excellent SF story about a visitor to a planet getting involved in a local war and going native, in a manner that is reminiscent of (but much better than) Avatar. I'm not a huge fan of her Temeraire books, but this short story was a revelation, and one of the best stories in the collection. The Eagle and the Rabbit by Steven Saylor is a sort-of follow-up to Hobb's story, shifting the perspective to a Carthaginian soldier in Roman captivity (the reverse to Hobb's story) and is just as good. The Pit by James Rollins is a tougher proposition, as the main character isn't human but Rollins assigns some fairly human traits to him. If you can buy the premise this is a well-written, dark tale, but I suspect will be divisive. I liked it.
   
   Out of the Dark by David Weber packs an epic story into is 80-odd pages, with Earth falling to an alien invasion and a mixed force of American and Romanian soldiers fighting back in the Balkans. A fast-paced, well-written story up until the last two pages, when it goes completely bonkers with an ending that explodes the corn-o-meter. If you can swallow the premise of the finale, this is a fun story. The Girls from Avenger by Carrie Vaugh is a more restrained and intelligent story about the Women Airforce Service Pilots in WWII and the sexism faced by female pilots from their male colleagues. Ancient Ways by SM Stirling, set in his Emberverse setting, sees a Cossack and a Kalmyk warrior join forces to rescue a princess from the city of Astrakhan. Great fun, with plenty of rousing action and enjoyable banter between the two soldiers.
   
   Ninieslando by Howard Waldrop is very oddball, a story about an English soldier in WWI who finds himself in another world. The premise is intriguing, perhaps a little under-developed, but the story ticks along nicely. Recidivist by Gardner Dozois channels elements of the New Weird and hard SF in a very dark story that is somewhat reminiscent of China Mieville's work, with a memorable ending. My Name is Legion by David Morrell is about the French Foreign Legion fighting in Syria during WWII, and is both entertaining as a solid war story and also informative about the Foreign Legion and its history.
   
   Defenders of the Frontier by Robert Silverberg is about a group of soldiers holding a remote fortress with no word or reinforcements from HQ for years. At what point should they get up and head home? A clever story with some interesting questions and no easy answers. The Scroll by David Ball is one of the strongest stories in the anthology, featuring a French siege engineer who is captured by a Moroccan king and forced to endure tremendous hardship as the king tries to break him. A brutal, dark and compelling story with a killer final line. The last story is GRRM's The Mystery Knight, his third story of Ser Duncan the Tall and his squire Egg as they get embroiled in intrigue and battle some ninety years before the events of A Game of Thrones.
   
   Overall, this is one of the strongest collections I have read. No duff stories, no weak links and no filler, with each author bringing their A-game. Having read Warriors (*****), I now have a list of new authors I'm going to have to check out at some point.



2. George R. R. Martin begins this anthology with an introduction explaining his goal: a spinner rack. He says that he wants Warriors to be like those old spinner racks in candy stores, in which genres were mixed without any semblance of order. Martin and Gardner Dozois followed this model with WARRIORS. The anthology jumps from genre to genre without any particular order. The only qualification the stories had to have: (1) be a story about a "warrior," however that's interpreted and (2) be high-quality.
   
   WARRIORS certainly has some heavy-hitters in its ranks: George R. R. Martin, Diana Gabaldon, David Weber, Naomi Novik, James Rollins, Robin Hobb, Peter S. Beagle, Carrie Vaughn, and S.M. Stirling to name a few. Many readers will pick up the book for the Martin short story (which is, actually, one of the longest--if not the longest--in the book) which tells a story of Sir Duncan the Tall and his squire, Egg, and Gabaldon's story, which takes place in her Lord John universe. Of course, I'm sure many fans of the other authors will come out in droves as well, to see what the author offers in this genre-freeing anthology. Some, like Joe Haldeman stick with his main genre of science fiction, while others like Carrie Caughn instead chose something other than what they are primarily known for (in Vaughn's case, she's known for her urban fantasy series, but here offers a story of a World War II WASP playing detective in an environment that's very hostile to females).
   
