( B ) Books - Page 12

Antrax (The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara, Book 2)

Terry Brooks

Amazon Price: $7.99 List Price: $7.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Del Rey Amazon Marketplace: 166 new & used starting at $0.01

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Science Fiction & Fantasy -> Authors, A-Z -> ( B ) -> Brooks, Terry -> General
Subjects -> Science Fiction & Fantasy -> Authors, A-Z -> ( B ) -> Brooks, Terry -> Paperback
Subjects -> Science Fiction & Fantasy -> Authors, A-Z -> ( B ) -> Brooks, Terry -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 96 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

A new novel by Terry Brooks is always a cause for celebration. For more than twenty years, the New York Times bestselling author of the classic Shannara epic has proven himself one of the modern masters of fantasy, winning the hearts and minds of devoted readers around the world. In his last acclaimed novel, Ilse Witch, a brave company of explorers led by the last Druid, Walker Boh, traveled across unknown seas in search of an elusive magic. Yet perhaps Boh and his team were lured there for sinister, unforeseen purposes . . .

Now in Antrax, as the crew aboard the airship Jerle Shannara is attacked by evil forces, the Druid’s protégé Bek Rowe and his companions are pursued by the mysterious Ilse Witch. Meanwhile, Boh is alone, caught in a dark maze beneath the ruined city of Castledown, stalked by a hungry, unseen enemy.

For there is something alive in Castledown. Something not human. Something old beyond reckoning that covets the magic of Druids, elves, even the Ilse Witch. Something that hunts men for its own designs: Antrax. It is a spirit that commands ancient technologies and mechanical monsters, feeds off enchantment, and traps the souls of men.

With the Jerle Shannara under siege and Antrax threatening the bold and unwary, the Ilse Witch finds herself face-to-face with a boy who claims to be the brother she last saw as an infant. Now a young man, Bek wields the magic of the wishsong and carries the Sword of Shannara upon his back. Unsure whether to trust Bek or to slay him, the Ilse Witch takes him prisoner. One has come pursuing truth, the other revenge. Yet both seek Walker Boh–with the fate of the Four Lands hanging in the balance.

Return to the world of beloved novelist Terry Brooks, where creatures drift up from the earth like mist, a hypnotic song can kill, a sword can cut through a veil of lies–and one man, the true heir of an ancient magic, must choose between betrayal and redemption.


From the Hardcover edition.

Witches' Brew (The Magic Kingdom of Landover, Book 5)

Terry Brooks

Amazon Price: $7.99 List Price: $7.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Del Rey Amazon Marketplace: 112 new & used starting at $0.01

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Science Fiction & Fantasy -> Authors, A-Z -> ( B ) -> Brooks, Terry -> General
Subjects -> Science Fiction & Fantasy -> Authors, A-Z -> ( B ) -> Brooks, Terry -> Paperback
Subjects -> Science Fiction & Fantasy -> Authors, A-Z -> ( B ) -> Brooks, Terry -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 19 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Former Chicago lawyer Ben Holiday was proud and happy. And why not? The Magic Kingdom of Landover, which he ruled as High Lord, was finally at peace, and he and his wife, the sylph Willow, could watch their daughter Mistaya grow.
And grow she did--shooting through infancy in months, learning to walk and to swim in the same week. Mistaya had been born a seedling, nourished by soils from Landover, Earth, and the fairy mists, come into being in the dank, misty deadness of the Deep Fell. With dazzling green eyes that cut to the soul, she was as lovely as her mother, and Ben wanted nothing more than to enjoy his daughter's childhood and his peaceful kingdom forever. But his idyll was interrupted when Rydall, a king of lands beyond the fairy mist, assembled armies on Landover's border and threatened to invade unless Ben was able to defeat Rydall's seven champions.
Some counseled the High Lord to refuse Rydall's challenge, but Holiday could not, for Mistaya had been snatched from her guardians by foul magic. And Rydall held the key to her fate...

