Kakaku：795 saved$7.95
Mutual Publishing
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (Complex and Fascinating Lili'uokalani) 『Exhaustively researched, written very well, with enough respect while still maintaining an historian's eye, this biography is a testament to Queen Lili'uokalani's brief reign as Hawaii's last monarch. Entrusted with Lili'uokalani's story by the Queen's hanai daughter, the author does not pull any punches and gives a really detailed look not only of the culture of the Hawaiian islands at the time, but the political tidal wave building thanks to the haole's who took over the land. The result is a beautifully balanced portrait of a Queen who loved her people, loved her land, but was powerless against the forces she faced. Lili'uokalani, in the end, was a dignified, peaceful compassionate ruler who had her flaws. In short, the author not only creates a vivid biography of a queen, but also of a human being struggling to do what was right for her people and her Kingdom.』
(A portrayal of the destruction of Hawaiian culture by the modern world) 『This is a rather tragic story of the loss of old Hawaiian culture as Western civilization encroached upon&then dismantled the traditional way -- and the inability of the aristocracy of Hawaii to preserve their ways. The books is somewhat dated in outlook and unashamedly pro-Hawaiian, but falls short of giving a really insightful and penetrating portrayal of Liliuokalani, a great lady.』
(One of the first black marks on American history.) 『If one were to compare the American overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy with the overthrow of many other governments by the United States throughout the last 120 years one will find that it was relatively benign. There was little bloodshed, and Queen Liliuokalani was not killed, contrary to some erroneous assertions in some historical texts. But her overthrow was an illegal, immoral act, which should never be forgiven, no matter what "justifications" are given for it. It was brought about by a small collection of greedy thugs who, with the backing of an American military contingent, toppled a government that had the support of the people of the Hawaiian Islands. This criminal act was one of many that were to occur over the next one hundred years, with later ones increasing with severity and brutality as the years went past.
This book gives an overview of the demise of the Hawaiian monarchy from the standpoint of the journals and anecdotes of Queen Liliuokalani (at least the ones that survived the destruction of manuscripts and papers by the gang of ruthless haoles in the provisional government). It is a sad and troubling story, but the author of the book is careful to keep the reader's attention throughout the book with emphasis on the historical context in which Liliuokalani lived. It is very important to understand the cultural backdrop in which the immoral overthrow took place. To provide more insight into this culture, or at bare minimum to assist the reader in understanding the words and dialect at the time, the author provides a glossary of words and their approximate meaning in English. For example, a `haole' is a foreigner, whereas a `moi wahine' is a queen, but the author reminds us that a queen to the Hawaiians at the time did not have the same conception as it did to Americans (then and now). A queen for the Hawaiians was more like a matriarch possessing wisdom but not projecting rigid or harsh authority of the type that Americans will not tolerate. In fact the author argues that the translation of moi wahine into "queen" is completely incorrect, and doing so reinforced American prejudices against Liliuokalani.