   Honestly, I was pretty shocked with the overall quality of the anthology. Almost every story is written well. Of course, I found some stories a little off-putting, if only because they were in genres that don't particularly interest me (though I gave them a shot) or because they seemed to have a world behind them that I wasn't included in, because I hadn't read the author before (Diana Gabaldon). Otherwise, though, it's a very strong group of stories with an interesting idea. I sort of wonder to myself whether this book will be shelved in fantasy, because the two editors are often associated with science fiction or fantasy or whether it will "graduate" to the general fiction shelves because of its diversity.
   
   I won't talk about every story, because part of the fun of the anthology is being surprised by what you find next, but some stories I liked particularly well are:
   
   "Forever Bound" by Joe Haldeman
   In "Forever Bound" a group of strangers must learn to work together in the new military technology of the day. The thing I liked about this story is how it approaches the military, the unexpected moments of humanity throughout, and the repercussions in the story...
   
   "Dirae" by Peter S. Beagle
   Honestly explaining Beagle's story would take the magic out of it, so I'll instead just tell you what Martin and Dozois say about it: <"You may find the opening pages of this story a bit confusing, but stick with it, and we promise that you'll be rewarded with a compelling study of the price of compassion--and introduced to perhaps the strangest and most unlikely warrior in this whole anthology."
   
   "The Girls From Avenger" by Carrie Vaughn
   Vaughn's story, as I mentioned above is the story of a WWII WASP trying to find the answers behind her friend's death. The story is fun both for its historical setting as well as its light feminist leanings. A very enjoyable read.
   
   "The Mystery Knight" by George R. R. Martin
   And yes, Martin. Really, this story doesn't need much introduction. Apparently, I've been missing out on the "Dunk and Egg" stories, which are found in THE HEDGE KNIGHT and SWORN SWORD, but I found that even without those novels as background, the story read well on its own.
   
   Unsurprisingly, when I reflect back, the majority of the stories that are my favorites reflect my genre preferences, even if I enjoyed some of the other genre stories well enough (with the exception of Vaughn's story, which tickled my feminist self).
   
   I'd like to say that I loved WARRIORS desperately enough to believe in Martin's "spinner rack," but in the end, I really can't. Sure, I enjoy a good foray into other genres now and again (and it certainly helps when they're all as high quality as in this anthology), but in the end I get more pleasure out of my pet genres. Also, I think Martin shoots down his own theory a little by dismissing the romance genre on the whole (He says in the introduction, "Okay, I confess, I never did get into romances or nurse novels."). The dismissal follows through int he anthology. And while I'm not exactly a romance fan, if one's going to truly embrace the "spinner rack"...
   
   Anyhow, I enjoyed WARRIORS and recommend it to anyone curious. Of course, for anyone who has interest in military or "warrior" concepts, this is particularly fun, because one can explore a bunch of different (and often non-traditional) forms of the "warrior."

5 comments about A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1).

1. I thought this book was well written. Every chapter portrays a character and every chapter ends in a climax leaving you wanting more. It's very enticing and the author masterfully spins his tale of every character.
   this book is all about the characters and is a great display of characterization without relying on plot - yes this book has a strong plot and many subplots but the plot moves slow as he builds the characters.
   He does have a large amount of characters some he deals with directly via the chapters while others are revealed indirectly through the chapters. if your attention span and reading comprehension is seriously short or at a lack then you may not like this book; however the author does a fine job of helping the reader overcome any shortcoming.
   
   it is a book about political intrigue which encompasses deceit, betrayal, honor, loyalty and lack of, greed. the characters are very real and interesting. Some of them you will hate and others you will love yet non are flat. Some have said that the evil or bad characters are a bit flat but even in real life you'd most likely find them to be superficial, flat people - stroll down wall street you'll find plenty of flat characters.
   
   the portrayal of medieval seems very real. there is very little magic which is not a bad thing. this is a book about characters (and there are plenty of them) you will not get lengthy descriptions of every brick in the wall or every morsel of food served although you will get some. the characters will capture your attention, you will get involved in their doings and undoings.
   
   if you are a morally rightous person this book is not for you. although it's not much different than what happens today names have changed but the characters are the same. the author is blunt, realistic and straight forward. he doesn't pull his punches - nothing was outragously offensive in this book
   
   I usually like a fast paced plot with plenty of action and little to no political intrigue - this book has changed all that. my attention span is short yet the author writes well enough to make up for it.
   I highly recommend this book.



