Touching the Void: The True Story of One Man's Miraculous Survival

Amazon.com

Concise and yet packed with detail, Touching the Void, Joe Simpson's harrowing account of near-death in the Peruvian Andes, is a compact tour de force that wrestles with issues of bravery, friendship, physical endurance, the code of the mountains, and the will to live. Simpson dedicates the book to his climbing partner, Simon Yates, and to "those friends who have gone to the mountains and have not returned." What is it that compels certain individuals to willingly seek out the most inhospitable climate on earth? To risk their lives in an attempt to leave footprints where few or none have gone before? Simpson's vivid narrative of a dangerous climbing expedition will convince even the most die-hard couch potato that such pursuits fall within the realm of the sane. As the author struggles ever higher, readers learn of the mountain's awesome power, the beautiful--and sometimes deadly--sheets of blue glacial ice, and the accomplishment of a successful ascent. And then catastrophe: the second half of Touching the Void sees Simpson at his darkest moment. With a smashed, useless leg, he and his partner must struggle down a near-vertical face--and that's only the beginning of their troubles.

Book Description

Joe Simpson and his climbing partner, Simon Yates, had just reached the top of a 21,000-foot peak in the Andes when disaster struck. Simpson plunged off the vertical face of an ice ledge, breaking his leg. In the hours that followed, darkness fell and a blizzard raged as Yates tried to lower his friend to safety. Finally, Yates was forced to cut the rope, moments before he would have been pulled to his own death.

The next three days were an impossibly grueling ordeal for both men. Yates, certain that Simpson was dead, returned to base camp consumed with grief and guilt over abandoning him. Miraculously, Simpson had survived the fall, but crippled, starving, and severely frostbitten was trapped in a deep crevasse. Summoning vast reserves of physical and spiritual strength, Simpson crawled over the cliffs and canyons of the Andes, reaching base camp hours before Yates had planned to leave.

How both men overcame the torments of those harrowing days is an epic tale of fear, suffering, and survival, and a poignant testament to unshakable courage and friendship.

Customer Reviews:

Warning: Ice is slippery.......2007-10-02

Perhaps posting this notice on mountains would prevent exactly the type of incident outlined in this book. If one climbs UP an icy lump of rock, falling back DOWN is certainly one possible outcome. And if there are chasms, yes one will fall into them. Haven't we ever dropped a peanut butter sandwich? Goodness. Anyway, we already HAVE the Discovery Channel. There is simply no need for youngsters to get themselves up to this kind of hijinks, particularly on slippery slopes. Why do you think we use that metaphor? How many books of this sort must I read before the Human Race realizes the outdoors were not meant for us. If we were intended to rush about in the open, why would God have invented the Ritz Carlton. If one must go to areas of natural wonder, one should stay in a hotel like a normal person. Scenery is best viewed from the en-suite television. Remember, there is no room service in nature. And while nature is scenic, it is hell on one's vital organs, not to mention manicures. If one truly wishes to risk life and limb, why not do it for a valid REASON, for heaven's sake. Climbing rocks is the kind of challenge that ants and potato bugs must overcome. Not us, darlings. We are not potato bugs. No, no, no! If one is simply determined to undertake some highly threatening physical activity, fine. But at least make it worthwhile for me. Become my surrogate shopper at the Max Azaria BCBG sample sale downtown, or at the annual Fred Segal sale in Santa Monica. You will have all the danger you crave. Immediate decisions and swift actions are imperative, you will be injured, probably killed. All the thrills of outdoor adventure, but with up to 75% off. If you manage to grab me a pair of gray suede Ferragamo pumps, size 8, the ones with the thin leather piping, at Fred's, lunch is on me, name the place.

Oh, about the book? Well, I DID read some of it, except for parts in the beginning, middle and end. The writer just goes on and on about everything. In a nutshell, they climbed up something covered in ice, they fell down. It was cold. Anyhoo, I don't want to give anything away, but the author DID write the book, so there is your big clue as to the outcome.

Ciao darlings.

Amazing story of survival.......2007-08-14

When two hikers, Joe and Simon set off to climb Sula Grande in South America they had no idea how it would turn out. In the course of the descent Joe is lowered over a cliff by mistake in the gathering clouds. His climbing partner is forced to cut the rope in order for himself not to be dragged over, thus ensuring Joe's death. But Joe does not die. He has a brocken leg and is lodged in a crevace. After houre os harrowing attempts to go up he decides to go down.

This book tells the story of his fascinating survival, his tremendous will to live, his thoughts on death and God, and his realization that only he could get himself free.

An amazing story, one of the most extraordinary survival stories, up their with Alive. A great story of the outdoors that rivals Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster. However it may not be quite as good as the documentary on the same story, Touching the Void: The True Story of One Man's Miraculous Survival.

Seth J. Frantzman

BORING BORING BORING.......2007-07-29

i am sorry but i was so disappointed with this book! -i read this book after seeing all the great reviews and i do not understand all the hype- i think the only reason there are so many great reviews is that climbers stick together and have a reverence for eachother so perhaps they don't want to "pan" joe simpson's book- but as far as i am concerned, this book was very poorly written, so slow, so boring, way too technical and such a chore to get through- i didn't understand what all the terms meant and even when looking them up, i still couldn't get a clear picture of what was happening to him- even the photos were of no help- if you are not a climber you will have the same problem- and if you are a climber, you will still find it as i described above less the terminology problems- i didn't find it enjoyable at all- i expected to find it rivetting and interesting and heart wrenching but it was none of the above- and his friend simon yates was so despicable in this book that you just can't believe that joe even talks to him let alone includes his version of events in this book and dedicates the book to him? huh?- it just made no sense- but,
if you do want the greatest true adventure survival story EVER WRITTEN then you ABSOLUTELY MUST read "ADRIFT"- it is BY FAR the greatest true survival story ever written- it is superbly written and you don't have to be a sailor to understand his plight- your heart aches and you feel you are there as he literally drifts across the atlantic in a sinking dinghy for 76 days waiting to be rescued- but he realizes no one is coming to rescue him, so therefore, he must save himself- UNBELIEVABLE- he is an amazing man- now this is an amazing story of survival- i am shocked that touching the void was even put to pen to be honest- this may sound unkind but while i was reading it i kept thinking, "why was a book written about this?" -didn't seem worth writing a book over- (sorry joe- glad you are alive though of course)- i encourage you all to skip this one and read "ADRIFT" instead- UPDATE: i decided to rent the movie "touching the void" from the library to see if the movie made for a more interesting story- well yes it did- it wasn't the best adventure survival movie i have ever seen but it was still infinitely better than the book- and it was nice to see the real joe tell the story- he really lets us into his soul i find and one could see how much this experience has affected him- tears were never far from his eyes- i came away liking the guy- you will not get the same feeling from simon yates, however- if you read his excerpts in the book and watch him in the movie, you will see he is a cold person, a friend you wouldn't want to have- a friend who would leave you to die when you needed him- with friends like that who needs enemies? glad you are safe joe! and i must say it was brave of simon to show his face in the movie- at least he is not denying his role (or lack thereof) in this adventure- to you readers, my advice is to watch the movie over the book-

Touching the void-a touching story.......2007-06-01

Joe Simpson, and Simon Yates are truely admirable and courageous people. The bravery Joe Simpson mantained during his difficult situation is amazing, and an attitude to look up to. His frustration was understandable and the fact he made it was somewhat...a miracle.
Simon Yates was called by many a traitor. He cut the rope when (although he wasn't aware of it) Joe Simpson, alive but not so well, was on the recieving end. People think this is disgraceful but if you watch the film, or read the book you will accept why he did it. You'll also find it took more bravery for him to cut the rope, than stay there in the freezing cold, never living to tell the tale.
The rope is, apparently, a representitive of the bond between the climbers, but really it's just a rope.