Those readers, such as this reviewer, who were ignorant of Liliuokalani's life will be surprised to learn that she wrote many songs, including the very popular "Aloha Oe", which ironically has become immortalized in the American consciousness, with the assistance of Hollywood and its exploitation of the Pearl Harbor disaster. She also was a deeply religious person, and even flirted with Mormonism at one time. This is indeed ironic since it was the missionaries who initiated the troubling series of events, taking place over many decades that were to cost the Hawaiians their culture and government. But one must not think that they lost their self-respect or honor by the fact that their government was taken over by a band of thugs. After a formal apology was given to Hawaii by the United States in 1993, a plaque was placed in a public square in Hawaii that gave a list of names of individuals who spoke out or resisted the takeover. The native Hawaiians kept their honor and dignity, and many Hawaiians now living have attempted to revive their ancient practices and dances. If they so desired, it would be morally proper for them to secede from the United States, and remove themselves from the detestable and unjustified mana that was imposed upon them over one hundred and fourteen years ago.』
(Excellent!) 『Well reasearched--with ample footnotes--this account not only paints a vivid portrait of a loving and sometimes flawed Queen, but also gives an introductory overview of the Hawaiian culture and monarchy from the time of Kamehameha the Great all the way through Queen Lili'uokalani's aborted reign. A vital piece of Hawaiian history that is well crafted and, while not perfect, ventures to paint a truthful portrait of the time and place.』
(A Hawaiian Tragedy) 『This is an excellent and well documented biography of Hawaii's last queen. Helena Allen tells the story of Liliuokalani and through her eyes we view the waning days of the Hawaiian monarchy and the oligarchy that would manipulate the media and congress to eventually affect the annexation of the kingdom to the US. Much of this story makes your blood boil. Yet beyond the political injustice, this is a story of a woman in conflict with her times, who manages to weather the storm with grace, dignity and aloha. It's a story that needs to be told and is a must-read for anyone interested in Hawaiian history.』 『A woman caught in the turbulent malestrom of cultures in conflict. Treating Queen Liliuokalani's life with authority, accuracy and detail, Betrayal is tremendously informative concerning the entire period of missionary activity and foreign encroachment in the Islands.』
Kakaku：439 saved$4.39
Kessinger Publishing, LLC
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (As Good as the Wizard!) 『L. Frank Baum is best known for THE WIZARD OF OZ and the sequels he wrote to that series. All of them are good but, of course, some are better than others. He wrote other stories as well and most of them take place in the same general locale as the Oz stories. The kingdoms and personages may vary but the "feel" remains the same. This book is one such.
This is an original fairy tale and has many of the familiar aspects of the classical genre. It is fun and well written and is as fully deserving of respect as the OZ books. Some say it was Baum's best work; Baum himself certainly ranked it among his best. I had heard of this book when I was a child in love with all things Oz but it was out of print at that time. Thankfully, it is available now.
The story centers around a magic cloak created by a fairy queen. The possessor of the cloak will be granted one wish. Many of those wishes turn out to be foolish or wasteful. The cloak is originally given to a young orphan girl, Fluff. Her brother is soon proclaimed King of Noland and turns out to be an enlightened ruler, even if he is full of the follies of youth. The cloak provokes jealousies, however, and Noland soon finds itself at war with Ix and ultimately conquered by a bunch of strange beings foreign to both Noland and Ix. The cloak turns out to be a source of trouble as well as a blessing. 』
(Fabulous Fantasy!) 『My kids loved this book and had me read it to them 6 times! Yours will too!』
(My daughter Paige's opinion) 『This is a very good book. It is about two young children with no mother and then their father dies and they are very poor. They are forced to live with their aunt. (She is very mean and she doesn't care about anything but money.) Once the king of Noland died they decided for Bud to be the new king. It is really about their adventures with Bud being king. At the same time a magic cloak is going around and nobody knows that it is magical. People keep on accidentally making wishes and they don't know it until later when their wishes come true. Once they notice that it is magical everybody wants it. Soon there is a war against queen Zixi of Ix for the cloak. This book is cool in very weird ways. It is also one of the books in the series of the Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum. I like this book because the plot is fiction and I have read and liked most of the books that this author has written. I think that he is a very good author. He is very creative and I like that and how he uses his creativity to write his books. I strongly recommend this book to whoever has it. I don't really think it belongs in a specific age group. I think that every body could read it and understand what is going in the book. I also think that whoever reads this book will really like this book. 』
(A Fairy Tale for all ages.) 『Queen Zixi of Ix is far and away my favorite non-Oz Baum book, and actually is high on the list for my favorite Baum books in general. In the interesting and informative introduction to the Dover edition, Martin Gardner cites Baum himself (from a letter to his son) about the book.
Baum wrote: "In some ways Queen Zixi is my best effort, and nearer to the 'old-fashioned' fairy tale than anything I have yet accomplished."
In fact, one of the reasons that this book has stayed with me so strongly over the years (I have been re-reading it on and off since I was eight) is that pure fairy tale quality. The issues between Ix and Noland have less of the sly contemporary humor that Baum used in the Oz books. He instead revisits the classical fairy tale characters of the ruling innocents (Bud and Fluff), the tragic "evil" queen (Zixi), and the wicked step-parent (Aunt Rivette). What makes Queen Zixi so wonderful is that while the archetypes are recognizable in the characters, they are also vibrant and real people in their own right. The tension and the flow of the story relies on the fact that these characters are much more than their fairy tale ancestors.
