Book Description
The myth and folklore of ancestral peoples around the world hints at a vast cycle of time, with alternating Dark and Golden Ages. Plato called it the Great Year. Long believed to be a fairytale, there is now new astronomical evidence to show it has a basis in fact. Moreover, because it is caused by the acceleration of our Sun around another star, we learn that the Earth should soon be carried into a region of space that will have a beneficial affect on our atmosphere, nudging mankind into a higher age of consciousness.
Lost Star of Myth and Time weaves together some of the latest archaeological evidence with cutting-edge astronomy to reveal a history of the world that finally fits with myth, folklore and the archaeological record. While this book explores some of the most interesting aspects of a once advanced civilization that covered the Earth, it is really about what happens to the Earth and consciousness as our solar system moves through space in the mysterious motion known as the "precession of the equinox". This astronomical phenomenon has since Newton been attributed to local gravitational forces wobbling the Earth's axis. Lost Star now shows us in no uncertain terms that the Earth's axis does not change orientation relative to objects inside the solar system at the same rate that it changes orientation to objects outside the solar system, meaning precession must be due to our Sun's binary motion around another star.
Chapter by chapter it becomes clear that ancient cultures knew of precession, used it as the clock of the ages, understood it to be due to the solar system's motion through space, and realized this subjects the Earth to a cycle of waxing and waning stellar influences. It is these forces that affect our magnetosphere, ionosphere and indirectly create the larger seasons of the Great Year. As you will see this not only gives cause for a major rethink of human history and potential, but indicates we are approaching a tipping point in the awakening of consciousness.
Customer Reviews:
highly speculative and non-scientific.......2007-09-26
What defines civilization? Is it the magnitude of knowledge, or tools, or transportation, or commodities, or peace, or all of these? Some writers have postulated the easiest method to ascertain a civilization's height is sift through their garbage dumps. There is some predisposition to believe a civilization is more developed if the refuse shows signs of complexity in art or construction technique. Archeologists have sought in vain to find records in the dust bearing the knowledge of deceased civilizations. The best they have found is records of commerce or letters between merchants or rulers.
Walter Cruttenden makes a pretty good case for our sun being a companion star in a binary or trinary system. And he presents some curious research on the finer influence of energy upon living tissue. But the idea of information stored in rocks or the earth's surface stretches credulity. The storage of information involves the imprinting of specific, organized patterns. To date, no one has noticed patterns of any kind (geological phenomena aside) residing or emitted from rocks or soil. I submit that the mark of a truly advanced civilization is it's ability to record and PRESERVE its knowledge for future generations. What would be the point of life if what is learned is carried to the grave? Isaac Asimov wrote an interesting story of a world which self-destructed caused by superstition, each time all the planets and moons occulted the sun. After a great number of cycles some information was preserved, enough that those of learning could disseminate to subsequent generations the discovery of the cause for periodic occultation, as well as the technical knowledge gained since the previous conflagration.
Mankind, in order to survive, must have transportation. The nomadic way of life has never produced a culture or civilization of advanced degree. It may contain a significant body of knowledge, but the passing of that knowledge verbally and by myth are the least effective of tools. The Ancients Walter speaks of may have had some knowledge of mathematics, astronomy, and various technologies, but they certainly weren't highly developed when it comes to technology, nor do they evidence anything of the Calculus we have today.
The Ice Man of 3500 BC may have owned an axe of highly refined tool grade copper, but did that knowledge die with him? Where are the others like it? Today we may not know how to refine and harden copper to that level, but apparently that knowledge was not widely disseminated by the Ancients either.
Did these Ancients levitate all those giant megaliths around like Tibetan monks in meditation? The scientific investigation into Stonehenge shows that those stones were moved by raw muscle-power which was destructive to bone and sinew. The Sumerians may have had beautiful gardens, sewers, tools of metal, medical technique, and the wheeled cart. They also had war. But none of it was as highly developed as we have today. No evidence has come forth demonstrating widespread education, high technologies in metals, glass, oil derivatives, medicine, art, and transportation. All of these advancements over the basic knowledge the Ancients had have happened in less than 200 years. It is exceedingly difficult to overlay this explosive growth with the Cycle of the Ages as Walter presents it. It doesn't fit the gradual cycle curve controlled by an interlaced binary companion star.
We may have lost some of the ancient knowledge of more refined energies, but no civilization of the past can rival the developments in knowledge dissemination and preservation, technology and artistic materials as we have today. Where is the evidence that a Pavaroti could be heard and observed not only in real time thousands of miles distant, but repeatedly as often as desired? Where is there evidence that man has brought back soil from the Moon, along with the technology to transport him there and back? Where is there evidence that the Golden Age of the Ancients had pictures of the surface of Mars, of asteroidal impacts upon Jupiter, of those tiny light sources in the sky really being galaxies of endless number as far as we can see?
The Ancients may have known many things we have yet to discover. The Spinx and Giza pyramid may forever remain a mystery as to how, when, and why they were constructed. But their "Golden" civilization does not hold a candle to the opportunities of learning, mobility, health, and leisure of today. It has been estimated that 70% of all the people who have lived on this earth are alive today. Surely, we do not know the extent of population on the earth back 10,000 years and more. But this merely begs the point: any advanced civilization will leave a trail of evidence indicating that of all advancements, chief will be reliable record keeping. The Egyptians will remain embarrassed over the mystery of the Sphinx and Pyramids. Ralph Ellis can go rooting around the north slope of K2 for the fabled Hall of Records. But the pattern that has emerged to date indicates no knowledge more advanced than we have today lies anywhere on this planet, nor were there ever any people who had greater comforts and self-fulfillment than today. Nor were they able to preserve their "advanced" knowledge against the Decline.
I'll trade the stone commode or bath-house for a modern flusher and sauna in a thermally efficient, heated room. If the Ancients were masters at canals and waterways it couldn't be due to unwillingness to use advanced technology over stone building. Walter claims there is evidence of widespread prosperity, but that is an unwarranted conclusion about a culture based on digs. I'll take the modern instruments used to do cranial surgery (which replaces the entire bone in its original location) over the crude Egyptian trephine any day.