2. This book was really OK but the series is terrible. I will never pick up another Martin book. I don't know how he can keep readers when he continually kills off all the people you care about and rewards the ones you hate. If I wanted this type of story I would read the newspaper not a fantasy book. I borrowed the fourth book from the library and have skipped over about half of the pages trying to make it to the end.
   
   The bottom line is: If you like books where the good guy wins the battle and gets the girl in the end then read Goodkind's Sword of Truth series. If you want the good guy to have his head cut off and his girl raped and murdered then read R.R. Martin.
   
   I would not recommend starting this series.



3. We are introduced to a lot of characters, each with their own sub-plot, and you agonize over the ones that you don't care for. Unfortunately the story just gets bogged down with all this stories and all the characters have things going bad for them, none of them have a break. How can each of the main characters threaten the others if things are going sour for them; it makes no sense. After a while you just give up trying to cheer for one of the characters and don't care, all the knights are dumbasses, all the kings are arrogant and idiots, the only smart ones are the dwarf or the enuchs, just not charming at all. Bought the second book but just couldn't stomach it any more.



4. This is the most impressive fantasy book I've read in decades, one of the few that captured my imagination long after the book was done. People liken Mr. Martin to Tolkien, but his greatness lies in *not* being like Tolkien: not once during the book did I think of LOTR. The latter had the flavor of Arthurian legend and the old sagas; this has the much grittier feel of the Middle Ages, with real people and real politics.
   
   Pros: where to begin? The world he created is unique and wide-ranging, spanning continents and cultures. His characterizations are superb: he has a cast of hundreds, but every one stands out. His division of chapters according to viewpoint gives each character the chance to show their own personality and motivations. Interactions between characters were realistic, dialogue was natural, and people acted consistently with who they were and what they wanted. He was able to spin out 800+ pages without the plot ever dragging, and the thing kept me up late 3 nights in a row until I finished it. That was a week ago, and it's still on my mind.
   
   Cons: the first is picayune - I'm a little uncomfortable with sex scenes involving 13 year olds. Yes, child brides were/are the norm for certain cultures, but I'm still not easy with it. The notion of a 15yo boy leading men to war is even more incongruous. I just don't see a 15yo, no matter how well trained, as having the experience and judgement required to mount a large scale campaign. But these are trifles.
   
   The real problem with the book is its ending - it doesn't really have one. The whole thing is basically setup for the next book, with nothing resolved and everything left hanging. And it gives the distinct impression that the next book would do the same, and the next, and the next... It was like spending days climbing an enormous mountain, only to get to the top and see an endless vista of more mountains to climb.
   
   I was concerned enough to look at the reviews for the rest of the books in the series. Sure enough, they were of a pattern: nothing resolved, everything left hanging. Further, the author seems to have developed a sadistic streak. Killing off my favorite character was emotional punishment enough, but killing off all of them? I think he's stymied with the next book b/c he's murdered, maimed, or tortured everybody of interest, and has nobody left now to care about.
   
   So this book stands as an unfinished symphony: magnificent of itself, yet a poignant reminder of what might have been.



5. Before you start reading this series, please be aware that the author has not completed the story, despite the passing of several years since the last book. I read three of the four books in the series before discovering this, and was very frustrated since there is virtually no plot resolution and threads of character I had come to care about are left hanging in the wind. I don't mind waiting for another book in a series (I am a huge Harry Potter fan and enjoyed the anticipation as much as the reading) but the frustration of never knowing the outcome certainly took away from the joy of reading.

3 comments about Atlantis Redeemed (Warriors of Poseidon).