I find that the Richardson illustrations work well with the book (it was the only Baum book that he illustrated). His style is memorable and works well with the text.
Expect the always reliable Baum humor and wordplay. Expect to be engaged and amused and moved.
Recommended for readers of any age.』
(I loved this book when I was about 10) 『I first read Queen Zixi of Ix when I was in fourth grade. I loved it then and got really into it. The story concerns a magic cloak that grants wishes (one wish only per person). For entertainment fairies weave the magic cloak and release it to the people of Nopland. The recipient is a little girl, Fluff. Through absurd circumstances her brother, Bud is crowned king of Noland.
Ironically only one person in the story ends up intentionally making a wish on the cloak. The others either forget that they are wearing the cloak or don't know about the cloak's magic properties, and so are granted the first wish that they state as they absently talk to themselves. Because the cloak takes things literally this leads to some absurd consequences as people is Bud's palace find their idle wishes come true.
Queen Zixi in the neighboring land of Ix has heard about the cloak. She decides to steal it and after a few tries succeeds. However the wish will not be granted if the cloak has been stolen. Queen Zixi doesn't get her wish and discards the cloak without knowing why.
Meanwhile Bud's country of Noland is invaded by very round rude people called Roly-Rouges. He and Fluff don't have the cloak to help them and appeal to Zixi for help. She took the cloak while in disguise and switched it for a fake so the kids don't know that the cloak is missing. They only know that it won't work. The rest of the book follows Zixi helping the children as they hunt down the cloak and deal with the Roly-Rouges. Naturally this happens in unexpected ways.
As an adult rereading this book I still liked it, but the pacing felt kind of funny. This is a fairly short book and lots happens (more than I can summarize here). When I read this as a child the pacing felt perfect so I probably read faster now. There are still little jokes included here for adults, though. At one point a character muses that this would be the way things work "in a fairytale, but not here in the real world of Noland". So there are little jokes and ways in which things are worded that adults will get but children will likely overlook as they think about fairies, wishes and magic. This book is written more for children, but if you read it as an adult or if you read it aloud to kids there is something for you too.
If you have younger children then this book is definitely a good choice for them. I remember it well from my childhood and I loved it. For a child it is a must read. For an adult it is a quick entertaining read.』 『The fairies assembled one moonlit night in a pretty clearing of the ancient forest of Burzee. The clearing was in the form of a circle, and all around stood giant oak and fir trees, while in the center the grass grew green and soft as velvet. If any mortal had ever penetrated so far into the great forest and could have looked upon the fairy circle by daylight, he might perhaps have seen a tiny path worn in the grass by the feet of the dancing elves.』
Kakaku：599 saved$5.99
Gate Way Publishers
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (The High Queens Vow) 『Yet again Robbie has written a very articulate well written book. She portrays the issues regarding the High Queen as an aloof yet connected leader. She has shown through her excellent writing skills that leaders can be both ruthless and compassionate. She then intertwines a love story that is so beautiful and full that it makes my heart cry with joy. Robbie has also successfully intertwined a uniquely complex story involving a series of characters that also learn lessons on life.』 『The High Queen's Vow, Book IV in the Mystic Women of The Realm series, picks up right where Book III left off. Leaving Sansthera, The High Queen begrudgingly accepts the battles they face throughout their journey so she can complete one of her sacred vows - to return the Elves to The Realm. Finding clues she needs along their journey, The High Queen and her forces enter into The Wastelands, where they discover The First High Queen's chamber of mystic powers long lost to The Realm. But they also come face-to-face with The High Queen's well-loathed past, as well as rescue a piece of The High Queen's future. The quest to restore the long-lost Elves to The Realm is a goal The High Queen is determined to win, but the journey to El'fs'nd'lle offers her challenges beyond any other she has faced. Yet even as she completes this most sacred vow, and even after the enormous toll of their battles during the journey, she soon learns that her greatest challenge is just awakening and the ensuing Battle of the Eons against the Wizard of the Ravens will place all their lives in the balance. Knowing the great odds against her and her forces, she is told two things by her Seer: There is usually a reason for dark moments such as this; and The Realm will not exit this battle as they enter.』
Kakaku：791 saved$7.91
The History Press
Usually ships in 24 hours 『
David Rizzio came to Scotland from Italy in 1561. He quickly rose to power and became secretary to Queen Mary. He exerted considerable influence and was perceived to be a threat to English interests by Sir William Cecil. On the evening of the March 9, 1566 he was murdered by her jealous husband Lord Darnley and others.
