IPhone 3G used's review (Very badly edited book) 『I really wanted to like this book and I found the subject matter interesting. I had never heard of Grace O'Malley and I've always found pirate lore interesting, so a good combination all around. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Although it was an interesting slice of Irish history, the treatment of her pirate "adventures" never really materialized. That wasn't too bad either as the historical stuff was interesting in itself. Let me preface my next set of comments by saying that I have never written a review of a book before, good or bad, on this site. This book was easily the worst edited book I have ever seen. The author's introduction suggests that this version has been updated since it came out originally. I wonder if the book's editors realized that. I am a college professor and am used to reading badly proofread and edited papers, so maybe I am being unjust here, but one expects that grammar would be correct, words would not be omitted, and that tenses would be used correctly. The fact that all of these abuses existed directed my attention away from the story on numerous occasions, so much so that I almost abandoned the book altogether. Unfortunately, a very disappointing read.』 『She was married twice, divorced once, took a lover when she wanted, and gave birth to one of her sons on the deck of her own ship. She was Grace O'Malley, the sixteenth-century Irish woman who provoked awe, anger, admiration, and fear in the English men who, by persuasion and by the sword, came to conquer the land of her birth.』
Kakaku：1020 saved$10.20
Houghton Mifflin
In stock soon. Order now to get in line. First come, first served. IPhone 3G used's review (Sure, why not) 『This is a fine biography. I have read quite alot about this period in english history for a 30 y/o college drop out, but I did feel that this book dragged on just a bit. I agree with one of the other reviewers in saying that it would surely help if this is not your first book about english history, the names and such can be difficult to remember for a first timer. I had run across Arbella many times in other books I read, so I was interested to know more about her. This book helped me achieve that. I just don't know if she is interesting enough to merit such a big book, and I felt like the author was strained to fill so many pages about Arbella. So she was next in line for the throne, it doesn't mean she was interesting. Want the book? Get it, why not, but I would be surprised if it was your favorite read of the year.』
(Now I have lost all I can lose or almost care to lose.) 『Arbella England's Lost Queen is the story of Arbella Stuart, the presumed heir to the throne after Queen Elizabeth I. Sarah Gristwood meticulously traced Arbella's life from infancy through her last tragic moments. Arbella was groomed to be Queen Elizabeth's heir by her Grandmother, Bess of Hardwick. Elizabeth never declared Arbella her heir, but implied so on various ocassions. Therefore, Arbella grew up thinking she was destined for greatness, but her reality was something much different.
As the years passed and Arbella's patience grew thin, Arbella found herself cast aside and all but forgetten in her Grandmother's home of Hardwick. Arbella's "Hardwick Days" were the most fascinating to me. One can only imagine the desperation of this amazing woman. When her dreams of a life outside of Hardwick and marriage seemed a lost cause, Arbella began writing letters, which Sarah Gristwood describes as "bizarre and wonderful documents". These letters, one of which Gristwood states is over seven thousand words long, have caused posterity to question's Arbella'a sanity. The author, however, is not quick to adopt this theory. In Appendix B, Gristwood questions the theory that Arbella's letters were a result of Porphyria, which she calls a "royal malady" since the illness can be linked to various royals, such as George III.
Arbella was finally rescued from Hardwick after Queen Elizabeth's death by her cousin the now King James I, however her future circumstances can hardly be called a rescue. The King's paranoia kept him from approving a marriage for Arbella, who he feared could present a threat to his claim to the throne. Arbella, however, took matters in her own hands when she married William Seymour. The marriage of two of such royal blood sent the King into a frenzy. William was thrown into the tower, and Arbella was banished from court. The couple soon plotted an escape abroad, William's escape was sucessful, but Arbella was not as lucky. Arbella was imprisoned in the Tower, where she stayed until her death.
This book is definitely a keeper. The author took an obscure historical figure and transformed her story into a tale of very complex human being that even twenty first century readers can relate to. The wonderful illustrations of Arbella, Bess of Hardwick, Hardwick hall, among others vividly bring the characters to life. At the end of the book the author shares the news of somewhat recent discovery at Hardwick Hall. In 2003, a leather bound book was discovered in the walls of the Hardwick dining room. Could this book be connected to Arbella Stuart? The evidence linking Arbella to the book is flimsy at best. But Gristwood, eager for a connection to the long forgotten Princess, cleverly pieces together the evidence that allows for the possibility of an Arbella connection. 』
(Arbella: England's Lost Queen Review) 『In Arbella: England's Lost Queen, Sarah Gristwood quite ably caught the essence of Arbella Stuart's sad, train wreck of a life which reflected her "too royal of a lineage" and the English monarchy's paranoia of a rival claiming the throne.
