Dark Books - Page 2

The Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes

Neil Gaiman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 129 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Not quite what I expected 3 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

After reading some reviews and being told this was in the Pantheon of graphic novelizations, I figured I would give it a shot.

I think what I have learned is that I like the idea of graphic novels, but when push comes to shove, I prefer to actually read a good book instead.

This collection (Vol 1) is OK, but I just couldn't justify spending close to $100 to get all of the rest of these and read the whole thing.

Thus, this review is a warning to those in my shoes who aren't familiar with the concept. Don't buy all of them at once... Get one, then decide.

Editorial Review:

"Wake up, sir. We're here." It's a simple enough opening line--althoughnot many would have guessed back in 1991 thatthis would lead to one of the most popular and critically acclaimed comics of the second half of the century.In Preludes and Nocturnes, Neil Gaiman weaves the story of a man interested in capturing the physical manifestation of Death but who instead captures the King of Dreams. By Gaiman's own admission there's a lot in this first collection that is awkward and ungainly--which is not to say there are not frequent moments of greatness here. The chapter "24 Hours" is worth the price of the book alone; it stands as one of the most chilling examples of horror in comics. And let's not underestimate Gaiman's achievement of personifying Death as a perky, overly cheery, cute goth girl! All in all, I greatly prefer the roguish breaking of new ground in this book to the often dull precision of the concluding volumes of the Sandman series. --Jim Pascoe

Guilty Pleasures (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter: Book 1)

Laurell K. Hamilton

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 462 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Good, not what I expected.. felt a little watered down 3 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I came across this series and decided to give it a try. I ordered the first four books. This first book left me scratching my head in certain areas.

For example, parts of this book read as though it was the second in the series. It seemed like they would reference something that happened in the past and give you a quick up to speed as to what they were talking about and then move on from there. Something you would see in a second or third book to try to catch the reader up to date. I even went back and made sure I had the right book.

Characterization:

Overall the heroine is labeled as a strong "tough as nails" kind of gal. This I liked. She wasn't whiny and she was very straight forward. I immediately took a liking to Anita Blake. You don't really know alot about her past as it's never explained. Some parts are referenced very briefly as I've said before then forgotten, like we should know where she got that scar, or who this person is and how they came into her life already.

The main villian in this story is a child master vampire who is over a thousand years old. The first thing that came to my mind when it was said she was a child vampire, was Claudia from Interview with the Vampire. From then on that's who popped in my head everytime this child was in a scene. There were several other side villians all working together, but even though they seemed like a big deal to Anita, one even from her past, they were snuffed out very quickly at the end and had little importance in the outcome of the story.

There are a few different characters that are introduced in this book, yet I didn't feel like I got to see them develop or even learn anything about their personalities. It was pretty much "This is _____, he does this" Then they would move on.

Romance:

None. This was kind of disappointing to me since I thought this was a paranormal romance series. I suppose I was wrong. No one to blame but myself there.

Plot:

Decent. I felt it had great potential, but it felt very rushed at the end. Everything came to a head in the last five pages and was quickly solved. The most powerful child vampire went down too quickly and easily for how powerful and scary she was made out to be.

Overall:

I gave it three stars, because I felt like it was missing something. Which I understand it was the first book of the series, yet I felt like it didn't give me the information I was looking for right away. It was rather short and I felt it could have been a bit longer and the characters introduced at a slower pace with some more information of the past given. I felt like I was reading cliff notes on what the book should have been. Perhaps I judged too harshly. Maybe that's why there are so many books in the series. It could be that all of the past information in told in the remaining series. Yet, why make 16+ books of little info when you can write half as many longer and better written books is beyond me. Maybe it's just a way to get more money.



Will I read the other three? Yes. I bought them might as well read them. Perhaps they will get better with time.

Editorial Review:

Published almost ten years ago, Guilty Pleasures marked the debut of a writer who was destined to grow from cult favorite to a major bestselling author. Now, for long-time Anita Blake aficionados and newfound fans, Guilty Pleasures makes its hardcover debut. Readers will learn how Anita Blake started raising the dead-and killing the undead.

And how she met Jean Claude, the master vampire destined to become not only her biggest nemesis, but her greatest lover.

Lover Awakened (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 3)

J.R. Ward

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 230 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

The Tortured One... 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Ah, Zsadist, the loneliest of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, the one who sets himself apart in all ways, who endured enforced enslavement and whose face is damaged beyond repair...could he find someone who not only will love him, but will bring out the best in his tortured soul? In the third installment of J.R. Ward's excellent Black Dagger Brotherhood series, Lover Awakened, the answers are found as the mysteries behind Z's past are also brought to light.

