Hoffman, Nina Kiriki Books

Firebirds Rising: An Anthology of Original Science Fiction and Fantasy

Francesca Lia Block, Kara Dalkey, Charles de Lint, Alan Dean Foster, Emma Bull, Patricia A. McKillip, Sharon Shinn, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Alison Goodman, Carol Emshwiller, Diana Wynne Jones, Pamela Dean, Tanith Lee, Ellen Klages, Kelly Link

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

A Good Collection 4 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I read the first collection, The Firebird, and feel in love all over again with Megan W. Turner and for this book, in addition to my already favorite authors, it introduced me to more of authors whose styles I like very much.

First of all is Ellen Klages, with 'In The House of the Seven Librarians'. I love her prose and all the words make a nice song in my head. It was almost like a poetry.

Second is Tanith Lee. I haven't had the chance to read her books but I like her story 'The House on The Planet'. The title reminds me of Laura Ingalls' :) It has the taste of pioneering adventure in it but of course, with a surprise at the ending.

Editorial Review:

Here is the eagerly anticipated follow-up to the award-winning anthology Firebirds! Firebirds Rising takes readers from deep space to Faerie to just around the corner. It is full of magic, humor, adventure, and—best of all—the unexpected. The one thing readers can count on is marvelous writing. Firebirds Rising proves once again that Firebird is a gathering place for writers and readers of speculative fiction from teenage to adult, from the United States to Europe, Asia, and beyond.

The Green Man : Tales from the Mythic Forest

Ellen Datlow

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 14 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

One of our most enduring, universal myths is that of the Green Man-the spirit who stands for Nature in its most wild and untamed form, a man with leaves for hair who dwells deep within the mythic forest. Through the ages and around the world, the Green Man and other nature spirits have appeared in stories, songs, and artwork, as well as many beloved fantasy novels, including Tolkien's Lord of the Rings.

Now Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, the acclaimed editors of over twenty anthologies, have gathered some of today's finest writers of magical fiction to interpret the spirits of nature in short stories and poetry. Charles Vess (Stardust) brings his stellar eye and brush to the decorations, and Windling provides an introduction exploring Green Man symbolism and forest myth.

The Green Man will become required reading for teenagers and adults alike-not only for fans of fantasy fiction, but for anyone interested in mythology and the mysteries of the wilderness.

A Stir of Bones

Nina Kiriki Hoffman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

This memorable story left me longing for more. 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

Susan, a seventh-grader, has terrible secrets. Her father beats her mother and then blames Susan. He controls Susan, telling her what to wear, what to watch on television, and how to spend every minute of her time. At school, she is a lonely outsider. Her only real friends are the family's housekeeper, Juanita, and Juanita's son, Julio.

At the library one day, Susan overhears Julio and his friends plotting to visit the local haunted house, and she invites herself along. There, they meet a ghost named Nathan. Susan is oddly drawn to both Nathan and the house, and she begins to carry one of Nathan's finger bones. Her talisman emboldens her away from the house, and she finds herself able to connect with people a little more easily.

Susan finds refuge when Nathan invites each of the visitors to keep a room at the house. She develops relationships with her new acquaintances, both the living and the dead, and spends an unforgettable Halloween night with Nathan --- a mystical evening that makes her supernatural host even more alluring.

Many facets of Susan's life gradually become better. However, her home situation does not improve. Susan's unbearable pain plus her attraction to the boy ghost lead her to ponder whether or not she would be better off joining Nathan forever.

Susan and Nathan are heartrendingly sympathetic characters. The lyrical writing weaves together a dreamy ghost tale and the harsh realism of Susan's home life, ending on a hopeful note. The fact that there is no easy resolution only adds to the believability. This memorable story left me longing for more, so I was happy to learn that A STIR OF BONES is a stand-alone prequel to two previously published novels, A RED HEART OF MEMORIES and PAST THE SIZE OF DREAMING.

--- Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon (terryms2001@yahoo.com)

Editorial Review:

Susan Backstrom seems to have a charmed life—but she also has dangerous family secrets. When she hears some kids talking about exploring a nearby haunted house, Susan asks to join them, even though she knows what might happen if she gets caught. The teenagers discover that there is indeed a ghost, and the house itself is a living, supernatural thing. With the help of five new friends—three humans, one ghost, and House—Susan has what she needs to build a new life, if she dares.