1. In 202 BC, a raging Poseidon punished Brennan for his cavalier behavior. For the next two millennia plus Poseidon cursed Brennan with feeling no emotion as a just penalty. However, that is only part one; the second half of his chastisement is that once he meets his soulmate, twenty two hundred centuries of no emotion will explode like a supernova but each time they separate he will fail to recognize who she is; that time is now.
   
   In Atlantis Prince Conlon informs Brennan that mortal reporter Tiernan Butler is their contact, as she is investigating evil experiments on shapeshifters by a consortium of humans and vampires. From a photo and then in person he knows she is the one. However, as they work together to unravel the truth at a scientific convention, the curse appears to destroy their chance of everlasting love and also catching the sinister scientists behind the shapeshifter scheme.
   
   The twisted curse refreshes the latest Warriors of Poseidon adventure (see Atlantis Unleashed, Atlantis Unmasked, Atlantis Awakening and Atlantis Rising). The lead couple is a terrific pairing as Tiernan deals with Brennan and his curse while seeking an evil group preparing to destroy Atlantis and much more. Fans will relish the latest oceanic romantic fantasy as Alyssa Day moves her overarching plot forward with a wonderful entry.
   
   Harriet Klausner



2. Atlantis Redeemed has a great hook and a most excellent beginning. Atlantean Warrior Brennan was cursed 2000 years ago by Poseidon to feel no emotion until the day he meets his mate and then he is doomed to forget her every time she leaves his sight until the day she dies. Then the most vindictive part of the curse kicks in - he will regain his memory of her so that he can mourn the loss of his soul mate for all eternity. What a wicked curse - never, ever get on a god's bad side.
   
   We met Brennan's mate, reporter Tiernan, in the previous book. Like all the other female soul-mates in the series Tiernan has a more than human power, Tiernan's is that she's a human lie detector. Brennan's first encounter with his mate is incredibly intense, all his emotions come back with a vengeance and he is bombarded with 2000 years of feeling at once and quite overwhelmed with he new feeling of lust and possessiveness for his mate - it is only his warriors training which keeps him from succumbing to his desire and claim Tiernan against her will. Tiernan's power makes it so that she can readily accept the truth of his curse, which I found refreshing - no drawn out big misunderstanding to overcome- and when she tests Brennan to see if she can detect his lies - wow! Talk about intense and steamy, Brennan can lie to me anytime.
   
   The intensity level eventually comes down to a more normal level but Atlantis Redeemed still ends up as my favorite in the series so far. There are also good cameos from past pairs, and some vampire intrigue by Daniel and evil scientists who are a threat to shifters and humans both, all which add to the continuing story arc. Can't wait for the next one, Atlantis Betrayed, Cristophe's book out in Sept 2010.



3. Alyssa Day got me hooked on the 1st, Atlanta Rising! I started reading this installment the day I got it & it didn't disappoint. Can't wait for more, especially the story of Alaric.

5 comments about One Second After.

1. One Second After plays a bit heavy with its politics, which are straight out of the good ol' white Christian right, but when the author isn't having his hero express these values redundantly, this is a strong and absorbing novel. It was even a bit short for my tastes, no joke. I was very much enjoying the adventure when this book ended somewhat quickly. Overall, it could easily be another 100 pages longer.
   
   The characters are human and well-drawn. The science is also sound. Forstchen wastes no time setting his stage and then getting the action rolling. One Second After is exactly the kind of book to bring to the beach or the pool.
   
   Four stars.



2. I won't allude to the story as most reviewers have here. As I stated in the title of the review, this story idea is good but the editing (or lack thereof) was appalling. The editor assigned to this book should be fired frankly. The spelling was awful, the grammar used by the character not conducive to one who is supposed to be a College Professor. It all was distracting and detracted from the storyline actually. It made me wonder just how much accurate research was really done concerning a real EMP threat. The book is worth reading if you can get past the sloppiness.



3. This is the most important book written since Nine-Eleven. Every American citizen should be required to read this book just to open their eyes to the possibilities that can be prevented and prepared for - but only if you are aware first !