Hard to put this book down once started........2007-05-29

This book is well written, very interesting to anyone who has been up on a Mountain in South America or elsewhere. I enjoyed reading this book as a recommendation I had from a British climber on our trip to Cotopaxi in Equador.

Average customer rating:

Excellent crime thriller
Very disappointing book
High-Octane entertainment
Let's hear it for Cassie!
Synchronicity

Void Moon
Michael Connelly
Manufacturer: Vision
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0446609145

Amazon.com

Void Moon traces the path of Cassie Black, a gifted thief who struggles with the temptation of "outlaw juice" (the burning desire to live the fast life of crime and payoffs) even while she regularly attends her probation meetings. It's not that hawking Porsches to newly flush young Hollywood males isn't satisfying, but... well, it isn't. After years away, she returns to her old striking grounds in Las Vegas for one last big mark hoping to pave her way into a new life. But Cassie discovers that her old Las Vegas is a new town with a new skyline and new (and more deadly) bad guys; it is also a place haunted by the ghost of her lover-partner Max. When her take proves to be 10 times larger than she imagined, her road to freedom runs afoul of the Mob while a morally questionable--and openly vicious--PI sniffs her trail.

With its attractive central character, meticulous plot, and glitzy packaging, Void Moon seems perfectly poised for the New York Times bestsellers list. That is not to say, however, that Connelly has "dumbed down" his usual presentation. The novel displays Connelly's stunning ability to breathe reality into his fiction with the subtle details that can only come from careful research and his years of experience reporting on crime for the L.A. Times. What other author has so lovingly described the aftermath of crime? The jail sentence, recidivism, the numbing visits to the parole officer where "she held the plastic cup she would have to squat over and fill while an office trainee, dubbed the wizard because of the nature of her monitoring duty, watched to make sure it was her own urine going into the container." While we Connelly fans are always eager to read the next Bosch, once again we're not disappointed with Connelly's "vacation." --Patrick O'Kelley

Book Description

There seems to be an unspoken rule among mystery writers that once the author has created a successful character, the obligation to fans demands regular installments in the hero's life history, whatever the author's literary aspirations. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was famously unsuccessful at killing off Sherlock Holmes and resurrected his detective in response to public outcry. Michael Connelly's police procedural series featuring Harry Bosch has garnered numerous top mystery awards, including the coveted Edgar. But, strangely, it is his deviations from Bosch, including The Poet and Blood Work, that have drawn the biggest readerships--and have won awards of their own to boot (The Poet was honored with the 1997 Anthony Award). Now, once again, Connelly follows up the success of a Bosch book, Angels Flight, with a non-series tale that pushes Connelly's already impressive body of work into new territory.Void Moon traces the path of Cassie Black, a gifted thief who struggles with the temptation of "outlaw juice" (the burning desire to live the fast life of crime and payoffs) even while she regularly attends her probation meetings. It's not that hawking Porsches to newly flush young Hollywood males isn't satisfying, but... well, it isn't. After years away, she returns to her old striking grounds in Las Vegas for one last big mark hoping to pave her way into a new life. But Cassie discovers that her old Las Vegas is a new town with a new skyline and new (and more deadly) bad guys; it is also a place haunted by the ghost of her lover-partner Max. When her take proves to be 10 times larger than she imagined, her road to freedom runs afoul of the Mob while a morally questionable--and openly vicious--PI sniffs her trail.With its attractive central character, meticulous plot, and glitzy packaging, Void Moon seems perfectly poised for the New York Times bestsellers list. That is not to say, however, that Connelly has "dumbed down" his usual presentation. The novel displays Connelly's stunning ability to breathe reality into his fiction with the subtle details that can only come from careful research and his years of experience reporting on crime for the L.A. Times. What other author has so lovingly described the aftermath of crime? The jail sentence, recidivism, thenumbing visits to the parole officer where "she held the plastic cup she would have to squat over and fill while an office trainee, dubbed the wizard because of the nature of her monitoring duty, watched to make sure it was her own urine going into the container." While we Connelly fans are always eager to read the next Bosch, once again we're not disappointed with Connelly's "vacation." --Patrick O'Kelley

Download Description

Cassie Black is lured back to a profession she'd left behind--robbing casino gamblers of their winnings--by a setup that looks too good to pass up. Her work goes as planned, except that the mark has too much money--so much that someone very powerful must now be very angry. Cassie soon finds herself running from gunmen who somehow know her every move in advance. They also seem to be closing in on Cassie's most closely guarded secret, the one thing that could have caused her to return to crime--and the one thing she will do anything to protect. Written with the fiery pace and brilliant plotting that have made bestsellers of Angels Flight and Blood Work, and featuring one of the strongest heroines to come along in years, VOID MOON is Michael Connelly's most original and surprising novel yet.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent crime thriller.......2007-10-06

I wouldn't want to describe the plot of "Void Moon" in 100 words or less or even in 1,000 words. It's that complicated as the action shifts from past to present, from one point of view to another. Usually, in the hands of a less skilled writer, this would be cause for confusion, but Mr. Connelly pulls it off--spectacularly, I might add. It starts as a rather ordinary break in of a casino hotel room in order to steal the winnings of a very successful baccarat player. There's nothing ordinary in short order. Instead of finding his expected winnings, the take is in the millions. And that means real trouble.

The atmosphere is Los Angeles and especially Las Vegas, two cities that I've never found very interesting. It works well here, however. The descriptive detail is superb. The dialogue is quite good, as in all of Connelly's novels.

If there is a flaw in this book, it is in the characters, not that they are not well drawn, but in the fact that not one person (with the possible exception of the little girl who arrives late) worthy of our sympathy. There are thieves stealing from thieves, murderers, liars, gamblers, wastrels--not one of whom I'd want to know personally. But I have no suggestions to remedy this. The story is about a burglary that goes awry, and one can't expect to meet too many saints in such a plot. Moreover, I suspect that there are few Las Vegas casino denizens who will qualify for beatification.

