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Passage to Dawn (The Legend of Drizzt)

R.A. Salvatore

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 110 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Passage to Dawn (Forgotten Realms: The Legend Of Drizzt 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

The story flowed nicely. Full of action and personal glimpses of the characters struggles. Ending I hoped for more. Look forward to the next book.

Salvatore strikes again 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I am loving this entire series and have been completely enthralled with this world he has created. Can't wait until I receive the next one.

Passage to Dawn (Forgotten Realms: The Legend of Drizzt, Book X) 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

R A Salvatore has been my favorite author for a reason and this book defines this reason. The story details just enough for my imagination to take over and it reads smoothly. He did it again with this book. MJ Grothoff

A Satisfying End To This Quadrology 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This series was a little tough to get through. The first book was pretty good, but the next two books spent way too much time underground with nothing really happening, and there was some pointless subplot about magic leaving then coming back for no apparent reason.

In Passage to Dawn, we finally get out of the mountain and back to the fun parts of these books, the adventuring. There are pirate battles, magic fights, clever problem solving, and the cool, if somewhat forced, return of one of my favored characters.

I wasn't sure I was going to keep reading these books until I got to this one. Now, because I enjoyed this one so much, I have the next group of book sitting on my shelf, waiting for me to get to them later this year.

Editorial Review:

Revenge and Resurrection in a Frozen Wasteland!

Drizzt and Catti-brie have been away from Mithral Hall for six long years, but the pain of a lost companion still weighs heavily on their strong shoulders. Chasing pirates aboard Captain Deudermont's Sea Sprite is enough to draw their attention away from their grief. Then a mysterious castaway on an uncharted island sends them back to the very source of their pain, and into the clutches of a demon with vengeance on his mind.

Endymion

Dan Simmons

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 119 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

The multiple-award-winning science fiction master returns to the universe that is his greatest triumph--the world of Hyperion and The Fall of
Hyperion --with a novel even more magnificent than its predecessors.

Dan Simmons's Hyperion was an immediate sensation on its first publication in 1989. This staggering multifaceted tale of the far future heralded the conquest of the science fiction field by a man who had already won the World Fantasy Award for his first novel (Song of Kali) and had also published one of the most well-received horror novels in the field, Carrion Comfort. Hyperion went on to win the Hugo Award as Best Novel, and it and its companion volume, The Fall of Hyperion, took their rightful places in the science fiction pantheon of new classics.

Now, six years later, Simmons returns to this richly imagined world of technological achievement, excitement, wonder and fear. Endymion is a story about love and memory, triumph and terror--an instant candidate for the field's highest honors.

Yoda: Dark Rendezvous (Star Wars: Clone Wars)

Sean Stewart

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 63 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Five Stars 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

A great Clone Wars book. We got to learn more about Yoda which is always interesting. Count Dooku has requested a meeting with Yoda. Although Yoda knows its most likely a trap he decides to meet Dooku anyways because Yoda thinks it might put an end to the war. Its was very interesting as Yoda reflected on his former padawan which is very interesting. You have to wonder what a master would think and reflect on a padawan who ends up taking the wrong path despite all of the training. Dooku also takes the time to reflect on moments from his Jedi pasted which gives us an insight into Dooku and perhaps what lead him to the Dark Side of the Force. We also get more of a veiw inside the Jedi Temple which I enjoyed and a sense of how overwelhemed the Jedi are with Jedi masters fighting in the war or dying this is leaving a void for the padawans for their are far too many padawans and not enough masters. We got to meet Scout a Jedi who has a limited amount of the Force in her. This was an interesting twist as most of the Jedi we read about are very strong in the Force. Scout's worried that her limited connection in the Force will leave her to be a Jedi washout. I enjoyed reading about her. The same with Whie a padawan who's been having dreams of being killed by a Jedi. We of course know this is Anakin's future raid of the Jedi Temple when he turns to the dark side. I found it very interesting that a padawan was actually having a premontion of Anakin's future Sith deeds as we see in Revenge of the Sith Whie will be seen being killed on the security hologram. But to Whie this must mean he his evil because he can't think of any other reason why a Jedi would be trying to kill him. It also raises the question that if Whie had told someone else could anything had been changed? Could the Jedi Purge had been prevented? We'll probably never know the answers.
Scout and Whie go with Yoda and their masters in order to sneak Yoda out of the Temple and off Courscant without anyone finding out. The meeting between Yoda and Dooku was predictable after all Dooku can't be saved but it was still very good.