4. This was my first experience with Forstchen's work, and to say that I'm incredibly impressed would be an understatement. Some of the other, and obviously far more cynical, reviews of this books attacked it for the occasional typos and adjective overuse, however that should not deter anyone from making this a part of their library. I'm also an author, and what can I say, it happens. We tell stories, editors edit. Period. One Second After has it all; a wonderfully-crafted plot, deep emotion, brilliantly-crafted characters, a wealth of fun historical facts, and a storyline that makes it extremely difficult task to put down. What makes this book so totally fascinating is that its main premise--an EMP attack--could be successfully executed by the time I'm done writing this review, or by the time you're done reading it. The author does an exceptional job of covering details that most of us would struggle to even consider thinking about; yet he explains and weaves them into this masterpiece with sheer precision. Those who have read it will undoubtedly agree that they will never look at power outages the same way again.
   
   There's not enough I can say about One Second After. I hope that, as many books do, this reaches those who are in a position to protect not only individuals with the political rights to bunkers and food and medicine, but also regular people who love life, and the many freedoms which we so often take for granted. Buy it. You'll have absolutely no regrets whatsoever.



5. One Second After chronicles the tortured fate of a small town in the North Carolina mountains. It follows the changed life of a college professor who seems loosely modelled on the author himself. After an EMP weapon destroys the computerized infrastructure of North America, the main character leads his small town through chaos, starvation, disease, and warfare as the modern inhabitants suddenly find themselves living in conditions unheard of for over a century. The story revolves around two main themes, the search for some way to keep his diabetic daughter alive and the need for the town to pull together in order to survive.
   
   Although well-written and heavily researched, I was struck by the extreme naivety of the writer as revealed through the choices he made in creating his story. The most annoying aspect for me personally was how quickly the small town took on a social and political structure identical to the worst extremes of Maoist China and Stalinist Russia. Almost immediately the leaders of the town clamp down on dissent, discussion, and free thinking. Instead of a dialogue driven by intelligent adults, every main character is convinced that only by adopting the most oppressive and restrictive political structures ever designed by human minds could anyone in the town survive. Predictably, the town's economy and productivity go into a tailspin as everyone becomes completely dependent on the town leaders for food, clothing, and so on. The only "free market" is .22 ammunition, since everything else has been confiscated by the town leaders and redistributed according to their personal bias about who deserves what.
   
   In a genuine emergency of this nature, to shift into a local dictatorship would be the worst mistake any local political body could make. The author himself does not seem to realize that the political choices made by his characters are the primary cause of the uncontrollable decline into greater and greater poverty. Instead of a dire warning of human fallability along the lines of "Lord of the Flies", the book comes across as a propogandistic insistence that in dire circumstances the only way humanity can survive is to revert to oppression and collective rule.
   
   A very disappointing read, at least for me.

5 comments about From Dead to Worse (Southern Vampire Mysteries, No. 8).

1. With Anne Rice not writing vampire novels any longer Charlene Harris has stepped in. These novels put a whole new twist on the vampire nation. I find the novels much more entertaining than the HBO series. I bought the 7 book box set first and couldn't wait to dive into the 8th book after finishing those. It did not let me down. I am now awaiting the 9th one to come out in paperback. Great reading for those who would enjoy a more mature look at vampire life apart from the Twilight series.



2. I've read every Sookie Stackhouse book, except book 9. I've enjoyed each book more than the last. But this book was just a mess. Charlaine Harris is a master of the short story and essentially this book feels like a series of short stories loosely threaded together. Every time a major event came to an end I found myself wondering, "what now, how can this book keep going?"
   
   There was too much going on and too many characters. The last section especially annoyed me. Don't worry, I'm not giving any spoilers, but I feel like it was hastily tacked on. I honestly didn't remember who the characters were at first.
   
   I wouldn't deter a fan from reading From Dead to Worse, I just want to let readers know what to expect. Despite the problems, I still enjoyed the book. I do hope book 9 and beyond will be better constructed novels with one major plot per book.



3. After Hurricane Katrina, Sookie is left to deal with the aftermath (including displaced witches!). We are introduced to some new characters that seem to stick around for a while. Also, in this book Sookie is thrown into the middle of both a were war and a vampire war. Throughout this story we are faced with the same questions- who will Sookie be involved with during this book? and will she make it out alive?
   
