Dark Books - Page 15

The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty (Erotic Adventures of Sleeping Beauty)

A. N. Roquelaure

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 259 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

So disappointed in Anne Rice. 1 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

I read some of the bad reviews before I purchased this book. I realized some people claimed this book was nothing but generic porn, but considering it was written by Anne Rice, I thought the book must have some redeeming qualities. I was wrong. Anne Rice took a beautiful fairytale and turned it into a grotesque display of homo/heterosexual brutality. I almost feel embarassed for Mrs Rice and wonder what drove her to write such complete and utter drivel. Spankings, spankings and more spankings! Black, white, gold paddles. Spankings for punishments, spankings as rewards, spankings just for the heck of it! If I wasn't so disgusted with this book, I would actually laugh.

My negative review has nothing to do with me being a prude or not. It's one thing to write a kinky book for adults about adults. That I can live with, but this book crossed the line. Some of the people brutalized in the most horrendous ways are children. I can't believe this book was even published. It's a pedophile's dream come true. This book is going in the trash. I never want to lay eyes on it again.

Editorial Review:

Rice writing as A. N. Roquelaure.

In the traditional folk tale "Sleeping Beauty," the spell cast upon the lovely young princess and everyone in her castle can only be broken by the kiss of a Prince. Anne Rice's retelling of the Beauty story probes the unspoken implications of this lush, suggestive tale by exploring its undeniable connection to sexual desire.

Banewreaker: Volume I of The Sundering

Jacqueline Carey

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 67 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

If all that is good thinks you evil... are you?

Once upon a time, the Seven Shapers dwelled in accord and Shaped the world to their will. But Satoris, the youngest among them, was deemed too generous in his gifts to the race of Men, and so began the Shapers' War, which Sundered the world. Now six of the Shapers lay to one end of a vast ocean, and Satoris to the other, reviled by even the race of Men.

Satoris sits in his Darkhaven, surrounded by his allies. Chief among them is Tanaros Blacksword, immortal Commander General of his army. Once a mortal man who was betrayed by King and Wife, Tanaros fled to Darkhaven a thousand years ago, and in Satoris's service has redeemed his honor-but left his humanity behind.

Now there is a new prophecy that tells of Satoris's destruction and the redemption of the world. To thwart it, Satoris sends Tanaros to capture the Lady of the Ellylon, the beautiful Cerelinde, to prevent her alliance with the last High King of Men.

But Tanaros discovers that not all of his heart has been lost--his feelings for Cerelinde could doom Satoris, but save the race of Men...

(20050131)

The Plucker: An Illustrated Novel

Brom

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 27 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

World-renowned dark fantasy artist Brom in this illustrated novel intimately combines his dramatic storytelling with his uniquely arresting images, to create a work of striking imagination, a world where fairy-tale tradition collides with vileness and depravity, love and heroism, suffering and sacrifice. A shadowy land of make-believe where Jack and his box are stuck beneath the bed with the dust, spiders, and other castaway toys, forced to face a bitter truth: children grow up and toys are left behind. Jack believes this is the worst that can happen to a toy.

But when the Plucker, a malevolent spirit, is set loose upon the world of make-believe and Jack is thrust into the unlikely role of defending Thomas, the very child who abandoned him, he finds out there is worse that can befall a toy-far worse. As desperation mounts, Jack is thrown together with Thomas's other toys-Monkey, the Nutcracker, and the ethereally beautiful porcelain doll Snow Angel-as they struggle to rise above their simple roles as playthings in an effort to save the boy they love.

Everville

Clive Barker

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 52 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

The third book to the series 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful.

I love Clive Barker and I am getting ready to go pick up his second book Everville. I just saw a question on here about the third book and thought I would give everyone a heads up.

It appears the third book is not out yet and will not neccessarily be out any time soon. Please see the following link for his reasoning for this http://www.clivebarker.dial.pipex.com/newbooksb.html

In a nutshell he says that the last book will be a monster and that it takes time to prepare to write this type of book. It also says that he has other series going on as well that take time. Too many ideas running through his head and that he needs to clone himself. Anyway - take a look at the link if you are interested but he says that he promises it will be out before the end of this century.....