Editorial Review:

As the Clone Wars rage, Jedi Master Yoda must once again face one of his greatest adversaries: Count Dooku. . . .

The savage Clone Wars have forced the Republic to the edge of collapse. During the height of the battle, on Jedi Knight escapes the carnage to deliver a message to Yoda on Coruscant. It appears that Dooku wants peace and demands a rendezvous. Chances are slim that the treacherous Count is sincere but, with a million lives at stake, Yoda has no choice.

The meeting will take place on Djun, a planet steeped in evil. The challenge could not be more difficult. Can Yoda win back his once promising pupil from the dark side or will Count Dooku unleash his sinister forces against his former mentor? Either way, Yoda is sure of one thing: This battle will be one of the fiercest he’ll ever face.

I, Jedi (Star Wars)

Michael A. Stackpole

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 276 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

New York Times bestselling author Michael A. Stackpole presents a stirring new tale set in the Star Wars® universe: the dramatic story of a heroic X-wing pilot on the razor's edge between the Force--and the dark side.

Corran Horn has distinguished himself as one of the best and brightest of Rogue Squadron's elite fighting force. Then his wife, Mirax, vanishes on a covert mission for the New Republic, and Corran vows to find her. To do so, he knows he must develop the latent Force powers inherited from his grandfather, a legendary Jedi hero. He joins Luke Skywalker's famed Jedi academy to begin training, only to quit in frustration at Skywalker's methods. Now Corran is on his own. Using his Corellian undercover experience, he must infiltrate, sabotage, and destroy a ruthless organization in order to find his wife. But to succeed, Corran will have to come to terms with his Jedi heritage--and make a terrible choice: surrender to the dark side...or die.

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

The Difference Engine (Spectra Special Editions)

William Gibson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 100 Average rating: 2.5 of 5

Fear & Loathing in the 19th Century 1 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I heard two cyberpunk writers concocted an alternate history based on what might have happened if Charles Babbage had gotten his proto-computers built in the 19th century. The premise was too good to pass up.

Instead, the story is mostly political and hinges on certain historical figures acting in different ways. Here's a good example: British leaders somehow have the foresight to know that the US would become a major player in the world if not kept fragmented. And how is a steam powered computer able to grant them such amazing precognition?

The answer is, it doesn't. For the most part, the Babbage Engine merely serves the purpose technology tends to serve in cyberpunk novels: to enforce a dystopian status quo for the ruling elite. What the book would have you believe is if the computer age had come a century early, then so would Orwell.

Personally, I think computer advances will undermine central government authorities in the long term, but I don't apply that opinion in trashing this book. I don't have to, since the story and characters are largely uninteresting anyway.

In the meantime, I think the world could still use a good "What If" story about the Babbage Engine. Michael Crichton, if you ever read book reviews on Amazon: Hint! Hint!

Editorial Review:

With the computer age arriving a century ahead of its time--during the Industrial Revolution--politician's daughter Sybil, explorer and paleontologist Edward, and diplomat and spy Laurence race toward a rendezvous with history. Reprint. NYT.

Song of Kali

Dan Simmons

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 87 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Great setting, shaky plot 2 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

The strength of this book is its stunning power of setting: the misery and festering evil that is this version of Calcutta. The scenes live and breathe and are vicarious fun to drift through - just like a movie.

However, the hero is extremely unlikable, constantly exploding like a five year-old prone to tantrums and impulsive behavior. Also, the plot has real credibility problems. Why did the hero take his wife and baby to such an awful place as Calcutta? He knew he was inconveniencing his wife (a math professor who had work to do), and he also knew that she, while Indian, was not steeped in the right culture to serve as an effective interpreter and guide for him.

