5 comments about Dark Hollow.

1. If you like horror and suspense and reading how books are written then this will be a double treat. The main hero, Adam Senft is a decently successful writer who decided to give up his other job to write that great story that would be his ticked to solidified fame. With his wife Tara he settles into a quiet lifestyle in a home in Pennsylvania. His wife carrying the burden of commuting to work gave him time to sit back, enjoy the quiet, walk the dog and write those hot selling books. Little does he know but that peace is shattered with the arrival of spring. From the very first page the story hits off and then drops the reader back on Earth to catch up. Adam finds his neighbor, an attractive female involved in some strange activity in the LeHorn woods. Embarrassed and freaked out he starts a chain of events that brings upon him strange lust, bad luck and a horrific creature that is after every wife in town. When people start to disappear and those left act strangely little time is left before Adam's wife and his entire life is thrown into a well of chaos. Along with his friends he must get to the bottom of a mysterious nemesis that shakes his reality and to defend his territory from a menacing male - something.
   
   Brian Keene surprised me this time, I didn't particularly like "The Conqueror Worms" and after reading it I was afraid that his style was set in stone; that another story would have random additives and would be scattered, but not so with "Dark Hollow". Was it literary genius? No, but it was darn addictive and enjoyable, it did what a good, gripping fiction book should - it enchanted the reader and gave satisfaction for reading it. I felt my teeth sink into the story until I absorbed its contents. It took me in and hardly ever stopped being great. The reason for 4 stars versus 5 ( since I am gushing about it ) is really simple; as I get older I get little tougher when I judge a book, and really only give 5 stars when it stirs my guts with a stick and makes me obsessed with what I just read - hard task, so 4 stars is not too shabby, trust me. Some of my favorite parts were reading about Adam's preparations and how he did his writing, it felt real and was such a treat.
   
   Before I finish I must just say how proud I am of Keene for making this book steamy; he was very liberal with all sorts of naughty scenarios and wrote his book fulfilling his fantasies about just putting out that salty novel out there into the world. I saw no holding back and hopefully he can always write like this, but obviously only when necessary to the plot, gratuitous use of sex is plain fake, when the story doesn't scream for it; don't include it to avoid embarrassment- unless you're Richard Laymon. He was the king of lascivious books - at least to me and it's hard to knock him of that throne in my head. Like Laymon, Keene tapped into that channel and produced a decent read; I really enjoyed it tremendously and will try to read his other works. I know I criticized him heavily in my last review so I am trying to redeem myself, but it feels right only because this book deserved it. Fun, raunchy and actually interesting, good change from the usual gore and bloody horror, I read it on the bus, after dinner and then in bed; it was good stuff.
   
   - Kasia S.



2. Brian Keene's success in telling a story is based upon his ability to create characters that you care about. I think this is an area where so many horror writers fail. In Dark Hollow, we meet writer Adam Senft, his dog, and his good 'ol boy neighbors that are the kind of salt of the earth every-men you know in your own neighborhood. The plot could take us in any direction at this point because we care about these people and we are even interested in the minutiae of their daily lives. Keene exposes us to the surreal very early in the novel and it captivates our attention immediately. The other facet of Keene that makes his writing enjoyable, is the fact that he creates a pretty detailed mythos behind every novel. In fact, if you are reading one of his novels, there is a good chance that it began as a short story in the early stages oh his career. While Brian Keene is not writing literature, his writing is entertaining throughout. Great Summertime reading! Beneath the Surface: 13+ Shocking Tales of Terror



3. Keene is quickly working his way into my heart as a favorite author, and "Dark Hollow" may have clinched it. If you had told me two days ago that I would read a horror story about satyrs or fauns and actually like it I probably would have cocked an eyebrow at you and asked if you were feeling okay. But I more than "Liked it," this book was an absolute blast!
   
   Short Summary: Adam Senft is a mystery writer who lives with his wife Tara and their dog "Big Steve" in a nice house in a quaint town, bordering an ancient mysterious wood. One day while walking Big Steve though the woods, Adam and Big Steve come across one of their female neighbors performing questionable acts on a statue... or at least it looked like a statue until it turned its head and stared at Adam. Suddenly the women in town are disappearing and the men are turning up headless... Adam and his neighbors believe it has to do with something that happened many years ago at the LeHorn farm... in the center of the dark and sinister woods.
   
   My favorite character by far is Big Steve (yes, he's the dog) who at times seems to be the most human of characters, and unlike most stories that include a dog, Big Steve is always there, being a good boy. The characters in this book are very real, flawed, scarred, and honest. I have always like that about Keene, his people are believable. This book grabs you right from the beginning and it's very hard to put down. At just over 300 pages you can feasibly read it in a day. I stayed up way later than I had intended to finish this book. And the ending is typical of Keene, no the world doesn't come crashing to the end, but there is that sense of apathetic loss that even his "happy ending" books leave you with. I wondered if Keene would have the courage to go where this book needed to go, and he did. There was quite a bit of sex and gore (the gore comes in mostly at the end) though not as much as a Laymon or Lee novel.
   