This worry was reflected years earlier by the beheading of the Duke of Buckingham, Anne and Mary Boleyn's uncle, for offending Henry VIII(Elizabeth's father) with "too royal blood in his veins."
Throughout her life, she was considered a threat; first by her cousin Elizabeth I and then by Mary Queen of Scot's son, James I. Living her life under pseudo house arrest, she was prevented from marrying until well into her 30's for fear of producing a male heir who could claim the throne of England. Since Elizabeth was childless, the line of succession issue reached a fever pitch.
In an almost parallel universe, Arbella was kept isolated as was Mary Queen of Scots (the mother of James and cousin to Elizabeth). With Mary Queen of Scots a prisoner under the roof of her grandmother, Bess of Hardwick and her 4th husband, Arbella spent many hours with the displaced Scottish Queen tending their tapestry. After Mary's death, Arbella continued her lonely existence occasionally being invited to court only to be sent away again.
Finally, when she was in her 30's Arbella took it upon herself to marry a Seymour who was also of royal bloodlines not to mention 10 years her junior. By marrying without the monarchs' consent, both were considered traitors and she was sent to the country while Seymour was imprisoned in the Tower of London. A botched escape ended with her capture and his reaching freedom on the mainland.
It was never clear if she went truly mad as her rambling writings would point to but surely the years of confinement, boredom and an unfulfilled life had to have taken its toll. In the end, she died from starvation in the Tower of London, all the while hanging onto the simple hope that she and her husband would reunite and finally be allowed to live a normal life.
How sad that such potential would be wasted and even more tragic that most people do not know of her existence. Hopefully, this excellent book will change that.
』
(Might Have Been Queen After Elizabeth I) 『If you are fascinated by Tudor and Stuart England as I am, you will enjoy this book. Arbella is a footnote on history, but was raised by her powerful (and well-marrying) grandmother Bess of Hardwick to be the next Queen of England. Elizabeth I, recognizing her worth and her threat, controlled her life so that this well-educated, intelligent girl of royal blood was used as a pawn on the international royal marriage market, yet was never given permission by Elizabeth I to marry.
Interestingly, Bess of Hardwick was given the responsibility of "housing" Mary, Queen of Scots during her long years Elizabeth I, held Mary captive. Mary, Queen of Scots was Arbella's aunt, being married to her father's brother, Lord Darnley.
After her cousin James becomes James I of England, she remained a pawn. At the age of 35 she married without the King's permission; her husband was also of royal blood and therefore the marriage is condemned. She was condemed to the Tower of London for her forbidden love.』
(Interesting read on a not-so compelling subject) 『Although Sara Gristwood researched her book carefully and wrote as much of Arbella Stuart's life as feasible given the paucity of material, this bio just failed to spark a genuine interest. The reason is simple; Arbella never felt like a real person - there is a continual opacity to her, not so much because she was a "prisoner" or because her life was lived out many centuries ago, but because she just wasn't a very interesting or likeable character.
In fact, she was a privileged noble in a world of nearly universal want and she not only expected more but complained relentlessly about what she didn't have. Her rambling letters and odd behavior indicate a profoundly disordered mind and she, as is so prevalent even among today's celebrities, seems unnaturally self-obsessed, narcissistic even.
Gristwood believes Arbella's outbursts and uncontrollable behaviour was a result either of hugely frustrated ambition/identity or from porphyria, and thus she never really comes down hard on the girl. Frankly, oppressed and frustrated or ill she may have been, but Arbella Stuart appears more histrionic and just plain obnoxious than pitiful.
Gristwood would have done her readers a service if she'd spent more time discussing the porphyria theory, specifically the medical definition and a thorough symptom catalogue. We all know George III suffered terribly from it, but the lack of medical information meant that this reader had to set aside the book and go on-line to research it. Really, Sarah, that should have been your job.
Maybe she didn't include the medical information because it doesn't provide much causality. Also, the possibility that her "aunt" Queen Mary Stuart had it intermittently is irrelevant because Mary was an aunt by marriage only, not blood (Arbella's father and Darnley were brothers).
Ill or not, unhappy with her life or not, Arbella Stuart is not the best subject for the time-traveling reader. There wasn't much to her and what there is, Gristwood treats a little too sympathetically. This is one "lost queen" who would no doubt have been a disaster for England if she had been found. 』 『In this U.K. bestseller, Lady Arbella Stuart emerges as a most contemporary royal, a young woman determined to shape her own destiny in the midst of her plot-ridden world.
