( J ) Books - Page 3

Fire In The Ashes

William W. Johnstone

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

The Ashes are Hot 4 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

William W. Johnstone's second Ashes novel strongly continues the saga began in Out of the Ashes. This time around, the Rebels, defeated but not crushed by the fall of the Tri-States, are secretly rebuilding their forces under the watchful eyes of a socialist dictatorship.

Hundreds of federal police forces are carrying out brutal raids against innocent people, and a mercenary army is helping to keep the peace. Meanwhile, a third enemy is lurking in the shadows.

The story and action are strong and believable. I also see the strong need for an armed population, and the elements and warnings against socialism are as strong today as they were when this book was written.

Editorial Review:

Torn straight out of today's headlines, national bestselling author William W. Johnstone's groundbreaking and controversial series refuses to die...Destroyed by the fires of nuclear holocaust, our once great nation is in shambles. Life as we know it is no more. But among the survivors stands Ben Raines, retired soldier, mercenary, and the only man alive trained to lead the Resistance into a visionary new America.But the Rebels' greatest adversary - our own government - forces Raines and his army into bloody guerrilla combat - and an unavoidable civil war. Now, as brother turns against brother, an even greater peril is thrown into the pot: a new, indestructible breed of post-apocalyptic enemies who threaten to wrest control of the new world and sink it into a hell on earth.

The World of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time

Robert Jordan, Teresa Patterson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 166 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

Outstanding Resource 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 5 people found this review helpful.

I wish I had had this book from the beginning of the Wheel of Time series. I try to put a little time between the books, so I often had to thumb through the previous books to remember different characters and things that happened. By the time I reached number 9, it was a real chore. That sparked me to find out if there was a companion book for the series. Well, there is, and it's very informative. Now everything I need or want to know about Jordan's fantastic world is easy to find. To anyone who enjoyed the first book and expects to continue on, I suggest that you buy this book right away.

Editorial Review:

Since the debut of Robert Jordan's internationally bestselling series in 1990, The Wheel of Time has transported readers to a world so strikingly real, so rich in detail and complexity, it seems to rise from memory rather than a printed page. This essential companion to The Wheel of Time is for the millions interested in the history and the background of this incredible series-never-before-told legends, previously unknown peoples and lands, exotic beasts, and portents of what may come to pass.

With more than seventy new full-color paintings that include stunning new world maps, portraits of the central characters, landscapes, objects of Power, and national flags, this comprehensive guide is indispensable to any Robert Jordan fan

The Goblins of Labyrinth: 20th Anniversary Edition

Brian Froud, Terry Jones

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

amazing artwork 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I bought this book for my girlfriend, that loved it when she was little, but lost the book in a moving.

This book is really charming and very imaginative. The explanations and names of the creatures are very amusing, the illustrations are amazing, and the talent of the author shows.

However, it is more a goblin catalog than a fantasy book or novel, so be sure of what you are buying. It is an artbook, not a tale or a novel. It can be enjoyed anyway by young and old, I think, but it is what it is.

Editorial Review:

In 1986, the magical fantasy movie Labyrinth introduced the world to a set of unforgettable goblins from the minds of Jim Henson and Brian Froud. Not only has the film become a classic with a huge cult following, but Brian Froud’s long out- of-print book about the malevolent and cantankerous goblins—packed with his brilliant drawings and paintings—has achieved similar cult status.

Now Abrams is proudly reissuing The Goblins of Labyrinth in a brand-new 20th Anniversary Edition. With even more artwork than the original and a new afterword from Brian Froud, this mesmerizing work, like Froud’s The World of The Dark Crystal, is a must-have for collectors and Brian Froud fans everywhere.

Slave Ship (Star Wars: The Bounty Hunter Wars, Book 2)

K.W. Jeter

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 82 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

A few sparks of action amid reams of recapitulation ..... 2 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

The premise of the book is a lot more exciting than the execution -- in fact, when you find yourself using the words "quiet" and "contemplative" about a book that's supposed to deal with the adventures of a bunch of top-notch bounty-hunters, you know that the author has failed at some level....

Instead of being quick-moving and evoking a sense of danger and action, "Slave Ship" is a series of dense, repetitive internal monologues on the part of the characters, mostly carried out while they're sitting motionless.