Why? Well, obviously to put them in danger as a clumsy plot device. Ultimately, the plot problems capsize the interest of the setting. I wouldn't recommend this one unless you want to try a library copy first.

Editorial Review:

Think you know true fear? You don't.

Think you've read the most chilling book? Not even close.

Think you can't be shocked? Good luck!

Maybe you're ready for the most truly frightening reading experience of your life, the World Fantasy Award-winning novel that's been terrifying readers for over a decade.

Song of Kali.

Sorcery and Cecelia

Patricia Wrede, Caroline Stevermer

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 82 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Nothing short of perfection 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer first published Sorcery and Cecelia under that that title in 1988. In recent years, thanks to reprints with shiny new cover art by Scott M. Fischer in the case of the edition I read as well as two new sequels, this book has regained popularity and visibility. Aside from that, one of the most important things to know about this book is its alternate title: The Enchanted Chocolate Pot: Being the Correspondence of Two Young Ladies of Quality Regarding Various Magical Scandals in London and the Country.

Wrede and Stevermer wrote this book as a writing exercise of sorts called the Letter Game. Patricia C. Wrede wrote as Cecelia while Caroline Stevermer responded with Kate's letters. They did not plan the plot before they began writing.

Almost every review I have found online describes Sorcery and Cecelia as a cross between the books of Jane Austen and those of J. K. Rowling. The comparison does make sense, but I might venture to say I liked this book better than any of the Harry Potter series.

The year is 1817 in an England where magic is as much a part of life as letter writing. The latter is of particular importance to Kate and Cecelia as the cousins spend the novel in separate parts of England. While Kate and her more glamorous sister Georgina are in London enjoying a proper Season, Cecelia, much to her consternation, is left to languish in the country with her brother Oliver for company (at least until he's turned into a tree).

Problems begin for both cousins when Kate accidentally intercepts a rather nasty pot of chocolate in a London garden that was, apparently, meant for the eccentric Marquis of Schofield. If only he would explain exactly why.

Meanwhile, in the country, Cecelia finds herself following a shady figure spying on Cecy's new (and surprisingly popular!) friend Dorothea. When Cecelia repeatedly catches him in the act of spying, James Tarleton repeatedly refuses to offer any information.

As the girls learn more about these mysterious men, and the mysterious events, it becomes clear that something big is happening--big enough that evidence of the plan can be seen in both London and the country. The only question is what, exactly, is going on and if Kate and Cecelia can stop it in time.

Being an homage to Jane Austen, this novel has not one but two romances. Which couple is better has been a hot topic since the book came out. The librarian who recommended the book to me feels very strongly that the Mysterious Marquis and Kate are a more enjoyable match to observe. For my part, I preferred Cecelia and James.

This novel avoids all of the traps that can make an epistolary novel awful. There is no repetition, there is dialogue, the narrative reads like a, for lack of a better word, normal book in that the narrative flows in a fairly traditional way. There is neither too much information nor too little. And, most importantly, the novel is filled with suspense, action, humor and romance that shines through both Cecelia's and Kate's letters.

But then from two talented and well-known fantasy writers, what else can a reader expect but perfection?

Sorcery and Cecelia is the first in a series of books featuring Kate and Cecelia. Their stories continue in The Grand Tour (2004) and The Mislaid Magician of Ten Years After (2006).

Editorial Review:

A great deal is happening in London this season.
For starters, there's the witch who tried to poison Kate at Sir Hilary's induction into the Royal College of Wizards. (Since when does hot chocolate burn a hole straight through one's dress?!)
Then there's Dorothea. Is it a spell that's made her the toast of the town--or could it possibly have something to do with the charm-bag under Oliver's bed?
And speaking of Oliver, just how long can Cecelia and Kate make excuses for him? Ever since he was turned into a tree, he hasn't bothered to tell anyone where he is!
The girls might think it all a magical nightmare . . . if only they weren't having so much fun.

Siege of Darkness: The Legend of Drizzt, Book IX

R.A. Salvatore

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 52 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

The Drow attack the Dwarves 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Siege of Darkness, book 9 chronologically in the Drizzt series, finally gives what the last few books have been leading up to: the epic battle as the underground drow attack Mithril Hall, home of King Bruenor Battlehammer and his clan of dwarves. The battle turns epic when the forces of the barbarians, the Riders from Silverymoon and Nesme, and even the svirfnebli join forces with the dwarves against overwhelming odds.