Arbella was niece to Mary Queen of Scots and cousin to Elizabeth I— who indicated that the teenage Arbella was to be heir to her throne. A critical pawn in the struggle for succession, particularly during the long, tense period when Elizabeth lay dying, the young Arbella endured twenty-seven years of isolation at the grand Hardwick Hall, held by her scheming andpowerful grandmother.
The accession of James I, Arbella's first cousin, ended the young woman's royal aspirations but thrust her into James's licentious court. Then, at age thirty-five, she risked everything to make a forbidden marriage. An escape in disguise, a wild flight abroad, and capture at sea led in the end to an agonizing death in the Tower. Yet nothing is as remarkable as the almost modern freedom with which, in a series of extraordinary letters— more passionate and extensive than those of any other woman of this suffocating age — Arbella Stuart revealed her own compelling personality.』
Kakaku：1495 saved$14.95
Pelican Publishing Company
Usually ships in 1 to 2 months IPhone 3G used's review (Doesn't do the Delta Queen justice) 『Having gone on a Delta Queen cruise last fall, I thought this book would be a great gift for one of the elderly travelers who was a part of this group. The book was a disappointment.
The first 46 pages of the book are a history of steamboating, full of pictures of other boats, but not the Delta Queen. If you like steamboat photos in general, these pages will interest you. There's pictures of building vessels, wrecks, fires, and so forth. I'm not a riverboat expert, but I suspect most have been printed elsewhere. Many are apparently from glass plate negatives and the photos look washed out.
Page 47 starts a four page history of the DQ, ending about 1970. Of the pictures that follow, only 27 show the DQ or some part of her. Most of the photos are distant exterior shots. Interior pictures are sorely lacking. There's one small photo of the Forward Lounge and another of the Orleans dining room, but neither are labeled as such. Three unlabeled engine room photos are included, but one has a blurry background and two only show gauges; none show the powerplant. The best interior photo is the one of the grand stairway on the back cover, that you can see above. The same section features photos of unnamed people dancing or entertaining (17 of them).
There's a nine page recounting of a 1972 jazz cruise which is somewhat interesting. It provides a general review of the onboard experience, but could have been so much better. For example, the writer mentions meeting Betty Blakely, who was the driving force behind saving the DQ many years ago, but provide no recounting of anything discussed. However, in fairness, many of the memories covered in the recollection, such as of dining and cruising on the river, can be the words of today's travelers.
If you are looking for photos of Delta Queen details or of it's elegant interior (rich in wood and well worth seeing), you will be disappointed. You would be better off to search a photosharing website like Flickr, where the photos are numerous and of better quality.
As for the DQ history, I'd suggest reading the long out of print "Saga of the Delta Queen" by Frederick Way. It's often available from Amazon resellers or that other online auction site. While it only goes up to about 1950, it has detail of the DQ's journey from California through the Panama Canal to New Orleans and Pittsburgh. It has more DQ photos, one of which was used in this book. Most of the photos are of the wartime paint scheme, which is the era the "Saga of the Delta Queen" primarily covered.
Overall, "Last of the Paddlewheel Palaces" is billed as a photo-essay, but lacks any depth about the Delta Queen. I would not recommend it for anyone trying to research the history of the vessel. But it does give a weak glimpse into the history of steamboats and of the cruise experience. So that's why it received a weak two star rating. 』 『This book opens with a brief essay and vintage photographs tracing the history of steamboating on the Mississippi and its tributaries. The second section focuses on the Delta Queen herself; in photographs and text it outlines how she came to be, with her hull fabricated in Scotland, her wheel shafts forged in Germany, and her decks and cabins constructed in California. It also documents the different facets of her character and the fifteen cities to which she continues to bring the grandeur of a bygone age. The final section presents the diary account by one passenger of the "Good Times Jazz Cruise" held in the fall of 1972. The photographs taken on this memorable trip will evoke all the magical sentiment that is part of a journey on the Delta Queen. For many years the only overnight passenger steamboat remaining on America's waterways (she now shares this distinction he sister, the Mississippi Queen), the Delta Queen continues to preserve a unique aspect of Americana.』
Kakaku：995 saved$9.95
Red Deer Press
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (The Feet Feat) 『(with apologies to Amazon.com reviewer "Longboard" Jazzer)
Face it.
Feet are funny.