Firebirds: An Anthology of Original Fantasy and Science Fiction

Lloyd Alexander, Nancy Farmer, Meredith Ann Pierce, Elizabeth Wein, Michael Cadnum, Kara Dalkey, Nancy Springer, Emma Bull, Patricia A. McKillip, Delia Sherman, Megan Whalen Turner, Laurel Winter, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Sherwood Smith, Diana Wynne Jones

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 14 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Firebirds 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Firebirds is a short story book by Lloyd Alexander, Michael Cadnum, Kara Dalkey, Nancy Farmer, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Diana Wynne Jones, Patricai A. Mckillip, Garth Nix, Meridith Ann Pierce, Sherwood Smith, Nancy Springer, Megan Whalen Turner, Elizabeth E. Wein, Laurel Winter, Emma Bull with illustrations by Charles Vess. The book is edited by Sharyn November.
Firebirds is a collection of stories all based on different themes. Each author has a different style of writing. Firebirds has two genres, fantasy and science fiction. I liked this book because the endings were always surprising. I didn't know many of these authors and reading these short stories gave me an idea of how they wrote. All the stories in Firebirds were interesting and different. I would rate this book an eight on a scale of one to ten because some of the stories weren't very interesting. I haven't read many short story books but this was one of the books that I enjoyed. Many of these stories are parts of books that the author has written or sequels.
Some of my favorite stories were Beauty by Sherwood Smith and Little Dot by Diana Wynne Jones. Beauty's about a princess named Elestra. Elestra didn't have any beauty and no one really cared about her. In the throne room, there was a tree that was really a person turned into a tree. One night the Elestra goes into the throne room and is captured by Flauvic, the person who was tree. Beauty's a story that makes you wonder what's going to happen. Little Dot's a story about several cats and a human named Henry. One day Henry is told that there is a Beast that's eating many animals. Find out what happens by reading Firebirds. Little Dot's an engrossing story that captures your attention.

Editorial Review:

Firebirds gathers together sixteen original stories by some of today’s finest writers of fantasy and science fiction. Together, they have won virtually every major prize— from the National Book Award to the World Fantasy Award to the Newbery Medal—and have made bestseller lists worldwide. These authors, including Lloyd Alexander, Diana Wynne Jones, Garth Nix, Patricia A. McKillip, Meredith Ann Pierce, and Nancy Farmer, tell stories that will entertain, provoke, startle, amuse, and resonate long after the last lage has been turned. And they all share a connection to Firebird—an imprint, like this anthology, devoted to the best fantasy and science fiction for teenage and adult readers.

An ALA Best Book for Young Adults

A Locus Recommended Reading Selection

A New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age

A Selection of the Science Fiction Book Club

Spirits That Walk in Shadow

Nina Kiriki Hoffman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Snake charming 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Nina Kiriki Hoffman is back to what she does best in 'spirits that walk in shadow".She beguiles us with her simplicity and enchantes us with her world that is only a step away from where we are now. The magic is the glue but the characters draw us in.Kim who starts out without the magical spark and Jaimie, whom we have met in a past Hoffman book ,who is trying to control the magic she has.Starting University and sharing a room together the girls havr to face lossing all magic and being helped by a family snake.Well presented and easy to read this book fits in well with Hofman's other work.

Editorial Review:

A compelling, funny, magical thriller.

Kim and Jaimie are freshman roommates—but their college experience is anything but typical. This is Jaimie’s first time in the “real world,” away from her large family and their magical traditions. It’s Kim’s chance to escape her high school reputation. But Jaimie quickly sees that Kim can’t—she’s being stalked by something that feeds on depression. And, just like that, reality reshapes itself, as the two girls—along with Jaimie’s cousins and a Presence named Rugee—try to capture and rout the viri, or emotional vampire, who is tracking Kim.

Flights: Extreme Visions of Fantasy

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Powerhouse Anthology 5 out of 5 stars.
16 of 18 people found this review helpful.

"The Sorcerer's Apprentice" by Robert Silverberg - The twist is that the sorcerer is actually a woman, and the apprentice is a young man who is instantly smitten by her. However, she treats him coldly...most of the time.

"Perpetua" by Kit Reed - Strange story in which a father's love is carried too far.

"The Edges of Never-Haven" by Catherine Asaro - In the town of Never-Haven, people live in curved houses and cannot create any straight line, not even a line in the dirt, without summoning demons.

"Pat Moore" by Tim Powers - Brilliant, suspenseful ghost story.

"Six Hypotheses" by Joyce Carol Oates - Strange story showing six hypotheses for the basis of a violent incident in a seemingly normal family.