For example, an entire chapter is used up by Boba Fett punching in one set of coordinates and telling Dengar that he isn't going to tell the other bounty hunter where they're going. Three pages of dense, monolithic paragraphs are expended in a bounty hunter asking the "arachnoid assembler" character -- "is this area really airtight?" and the assembler answering "yes." Literally, 3 pages are taken up with this one question and answer, because of the narrative following the assembler thinking 20 times over what a clown the bounty hunter is, in great detail.

There are the seeds of a story in here, and the book is all right to read when you've got a spare moment to fill, but don't expect anything fast-paced .... the characters drone on for pages about the exact same idea, thinking about the same thing in 40 different ways, and the author seems to think it necessary to use 3 different sentences to describe the sound of Dengar's boots as he climbs down one short ladder after talking to Boba Fett. And on and on and on ....

Editorial Review:

He's both feared and admired, respected and despised. Boba Fett is the galaxy's most successful bounty hunter. Now he finds himself the hunted in the oldest game of all: survival of the fittest.

The once powerful Bounty Hunter's Guild has been shattered into warring factions. Now the posting of an enormous bounty on a renegade Imperial stormtrooper is about to start a frenzy of murderous greed.

Hoping to fuel rumors of his death, Boba Fett abandons his ship, Slave I, and sets out to claim the prize. Yet his every move leads him closer to a trap set by the cunning Prince Xizor. Fett will die before becoming Xizor's pawn in the Emperor's war against the Rebels. And he may have to. For in order to gain his freedom he must outwit a sentient weapon that feeds on human spirits. Then he must escape a galaxy of deadly enemies who want to make the rumors of his death a reality.

A Fortress of Grey Ice: Book Two of Sword of Shadows

J. V. Jones

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 27 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

"Wonderful . . . J.V. Jones is a striking writer." So says Robert Jordan, the author of The Wheel of Time epic fantasy series. And Jones lives up to that praise in the highly charged epic adventure of Ash March and Raif Sevrance, two outcasts whose fates are entwined by fate and by need, in the cold, dark world that threatens to be torn asunder by a war to end all wars. They are but two of many who fight the dreaded Endlords, but both Ash and Raif are special in unique ways that isolate them, yet which also enable them to perform heroic acts that might save their world.

Raif, wrongly accused and cut off from his clan by the treachery of their new headsman, has a talent for killing that is part of his curse and his burden. But he bears another burden of greater weight. Ash is a sacred warrior to the Sull, an ancient race whose numbers have declined.Raised as a foundling, she never knew her true heritage, she must learn to accept the terrible gifts of her heritage.

But as Ash learns more of her greater fate, Raif's task looms dark and desperate, for he must journey through the nightmare realm of the Want, a place where even the Sull now fear to tread. For deep within the Want is the Fortress of Grey Ice, and there he must heal the breach in the Blindwall that already threatens the world. Should he fail, not even Ash's powers can save them...

Legends: Stories By The Masters of Modern Fantasy

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 60 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

One story stands above... 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I bought this book when it first came out as a member of the Sci-Fi Book Club, mostly because of the then-recognized names of Stephen King and Orson Scott Card. I read their stories first, and while they were both good, neither would make my list of the 'best of the best' short stories or novellas. I then went about reading the rest of the book, and was simply bowled over by George RR Martin's 'The Hedge Knight'. It towered over the other works in the collection, and in many circles is considered among the very best short works of fantasy fiction ever produced. I subsequently went out and purchased the books from the 'Ice and Fire' series that the story is part of, and have been amazed at the quality of the writing. It is amusing now to look back and see that Martin's name wasn't even featured on the cover of this book, a situation that was quickly remedied in the 'sequel'. I highly recommend this book, simply for the one story, though I'm certain that any serious fan of fantasy will find the other works to be enjoyable too.

Editorial Review:

These stellar authors return to their compelling and rich fantasy worlds to tell new stories that enrich and illuminate their most famous creations. Stories by Terry Goodkind, Tad Williams, George R.R. Martin, and Robert Jordan cast new light on their famous epics. Others, such as the tales by Stephen King, Terry Pratchett, Orson Scott Card, and Anne McCaffrey fit into the already established patterns of their worlds, but happen offstage from the main action.