   You will find that this book deals with more than just the standard 2 storylines, there are so many different storylines and characters that pop up into this story.....
   
   I found this book to be thoroughly entertaining. There are some continuity errors within the story and some grammatical errors, but I did not find either of these things to truly ruin my Sookie Experience. This book isn't the best installment in the Sookie series, but I did enjoy reading this book. It was a quick and entertaining book that left me waiting (not so patiently) for the next book to come out.
   
   Enjoy!



4. Great series of books, I have read everyone of them, and they keep you wanting more, I got interested after watching True Blood on HBO and I could not wait to see what happen next, but the book follows the movies a little, but not enough to ruin either one. It will take you into a world full of magic and all different kinds of people. I highly recommend these books to any fellow vampire lovers!!!!!



5. It is amazing, but true...each and every book in the Sookie series is better than the last!!! This one gives a lot of interesting background about Sookie's extended family and brings in subtleties from way back that makes me believe that Charlaine Harris is one clever woman! Let's not forget that she's a Good Ole ARKANSAN!!!

5 comments about Fight Club: A Novel.

1. Nice condition! I immediately dove into this book. Loved the movie, looking forward to finishing the book!



2. I was tempted to have my review consist of the following: "The first rule about Fight Club is you don't talk about Fight Club. Therefore, I can't tell you what I think of this book." But then I realized that would be a cop-out. As good as this book is, as original and satiric and insightful and artful as Palahniuk's words and vision are, I'm nearly at a loss to specify what it is I like about this book or why I like it. The main narrative gimmick (if you haven't read the book or seen the movie yet--STOP READING NOW)--the unreliable narrator who doesn't realize he has split his personality in two and developed an anarchic identity that seeks to subvert and destroy modern culture--is certainly clever, but it doesn't necessarily make the characters likeable (which, I suspect, Palahniuk was not trying to do in the first place), and the plot isn't especially engaging. The book is humorous in spots, but its description is spartan, and its postmodern tone can be stifling at times. Yet the book works. I'm eager to read Palahniuk's other novels and see his development as a writer. "Fight Club" is a heck of a first novel, and I'm dying to see what Palahniuk's done next.



3. there's not much to say, Fight Club has been my own personal Bible for ever since the first time i heard about it. it's a great book (and a great movie) so owning a copy of it is something i consider necessary for all those who feel they need a breath of fresh air in today's world of forced comfort, convenience and promoted dumbed-down-to-consuming lifestyle. if you haven't read it - read it. it will turn your world upside down.
   now about the product: again, Amazon holds the number one position in offering the best deals. this was just what i wanted, used but in great condition, travel size and very cheap.



4. My son loves Chuck Palahniuk I bought this as a Christmas gift. He enjoyed it very much.



5. I love this book and the film! The premises of the story are original and paint an interesting picture of the plight of modern man.
   
   Nicholas R.W. Henning - Australian Author

5 comments about Sword of Truth, Boxed Set III, Books 7-9: The Pillars of Creation, Naked Empire, Chainfire.

1. Terry Goodkind is a wonderful author with the greatest of creative minds. The series Sword of Truth is one of the best I ever read.



2. This series is action packed but also has it's quiet meaningful moments. I truely do love it and will be sad when I reach the end, because there will be no more to read in this series.



3. Great TV series and I couldn't wait for season 2 so I purchased the books which fill in all the missing details and expand on the great fantasy series by Goodkind.



4. I started reading the Sword of Truth series on New Years Eve and completed it on the 27th of February. If you are fond of logic and can understand logical thinking you will do the same. I has all the best of Cussler and DeMille with the Hero and his following with the spark of love but instead of guns and bombs its its swords and knives.



5. Good books, but could have ended the story at book number 7. I lost interest in the last few books and I can't even remember the conclusion.

5 comments about Roadkill (Cal Leandros, Book 5).