"The Silver Dragon" by Elizabeth A. Lynn - In this land the King can shapechange into a dragon.

"Fallen Angel" by L.E. Modesitt, Jr. - Devout religious people may not care for this story much.

"The Following" by P.D. Cacek - Chilling ghost story with a twist.

"A Tower With No Doors" by Dennis L. McKiernan - Nice take on Rapunzel

"Boomerang" by Larry Niven - Too short to describe

"Wonderwall" by Elizabeth Hand - Sorry, don't remember much about this one (I don't have the book anymore)

"Blood, Oak, Iron" by Janny Wurts - Every time a King dies, the successor is possessed by an evil spirit. Can the cycle ever be broken?

"Riding Shotgun" by Charles de Lint - A man clearing out his deceased father's estate stumbles upon an old car and is transported back in time to a critical event in his past.

"Demons Hide Their Faces" by A.A. Attasnasio - A skeptical young man discovers the truth about missing books.

"Relations" by Nina Kiriki Hoffman - Can't remember

"Tourists" by Neal Barrett, Jr. - Can't remember

"The White Man" by Thomas M. Disch - A chilling tale of race relations and vampires.

"Out of the Woods" by Patricia A. McKillip - can't remember

"Perchance to Dream" by David Morrell - A doctor tries to treat a patient for sleep disorder.

"Coming Across" by Harry Turtledove - Elves who can live forever (if they don't die of boredom-literally) created a gate to visit another world (ours) in search of interesting experiences. Little do they know what they will find and accidentally bring back with them.

"The Problem of Susan" by Neil Gaiman - Related to C.S. Lewis's The Last Battle

"Keeper of Lost Dreams" by Orson Scott Card - A young person discovers he is the keeper of the title

"Watchfire" by Raymond E. Feist & Janny Wurts - can't remember

"Tots" by Peter Schneider - Four-year old children who fight each other to death for the amusement of adults

"Jupiter's Skull" by Jeffrey Ford - A strange psychic woman leaves a legacy in tea leaves for a man and woman who had visited her often when she was alive.

"Death's Door" by Terry Bisson - What happens when the dying can't die?

"Bill, the Little Steam Shovel" by Joe R. Lansdale - A totally irreverent, hilarious tale of a steam shovel who dreams of being more than he is.

"Sleepover" by Al Sarrantonio - Two children wake up on a flat, deserted, alien plain.

"Golden City Far" by Gene Wolfe - A young man's dreams invade his waking life.

A wonderful mix of classic and modern fantasy, as well as stories that defy categorizing. Despite the title, the stories are not about flights or flying. Not all of the stories are winners, but there is enough good stuff here to warrant a 5 star recommendation.

My personal favorites: "Pat Moore" by Tim Powers, "The Silver Dragon" by Elizabeth A. Lynn, "Riding Shotgun" by Charles de Lint, "Coming Across" by Harry Turtledove, and "Bill, the Little Steam Shovel" by Joe R. Lansdale.

Editorial Review:

The fantasy publishing event of the year-from the award-winning editor of Redshift...This daring, all-new anthology showcases some of the genre's biggest names and best newcomers-and sets the standard for fantasy in the twenty-first century. Includes new stories by Neil Gaiman, Harry Turtledove, and more.

A Fistful Of Sky

Nina Kiriki Hoffman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 42 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Staying In The Family 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Gypsum LaZelle's whole family has magical talents, manifesting around puberty. She's patient when her older siblings turn, but then her younger siblings turn as well, and she gives up hope. She's just getting comfortable with her life and her place in her family when changes start happening to her. Great set up--her whole family is fascinating, and they are all such different characters. The family interactions were really interesting: loving and good natured oftentimes, but with undertones of menace here and there, intentionally or not. I had a special spot in my heart for her brother Flint whose magic never did quite what he expected it to. The pacing was a little weird in the beginning, a lot of time jumps that weren't developed very well, but when it settles into the period it wants to be in, it's smooth sailing. Very well written on the whole. Highly recommended.

Editorial Review:

The LaZelle family of southern California has a secret: they can do magic. Real magic. As a teenager, a LaZelle undergoes "the Transition"--a severe illness that will either kill him or leave him with magical powers. If he's lucky, he gains a talent like shape-changing or wish-granting. If he's unlucky, he never experiences Transition. If he's especially unlucky, he undergoes Transition late, which increases his chances of dying. And if he survives, he will bear the burden of a dark, dangerous magic: the ability to cast only curses. And curse he must, for when a LaZelle doesn't use his magic, it kills him.