Star Wars Omnibus: Early Victories

Terry Austin, Bruce Jones, Darko Macan, Others, Bret Blevins, June Brigman, Nick Choles

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Editorial Review:

Skywalker is the new, unexpected hero of the Rebellion. But the galaxy hasn't been saved yet - Luke and Princess Leia are finding there are many more battles to be fought against Darth Vader and the Empire! This latest Star Wars Omnibus reprints many of the early tales of the Rebellion. First, we have Shadow Stalker, Tales from Mos Eisley, and River of Chaos - all of which are long out of print and have never before been collected! Then, Splinter of the Mind's Eye, a story created by George Lucas and Alan Dean Foster before there were plans for any films past Star Wars: A New Hope. And last is Vader's Quest, in which Vader learns the secret kept from him by Yoda and Obi-Wan: that he has a son!

Hard Merchandise (Star Wars: The Bounty Hunter Wars, Book 3)

K.W. Jeter

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 82 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Boba Fett Trilogy - Finally Over 2 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Hard Merchandise by K. W. Jeter is the last book of a trilogy about the Bounty Hunter Wars, i.e., a three-part series about the indestructibility of Boba Fett. As I explained in my reviews of the previous two books, I have no problem reading stories about Fett. I think he is an extremely interesting character. His skills are amazing, and he always seems to know just what to do. I just wish another author had written the stories and had condensed them to one book. There is not nearly enough material here to warrant three books. As a result, the books are crammed with analyses of everything the characters are thinking. We just don't need explanations of what the characters are thinking before they perform some amazing feat. The story itself, although way too complicated, could work if it were left to stand on its own without all of the filler.

In this last book of the trilogy, Boba Fett stumbles across evidence that appears to implicate Prince Xizor in the murder of Luke Skywalker's aunt and uncle. Fett realizes that the evidence is a deception, and he sets out to find out who was behind it. The trail eventually leads him to the Kuat Drive Yards, the giant spaceship yard that builds all types of new vessels for anyone with sufficient credits. Neelah and Dengar are still trailing along with Neelah playing a major role once things get cleared up. The plot is extremely convoluted but eventually plods along to an acceptable conclusion.

I cannot recommend The Bounty Hunter Wars highly. The plot is interesting at times. Boba Fett is fun to watch, and you will know more about all of the bounty hunters when you're done. That's about it.

Editorial Review:

Boba Fett fears only one enemy--the one he cannot see....

Feared and admired, respected and despised, Boba Fett enjoys a dubious reputation as the galaxy's most successful bounty hunter. Yet even a man like Boba Fett can have one too many enemies....

When Boba Fett stumbles across evidence implicating Prince Xizor in the murder of Luke Skywalker's aunt and uncle, Fett makes himself an enemy even he fears: the unknown mastermind behind a monstrous deception, who will kill to hide his tracks. Fett also finds himself in possession of an amnesiac young woman named Neelah, who may be the key to the mystery--or a decoy leading Fett into a murderous ambush. Fett's last hope is to run through the list of Xizor's hidden enemies. And since Xizor's hidden enemies are almost as legion as Fett's, the chance of survival is slim--even for someone as skilled and relentless as Boba Fett.

© 1999 Lucasfilm Ltd. and TM. All rights reserved. Used under authorization.

The Mandalorian Armor (Star Wars: The Bounty Hunter Wars, Book 1)

K.W. Jeter

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 169 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Slow start to the trilogy 2 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

K.W. Jeter's The Mandalorian Armor kicks off The Bounty Hunter Wars, a trilogy set during the events of Return of the Jedi. However, in an unusual tactic for a Star Wars EU novel, the chapters are split between present tense events and prolonged flashbacks set immediately after A New Hope. Jeter does not rely heavily on the main film characters to spin his tale: Vader and the Emperor show up, and Boba Fett and his five bounty hunter compatriots from the Executor scene in Empire are main characters, but otherwise he stays away from the tried-and-true set of heroes and villains. Prince Xizor of Shadows of the Empire fame is important to the story line, a coldly powerful industrialist named Kuat of Kuat appears regularly, and a new character named Neelah, an escapee from Jabba's palace, rounds out the main cast.