1. Nik and Caliban find themselves being visited by the old Rom gypsy Abelia, she want a favor from them. The Roms have found themselves in a dire circumstance.. the Plague of The World has been stolen from them.
   The artifact is a entity so powerful and horrible that the Roms locked it away in a black coffin centuries ago. Some one has stolen it from them and the seals on the coffin have weakend letting the destruction out.
   Cal and Nik agree to look for the Plague for a price. They go on a hair raising roadtrip with Cal girlfriend Deliah following and a band of gypsys.
   Caliban is also having other problems, every time he opens a gate is Auphe side comes out more and he is beginning to really like it.
   Will caliban go over to his darker nature?



2. Sometimes when a series reaches a certain point, it gets stale and repetitive. Boring, and even dry. But this is not the case at all with Rob Thurman's Cal Leandros series. Her writing style is as engaging as ever, as are the situations she throws our unlikely heroes into. Everyone else has already said it way better than I possibly could, so I will get down to the chase: buy this book. Hell, buy the whole series. When a friend recommended it to me a few years back, I was hooked, never to return from this dark, seductive (for all the right reasons: Robin Goodfellow, monsters, violence, and swearing) world.
   
   And, five books later, I am still hooked and can't wait for the next one to come out.



3. I love this series and I loved this book. I was a little concerned going into this book that maybe the series was slipping because I didn't enjoy hearing from Nik's POV in the last book. I love Nik being his mysterious ninja self as seen through Cal's eyes. So happy we were back to that original format in this book. The sardonic wit that blows through these books is refreshingly different from the too serious take of some books in the genre or the puny tongue in cheek of others. The story moved at a hyper manic pace that kept me reading and when I misplaced the book for a couple of hours today I about had a fit until I found it behind the couch. It ended happy and it ended sad. No simple pat answers. Rob Thurman makes you think while entertaining you. One of the things I love best about these books is that beyond the humor and the swordplay and saving the world this is the story of two brothers who love each other. No matter what the monsters throw at them, you know that Nik will be there for Cal and Cal will be there for Nik. I hope my sons grow up to love each other as much. Only without the demons and evil gypsies. Like I tell everyone at the bookstore where I work, read these books. You won't regret it.



4. As book 5 of a series, I'm sure anyone who has followed Cal and Nik this far will buy and enjoy this book as well. With that said though, I didn't like Roadkill nearly as much as the others. In the prior books, I felt that Cal and Nik's strong personalities were well balanced with the other characters. In this one, however, that balance felt off. Two of the visiting characters felt like Cal & Nik knock-offs and Goodfellow was completely off his game. The dialog ended up consisting of far too much bickering for my taste.
   
   I'll happily pick up book 6 when it comes out. I just may end up skipping this one if I re-read the series down the road.



5. Rob Thurman gives us "Roadkill" the next chapter in the continuing story of supernatural ass kickers Cal and Niko Leandros.
   
   This time around the threat is even scarier than Sawney Beane from book #3, and while villain Suyolak spends most of the book off stage in a metal box he is still a credible threat and very much active. Cal, Niko, Robin, Rafferty and cousin Catcher (last seen in book 1), and mummy cat Salome (who threatens to steal the show) hit the road to combat this threat. Along the way we learn there are things scarier than the monsters created by Rob Thurman's fertile imagination. What's even more terrifying than the antagonist's ability to cause pestilence and plague on a worldwide scale is the slow loss of humanity we see in Cal and in fellow roadtripper Catcher.
   
   Cal is cursed with the increasing dominance of his Auphe heritage while Catcher is a werewolf who can no longer shift to human and is losing his sense of self to that of the Wolf. The only way they keep from going completely under is through the assistance and continuing efforts of their family. But with what they're facing even these efforts may be in vain, and because they're chasing someone who lost any touch with their humanity long ago the possible consequences are very evident.
   
   Rob Thurman has created her own style and displays it in full form in "Roadkill". Once again she effortlessly blends terror with humor, sarcasm with heartbreak, and action with quiet contemplation. Rob Thurman breaks the mold of current urban fantasy...and then proceeds to beat the Hell out of the mold makers.

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.