Product Description
The destruction of Buffy's hometown, plus covert and powerful slayer "cells" around the world, add up to a new label for the Scoobies: Terrorist threat. Speaking of Sunnydale, the crater formerly known as, has opened to reveal the witch Amy, and boy is she mad.
Season Eight continues as Buffy creator Joss Whedon brings Buffy back to Dark Horse in this direct follow-up to Season Seven of the smash-hit TV series.
Customer Reviews:
And the story continues.......2007-04-22
Warning: Thar be spoilers ahead!
Remember each week those exciting words (which alerted us that we were about to get a new exciting episode of the best show on TV)? "Previously on BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER . . . " The new comic series seems to be doing something along these same lines. On the inside of the outer cover are printed the following:
"This story takes place after the end of BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER Season Seven.
"The Slayer population of the world has gone from two to nearly two thousand. Almost five hundred are working around the world with Buffy's organization in squads--or "terrorist cells," according to the American military. Buffy, Xander, Dawn, and a passel of Slayers are currently bunked out in a Scottish castle, where the latest mission revealed a strange symbol carved into human bodies.
"Also, Dawn's a giant."
This may be a summary that is rewritten each month to reflect what has happened in the previous issues.
The first episode in Season Eight established the situation; this one begins moving the story forward. The U.S. military (or rather, a military leader who has on his chest the strange symbol referred to in the monthly summary) has authorized Amy the witch and her army of zombies to go after Buffy and her cohorts. After the story begins with three very different approaches to training the new slayers by first Giles, then Buffy, and finally Andrew (who actually couldn't be said to be training them at all) we find Xander explaining why Dawn took the form of a giant when it was possible she could have assumed other forms instead (obviously, she is trying to get her sister's attention in the most blatant manner possible). The catch is, does Xander really tell any of this to Buffy or is it all just part of what we later learn is a spell-induced sleep in which she experiences an unbroken nightmare. And in a fairy-tale twist she can only be awakened by the kiss of true love. We can, of course, imagine a line of possible candidates for that: Angel and Spike fighting to be first in line. Well, of course Buffy will be awakened, and sooner rather than later. Can't imagine her being asleep at the end of the next episode. The tricky part is how one defines "true love." That needn't mean romantic love. My gut tells me that the kiss won't come from any of the usual suspects. My money is on Dawn. Yeah, I know. No one likes Dawn. But the brute fact is that except for struggling to save her in Season Five, Buffy has been a truly awful sister. Not in a Cinderella step sisterly way, but in the completely neglectful, can't-spare-her-a-minute way. But early in Season Six, Dawn seemed to miss her more than anyone. Like I said, my money is on Dawn.
The issues ends with Buffy asleep, the castle under assault by hundreds of zombies they can't keep at bay, Amy gloating that she could handle slayers with ease, so there was no one there who could take her on. The final frame is of someone who says that they would "like to test that theory." And thus Willow makes her first appearance in the story.
I am going to say something that I don't think I can say often enough. I don't want Joss Whedon writing comics. I want him creating new television shows. I suspect he enjoys the control that a comic gives him. I am sure he is tired of battling studios and networks. I can understand that. But once the battles have been waged and the BS has been waded through, Joss Whedon has been able to create some of the most extraordinary, most timeless television that has ever been made. He needs to get back to it. That being said, I am so much happier with him doing BUFFY Season Eight than either his X-Men project or the Runaways (and mind you, I like both the X-Men and the Runaways). There are others who can tell further stories about the X-Men and the Runaways, but Joss Whedon is only one who can give us authoritative Buffy stories. So I am acquiring these with joy and my heart and impatience in my soul. But I want him back in television. We've had some great TV since BUFFY and ANGEL left the air. LOST, 24, VERONICA MARS, and especially BATTLESTAR GALACTICA have filled the huge gap BUFFY left at its departure. But LOST needs to start winding down (whether it will has to be seen), BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (the only show to completely match the brilliance that was BUFFY) has possibly only one more season left and at most two before Ron Moore brings his series to an end. 24 is definitely in decline. VERONICA MARS might be cancelled. In short, JOSS! WE NEED YOU TO COME BACK TO TELEVISION! But in the meantime, I'll wolf down every one of these issues.
Episode Two: Attack of the Rat.......2007-04-05
Buffy fans will be expecting a lot after seven stellar seasons on television and the success of the first issue of "Season Eight." So the question here is this: Does Issue #2 deliver?
In short, yes. I have to say though--there is so much going on, so many jokes, and so much foreshadowing that I wasn't able to completely enjoy the Jossy goodness until my second read. The first read intrigued me, but the second wow-ed me.
The plot continues directly from the previous issue. Amy (the former rat) is working with the government to take out Buffy and the slayers, and she has an army of zombies to back her up. The ending sequences are amazing--I'm already itching for May 2nd to come so I can get my hands on the third issue. There was a big revelation about half-way through the comic, and clues to who the Big Bad of the season will be as well. Giant Dawn is great, Buffy is true to herself, and Xander is playing the biggest role he's played since the first season.
This issue also re-introduces two fan favorites: Giles and Andrew. So, all in all, this issue is just as good as the first. But did anybody expect anything less? I mean, come on--Joss Whedon wrote it.
9/10
Book Description
Once the Sith order teemed with followers. But their rivalries divided them in endless battles for supremacy. Until one dark lord at last united the Sith in the quest to enslave the galaxy–and exterminate the Jedi. Yet it would fall to another, far more powerful than the entire Brotherhood of Darkness, to ultimately realize the full potential of the Sith, and wield the awesome power of the dark side as never before.
Since childhood, Dessel has known only the abuse of his hateful father and the dangerous, soul-crushing labor of a cortosis miner. Deep in the tunnels of the desolate planet Apatros, endlessly excavating the rare mineral valued throughout the galaxy, Dessel dreams of the day he can escape–a day he fears may never come. But when a high-stakes card game ends in deadly violence, Dessel suddenly finds himself a wanted man.
On the run from vengeful Republic forces, Dessel vanishes into the ranks of the Sith army, and ships out to join the bloody war against the Republic and its Jedi champions. There, Dessel’s brutality, cunning, and exceptional command of the Force swiftly win him renown as a warrior. But in the eyes of his watchful masters, he is destined for a far greater role in the ultimate Sith plan for the galaxy–if he can prove himself truly worthy.
As an acolyte in the Sith academy, studying the secrets and skills of the dark side at the feet of its greatest masters, Dessel embraces his new Sith identity: Bane. However the true test is yet to come. In order to gain acceptance into the Brotherhood of Darkness one must fully surrender to the dark side through a trial by fire that Bane, for all his unquenchable fury and lust for power, may not be strong enough to endure . . . especially since deception, treachery, and murder run rampant among the Sith disciples, and utter ruthlessness alone is the key to survival. Only by defying the most sacred traditions, rejecting all he has been taught, and drawing upon the long-forgotten wisdom of the very first Sith can Bane hope to triumph–and forge from the ashes of that which he must destroy a new era of absolute dark power.
Customer Reviews:
Great story, new perspectives.......2007-10-04
This was the first book or storyline I've read that includes characters and ideas from such an old time period.
I loved it. I do appreciate good literature, character and plot development, but this book was more of a dark revenge kind of book, and the action was great. I loved reading about how powerful Bane was and about the rest of the ancient Sith order.
Highly recommended.
Insight into the workings of the Sith..........2007-08-18
This is an excellent insight into the basis of the dark side. Very well written, moves along, and very enjoyable. Hard to believe that this author isn't an established novelist. The descriptions are excellent and the style gives you a sense that your in the mind of someone that is undergoing transformation. I'm not sure why that 1 star reviewer is so bent out of shape with the violence. He mentions Vader as a likeable "antihero". I distinctly remember in one of the movies Anakin slaughtering mercilessly the younglings or toddler/child jedi off camera. In the fictional SW world, the sith are evil, and that's what evil does. All and all a worthwhile read and definitely not a waste of time.
o so thats how it goes.......2007-07-27
this book is great for hardcore star wars fans. it sheads new light on the Darth title and is a great read.