IPhone 3G used's review (A good character-driven story) 『A worthy addition to the Solar Queen saga. True, there are some differences to the earlier books. In this one, the point of view is not solely Dane's, but we get to see through the eyes of the other characters. As such, more time is spent on each character's view of what is happening. This is a boon for fans of character-driven science fiction, as we get to know the characters better.
The multiple POV format means that, unlike previous books, "Redline" is not Dane-centric. However, we do get to see Dane grow in confidence and competence in his profession, and even act the hero. We also get to see Dane deal with feeling threatened over a new crewmember's competence in his field. Readers will definitely see growth in this character as the book progresses.
The biggest change is the addition of a new crew member, Dr. Rael Cofort, a welcome female addition to the Queen's formerly all-male crew. Her personality shaped by surviving a prolonged disaster, one that as a child she was powerless to prevent, Rael compensates by working hard to be good at everything. Unfortunately, she also tends toward harsh self-criticism when she loses a patient. Rael is a worthy addition to the Queen's crew.』
(Don't read this book) 『This book is bad. It is very, very bad.
I like the Solar Queen books before this one. The ones after are readable. This one is not.
To start with, the writing is just plain bad. From the looks of it, neither Norton nor Griffin bothered to reread or rewrite; all the characters sound like each other and the narrator sounds like them, too. It's hard to tell who is speaking, and after a while, hard to care.
And then there is Rael. A female character seems like a good idea. But Rael is not a good idea.
To start with, I LIKE Dane. He's fallible; he's earnest, he's growing into his place on the Solar Queen, and he's been the more or less main character from the start. I was looking forward to more of his adventures&those of the rest of the crew.
Instead, I got Rael, who is completely infallible and takes over the book entirely. She solves every problem, dots every i, crosses every t, and wins the Captain's heart. She's the Main Character and the One Who Can Do No Wrong, and what is she doing on this ship?!
Not even the next book, where she's more or less ok, has made me forgive her for her role in this one.
Do NOT read this book. Buy all the others--they're fun reads&worth the time and money, but don't even open the cover of this one.』
(Spare yourself the aggravation and skip this one) 『I was warned about this book by a friend, but I was so desperate for a new Solar Queen story that I ignored her. That was a big mistake. I wasn't even halfway through the book before I was wishing someone would toss Rael the Wonderful out the nearest airlock. Later I started fantasizing about even worse fates for her. I was masochistic enough to finish the story, but I've been soured on any of the new Solar Queen books as a result.
The introduction of a female character made sense for a book written in the nineties, but why create one so offensive? Why not one better thought out? Why did Rael have to dominate the story, being the miracle cure for all problems, while whining way too much about how tough life has always been on her in spite of all the magical advantages she had?
Nonetheless, awful as Rael is, the book might have been tolerable if the other characters hadn't been pushed into the background and marginalized. The old main character (Dane) spent most of his time as a resentful nitwit. The shipboard niche Rael supposedly filled (medic) was already capably occupied by another character, who got shunted aside in her favor. The others were similarly treated. The only old character that got halfway decent treatment was the captain, and he was reduced to the role of Rael the Wonderful's love interest and sidekick. Gad.
I have to agree with the reviewer who described this book as "someone else's adolescent fantasy." That's exactly what it was. It's rare to see such a blatant case of "self-insertion of the author's fantasy self" in a pro novel. I can only attribute this nonsense to P.M. Griffin (whose other work I am unfamiliar with), since other Andre Norton books that I've read don't display this reprehensible trait.