   Now don't get me wrong, this is no work of literary genius... what it is however, is a fun, fast paced read with a single story line (unlike many of his other works) that the reader can't turn their eyes from. This is one of the few horror novels I've read in a while that makes you actually care about most of the characters, you become involved in their lives, and their routine and truly worry about them... particularly if you have read other Keene novels and know that there is a very high chance that most of them won't make it through the book alive. I highly recommend this book to Keene fans, it is my favorite of his works so far, and I feel that this book is the type of read that fans of old school Steven King would really enjoy.



4. A fun read. A very well paced and entertaining story. An interesting take on the Satyr myth.



5. I found The Conquerer Worms disappointing so it took me a while to pick up Dark Hollow by Brian Keene. And once again I'm disappointed, but this time it's because I put it off reading this book for so long.
   
   Dark Hollow is the tale of a small town in Pennsylvania, once a farming community, now home to Adam, a midlist mystery writer, his wife and their dog. But their town is also home to something else, an other-worldly creature, summoned long ago and finally awakened again with the first day of spring.
   
   Dark Hollow is a very compelling tale. Sure there's a monster in woods, and some creepy carnivorous demon trees, but the real horror is in the effect the events of the story have on the characters, particularly Adam and his wife. Keene is able to drive a man's loyalty into very dangerous places, pitting his own nature against his ideals. The conflict made Dark Hollow hard to put down and held up through the very last line.
   
   It's easily my favorite Keene work so far. While it counts as horror, there's less gore and violence and far more dread and conflict, which is exactly why Keene seems ready to cross the line into a position rare for a horror author-mainstream acceptance.

5 comments about Munchkin.

1. I never got into the D&D games. This game was a satire on that genre. If you aren't a fan of this world then this game is okay. With all the backstabbing which is part of the fun, this game can go on and on and on and on. Also, it really would not be fun to play with just two people. Need a larger crowd for it to be more enjoyable.



2. This is an easy, introduction to role-playing games. A game can be completed in a couple of hours, so it's not as completely time-consuming as true role-playing games. The monsters and weapons are hilarious.



3. A very fun game for a group who's willing to let their dork hair down.



4. I've never played Dungeons & Dragons (which this game is a satire on), but I am a huge fan of board games and card games. Munchkin is a great game for 3 or more people who don't mind being geeks for a few hours. The game combines a heavy dose of D&D satire, witty puns, pop culture, and mild adult humor. The object of the game is to outfit your character with an arsenal of unusual weapons, items, and abilities in order to slay monsters and gain levels. Your friends are doing the same, and you can benefit from both helping and hindering them. The rules can be a little daunting at first, but players pick it up quickly. Plus, all of the cards have explanations on them. With the exception of "The Need for Steed", the expansions add a great amount of variety to the cards without making the game longer or more complicated. "The Need for Steed" does add a small amount of complexity to the game, but does not make the game longer to play. Although playing with 2 players is technically possible, it is a very different experience and does not compare to playing with 3 or more players.



5. This is a great game. It takes a little bit to learn the rules, but it is well worth it. It is a great find.

No comments about Wolfsbane and Mistletoe.

5 comments about The Sword of Shannara.

1. I finally bought this book to read (I should have borrowed it from the library). I hadn't read it previously, and I doubt I will read it again. I was, as you can tell by the number of stars, fairly disappointed in this book. My disappointment wasn't based on how much was borrowed from Tolkein (as others have said, that comes with the territory). What bothered me was that it was unrealistic (heh, I know, I'm complaining about a fantasy book not being realistic!). The map provided to describe the world they live in does not show a very big world, yet I am to believe that in a matter of a day or two, one can go from one kind of environment to a completely different, and more deadly environment? Or Shea just happens on the Gnome that happens to be carrying the famed sword? There are numerous other examples. The point is that I am to assume too much. If you are going to borrow from Tolkein, or create a similar story, then you must make your world as believable as Tolkein's world is. For example, there is no question about distances or various environments within Tolkein's world. It doesn't drastically change within a day's journey! That would be impossible within the laws of physics. But if your world does have those drastic changes, then you must explain how they break the laws of physics you otherwise apply to your world whether you write that they apply or not. For example, if your characters breathe normally, that means you have applied several laws of physics to your characters by default.
   
   Maybe fantasy isn't my best domain? :)



2. The Sword of Shannara was a very popular book back in the 70s right after the huge success of The Lord of the Rings when everyone wanted to read more fantasy. I wasn't old enough to read it back then, so I came to it much later. I read part of the first book and, knowing how popular it had been, and feeling like it was a classic, I was prepared to enjoy it. About half way through I gave it to my ten year old son.
   