Two there should be; no more no less.......2007-07-11
Wow. This book was outstanding! I found myself not being able to read through the pages quickly enough nor being able to stop, so much so that I finished it in two days.
Considering this takes place some 1000 years before the events of A New Hope, I was a bit apprehensive being that there would be nothing but entirely fresh new characters and none of the staples of the movies (Han, Luke, Obi Wan, etc, etc), but THIS is what I was expecting Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader to be.
This book sheds alot of light on the Sith. Not their beginnings entirely, but how they were before they were wiped about a milennia prior to the movies we know and love. A time when the sith were about as abundant as the Jedi.
Darth Bane starts from meager and quite tragic beginnings, but that's what usually makes for the most interesting villains, isn't it? Of course, Bane can be a villain OR a hero depending on how you're looking at it.
Lots of insight to the Sith is provided in this book. What makes them tick, basically. Of course we know from our exposure to the Sith in the films that they're fueled by power for power's sake, Karpyshyn really takes a deeper look at it.
Basically, this is one man's journey to the peak of his power and how, by sheer force of will and cunning, he changes the outcome of a war and the future of his kind. The events of this book pave the way to the Sith we loved to hate in the star wars films.
Betrayal, murder, revenge, war. He should have a sith name more like Darth Bada$$ =) I can't wait until the sequel comes out. Maybe we'll even get a whole series of Sith based books and get to see how Palpatine starts his rise in the order of the Sith.
Can't recommend this one highly enough, especially after reading the somewhat disappointing Star Wars Allegiance.
The rise of Darth Bane..........2007-07-10
Darth Bane: Path of Destruction takes a different - and refreshing - approach to storytelling in the Star Wars universe. Most novels follow the heroic exploits of well-known and loved Star Wars heroes - Luke, Han, Leia, Lando, etc. This novel details the rise of one of the founders of the modern Sith order, where there are only two, a master and an apprentice. Darth Bane is a character hinted at to a limited degree in the expanded universe material. In this novel, his rise to power over the Sith order and control of it's future is laid out, events which affect the Sith up until the time of the movies, where there remain only a master and an apprentice.
The novel is, as one would expect, darker than other Star Wars novels. It vividly depicts the harsh and ruthless philosophy of the Sith, where innocents suffer and the powerful rule by brute force, as well as cunning and trickery.
Darth Banes life starts out mundane, but by the end of the novel the destiny of the Sith is forever changed. His transformation into THE Dark Lord of the Sith is complete and his apprentice is found, leaving the door open for future novels.
It was quite interesting to read a novel that had a darker theme than most Star Wars novels. And it was refreshing to read about characters from the expanded universe that I've enjoyed for years now. Exar Kun and Naga Sadow (both Kevin J. Anderson creations, I believe), among others, are mentioned in the novel. Planets and familiar locations for the comics and video games are mentioned, too. Given the amount of expanded universe material involved - from comics to books to games - the novel does a great job of tying the previously hinted at material together and fleshing out, so to speak, the character of Darth Bane.
If you like Star Wars novels and are looking for a storyline with a darker tone to it, then don't pass up this novel. There are Jedi and heroes of the light side in the novel, but they take a backseat to the main story of the rise of Darth Bane, the founder of the modern Sith order.
Average customer rating:
- Morrison misses the mark with this one
- The First Volume of Many, I Hope....
- Graphic SF Reader
- WORST SUPER-MAN BOOK NEVER: A BIZARRO REVIEW
- The New-Old Superman
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All Star Superman, Vol. 1
Grant Morrison
Manufacturer: DC Comics
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 1401209149 |
Book Description
Two of the comics industry's top creative talents, writerGrant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely, the acclaimed team behind JLA:EARTH 2, reunite to redefine Superman based on the timeless, essentialiconic elements that everyone knows about the Man of Steel.In the first volume, the World's Greatest Super-Hero rescues a doomed groupof astronauts on the surface of the sun when he's exposed to massiveamounts of solar radiation no one could possibly anticipate how he'll beaffected - except Lex Luthor!
Customer Reviews:
Morrison misses the mark with this one.......2007-09-18
Read Morrison's "All-Star Superman" today, and it just doesn't work for me. It's yet another reinvention of the Man of Steel, but like Bryan Singer's dismall 'Superman Returns' remake, this Superman just doesn't feel right. The stories all seem hurried and undeveloped, and after all of these messy mini-stories, the book still leaves you with Superman and his unresolved terminal illness. How about some resolution Grant?
Frank Quitely offers some exceptional artwork, however, and his artwork, combined with excellent color work, really stands out. I just wish there was a little more substance to this book, but it was just page after page of retelling of the same old establish framework.
Also, for the casual reader, who doesn't pour over Wizard each month, it would help if there was a little background established at the beginnning of this trade paperback. So this is a tabula rasa Superman, apparently? He isn't married to Lois anymore? And Luther is just another villian, and not president? Having these details established at the beginning, you know, something like "We're hosing the established continuity AGAIN and starting over" would help. And, for what it's worth, John Byrne did a much better job of the reinvention.
All-Star Superman was passable but nothing spectacular. And as a side-note, I was somewhat taken aback by the comment made on page 67, as "Samson", offering time traveling adventures to Lois, glibly makes the comment that they could travel through time and "end the evening with drinks at the crucifixion." Give me a break. Talk about a low-taste, bigoted remark. So much for Christians reading this book: let's just take a stab at your faith. Imagine if Morrison had written "end the evening with drinks at ground zero on 9/11". Would Morrison have found that humorous too? For DC comics, I guess there's nothing wrong with making a casual jab at the expense of the death of Jesus Christ.
The First Volume of Many, I Hope...........2007-09-10
Everyone who knows anything about comics has heard of the Silver and Golden Ages, and both (arguable) are appopriately named. I don't know what the present age in comics will be called in the future, but I'll always remember it as the Dark Age and here's to hoping it ends soon (you can't even tell the difference between good and bad guys anymore). As an amateur artist myself I understand the impact, positive or negative, that the art of comics or any art at all for that matter,can have on people. Admittedly, today's comics are packed with suspenseful action that can easily take you for one heck of a ride, but have you really looked at these books? There are so many of them that look like midnight from cover to cover, no longer just harmless and enjoyable. When most of the art is done in deep, dark colors, the lasting impression is dark. This dramatic/sad/spooky tone is perfect for some stories and even I like to sit down with one of those moody works sometimes but not all the time. Entertainment is supposed to be fun, not depressing! And good comics,through good art and the right attitude, can give you that: an optimistic feel even in the face of doomsday, groundbreaking, take-your-breath-away events. They canmake you think and feel and leave you satisfied but wanting more. Of you agree, then you'll love this book. It's not bloody or overly suggestive and, though the dialogue was great, I don't recall seeing a single cussword. It's a book that kids will want to share with their parents, not hide it under the bed so they won't see and parents are likely to enjoy it, too, and just as much. I wholly believe that, given half a chance, anyone and everyone will like it. For years to come, hopefully, this series is bound to set the standard for comics. Here, Superman is not just a mindless, raging being who fights for the heck of it, as most comics seem to make him lately. This is, after all, only the first volume (6 episodes) of a new, ongoing series so maybe it's a downhill ride from here, but I doubt it. The art, the characters, the story, the dialogue.... All so familiar, but so original. To quote my 11-year-old-brother, it's "Cool!".