Zsadist keeps people at more than arm's length; he literally shoves them away. Unfortunately for beautiful vampire Bella, it is this very trait that attracts her, and Z tries to fight the feeling himself until Bella is abducted by the evil lesser O. Zsadist won't rest until Bella is rescued, and once she is, he finds himself drawn to her spiritually and physically. But of course there are complications, and Bella's been broken herself.

Ward has given her most solitary warrior a believable background and a means to recovery by establishing a storyline that not only finds him bonding with a female but realizing that he does in fact need his brothers. Woven within the story of Z and Bella are also side stories that must be solved with future installments, and I cannot wait to get back to this series. Ward has crafted a complex world and continually gives twists and turns to its characters. Fascinating reading, and highly recommended. This series continues to improve with each book.

Editorial Review:

Even within the vampire brotherhood, Zsadist is feared. Still bearing the scars from a tortured past, he is renowned for his unquenchable fury. Anger is his only companion, and terror is his only passion-until he rescues a beautiful female from the evil Lessening Society.

Magic Bites (Kate Daniels, Book 1)

Ilona Andrews

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 127 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Disappointed in main character 1 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

I picked up this book because of it's high reviews. I read the first few chapters.. and then started skimming, hoping Kate would be less irritating. Strong, confident heroines are my favorite sort of protagonist but Kate was.. too bitchy, too kickass, too independent, too awesome at wielding her named phallic symbol. Too much of a stereotype. It feels like she's trying too hard to be an anti-hero and ultimately, just coming across as false and smug.

The alcohol, sex, and gore all seemed rather forced in an attempt to be edgy and raw.

I love fantasy/paranormal/scifi literature and I'm glad that so many people enjoyed this book -- I really wanted to find a new author and series to follow but it just didn't work out for my personal taste. Perhaps the high reviews skewed my expectations -- I thought it would be old school Blake, Harrison, Briggs, maybe even a female Butcher's Harry Dresden.

Editorial Review:

Mercenary Kate Daniels cleans up urban problems of a paranormal kind. But her latest prey, a pack of undead warriors, presents her greatest challenge.

White Night (The Dresden Files, Book 9)

Jim Butcher

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 129 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

White Night 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I love all of Buthcher's books. I can hardly wait for the next ones to come out. Very exciting and keeps you up at night until you're finished. Keep up the good writing! I am anxiously awaiting the next one.

The White Night...another good book from Jim Butcher 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.

An action packed, Harry Dresden adventure.

This is another in the Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher. Butcher's hero, Harry Dresden, is a wizard/private investigator who has his own battery of unusual resources and methods of getting things done. Because Harry's 'involvement' usually leads to confrontations, there is always something happening to keep your interest; it makes it easy to read on and on, often well into the night.

In this episode, some of Harry's lesser magical female brethren have being committing suicide, or have they; enter Harry and Murph to get to the bottom of this enigma.

Butcher's tales are fast paced and fun to read. The main plot, not unexpectedly, deals with fighting the evil hordes, but there were other things about this book that I really liked. There are, for instance, sprinklings of humor (often sarcastic or cynical), some eroticism and even some profound musings regarding love (and love lost), loneliness, pain and death. I found it hard not to like and feel some empathy towards Harry; he's probably one of my favorite fantasy figures.

In addition, there are also a number of 'side' characters in this book that I really enjoyed. Especially the lecherous Bob the Skull (my type of nonentity), Elaine, Lash and Lara, each with their own unique personalities and agendas.

Conclusion:
A typical Harry Dresden fantasy adventure; action packed, fast and fun, and with the occasional, ever so subtle, deeper philosophical moments.
If you like Jim Butcher's writing style, you'll love this addition to the Dresden files.

R.Nicholson

Editorial Review:

A sensational addition to the Dresden Files adventures-from a USA Today bestselling author.

Professional wizard Harry Dresden is investigating a series of deaths in Chicago. Someone is killing practitioners of magic, those incapable of becoming full-fledged wizards. Shockingly, all the evidence points to Harry's half-brother, Thomas, as the murderer. Determined to clear his sibling's name, Harry uncovers a conspiracy within the White Council of Wizards that threatens not only him, but his nearest and dearest, too...

I Am Legend

Richard Matheson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 521 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

... worth it. 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I read the book because I saw the movie (as surely many others did). I have to say that I actually liked the movie more, but they are so different that it's hardly worth comparing them.

The whole story is about what it would be like to be, basically, the last man alive. Although the conclusions it reaches are not entirely happy, the ending left me with a lot to think about in a way that the movie did not. It felt like it was political in some sense, but I'm not sure exactly what to think of it.

Although the story is older (1950s? I think '54...) it is written in a very modern style -- and it's horror that's neither gothic nor "splatter." I'd recommend it if only because it's not what you're expecting, and it does not end how you expect it to end.