Walter contradicts himself in many places trying to fit the eccentric binary orbit into the gradual loss and accretion of knowledge. He attempts to account for the changes in life span via the precession cycle, without investigating research into the errors in the Bible and his other sources of ancient longevity. It is amazing in one place he can assert that Terra Preta pottery is more than 10,000 years old, yet high tech metals, plastics, glass, and ceramics couldn't possibly last for more than a few hundred years. Archeologists dig up clay inscripted tablets from several thousand years back which are still legible! The obvious conclusion points to the absence of such technologies because nothing like ours has ever existed in the past. To assert that the Ancients figured out how to recycle any advanced metals, glass, plastic and chemicals back into the earth without a trace and learned to live without it is absurd. Nearly in the same breath he points to evidence of metal working discovered inside coal and stone, and stone blocks in an Oklahoma coal mine that survived several millennia. His stroll through the beaches and bluffs of southern California finding assorted trash is hardly equivalent to unearthing evidence of civilization several meters into the earth like Mexico City, the Cave of a Thousand Buddhas, and a thousand other digs.
The main subject Walter overlooks in his presentation is the prevalence of war in all ages. We have not found evidence of any civilization in ancient times without it. Walter also does not mention the Caste systems of India and China which extends back into the Golden Age he so glorifies. Nor does he treat in detail civilizations declining because of catastrophism. People who build with stone (megalithic or otherwise) don't recover from severe climate changes or deluges in short order.
While Walter presents reasonable and cogent research by professional scientists, his own approach is not scientific. Like much of the phony astronomical science of today, Walter has his process backwards, and leads the reader to believe that our world civilization's decline and rise are explained by association of Precession with ancient myth and folklore (ancient "science"). To him it is a forgone conclusion.
His book contains many interesting discoveries. But his speculations, assumptions, and premature conclusions simply do not hold as an explanation for the fall and rise of this planet's civilizations.
Not as good as It could be.......2007-08-08
When I first read the synopsis of this book, I thought this is the book I always wanted to write.
After reading it I can summarize my feeling in just one word: disappointment. This book is about the connection between the cosmic cycles of the traditions and the precession. According to Walter Cruttenden there must be a companion star out-there. Why? First: because there are some astronomical problems with the precession (for more details see: "Binary Research Institute" web-page). Second: this is a chance to give material reason of the ascending and descending ages (golden, silver, bronze, iron). How: via electro-magnetic waves. If the companion stars nears our Sun we become enlightened, when it goes away we fall into the dark age. (Sounds weird?)
The other planet hypothesis is not new, but mostly scientifically unproved. The best theory I have ever read is from Woelfli and Baltensperger. This book is contains some vague predictions about the size and distance of this object, but the Sirius would be the perfect fit (as the book suggests). Only some very new laws of the universe should be discovered, and we will understand the importance of Sirius in ancient mythologies.
Until then I will have time to write my own book.
Anyway, this is not a bad book, it's like a work of Graham Hancock. Terra Preta was the most interesting for me, that would be worth a book on it's own.
Sun has a twin ?.......2007-03-09
I was little bit sceptic when i order this book from Amazon. Lost STAR ? huh, this is ridiculous. So i start reading and page after page it take my attention. I pass whole "Accepting truth" process during first chapters. Author did extraordinary work, collecting those facts/ideas/myths. It is easy to read, easy to understand, so don't be affraid about the flood of facts. Author really know his customers (readers). So everything is served well.
I love part about the "Yugas"( world ages ), but maybe some of the parts are little bit short, i was missing some of the major ideas/facts about the ages. I understand it was not the main line of the book, but for some not well informed readers it might be little bit "vonDaniken" style.
But i really recommend this book to all 2012 scientists and researchers.
A must-have book for any thoughtful reader.......2007-01-10
Certainly one of the best books that I've read in recent years. Extraordinarily thoughtful review of the evidence that indicates that energy provided by the sun and its twin star affects our intelligence. In turn, this cyclical variation in intelligence results in cycles of dark ages followed by golden ages. Words fail me as I try to describe this remarkable book. Most highly recommended.
Lost Star--Dark Star?.......2006-09-08
Walter Cruttenden,
Lost Star of Myth and Time
(St. Lynn's Press, Pittsburgh) 2005
Paperback, xxii+340 pages
ISBN 0-9767631-1-7
Andy Lloyd
The Dark Star
(Timeless Voyager, Santa Barbara) 2005
Paperback, xiv+304 pages
ISBN 1-892264-18-8
Critiqued by Frederic Jueneman
Here is a pair of scenarios, very old ones in many respects, to be sure, but motifs that take the reader on multidisciplinary journeys through space and time, of history and cosmology, and of culture and tradition. Regular readers of such literature will find that all of these groups plow pretty much in the same celestial fields. Notwithstanding, in a somewhat eclectic exposition one author (Cruttenden) come uncomfortably close to what this reviewer regards as new age occultism. But then, don't we all take a lot of things on faith and hope.
Cruttenden himself is a nonprofessional archeo-astronomer who builds and relies on earlier authors, both contemporary and historical, as well as assembling his own cache of mythic material to fortify his case that our Sun is part of a double-star system which orbits one another in approximately the same period as the Precession of the Equinox--a polar retrograde wobble of Earth currently figured at 25,770 years. Moreover, as the most original concept in the book, the author argues that the binary motions and gravitational influence of the two-star system cause the precession itself.
In like manner, science writer Andy Lloyd takes inspiration from Zecharia Sitchin's ancient Babylonian interpretations although with marked reservations, while also delving into myth and alternative science. Yet he generally tends to follow es¬tablishment guidelines in giving credence to his argument for a solar binary system. His major theme is based on the cliff-like Edgeworth-Kuiper Belt of asteroidal objects and comets that drops off rather precipitously beyond some 45 astronomical units (AU) from the Sun--one AU being the Earth-Sun distance--a gap that ostensibly extends several hundred AU to the inner boundary of the the¬oretical comet-filled Oort Cloud beyond.
The Edgeworth-Kuiper Belt was initially proposed in 1943 by the British researcher Kenneth Edgeworth and later resurrected by American as¬tronomer Gerard Kuiper in 1951. This gap is argumentatively considered by Lloyd to be swept out by what might eventually be found to be a so-called brown dwarf star and its retinue of planetesimals, which have yet to be observed.
Such brown dwarfs were first theoretically described by radioastronomer Jill Tartar in 1975 as small, very dense and dim planet-like stars, which are radiating mainly in the infrared. They were called "brown" to differentiate them from the already designated black, red, and white dwarfs, although brown dwarfs were ultimately found to glow magenta to reddish.