   The weird thing is, it's so like The Lord of the Rings, at the same time that it's not. I don't mind a few common fantasy elements (especially in works written before they were cliché), but Brooks' plot and characters come almost straight out of Tolkien. This may have been acceptable if the writing had come straight out of Tolkien, too, but Brooks' style is clunky, wordy, and awkward. Adjectives and adverbs are used without restraint. I mean there are constant repetitive superfluous unnecessary redundant profligate excessive numbers of adjectives. And did I mention the weirdly-placed adverbs which are used unsparingly, unrestrainedly, extravagantly, and immoderately? And annoyingly? . . . When I couldn't care less whether Shea and Flick (they're the hobbits-- I mean the heroes) live or die, then the characterization is weak. Actually, I was kind of hoping that they would die. If they died, the book would have to end, right?
   
   Conclusion: These are fine for kids (at least this one is, I can't say if all of the later Shannara books are -- probably not). But, do you really want to teach them to write like that? If not, give them C.S. Lewis, J.K. Rowling, Susan Cooper, and Lloyd Alexander. To be fair: This series is wildly popular. Perhaps the writing gets better (it has been 30 years, after all). I have heard that only the first book is too much like Tolkien. But I'll never know for sure because I can't make it through the first one. --FanLit.net



3. I dont know what's wrong with all you people who didnt like this book. Why dont you just read it and stop comparing it to other books. If you read a book like Lord of the Rings or the Hobbit, and then later read the Sword of Shannara, of course you're going to see similarities. As another reader mentioned, wizards and evil bad guys arent just in Tolkiens books. There are heros in the Bible (i.e., King David, various other profits and of course Jesus Christ) and an evil guy (the devil) but you dont compare books that have hero's and evil guys to that. Its an age old concept to have heros and evil guys in books. You should just read the book. When I read it, I couldnt put it down. I wanted to find out what was going to happen to the characters. I never even thought about any other book. I couldnt wait to get to the next book. If you're so f**king critical you're going to find faults everywhere.



4. The popularity of this title seems to have waned considerably since the last time I looked it up on Amazon.com. Terry Brooks' Sword of Shannara is arguably the novel most obviously derivative of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings in terms of both characters and events in the plot, but come on, guys. Three and a half stars? While I can't justify Brooks extending this series to the length it has eventually grown to (I had to stop reading after the beleaguering original seven) The Sword of Shannara is still a classic of the genre, and it deserves an appreciative nod from fantasy fans. After all, without mindless knock-offs of Tolkien, where would the mass-market world of seven-hundred-page sword-and-sorcery novels be today? Not in the hearts and minds of all of us, that's for sure. In that sense, Brooks should be seen as a bold pioneer.
   
   All joking aside, I have fond memories of staying up late to finish this book, even though at fifteen I could easily spot the parallels between this novel and The Lord of the Rings. Two stars for originality. Five stars for entertainment value. But five stars overall because this classic does not deserve to be languishing at a caustic three and a half stars! Come on people, help me out!!!



5. I read this book 20 years ago, and could not put it down!!! It's that GOOD! I loved the book "The lord of the rings", and with that said, I liked this one better. Fun from beginning to end. Forgive Terry Brooks for being brilliant!!!

5 comments about Blood Lines (The World of the Lupi, Book 3).

1. I have to say, I love the tattooed woman on the cover of this book. But don't just buy this book for the cover. It's a good read.



2. Slap me silly or stuff my mouth with soap. I am so eating my words after having read this one...
   
   So okay, 1 & 2 were, at times, frustrating to read, and getting used to the characters and Wilks' style could get trying, at times. In the end...totally worth it in this third installment, which ties everything--from plotting to characters to explanations--so well, I was marveled. And struck dumb.
   
   As things stand: the world is on the cusp of falling apart and surviving Dis (i.e. Hell) was the easy part. It begins with a wham-bham-thank-you-mam tidal wave of magic that coats the entire globe, unleashing power and shifting realms. And creates general chaos and mayhem. By now, we all know that the female deity that the Lupi were created to oppose and eventually destroy, is behind all the trouble. However, to get that, she needs an ancient book, the Book of All Magic that was lost after the Purge, in order to enter this realm.
   
   To be short, there are two interlaced romances and tales in and of their own right. They do develop rather slowly, but its not a bad pace, and this book's plotting is incredibly dense.
   