For all you budding writers out there, this book is a perfect example of what *not* to do, unless you want to alienate your audience.』
(I grew up reading the original Solar Queen adventures) 『I grew up reading the original Solar Queen adventures - they were my introduction to science fiction (if you don't count the Edgar Rice Burroughs Mars books). I loved Norton's books for their thumping good plots, exotic, yet believable aliens, and most especially for her finely drawn portraits of the crew. Many of the fantasies that got me through a boring English Lit or Government class involved flying off into the wild, black yonder aboard the 'Solar Queen'.
Unfortunately, our library only carried the first two books in the series, but I finally located the two 'Solar Queen' novelettes and read them, too. They weren't quite as good - Norton was concentrating on fantasy by then, and somehow it didn't quite mix with the crew of the 'Solar Queen'. However, I never lost my original affection for the series.
Then, decades after the publication of the original novels, I found 'Redline: the Stars'. I couldn't wait. I bought it in hardback rather than holding out for a cheaper edition. The fact that it had a second author's name on it was worrisome, but I assumed I'd be reading mainly Norton.
Not true.
I read the book from cover to cover, hoping to find at least a trace of Norton and a trace of the original 'Solar Queen', then hurled "Redline: the Stars" into the wastebasket.
I felt totally cheated. I usually give up my non-keepers to the library and loan my keepers to my friends, but I couldn't pass this one on to some other poor, unsuspecting Solar Queen fan.
I am pretty sure that all Norton wrote was the introduction to "Redline: the Stars". The original characters were passive, uninteresting shadows - even the Captain and the Cargo Master!. I felt like I was reading someone else's adolescent fantasy of the 'Solar Queen' and her crew that never should have been published under Norton's name. Nothing seemed 'true to life' (if I can use that phrase about something that was a novel to begin with). It was a horrible reading experience - the literary equivalent of visiting an old friend who has advanced Alzheimer's Disease. I don't recommend this book.』
(Beach reading for the SciFi crowd) 『If you just want something to read and you do not want to work too hard this is the book for you. I found it a fast read, exciting, but not too challenging. The main characters are never really developed. The minor characters all clump together with no distinct personality so you don't need to worry about knowing their names. The plot was always on the verge of great - but never really got there. The ending was tidy, but not powerful.
I enjoyed this book and went on to read the next in the series. It reminded me of the Star Trek original book series in that it takes reading several books for you to get to know the crew, and several books for you learn about why the Solar Queen is special. That is not immediately obvious in this book. But there is lots of action.
I recommend this book for teen readers who may be new to scifi and need to be "gentled" into it. No radical offworld ideas are set forth here. Good and bad are clearly identified, and sex is nowhere to be found.』
『When the interstellar trade shipSolar Queenlands at Canuche in Halio, Captain Jellico and his crew are faced with a plague of rats that threatens to decimate the ranks of visiting spacefarers. Reprint.』
Kakaku：799 saved$7.99
Tor Fantasy
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (Great Novel! Even better than the first!) 『Queen Ferris is the second book in friend and fellow author S.C. Butler's "The Stoneways Trilogy". In the first book, Reiffen's Choice, Reiffen is stolen by the Wizards in a plot to teach him magic and make him their puppet, since he is one of the (contested) heirs to the throne. Reiffen's two friends, Avender and Ferris, head off to rescue him . . . and succeed. But they weren't counting on Reiffen's choice.
Queen Ferris picks up almost immediately after the end of Reiffen's Choice. It's the story of how Reiffen learns how to use magic, while Avender and Ferris struggle to understand why he chose magic over them. It's also a story about the attempt by the Wizards to use Reiffen to seize control of the lands. If I say anything more than that, I'll end up spoiling some aspect of the plot of the book, so I'll stop there.
What I like about S.C. Butler's books is that he takes some of the tropes of the genre, sets you up to believe that the book is going to follow those tropes, and then at the end he turns those tropes on their head and does something completely different. For example (and because I know Sam, I know I'm not spoiling anything he hasn't tried to spoil himself numerous times), most people when reading that summary will think that Reiffen will eventually take back the contested throne and become King. That never happens. (I've read the third book already, and trust me, it never happens.) That's one of the minor tropes you might expect that gets turned on its head by Butler.