Happy reading!

Editorial Review:

On the borderland between this world and the world of Quiddity, the sea of our dreams, sits Everville.For years it has lived in ignorance of the gleaming shore on which it lies. But its ignorance is not bliss. Opening the door between worlds, Clive Barker delivers his characters into the heart of the human mystery; into a place of revelation, where the forces which have shaped our past--and are ready to destroy our future--are at work.

Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere

Mike Carey

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

Is THAT how they're supposed to look? 5 out of 5 stars.
14 of 0 people found this review helpful.

As any avid book-lover will tell you, concrete images of the characters invariably form in the reader's imagination as a story unfolds. Defined by the author only by adjectives and actions in stark black-and-white, their appearances will still become solid reality that, in some cases, cannot be jarred.

My wife is pretty unshakeable on the subject. Once she gets a picture in her head, she doesn't want any casting director or comic-book illustrator to muck about with her imagined view. So she approached the new comic-book adaptation of "Neverwhere" -- her fourth favorite Neil Gaiman novel, she told me, but the one she's read most often -- with extreme reluctance. She put it down a few pages in, disheartened by unavoidable differences in perspective.

I know how she feels, but I'm a little more fluid in my view. For me, Simon Jones and David Dixon made the perfect Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect in BBC's 1981 adaptation of Douglas Adams' "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," and yet I was still able to enjoy the very different look in the 2005 Hollywood version starring Martin Freeman and Mos Def in the roles. Similarly, Gary Bakewell and Laura Fraser, while they didn't match my preconceived view of "Neverwhere" characters Richard Mayhew and Door, were perfectly acceptable in the roles in that BBC miniseries. And I'm equally comfortable with artist Glenn Fabry's interpretation in the new comic-book collection.

Call me wishy-washy if you must, but I'm adaptable. Take the thuggish Croup and Vandemar, the truly evil pair that dogs Door's heels for much of the story. The BBC series and Fabry's artistic rendering couldn't be more dissimilar, and yet they're both right, in the greater context of the story. Both versions seem to suit Gaiman's vision, if not my own.

And for me, that's what matters. I don't care if they match my view of the characters, but I do care how well the story is told. And this story, adapted from Gaiman's original novel by Mike Carey and illustrated by Fabry, is told well.

Hell, it's great. Carey successfully boiled the novel down to its most necessary elements, retaining the flavor and flow of the story with far fewer pages to work with. A lot has been lost, sure, but he's retained the essence of Gaiman's narrative -- and the novel is still out there for anyone who wants to read the full work.

by Tom Knapp, Rambles.(n e t) editor

Editorial Review:

The complete comics adaptation of the acclaimed novel by New York Times best-selling author Neil Gaiman is now available in one volume!

NEVERWHERE follows the adventures of an ordinary Londoner who stops to help an enigmatic girl and is drawn into a battle to save the strange underworld kingdom of London Below from destruction.

Vampire Hunter D Volume 5: The Stuff Of Dreams

Hideyuki Kikuchi

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

D and Sleeping Beauty 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

An interesting twist to the saga of the dhampir, D. In this story we find D unable to get a good night's (or is day's?) rest. Not because he is hounded by demons and bounty hunters, his nights are restless because everytime he closes his eyes he experiances the same dream over and over again. And when he arrives in a village that has been at peace with vampires since who knows when, things get even more strange when he meets the girl in his dreams...asleep for the past 30 years from a vampire's "kiss."
As with the other D novels, we are plagued constantly about how beautiful the dhampir is, which gets old after the 2nd or 3rd novel. But unlike the previous 4 novels, D is placed in a situation unlike anything he has faced before. No matter how much he tries, someone or something will not let him leave the village. To say more will ruin the excellent story.
An excellent read. Recommended age of reader, 13. No sex, mild language, some horror violence, but nothing a teenager couldn't handle.