The book certainly kept my attention, and I can only compare it with a Dostoyevsky novel, say, "Crime and Punishment," with respect to the way that the author peels the onion, as we go deeper and deeper into the motives of the people and into what actually occurred.

Very disappointing book.......2007-10-03

I could not finish this book. I have LOVED all of Michael Connelly's books (love Harry Bosch) but this book was very dull. I could not find a way to like or even care about the main character of Cassie. I read well over 100 pages, but it was a complete waste of my time.

High-Octane entertainment.......2007-09-13

Michael Connelly is well known as the author of the Harry Bosch series (THE BLACK ECHO, THE BLACK ICE, THE CONCRETE BLONDE, THE LAST COYOTE, TRUNK MUSIC, ANGELS FLIGHT and still more). Although that is a popular and successful series, Connelly occasionally departs from chronicling Bosch's adventures to tell different types of stories, such as 1995's THE POET, about a serial killer who targets homicide detectives, and 1997's BLOOD WORK, a thriller that featured a heart transplant recipient. Connelly has once again chosen to write a stand-alone novel, this time about a criminal tortured by tragic events in her past.

Six years prior to the events of VOID MOON, Cassie Black was involved in a robbery that resulted in the death of her husband, a professional thief named Max Freeling. Apprehended at the scene, she was convicted of manslaughter and sent to prison. Paroled after five years, Cassie set out to rebuild her life, trying to achieve the dream that sustained her during her time in prison. Living from day to day, Cassie prays for enough time to achieve that dream. But fate is not kind to Cassie, and outside forces beyond her control force her to take desperate measures.

Needing a large amount of cash, Cassie decides to return to her past life, contacting friend and criminal go-between Leo Renfro in search of a job "big enough to disappear on." Leo finds a job that should provide an appropriately substantial payoff. There's one catch, however -- her mark is staying at the Cleopatra Casino and Resort in Las Vegas, the very place where Max died, apparently committing suicide by leaping through the plate-glass window of a 20th floor luxury suite. Reluctant but desperate, Cassie takes the job, setting out to rip off high roller Diego Hernandez.

Before she departs, Leo secures her promise not to act during a celestial event he calls "the void moon." He explains that this is an "astrological situation" due to occur during the night she plans to hit Hernandez. "It's a bad luck time, Cass. Anything can happen under a void moon. Anything wrong." As proof, he mentions that Presidents Lincoln, McKinley, and Kennedy were all inaugurated during a void moon. "Clinton, too, and he might as well've been shot, what happened to him." Cassie remembers his caution when she is trapped in Hernandez's closet after a phone call wakes him during the burglary. Waiting for him to return to sleep, Cassie cannot act until the time of the void moon. Emerging from the closet, she discovers that the money she thought was in a safe is instead in a briefcase handcuffed to her victim's wrist. The action ends as Hernandez stirs, roused by Cassie's attempts to remove the briefcase -- Cassie draws her gun as the scene fades to black.

When next we see her, a distraught Cassie is consulting with Leo, telling him that the job has gone terribly wrong -- instead of the $500K score they expected, the briefcase contained $2.5 million. At first awestruck, the pair quickly realize they are in big trouble. "Sometimes," notes Cassie, "you can steal too much."

Trouble takes the form of one Jack Karch, a shady private detective hired by the mob-connected head of casino security to investigate the murder and robbery of Hernandez, who, unbeknownst to Leo or Cassie, was carrying funds belonging to a Miami crime cartel. Known as the "Jack of Spades" due to the part he played as a child in his father's Vegas magic act, and his habit of personally digging the graves of his victims, the murderous and efficient Karch quickly picks up Cassie's trail, leaving numerous victims in his wake.

Connelly has come up with yet another gem, a well-crafted crime tale that evokes Richard Stark's hard-boiled Parker novels, and, fittingly, OCEAN'S ELEVEN by Jack Finney, to which Connelly provides a specific nod late in the book. There's more, much more, to this plot, but I don't want to ruin the myriad surprises Connelly has in store for his readers. As ever, the author delivers well-rounded characters -- Karch and Cassie are complex, captivating, and convincing. Their individual histories are rich and colorful, furnishing plausible psychological motivation for the choices they make. Connelly also provides telling background for his supporting cast; although they are onstage only briefly, Leo Renfro and parole officer Thelma Kibble often threaten to steal the show. Add to this Connelly's painstaking attention to detail (his descriptions of Cassie's high-tech tools and of the inner workings of Las Vegas casinos are fascinating), and you end up with high-octane entertainment.

Let's hear it for Cassie!.......2007-08-13

As a thriller writer (as yet unpublished) I find Cassie to be the most believable female hero I have ever met.

Harry is the product of his experience -- Cassie seems to draw her strength from some inner well of resource -- and that is fascinating.

I loan this book to my lady friends, and I hope Michael will do another one about Cassie.

RZ

Synchronicity.......2007-03-26

I had no idea what Void Moon was about when I started reading it (I mistakenly thought it was a Harry Bosch tale (I don't read leaf jackets with proven writers) and I thought initially (the first 100 pages) that Connelly finally wrote a dull one. I was having trouble feeling for the female protagonist who is an ex-con and an un-repented professional thief. Then events picked up and the pages started flying by.

Void Moon is one of Connelly's best, Bosch or otherwise. Private Investigator James Karch is one of Connelly's best character creations. When he entered the story mid-book, things really took off.

I thought the ending was more satisfying (not completely satisfying) than some of his other books which are the only things that keep me from rating them all 5 stars

Running With the Demon (The Word and the Void Trilogy, Book 1)

Average customer rating:

Rural Fantasy
Running with the Demon
Super Reader
Not as Good as His Fantasy Works IMO
Don't always listen to the critics!

Running With the Demon (The Word and the Void Trilogy, Book 1)
Terry Brooks
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0345422589
Release Date: 1998-05-27

Amazon.com

Terry Brooks's Running with the Demon is billed as "A Novel of Good and Evil," but he could've called it "A Novel of Here and Now." The fantasy master behind the Shannara series switches his focus from neo-Tolkien jungles to the woebegone steel town of Hopewell, Illinois. Though Illinois teenager Nest Freemark (where does he get these names?) looks like your average kid, she spends her free time in the woods asking her 6-inch pal Pick for advice in dodging the Demon and his creepy Feeders, spirits who gobble the souls of humans. Nest is also being tailed by John Ross, a shining Knight of the Word who wants to keep her from the Feeders' jaws.