I thought that Queen Ferris was a strong book. I wanted to know how it was going to end, and couldn't predict where it was going at any stage of the reading. All three characters--Reiffen, Avender, and Ferris--play crucial rolls in the plot, and all of them have issues that they need to deal with, such as Reiffen's betrayal at the end of the first book. They all deal with their problems and responsibilities in different and believable--and sometimes not nice--ways.
And in the end, that's why these books work. The three main characters, friends at the beginning, are tested and they react like children and young adults would. These are being marketed as YA novels, and they are, but like the Harry Potter books, I think that the adult market will love them as well. I think the entire series is a nice bridge from the Harry Potter novels to Tolkein, covering the rough and tumble years in between the two age groups. I highly recommend them to all YA and adult fantasy readers.』
(Very good) 『This is a brilliant follow-up to Reiffin's Choice. Butler's world is as intriguing as it is believable. I can't wait to read the next.』
(There's an old saying....) 『....about not judging a book by its cover. I have to admit, though, that the cover art was what caught my eye first. I'm a great fan of Daniel dos Santos's work - he's also illustrated the covers for Patricia Briggs' "Mercy" series - and I can generally be sure that, when I see one of his cover illustrations, the book will be worth picking up. In this case, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that this was in fact the second book in the trilogy, and that I'd have the pleasure of exploring even more of a new author's work. And what work it is! This is a mesmerizing new fantasy series, full of characters who have to confront difficult and painful situations and cope with them. This isn't just about dropping a nasty relic into a volcano or pulling a sword from a stone; the characters must face the darkness within themselves as well as their opponents and somehow prevail. Even more wonderfully, I have no idea how or if they'll do it. S. C. Butler has a gift for keeping his readers guessing, and I'll be eager to follow this trilogy and his future work. Bravo, Mr. Butler, and many encores!』
(A Wonderful Continuation of the Stoneways Trilogy!) 『Queen Ferris by S.C. Butler is the second book of the new young adult fantasy series, The Stoneways Trilogy.
Reiffen, Avender, and Ferris have grown to adulthood, and are capable of ruling the land or detroying it. Ferris is wooed by the prince Brizen, whose father (might or might not have) usurped the reign of the kingdoms of Banking and Wayland from Reiffen when he was a babe. Avender patrols the border, guarding the kingdom against the three evil wizards who are about to unleash a war from the north.
Reiffen voluntary returned to the Wizards at the end of Reiffen's Choice; he now serves the wizards. Is he ensorceled or turned traitor? Does it matter? If he leads theWizards' armies, only his death will save the lives of the people of the land. Or so the powerful and wise declare.
But the years have not weakened the friendship between Avender, Ferris, and Reiffen. What do their hearts tell them about Reiffen? What will they do when he, because of love and friendship, willingly gives himself into their power?
I enjoyed Queen Ferris even more than Reiffen's Choice, which is saying a lot. Mr. Butler used the power of description in Reiffen's Choice to anchor the reader in the land. He drives Queen Ferris forward with the power of characterization, for Reiffen, Avender, and Ferris have grown to adulthood.
Everybody always wants to be something they're not," said Ferris. "I'm sure I'd love to be a princess." Brizen's foot scuffed closer across the brown needles. With a bit of a shock, Ferris realized what she'd said. "You can be a princess a lot easier than I can not be a prince," he told her. "I don't love you, Brizen," she replied, trying to recover what she hadn't even known she might let slip. "I know." He sighed quietly and looked at his empty hands.
In Reiffen's Choice, Mr. Butler hints at a new creation mythos. In Queen Ferris, he develops the creation story more fully. I enjoyed seeing how the story lines arose from and were driven by his creation mythos. Imagining the beginning of a new world that is so different from our own is quite a feat. To logically carry the creation mythos forward so that the story is internally consistent is amazing.