The best thing about this book, however, is that it is followed by a collection of short stories... actually, about half of the book is short stories. Some of the stories were better than the novel, in my opinion, although not all.

Editorial Review:

Robert Neville is the last living man on Earth...but he is not alone. Every other man, woman, and child on Earth has become a vampire, and they are all hungry for Neville's blood.

By day, he is the hunter, stalking the sleeping undead through the abandoned ruins of civilization. By night, he barricades himself in his home and prays for dawn.

How long can one man survive in a world of vampires?

Lover Revealed (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 4)

J.R. Ward

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 199 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Best one so far 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This was the book I couldn't wait for once I started the series, since I thought Butch and Marissa's interludes were the hottest thing in the first book, even though they only had a few pages in Dark Lover and the two of them never even got close to having actual sex. Butch is the most interesting of the male leads to date, being a human with human vulnerabilities, and a desperate need for acceptance and purpose in his life, a tough outsider who brings in an outsider's slice-of-life perspective. The banter between him and the brothers crackles with offhand humor and the story of his progressive integration into the Brotherhood shines a fresh light on the society.

The openly homoerotic overtones of Butch's relationship with Vishous are an interesting departure from the previous novels and from traditional romantic fiction in general.

Rehvenge develops into a fascinating character in his own right, so his book will be one to watch out for. Meanwhile, one is almost tempted to pity the Omega, who is clearly attracting a very unreliable class of Lesser in recent books.

Having rooted for Butch as the token human in the Brotherhood's circle, I do find it somewhat questionable that in this series (and in paranormal novels in general) being "merely" human is consistently depicted as an inferior state of existence. Does a hero have to be literally superhuman these days to captivate the reader?
Another caveat is that the female characters in the BDB series generally seem to lack the depth and strength of their male counterparts, which is a bit of a shame - but then, some of those heroines are "only" human, so maybe it makes sense after all.

Editorial Review:

Butch O'Neal is a fighter by nature. A hard-living ex-homicide cop, he's the only human ever to be allowed in the inner circle of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. And he wants to go even deeper into the vampire world-to engage in the turf war with the lessers. His heart belongs to a female vampire, Marissa, an aristocratic beauty who's way out of his league. And if he can't have her, then at least he can fight side by side with the Brothers.

But fate curses him with the very thing he wants. When Butch sacrifices himself to save a civilian vampire from the slayers, he falls prey to the darkest force in the war. Left for dead, he's found by a miracle, and the Brotherhood calls on Marissa to bring him back, though even her love may not be enough to save him.

Blood Bound (Mercy Thompson, Book 2)

Patricia Briggs

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 147 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A Wonderful Series 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I picked up the third volume of the Mercy Thompson series in the library and loved it. I picked up another of her books through Amazon and realized that I loved that book too. So I bought all three of the books in this series so I could own them and read the series from the beginning.

I expected the first two books to be less well written than the third one, but I was wrong. All of the books in this series, and the related Alpha and Omega series are very well crafted. And reading the series from the beginning made a lot of things that I had not quite understood in my first reading of the third book a lot clearer.

This is really a review of the series as a whole. She has built a universe focused on Werewolves, although the main character is not one, but something else somehow not quite related. Mercy is a very strong female character, dominant although she doesn't seem to realize it. In the underlying story arc she is trying to find her own place in a very dangerous world, and also choose between two very dangerous men.

Each of the books in the series has a complex plot, moving through its own story while simultaneously moving through the multi-book arc.

Editorial Review:

Mechanic Mercy Thompson has friends in low places-and in dark ones. And now she owes one of them a favor. Since she can shapeshift at will, she agrees to act as some extra muscle when her vampire friend Stefan goes to deliver a message to another of his kind.

But this new vampire is hardly ordinary-and neither is the demon inside of him.

Stardust

Neil Gaiman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 349 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

"Go, And Catch a Falling Star..." 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

If you like fantasy stories filled with magic, adventure and romance, but are getting sick and tired of boring, long-winded fantasy epics, then look no further than "Stardust." There are no long histories, family trees or endless descriptions of culture, landscapes and back-story. This is just a sweet, simple fairytale told by a great storyteller. Though be warned - the original fairytales were not written for children, and "Stardust" follows in their literary footsteps, by including several violent, sensual and bittersweet scenes. It might be tempting to read this book aloud to children (particularly if you've seen the recent movie adaptation), but this is something I would strongly advise against!

Set in the Victorian Era out in the English countryside, the town of Wall is named so because of the simple-looking wall that divides our world from the realm of Faerie. The two worlds are kept strictly separate (or so the town officials would like to believe) except for a few days every nine years when a faerie marketplace crosses the wall, and Wall itself is turned into a bustling metropolis as travelers from around the world arrive to consort with the fey-folk. Gaiman pours delicious detail into this mingling of two worlds, describing the fairy markets with such obvious relish that you'll be surprised how long the book takes to get to the "meat" of the story in the quest narrative (not that this is a bad thing).