The first part of the book cleans up the mess left in Menzoberranzan, home of the drow, after Drizzt and co.'s escape and destruction of House Baenre's temple. A side story includes the temporary halt of all magic through some battle of the gods, which lets us see more of Lolth the Spider Queen and the Monster Errtu (whom Drizzt and Wulfgar defeated in an earlier book), and this so-called "Time of Troubles" is a useful device in several plots...they have little to do with the epic battle, but they either continue previous story lines or assumingly lay ground for the next book.

Writing battle scenes is one of Bob Salvatore's greatest skills, and the battles in the caves and out in the valley are some of the best written in this series.

There is also a plot line involving Berkthgar, the barbarian who takes over as king for the fallen Wulfgar. He initially believe he needs Aegis-fang, the weapon King Bruenor crafted specifically for Wulfgar, and Catti-brie and Drizzt convince him otherwise, that he needs to build his own name in battle and not rely on Wulfgars. In the battle scenes, he certainly does that. He becomes an interesting character, hopefully there will be more from him.

Lots of groundwork laid for the next book, including the mysterious prisoner the Lolth gives to Errtu to help him get back to the Material Plan and go after Drizzt. I assume this will be the focus of the next book.

Editorial Review:

Gods Walk the Realms!

Rising up from the black depths of the Underdark, the drow once more meet the dwarves of Mithral Hall. Bruenor Battlehammer, with Drizzt at his side, won't go down without a fight--but they'll have to fight without Wulfgar or Catti-brie at their sides.

The Silent Blade: The Legend of Drizzt, Book XI (Forgotten Realms, the Legend of Drizzt)

R.A. Salvatore

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Lavendar Depths 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 4 people found this review helpful.

Drizzt Do'Urden kicks arse yet again! but i do feel exteremly sorry for Regis lol. hmmm over all i would have to say that this novel is by far the best one that i have read.(i always like the next one better than the last regardless, and over all who would not love drizzt?? you must be crazy!!) the ending shocked me somewhat i could not believe that drizzt "died" and i felt a deep twinge of regret. R.A. Slavatore is a brilliant artist and i think his talent really pulls through for making the characters seem like real people, you travel along with thim in thier adventures and you share in all their trouble and strife....(poor wulfgar)a must read for anyone!!!

Editorial Review:

When the vile Crystal Shard once again reveals itself, Drizzt must race against his most formidable enemies in hopes of destroying it before it finds the one being that can help it enslave the world: a dark elf named Jarlaxle.

Winner of the Origins Award for best game-related novel of 1998, The Silent Blade marked the return of Drizzt to the wind-swept tundra of the Forgotten Realms world. This deluxe reissue features a new Todd Lockwood cover and an introduction from The New York Times best-selling author Philip Athans, who has served as Salvatore's editor for almost a decade, starting with the original release of this book.

Sojourn: The Dark Elf Trilogy, Part 3 (Forgotten Realms: The Legend of Drizzt, Book III) (V. 3)

R. A. Salvatore

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 164 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Weak compared to the other books in this series 2 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I would say that this is the worst installment in Salvatore's series so far. Why?

The style is too choppy. Scenes that would deserve much more attention - the impact of Kellindil's death, the death of Tephanis - are glossed over and very rushed while other scenes, like the completely nonsensical adventure in the dragon's lair, drag on and on and on.

My second complain would be that the book is too preachy. It tries to tell the reader what's right and what's wrong but it's too heavy-handed and definitely not subtle.

And the way Bruenor met Drizzt? Well, lets just say that if I read this book before the 2nd trilogy, I wouldn't like the dwarf much.

Editorial Review:

Collecting the adaptation of R.A. Salvatore's New York Times-bestselling novel! Drizzt DoUrden has forsaken his subterranean home for the harsh unknown of the surface. The young warrior begins a sojourn through a world utterly unlike his own - and finds that acceptance among the surface-dwellers will only come at a great price...