Especially when they're the feet of a queen who is SUPPOSED to act very proper and prim.
Especially when you're of toddler or young elementary school age, and love a giggly-silly book about a Queen with an irrepresible urge to flaunt royal convention by wearng the funniest, goofiest, zaniest, and most colorful and crazy footwear in the kingdom--make that Queendom--because this lady rules her realm.
Dig this.
The Queen's feet makes her do wild and crazy things, like climbing a ship's rigging and dancing a jig in the crow's nest; climbing down the stairs to the kitchen and "telling knock-knock jokes to the cook until all the important people went home."
But that's just the beginning.
She climbs into a pond (groove on Dusan Petricic's goldfish, one of which stares at an eye painted on the Queen's toenail!), kickboxes her way through fancy balls. However, one day she goes too far ad kicks a mean king in the ankles--wuth her hiking boots. If you have what it takes, you'll read on and see how the people wanted to put a stop to the queen's podiatric nonsense. A committee of "sages, wise women, wizards, fairy godmothers, and, of course, footmen" convene to decide the Feet's Fate.
In an improvisational triumph that I like to call the "Anti-Time Out," the advisors decide (and the Queen agrees) that she will follow proper foot decorum--except for one hour a day. That's when she can "raise a ruckus," "cut up," "act out," and generally be "foot loose and fancy free."
Such behavior, and such shoes need exuberant color illustrations, and that's what they get here, in Ecoline watercolor and pen and ink. BUt that's not important.
Look.
What we got here is a madcap, wildly inventive pictorial conglomeration. A sort of Mad Magazine, Maurice Sendak, "Fractured Flickers," German Expressionism, and Roccoco mix, blended with an innocence not seen since the early work of Bill Peet. Delightful fun, this is children's fiction of the highest order. A keeper, and perhaps one of the most enjoyable books I've read this year.
(Note: My fond impersonation aside, I really did like this book.)』 『 Christie Harris Illustrated Children's Literature Prize (2007) nominee
Canadian Children's Book Centre Our Choice, 2007
Queen Daisy can't help it - It's her feet that are misbehaving!
Queen Daisy had a great deal of trouble with her feet. They had a mind of their own and did not like behaving in a royal way. Proper shoes were out of the question, and sometimes her feet did not wear shoes at all! Her feet were especially naughty when Queen Daisy forced them to dress properly. At balls her feet would kick high in the air or tap-dance on the marble palace floors. Once, when a king from a neighboring kingdom brought his mean, bullying ways to Queen Daisy's court, her feet hauled off and kicked the king in the ankle. That's when a meeting had to be called of all the wise women and wizards and footmen in the kingdom to find a solution to Queen Daisy's terrible problem. And what a solution it turns out to be. Queen Daisy's feet will dance into the hearts of restless feet everywhere.
Sarah Ellis's wonderfully whimsical tale will ring a bell with all children and adults whose feet get restless. And Du_an Petricic illustrations may well encourage a little more unroyal behavior.
IPhone 3G used's review (Calling all Jean Plaidy lovers!) 『As most fans of Eleanor Hibbert know, she wrote with several psuedonyms. One of them was Jean Plaidy, under which, she wrote dozens of well researched historical novels, mostly about the English monarchy. This book, about the infamous French Queen, is written in the style of the Jean Plaidy novels. I can't understand why it was published under the Victoria Holt psuedonym rather than Jean Plaidy, but if you're a Jean Plaidy fan, this is a must read!』
(LET THEM EAT CAKE...) 『Victoria Holt was one of my favorite authors when I was younger. A master storyteller, she would consistently weave a story that would have the reader turning the pages. This work of historical fiction is one of her best. Riveting from beginning to end, this fictional autobiographical account of the life of Marie Antoinette is superb. Written in the first person, with little dialogue, it is the rumination of a life that was to end tragically. Pampered, spoiled, and fun loving, the beautiful Maria Antonia of Austria metamorphosed into Marie Antoinette of France upon her marriage to the Dauphin, who would eventually become King of France, the ineffectual, but benign, Louis XVI.
This is her story, grounded in historical fact and set within the framework of history. This work of fiction about the life of Marie Antoinette, as seen through her own eyes, is fascinating, as it captures the flavor of those uncertain times and the events that led to the French Revolution and the end of the monarchy in France. It is a reflection on how Marie Antoinette's own behavior influenced the fate of France. Indulging in the excesses of the day, she initially gave little thought as to how her actions might affect the people of France or the monarchy. By the time she realized that her actions and excesses had wide spread political ramifications, it was too late, and the fate of her and her husband was sealed. No amount of personal regret could change it.