Graphic SF Reader.......2007-09-04
All Star Superman is drawn by Frank Quitely, which is always pretty cool. The story seems quite a bit more reminscent at times of Elliott Maggin's novels, than anything else. That doesn't mean there isn't some craziness in there, but a bit more of that whole Superman, Lois and Lex tone that the author comes up with, so Morrison has done a pretty decent job.
WORST SUPER-MAN BOOK NEVER: A BIZARRO REVIEW.......2007-07-22
Me am so mad at Grant Morrison for drawing such a bad book. And me no pleased that Frank Quitely not decide to write! This is surely not worst ever book that not star Me Bizarro's least hated hero, Lex Luthor, world's most hairiest man! The sight of seeing Superman walking in space with moon behind him is such a wretched piece of art that me not have it framed and wear around me's neck! It is really boring story that not serve to show that Spider-Man really am biggest DC Villain of No-Time! Lois Lane surely am ugly man and Jimmy Olsen is the real star of the whole story! Perry White not edit well world's least read newspaper, Daily Planet. This whole story is one big hoax. Everybody know that Superman is already dead, so him no in danger of living long life! Hooray!
TRANSLATED: this is, as Grant Morrison put it, "a love letter to Superman". Nothing else really need be said. I simply cannot wait until this entire run is collected into an ABSOLUTE EDITION.
Some criticism has been levelled at this book about it not being spectacular enough (read: action-heavy) and "too Silver Age" , but that is to miss the point. It's obvious that Grant has chosen to tell his story a particular way, focusing less on the "bigger" aspects of normal superhero comics and more on the quieter, introspective aspects of the Superman-verse.
I particularly love the sequence in issue 1 where Clark is late to a meeting and Grant/Frank depict his saving the boy and dog from the oncoming truck, to then "saving" Steve from scolding himself with coffee to Clark's classic line: "Working on my suntan, Chief?" Brilliant! No, actually, make that -- "SUPER!"
I am in awe!
The New-Old Superman.......2007-07-06
Quite honestly, I have never liked Superman. However, the quirky charm that Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely infused the character and his supporting cast with proved irresistible.
The stories range from delightfully quirky to honestly heartwrenching, and they offer some of the best portrayals of the Superman supporting cast I've ever read. Many of the best stories, such as 'The Gospel According to Lex Luthor' feature very little in the realm of traditional superheroics, but are some of the best Superman stories in decades.
You don't have to have a love of superheroes, comic books, or Superman himself in order to appreciate All-Star Superman - you just have to enjoy the quirky and the wonderful.
Amazon.com
It has been said that one can see farther only by standing on the shoulders of giants. Ahab's Wife, Sena Naslund's epic work of historical fiction, honors that aphorism, using Herman Melville's Moby-Dick as looking glass into early-19th-century America. Through the eye of an outsider, a woman, she suggests that New England life was broader and richer than Melville's manly world of men, ships, and whales. This ambitious novel pays tribute to Melville, creating heroines from his lesser characters, and to America's literary heritage in general.
Una, named for the heroine of Edmund Spenser's Faerie Queene, flees to the New England coast from Kentucky to escape her father's puritanism and to pursue a more exalted life. She gets whaling out of her system early: going to sea at 16 disguised as a boy, Una has her ship sunk by her own monstrous whale, and survives a harrowing shipwreck:
I was so horrified by the whale's deliberate charge that I could not move. Then my own name flew up from below like a spear: "Una!" Giles' voice broke my trance, and I scrambled down the rigging. No sooner did my foot touch the deck than there was such a lurch that I fell to my face. I heard and felt the boards break below the waterline, the copper sheathing nothing but decorative foil. The whole ship shuddered. A death throe.
The ship dies, but Una returns to land to pursue the life of the mind. The novel's opening line--"Captain Ahab was neither my first husband nor my last"--also diminishes Melville's hero in the broader scheme of things. Naslund exposes the reader to the unsung, real-life heroes of Melville's world, including Margaret Fuller and her Boston salon, and Nantucket astronomer Maria Mitchell. There is a chance meeting with a veiled Nathaniel Hawthorne in the woods, and throughout the novel the story brims with references to the giants of literature: Shakespeare, Goethe, Coleridge, Keats, and Wordsworth. Although her novel runs long at nearly 700 pages, Naslund has created an imaginative, entertaining, and very impressive work. --Ted Leventhal
Book Description
From the opening line -- "Captain Ahab was neither my first husband nor my last" -- you will know that you are in the hands of a master storyteller and in the company of a fascinating woman hero. Inspired by a brief passage in
Moby-Dick,
Sena Jeter Naslund has created an enthralling and compellingly readable saga, spanning a rich, eventful, and dramatic life. At once a family drama, a romantic adventure, and a portrait of a real and loving marriage,
Ahab's Wife gives new perspective on the American experience.
This P.S. edition features an extra 16 pages of insights into the book, including author interviews, recommended reading, and more.
Download Description
E-Book extras: ONE: An Interview with Sena Jeter Naslund: "The Ship of My Book"; TWO: Author's Note: "The Surprise and Pleasure of It"; THREE: Reading Group Guide: Discussion Points. The famous international bestseller is now a special-features-packed e-book. Inspired by a brief passage in Moby-Dick, Sena Jeter Naslund has created an entirely new universe - an epic-scale, enthralling, and deliciously readable saga, spanning the full, rich, eventful, and dramatic life of one Una Spenser, for whom "Captain Ahab was neither my first husband nor my last." Illustrated throughout by world-renowned artist Christopher Wormell.
Customer Reviews:
A True Reading Pleasure!!.......2007-10-02
Terrific writing, stunningly embellished with vivid descriptions and details, but easy to read. Subject matter is fascinating!
Ahab's fictional wife's philosphical musings and deep inner life.......2007-09-20
Ahab's Fictional Wife's Philosphical Musings and Deep Inner Life is a title that aptly describes this endless novel. The segments that were plot-driven, such as Una's adventures as a sailor and the mental illness of her first husband, were wonderful. Ahab, until now merely an icon, was infused with genuine humanity, and the story of their marriage was so well done. Life on Nantucket and the experience of sea captains' wives are vividly drawn. Naslund is a very good writer. It was all the stuff in between (Una's odes to her sewing needle, her effusive love affair with the seas, her genius despite her poor education, to offer just a few out of dozens of examples) that brings my rating down to 3 stars. Maybe this new writer was given a new editor. Someone should have blue pencilled about 200 pages of filler. Certainly Abundance is a much tauter production. This book might have been equally good.
Ahab's Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund.......2007-09-19
Ahab's Wife serves admirably as a companion book to Melville's Moby-Dick and having read both, I think I can safely say that if Herman Melville were to read Ahab's Wife, he would be more than happy with the duty and accuracy Naslund devotes to the period, the prose, and its homage to Melville's opus.
This is the life story of Una, the wife of Ahab - the peg-legged determined-bordering-on-insane captain of the Pequod in search of his white whale. The cover of the book depicts a Puritan-clothed woman on a harsh beach looking out into a rough sea, while further down the beach lies the broken hulk of an old ship. It creates images and ideas of a worrying woman left at home for years at a time to tend to house and children, while her husband is out braving the sea, fighting giants monsters in his man's world. One would think this a book about her everyday actions, her chores, her repetitive characteristics, and while this is part of the book, there is so much more going on in Una's life with her triumphs and tribulations, her loves and deaths, her dangerous adventures, and her happy times at home. This is what makes Ahab's Wife a welcome companion to Moby-Dick, for while Ahab's is a story of adventure and danger, Una's is just as much so.