   Lily's & Rule's tangoing is pretty much status quo and now has that 'awe...that's so sweet' element that was really frustrating, and uneventful (physical-wise), in the first 2 books. I've always appreciated, and rather enjoyed, Wilk's day-by-day spin on the romance part. Very realistic and more meaningful. Love and romance, however, are the least of their worries as Toby, Rule's young son, decided to up and leave his human family to spend Christmas with them, and becomes the center of a plan by Jiri, Cynna's old teacher and perhaps a puppet to Her. To add to the hectic pace and drama, Rule has become inexplicably entangled with his familial enemy, Leidolf, and becomes
   embroiled within that pack's religious and political structure. It's still not clear if this is a good or bad thing, but one thing is for certain, it's something wholly unheard of, in any clan tradition.
   
   The second romance is of Cullen and Cynna's, while written with a bit more force, and parallels Rule's & Lilly's, doesn't really bloom until 3/4 of the way. But, boy, is the outcome interesting...though the process of their flirting is subdued and dull, their ability to annoy each other can be amusing. And tedious, since they argue semantics and magical logics of their world, though its purpose is to explain what the hell is going on and why. Wilks may bring in a lot of weird stuff in, but she always gets it explained, and doesn't wait too long to tell you.
   
   Meanwhile--Grandma Yu gets her chunk of play, as we begin to learn more about her and her overall role in things to come. Which is a doozy.
   
   I realized the reason why I was put off with the first two in this incredible series. One, I'm used to a lot of exposition, character internalization of emotions and detailed accounts of emotional battles, both verbal and not. This series doesn't rely on that. It sticks strictly with dialogue exposition, almost entirely third person, and carefully placed descriptions of all action, physical, emotional, psychological, etc, which is hard to get comfortable with at times. There is no stream of consciousness, or much (if any) internal talking by characters. Thus, the narrator is both there and yet not, which is why the characters themselves can feel mechanical and distant. Also, there isn't the usual hot and heavy sex scenes. Which Wilks really isn't into, and doesn't find as essentially important as plotting, which is so well thought out, and focuses on character developments, which is either stable, static or meandering. It's not so much immediate growth, but things happen, and their digesting what to do. A bit more true-time if you imagine it like real life...
   
   By now, the characters are growing on me. I still find them hard to relate to but I do like them, and I appreciate how consistent they're written and behave. Wilks has really made things logically reasonable and believable, consistent, despite the scope of her world, which she knows inside out. And everything else, really. Her style can be clinical, a bit mechanical and choppy sometimes, but she gets her points across that were hook-line-and-sinker for me to keep going, despite my misgivings and my inability to see romance novels out side the box. So thanks and huge kudos for her!
   
   There's so much that happens, that after the other two, it's kind of disorienting but well executed. There's a lot of dialogue that you'll have to tread through carefully, otherwise it won't make as much sense. The one annoying thing is the constant recap and repetition of info that Wilks feels necessary to keep hitting you in the head with. However, I'm on tenterhooks to start the 4th...and thank god I stuck with it.



3. If you love the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs, and the two "Magic" series books by Ilona Andrews, you will love this third book in the Wilks series about werewolf/magic/demon/dragon and otherworldly folks. A really suspenseful and fun summer read. I enjoyed every page. This is not erotica, but there are some scenes not suitable for the under 12 age group. I particularly enjoy the writers style, it's not "namby-pamby-kiss-me-once-and-I-fall-in-love-and-take-off-all-my-clothes" kind of romance that fries my bu** and insults my intelligence. There is real thoughtful development of the characters, their relationships and most importantly, the plots.



4. This was a good book from start to finish. Hardly any down spots and as usual, plenty of action. Can't wait to see what the future holds for Cullen and Chynna. I recommend this whole series.



5. I picked up the first in the series on a whim and have been caught up in the characters ever since. I like that life isn't always peaches & cream, but there is enough of the good to outweigh the bad, after all, this IS escapism at it's best, right?

No comments about The Wyrmling Horde: The Seventh Book of the Runelords.

3 comments about Star Wars Omnibus: Tales of the Jedi, Vol. 2.

1. 
   The Star Wars Omnibus is one hefty book. Jam packed with stories of the Jedi going back 4,000 years before 'current' events, the dark Sith and Jedi are at constant war. Dark Sith magic is not dead, and when powerful forces re-appear, powerful Jedi must combat evil with good.
   
   That has always been the theme of Star Wars. Good vs evil. Sith vs Jedi. Throw a little biblical theming (light vs dark-light wins), some amazing talented jedi warriors dedicated to the force, and you have galaxy spanning battles.
   
   This book is packed with them. Can't wait for the next Jedi installment? $24.95 gets you over 300 pages of pure adventure. Great art, great stories, and creative histories behind a franchise that will surely live centuries beyond George Lucas!
   
   www.darkhorse.com
   
   Tim Lasiuta



2. This omnibus edition from Dark Horse contains the Exar Kun war. To most Star Wars enthusiasts, this may or may not make a lot of sense. So, for those who have played Knights of the Old Republic, it contains the exploits of the Qel-Droma clan and Nomi Sunrider. For those who have read the Jedi Academy books where Luke sets up the Academy on Yavin IV, it tells the story of Exar Kun and how he got trapped on Yavin.
   