Cruttenden's book, on the one hand, despite being replete with physical phenomena and apocalyptic mythology, also attempts to reinforce his earlier mercantile DVD exposé with additional detail from mythic and mystic lore by enumerating and expanding on the four stages of the Yuga ages: The primeval Kali Yuga, typifying the dark age of iron from which we have just emerged in the endless Hindu cycles of time, and our now having recently entered into the Dwapara Yuga, or bronze age, with the increasingly enlightening Treta and Satya Yugas, of the respective silver and golden ages, still some thousands of years ahead in the distant future. Our increased enlighten¬ment is apparently predicated on this approaching Lost Star, which endows mankind with field-induced expanded mental capacity. There are ascending and descending phases of these ages, the divya or half-yugas that comprise something over 12,000 years each, delineating the half-cycles of the equinoctial precession: The rise and fall of mankind's intellectual proclivities.
The Lost Star spends an inordinate number of pages on the significance of these ages on human culture, where a high point in human capacity and competence was reached some 11,500 years ago, and has gone downhill ever since, or at least until the end of the medieval period just a few centuries ago. According to Cruttenden, the lowest point--the Kali Yuga--was from about 700 BCE to around 500 CE; however, no allowance was made for the global renaissance of the 6th century BCE, where religious, philosophical, and intelletual thought burgeoned throughout the civilized world; a flourishing which gave rise to the received wisdom of India. Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Greece. This may have been an aberration according to his scenario, but the excep¬tion does test the rule.
This is where the two authors differ, in that Lloyd is less enthusiastic than Cruttenden about the mysticism surrounding recorded events in human history. However, both authors do pay tribute to Giorgio de Santillana and Hertha von Dechend, who themselves had furrowed their pioneering groundwork of mythic lore by highlighting the Precession of the Equinoxes, and who also complained, "It goes without saying that the still more modern habit of replacing `culture' with `society' has blocked the last narrow path to understanding history. Our ignorance not only remained vast, but became pretentious as well."
Both of our authors under review bemoan the fact that astronomical ardor doesn't include many who, either through ignorance or hubris, even bother to consider an otherwise "unknown" or "unseen" massive companion to our solar system in the light of mounting evidence, other than minuscule icy worlds such as the recently discovered Quaoar, Sedna and Varuna, inter alia. But, as we all know, tradition is a very viscous medium.
Late 19th and early 20th century cosmologists, who had studied the perturbations on Uranus and relatively newly discovered Neptune (1846), determined that beyond these planets there was another massive body disturbing their motions; but, the discovery of tiny Pluto in 1930 by Clyde Tombaugh didn't account for the expected discrepancy, although Voyager 2 in 1969 supposedly settled the cosmological question by assigning Neptune a greater mass than was previously reported.
Only Lloyd referred to the earlier research of the late Hughes Aircraft mathematician John P. Bagby, assisted by his wife Loretta L. Bagby, who were intrigued by planetary perturbations that seemed to indicate what they termed a Massive Solar Companion (MSC), situated out of the plane of the ecliptic in the direction of Sagittarius. Bagby, who was well known to this reviewer, initially and tentatively proposed this MSC back in 1972 but only formally and obliquely published his results some years later in a study related to earthquake periodicity. However, his investigation seemed to indicate that such an MSC, or perhaps a distributed mass in Lagrangian orbits, might be also located in the direction of Sirius. Bagby postulated Lagrange distributions for several of the orbital parameters, which much like the Trojans in Jupiter's orbit may either lead or lag the gas giant by 60°.
Sagittarius, however, would turn out to be a "star-crossed" option since it is well within our most abundant view of the Milky Way galaxy, which leaves astronomers looking into the headlights of millions of stars that would make finding a dim body among such stellar traffic toilsome at best. The latest IRAS (InfraRed Astronomical Survey) satellite exploration of the heavens showed an excess of 200,000 dim suns within relatively short telescopic range that are available for study. So, where do those who want to look decide to seek such a candidate star? In the other direction, of course, where there isn't quite so much glare. The comparatively open celestial sectors of Orion or Canis Major will do nicely.
Interestingly, one of Bagby's major postulated orbits had a period of 1467.6 years, which is uncannily close to the so-called Egyptian Sothic period of some 1460 years, which makes an enticingly roundabout connection with Sirius. This reviewer had corresponded at length with Bagby over this observation, and subsequently copies of his summary were distributed to his colleagues.
Sirius, in Canis Major, visible in winter months just to the left (east) of Orion in the celestial sphere, turns out to be a candidate "lost" star for Cruttenden's argument, despite its 8.6 lightyear distance and -1.43 magnitude brilliance, making it the brightest nighttime star in the heavens. It is Cruttenden's nominee for a root cause of Earth's precession, because of some residual resonant effect, as well as Sirius' own unique proper motion. It is this singular proper motion, which remarkably is in the direction of our own locale in the galaxy that keeps it almost stationary over the centuries in its annual heliacal rising despite its gradual transit across the constellations.
Sirius has risen heliacally on almost the same Julian date for the past 4000 years, and is currently moving out of Canis Major. Here, however, Cruttenden makes an oblique reference to the calendar reform of Julius Caesar, whereas the Julian calendar used in the astronomical community was devised by Joseph Justus Scaliger (1540-1609), whose own calendar reform was published in 1583, one year after the Gregorian amendment devised by the Jesuit astronomer Christopher Clavius was instituted by Pope Gregory XIII. Scaliger's formula, however, using days instead of years, is called the Julian Day Count--a practice still in use by astronomers today and named after his father, Julius Caesar Scaliger.
Both authors had scrutinized ancient literature, which claimed that in ancient times this star was red in color, which Sirius currently is definitely not. However, up until about 500 AD, observers did record Sirius as reddish in color. If, in counter-argument, it had been something akin to Betelgeuse, which is a bloated bright red-orange star of 0.7 magnitude in Orion, north and somewhat west of Sirius, then sometime in the distant future we may be treated to a shedding of its reddish envelope, exposing a bright white star within.
As an aside, an intriguing point was made by Cruttenden that Sirius' own incredibly dense white dwarf companion, Sirius B, orbits in front of its parent star every 50 years, which it did in 1989 as observed and recorded by Canadians Karl-Heinz and Uwe Homann, and as it did so Earth's daily rotation slowed down by a full second over the course of this transit, returning to normal after the event. If this is found to be verified, then it also appears to suggest that gravitational waves travel at light velocity as well. However, we won't have this particular opportunity again until around 2039.
The Dogon peoples in West Africa had their legend about a massive diminutive and unseen companion of Sirius that had a 50-year relationship with the parent star, supposedly well before it was known to astronomers, according to historian Robert Temple. In the Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh, our hero has a dream in which he is drawn to a heavy star that cannot be lifted--an indirect reference to Sirius B.