With this volume, Reiffen and Ferris's story is nearly complete. I'm looking forward to the third volume to see how Avender's story comes to completion. 』
(Three Cheers for Queen Ferris!) 『Having thoroughly enjoyed Reiffen's Choice, S.C. Butler's first book of the Stoneways Trilogy, I was thrilled to discover that Queen Ferris, the second book, stands up just as well. The characters age into young adults in this sequel, which takes place over several years, and become more complex as they move through their world and develop other relationships. In addition to the dark deeds and challenges Reiffen experiences as part of the frightening world of the wizards, Butler layers on the emotional entanglements of family and friends, self-doubts and struggles that are common to all young adults. Once again, Butler balances the dark evil and cruelty of the wizards and their minions with a dose of humor, compassion, nobility and warmth from other characters. Butler's descriptions of the characters and their surroundings are so incredibly detailed and precise, you may begin to wonder if this is really fiction or if he actually lived among the dwarfs in Issinlough, was a captive in Ussene, or spent time in Valing observing the habits of shape-shifting bears. He describes not only the scene of the current adventure but has imagined a whole mythology for the creation of his world. This is a terrific series. While I look forward to reading book three, I dread the end of the Stoneways Trilogy and not being able to follow the further adventures of the characters I have come to love.』 『
Reiffen, true heir to the kingdoms of Banking and Wayland, had lived his entire life quietly with his mother and best friends, Ferris and Avender. His days were filled with sailing, fishing with the talking seals, and trying to swipe as many extra maple candies as he could.
All that changed when the three Wizards snatched Reiffen away to their fortress in the north. There they offered Reiffen the twin gifts of power and immortality--if he helped them wrest control of Banking and Wayland away from his uncle, the usurper.
Although Reiffen's friends rescue him at great peril, Reiffen now decides to return to the Wizards knowing that he would never again be trusted in this old life--even his best friends would fear that the Wizards had“turned” him. He intends to fool the Wizards--gain their knowledge, find their weaknesses, and defeat them with their own weapons and regain the throne that is rightfully his. But Reiffen is forced to do terrible things to gain the Wizards' trust. Has he become as greedy, ambitious, and avaricious as the three Wizard brothers?
Kakaku：179 saved$1.79
All Aboard, Inc
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (Laughter makes learning easy!) 『Lynn Dralle's writing style, as well as examples of her auctions make learning easy. Her stories are humerous, sometimes very touching, and there is ALWAYS a lesson to be learned, be it about antiques, or what moves product. Since it is 100 short stories it is easy to read as you have the time, instead of requiring several long study sessions. Although, I frequently had a hard time putting the book down.』
(More of a List Than Informational) 『This book is more of an entertaining list of items. It will spark your imagination to think outside the box when looking for items to sell. Be wary of any of her newsletters or mailing lists. She would be called the Queen of Spam. My inbox was flooded the day I purchased her bonus items with spam.』
(Another Gem!!) 『This is another great book by Lynn Dralle. More great stories of how to sell on e-bay with hints about what to look for when gathering items to sell.』
(This book was better than the first...) 『This book was full of great items she found at garage sales and thrift stores - the first book she listed items she inheirited from her beloved grandmother. Not that I didn't learn from those items she listed in her book too - its just that these items made me think they were more accessible.
This is another book I keep reading and re-reading. The stories for each item are emotionally packed - as well as full of information that I can use to find similiar things.
Thanks for the help Lynn!』
(Just as Entertaining and Informative as the first 100 Best Things!) 『I didn't think she could do it again, but she did!! Lynn Dralle found another 100 items she has sold on ebay, that will amuse and amaze you! Don't read it on a Friday night or you won't be able to sleep in on Saturday morning. Garage sale fever will hit you big time!!!!』 『Money Making Madness, the second in the100 Best Things I’ve Sold on eBayseries, tells the stories of Lynn’s most recent eBay successes, and includes new eBay tips relevant to sellers at all levels as well as more wisdom about both business and life from Lynn’s grandmother, Cheryl Leaf.