Meanwhile, in the real world that dominates the novel, Nest Freemark is being stalked by a handsome, evil classmate who she has rejected, and a pack of surly, insurgent striking steelworkers plot a bombing at the company's Fourth of July picnic. The boy and the bombers are unaware that they're being subconsciously manipulated by the Demon. The book's matter-of-fact take on the uncanny is a bit like The X-Files. (And if you want to compare the two, check out Ted Edwards's X-Files Confidential: The Unauthorized X-Philes Compendium.)

Brooks's plot has more strands than a plate of pasta, yet his mind is logical to a fault--he used to be a lawyer. There's something for everyone: gory monster attacks, a dread family secret, magical mind-game duels, even a (rather flat) teen-romance subplot. The setting has real grit and the countdown to the Independence Day bombing peps up the tale. Brooks sometimes prosaically explains things a better literary stylist would dramatize, and his minatory visions of environmental apocalypse are more fun than the obvious, nagging, don't-be-a-litterbug message they exist to convey. Brooks will never be as deep as Tolkien, and many readers will find him less awesome as their adolescence recedes. Still, he's the genuine article, and with this book, he raises the stakes he's playing for.

Book Description

In a sleepy steel-mill town, the ultimate battle between Good and Evil is about to begin . . .

Sinnissippi Park, in Hopewell, Illinois, has long hidden a mysterious evil, locked away from humankind by powers greater than most could even imagine. But now the malevolent creatures that normally skulk in the shadows of the park grow bolder, and old secrets hint at a violent explosion.

The brewing conflict draws John Ross to Hopewell. A Knight of the Word, Ross is plagued by nightmares that tell him someone evil is coming to unleash an ancient horror upon the world. Caught between them is fourteen-year-old Nest Freemark, who senses that something is terribly wrong but has not yet learned to wield the budding power that sets her apart from her friends.

Now the future of humanity depends upon a man haunted by his dreams and a gifted young girl--two souls who will discover what survives when hope and innocence are shattered forever . . .

Customer Reviews:

Rural Fantasy.......2007-10-07

Terry Brooks burst onto the scene years ago with his Shannara series. I was one of those who hesitated to jump onto the "new Tolkien" bandwagon. Later, I read his non-fiction book on writing, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Time to read some of his fiction, I decided. After much prompting from a good friend, I started with the Word and the Void series.

The series opener is an urban fantasy, or more accurately, a rural fantasy. It has more similarities to a Scott Nicholson novel, in that sense, than a Richard Jordan book. We follow young Nest Freemark, a likable but somewhat lonely young woman, who is friends with a sylvan named Pick, a woodland magical creature. She is at the epicenter of a coming spiritual struggle in a small town. The town is in financial trouble, with some malcontents planning their own trouble. Meanwhile, John Ross, a mysterious and dream-riddled Knight of the Word, has showed up to help Nest face the coming evil.

Brooks focuses on many of the town relationships, with families receiving the most attention. He gives lots of detail (sometimes, it bogged the story down for me), adding to the texture of this fairly typical rural setting. His strengths show through the internal conflicts of his characters, their questions about their origins and purpose, and in the descriptions of fantastical things. The story's climax is satisfying, providing some answers and conclusion, yet leaving much more to be explored in the rest of the series. I've already purchased a copy of "Knight of the Word."

Running with the Demon.......2007-09-17

This was a decent read. Seems this trilogy gave Terry a new outlet in 2 ways. First, it was cool to see him write in 'our world', and do so well. Secondly, it was nice to witness a different 'formula'. Some of his books are formulaic, albeit enjoyable otherwise I wouldn't read them. From what I read before I purchased many reviews focused on how much the 1st was heads above the other two and how they were copies of the first. I don't agree with this. If you like the 2 main characters of the 1st, you'll enjoy the rest of the trilogy. I look forward to reading in a later trilogy how he ties this word vs void world to Shannara. Let this review stand for the entire trilogy.

Super Reader.......2007-08-04

John Ross is a Knight of the Word, doomed to opposed the forces of the Void, with only his staff for comfort. His dreams are a test, every night, of what may come if he abuses his power, leading to a post-apocalyptic demons eat humans horror world.

Nest Freemark is a teenager, and the women in her family have a special magical heritage and are able to talk to, and see some of the supernatural entities surrounding their decaying small town. She opposes the demons in her own way.

Not as Good as His Fantasy Works IMO.......2007-05-26

Terry Brooks is one of my favorite authors and this was a solid book but I did not find it to be as enjoyable as his fantasy series books. The characters were very good but the book is pretty slow in several sections.

Don't always listen to the critics!.......2006-11-11

If I had listened to the critics I would never have had the chance to read this wonderful trilogy. No, it's not the Shannara series and no, it's not the beautiful Magic Kingdom For Sale - Sold! series but it is still excellent in my opinion. It was exciting and very easy to picture everything he wrote about. And if you don't like a story that sounds much the same as the prequel (sp?) before it, give it a rest and read another author completely, than go back and read the next one in the series. I have loved the first two in this series even better than I did the first time some years ago and I'm sure I'll feel the same about the third one when I read that again.

Angel Fire East (The Word and the Void Trilogy, Book 3)

Average customer rating:

Super Reader
Best Terry Brook's Trilogy.
Characters a Bit Slow
Once again we are in GOOD hands with this last installment of the Word/Void
Author Terry Brooks

Angel Fire East (The Word and the Void Trilogy, Book 3)
Terry Brooks
Manufacturer: Del Rey
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Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0345435257
Release Date: 2000-09-05

Amazon.com

Angel Fire East marks the close of Terry Brooks's Nest Freemark-John Ross saga, which began with 1997's Running with the Demon. After a long layover in Seattle for the middle book, Knight of the Word, the fantasy-meets-modernity action returns to Nest's native Hopewell, where once again Nest and John must face off against the Void, this time in the form of ancient demon Findo Gask, who favors a black-clad evil preacher getup for his menacing needs.

Brooks's well-realized and likable cast from the previous books is back, from Nest (now 29) to Ross (haggard as ever) to Pick (still just a few inches tall) and even grown-up versions of Nest's childhood friends from Running, including Bennett, now a junkie with child. Of course, Findo Gask has assembled a creepy little Legion of Doom to harry these nice folks: a giant albino demon; a formless, flesh-eating ur'droch; and a knife-wielding Orphan-Annie-gone-bad named Penny Dreadful. And Angel Fire's main plot thread is even compelling: John Ross has caught a shape-changing, wild-magic creature of enormous power, a gypsy morph, that he and Nest must discover how to turn to the Word before Gask and his crew can capture it for the Void.

But as with Knight of the Word, wooden pacing and unconvincing transitions keep this tale from rising to the level of Brooks's previous masterworks, such as the excellent Shannara and Landover series. If you've read the first two books, it's certainly worth seeing off your old friends in Angel Fire East. But if you're--heaven forbid--new to Terry Brooks, check out his earlier work, or even his very capable novelization of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. --Paul Hughes

Book Description

As a Knight of the Word, John Ross has struggled against the dark forces of the Void and his minions for twenty-five years. The grim future he dreams each night-- a world reduced to blood and ashes--will come true, unless he can stop them now, in the present.