   It is a good story. The art is okay until "Redemption", where it is phenomenal. It has the typical battle between the light side and the dark side. I just wish that someone would master WHY a person would turn to the dark side of the force, but at least this provides some explanation as to why the central characters turned (more like they were forced to embrace it).
   
   The stories that comprise this book are solid and IMHO movie material (it definitely beats Jar-Jar, the Ewoks, and the "love story" of Episode III).
   
   I would recommend this book and Tales of the Jedi Volume 1 for any Star Wars fan. It will not disappoint.



3. Of the many Star Wars comics issued by Dark Horse, the Tales of the Jedi line was far and away my favorite. The series' setting (5000 years before A New Hope) let authors Kevin J. Anderson and Tom Veitch really go wild in creating the early tales of the Jedi Knights and their Sith adversaries, and resulted in the creation of some of the Star Wars Universe's most memorable characters.
   
   Since many of the original Tales of the Jedi trade paperbacks are out of print, Dark Horse has issued Omnibus collections of the Tales of the Jedi comics. This is the second volume, and it collects the following stories:
   
   Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi - The Freedon Nadd Uprising
   This 2-issue series picked up where Ulic Qel Droma and the Beast Wars of Onderon left off. Our young Jedi Knights are under assault from the ancient spirit of Sith Lord Freedon Nadd (no snickering please), and any victory they achieve may prove fleeting as secret Sith lore is brought back to the Republic by a pair of Dark Side wannabes. The artwork for this series was less than stellar.
   
   Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi - Dark Lords of the Sith
   Two powerful young Jedi come too close to the Dark Side of the Force. Exar Kun seeks forbidden knowledge, and Ulic Qel Droma attempts to defeat the dark from within. These Jedi's journeys towards the Dark Side will lead to massive galactic conflict and the return of the Sith Empire. The artwork in this series is better than the Freedon Nadd Uprising, but not by much.
   
   Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi - The Sith War
   Dark Lord of the Sith Exar Kun and his Sith disciples wage war on the Republic and their Jedi allies. The whole Tales of the Jedi saga has been leading up to this massive conflict. Dario Carasco brings some much needed detailed artwork to the series.
   
   Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi - Redemption
   This long out of print saga takes place years after the close of the Sith War. Nomi Sunrider's daughter Vima seeks a Jedi to tutor her in the ways of the force, and has decided on the one man universally reviled for his role in the Sith War - Ulic Qel Droma. This gorgeously illustrated series is the perfect epilogue to the massive Tales of the Jedi saga.
   
   I love the idea of these mid-priced Omnibus volumes, but am not crazy about their size. Compared to Marvel's larger Omnibus hardcovers, these smaller (they shaved roughly an inch from the height and width of the trade paperback size) paperback collections fall a bit short (no pun intended). Still, if you're new to the Tales of the Jedi series, or like me never got around to buying all of the trade paperbacks, they are an ideal way to get the most bang for your buck.
   
   PS - For what it's worth, my copy of this Omnibus has a different cover than what is pictured. I'll try and upload a scan to show the difference.

5 comments about Childhood's End.

1. Sir Arthur C. Clarke (1917 - 2008) is one of the masters of the genre of Science Fiction from its golden age. Though undoubtedly best known for "2001: A Space Odyssey", there are numerous other works of his which should be on every fan of science fiction's reading list. "Childhood's End" is one of those books. This book deals with concepts such as the utopian society, individuality, a `hive mind", and much more. This novel grew out of a short story titled "Guardian Angel" which was published in 1950 ("Famous Fantastic Mysteries"). The original novel was written in February through December of 1952 and was published on August 24th of 1953 by Ballentine. The text which I am reviewing includes a new chapter (or prolog) which was added in 1990, replacing the original.
   
   When "Childhood's End" was first published, it included a disclaimer "The opinions expressed in this book are not those of the author". Though certainly an odd statement, it did have its purpose as Clarke explains in his introduction. After publishing "The Exploration of Space" he felt that people would be confused by a book expressing the idea that "The stars are not meant for man" which is not only in opposition to the book he had just published, but in many ways is the opposite of most of his works which express an opinion in that area.
   
   The story is told in three parts. The first section is titled "Earth and the Overlords". The original prolog had the United States and the Soviet Union both on the verge of creating nuclear powered spaceships for space exploration venture when a fleet of alien spaceships appear over all the major cities of the world. Reinhold is the main scientist for the U.S., and Konrad Schneider is the USSR's lead scientist. The new prolog replaces that with Earth starting the 21st century by proclaiming it the Century of the Solar System with mankind on the verge of visiting the other planets when the Overlord fleet arrives.
   