In the Expanded Universe, Boba Fett survives immersion in the Sarlacc and in fact has a great many more years of adventures. We get an extensive look at the process by which he was healed of his grievous injuries with the assistance of Dengar, Neelah, and two drolly amusing medical droids. Soon enough, Fett is back on his feet and ready for action. Jeter's version of Fett is an incredibly talky character: rather than issuing a few terse statements and swinging into action, Fett tends to speak in long monologues, explaining many things at great length.

This brings us to a real issue throughout the book. Not just Fett, but all the characters tend to speak with the exact same tone and every single one is ready to break out into a long monologue at any given moment. These bounty hunters could capture their quarry by boring them into surrender! There is a phenomenal amount of time spent with the characters detailing their every thought and move aloud. Actual action sequences are few and far between. Now, I'm all for getting into character motivations, but so many of these conversations simply recap things we've already read. Additionally, Jeter tends to continually restate things we already know in his descriptions. For instance, every time we meet the arachnoid assembler Kud'ar Mub'at, we are reminded that he is an assembler, that he has the characteristics of a spider, and that his full name is Kud'ar Mub'at.

Speaking of assemblers, the race is a neat concept. The arachnoid assembler Kud'ar Mub'at has spun a living web in space essentially consisting of extruded sub-assemblies from himself and rounded out with his collection of objects such as spacecraft. Jeter does a good job in introducing an intriguing new alien race with Kud'ar Mub'at, something that's not always easy in the crowded Star Wars universe.

There's a prolonged flashback sequence involving a bounty hunt on the Shell Hutts' world of Circumtore. Fett once crossed one of the Hutts named Gheeta, and Gheeta is enthusiastic for revenge, to put it mildly. Kudos to Jeter for putting a unique spin on a common Star Wars race: these Hutts wear armor suits and float around thanks to powerful repulsorlifts. We also meet D'harhan, essentially a bounty hunter with a gigantic cannon for a head. In general, imagining new concepts is a strength of Jeter's, helping to counterbalance the talkiness and repetitiveness of the novel.

I suspect that this trilogy should have been condensed into one book, something I will confirm as I read the other two. There's too much time spent in lengthy conversations and repeating descriptions, too little spent advancing the story.

Editorial Review:

He's the most feared and successful bounty hunter in the galaxy. He is Boba Fett, and even the most hardened criminals tremble at his name. Now he faces the deadliest challenge of his infamous career--an all-out war against his most dangerous enemies.

As the Rebellion gathers force, Prince Xizor proposes a cunning plan to the Emperor and Darth Vader: smash the power of the Bounty Hunters Guild by turning its members against each other. Only the strongest and most ruthless will survive, and they can be used against the Rebellion. It's a job for the fiercely independent Boba Fett, who jumps at the chance to destroy his rivals. But Fett soon realizes the game is rigged, as he finds himself the target of murderous factions, criminal conspiracies, and the evil at the Empire's dark heart. Boba Fett has always finished first. And in this game, anything less is death.

A Cavern of Black Ice (Sword of Shadows)

J. V. Jones

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Total reviews: 114 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

HIGH ADVENTURE ON THE SWORD EDGE OF DESTINY

As a newborn Ash March was abandoned--left for dead at the foot of a frozen mountain. Found and raised by the Penthero Iss, the mighty Surlord of Spire Vanis, she has always known she is different. Terrible dreams plague her and sometimes in the darkness she hears dread voices from another world. Iss watches her as she grows to womanhood, eager to discover what powers his ward might possess. As his interest quickens, he sends his living blade, Marafice Eye, to guard her night and day.

Raif Sevrance, a young man of Clan Blackhail, also knows he is different, with uncanny abilities that distance him from the clan. But when he and his brother survive an ambush that plunges the entire Northern Territories into war, he yet seeks justice for his own . . . even if means he must forsake clan and kin.

Ash and Raif must learn to master their powers and accept their joint fate if they are to defeat an ancient prophecy and prevent the release of the pure evil known as the End Lords.