This book will be enjoyed by those who enjoy good, well written historical fiction. It is little wonder that this book spent two months on the New York Times Best Seller List. It is simply historical fiction at its best.』
Kakaku：699 saved$6.99
HarperCollins
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (Great Book for Middle School Boys) 『A re-created Greek myth and territory reminiscent of post-medieval Greece form the background and setting for this tale of political intrigue, adventure and mystery. The protagonist is a young thief of the Hermes variety--mischievous, clever without parallel, and enormously self-confident. A good proportion of the book consists of a long and richly described arduous journey, by foot and by horse, during which the thief, Gen, gets to know the Magus, who has freed him from prison for his own purposes, as well as the other three that accompany them.
Though plenty of heart-stopping action does break out in the last half of the book, the quiet, slow pace of the journey may discourage less experienced readers. For more confident middle school readers, the in-depth character development in the first half of the book will be worth the slower pace as it greatly enriches the impact of what follows. This book would be a good transition story for a reader moving from the lighter plots of children's stories to the more demanding plots of books for older readers.
Well-liked mostly by middle school boys and a few girls, The Thief, published in 1996, has also appealed to a few high school kids in my classes. A Newbery Honor Book, ALA Notable Book, and ALA Best Book for Young Adults, it has two sequels: The Queen of Attolia and The King of Attolia, both of which continue the theme of political intrigue and adventure, but also move into slightly more mature themes, such as the cruelty of dysfunctional romance. While the first book would be appropriate for advanced elementary school readers, the second two may not be.
Gaby Chapman』
(I really enjoyed this book.) 『This book offered up an new world of fantasy that was engaging and thrilling. I can't wait to read the other books in the series.』
(Not truly satisfied) 『This book is very well researched and the plot is well thought out--as well as the main character, but I felt that it was lagging in some places and gave me a bad after taste.
Theres a certain bleakness to this book--and I didn't like how much walking and sleeping and traveling and bathing and eating and monotonous details that took up chapter after chapter. I was shocked to find what seemed like weeks of traveling was only three days in one portion of the book.
Gen is an interesting character--however I was bothered by the fact that there is never really a direct mention of how old he is. I was constantly under the impression he was a boy, but then an adult, and then a boy again.
I finished this book rather disappointed. The plot was an interesting concept, but far too dragged out and, although this is really more of a personal dislike than a real problem with the book I suppose--it had an awful atmosphere to it. I felt depressed the whole way through.』
(In short, a perfect book) 『Megan Whalen Turner is one of my favorite authors. She has been since my mom procured an Advance Reader Copy of The Queen of Attolia in 2000. I devoured that book, loving every minute of it. Years later, when I began my library career, I discovered that the book was second in a series, something I had not known before. Of course, as soon as I knew about The Thief I had to read it.
Published in 1996, The Thief was selected as a Newberry Honor Book in 1997 (had the winning book been different for that year, I'd say Megan Whalen Turner had been robbed, but I hold a special place in my heart for E. L. Konigsburg's The View From Saturday so I can't say that). One website gives this explanation of the award: "A medal presented annually to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children published in the United States in the preceding year. The recipients must be citizens or residents of the United States." That hopefully illustrates how big a deal it is to any readers unfamiliar with such awards.
Whalen's second novel, The Thief is set in a world that Turner likens to ancient Byzantium in later volumes (Byzantines>Greeks). In this one, however, she acknowledeges similarities to ancient Greece. The story follows a man named Eugenides who, at the beginning of the novel, finds himself locked in the king's prison of a foreign land.
Quietly biding his time, Gen occupies himself by marking days and practicing cat-like movements around his cell. The achingly monotonous routine is broken when the king's scholar, the magus, recruits Gen for a hunt of sorts. The magus knows the site of an ancient and valuable treasure that would be of great value to his king. But despite his vast learning, the magus cannot get the treasure alone. He needs a skillful thief. And before his arrest, Gen "had bragged without shame about [his] skills in every wine store in the city" before his arrest outside of still another wine shop.
Given his choices, Gen unsurprisingly agrees to acompany the magus on the quest. As their party traverses the countryside on their way to this elusive treasure, it becomes clear that more is at stake than riches. This novel (and its two subsequent sequels) center around three kingdoms--Eddis, Sounis, and Attolia--whose fates, readers soon realize, are bound together more intricately than anyone might have initially thought.