The book begins, as all life stories should, with a birth, only Una's mother is all alone in a cabin and naturally it is a birth that almost kills her. Una's life is a harsh one in Kentucky and before she is ten, her mother sends her away to her aunt's. Una's father is a devout Christian, while Una is an atheist from a young age, choosing not to blindly believe in what her father tells her to believe. Her mother fearing for her life, sends her to the distant coast of New England to live with her aunt and uncle in a lighthouse. And so begins the next chapter in her life, with a different family, in a different place. With the arrival of two men who come to upgrade the lighthouse, she falls in love with both of them - even though she is still young - knowing that one will be her husband one day. At the age of eighteen, she leaves the island and the lighthouse for the mainland of Boston and then Nantucket getting by on simple work until she finds the same two men whom she loves on a whaling ship. Disguising herself as a young boy she joins the crew and experiences the whaling life of her future husband. It is here that she first sees The Pequod and meets Ahab, who by then is an old man but still respectable and honorable. Ahab is the one to marry Una to Kit when her existence on the ship, love for that man, and her femininity are all revealed.
A whale stoves in the ship and Una spends many days on a small boat with the remaining crew reduced to cannibalism - harking to the story of Moby-Dick as well as the story of the whale ship Essex, which was the impetus for Melville's story. It is on the return journey to Nantucket that the other love of her life dies tragically and her husband Kit essentially goes insane. Upon returning to land and leaving her husband due to his condition, Una's life slows down and her relationship with Ahab begins until their marriage and happiness together. It is here that the story of Moby-Dick truly begins and the reader gets to meet the familiar characters of the classic book. But while Ahab spends years away from home, Una's life goes on with the birth of a child and the struggles of her life. It is upon the return and meeting of Ishmael that Una learns of the doomed story of Ahab, his white whale, and his death.
The book could be considered technically over at this point, but this is the story of Una, who is still very much alive. The rest of her life is spent interacting with Ishmael and even meeting and interacting with the slave who fought for his freedom, Frederick Douglass. And while she never forgets her life with Ahab, she eventually finds another husband and in the waning years of her life is happy once more.
What makes Ahab's Wife a truly impressive book is not just its intended mimicry with Moby-Dick with the crossing over characters, similar layout of the book with many chapters and illustrations, and actual scenes involving the same location in both books such as the church with the pulpit carved to imitate the bow of a ship which the same preacher from Moby-Dick climbs the ladder to the top and scream of hellfire and damnation; it is the prose and how Naslund writes that truly emulates the style of Melville, making this a truly important work of literature deserving a place in the shelves with Melville, James and Hawthorne.
For more book reviews, and other writings, go to www.alexctelander.com
Comments about "Ahab's Wife".......2007-07-26
What awesome descriptions and captivating storyline! I couldn't put this book down! It makes me want to read "Moby Dick" again! I look forward to reading Sena Jeter Naslund's other novels. If they are half as good as the story of Una, I am hooked! I found that Una is so much like my daughter, and the author never met my daughter. Of course, this made the story even more interesting to me. The personalities are so diverse and very believable. I would recommend this book to everyone.
AHAB'S WIFE--WHAT A FABULOUS BOOK.......2007-07-10
Yes, dear ladies and gentlemen, I truly loved this book, despite what some of our colleagues wrote. I usually read true crime novels and biographies, so this story was truly quite a different one to read.
Once again, just fabulous.
Average customer rating:
- A long time ago..., A more innocent time for Star Wars and Comic Books.
- Everything it should be!
- All New Adventures, Some Great, Some Not So Great
- Nostalgic and Corny
- Weak movie adaptation improves afterward
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Doomworld (Star Wars: A Long Time Ago..., Book 1)
Roy Thomas ,
Archie Goodwin , and
Don Glut
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Dark Encounters (Star Wars: A Long Time Ago..., Book 2)
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Star Wars: A Long Time Ago..., Book 4: Screams in the Void
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Star Wars: A Long Time Ago..., Book 5: Fool's Bounty
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Star Wars: A Long Time Ago..., Book 7: Far, Far Away
ASIN: 1569717540 |
Book Description
Dark Horse Comics is proud to present Classic Star Wars: A Long Time Ago... featuring classic Star Wars stories not seen in over twenty years! Originally printed by Marvel Comics, these stories have been recolored and are sure to please Star Wars fans both new and old. Volume 1 contains stories from the original Marvel run like the riveting classics "Eight for Aduba-3," "Star Search," and the smash hit of June 1978 "Doomworld!"
Customer Reviews:
A long time ago..., A more innocent time for Star Wars and Comic Books........2007-01-17
In 1977 Star Wars arrived in theaters and quickly fired the imaginations of millions of young people. In a world without cable TV, DVD's, and home computers, Star Wars fans looking to satisfy their "hunger" turned to the Marvel Comics adaption. The Star Wars comics of the late 70's and early 80's were much more than "just" comics to my generation.
In the 1970's Marvel put in a great effort to bring many popular science ficton films to the comic book format. Marvel had already released "planet of the apes" and "2001: a space odyssey" and were in the process of delivering an outstanding "Logan's Run" adaption when Star Wars arrived. There had not been a film in over a decade that was better suited to become a comic book than Star Wars.
Marvels' "Star Wars" was destined to become a classic, but issue number one was something of a false start. The issue featured a rough and somewhat "experimental" style of artwork. They quickly changed direction with issue number two and it was much smoother sailing from that point forward. But the folks at Marvel didn't have a great track record of producing excellent "non-superhero" content, so the odds were against them when it came to taking the Star Wars series BEYOND the movie adaption.
Some younger Star Wars fans may judge these stories to be corny, bizarre, poorly written and even poorly illustrated efforts. But I can tell you that these comics contain the TRUE spirit of the time and the true spirit of what Star Wars meant to my generation. There is a certain magic within the pages of these comics that can never be fully appreciated by anyone who has come to know Star Wars via Six films and nearly 30 years worth of other media and literature. I'm not claiming that "younger" Star Wars fans will not enjoy this collection, only that it might take an effort to "understand" where this stuff came from.
The comics represented in this compilation were created during a time of great imagination and wonder, a time filled with "a new hope". These comic books are a great way for current fans to take a journey back in time, to a Star Wars universe that was still fresh and unexplored. If you're an original fan, you may feel (as I do) that George Lucas has since destroyed much of his own wonderful creation. Perhaps these stories will stand as a reminder of a much more innocent Star Wars universe that once existed, "a long time ago...".
Product review:
This is a great effort by Dark Horse to pay tribute to the original marvel comic books. The coloring has been revamped and looks bright and quite amazing. It's certainly nice to have all of the original issues contained within seven "easy access" volumes. Well worth the price!
The only cool feature missing from these volumes (that can be found in the original issues), is the "Star Words" page. This page featured "letters" sent in from fans and readers. Today, it's certainly a real treat to read some of those letters which help to demonstrate what fans were thinking about Star Wars and this adaption all those years ago. The missing "Star Words" pages certainly do not detract from the enjoyment of the comic book, but would have been a nice addition!
Also, while Dark Horse claims that all of the coloring is 100% faithful to the original artwork, this isn't entirely true. Cover art from each issue is reproduced within each volume. The cover of Issue #14 has been drastically altered. It originally had an AMAZING colored background behind the drawn warriors and was one of the best covers of the Marvel comics run. I'm only guessing that Dark Horse was not able to faithfully reproduce the incredible effect from the original cover and instead simply made it a "white" background. It's still worth tracking down the original comic just for the great cover design for that issue!
JM
Everything it should be!.......2006-04-23
This is the first book in the marvel
star wars series and I enjoyed it.
It shows all of A New Hope and after.
This book also has full vibrant color that makes the pictures stand out.
The only thing I didn't like was that they talked about a old Jedi named Don-Wan Kihotay teaming up with Han solo.
And then in the next issue they just make him disappear and he was a cool character.
I liked in this book how they showed Chewbacca looking like a monkey.
Jabba the Hutt looks weird too.
In one issue Chewbacca is forced to shoot Han and it's really suspenseful.
P.S. Don-Wan has a yellow lightsaber, weird.