Beguilement (The Sharing Knife, Book 1)

Lois McMaster Bujold

Amazon Price: $7.99 List Price: $7.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Eos Amazon Marketplace: 71 new & used starting at $1.03

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Science Fiction & Fantasy -> Authors, A-Z -> ( B ) -> Bujold, Lois McMaster -> General
Subjects -> Science Fiction & Fantasy -> Authors, A-Z -> ( B ) -> Bujold, Lois McMaster -> Paperback
Subjects -> Science Fiction & Fantasy -> Authors, A-Z -> ( B ) -> Bujold, Lois McMaster -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 93 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

A chatty romance 3 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

After reading Lois McMaster Bujold's first Chalion book, I was an instant fan. So, I was really excited to get my hands on the audio versions of the first two novels in her second fantasy series: The Sharing Knife.

Alas, it really pains me to have to write a lackluster review for anything Bujold does, but here we go.

First, let me say that Beguilement is a romance novel, as clearly stated by Bujold herself on her website. In short, Fawn is not respected by her family. She is teased and called "stupid" by her parents and big brothers. She has gotten herself in some trouble, so she runs away from home. She manages to get herself in some more trouble when she meets the minions of a "malice," a creature which sucks the life out of nearby living objects and can only be killed by sharing knives which are made of human bones and are primed by a human's death (someone has to give their life to the knife). Fortunately, Dag comes along with his knives and saves Fawn's life a couple of times. Because of an unexpected occurrence with the knives, Fawn and Dag find themselves traveling together. During that time Dag realizes that even though Fawn is extremely naive, she's actually very bright. And a relationship develops....

Second, let me mention that I really disliked the voice of the audiobook reader, Bernadette Dunn. I have heard her before (Memoirs of a Geisha) and I liked her then, but that was a novel about a Geisha. Her voice doesn't work for Beguilement. It's too feminine, so the parts of the novel that were written with the male point of view (Dag) make him sound wimpy and weak. The voice she used for the female (Fawn) was too naive-sounding, hickish, syrupy, whiny, and often downright cloying.

Two strikes already, but Bujold clearly warns me that it's a romance, and she can't control the voice of the audiobook reader, so I won't fault her for those issues. And, as usual, Bujold's writing is superb. Her characters are well realized (she's very good at letting us view their inner thoughts) and dialogue is realistic.

Here are my main problems with Beguilement:

1. Fawn is unbelievably naive and has low self-esteem. This does not make for a fun or admirable heroine. Her family tells her she's stupid, so she thinks she's stupid. She whines and uses the word "stupid" a lot. I'm guessing that Bujold is trying to impart the lesson that when parents tell kids they are stupid, the kids end up with low self-esteem. Hey, I'm a psychologist, and I'm in total agreement with Ms Bujold's philosophy, but it was getting to the point where I was wondering if Richard Rahl (Terry Goodkind Sword of Truth) was going to show up and start lecturing about Fawn's nobility of spirit.

2. Dag, while likeable, is MUCH older than Fawn. I mean like decades. It'd be like Jordin Sparks with Phil Collins. That's a little creepy.

3. The magic system is really interesting (as Bujold's magic always is). The malices are fascinating, but after the first encounter with one early in the plot, we are treated to no more of these interactions. The rest of the book is slowly pushed along by dialogue, romance, and wedding preparations rather than action.

For someone looking for a chatty romance, I'm sure Bujold is way better than most everything on the romance shelves. But for someone who is expecting the greatness of Chalion, sadly, this isn't it. However, I do wonder if now that we've got the romance out of the way, might she return to the problem of the malices in book two? Now that Fawn and Dag are together, might Fawn have more self-confidence and be a more interesting heroine? Just in case, I think I'll try Legacy. I wouldn't want to miss any excellent Bujold fantasy. --FantasyLiterature.net

Editorial Review:

Troubled young Fawn Bluefield seeks a life beyond her family’s farm. But en route to the city, she encounters a patrol of Lakewalkers, nomadic soldier–sorcerers from the northern woodlands. Feared necromancers armed with mysterious knives made of human bone, they wage a secret, ongoing war against the scourge of the "malices," immortal entities that draw the life out of their victims, enslaving human and animal alike.

It is Dag—a Lakewalker patroller weighed down by past sorrows and onerous present responsibilities—who must come to Fawn’s aid when she is taken captive by a malice. They prevail at a devastating cost—unexpectedly binding their fates as they embark upon a remarkable journey into danger and delight, prejudice and partnership . . . and perhaps even love.