Some novels are adventures, some are character-driven. The Thief is, for the most part, a quest novel although it does feature several twists and more than a little intrigue. However, without Turner's wonderfully evocative characters none of that would matter. Eugenides is, in many ways, a star. And he knows it. Nonetheless, affection for this character is contagious--he is unbelievably sympathetic and extremely original. And clever. By the end of the novel it becomes obvious that Gen is always at least five steps ahead of everyone else and always holding all of the cards.
Told in the first person, this novel is the first I ever saw where a character said something acidly. ("That," I said acidly, "is the way my mother told it to me.") It seems silly to talk about one sentence from a piece of dialogue, but that kind of writing is why I love Megan Whalen Turner's books.
In fact, if I was being completely honest, I cherish these books. Working in a library, I sifted through discards for years to acquire the complete trilogy. The books are old and dingy with processing marks aplenty, but none of that really matters because they're also all mine.
Although it was a Newberry Honor Book for children's literature, I've seen this novel categorized as YA. It's also the kind of book that could easily appeal to boys and girls--fans of historical fiction and fantasy. In other words, this is a book for everyone.
If you enjoy The Thief, you can read more about Eugenides (and Eddis, Sounis, and Attolia) in The Queen of Attolia (2001) and The King of Attolia (2006).』
(Well written mythology; better twist at the end) 『Here's the deal: this is a realistic, well written fantasy with a logical, fully-fleshed world, including mythology. But the best part is the twist at the end.』 『
"I can steal anything."
After Gen's bragging lands him in the king's prison, the chances of escape look slim. Then the king's scholar, the magus, needs the thief's skill for a seemingly impossible task -- to steal a hidden treasure from another land.
To the magus, Gen is just a tool. But Gen is a trickster and a survivor with a plan of his own.
Kakaku：799 saved$7.99
Del Rey
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (easy to put down) 『I had a rough time getting into this--didn't care overmuch about the characters, too many names introduced in too short a period to distinguish them, contradictions (though, to be fair, the contradiction that bothered me most--saying magic was too exhausting to use casually, and then proceeding to do just that--appears to have been deliberate).
The repeated ploy of the main character asking for clarification only to be told it was none of his business, or something he didn't need to know got very, very tedious. Which could also have been deliberate, to show how frustrated he was getting, but the only way you can do that without irritating the readers as well is to let the reader in on some of the secrets. Instead, it just looked like the author didn't know the answers either.
The last third of the book went a little faster, but I read this over 4 days. Unheard-of for me, particularly for a book that was only 300+ pages. It was just too easy to put down, and I was never really interested in picking it up again.』
(Stereotyped and repetitive, but not that bad.) 『This is the second book in the Belgariad (after Pawn of Prophecy, and before Magician's Gambit, Castle of Wizardry, and Enchanter's End Game).
Leaving Cherek after the council of Alorn kings, Belgarath, Polgaria, Garion and their companions set off in pursuit of Zedar the Apostate, who stole the Orb of Aldur to bring it to the evil god Torak.
Following the corrupt disciple's trail will bring them across Arendia, then Tolnedra and finally to Nyissa via the Wood of the Dryads. They will meet new companions along the way: Lelldorin the rash Arendish archer, Mandorallen the bold Arendish knight, and Ce' Nedra the spoilt red-haired Tolnedran princess.
All the while, various enemies such as Murgos, Grolim priests and assorted monsters make their best to hinder their progression, but thanks to Polgara's, Belgarath's, and eventually Garion's powers, those are usually quickly brushed aside with the flick of a hand.
After the exciting reunion with a world I had enjoyed 11 years ago, while reading this second volume I finally realized how annoyingly stereotyped some of the characters are and how repetitive the plot is: move to a new kingdom - meet new allies - encounter baddies - fight - win - move on to the next kingdom - ... while Garion wonders about his past and reluctantly discovers his abilities. However, these books manage to stay entertaining, thanks to some of the characters' traits intended for comic relief, such as Silk's knavery or Ce'Nedra's willfulness. All in all they're not that bad.』
(Excellent fantasy series) 『I am enjoying this series a good deal. Yes, there are the common elements, the journey, the young farm boy headed towards maturity, the old wizzard. But they are done in a refreshingly different way.
The plotting and adventure of this book picked up quite a bit from the first, which was one of my main problems with it. My only real complaint here is that - for a time - it seemed like moving from one country, find a plot to over throw the government, solve it an move on. That bothered me a bit.