All New Adventures, Some Great, Some Not So Great.......2005-12-31
Volume 1 is the weakest of the "A Long Time Ago" collections, but the quality of the stories shows a trend toward improvement. Marvel's adaption of the original "Star Wars" is passable, with wide variations in the quality of the artwork. The first story arc, concentrating on Han and Chewbacca after the movie, is dreadful.
The series gets better with the Waterworld/Crimson Jack stories, and really hits its stride around issue 16. The stories set on The Wheel (based around the schemes of Leia's old nemesis from the Senate and gung-ho Imperial Commander Strom) are quite entertaining. A fun look back at the comics I remember from my childhood, collected in a nice trade paperback format.
Nostalgic and Corny.......2003-12-26
Before the days of Dark Horse there was: THIS STUFF. On the one hand, this is what we once had. On the other hand, some of it was really corny. Sometimes the art was pretty awful. Other times it was the story line. Yet, through it all it was a lot like a grade B movie in comic book form; fun to read though you could never take it too seriously.
Some of the ideas were pure corn. How about a giant carnivorous rabbit (Jaxxon). The Don Wan Kioti character was right out of "The Man of La Mancha." There are other examples, but these suffice to give you a rough idea.
In spite of all the corn, these things are fun to read. The stories take me back to the days of yore when comics really were oriented towards young boys rather than adults, and we ate these things up. Of course, these were what we had, and we had no comparison to the quality graphics in todays comics. Many people in the industry are loath to call them comics.
While the book is a bit pricey, on the other hand you do get 20 comics. The book is pretty thick and the reproductions are good. You have to be a hard-core Star Wars fan or nostalgic for original Star Wars comics to want these, but for either of those groups, enjoy!
Weak movie adaptation improves afterward.......2003-09-09
Howard Chaykin is one of my favorite, if not the favorite comic book artists/writers. That is why it is so disappointing to see his work in this compilation. It is incredulous that the man who produced the gorgeous, crisp, clean art of American Flagg was responsible for the sloppy, hurried art presented in his issues. After Carmine Infantino takes over though, the art improves markedly.
The first six issues are an adaptation of the movie, although it bears much more resemblance to the novelization as it includes such things as Luke seeing his friends on Tatooine, Luke being a part of Blue group rather than Red. The first cover features a red-headed Princess Leia and a green Darth Vader in a mistake of galactic proportions. Also editing errors are rife throughout the adaptation with weapons being called different names throughout and not often matching what they were called in the movie. I can only hope they rushed these out 1 a week the quality was so low.
After we get through the movie adaptation things improve, though for a while we get some really bad editing. Names spelled differently in different panels for one thing. Still though, despite the improvement in plotting there are still some laughably bad ideas such as Don-Wan Kihotay(also spelled Don-Wan Kioti) the Man of La Mancha Jedi ripoff.
There is continual improvement though and we eventually get to see some nice, plausible adventures of what may have happened to our heroes after the destruction of the Death Star. Chewbacca though never really looks much like Chewbacca.
Two stars for the beginning, and the continual improvement brings it up to three stars.
Average customer rating:
- Haddock is introduced in the Golden Claws
- A little disappointing
- Tintin on his adventures!
- A rich part of this bilingual Canadian's heritage
- The Adventures of Tintin: The Crab With the Golden Claws / The Shooting Star / The Secret of the Unicorn (3 Complete Adventures
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The Adventures of Tintin: The Crab With the Golden Claws / The Shooting Star / The Secret of the Unicorn (3 Complete Adventures in 1 Volume, Vol. 3)
Herge
Manufacturer: Little, Brown Young Readers
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The Adventures of Tintin: The Broken Ear / The Black Island / King Ottokar's Sceptre (3 Complete Adventures in 1 Volume, Vol. 2)
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The Adventures of Tintin: Tintin in America / Cigars of the Pharaoh / The Blue Lotus (3 Complete Adventures in One Volume, Vol. 1)
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ASIN: 0316359440 |
Customer Reviews:
Haddock is introduced in the Golden Claws.......2007-08-23
Thundering Typhoons!! Had been trying to get my hands on this issue as it introduces my fave. character!! It compliments the package well because the issues are in a sequence and one ends up getting more of blistering barnacles! I would recommend this to Haddock's admiration club and otherwise as well!
A little disappointing.......2007-02-07
The quality of the printing is far from perfect. It smooches on several pages.Also, I read the French version first and the English one is, in my opinion, rather lame. A lot of work would need to be done to improve it.
Tintin on his adventures!.......2007-01-21
I have read many Tintin adventures and love them all. Herge can make very funny adventure stories.
In the book, The Crab with the Golden Claws, Tintin meets Captain Haddock. Captain Haddok loves whisky. Professor Calculus is not here. He comes in Red Rackham's treasure.
Reviewed by my child, C.B. Patras
A rich part of this bilingual Canadian's heritage.......2006-09-09
Volume 3: The Crab With the Golden Claws (1942), The Shooting Star (1942), The Secret of the Unicorn (1943). This is the third instalment of my reviews of each of the seven volumes.
As I mentioned in my review for Volume 1, as a child I read these stories in no particular order. So, when reading The Crab With the Golden Claws, I was surprised to see Captain Haddock in such a pitiable state, having made his acquaintance in later adventures...
But this is where he is introduced, and the friendship that develops between Haddock and Tintin not only allows the alcoholic captain to bloom, it lifts the curtain on one of the most entertaining, impulsive (Haddock = ad hoc, get it? In French, the pronunciation of the two is exactly the same...), flawed, and in essence loyal, good hearted and lovable characters in all comicdom. His irascible nature will be abundantly prodded with insufferable foils (Wagg, Abdullah, Castafiore, the Thom(p)sons, and sundry villains) throughout the series. We also meet the sinister Allan for the first time. The story takes place in Morocco, and the child sees yet more of our planet's vistas, while the adult continues to revel in Hergé's textured adventures and detailed settings, as well as a terrifying dream sequence.
Michael Farr's "Tintin: The Complete Companion" (highly recommended), gives a glimpse at why Tintin did not take in the USA as it did in the rest of the world, and that has to do with a couple of panels from The Shooting Star. Though with some brilliant sequences, such as the cinematic seasickness scene, it is not as captivating as the usual Tintin standard, but again, one does not want to miss a single adventure.
The Secret of the Unicorn has a number of threads, one of which develops into the sequel, Red Rackham's Treasure.
The Adventures of Tintin: The Crab With the Golden Claws / The Shooting Star / The Secret of the Unicorn (3 Complete Adventures .......2006-08-31
Good book for kids and aldult as well
Average customer rating:
- Predictable and boring
- Highly Recommended!
- * barf *
- A great place to start
- not very good
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The Golden Age of the Sith (Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi)
Kevin J. Anderson , and
Jr., Dario Carrasco
Manufacturer: Dark Horse
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Similar Items:
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Fall of the Sith Empire (Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi)
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The Sith War (Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi, Volume Three)
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Star Wars: Jedi Vs. Sith
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Dark Lords of the Sith (Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi, Volume Two)
ASIN: 1569712298 |
Book Description
Marka Ragnos ruled the galaxy with an iron fist. He was the Dark Lord of the Sith -- the most powerful of the most powerful. But now he is dead. And two innocent hyperspace explorers, Gav and Jori Daragon, may follow suit if they get caught between the factions fighting to fill the Dark Lord void.
Customer Reviews:
Predictable and boring.......2006-11-10
Welcome to what is at this writing still the earliest chapter in the history of the Star Wars universe, a tale set 5000 years before the adventures of the film series.
CAVEAT ONE
Before you consider buying this, be aware that this volume is but one half of the story and that the conclusion is available in The Fall of the Sith Empire. This review covers both volumes.