The Wings of Merlin (The Lost Years of Merlin)

T. A. Barron

Amazon Price: $8.79 List Price: $10.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Philomel Amazon Marketplace: 47 new & used starting at $5.99

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General AAS
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Literature -> Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths -> Arthurian

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 39 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Merlin Fanatic 3 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

My first impression of Merlin in books one through three was that he was a strong,caring but sometimes moody wizard. Rhia his sister loved the earth and the trees and all life in general. The author makes me belive in Merlin when he tries to save Fincayra, the place where they live by defeating Rhit Gwar the bad guy. They amass all the creatures of Fincayra. The story in a way dives right into the action with many sub plots and the final plot (The head of the action). There is also a lot of description in the story explaining battles,people, and even new found powers. This book genre is fantasy because of wizard's magic, and other strange creatures. The plot is usually easy too follow because of the way the author writes it. the exposition may have been dragged a bit but I still got involved. I would definetly reccomend this book to others if you like King Arthur or medieval things, because a lot of things if you look closely tie into King Arthur myths and legends. This book left me feeling satisfied because it is a truly great book. I have read some other books by T.A.Barron like The Seven Songs of Merlin and others. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone i meet. This book is awesome!!!!

Editorial Review:

There has never been a magic like Merlin’s, and T. A. Barron reveals how the legend was born in his adventure-loving five-book epic featuring the heroic young wizard and his unforgettable band.

To celebrate the epic, which has sold over a million copies, Philomel has created a stunning paperover-board edition with fantastical new cover art by Justin Sweet to enchant and enthrall a whole new generation of readers!

Priestess Of Avalon

Marion Zimmer Bradley, Diana L. Paxson

Amazon Price: $10.85 List Price: $15.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Roc Trade Amazon Marketplace: 123 new & used starting at $0.65

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Science Fiction & Fantasy -> Authors, A-Z -> ( B ) -> Bradley, Marion Zimmer -> General
Subjects -> Science Fiction & Fantasy -> Authors, A-Z -> ( B ) -> Bradley, Marion Zimmer -> Paperback
Subjects -> Science Fiction & Fantasy -> Authors, A-Z -> ( B ) -> Bradley, Marion Zimmer -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 64 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Not since The Mists of Avalon has there been such a powerful and mesmerizing portrait of goddess-powered womanhood and women's spirituality. In Priestess of Avalon, the legendary Marion Zimmer Bradley once again reaches back in time to create a magnificent prequel to her undying classic of Camelot.

Priestess of Avalon tells the timeless story of Eilan-known to the Romans as Helena-a British princess raised on the holy isle of Avalon as she grows from maiden to mother to wise woman. It is Helena's destiny-at a crucial turning point in Western history-to bridge the pagan world of the goddess and the new Christian empire founded by her own son, Constantine. When Helena embarks on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land she will find the intrinsic truth that transcends both the old religion and the new.

The legions of fans who cherish The Mists of Avalon will find its promise brought to rich fulfillment in Priestess of Avalon. For those new to the series, undreamed-of enchantment awaits.

Abridged. Four Cassettes, six hours

Rogue Planet (Star Wars)

Greg Bear

Amazon Price: $19.76 List Price: $26.00 In stock soon. Order now to get in line. First come, first served. By: Del Rey Amazon Marketplace: 128 new & used starting at $0.01

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> World Literature -> United States -> General AAS
Subjects -> Science Fiction & Fantasy -> Authors, A-Z -> ( B ) -> Bear, Greg -> General
Subjects -> Science Fiction & Fantasy -> Authors, A-Z -> ( B ) -> Bear, Greg -> Hardcover

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 185 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

You've seen the blockbuster The Phantom Menace™. You've read the #1 New York Times bestselling book based on George Lucas's masterpiece. Now, before the eagerly awaited release of Episode II, comes a stunning new Star Wars novel from one of science fiction's greatest talents, a writer universally acclaimed for his keen grasp of cutting-edge science and the brilliance of his page-turning plots: multiple Hugo- and Nebula-Award winning author Greg Bear. The result is pure adrenaline--an unforgettable journey stretching from the farthest reaches of known space to the battlefield of a young boy's heart, where a secret struggle is being waged that will decide the fate of billions.