Editorial Review:

In a world where even the smallest and most remote village is being terrorized by the monsters that stalk the night, there is a hamlet, prosperous and peaceful, where mortals and vampires have lived in harmony for years. It is there that 17-year-old Sheavil Schmidt has slept, neither waking nor aging, for 30 years since first receiving the vampire's immortal kiss. The mysterious Vampire Hunter D is lured to the tranquil oasis by recurrent dreams of the beautiful, undying girl bathed in an eerie blue light and dancing in a ghostly chateau.

Something Wicked This Way Comes

Ray Bradbury

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 211 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

A masterpiece of modern Gothic literature, Something Wicked This Way Comes is the memorable story of two boys, James Nightshade and William Halloway, and the evil that grips their small Midwestern town with the arrival of a "dark carnival" one Autumn midnight. How these two innocents, both age 13, save the souls of the town (as well as their own), makes for compelling reading on timeless themes. What would you do if your secret wishes could be granted by the mysterious ringmaster Mr. Dark? Bradbury excels in revealing the dark side that exists in us all, teaching us ultimately to celebrate the shadows rather than fear them. In many ways, this is a companion piece to his joyful, nostalgia-drenched Dandelion Wine, in which Bradbury presented us with one perfect summer as seen through the eyes of a 12-year-old. In Something Wicked This Way Comes, he deftly explores the fearsome delights of one perfectly terrifying, unforgettable autumn. --Stanley Wiater

Demon Angel (The Guardians, Book 2)

Meljean Brook

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 23 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Too hard to follow and characters didn't draw me. It was not a pleasant read. I wanted it to be over. 1 out of 5 stars.
4 of 5 people found this review helpful.

HARD TO FOLLOW:
Part 1 of the book is 97 pages. Hugh a human and Lilith a demon meet. Hugh becomes a guardian. Then he and she meet each other 172 years later, have a conversation and separate. They next meet 72 years later, have a conversation and separate. This continues for about seven meetings. In each conversation the reader learns a little about their worlds, but the scenes are confusing. For example, in one scene a cathedral is burning, but the reader doesn't know who set the fire or why or why Hugh and Lilith are there.

Part 2 of the book has more of a plot, but that too is hard to follow. Throughout that part I had many unanswered questions. Some of them were answered later and some were not. It was hard keeping track of who the bad guys were. It was hard to know what was going on and why. In general it was unsettling.

CLIFFHANGER WRITING STYLE:
I've read enjoyable mysteries and suspense stories which switch scenes among characters, time, etc. But, this author switched scenes too abruptly at cliffhanger moments, which frustrated me. For example, A and B teleport to a place they believe is safe, but accidentally end up in a place of horror and fear (page 267). The author then switches to other characters and scenes. I wanted to know where they were and what would happen to them, which was not answered until page 347. Page 347 has a short scene in which A got out, but I still didn't know where they were or why. The author switches to other characters and scenes. On page 362, the author states that B got out of that place. Finally, on page 369 the author describes where they were and why. Some mysteries are important to keep hidden, but I didn't see this as one of them. Knowing the why and where earlier would not have detracted from the good guys vs. bad guys plot. Instead of anticipating and/or experiencing an adventure, I felt annoyed. There were a number of cliffhangers other than this that added to my frustration.

CAUTION SPOILERS:

CHARACTERS DIDN'T DRAW ME.
Lilith and Hugh loved each other, probably from the beginning. It is Lilith's nature as a demon to lie, but she is also half human. She lies to Hugh about her feelings for him and about her knowledge of Hell and the world. Hugh holds back from his feelings for vague reasons. This was partially explained on page 346 when he said "Four days are not enough to make up for the eight hundred I was too foolish to take for my own, yet I would try." He is talking about having a loving/sexual relationship with Lilith.

The romance between Lilith and Hugh for the majority of the book felt like too many mind games. An example from page 229: She said "You cannot save me." He said "I can try." She said "I hate martyrs." The conversation continues for a little while. Then she said "And when you are kind to me, when you touch me, I desire what I cannot have." Lilith then has a few inner thoughts as Hugh is walking down the stairs, leaving. I didn't understand why they couldn't be together and why Hugh left. I felt like I was hanging, without answers.