It is at one such meeting of worlds that young Tristian Thorn is conceived. Eighteen years later (and unaware of his faerie-heritage) Tristian has been raised by his father Dunstan Thorn and fallen in love with Victoria Forester, a girl hopelessly out of his league. However, he manages to wrangle an agreement with her: for her hand in marriage, he will fetch her the falling star that they've both just seen fall from the sky.

Little does he know, that the falling star has been witnessed by several others in Faerie: a witch that desires the star to rejuvenate her and her sisters to their youth, and the princely sons of the realm of Stormhold, who are after a gemstone to solidify their claim to the throne, which is currently worn around the star's neck. These various story threads gradually converge as the story goes on, though the tale mainly focuses on the tempestuous relationship that forms between Tristian and Yvaine the star (who naturally takes the form of a beautiful young woman).

There are little subplots and threads of other stories strewn throughout the book, quite reminiscent of Michael Ende's use of the phrase: "that is another story and shall be told another time," in The Neverending Story, or of the collected fairytales of the Brothers Grimm, whose stories have a variety of characters who pop in and out of their tales, seemingly at random. But Gaiman's range of characters and little "plot tangents" serve to give one the sense that there is more going on in the world than the trials and tribulations of our two main characters.

If anything, the ending is a little anti-climactic (especially when compared to the aforementioned movie version) and the final line of the book doesn't pack *quite* the bittersweet punch that I think Gaiman intended, but ultimately this is a lovely little story that wouldn't feel out of place next to Christina Rossetti's Goblin Market and Other Poems (Dover Thrift Editions) or the works of Lord Dunsany. If you've read anything by Lord Dunsany (a forerunner to Tolkien himself) then there's no reason not to enjoy "Stardust" - in fact Neil Gaiman himself pays homage to this early fantasy-author by quoting his famous "beyond the fields we know" phrase from The King of Elfland's Daughter (Del Rey Impact) (and mentions the author in his dedication).

"Stardust" has recently been adapted into a movie, which in many ways improves on several aspects of its source material, particularly in a more climactic finish and the fleshing out of minor characters (although others suffer, such as Victoria, who really isn't such a bad sort in the book, but is portrayed as a spoilt little snot in the film). But Stardust (Widescreen Edition) was filmed with a more tongue-in-cheek air, in the tradition of The Princess Bride (20th Anniversary Edition), and looses some of the mystery and delicacy that Gaiman infuses his story with: let's call it the "fey quality." And though the ending of the film was more satisfying, it's not quite as poignant or thought-provoking. In any case, I recommend both book and movie, and can attest that I own and enjoy both!

Editorial Review:

In the sleepy English countryside at the dawn of the Victorian Era, young Tristran Thorn has lost his heart to beautiful Victoria Forester. But Victoria is cold and distant -- as distant, in fact, as the star she and Tristran see fall from the sky on a crisp October evening. For the coveted prize of Victoria's hand, Tristran vows to retrieve the fallen star and deliver it to his beloved. It is an oath that sends the lovelorn swain into a world that is strange beyond imagining, a world populated by evil old witches, deadly clutching trees, and goblin press-gangs -- a world redeemed only by true love.

This oversized hardcover edition of STARDUST allows the breathtaking art of Charles Vess to be seen in its finest presentation, and ties in to the film version of STARDUST, coming in May 2007.

Touch the Dark (Cassandra Palmer, Book 1)

Karen Chance

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 134 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Over enthusiastic author bogs down w/ too much plot 2 out of 5 stars.
2 of 3 people found this review helpful.

I wish that the author has shown a bit--okay a lot--more restraint in
the plotting of this book. As it is, there is so much going on in
this book that is hard to take in. In this first book alone, there is
more than enough plot for an entire series.

Not that the story or the supernatural world that Cassandra lives in
isn't interesting, quite the opposite. But as a reader, I din't get
to enjoy it very much because I was constantly being crammed with
plot, plot, and more plot (except for the abrupt and extremely
graphic--and long-- sex scene that seemed very out of place given the
tone of the rest of the book).

I would have liked to become more slowly immersed into the world
rather then getting thrown in and never being allowed to come up for
air. I would have read the rest of the series if the former had been
true rather then the latter, assuming that the graphic sex scene
hadn't been included. Oh well.

Editorial Review:

Like any sensible girl, Cassie tries to avoid vampires. But when the bloodsucking Mafioso she escaped three years ago finds Cassie again with revenge in mind, she's forced to turn to the vampire Senate for protection.The undead senators won't help her for nothing, and Cassie finds herself working with one of their most powerful members, a dangerously seductive master vampire- and the price he demands may be more than Cassie is willing to pay.