The birth of a gypsy morph, a rare and dangerous creature that could be an invaluable weapon in his fight against the Void, brings John Ross and Nest Freemark together again. Twice before, with the fate of the world hanging in the balance, the lives of Ross and Nest have intersected. Together, they have prevailed. But now they will face an ancient evil beyond anything they have ever encountered, a demon of ruthless intelligence and feral cunning. As a firestorm of evil erupts, threatening to consume lives and shatter dreams, they have but a single chance to solve the mystery of the Gypsy morph--and their own profound connection.

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When Running with the Demon appeared two years ago, it was recognized at once as a masterpiece in the making, a bold departure that promised to revitalize contemporary urban fantasy and showcase Terry Brooks's vast storytelling gifts as never before. The second book of the series, A Knight of the Word, raised expectations even higher. Now, in Angel Fire East, sure to be hailed as his most ambitious, most accomplished work yet, Terry Brooks brings his bestselling epic trilogy of good and evil to an unforgettable close. As a Knight of the Word, John Ross has struggled against the tireless dark forces of the Void for twenty-five years. A rootless wanderer scarred as deeply by the magic he wields as by the unspeakable horrors he has witnessed in its service, Ross is driven by dreams that show the world reduced to blood and ashes by the Void and its minions. The grim futures he dreams each night will come true unless he can stop them now, in the present. But for all his power, John Ross is only one man, while the demons he hunts--and which hunt him in turn--are legion.

Customer Reviews:

Super Reader.......2007-08-04

Yet more time has passed. Nest is back in Hopewell, having been an Olympic athlete, and John Ross grows ever more tired. They must end up working to stop a demonic preacher, and a dangerous magical source from doing bad things to small town Hopewell and the rest of the world.

Both John and Nest must struggle with the problems their own powers causes, as well as working out how to fight their opponents.

Best Terry Brook's Trilogy........2007-06-09

I disagree with the Editorial Reviews. In my opinion this is the best Terry Brook's trilogy. I own and have read all of the Shannara books, and
this trilogy is superior. For me, all of the books in the trilogy were true "page-turners". I found it very difficult to put them down. I love to read just before bed, and many a night I would promise myself I could read only one chapter and then find an hour later I was still reading. I really cared for the characters - wishing I could spend time with them. The mood, the suspense, the settings - everything was perfect.

Characters a Bit Slow.......2007-06-03

Nest has magic in her. She's come to terms with that over her lifetime and now, in her late twenties, accepts it. She also accepts the fact that she is destined to lead a quiet life in the small town where her family has always lived. She will act as guardian over the nearby forest and try to keep her magic in check. This winter will be just one of many boring seasons by herself.

Then a nasty demon shows up at her door, asking about a man Nest knew years and years ago, a Knight of the Word named John Ross. The demon seems to think that John is headed for Nest's house, and he warns her that if she tries to help him or hide him, very bad things will happen.

Soon Nest's house is filled not only with John Ross and a strange magical and powerful creature called a gypsy morph in the form of a small boy, but also an old friend who has come upon hard times and her little girl.

The demon and his footsoldiers are all around them, though, making trouble and putting everyone in danger. Nest can't throw John and the boy out--if they can get the boy to communicate with them, they will have a powerful weapon in the ongoig fight against the demons of the Void. But time is running out for all of them.

I liked that even though this book was the third in a series, I felt like I could pretty well pick up on what was going on without having read the two previous books. I also liked that although this book was science fiction, it took place in a pretty normal town where nobody knew that magic existed.

The characters were really clueless. Nest should have had some idea of what was going on with Larry, and Gask should have been able to figure out what form the gypsy morph had taken. Everyone was a bit too slow to figure things out.

Once again we are in GOOD hands with this last installment of the Word/Void.......2007-05-01

It took me quite a long time to even get the courage to purchase Running With The Demon. I believe it had been out in paperback at least a year before I got around to it. I was a fan of Shannara--and that was ALL. I had already ignored his Landover series from day one (and still haven't read them--although one day I will) but this one seemed different. The idea of a contemporary fantasy story set in the REAL world was fascinating and the loosely based similarities to the Harry Potter series is about as far off the mark as comparing the Lord of the Rings to Star Wars.

I am quite impressed overall with the entire series, and with Angel Fire East in particular. The character of Findo Gask is at once one of Brooks' more demonic creations, but in a totally different manner than anthing set before. Sure he has given us some truly horrible creatures over the years, but Findo is much more evolved than the others...and consequently is much more intelligent and cunning, and therefore almost real in how he can make your skin crawl. I loved the pacing of the story and how it all unfolded so meticulously. It almost seems as though each and every person introduced is treated as though they were the main focus of the story, and that secondary characters simply did not exist.

I have also noticed that no matter how much I enjoyed or hated a novel, there are ALWAYS those who feel as opposite from the way I do as is possible, and therefore discount my opinion of the book I reviewed. I never feel the need to preach about how if I liked any particular book that the world HAS to like it as well...and so I won't here as well. What I WOULD like to say is this: chances are if you liked Running With The Demon and A Knight Of The Word, you will more than enjoy Angel Fire East. Personally I felt it was one of the more satisfying stories Terry Brooks has ever written. He is right now in the middle of bridging the storylines of the Word and Void to Shannara with Armageddon's Children and the upcoming Elves of Cintra. Once again, I cannot WAIT to buy and read them as well...and who knows, while waiting for the last book, I may finally pick up that first Landover book that came out so long ago and give it a go...

Author Terry Brooks.......2007-01-10

Everything written by Terry Brooks has been excellent. I buy his books as soon as I find out he's written another one.

Average customer rating:

Into the Void
Into the Void...with Ace Frehley.
This Book Is OK--
Character Assassination Backfires
Good..

Into the Void... with Ace Frehley
Wendy Moore
Manufacturer: Pitbull Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0965879445

Book Description

I wouldn't kick him out of bed for eating crackers, but what about pizza? It is three in the afternoon and the man slowly rolling out of bed next to me with a slice of pepperoni pizza stuck to his back is none other than...Ace Frehley from KISS.

I realize to the average person this might seem strange, but it is business as usual when you are with Ace. There was no telling what you could be a witness to. Ace was a vampire, staying up all hours of the night. I would only find out about all of the mischief he had done during the night after we ate our afternoon breakfast. At first, I really couldn't figure out how he did all he did on so little sleep. But who knows how they do things on planet "Jendal".

Sometimes, in a moment of rare sobriety, I would wonder how I got myself into this position. I was a small town girl in her twenties who had never even seen cocaine, only drank on occasion and who had never experienced a "one night stand" or a sexual liaison with a married man. Well, I am about to tell you how it all happened, how I got sucked Into The Void... With Ace Frehley.