One might also speculate that, by the mechanism of "accretion disk accumulation," the massive gravity of the dwarf Sirius B may have stripped its parent of a conjectured red envelope within own our historical past, fomenting a nova, and revealing the brilliant star we see today. This, moreover, is in contrast and contradiction to what Cruttenden described. We might not expect this of the red giant Betelgeuse, since it doesn't seem to have such a dense companion. But since Sirius does, it leaves open the question: Could Sirius actually have under¬one such a nova event within our own recorded historical past? Say, prior to 500 AD?
Cruttenden also makes the point that the Sun's angular momentum is almost entirely tied up in its planetary family, and argues that this runs counter to known physical laws for a solitary stellar body, but bodes favorably for a binary system where such momentum is focused and normalized with another gravitational source. The period of revolution for our binary is considered equivalent to the Precession of the Equinox, based on the resonant effect due to the angular curvature of the mutually orbiting systems, and which is the crux of Cruttenden's hypothesis.
Others, as UC Berkeley physicist Richard A. Muller, who also opt for a binary star system of our very own, prefer a 26-million-year orbit, because over Earth's geological history there have been periodic upheavals and extinctions coincident with this cycle. This is the "Nemesis" star of media note, although Muller thought that it might be a red or brown dwarf. Lloyd is more modest in his reasoning for a 3600-year orbit, more in keeping with Zecheria Sitchin's scenario, thereby keeping it within the confines of the Oort cloud within our own outer solar system, and sweeping out the void beyond the Edgeworth-Kuiper Belt. (This reviewer may have to rescan some of Sitchin's endless writings to see if something critically important was inadvertently missed.)
Evidence for high-culture ancient civilizations abound in both the Old World and Asia. This is in addition to ley lines, stonehenges of various sorts, earthenwork mounds and pyramids scattered around the globe, and foundations of cities with no apparent prior historic past, such as found in Sumer. And, since the discoveries of Cornell geologist Charles F. Hartt in 1871, such evidence also surfaced in South America. The extremely rich, renewable soil of myriads of scattered pockets of what is termed Terre Preta do Indio (Indian Black Earth) throughout Amazonia, from Bolivia to Venezuela, has made archeologists sit up and take notice. While most of the Amazon basin is infertile "green desert," known as Oxisol, some ten percent comprises this extremely valuable and sought-after productive loam, which is also characterized by the multi-stratigraphic inclusion of abundant ceramic shards that indicate a sophisticated fire-savvy culture as early as 9000 BCE. This is in contrast, for example, to ancient abattoirs found by archeologists around the world, who indiscriminately consider them to be ritual sacrificial sites by primitive peoples who were overly concerned with religious practices.
If ancient Old and New World civilizations had been decimated by some periodic global cataclysms, it doesn't augur happily for Cruttenden's prognostication of the upcoming ages of enlightenment coinciding with the pending approach of another stellar body nearer to our solar system. But notwithstanding, if Cruttenden and Lloyd, and Muller as well, are all justified in their estimations, perhaps we are not merely a member of a binary star system, but conceivably part of a ternary or even a multiple star complex.
The Sumero-Babylonian astronomers and scribes, who had meticulously recorded disasters as they were observed, aren't given much credence by today's know-it-alls, who relegate most all such "myths" to the dustbins of legendary history. The Jesuit scholar Francis X. Kugler, who pioneered the study of ancient "star wars" (sternkampf) did give these ancients some credit, but seems to be ignored except for a few researchers outside the pale of academic science and history. Kugler's two-volume opus, Sternkunde und Sterndienst in Babel ("Astrography and Astralatry in Babylon"--literally, star-mapping and star-worship), did nevertheless question the competence of Mesopotamian astronomers before the reign of Nabonassar in the mid-8th century BCE because of anomalies in their calculations, but before he died left the door open for further investigation. And, Zecheria Sitchin evidently was also influenced by and receptive to these anomalies mentioned by Kugler, resulting in his aggregation of books on the subject, which ideas were later taken up by Lloyd with alternative explanations. Cruttenden is otherwise occupied with Great Cycles over the ages.
Nibiru, of Sumerian myth, is the name of the red star that entered the ancient Mesopotamian night sky, and was equated with Marduk, the god supreme of Sumer. Was this red star the Surya of Sanskrit texts, the Sothis of the Greeks, the Sopdet of the Egyptians, the Al Shi'ra of the Arab world, the Lost Star of Cruttenden, the Dark Star of Lloyd, the Venus of Velikovsky?
There are many more such mysteries to be solved, both here on Earth and in our night skies. And, both Cruttenden and Lloyd have given us something of an awareness of the interdisciplinary aspects of approaching some of these mythic enigmas from widely differing, sometimes opposing, and of course puzzling perspectives. Accordingly, this overlapping critique is basically in consideration of both of these interesting if not persuasive books. However, although each is recommended for their individual merits, this reviewer suggests that each potential reader make up his or her own mind as to which author comes closest to one's own personal inclination.
Book Description
Elegy for a Lost Star sets the stage for a major turning point in the Symphony of Ages series.The dragon Anwyn--who has lain for three years in deathlike sleep in a grave of rock and black coal is freed by the cataclysm that concluded Requiem for the Sun. Disoriented and confused, she remembers only two things: the person who trapped her in dragon form and locked her in a rocky grave--Rhapsody; and an all-encompassing desire to wreak vengeance.Meanwhile, Achmed, the Firbolg king, resumes rebuilding the his shattered home, while a guild of merciless assassins set about taking revenge on him for the killing of their leader.A horribly deformed but magical being finds its way through a carnival of freaks to the palace of an evil despot, who sees in it the potential to be the instrument by which his plans of conquest and brutal domination of a continent will be realized.With the rise of new leaders, good and evil, the long-awaited birth of the Child of Time, the dark plans of assassins and rulers, a confrontation that shakes the relationship of the Three, and a battle to the death between two dragons of unimaginable elemental power, the seeds of chaos are planted for a war that will, by its end, consume half of the world.
Customer Reviews:
disapointed.......2007-03-18
the whole book was people talking. Nothing really happend. I also dislike how Ashe is never there when everything goes wrong with Rhapsody. I also do not understand what the point of Anwyn was. She was like a page filler.
Dirge for a Rushed Tale.......2006-06-18
Fair warning: I will discuss some events in reasonable detail. If you dislike reviews that provide relative descriptive about events that take place in a book, please kindly scroll down.