That boy is twelve-year-old Anakin Skywalker. The Force is strong in Anakin . . . so strong that the Jedi Council, despite misgivings, entrusted the young Jedi master Obi-Wan Kenobi with the mission of training him to become a Jedi Knight. Obi-Wan--like his murdered master Qui-Gon-- believes Anakin may be the Chosen One, the Jedi destined to bring balance to the Force. But first Obi-Wan must help his undisciplined, idealistic apprentice, who still bears the scars of slavery, find his own balance.

Dispatched to the mysterious planet of Zonama Sekot, source of the fastest ships in the galaxy, Obi-Wan and Anakin are swept up in a swirl of deadly intrigue and betrayal. For the Trade Federation is interested in Zonama Sekot as well. Raith Sienar, a brilliant but unscrupulous weapons and ship designer, seizes the opportunity to make a killing by stealing the secret of the superfast ships.

As Sienar strikes with all the brutal power of the Trade Federation, Obi-Wan and Anakin sense a disturbance in the Force unlike any they have encountered before. It seems there are more secrets on Zonama Sekot than meet the eye.

The search for those secrets will threaten the bond between Obi-Wan and Anakin . . . and bring the troubled young apprentice face-to-face with his deepest fears--and his darkest destiny.

Startide Rising (The Uplift Saga, Book 2)

David Brin

Amazon Price: $7.99 List Price: $7.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Spectra Amazon Marketplace: 211 new & used starting at $0.01

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Science Fiction & Fantasy -> Authors, A-Z -> ( B ) -> Brin, David -> General
Subjects -> Science Fiction & Fantasy -> Authors, A-Z -> ( B ) -> Brin, David -> Paperback
Subjects -> Science Fiction & Fantasy -> Science Fiction -> High Tech

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 93 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

I started my trilogy here... 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

It is basically part of a three book trilogy about a universe in which all races became sentient by being "uplifted" by previous intelligent races. The Human race is the only race arrogant enough to claim to have evolved. Humans would have been "adopted" into slavery but for the fact that before meeting the universe at large, we "uplifted" dolphins and monkeys. Humans are also considered arrogant because we believe in the value of human technology, while the rest of the universe just "retrieves" their technology from the "library"....but not all libraries are created equal.....

Each book is unique, captivating, and builds to the whole story (although Brin does not answer all questions). I haven't found anybody similar, all said and told. While Sundiver is the first book, I started with Startide Rising, which is still my favorite. There wasn't any real problem, but the Uplift War probably should be read last. Also, a decade or so later Brin created a second trilogy in this universe. I haven't found them nearly as inspired and amazing as these three.

Editorial Review:

David Brin's Uplift novels are among the most thrilling and extraordinary science fiction ever written.  Sundiver, Startide Rising, and The Uplift War--a New York Times bestseller--together make up one of the most beloved sagas of all time.  Brin's tales are set in a future universe in which no species can reach sentience without being "uplifted" by a patron race.  But the greatest mystery of all remains unsolved: who uplifted humankind?

The Terran exploration vessel Streaker has crashed in the uncharted water world of Kithrup, bearing one of the most important discoveries in galactic history.  Below, a handful of her human and dolphin crew battles armed rebellion and a hostile planet to safeguard her secret--the fate of the Progenitors, the fabled First Race who seeded wisdom throughout the stars.

Inversions

Iain M. Banks

Amazon Price: $20.65 List Price: $22.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Pocket Amazon Marketplace: 19 new & used starting at $15.96

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Science Fiction & Fantasy -> Authors, A-Z -> ( B ) -> Banks, Iain M.
Subjects -> Science Fiction & Fantasy -> Science Fiction -> Adventure
Subjects -> Science Fiction & Fantasy -> Science Fiction -> High Tech

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 40 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Iain M. Banks, the international bestselling author of The Player of Games and Consider Phlebas, is a true original, a literary visionary whose brilliant speculative fiction has transported us into worlds of unbounded imagination. Now, in his acclaimed new novel, Banks presents an engrossing portrait of an alien world, and of two very different people bound by a startling and mysterious secret.