Customer Reviews:

Into the Void.......2007-08-08

If you like to read about rock stars and and the people they hang with this is a book for you. The author did a good job of describing what it was like to work, eat, sleep, and do drugs & drink with Ace of KISS. Do I think that she was placed into the Void by ACE? No. What a person chooses or not chooses it solely up to the individual. Over all it was a good read.

Into the Void...with Ace Frehley........2007-05-15

I grew up loving KISS. Were it not for that band, I would have never had gotten the idea to play guitar, and start performing in bands. They changed my life, and Ace was my hero. So I couldn't pass up this book, as I wanted to know what the more "recent" Ace was like.

The timeline in this book takes place as Ace is preparing for for the original reunion tour in the late '90's. The author finnagles her way into his life and becomes his personal assitant/girlfriend. She spins tales of massive drug abuse, by her and Ace, as well as shares stories of general Ace wackiness. None of her stories surprised me, as I know what band life, and band guys, can be like. And when you add the massive scale of the KISS machine, and it's finances behind it all, it gets even more crazy. Ace claims to be sober these days, and I hope it's true. I hope he's around for a LONG time.

This is a great book for serious KISS fans who want to know all there is to know about the band. It's certainly not a "how to" on being in a band per se, but it is full of great stories, and a lot of crazy laughs.

I highly recommend this book to hardcore KISS fans looking for all there is to know about them, and the internal workings of the band, and of Ace.

This Book Is OK--.......2007-04-28

I read this book in one day. I have always been an Ace fan myself. Nothing in the book is really surprising. Obviously Moore wrote this book to cash in on the experience. The sad thing I got from this is that all characters, Gene, Paul, Wendy, everybody involved was doing these things for financial gain. There is no human element of friendship, loyalty, or anything like that between any of the KISS people, wives, girlfriends- None of these people like each other at all. SAD.Otherwise, Moore's prejudices (she doesn't like short haired, short people) etc seem a little shallow and annoying, and she has no repect for any of them.

Character Assassination Backfires.......2007-03-13

This book is so awfully prejudiced that it ultimately provides nil insight into Ace's personality, from someone who claims to have known him well. Rather it is a spiteful backstab which, given the obvious character assassination attempt, badly misfires to make Wendy Moore look two faced, backstabbing, self serving, sexist, ignorant, using and very very desperate. [...]

Good.........2007-03-09

It was good, if your an Ace Frehley fan.

Wendy Moore on the other hand seemed like a complete air head and too easily influenced and that is why she went from Cocaine to Heroin. Ace is a pig and revolting but that shouldnt surprise anyone, Wendy is revolting too.

The comments made about Paul Stanley I do wonder about and dont trust because Wendy made a comment such as.." The things I was told about Paul I would never write about,as its too personal." Something of that nature perhaps not the correct wording I dont have the book in front of me right now.

However, I did wonder if she didnt write about that because its too personal then why write about Ace Frehley as all of that was personal.

I did believe the comments about Gene Simmons though, its only obvious with him as he portrays him self that way in public.

Good book, if you like reading about rock stars who are angry, womanizers, drug addicted and the dumb women who want to be around them.

A Knight of the Word (The Word and the Void Trilogy, Book 2)

Average customer rating:

Mediocre and guilty of the no-twist twist sin
Super Reader
A page turner, but...
some of the best work Brooks has produced
John Ross' Story Continues

A Knight of the Word (The Word and the Void Trilogy, Book 2)
Terry Brooks
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0345424646
Release Date: 1999-06-28

Amazon.com

John Ross, the tortured, conflicted Knight of the Word from Terry Brooks's Running with the Demon, finally gets a good night's sleep in the sequel. He buys this moment's peace at the cost of his sacred oath to be a champion of the Word, renouncing that pledge after failing to prevent the slaughter of a group of schoolchildren. Duty and destiny are difficult to elude, though, and soon his former charge Nest Freemark, now a college student and Olympic hopeful, arrives to warn him of his imminent destruction, or, worse, his unwitting fall into the service of the Void.

The story winds lazily through sleepy, wet Seattle like a tour bus, steadily building. Everything eventually converges on the homeless shelter where John works with his new sweetie Stefanie Winslow for über-activist Simon Lawrence, a man his dreams tell him he is fated to kill. A thin mystery clouds the identity of the demon conspiring to deliver John unto evil, but the book's real focus is John's fitful, foot-dragging attempts to fulfill his destiny. Knight doesn't provide the suspenseful energy of Running, a book that followed Nest through the dramatic loss of her childhood, but it rejoins her as she assumes the responsibilities of young adulthood and--like that period in life--still manages to deliver satisfying, if more subtle, rewards. --Paul Hughes

Book Description

Eight centuries ago the first Knight of the Word was commissioned to combat the demonic evil of the Void. Now that daunting legacy has passed to John Ross--along with powerful magic and the knowledge that his actions are all that stand between a living hell and humanity's future.

Then, after decades of service to the Word, an unspeakable act of violence shatters John Ross's weary faith. Haunted by guilt, he turns his back on his dread gift, settling down to build a normal life, untroubled by demons and nightmares.

But a fallen Knight makes a tempting prize for the Void, which could bend the Knight's magic to its own evil ends. And once the demons on Ross's trail track him to Seattle, neither he nor anyone close to him will be safe. His only hope is Nest Freemark, a college student who wields an extraordinary magic all her own. Five years earlier, Ross had aided Nest when the future of humanity rested upon her choice between Word and Void. Now Nest must return the favor. She must restore Ross's faith, or his life--and hers--will be forfeit . . .

Download Description

In the eleventh century the Welsh hero Owain Glyndwr was chosen to combat the demonic evil of the Void and disappeared from history to fulfill that mission. Armed with powerful magic, Glyndwr became a Knight of the Word - a draining and demanding legacy passed on eight centuries later to John Ross, a professor of English literature on tour in Wales. In accepting the black runestaff that channeled the magic of the Word, John Ross accepted a solemn trust - and an awful burden. Each night he dreams of hellish futures wrought upon the world by the Void. And each dream is of a future that will come to pass unless Ross prevents it in the present. Then an unspeakable act of violence shatters his weary beliefs. Haunted by guilt, John Ross turns his back on the Word. But a fallen Knight makes a tempting prize for the Void, and merciless demons soon stalk Ross and those close to him. His only hope is young Nest Freemark, who wields a powerful magic all her own.

Customer Reviews:

Mediocre and guilty of the no-twist twist sin.......2007-10-08

This is the second book in the Word/Void trilogy, which reads like a quasi-spiritualist Judeo-Christian moralization of modern society. That sounds like a criticism, but actually I find it pretty compelling. The first book of the series, in fact, sets these issues out fairly succinctly and interestingly but without too much preachiness, verbosity, or judgmentalism. I haven't read the third book in the series yet but I imagine it will continue, as this one did, in the interesting concept he's come up with that the modern world is going to ruin because people just aren't nice enough (he may be right, but I doubt it).