Elegy for a Lost Star is the fifth book in Elizabeth Haydon's "Symphony of the Ages" series, which began with a core trilogy (Prophecy, Rhapsody and Destiny), then added on Requiem for the Sun, Elegy and forthcoming Assassin King (due in 2007, and that can't get here soon enough!). If you haven't previously read the first books, I cannot stress the importance of doing so. Some series you can jump into at any central point and pick up the thread; this is definitely not one of those. While Ms. Haydon goes over the basic sketch of history that brings the reader to the present through the chronicles of the three main characters, Rhapsody, Achmed and Grunthor, you owe it to yourself to immerse in the world.
I finished Elegy for a Lost Star after reading Requiem for a Lost Sun and revisiting the core trilogy the day or two before. Therefore, all the events sparkled fresh in my mind as I transitioned from one book to the next. While I found the core trilogy engrossing and impossible to put down, the speed slowed slightly through Requiem as I appreciated the detail more than anything else. However, the vagaries of Rhapsody being trapped in a sea cave became a bit wearing. Elegy's slim size, especially compared to the 800-plus pages of its predecessors, worried me a bit.
My initial judgment on Elegy is that it is a condensed novel, and while keeping the high standard of Ms. Haydon's writing skills, it lacks a certain sparkle. The plot wandered at points, picking up different story threads and weaving them in for a time, then discarding them again. Case in point: the hodgepodge use of Anwyn, the oracle of the past and now wholly a dragon, and Llauron, Rhapsody's father-in-law and also a dragon whose transformation completed three years earlier. From the cover, an informed reader clearly discerns Anwyn and Llauron looming over Rhapsody and her baby, Meridion. It should come as no surprise the dragon finally enter the limelight of the story. Unfortunately, they don't enjoy centerstage quite so fully as they should.
Anwyn's awakening jerks into the machinations of Talquisst, the highly unsavory regent for the troubled, divided nation of Sorbold (incidentally Ylorc and Tyrian's uneasy neighbour). The transition comes roughly and left me rather in the lurch, trying to figure out what happened with Anwyn's current struggles to regain her memory and exact her revenge on Rhapsody. Usually Ms. Haydon executes these different shifts in the storyline with a deft touch, but Elegy's movements lacked that particular elegance.
Another concern that dropped my initial rating from four stars to three lies in her treatment of the dragons. While we get background information through Elynsynos about how wyrmkin interact with their parents, and the sacrifice of the eldest dragon to seal the vault of Living Earth that keep the F'dor imprisoned in the heart of the earth, we lack more important details... Notably, Llauron's involvement with protecting Rhapsody, newborn Meridion, and her friends against his rampaging, furious mother. It feels as though Llauron suddenly manifests (no pun intended) in the story at some point, flits out of existence, then shows up when it matters most again. This form of deus ex machina disappoints me because Llauron's uneasy relationship with Rhapsody, Ashe, Anborn, and Achmed certainly changed after becoming a dragon and the first Cymrian Council meeting. The story covers very little of this in Elegy, beyond exchanging annoyed words with Ashe and Achmed's wry, superb brand of blunt-spoken displeasure.
Instead, we wander along between Sorbold's decline spiced up with scenes with Constantin, the Patriarch (and a new appreciation for the Chain of Prayer), the ongoing despair of Faron after washing ashore and ending up with a carnival of monstrosities, a sort of fantasy horror show (bearded lady, duck-footed performers, and other misfits apply here!). Faron makes for an interesting enemy because you have to feel some sense of compassion for the offspring of a tortured ancient Seren and a F'dor host, a lost soul tormented from the very beginning. Against Anwyn, the foil provides an entertaining level of comparison but it doesn't reach its fullest flowering.
The scattered state of the story comes as a surprise given Elegy's overall short length. I'm not sure if it's just me, but I felt rushed in places and hopelessly without direction in others. Major milestones such as Meridion's birth came as an anticlimax and the distinct lack of Grunthor was a real shame. We at least see a good deal of Achmed, a truly excellent character in fantasy for the realism in his flawed person (versus Rhapsody's near divine perfection).
On the whole, this isn't up to the standard of Ms. Haydon's other books but I hope it will redeem itself by the segue into The Assassin King and a re-reading. The apparent shadow of doom and destruction layered over the continent by Anwyn's bloody campaign of vindiction and Talquisst's use of the deck of Sharra lacks the treatment it really deserved, but hopefully things will pan out well in the forthcoming sequel.
Getting more back in the swing!.......2005-09-24
Just a comment to P. Pollak: Definetly, definetly read the first books. And then you'd know immediately to what that 'Elegy for a Lost Star' is referenced. You'll understand SO much more. And the first three books are much, much more enjoyable.
This book was better than it's predecessor in the series. Haydon seems to get a slightly better grip on her character's personalities. It's definetly a book that's just moving you along in action until the next volume is available. Still interesting and with some surprising twists and turns. The child is born (though a few lines in that section were REALLY drama-queeny and plain annoying for a RPGer like me) and, horror of horrors, Anwyn is back. And MAD.
Again, how I lament Faron, the maligned! *poses dramatically* I am eager to see what happens to the poor... uh.. fish-living-stone-man-thing.
Elegy for a Lost Title.......2005-08-02
This was my first exposure to Elizabeth Haydon and she deserves between 3 and 4 stars for spinning a tale with a number of very creative elements. Character development is not bad, although I'd probably be more intrigued had I read any of the earlier volumes in the series, which brings me to my main complaints. Publishers and book sellers: If youre going to publish (carry) series novels, please carry them all so that people can start at the beginning. Second, I don't know who comes up with the titles for these books, but it can't be the author because the title rarely has any connection to the book.
very very sad.......2005-08-01
Not the story itself, but the book. It has no heart, it has no intellect, it's just a bunch of pish posh. Belongs in the slush pile.
Average customer rating:
- ...HE will return...
- Better than Harry Potter
- To the One God
- Great build up for for the third book of this trilogy.
- Lost unless youve read the trilogy before this one
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Dragons of a Lost Star (The War of Souls, Volume II)
Margaret Weis , and
Tracy Hickman
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
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Similar Items:
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Dragons of a Vanished Moon (Dragonlance: War of Souls, Book 3)
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Dragons of a Fallen Sun (Dragonlance: The War of Souls, Volume I)
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Test of the Twins (Dragonlance Legends, Vol. 3)
ASIN: 0786927062
Release Date: 2002-03-01 |
Amazon.com
Dragonlance's dynamic duo--the inimitable Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman--continues to do no wrong, reviving the once-ailing world of Krynn with yet another solid book, the second in their War of Souls series. Which is not to say, of course, that Krynn itself is doing well. Far from it: as you might remember from the trilogy's debut, Dragons of a Fallen Sun, creepy Joan-of-Arc-type Mina is spreading the influence of her One God even further over the previously godless land. To top that off, the cursed magical shield protecting the Silvanesti crumbled with the death of the great green Cyan Bloodbane (who had been masquerading as an elf), and the hated Beryl has made a move on the Citadel of Light and the lands of the Qualinesti. And just in case you didn't read Fallen Sun, Weis and Hickman take great pains to bring you up to speed in the first chapter.