   The story then picks up five years down the road, with the overlords firmly in control of Earth, but with people becoming more and more restless about the still unseen Overlords and specifically the Supervisor, Karellen. Secretary General Stormgren is the only one who has even been able to talk to the Overlords, as he meets with Karellen on the Overlords' ship, but he sits in a room with what he thinks is a view screen and is only allowed to talk to Karellen. When his time as Secretary General is coming to an end, Stormgren is kidnapped and finds that he has been used as bait by Karellen to find the leaders of those who are opposed to Earth allowing the Overlords to control humanity. Stormgren then comes up with his own plot, to find out what the Overlords look like, with or without their permission.
   
   The second section is titled "The Golden Age" and starts with the Overlords allowing at last humanity to see what they look like. This is also the golden age on Earth. Humanity has evolved and put aside many of its prejudices and superstitions and with the help of the Overlords has attained new heights in almost every scientific area. This is man's second shot at the paradise. Will man be cast out of the Garden of Eden again? This time the apple is the exploration of the stars, and Adam is in the form of Jan Rodricks, who learns the location of the Overlords home star, and attempts to stowaway on one of their ships to find out more about their home world and the Overlords themselves. Clarke borrows from the story of Jonah and the whale in this story, to add to some of the biblical allusions.
   
   The last section is titled "The Last Generation", and this section reveals the Overlords real purpose, which is to guard over and guide the evolution of man into what mankind will evolve into. It is also revealed that the Overlords themselves are fated to advance no further. The message for the rest of humanity is not so wonderful though, as they are fated to be the last generation. Their entire purpose was to be the caterpillar for the butterfly that is to be man's evolution. There are theological motifs played out as well, for what are the Angels (Overlords) in relation to humanity? Mankind was made in the image of God, while the Angels are the servants. Jan Rodricks returns to Earth and do to time dilation and the psychological effects on the world, he is alone as the last human in existence, able to observe the Overlords observing what man has become.
   
   This novel has many thinking points. Is it better to be a member of a species which will evolve, but your own species is but a stepping stone to that higher level, or to be a member of a species which is stagnant, force to watch and serve those who are more advanced? Clearly Clarke prefers the latter, but there is a certain sadness to know that all that one accomplishes is meaningless with the exception of one's descendents. There is also the question of what the real fate is of humanity's child, does it really partner with the Overlords master as they say? How would they really know? This is science fiction at its best, an engaging story which keeps the reader thinking while reading as well as after finishing.



2. This is an amazing, shocking book. Like 2001 the movie(and it's inspiration-Clarke's story "The Sentinel"), man encounters alien civilization in a way that is far more fascinating and original than the typical invasion story. I don't won't to say too much. That could ruin the story. This might be the best science fiction book(and one of the best in general) I have ever read. The only slight problem I see is that traces of anachronism are presented in the book-originally published in the 50's. Clark tried to update it a bit 40 years later, but some of the age still shows. That is only a minor concern. The story is so powerful and excellent that one little dirt speck can't ruin its overall luster



3. I have read many of the latter works by Clarke, and I find them imaginative, intelligent and thought-provoking. So when I turned my attention to some of his early works, Childhood's End came very highly recommended, and I'm glad to say it lives up to almost all its high praise.
   
   Though presented as a novel, this could easily be three short stories, dealing with three different subjects: contact, utopia and apocalypse. In fact, the book is divided into three parts, which are bound together by a century of life on Earth following humanity's first contact with an alien race called the Overlords. The first two parts are vintage Clarke: a chilling and suspenseful depiction of first encounter laced with clues that will keep any reader guessing at just what might come next and who are these "benevolent" Overlords. The second part describes a utopia that for all intents and purposes has humanity feeling content with itself. As with all utopias in science fiction, we know what to expect next... and do we ever get it.
   
   [Spoilers]
   However it is here that the story takes a strange and anti-climatic twist. In short, all that was obtained by the grace of the Overlords, all of mankind's population, and even the Earth itself is entirely eradicated simply to fuel the next evolutionary step for humanity. On one end Clarke, stresses the fact that humans are quite insignificant and not "meant of the stars" and yet just a few pages later mankind's offspring can gobble up their home planet while undergoing their ascendance to the next plane of existence. Not only has this evolutionary step no biological basis, but it is heavily steeped with religious and paranormal implication, the first of which were summarily denied in the first part of the book by the Overlords. Despite all the hints and clues that Clarke purposefully scatters throughout the book about the Overlords, their appearance, and their true intentions, in the end it is humans themselves who inevitably destroy everything; not because of misguided intentions or horrendous mistakes, but simply to fulfill their destiny. The author heavily emphasizes that this is a good way to go, but I find many logical pitfalls in this conclusion. Besides the ones listed above, another glaring one is the destruction of the Earth and all its life, which could have produced other species that eventually become capable of reaching this much-desired enlightenment that humans attained. Clarke gets most of these problems sorted out by his later works, but Childhood's End, while being very imaginative is very raw and heavily influenced by the general outlook and political mind-set of its decade.
   