That preamble made, the literary merits of this book left a lot to be desired. First of all, there is the considerable problem, which other reviewers have touched on, that there isn't much action. In fact, except for a tragedy scene in the beginning told in retrospect, and a couple brief if intense hunt scenes, there is no action whatsoever until the last dozen pages.

Second, and this is tied with the first, this book apparently aims to be a mystery or thriller. A who-done-it that focuses not on "who is the murderer" but instead just "who is the bad guy" (which in this series' mythology, means who is the "demon"). That can be great if you don't know who the demon is, but it was painfully, ludicrously obvious what the twist was almost from the first chapter of the book, and with the rest of the story alternating between giving even more credence to that twist and trying to throw the reader off the scent (somewhat ham-handedly), it made for boring reading.

If you are going to have a big surprise twist at the end, and want to build up to it, you either need (a) a lot of other action going on or (b) so many characters and possibilities that the reader is always in doubt about the twist until it's revealed. Neither was true here. Made for a tough read. It's not a perfect analogy, but imagine if you knew all along that Verbel was going to be revealed as Kaiser Sose, and the entire rest of the Usual Suspects was just talking with no action...you might tend to become bored, eh?

I also have to say that Brooks' description of magical battles has atrophied since Shannara. I know this is "modern" times, but the mild descriptions of how the protaginists' magic work is similar enough to how elf stones work that I felt robbed of some of the excitement in the earlier (later in time) books where there was much better excitement in the magical battles. Sorry, but sort of turning into a ghost dog is not exactly an overwhelming volcano of power and excitement.

In any event, he's a fine writer. I enjoyed the book overall, and the series moreso, but he either needs to stay away from mysteries or he needs to do a better job hiding the ball if he expects the whole paradigm of the book to be a thriller. On the whole, mediocre. I'm hopeful for the next one.

Super Reader.......2007-08-04

It is now a few years later, and John Ross, Knight of the Word, has lost his way. Or, he just wants to lead a normal life. This is a common complaint of the superpowered. He decides to settle down, have a relationship, do a bit of social work and that sort of thing.

This is very seductive, and just what the Void wants. Nest Freemark must try and snap John out of it, at considerable risk, as if the Void doesn't get to him, the Word may send an agent to remove the risk he now poses.

A page turner, but..........2006-08-09

John Ross is a Knight of the Word (or Creator) who has had it with his lonley mission to fight the evil minions of the Void (guess who he is). After a mission that ends in tragedy Ross calls it quits and tries to make life for himself serving the homeless in Seatle with a new home and a lover. Life is good, but can Ross escape his calling to defend the world from the depredations of demons and the forces of chaos? No. Ross's past catches up with him in the form of an insidious demonic plot to seduce him into the service of the Void. However, there is hope! Nest Freemark, the girl Ross saved in Running with the Demon, is sent by the Lady, a servant of the Word, to save Ross not only from the Void, but also from the fatal consequences the Word will visit on him if he doesn't get his act together.

A Knight of the Word is well written, fast-paced, and a fun read. You can always count on Terry Brooks to come up with memorable characters you can relate to set in a book that is hard to put down. Brooks' dualistic take on the battle between God and Satan is pretty interesting stuff, and, although I don't believe that particular battle is as close in reality as in Brooks' imaginary world, the setting of this book and its precursor uncover some interesting truths about our responisibility to serve either ultimate good or ultimate evil. The only drawback to this book is that it was a bit predictable. However, I got sucked into the how of what would happen, and found myself satisfied at the end of this good book.

some of the best work Brooks has produced.......2006-04-14

When I was a young lad I would read every Shanarra novel I could find, and several times. I read all of Terry Brooks' Magic Kingdom of Landover novels. But for some reason I never picked up Running With the Demon or any of the Word/Void novels. It really makes no sense because of how much I enjoyed Brooks' work. A couple of months ago I finally read the first Word/Void novel and was stunned. Running With the Demon was quite possibly the best thing Terry Brooks has written with an argument to be made about Elfstones. What's more, it felt fresh. It was the story of John Ross, a normal man picked by the Word to be its Champion in trying to hold the balance against the Void. When the novel started, Ross had been a Knight for some twenty or so years and made his way to Hopewell, Illinois to try to stop something from happening. He wasn't sure what because his dreams only give him a location and a taste of the horrors that would be unleashed on our world if he fails. He finds a teenaged girl, Nest Freemark and her magic.

Five years later Nest is a college student and John Ross has given up being a Knight of the Word. He once had a vision of an event that he needed to stop and he failed. He couldn't continue to serve, the burden was too hard. But being a Knight is not a burden one can lay down. The Void wants to turn John Ross to its side. The Word needs John Ross to resume the fight. An agent for the Word contacts Nest to try to convince Ross to rejoin the fight for the Word. In just a couple of days Ross will take a step that will put him solidly on the path to the Void and he won't know it. A Knight of the Word is a novel of the continuing fight for balance between the Word and the Void, the fight for John Ross's soul, the future of Nest Freemark and ultimately the future of our world. You see, the world of the Word/Void novels is out own, just with a twist. Most people have no idea.

By this point in my life and having read nearly everything Terry Brooks has published (there are a couple of Landover novels I haven't read now) I would have said it was impossible for Brooks to surprise me. But he has. I am nearly shocked by just how good his Word/Void novels are. A Knight of the Word is the second book in the trilogy and it is just as good as Running With the Demon, possibly better. Even if a reader does not like the typical fantasy novel, I would suggest giving the Word/Void novels a chance. This is more of an urban fantasy where there is some magic, but it is in a modern setting. It's worth a look. This trilogy is the best work that Brooks has produced.

-Joe Sherry

John Ross' Story Continues.......2005-04-26

A Knight of the Word begins with John Ross quiting his destiny of being a Knight. But he is still plagued by dreams of an unpeakably horrifying future (a future that may come true, just read the Shannara books).

We jump back to Hopewell, Illinois and back to Nest Freemark. She is now older, in college and waiting for her shot at the Olympics as a runner. She gets word from a strange spirit Ariel that John Ross is in danger. So she travels to Seattle, Washington to help him. Except he doesn't want help. He now works for a homeless shelter and outreach program and is in love. But his new dreams show him killing the saintly boss that he works for at the outreach program. But Nest knows a demon can not be to far behind. So she uses her own Word magic to smoke out the demon. The demon's identity and the real conflicts culminate in an explosive ending. An ending that will change both protagonists lives for good.