What follows in Dragons of a Lost Star is the satisfying resolution to most of these threads, although--like it or not--that means a lot of interplay among the elves. But a literally earth-shattering finale with Beryl in Qualinost amply makes up for it, and that's just the appetizer for the main dish: the true identity of Mina's mysterious One God is revealed at last. Throw in some typical Tas antics for good measure (you've got to love that Device of Time Journeying), and you can count on being left antsy for this trilogy's concluding installment. --Paul Hughes
Book Description
A mysterious force holds Krynn in thrall. A young woman, protected by her regiment of dark-armored knights, calls upon the might of an unknown god to bring victory to her army as it sweeps across the land. The souls of the dead rob the living of their magic. A dragon overlord threatens the very land the elves hold most dear.
Amidst the chaos, a band of brave and selfless heroes struggles against an immortal power that appears to thwart them at every turn. The encroaching darkness threatens to engulf all hope, all faith, all light.
The War of Souls rages on.
The New York Times bestselling hardcover now in paperback.
This latest title from
Dragonlance cocreators Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman is the sequel to the New York Times bestselling Dragons of a Fallen Sun. This paperback version contains a preview chapter from the upcoming conclusion to the trilogy, Dragons of a Vanished Moon.
Customer Reviews:
...HE will return..........2007-02-16
...HE will return..., May 10, 2001
OH MY RAISTLIN!!!... I mean, OH MY GOD!!! (...sorry, I get those two confused sometimes...) I just came back from Borders and I am in shock! Why Laurana? Why have practically all of the original companions had to meet such tragic demises? Oh, and I don't want to get off on a rant here but now that "The One God" has been revealed, Raistlin will HAVE to come back and destroy this pathetic immortal; and NOT to "save the world" (I say that dripping with sarcasm) but to show that HE should be the one to rule Krynn. Keep those pompous dragons in line and show Mr. Dark Elf (Dalamar)how to REALLY bring magic back to Krynn. Well, I'm done ranting; I guess that I now have to wait A WHOLE YEAR to find out when the best character in all of Dragonlance's history will return in all his glory!!!... thank you.
Better than Harry Potter.......2006-03-18
Dragons of a Lost Star was, as the title says, better than Harry Potter. It's many twists and turns make you instantly want to read more.
I was a big fan of the "One God" and Mina during the beginning but the twist makes you want to scream at the book.
Gerard and Tas are both a little different. Tas was put in the story to make it funny but I didn't like him at all, he was so stupid in his decisions. Gerard was Gerard. Nothing much more I can say, he was a Knight for both sides.
The ending is so sudden it's hard to cope...
To the One God.......2005-11-24
To the One God, its in you we thank for giving us Margaret and Tracy or should we look for another?
Once again we explore another fine addition to the Dragonlance volumes. The War of Souls is a fascinating ride to the return of the old world.
You will be thrilled to know that there is enough Tas in book 2 to keep you laughing and as always making sure nothing of your own has gone missing =)
Mina has returned and is proclaming and conquering in the name of the One God. Who is this one God whom grants powers beyond imgaination. Who is the God that causes men to fear and follow this Mina? The One God is none other than...ah read em!
Great build up for for the third book of this trilogy........2005-08-02
Let me preface this by saying that I am a Dragonlance fanatic that owns every book. This trilogy has brought back the return of the gods of Krynn, which is a terrific decision by Weis and Hickman, and one that was somewhat overdue.
It is also, in my opinion, the best set of books since the Raistlin chronicles. Every book built towards the ending superbly, and I would recomend this trilogy as one of the best in the series.
The storyline gained momentum throughout and seldom had lulls of needless filler. It is also good to see the exchange from the heroes of the lance to the next characters that come to the forefront in the war of souls.I love the lance heroes but think that every avenue had been explored to further thier story, but that being said I would never wish that they be written out of future novels.
I became engrossed in the story and finished this book very quickly. I cannot wait to read the third book to see how the story plays out.
Lost unless youve read the trilogy before this one.......2005-04-10
It is a good rounded book that "tries" to keep you guessing. Most people said they couldnt figure who "The One God" is but it tells you at the end, i figured out way before then, but i guess that i picked up on all the signs. Its a good sequal to the one before this because it carries on where the first one left off (Dragons of the fallen sun I beleive it was called).
Average customer rating:
- Well, I am a fan of Weiss & Hickmann so...
- Not as good as Weis and Hickman's previous novels
- Engrossing but ultimately unsatisfying
- A Dragon Story and Much More
- Great Addition
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The War of Souls Trilogy Gift Set: Dragons of a Fallen Sun, Dragons of a Lost Star, Dragons of a Vanished Moon (Dragonlance Series)
Margaret Weis , and
Tracy Hickman
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Hickman, Tracy
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ASIN: 0786930020
Release Date: 2003-09-01 |
Book Description
This slip-covered gift set contains the three New York Times best-selling titles that make up the epic War of Souls trilogy: Dragons of a Fallen Sun, Dragons of a Lost Star, and Dragons of a Vanished Moon. Authored by Dragonlance saga co-creators Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman, these titles each hit multiple best-seller lists upon initial release.
Customer Reviews:
Well, I am a fan of Weiss & Hickmann so..........2007-07-08
Great books. I have to admit that vol. 2 was a bit slow and dull at first but vol. 1 and 3 and most of vol. 2 made up for this. Didn't much care for the lovestory between Silvanoshei and the dark knight Mina so all this about Silanosheis love that wasn't returned is a bit dull for me (yes yes, I am a guy). But all in all I would rate this as a 5 star product. Another great story from Weiss & Hickmann.
Not as good as Weis and Hickman's previous novels.......2007-06-05
First let me start off by saying that I did enjoy these books. But I enjoyed the previous books more. The Chronicles Trilogy was the first set in the Dragonlance world and I must say the best. It all sort of went downhill from there, albeit a long hill with a small angle but still downhill. I really thought that with The Second Generation and Dragons of Summer Flame that led up to The War of Souls Trilogy, that there would be a "rebirth" (if you will) of the Dragonlance Series. But sadly that wasn't to be. An IMPORTANT SIDE NOTE: I have been led to believe that the writers, Weis and Hickman, actually have very little creative control over the Dragonlance Series. I believe that these books are meant to be companions to the world of D & D. I enjoy reading not throwing dice to see how much damage I do. As such, maybe they threw dice to see how the storyline would unfold. I don't know.