That aside, the action was good, the various peoples interesting, there was some character development which was nice and mostly logical, and Eddings' real strength is in his dialogue which was, and is particularly strong in my opinion.
I am still very much enjoying the series, and though not perfect, it is among the better fantasy series I have read. Hopefully the series keeps it up.』
(Good Book, poor reading) 『I read these books as a kid so I will always love them. The guy who reads the books I tollerated because I really wanted to listen to the story, but he took some getting used to.』
(Not Free SF Reader) 『Orb chase.
A knight, an archer, a telepathic horse whisperer, a bratty princess, a couple of grumpy sorcerers, and, of course, the farm boy with super powers.
A-questing they will go. For many books to come, it seems.
Very light fantasy still.
』 『"BELGARIAD is exactly the kind of fantasy I like. It has magic, adventure, humor, mystery, and a certain delightful human insight." PIERS ANTHONY The master Sorcerer Belgarath and his daughter Polgara the arch-Sorceress were on the trail of the Orb, seeking to regain its saving power before the final disaster prophesized by the legends. And with them went Garion, a simple farm boy only months before, but now the focus of the struggle. He had never believed in sorcery and wanted no part of it. Yet with every league they traveled, the power grew in him, forcing him to acts of wizardry he could not accept. 』
Kakaku：1795 saved$17.95
Tauris Parke Paperbacks
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (A Misplaced Life) 『This is a valuable book that focuses on Mary Stuart as a ruler rather than Mary Stuart as a heroine in a historical romance. It is not a mystery about who killed Lord Darnley. It is a critical analysis of what occurred when someone who was historically ordained to rule, but who possessed none of the qualities to make that rule successful in the dynamic of the sixteenth century, attempted to lead Scotland through the religious and political minefiled of its pre-modern politics. Some writers tend to think that Wormald is too tough on the historical Mary Queen of Scots, but there is good basis for her analysis. The essential question about the Scots Queen in not really whether or not she wrote all or some of the Casket Letters, and whether or not she was a player in the murder of her husband Lord Darnley, but whether she faired any better than most of the other Stuart kings who followed her in dealing with the great issues of her day. She clearly did not. While my own review of the letters insofar as they presently exist, the evidence from a variety of sources, and my own experience as a successful prosecutor leads me to believe that I probably could convict her of conspiracy to commit murder , but not as an aider and abettor of murder itself, if she had been less a French queen and more a Scot, had she seen her role more as an obligation to her own historical niche and less a license to behave as if she were answerable to no mortal, her monarchy might have ended quite differently. No one would have cared about Darnley. Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard, and even Thomas More did not put an end to Henry VIII, Essex did not end Elizabeth I, and the disposal of an unpopular sometimes Papist consort, would not have ended Mary's rule. Her prolonged absence from Scotland during her childhood, her identity with powers that were not in step with the religious and political changes in Scotland, her reliance upon her half-brother and other men to lead her country and usurp her power to make decisions are among teh flaws that are exposed and highlighted in this short but important book.』
(No melodrama - at last!) 『This, at last, is a book that focuses on what MQS actually DID as a queen, and what she didn't do. It measures her against the same stick used to measure other rulers of the same age instead of the usual sturm un drang offered up. She was no marytred saint, yet she was no she demon in velvet skirts. She was charming and lovely, however she was also inadequate. Kind of Queen-Lite, if you will.
I found it very interesting that her much toted tolerance concerning religion is revealed to be otherwise. She demands the right to practice her own religion, but denies that same right to other Catholics. It is hard to hold up the banner of Catholic martyr when she did nothing good for that cause in Scotland, empowering the Protestant at the expense of the Catholic.
And yes, I'm glad that Wormald came down on the side of Mary being involved in the plot against Darnley. Leave MQS some shreds of intelligence. If she didn't know, that makes her and Darnley the only ones in Scotland and Europe who were unaware of the plot. Her actions definitely speak loudly when she lured Darnely out of his family stronghold and brought him back to Edinburgh and death. It was politically astute and necessary. Only her blunders afterward destroyed her reputation. Handled differently, she could very likely have weathered it.