   A classic worthy of reading? Certainly.
   
   But a masterpiece?...not quite.



4. What seemed like an ordinary tale of aliens descending upon Earth to take over, turned into a profound work of humanities struggle, not physically, but mentally, with their interactions with their "overlords." Rather than looking at a stereotypical perspective of Aliens raging war with humans, Clarke creates the story of different individuals and their attempts with facing a world of monotony and routine, without individualism. Clarke exceeds the realm of sci-fi by looking at what it means to be a human. Great read.



5. Book was delayed and took about 3 weeks to receive. Condition of book was much worse than described - the binding was broken and pages were falling out - it was described as good condition - but was really in very worn condition. Disatisfied!

5 comments about Night Season (The World of the Lupi, Book 4).

1. This is an excellent series for lovers of paranormal romance and adventure. I particularly like the werewolf culture created in this series. However, I was unable to hook into this story until 2/3 of the way through the book. I think I was used to reading about Lily and Rule, whereas this book focused on Cynna and Cullen. I think I would have been more receptive if Lily and Rule had played a bigger role in this book. However, I appreciate the author's attempt at diversity and look forward to the next book in the series.



2. Cullen Seabourne, lone wolf no more with friends and a clan, has found comfort and great sex in the arms of Cynna Weaver, Finder and a true skeptic at heart. But when Gnome representatives from Edge, a parallel world that's a 180 from Dis, pop out in a fountain in a DC mall, the real motives begin to unravel. And the goad to get Cynna to say yes without thinking is the revelation that her father, Daniel Weaver, didn't leave her and her drunken mother, but fell through into Edge.
   
   What the Gnomes want is Cynna and Lilly to retrieve a powerful, and stolen, Medallion that controls the magical inertia in Edge. Without a proper holder, it's just chaos and war. And the gnomes believe only they can manage that power. Initially, the goal is to have Cynna Find and use Lilly's immunity to magic to take it, because, the Medallion is kind of alive and can eat its wearer, or turn them psychotic. But Lilly can't follow through because of the mate bond, which is still a secret. But the Edge reps have a trick under their sleeves as well, which backfires. Instead of just Lilly and Cynna and the Edge reps, it's Cynna, Cullen, Reuben, two gov't suites, Gan, Steve Timms and the reps from Edge fall through. And during a time of darkness, what the Edge people refer to as the Night Season.
   
   Which was really a metaphor for Cynna's inability to 'see the light of truth' about her feelings for Cullen, being destined to be the next Rhej, her dad not being so dead-beat, being pregnant and acknowledging it as a person and not out of a sense of religious obligation, and especially, about herself. Midway, we come to find that none of the earthlings can return home until the Medallion is found because it takes a lot of power to open a gate and the Gnomes refuse. And thus, a who can and can't handle the Medallion takes up a great deal of the plot, and also introduces the Faeries, who covet the Medallion. It's a lot of talking and explaining in general.
   
   Juxtaposed and equally uneventful, were two new characters, a Sidhe by name of Nathan Hunter, some sort of Hellhound of the Winter Queen in Faerie land. And his lover, a Gifted human, Kai, who can't control her dangerous Gift. She also has a familiar, a type of feline, Dell, that rings similar to Pullman's daemens. Their role is not really explained and for the, thankfully, brief chapters of them, you're not sure what their purpose is, if at all, though in the end, they end up helping the Earth gang.
   
   The purpose for the journey, the political or magical happenings are usually the backbone to all the other books, with the romance being secondary. Which is fine, to a point, but there are no thrills, a few eyebrow raising, and not always in a good way. The emotional arch of Cynna and Cullen is flat, sprinkled with some cliche dialogue, a few reveals about their past that's not developed very well, and the romance, all of it is not very believable, made more so by a strategically placed 'jealousy' scene that comes more forced than amusing or angsty. In the last chapter everything Cynna was rejecting, she finally accepts in a fairy-tale ending. What irks me is the whole issue with Cynna's dad, who is not at all utilized. His only purpose to be in the book is to get Cynna in the same room with the Gnomes. There are some very brief ponderings about how she felt about it then nothing. She gets over it PDQ. The character least forced and most endearing was Gan, but she alone can't carry a problematic plot with uninspiring characters.
   
   In terms of it being part of a series, it doesn't fit in it at all. You could read this without knowing about the others since there is very little of the Lupi element in it [which I missed and expected more of but alas, no] and Wilks gives several recaps from each book. In fact, I might have liked this one better if I hadn't read the other three.
   