The Good:
The story is great. The action is great. Tas the loveable and unlikely hero is back. There is a lot of action and intrigue to keep you interested. The whole trilogy is one big twist after another.
The Bad:
I'm afraid there may be more bad than good...but only just. The number one problem, and it is SERIOUSLY BAD, is the typos. Did anyone actually proofread this book? I mean seriously it is bad. By the middle of Dragons of a Lost Star (second book in the trilogy), I was almost ready to call it quits just because it was so hard to make any sense of it. Misspelled words...bad punctuation...missing words...extra words. Just really, really, really bad. They need to fire whoever edited this book.
Now about the problems with the stories themselves. POTENTIAL SPOILER
My best advise to the readers about these books and this goes for pretty much ALL of the Dragonlance novels: Don't get attached to ANY character because they ALL die. The writers spend 3 books building a character and getting them developed then kill them. Why would you do that? Take a lesson from R.A. Salvatore or Terry Goodkind and keep your main characters ALIVE. It's what keeps readers coming back for more. If Salvatore had killed Drizzt after his first trilogy, Salvatore's career as a writer would have been a lot less eventful. Same goes for Goodkind's Richard in the Sword of Truth books.
Let's see who has died along the way to The War of Souls. Keep in mind these are MAJOR CHARACTERS!
Sturm Brightblade, Tanis Half-Elven, Caramon Majere, Raistin Majere, Tika Majere, Alhana Starbreeze, Crysania, Goldmoon, Laurana, Palin Majere, Riverwind, Steel Brightblade, Tanin Majere, Kitiara Uth Matar (who needed more development), Berem the Everman (death was justified), Flint Fireforge, Tas Burfoot (dead but brought back) and I'm sure there were others but I think you get the picture. And again these were major characters. Why even bother developing them if they are so expendable? Heck, I wouldn't even bother being creative with the names. Maybe I can write a Dragonlance novel. "Here is Sam. Sam is an elf. Sam has to overcome insurmountable odds to save the world. Sam overcame the insurmountable odds and saved the world. Now Sam is dead." There, I just wrote a whole Dragonlance novel in five sentences.
What was the point of "The Second Generation" and "Dragons of Summer Flame"? They introduce new characters and then killed them all. Stupid.
Summary of my review:
These books have a great story, great plot, and great characters who will all die. Or if that sentence had as many typos as these books...Thes books have great story great plot and grate charactrse woh will all dye.
Engrossing but ultimately unsatisfying.......2007-05-13
I have been a long-time fan of Weis and Hickman and their Dragonlance books. They have an uncanny ability to write engrossing stories full of conflict and angst and failure that somehow still come together at the end on a note of acceptance and hope. In general, the characters end the stories as better people than they started them as, and the price the characters pay is redeemed by what they gain by the end. I looked forward to this new series. The story is certainly engrossing -- I found it hard to put the books down, even during the darkest and bleakest points in the story. But unlike their earlier works, Weis and Hickman don't manage to wrap this one up well. Several story lines end abruptly, as if Weis and Hickman just ran out of steam on them and gave up. More important, almost none of the characters end the story having learned anything important. The sacrifices made by the characters remain unredeemed at the end. I was left disappointed and unsatisfied. Go ahead and read the story -- it is well written. Just be prepared to feel incomplete at the end.
A Dragon Story and Much More.......2007-05-08
What makes this series so fascinating are the set of characters, especially the kender, who adds just the right amount of comic relief, and the freshness that comes from a vivid imagination on the part of the authors. You won't feel like you've read anything like this before.
Great Addition.......2007-03-27
I've been working on the first book of the three and so far I'm enjoying it as much as all the other Dragonlance Novels I've read. If you love the Dragonlance novels, you won't be upset with this pick.
Book Description
The 1970s was a great decade for British racing drivers, but it was also the era in which the nation lost a generation of brilliant young drivers--Roger Williamson, Tony Brise and Tom Pryce--in tragic accidents. All had the potential to be World Champions. With access to their families, friends and race colleagues, David Tremayne tells their full stories for the first time. It makes for poignant but uplifting reading.
Book Description
Trioculus, a three-eyed mutant, has arisen as the self-appointed leader of the Empire. The hopes of the Rebel Alliance rest on a young Jedi Prince growing up in an underground city beneath the rain forests of the fourth moon of Yavin.
Customer Reviews:
Great.......2007-01-19
Bought as a gift to complete a collection. Would definitely buy from seller again.
A good book for young kids, others skip it!.......2000-12-11
Out of all the books in this not very good series, this was probably one of the worst. Right behind Zorba the Hutt's Revenge and Queen of the Empire of course. As much as I enjoy it when the characters wander around jungle planets,(my favorite) this book had an unbelievable plot, weak diologue, and an extremely childish writing style. And that Ken is a nice boy and all, but a complete geek. An attempt to relate to the "normal kid" who would be reading this book. Also the characters from the movies are either grossly exagerated, or practicly nonexistant. All of them are warped and and barely recognizabal as Star Wars characters, most of all Luke. Kids twelve and under, for whom this book is intended for, probably won't mind any of that, though, adult and teenage Star Wars fans, such as myself will probably find them boring and silly.
It's not the author's fault!.......1999-06-15
The Lost City of the Jedi, a book that continues on from it's equally horrible predecessor The Glove of Darth Vader, has the same style and immature characteristics that prevent it from developing any real enjoyment.
A very good book........1998-06-28
This book had lots of action and excitement. It showed many different scenes and had a great plot. It included good characters and excellent pictures. An awesome book.
THIS BOOK IS HORRIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!.......1998-06-18
This book is one of the worst Star Wars books I have ever read!!! There aren't any Jedi princes!!! And why does that Baji dude say everything in rhyme??? Don't you think that if there really was a "Lost City of the Jedi," the Rebels would have found it when they made their base there?? I advise you: if you are a true Star Wars fan, you will not read this book full of false information
Customer Reviews:
Very Thorough Biography.......2001-10-17
Lost Star is a brilliantly written biography. After reading this book I could remember every detail in Amelia Earhart's life. The only problem with this book is, like a lot of other biographies it isn't very exciting and not even once during the book could I not put the book down. But if you're interested in Amelia Earhart's life you have to read this.