On a backward world with six moons, an alert spy reports on the doings of one Dr. Vosill, who has mysteriously become the personal physician to the king despite being a foreigner and, even more unthinkably, a woman. Vosill has more enemies than she first realizes. But then she also has more remedies in hand than those who wish her ill can ever guess.

Elsewhere, in another palace across the mountains, a man named DeWar serves as chief bodyguard to the Protector General of Tassasen, a profession he describes as the business of "assassinating assassins." DeWar, too, has his enemies, but his foes strike more swiftly, and his means of combating them are more direct.

No one trusts the doctor, and the bodyguard trusts no one, but is there a hidden commonality linking their disparate histories? Spiraling around a central core of mystery, deceit, love, and betrayal. Inversions is a dazzling work of science fiction from a versatile and imaginative author writing at the height of his remarkable powers.

The Sheep Look Up

John Brunner

Amazon Price: $10.85 List Price: $15.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Benbella Books Amazon Marketplace: 15 new & used starting at $9.49

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Science Fiction & Fantasy -> Authors, A-Z -> ( B ) -> Brunner, John
Subjects -> Science Fiction & Fantasy -> Science Fiction -> General
Subjects -> Science Fiction & Fantasy -> Science Fiction -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 32 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

The Top 5 of the Scariest Books I Have Ever Read 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 3 people found this review helpful.

I agree with what others have said about this book. It is written in a very jerky, unusual style, and can be a bit hard to follow at times. But given that it was written so long ago, it is frighteningly, eerily relevant. I read the book in 2 days (which was a feat considering how it is written). It has stayed with me for weeks.

Current news reports are ones that appear in the book, and without wanting to sound like a doom and gloom pessimist, I have to say....I think we're doomed.

Editorial Review:

An enduring classic, this book offers a dramatic and prophetic look at the potential consequences of the escalating destruction of Earth. In this nightmare society, air pollution is so bad that gas masks are commonplace. Infant mortality is up, and everyone seems to suffer from some form of ailment. The water is polluted, and only the poor drink from the tap. The government is ineffectual, and corporate interests scramble to make a profit from water purifiers, gas masks, and organic foods. Environmentalist Austin Train is on the run. The Trainites, environmental activists and sometime terrorists, want him to lead their movement. The government wants him in jail, or preferably, executed. The media wants a circus. Everyone has a plan for Train, but Train has a plan of his own. This suspenseful science fiction drama is now available to a new generation of enthusiasts.

The Adventures of Langdon St. Ives

James P. Blaylock

Amazon Price: $25.08 List Price: $38.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Subterranean Amazon Marketplace: 5 new & used starting at $25.08

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Science Fiction & Fantasy -> Authors, A-Z -> ( B ) -> Blaylock, James P.
Subjects -> Science Fiction & Fantasy -> Science Fiction -> General
Subjects -> Science Fiction & Fantasy -> Science Fiction -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

A good deal of controversy arose late in the last century over what has been referred to by the more livid newspapers as The Horror in St. James Park or The Ape-box Affair....

So begins the first chronicle in the long and often obscure life of Langdon St. Ives, Victorian scientist and adventurer, respected member of the Explorers Club and of societies far more obscure, consultant to scientific luminaries, and secret, unheralded savior of humankind. From the depths of the Borneo jungles to the starlit reaches of outer space, and ultimately through the dark corridors of past and future time, the adventures of Langdon St. Ives invariably lead him back to the streets and alleys of the busiest, darkest, most secretive city in the world -- London in the age of steam and gaslamps, with the Thames fog settling in over the vast city of perpetual evening. St. Ives, in pursuit of the infamous Dr. Ignacio Narbondo, discovers the living horror of revivified corpses, the deep sea mystery of a machine with the power to drag ships to their doom, and the appalling threat of a skeleton-piloted airship descending toward the city of London itself, carrying within its gondola a living homunculus with the power to drive men mad....

This omnibus volume contains the collected Steampunk stories and novels of James P. Blaylock, one of the originators of the genre, which hearkens back to the worlds of Jules Verne and H.G. Wells, a world where science was a work of the imagination, and the imagination was endlessly free to dream.

The Adventures of Langdon St. Ives will contain the original illustrations J. K. Potter created for the novel Lord Kelvin's Machine, plus many more for the novel, Homunculus, and the short stories.