In Nina Kiriki Hoffman's A Fistful of Sky, Gypsum LaZelle is unique among her brothers and sisters: she has not undergone Transition. She resigns herself to a mundane, magic-bereft existence as a college student. Then one weekend, when her family leaves her home alone, she becomes gravely ill... --Cynthia Ward

Out of Avalon: An Anthology of Old Magic & New Myths

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Introduce your love of myth and legends with this anthology 4 out of 5 stars.
9 of 9 people found this review helpful.

As a pre-service teacher, I am eager to share this anthology with any teacher who would like a less than bible-thick introduction to Arthurian literature for their teenage students. Short stories, that not only simmer with the breath of Avalon and mystery of legends, it is also a painless introduction to great fantasy writers like Marion Zimmer Bradley. I am promoting it for use in SSR (sustained silent reading) in class-rooms and as a fine teaching resource to launch into bigger things like Morte de'Arthur. It's focus on the little people (the extras) suggests the very essence of fables and myths - the fluidity and re-telling of a story to legendary status. While I wouldn't say every story appealed to me - I would say that this must testify to the fact that it includes a tale bewitching enough for a wider audience than I anticipated. Try it! on yerself and on yer teenagers. It's a great platform for engaging in olde worlde literature and classics - creative, sweet and sometimes shocking....loved it...won't sell it..pass it on

Editorial Review:

This new collection features 15 stories of magic, adventure and romance surrounding the legend of King Arthur-by an equally legendary host of bestselling authors, including:
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Marion Zimmer Bradley and Diana L. Paxton
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Katherine Kerr
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Rosemary Edghill
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Tricia Sullivan
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Diana Gabaldon and Samuel Watkins
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Michelle West
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David Farland
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Kristen Britain
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Judith Tarr
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Mike Resnick and Adrienne Gormley
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Jennifer Roberson
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Laura Resnick
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Lorelei Shannon
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Eric van Lustbader
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Nina Kiriki Hoffman

Catalyst: A Novel of Alien Contact

Nina Kiriki Hoffman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

a novel of contact 3 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Catalyst is a Science Fiction novel by a Fantasy writer who presents the everday with wonder and the challenges it presents with originality in a magical way.Nina Kiriki Hoffman introduces us to a colony world and peopled it with Kaslin, a teenaged boy who is trying to survive in a new home and Histly, a bully who will not leave him alone. Throw in an alien contact and a first romance and you have the premis of Catalyst.Kaslin has to deal with his bully and face the waking up of an alien culture.Easy to read, fast paced but a little akword in it's love scenes, however Catalyst gives to meaning to a shared kiss.

Editorial Review:

This psychologically complex science-fiction novel focuses on a sensitive adolescent making the difficult transition from childhood into adolescent sexuality and adult society. A boy, fleeing a bullying classmate, inadvertently makes first contact with a race of aliens who live beneath the surface of his planet. Exploring such subjects as the dynamics of dysfunctional families and human society's greed-based political system, the book has eerie psychological undercurrents and tells an emotionally compelling and surprisingly sensual story.

In Celebration of Lammas Night

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 14 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

An idea that failed. 1 out of 5 stars.
6 of 9 people found this review helpful.

Mercedes Lackey wrote a poem (a not-very-good one) about a wizard who settles in a village where the previous wizard has died. She begins to sense his presence in the house where he lived (and she lives now). In the end, she is faced with a choice of laying his soul, or bringing him back to life.

The conceit of this book is to have several authors use this theme as a jumping off point for their stories. It's an intriguing idea, but it doesn't work. The primary reason for this is, I think, that rather than use the story as inspiration, the authors simply put flesh on its bones. They don't use their own creative powers (assuming they have any) to make something unique and different of it. As a result, it's all much of a muchness and ultimately boring.

The other difficulty I had with it is the same difficulty that I have with much current fantasy writing. Many writers of this kind think that putting together a hash of various mythologies along with invented names that have no linguistic similarities are all you need. It's all very unsatisfying.

Having been introduced to fantasy via masters such as Lord Dunsany and Arthur Machen, I have no patience for this sort of thing.

Editorial Review:

Protecting a small village while visiting the house of her predecessor, a young spell weaver accidentally breaks the spell that held her predecessor's spirit and finds herself being courted by a half-seen phantom of questionable intentions.