The book starts off talking about Amelia's childhood, about her fathers drinking problems. Then it talks about her training as a pilot and her different jobs she gets. It talks about each of her record braking flights, giving details like the names of her planes and even says details like what the weather was like when she was taking off. Finally it talks about her mysterious disappearance at sea and talks about the many theories about what happened to her. This was the first biography I read and since I enjoyed it so much, I probably will read many more
Lost Star.......2000-09-12
I thought it was a very interesting book that sometimes couldn't put down. It was written well and the thing I liked best was the part where the author explained her whole childhood, good and bad times. This book kept me busy, I highly recommend it to anyone.
Excellent biography for children.......2000-04-09
I use this novel in my fourth grade classroom and it is a hit! It is finely written and easy to understand. I recommend it to any child who is interested in aviation, adventure, or just wants to read a story about a strong person like AE.
Compelling but somewhat flawed........1999-11-09
Randall Brink weighs in with his own theories about the mysterious fate of famed aviator Amelia Earhart, who flew into history on the morning of July 2, 1937. I found this to be a very interesting book, coupled with Mr. Brink's unearthing of supposed government documents provide some tantilizing clues as to what involvement Washington and the White House may have had in Earhart's global flight. There were some flaws, however. One photograph in the book depicts an aerial shot of what Mr. Brink claims was a Japanese airfield in the Marshall Islands. A magnified section of the photo shows a twin-engine airplane with what appears to be a missing wing. Mr. Brink postulates that this airplane could in fact be the Lockheed Electra, since (he contends) Japan did not manufacture twin-engined, twin-tailed monoplanes during World War II--a statement which is not accurate. Japan did in fact produce several planes of that type (typically bombers), and given Mr. Brink's avaiation background, I was surprised he didn't research that more thoroughly. No new revelations here, but food for thought as to what may have happened to one of America's aviation pioneers.
A good book for all ages...............1999-06-09
It was interesting, yet provoking and informative, a good bedside and a good reseach book.
Customer Reviews:
I adore these books.......2006-07-10
These books are very different from other books Weis has written. I like to think it's because he/she was left on their own and didn't have a co-writter.
They are simply brilliant. I adore them. They do mirror starwars in some ways, but to me these charachters are completly different.
I can't really think of a good way to explain it, I myself am not a very good writter. These books are DEEP and wonderful.
I read them when 20 and now 7 years later i think I have read them each atleast 5 times. I simply adore these books.
Older reader loves this space fantasy.......2006-03-25
I have read this series at least four times. I continue to pick up Weis's books (and putting them back down after a few chapters) hoping to find one that draws me in the way this book did. No clear cut always right hero or villain in this book and I loved the mixture of old relics and traditions with spacecraft. I knew it had to come to an end but I wish there were someway to come back to this series.
Best.... Series.... EVER!!!!.......2005-07-01
This review encompasses the entire trilogy, not just the first book.
This series has been my favorite read since I read the first book at 13. The couple of years I had to wait before the second book came out was agony, and again with the third book. The characters are incredibly well written, and their interactions are what make this series so great. If you like plausible characters, and a well written world, you will love this book. I've read some of the other books Margaret Weis has written with other authors, and I honestly think she does far better writing alone. Her character's come across much clearer, and the tragedy is far more moving. The plot and theme is pretty much the same as everything else she's written, but her style really shines here.
There are two reasons I find that cause people to be disappointed with this series. These are 1) This book is not "hard" sf. In fact, I would categorize it as "Science Fantasy". If you are looking for a book that has lots of plausible theories and a scientific grounding, you may be disappointed. It's focus is on the characters and the story, not techy gadgets. And 2) this series is definately inspired by Star Wars. If you're looking for something that doesn't make you think of another story, this is not it.
That said, even if you fall into one of these categories I would still suggest you try it. You may be pleasantly surprised.
This is what Star Wars should be.......2005-02-28
These books basicly flow from a similar template to "Star Wars". Sagan is Darth Vader. The guardians are the Jedi. Etc Etc... If you like that sort of story, you will really enjoy these novels. Don't be fooled by descriptions of this series as a "trilogy". I myself have FOUR novels. They consist of "King's Sacrifice" (book one), "King's Test" (book two), "The Lost King" (book three), and "Ghost Legion" (book four). I am unaware of any other Star of the Guardians novels.
Comparisons to other pulp science fiction asside, the best part of these novels is that Weis does a fantastic job of fleshing out the personalities of her characters. Sagan is often conflicted in his desire for power and his regret at his roll in the downfall of the monarchy. Dion Starfire is young, and often careless. Seeminly easily manipulated by the people around him, he has to grow into his roll as a ruler of the galaxy. A roll he doesn't really seem to want. The Lady Maigrey is a former lover of Sagan's and now his bitterest foe. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.
It has been many years since I've read this series, but I still keep the books in my collection and fully intend to read them again some day. I recommend them to anyone who loves galaxy spanning adventure backed by political intrigue and deep believable characters.
The beginning of a journey........2002-11-15
I really owe a debt of thanks to Margeret Weis for writing these books. Seven years ago I was like most teenagers in the world today, my interests pretty much consisted soley of TV. I would occasionally go to the library and take out books, usually hard science science-fiction books. One day in there I saw The Lost King and decided to take it out. That's the day that I'm able to point back and say that I began my journey in literature.
The book is great! The series is great! It starts out very Star Warsyish and then takes over and draws you in. I've read the series countless times since then. I've read a thousand other books since these. It all comes back to these books. I'd be a very different person if I hadn't found them.
If you haven't read them yet... please do. It's just a superb story.
Customer Reviews:
Great.......2007-01-19
Purchased as a gift to complete collection. Book in condition stated, great packaging, shipping times as stated. Will purchase from seller again.
Book Description
Lost in the Stars accounts for the work and legend of Alexander Siloti (1863-1945), and outlines in fascinating detail his role in the musical life of St. Petersburg, his later career in New York, and why his name has largely dissolved in history. This book is an extraordinary guide to a galaxy of musical genius, and a man central to its orbit.
Customer Reviews:
Lost in the Stars.......2007-01-05
I gave a copy of his book to a retired piano professor who studied at Julliard 50 years ago. At the old Julliard school before moving to the current location, there was a Siloti's statue. This book reminds us of a master in the golden age of piano era.He also thinks Barbagallo's CD is superb comparing to other two other big name recordings of Bach/Siloti transcriptions.
Please also consider Siloti's complete compositions for sale at Amazon.com. There are many good pieces for you or your advanced children to play. Some of Bach's transcriptions are among best.
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