   So. That's it. That's the story in a couple of brief paragraphs and you didn't miss much. And I am somewhat surprised by the good reviews. This new world, while creative and well planned, I had to convince myself to keep reading because Wilks delivered so well in Book 3. I had hopes that the end would make me realize it was worth the read. It's not, just the same old stuff.



3. Sometimes multiple book series start to get stale or the characters are taken off into unbelievable directions, but not here. The books continue to be strong, well paced and enjoyable. I have added Eileen Wilks to my list of authors on my MUST BUY! List.



4. This book really deserves 3.5 stars. It was a bit slow for me. I do love Chynna and Cullen and that is the books only redeeming quality. If it wasn't for this couple, I probably wouldn't have finished the book. I love their relationship. I also like the idea of the "Edge" world.



5. If you've read the first three books of the series, particularly "Blood Lines" (book 3), then the major characters and world setting are comfortable and familiar. If not, I strongly suggest reading "Blood Lines" before starting "Night Season".
   
   However, all readers should know that there's a short story "Buying Trouble" (in the collection "On The Prowl") that introduces two minor characters (Kai & Nathan) who play a pivotal role. If I hadn't read the short story first, I would have been perplexed by the short scenes centered on their actions. Having read it, I really wanted to see much more of Kai than we're given.
   
   Nevertheless, the relationship between Cynna & Cullen, the quick pace of the action, and the growth in the characters of Gan and Steve Timms (as well as Cynna & CUllen) combine to make for an enjoyable read.

5 comments about The Metamorphoses of Ovid.

1. Publius Ovidius Naso was born in 43 B.C and died in 18 A.D.
   He was banished for unknown reasons to Tomi, a barren place near the coast of the Black Sea. A few scholars believe that this was a literary hoax created by Ovid himself. It would enable him to write the 'Tristia' and 'Letters From The Black Sea'.
   
   'Metamorphoses' is his main achievement. It contains 250 stories from the Greek Mythology and they all have in common that the principal character changes into another form. Most of the time they turn into an animal or a tree but also in a river, a constellation of stars, a rock or a flower and other pleasant surprises.
   
   If you read this book you won't find many happy endings. The ancient Greeks didn't know the meaning of that expression.
   It's not an easy read but if you persist it will be a rewarding literary experience



2. Most mythology I have read has been in a prose format. Reading Ovid was a bit of a challenge but I found this translation much cleaner then several of the others I tried to read.
   
   If you think by reading one mythology text you have already encountered everything you needed to know, you are of course wrong, I found new characters, new stories that I am weaving into my own writing.
   
   I highly recommend this translation.



3. Mandelbaum's translation of Ovid's Metamorphoses is the best I have seen so far. It is a very accurate and original rendition of the poem, while also being very readable. This is my most highly recommended edition of Ovid's Metamorphoses because of its highly readable, enjoyable verse translation. Mandelbaum, who won the National Book Reward for his classic verse translation of Virgil's Aeneid, displays his unmatched skill and heart at translating Latin classics in this edition of Ovid's poem.
   
   My only complaint about this book is that the book does not have any footnotes or table of contents whatsoever. The book has to be navigated by looking at the top margins.
   
   I personally do not recommend the Oxford and Penguin editions of this book, as they are not as close to the original Latin, and the rhetorical quality is also not as good. Focus Classical Library's edition of
   Ovid's Metamorphoses is very highly annotated with indispendable footnotes, outlines, headings, and index, but unfortunately its translation complicated is not as readable as Mandelbaum's.
   
   For serious mythology learners who want an accurate, original rendition of the poem, I would recommend getting both this book and Mandelbaum's translation. Because of the Focus Classical Library edition's indispensable annotations and more literal translation (which includes all of the proper names Ovid uses in his original poem) and outline, serious readers might want to also buy that one in addition to the Mandelbaum translation.
   
   Overall, this is THE edition of Ovid's Metamorphoses that you should get, whether you are a new reader or longtime classicist. This vivid, accurate, readable, page-turning book is truly a modern masterpiece.



4. This translation really captures the humor of the poem-I got it for college english and have really enjoyed the read.



5. Lovely cover, pleasant font type, fabulous translation, plenty of space in the margins.
   
   Few will criticize the translation. Some readers may complain about Mandelbaum's lack of footnotes and introductory essay. Mandelbaum doesn't provide footnotes; he only gives what Ovid gives. If there were notes, the volume would be too bulky. It's already 550+ pages, and the translator does offer closing remarks (much more tasteful and appropriate than an introductory essay). I think the space in the margins is more important than editor's/translator's footnotes; that way, if a question arises, the reader can do his own research and annotate his copy beside the text for himself.