Good read, well written and neither rabid nor fawning.』 『Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, was one of history’s romantically tragic figures. Devious, naïve, often highly principled, beautiful, and sexually voracious, this was a woman who secured the Scottish throne and bolstered the position of the Catholic Church in Scotland. Her endless plotting, including a likely involvement in the murder of her husband Lord Darnley, eventually led to her flight from Scotland and imprisonment by her equally ambitions cousin and fellow queen, Elizabeth of England. And yet when Elizabeth ordered her unpredictable rival and kinswoman to be beheaded in 1587 she did so in resigned frustration rather than as act ofpolitical wrath.Was the beheading of a cousin truly necessary? Did Mary, though churlish, petulant, and often disloyal, really deserve to forfeit the compassion of her cousin, a woman who from childhood had been her friend and playmate? Mary’s fate was to be born to supreme power, but she was totally lacking in the political ability to deal with its responsibilities. This was the tragedy that turned her life into a study in failure. The extraordinary story of Mary, which has inspired the great poets, playwrights, and operatic composers of the 19th and 20th centuries, is one of the most colorful and emotionally searing tales of western history, and is here told by a leading specialist of the 16th century. 』
Kakaku：219 saved$2.19
Eurotica
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (Smokin Hot) 『This was better than expected the story line is good and the art is smokin hot! Look forward to more in the future.』
(Awesome!!!) 『As good as the first. Really makes you want to meet and "Hook Up" with a Vampire.』
(Even more fun than the first one, though the translation is still iffy) 『Like the first volume of Kristina, Queen of Vampires, this is an erotic graphic novel from Dutch author Frank Mensink. The translations have the same problem in Volume 2 as in Volume 1: namely, an amateurish feel, lack of attention to tone, and some occasionally bizarre word choices. Like I said in my review of that volume, this is nothing you haven't experienced if you've ever read HEAVY METAL. If you can forgive that weakness, then read on.
Volume 2 picks up more than a year after Volume 1; Kristina, a medieval vampire who was accidentally resuscitated in the modern age, is just waking up from a long period of regeneration after her ill-fated encounter with police investigators Mark and Iris. (That's what you get for coming between a woman and her man, honey.) She quickly goes back to her kinder, gentler feeding routine -- she only goes after criminals, particularly murderers and rapists, figuring that nobody will care if they're gone. She also rekindles her charmingly affectionate affair with John and Veronica, the two humans whom she took as thralls in Volume 1. Things take a bit of a different turn, however, when she is approached by the leader of a large nest of vampires who want her to be their queen. It seems that they don't make vamps like they used to, and Kristina has the mystic mojo necessary to be the most powerful vamp around.
Again, this series is unusual because it's hard to find any real villains, other than the human scum who comprise Kristina's nightly entrées. Even the modern vampires treat their thralls kindly, though that seems to be more for their own comfort than out of genuine compassion for the thralls ("I hate it when they scream all the time," says the vamp leader). It would be easy to root for happy endings for all involved, if Kristina weren't still obsessed with snagging Mike as her immortal beloved.
Much like Volume 1, Volume 2 is obviously set up for a sequel. That's fine by me; these are fun, sexy stories with good art and much more interesting characters than most erotic comics. Hopefully it won't take another two years for Mensik to come out with Volume 3.』
(Great Chapter Two!) 『First off, let me say that the art seems to have improved since the first chapter. Which is not a put down of the first chapter it just points out how the artist, like many others, is always trying to improve on his work, trying to reach and go beyond his own standards. The story also makes some sense. While the other vampires are weaker than Kristina they have been living within modern society longer and understand how to survive within it. Of course she has no idea about silver bullets. As she SAID the best weapon they had in the old days were crossbows. I wonder how she will react to the Internet Chat Rooms and Blood Banks? She should get a sports car. Why should she fly all the time when she can pick up victims in style? Frankly, I can't wait to see Chapter Three. And it is nice to know Kristina, the real model used for the Queen's character, helped to develop this chapter of the story and it was a bonus to see a photo of her on the back cover. 』
(Chapter 1 was better...) 『The art was once again excellent. Mensink uses vibrant colors, the proportions were spot on and the people didn't look cartoonish. The sex was hot and explicitly rendered, as in the first installment. However, this "novel" is shorter and the story was a disappointing follow-up to chapter one.
Chapter one ended with another vampire Lord becoming aware of Kristina's presence and wanting her as their queen because she's so strong. She does visit them, and naturally an orgy ensues. But yet, she was quickly foiled again by the female DA and ended up wounded exactly as in chapter one! If she's so powerful why shouldn't she come out ahead this time? And how has the coven survived so long when they're supposedly so much weaker than her?
Sure, I realize this is "just" an adult comic, but that doesn't mean the story can't be as good as in part 1. Another thing I didn't care for was the increased amount of F/F action than in the first book. I will definitely buy chapter 3 when it's finally released, but I hope it follows through on the promise of chapter 1.』