CAVEAT TWO
If you're a pathological Star Wars collector, you'll buy this book regardless of its contents. If you're a Star Wars fan who wants to catch up on your history, save your money and read a summary of the events at Wookieepedia. If you're a discerning comics fan, then you must have found your way here by mistake. If so, don't stop. Keep moving. Everyone else, step right this way.
Despite a title that suggests something we never see, namely the glory days of the Sith Empire, author Kevin J Anderson came up with a promising premise. At opposite ends of the universe, the Sith Empire and the fledgling Republic seek to chart new futures, the Republic to end years of civil war and forge a new era of political and economic stability and growth, the Sith to revitalize their moribund Empire by throwing off their isolation and launching a new era of growth through conquest. In between are the innocents through which we view these events, a scholarly Jedi called to arms and a pair of young space navigators, brother and sister who through their explorations inadvertently open the hyperspace route across which the Sith reach to shake the foundations of the newly emergent Republic.
With a setting so far back in the past, Anderson has a wonderful opportunity to develop a good part of the Star Wars backstory. We find, for example, that the Sith were a separate species living on their own world in a relatively undeveloped culture that was then hijacked by a group of exiled Jedi who enslaved the Sith and built a new culture based on veneration of the Dark Force. Over the years these Jedi interbred with the Sith and a number of them left to conquer nearby worlds and create a system-wide Empire ruled by an all-powerful Dark Lord. The Jedi themselves are scholar-warriors closely aligned with political forces preserving civilization, pretty much the same as we have always known them, with one discernable difference - they don't carry lightsabers. And neither do the Sith.
They carry swords instead; swords made of steel. They also wear sandals, toga-like garments, and capes. They fly in spaceships that have sails, and the slavers have spaceships with oars. The Sith world of Korriban looks like it was cribbed from photos of Abu Simbel, with towering Pharaonic deities ensconced on thrones overlooking wide valleys and surrounded by sphinx-like guardians. In fact much of the costume and character design, from the scarab-like symbol of the Sith ruler to the elongated chins and goatees of the Sith, evokes Egypt in very obvious ways.
The artwork, provided across both volumes by Filipino Dario Carrasco, Jr., is not terribly remarkable. It's at best serviceable, in a style reminiscent of John Buscema, one of the iron men of the comic book industry who must have drawn tens of thousands of pages for Marvel for three decades beginning in the 60's. Carrasco, Jr.'s work benefits from a change in inkers and colorist in The Fall of the Sith Empire, where the lines become a little cleaner and the colors a bit more vibrant, but still it's not work that will ever be remembered or about which anyone has ever written more than a few sentences.
The same pedestrian touch is obvious in the writing. Kevin J Anderson wrote a few Star Wars novels in the 1990's and several of those books can regularly be found in "Worst SW Novels" lists. In this particular series Anderson has no protagonist, so he needs to develop his supporting players in order to give us more than just plot. Instead we get characters that are little more than props and literary devices. The Jedi scholar is the narrative frame, the brother-sister navigators the point-of-view characters and the vector of conflict, the Republic Queen and the Sith Lord wrestling opponents wearing good-guy / bad-guy personas. No one has any particular motivation except to get us to the next scene. There's nothing suspenseful or funny or touching or wondrous; it's storytelling about as developed and predictable as painting by numbers.
And with so many other comic books out there to read, you can surely find something more engaging, more worth you time and your money than this underdeveloped Star Wars adventure.
Happy hunting.
Highly Recommended!.......2006-01-23
This interesting book is the fourth book in the Knights of the Old Republic series. The series is a collection of graphic novels that takes the reader to the Old Republic, thousands of years before the events of The Phantom Menace.
This book takes a step back, another thousand years before the time of Exar Kun and Ulic Qel-Droma. When Gav and Jori Daragon's parents are killed in a war, they are now free to roam the galaxy and discover interstellar routes. However, when they blunder onto the hidden empire of the Sith, they unleash a set of circumstances that will lead to either the return of the Sith empire, or its destruction.
My twelve-year-old son is a big Star Wars fan, and he picked up this series so that he could keep on learning about the Star Wars universe. Overall, we found this to be a pretty darn good book. I thought that the illustration work was very good, dark and yet realistic, and found the story to be gripping. We both enjoyed the action and the many different creatures and races that are the hallmark of Star Wars.
Yep, we both enjoyed this book, and highly recommend it to you. We highly recommend the entire Tales of the Jedi series!
* barf *.......2005-07-03
I actually checked this out from my local library, so I can't ask for my money back.
Maybe I can sue the publisher for the time I wasted reading this.
...
A great place to start.......2005-05-19
After reading most of the reviews here I was rather skeptical about purchasing this series. I was fortunate enough to find the comic books and have not read the TPB version of this series. This comic pleasantly surprised me. I've read some really awful stuff by Dark Horse "Infinity's End" for example, but this is not like that in any way. In the context of the grand Star Wars universe this fits in very nicely and addresses many things not mentioned anywhere else such as: who were the Sith, pre-lightsaber era, discovery of hyperspace routes and a bit more. The Jedi are portrayed much as they were in The Phantom Menace as ambassadors and peacemakers not as "wimpy whiners" as was mentioned in another review. The artwork is easy to quibble about and the starships look like something an Ewok would have designed, but it was nice to see Korriban, and get the back-story on Naga Sadow, and to see a developing Coruscant. All in all a very good read worthy of purchase.
not very good.......2005-05-18
i read all the tales of the jedi comics lately and the best thing you can say about this one is at least it's not as bad as fall of the sith empire. poorly done
Download Description
" Take a walk on the wild side... Star Wood Leigh is star struck in life and love. A hasty secret marriage to rock 'n' roll bad boy Jimi Deed triggers a chain of events that changes both of their lives. Together they soar to the heights of stardom and explore the dark side of celebrity. As their lives become more public, their secrets get even darker. Provocative and filled with surprises, this, the latest in the continuing tale of Miss Star Wood Leigh, takes her story to a whole new level. Life goes off the scale as she tries to balance private life with celebrity, and the world finds out what it really means to be Star Struck. Take a twisted look at what can happen offscreen as Star navigates the rocky shoals of life and love as the world's most unintentional superstar. Bestselling authors Pamela Anderson and Eric Shaw Quinn are back with their latest installment on the life of their fictional alter ego and their twisted take on stardom. The editorial advice of writer/director Gerry Anderson -- Pam's brother -- who not only added a lot of joy to the editing process in the writing of this book, also helped shape Star Stuck into a raw and unexpected take on stardom. "
Customer Reviews:
A great read.......2007-05-16
If you read the first book you will definitely enjoy this sequel. Pamela Anderson adds a lot of personality to her characters and some of the story line is not so far off from her real life.
AHHH Pamela! You are too good! .......2007-01-29
This book is fiction, but you can tell that she uses real life experiences to add to the fun. This book was a quick read and kept me entertained. I would recommend to any fan.
Disappointing.......2007-01-21
The book started off great. Steamy and hot at the beginning. Once Jimi and Star had their abrupt meeting with an unwelcome photographer, it just went down hill from there. I did not like the character of Jimi at all!! In Pamela Anderson's first book Star, Star Wood Leigh was a loveable character with a lot of zing! In Star Struck, Jimi turned out to be a self-centered, spoiled, immature, perverted a**hole and took Star down with him. I was hoping the second book would be as fun as the first, but I was terribly disappointed. It was as though Pam Anderson just quickly threw the ending together just to get it done and over with. I did not feel the energy at the end. It wasn't even original! I was never a Pam Anderson fan untill I read her first book. I thought the second book would be just as good. I hope she writes a 3rd book and makes it fresh with that original zing.