Read what people are saying about Lynn's writing:
When I started readingThe 100 Best Things I’ve Sold on eBay,I carried it everywhere with me…I just couldn’t put it down! I was addicted! –Cherie Castro, Yakima, WA
Your books have changed my life… I realize how many habits I’ve picked up from you and I am positive that your influence has helped to make our business the success that it is. –Kelli Ables, Bristow, OK
I appreciate how candid you are in sharing information treated as“Top Secret” by other successful sellers.
–Willow Eaton, Port Orchard, WA I was genuinely touched by the stories you shared of your grandmother. Thank you for motivating me, for inspiring me, and for giving me“goosebumps”! –Wendy Hanlin, Alexandria, VA
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The History Press
In stock soon. Order now to get in line. First come, first served. IPhone 3G used's review (A Fabulous Book!!!!) 『This is a wonderful book which is compiled of letters and journal entries written by Queen Victoria. I have read other books about Queen Victoria and find her life to be very interesting. I thought that this book might be difficult to follow because of the format. Christopher Hibbert does a wonderful job with this book making it very easy to follow because of the bits of information he puts into it as the book goes on. The introduction is also very informative. I have trouble putting the book down and highly recommend it!!!!!』
(If you want to know Queen Victoria, read this book!) 『"If you could have dinner with any figure in history, who would it be?" My answer to this question would definately be Queen Victoria. This is especially true after having read this book. Even though Princess Beatrice "edited" Her Majesty's journal, it is still worth the read. These letters and excerpts from the Queen's journal are full of interesting facts, tender moments, and, of course, fiery quotes. I didn't want to put this book down! Even though I now have finished it, I still like to pick up the book and read little sections. I highly recommend this book for those who really want to get to know the real Queen Victoria. My only wish is that the editor had left the Queen's numerous underlines in tact. He says it was too expensive for the printing (which I can understand), but it really adds a lot. If readers are interested in that, they can find it in quotes in other works. This book is a must have!』 『
This revealing selection from the Queen's papers provides essential clues to her character, tracing her development from shy princess to the formidable and uncompromising grande dame of Europe. How did she feel on hearing that she had become queen? How close was she to her eldest grandchild, who became Kaiser Wilhelm II? Why was she so reluctant to yield the crown to her son and heir, the future King Edward VII? What did she really think of Gladstone and Disraeli? These questions and many more are answered clearly and candidly in the Queen's own words. Victoria's passionate adoration of Prince Albert is evident throughout her journals, and later extracts give a touching insight into her feelings of loneliness and susceptibility after his death. Illustrated with some of the Queen's own drawings, this book presents an absorbing account of one of the most remarkable personalities of the nineteenth century.
IPhone 3G used's review (Heretical) 『This anti-Biblical work is pure conjecture by the author's own admission, and should be treated as such if one must read it at all. Believers in Christ, however, should be warned that the premise of this work rests on ancient heresies condemned by Biblical believers and the Fathers of the early Church. The author has completely succumbed to those subtle and false teachings denying the full humanity and divinity of Jesus Christ, which Christians are explicitly warned against in I John 4.』
(Wonderful) 『One of the best books i've read from pastor wagner. The church needs to open their eyes to the spiritual realm.』
(Bizarre paranoia) 『Peter Wagner appears to be afflicted with a rather bizarre form of paranoia. He sees the world controlled by a demonic force he calls "the Queen of Heaven." He sees this demon in everything from ancient Moon goddess religions to Islam (e.g., the crescent moon), to environmentalism (Gaia), feminism, witchcraft, and even in mainstreem Christianity (e.g., Catholic respect of Mary as the Mother of Jesus). That's the purpose of the book, to help you, too, see that all these disparate religions are really united, and that the Virgin Mary is the demon behind it all.
Sadly, many people take him seriously.』
(Excellent Introduction to Diana of the Ephesians) 『The book is very good as an introduction with brief overviews of many areas. I wish Dr. Wagner added some extra references in the back. I'm going to purchase the 2nd part hoping to find more information on this topic. God's people need help, combined prayer and fasting to break this bondage and blindness that is deceiving them. God Bless you Dr. Wagner. Thank you for your hard work in helping to enlighten us all.』