ON THE POSITIVE SIDE:
The ending was creative and enjoyable, but not enough to make up for the hours spent with the rest of the book.

Sexual language: strong. Number of sex scenes: six. Setting: 1217 to 2007 various locations in Europe, US, Caelum (a heavenly place) and Hell. Part 2 is set primarily in San Francisco. Copyright: 2007. Genre: fantasy and paranormal romance.

SERIES:
The first four books in this series are:
3 stars to FALLING FOR ANTHONY, in Hot Spell anthology
1 star to DEMON ANGEL
(not read) PARADISE, in Wild Think anthology
2 stars to DEMON MOON

Editorial Review:

All hell breaks loose in Meljean Brook's erotic, supernatural debut novel.

Lilith, a demon, has spent 2,000 years tempting men and guaranteeing their eventual damnation. That is, until she meets her greatest temptation: the man whose life mission has been to kill her.

The Invisible Ring (Black Jewels, Book 4)

Anne Bishop

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 57 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

In this engaging story of Jared, a Red-Jeweled Warlord and unwilling pleasure slave, Bishop returns to the world of her Black Jewels trilogy (Daughter of the Blood, Heir to the Shadows, and Queen of the Darkness). Jared, who has murdered his owner and attempted escape, is recaptured and sold to the mysterious Gray Lady. It soon becomes clear that Jared's new queen is not what she seems to be, and he joins with his fellow slaves--all of whom hide their own secrets--to protect the Gray Lady. During her desperate flight from Dorothea SaDiablo, the Black Widow intent on destroying her and claiming her territory, Jared comes to terms with his own demons and discovers what it means to be truly bonded to a queen.

Bishop uses her usual skill to move interesting, rounded characters through a well-drawn world. Although this is a standalone book, there are ties with the events of the trilogy, most especially the appearance of the compelling Daemon Sadi. The author still pulls no punches in describing the sexual violence and misery that are as much a part of this intricate world as the gender role-reversals and the often-agonizing demands of honor and magic. A pleasurable read for fans of emotionally charged fantasy who enjoy both complex characters and societies, and who are not averse to following characters through their struggles and achievements. --Luc Duplessis

Blood Angel

Justine Musk

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 22 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

The Best Modern Urba Fantasy I've Read In YEARS! 5 out of 5 stars.
6 of 8 people found this review helpful.

I search,usually in vain, for books like this. Dark, but not gory.
Fantasy, but good enough that I can suspend disbelief.
This really is the best I've read in a long time.
Smart, but not insolent. Not glib and too clever for it's own good.
The characters, at this point in what I hope and believe to be a new series, could stand some fleshing out. But that will come with the forth-coming books and I can hardly wait to get to know them better.

Spellbinding 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 7 people found this review helpful.

I'm not sure what made me pick up this book and decide to buy it. I felt an intense pull -- I absolutely had to read this book. My intuition was dead-on. Justine Musk writes very much like I do in my first novel in progress. She writes like she's dreaming while awake, hypnotic and sleepwalking, and I am drawn so deeply into her words that I think I am also dreaming. By the time I read the end, I realized that Bloodangel is a classic story set in a fresh new way -- the good vs evil with the powerful innocents caught in the middle kind of tale. Jess, Ramsey, and Kai are very likeable and very real. Asha is terrifying, as is the concept of what she wants to do to the world. I think the only thing I would improve is to make the book longer, get into more detail -- or hopefully have a sequel. Justine Musk is an author worth watching out for.

Editorial Review:

In downtown Manhattan, a rising young painter is haunted by disturbing dreams...In small-town Minnesota, a teenage orphan struggles with a knowledge beyond his years-and a destiny he wants no part of...In California, young and old, hipsters and hippies, fall under the spell of a wildly charismatic singer whose voice breaks down all barriers-including the ones between heaven and hell.

The fans of Asha are finding one other-and the world is running out of time.