Hard to believe, but it is worse than the first.......2006-10-06
You can read my review of Star and find out how I was tricked into reading that by a bookstore employee. Unfortunately, my husband remembered seeing that book on the shelves and decided I might enjoy the sequel. WRONG!!! I couldn't get past the first two chapters. There are far too many sex scenes in the first two chapters alone. Nobody could possibly be as stupid as Star. It is horrible. I swear that some of my brain leaked out of my head when I read those two chapters.
Much better than the first.......2006-10-04
It's very weird when you say you prefer a book's sequel to the original. I wasn't too fussed really over Pammy's first book "Star", I've kept it, but never picked up again to re-read it.
I've had "Star Struck" on my wishlist for quite a while, and came across it in the shop on the boat while on holiday. I probably paid over the odds for it, but it was in euros, so it probably worked out at the same price. I had originally started another book about the Titanic, but couldn't get into it, so started reading this instead.
"Star Struck" drew me into the world of Star straight away, and had a tight grip of me throughout the whole book. In fact, I finished it within a couple of hours. It's more of a novella, had it been in smaller type, with not so big margins, but it's a terrific read, much better than Star.
What really shocked me about this book, was reading the acknowledgements, that Pammy does a lot of thing a lot of authors/celebrities DON'T do when writing their biographies/book: they don't admit to using a ghost writer. Pammy does this quite happily and I applaud her for this. For some reason, they don't like admitting they use a ghost writer. Cos of course, we all believe all they do is sit around all day typing away, or doing a JK, and handwriting it! (That must be painful.) She probably gets final approval of anything that goes into it, but you can tell a lot came from her life. She met & married Tommy Lee (or Jimi Deeds in the book) within 3 days of meeting him; she had a miscarriage on the set of Barb Wire (or Hy Voltz); that infamous video and lots more beside.
The book has a lot of sex scenes in it, and coming from Pammy, she certainly knows a lot. (We also discover that Jimi - probably like Tommy - is very well endowed, hello!) Every chapter has at least one scene like this.
Towards the end of the book, it does leave it open ended, for a possible third in the trilogy (I hope so!), but it also turns into out a bit similar to Thelma & Louise. (Oooh, did that give the ending away?) It certainly kept me turning the pages, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I might be persuaded to read them both again, and maybe even change my original review of Star.
Book Description
From the USA Today bestselling author comes the first in a magical romantic fantasy trilogy.
Darkness covers the north, since the black mage has begun his assault on the kingdom of Neroche. Legend has it that only the two magical swords held by Neroche's king can defeat the mage. Now the fate of the Nine Kingdoms rests in the hands of a woman destined to wield one of those blades...
In this land of dragons and mages, warrior maids and magical swords, nothing is as it seems. And Morgan will find that the magic in her blood brings her troubles she cannot face with a sword-and a love more powerful than she has ever imagined.
Customer Reviews:
Promising beginning to Nine Kingdoms romantic Fantasy Saga leaves the reader wanting more.......2007-09-18
Lynn Kurland shows her versatility as a writer with this foray into the realm of romantic fantasy. This book is very different from her humorous time travel and historical romances, a lot more intense but totally fascinating.
The kingdom of Tor Neroche is in peril. King Adhémar's magical sword has lost its power and his brother Miach, the archmage of the realm, has discovered holes in his protection spells on their borders as well. Now their only hope is to find the wielder of the "queen's sword", the Sword of Angesand, in order to stem the tide of the dark magic encroaching on the kingdom.
Adhémar departs in search of the wielder, but the king is soon waylaid. When too much time has passed, Miach takes the form of a hawk and sets out to find him. Just when he is about to give up he sites the blaze of magic from the king's sword. Hence he finds Adhémar and so much more.
Morgan of Melksham has been charged with a mission by Nicholas of Lismòr, a man who had been like a father to her. She is to take a knife laced with magic and deliver it to the King of Tor Neroche. Morgan, a mercenary/shieldswoman hates magic but agrees to take on the task out a strong sense of duty. Ironically she nearly kills Adhémar for sneaking up behind her, but she is momentarily blinded by his handsome visage. His boastful demeanor soon has her wishing she had finished him off however, and since he is not inclined to reveal his identity, she assumes he is just one of the many sons named after the king of the realm.
Nicholas sends a band of Morgan's friends to meet her and protect her on her quest. Glines recognizes both the king and his brother Miach, but is asked to keep his knowledge to himself. Miach suspect that it was Morgan who had wrung magic from his brother's sword in battle and that she might well be the one that they seek. Since Morgan is quite vocal about her disapproval of magic, Miach tells her that he is a farmer who knows only small spells that might aid him in his work. While Adhémar merely annoys her, Morgan soon comes to trust Miach and eventually decides she might actually become fond of him. As Miach's feelings for the brave and capable warrior become stronger with each moment and more attacks begin to mount on their band, he begins to wonder if he might be able spare her the dubious duty of becoming the wielder of the magical sword.
It is not to be, his own duty dictates that he put the welfare of the kingdom before his heart and the woman he's come to love.
The magic of the dagger has been singing to Morgan and bringing strange dreams of a long forgotten past. By the time she reaches the Tor Neroche its song has become so deafening that she can barely focus on anything else. She longs to deliver her burden to the king and be done with it, but the castle has more than one surprise in store for her, and what she finds there might well destroy her. Certainly nothing in her world will ever be the same.
A happily ever after is not realized in this particular episode. The dark powers that the pair face are strong, but where there is life there is hope. Will Morgan find it in her heart to forgive Miach for his deception? What will the discovery of her heritage mean to them all? Together will they manage to save the kingdom from the darkness? Will Adhémar ever learn humility and cease being pompous? Will we learn more about the other five brothers? (Cathar is definitely intriguing.) We will have to wait and see.
While SF & F lovers are used to sagas of epic proportions Ms. Kurland's romance readers may lament having to wait for their happy ending, but with a storyline this intriguing I have a feeling it will be well worth a little patience. I highly recommend this promising beginning to the tales of the Nine Kingdoms.
Reviewed by Leslie Tramposch for PNR Reviews
The Chatty Cat.......2007-08-22
I have everything Lynn Kurland has written on my keeper shelf. I know some were disappointed that this book wasn't her usual but I enjoyed it start to finish. I like the world she created and the people in it. It was also nice to see that she didn't veer from her own unique writing style. There was no HEA ending because the story continues. I'm looking forward to the next one. This is an author that never lets me down.
different, but WOW.......2007-07-20
I have been a fan of Lynn Kurland for years, I have read EVERYTHING she has published, and have never been disappointed. This book was a departure from most of her books, however she stayed true to her basic plot line--strong, self relient girl has something to do, boy tries to help, and falls for girl, girl must stil finish what she started, but after some hardship, life is much better with boy. Ok I LOVE that, I also must say that I loved the fantasy background. (New and Different) I cant wait to read the next book, beacause as all true Kurland fans know, the plot will continue. Maybe with new characters, maybe with current ones, but the story goes on. I for one will be first in line to buy the next one. So, Lynn, if you read this--THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for your books, sharing your story telling with us mere mortals.
a great fantasy romance.......2007-06-19
If you enjoy Lynn Kurland, fantasy, and romance, you'll love this book. I can't wait for the next one!
Not what I expected.......2007-06-12
While I have always been a devoted Kurland fan, I found this book had more flaws than positives. As I admire this author, I do not intend this to belittle her work, so I will try to keep needless criticisms out of my review.
First, the story was so simplistically written that at times it seemed to be almost a young adult book. The sentences and paragraphs were short and choppy and long periods of time in the book were simply skipped. (This might work in some stories, but in this case I felt it caused the story line to lag.)
Secondly and related to this, I felt as if she could have told the story in half the time it took her as well. It seems that all the characters do is travel, get attacked, and travel some more (with repetitions of the same). (Again, this may work in some stories, but it seemed that there was so much more that could have been done to round things out.)
Third, the characters personalities are described as one way in the beginning and seem to have competely changed by the middle of the book. For example, the female main character is described as dangerous, fearless, and strong, yet at one point in the book she is so scared she can hardly sit on her horse? A monster does not scare her, but a big building does? Unfortunately, I saw this as a weak tool to make the female lead seem more vulnerable and more in need of the rather weak male lead (who could have displayed more backbone during most of the story while not taking anything away from his "big secret"). I have a hard time reconciling such poor character building with a writer who has done such a fantastic job of it in the past. The main characters seemed shallow and what romance there was seemed forced and rather childish. In fact, if I didn't know better, the difference in the quality of her characters, writing style, and plot techs is so glaring, it almost seems as if this was an entirely different writer.
Fourth, as mentioned by another reviewer, the story does literally stop cold, which is quite annoying considering I wanted to put the book down, but fought through to get some closure in the story.
Finally, while this is rather minor, some of the names of locations and people were so hard to spell and pronounce that without a glossary (a useful tool esp. in fantasy writing), the reader spends more time than needed trying to muddle them out while not forgetting what is going on in the story.
In summary, while Kurland has had admitted success with her historical romance series, I believe that her attempt at fantasy is only marginally entertaining and not to be considered a romance in any sense. Seasoned readers will probably not enjoy this one nearly as much as her past work. I agree with the other reviewer who suggested and hoped that Kurland would return to and stick with what she does best.
Average customer rating:
- Marvels Ignorance and You
- Classic Marvel Star Wars
- Solid Improvement
- Green Rabbits and Cyborg Bounty Hunters...
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Dark Encounters (Star Wars: A Long Time Ago..., Book 2)
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ASIN: 1569717850 |
Book Description
Star Wars: A Long Time Ago... features classic Star Wars stories not seen in over twenty years! Originally printed by Marvel Comics, these stories have been re-colored using today's computer technology, giving "old" work a fresh face. Volume 2 collects issues of the original Marvel run and contains such riveting classics as "Crucible" and the unforgettable "What Ever Happened to Jabba the Hut?"
Customer Reviews:
Marvels Ignorance and You.......2006-09-10
Like the name of the review suggests dont let Marvels ignorance of Star Wars hinder your purchase of this item. Based on what we know now of Star Wars the stories in this volume will seem kind of strange and a tad weak. Truthfully there are a quite a few really good stories in this volume, including the Clone Wars Obi-Wan story that is included. Its pretty cool to read a story made in '78 about events that we finally saw and read about today (The Clone Wars).
Another great story but very strange is the introduction of Jabba the HuT (yes one T) For any Star Wars fan it should be interesting how Jabba the Hutt had evolved to the slug we see in ROTJ. In this one he is anyting but what we expected hes a Humanoid with tusks. Hes rich and he even has underlings that do his dirty buisness and its kind of cool to see him in such a light.
This is a must read collection for any true Star Wars fan
Classic Marvel Star Wars.......2004-02-03
I read the first volume in this series, "Doomworld," and enjoyed it, but thought it was a bit corny and too cartoonish in places. I was surprised and pleased that the comics got much better with time.
A good portion of this set of 19 comics revolves around the Tagge family, who generally opposes Darth Vader, but also opposes the rebellion. Baron Tagge even hopes to supplant Darth Vader himself, though we know where such schemes end. In "Doom Mission," we find Baron Tagge has created a space station within the stormy atmosphere of the gas giant Yavin where Tie fighters launch attacks against the rebel base on the fourth moon. This story is quite creative with how Baron Tagge created the space station, how it was discovered and how it was eventually attacked.
There are quite a few creative moments in the various stories. In a series of three stories, "The Jawa Express," "Saber Clash," and "Thunder in the Stars," we see the Tagge family test and implement an interesting device that freezes anything between implanted towers. The Tagge family uses this device as a weapon against rebel forces.
In one of the most creative stories, "Riders in the Void," we find Luke and Leia have jumped into the void between galaxies. In one of the emptiest places in the universe Luke and Leia discover a unique, organic space ship with only one inhabitant, who is marginally insane. The ship and its inhabitant have an interesting and unique history, and there are moments when I wondered how Luke and Leia were going to escape.
Creature creation was similarly unique and better than in the first 20 comics of "Doomworld." In "The Long Hunt/A Duel of Eagles" we meet the winged people of Skye. In "Cavern of the Crawling Death" we learn about stone mites that destroy everything they contact as they eat it.
There are a few departures from the Star Wars universe as we know it today that are forgivable given that the second two Star Wars movies had yet to be released. We see a Jabba the Hut very different from the slug-like creature we came to know and loathe. We also see the continuing romance between Luke and Leia, though we also know that they are brother and sister. Yet, the general tone of the stories fits well within the Star Wars universe, and the astute reader can see some of the substantial creativity yet to come.
If you read "Doomworld" and liked it, you'll find that "Dark Encounters" is substantially better and more interesting. The quality of the stories is still lower than the general caliber of the Dark Horse stories, but some of them are very creative and interesting. For those readers that look back fondly on memories of comics from the 60s and 70s, these are the types of stories that you remember well. Enjoy!
Solid Improvement.......2003-09-20
3.5 stars actually.
The artwork, and the plotting improves dramatically in this second collection of Marvel stories. Unlike most of the first collection, these stories mostly feel like they could take place in the Star Wars universe and are viable adventures that the heroes could have had before The Empire Strikes Back.
Still though, they are not stellar work by any means, merely solid. In retrospect, due to the authors not knowing where George Lucas was going, some of the things you see cause some cognitive dissonance. No fault of the authors, but it is still jarring to see things you know are untrue.
Decent artwork, and stories in a rather large collection make this a worthwhile collection if you'd like to read a sort of slightly altered universe of what the Star Wars characters did between the movies.
Green Rabbits and Cyborg Bounty Hunters..........2002-07-22
I've just ordered the reprint trade paperback reprints of these Marvel books. I remember reading and re-reading all of these "beyond the movie" adventures when I was a kid. It was just such an incredible charge to see what Luke, Han, and company were doing between the movies. Water worlds, gambling satellites, Darth Vader learning the name of the Death Star's destroyer(a nice plot device), the blocky artwork and awkward poses of Carmine Infantino artwork, wondering WHY these adventurers NEVER changed their clothes as they NEVER seemed to make their way back to Yavin Base after their Flash Gordon-esque side-adventures... Oh, and we can't forget that Obi-Wan Jedi story with the droid 68RKO (which were the call letters of a radio station if I'm not mistaken)...They really DID capture the imagination. Hopefully, Dark Horse will get around to publishing a VOLUME 3 because therein lie the BEST Marvel STAR WARS tales. But these first two will take you to a Long Time Ago in a Decade Not Far Away Enough--The Seventies. You'll see the pop-cultural impact of the first wave of STAR WARS mania, in many ways as endearingly cheesy as that Thanksgiving Holiday special. If you remember these, you will LOVE them all over again...if you don't, then prepare to be mightily entertained, whether you like comics, STAR WARS, or pop-culture in general. These books definitely belong on your shelf...
Books:
- Can't Wait to Get to Heaven: A Novel (Ballantine Reader's Circle)
- Chicken Soup for the Prisoner's Soul: 101 Stories to Open the Heart and Rekindle the Spirit of Hope, Healing and Forgiveness (Chicken Soup for the Soul)
- Circle of Friends
- Cold Day in Hell: A Novel
- Complete Vampire Chronicles (Interview with the Vampire, The Vampire Lestat, The Queen of the Damned, The Tale of the body Thief)
- Daughter of Destiny: Kathryn Kuhlman
- Dead Run (MIRA)
- Dynasties: Fortunes and Misfortunes of the World's Great Family Businesses
- Eclipse (Twilight, Book 3)
- End of Watch:Chicago Police Killed in the Line of Duty, 1853-2006
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