The Word & the Void: Running with the Demon; a Knight of the Word; Angel Fire East

Average customer rating:

Awesome book - awesome collection

The Word & the Void: Running with the Demon; a Knight of the Word; Angel Fire East
Terry Brooks
Manufacturer: SFBC Fantasy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0739475479

Customer Reviews:

Awesome book - awesome collection.......2007-10-05

The is a masterpiece that now starts all of Brooks' tales. This collection of the first three books makes it easy to read all of the starting stories for his entire Shannara lineage.

First House: The Grid, the Figure and the Void (Architectural Monographs (Cloth))

Average customer rating:

Brilliant and Unsurpassed
At Last !!

First House: The Grid, the Figure and the Void (Architectural Monographs (Cloth))
Christian Bjone
Manufacturer: Academy Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0470845384

Book Description

First House: the grid, the figure and the void presents a range of innovative first houses designed by a group of famous Harvard graduates from the 1930s - many of which have never been published before. These include such influential figures as Edward Larrabee Barnes, Ulrich Franzen, John Johansen, Philip Johnson, I M Pei and Paul Rudolph.

This examination shows both what these soon-to-be-famous American architects were taught by their émigré Bauhaus instructors Walter Gropius and Marcel Breuer, and the development of their personal artistic vision.

Each building is accompanied by a rich collection of background period information. Artworks by American painters such as Calder, Pollock, Motherwell and Kline are incorporated as both emblems of their time and sources of design inspiration. The furniture designed and used in many of the buildings is also illustrated and ranges from the well-known work of Eames to the forgotten steel wire chairs of Landrum.

The book concludes with a review of the personalities involved in publishing these modern houses: the photographer Ezra Stoller, writer Peter Blake and historian Vincent Scully. These men also tried their hand at self-designed 'First Houses' for their own families.

This book provides an extensively researched text with previously unpublished discoveries that are tied together in a uniquely personal and emotional narrative that opens a clear view upon the designers and their time.

Customer Reviews:

Brilliant and Unsurpassed.......2003-03-11

As an architectural historian, I have read a number of books that approach this subject, but none so comprehensively and with such a thoughtful analysis. Clear and concise writing with intriguing visual comparisons and beautiful illustrations and drawings. I recommend this book by the brilliant author/architect to anyone interested in 20th-century American architecture.

At Last !!.......2002-12-08

This book reviews the box type architecture of the '40s, but with a twist, with details. This author features the first homes' interior gems. Yes, paintings, furniture and from old photographs, first time owners are rediscovered. Philip Johnson (also wrote at the end), I M Pei, Noyes, etc. its like the first album for a superband or superstar. Mr Bjone as an architect himself does an excellent job in this endeavor. Refreshing, the new cool.

George Tsypin Opera Factory: Building in the Black Void

Average customer rating:

The Whole View
A must for any artist...

George Tsypin Opera Factory: Building in the Black Void
George Tsypin
Manufacturer: Princeton Architectural Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1568985320

Book Description

Forget everything you think you know about contemporary theater design. The explosive work of Russian-born George Tsypin is changing the way audiences see theatrical productions of all kinds, and it will alter the way you think about what you see on a stage. Thanks to Tsypin, the days of stark, minimalist, almost empty sets are over. His maximalist creations fill the theater's black void with a fevered combination of elements, referencing everything from Russian Constructivism to the works of Frank Gehry and Zaha Hadid. Set design, under his direction, is a unique form of architecture, a celebration of structural and sculptural possibility.

George Tsypin Opera Factory shows Tsypin's works for the most important opera houses in the world, from New York's Metropolitan Opera to Milan's La Scala to Saint Petersburg's Mariinsky Theater. The book also features work outside of opera, including the MTV Video Music Awards, the Russian Pavilion for the Venice Biennale, and the Millennium Cities project for Doncaster, England. These pieces include a head of the Statue of Liberty thrust onto the body of the Tatlin Tower and a glass and steel skyscraper that simultaneously rises from and falls into a lake.

In all his work, Tsypin redefines the parameters of contemporary stage design. As Grigory Revzin writes in his introduction, "In Tsypin's work avant-garde ideas return to their natural environment, to an enormously energetic and large-scale attempt to transform reality into magic reality."

Customer Reviews:

The Whole View.......2006-01-01

This is a splendid book that makes one hunger for the stage productions depicted. Photographs show a production style that is illuminating, rich, emotional, focused and engaging, and most importantly, which takes in the whole world-view through the prism of the work being performed. One cannot escape such designs nor divorce them from the world in which we live. The soaring yet tortured set for West Side Story (on, of all places, the Bregenz Festival floating stage on Lake Constanze) is a prime example of scenery that grabs you and makes contemporary the tragedy about to unfold. Paradoxically, it creates intimacy, through its monumentality, in a wide-open outdoor setting which could easily have dissipated the emotional force of the play. Mr. Tsypin demonstrates how to conquer ungainly space to let the musical sing with its own voice. And that anxious voice, Mr. Tsypin, a New Yorker by adoption reminds us, harks back not only to Romeo and Juliet, the Jets and the Sharks, but to 9/11, now as much a part of the New York collective unconscious as Jerome Robbins' initial conceit was in its time. Similar connections although to different realities and in different terms can be made about his orchestra placement and the swirling ramp in the Amsterdam Ring (pace the dramatically relevant circular ramps in the Schneider-Siemssen/Karajan Salzburg/Met Rings of another generation). The stage imagery is always connected to some emotional reality within our experience. These are but two examples of the several productions discussed. The riches portrayed in the photographs are many, and make one hungry to see the actual productions. Mr. Tsypin is keenly aware that opera (theatre) design, even if thoroughly "plugged-in" to what is contemporarily or mythically relevant, stands not alone, but, with direction and musical realization, to create a whole greater than the sum of its parts. Some pictures are of design miniatures whereas others are of actual productions. This raises my only reservation about the book: I think it is a bit small. Larger plates would have better conveyed the scale of the designer's work, particularly when actual production photographs are used. Photographs are all excellently reproduced in vibrant colors which (I hope) replicate accurately the nuances of stage lighting.

It appears Mr. Tsypin has defined the direction of theatre/opera design for our time, much as Wieland Wagner did for his, as did, in their very different ways, Jean-Pierre Ponnelle and Robert Wilson later on (it is informative to see this book juxtaposed to the Quadri, Bertoni, Stearns book on Robert Wilson). We have certainly moved on. The text including an essay by Julie Taymor who collaborated with Tsypin in the Met's Zauberflote, is illuminating: one can actually see realization of ideas in production photographs.

Though on one level this book is art-by-approximation in that there is no substitute for actual performance, it also can stand alone, as a primer on influential, arguably seminal, contemporary ideas about stage design demonstrated by illustrations from instances in which those ideas were realized.

A must for any artist..........2005-12-12

Believe it or not, I bought this book because of my growing interest in film. To me, one cannot divorce theatrical design from movie set design; or for that matter painting or sculpture. The fact is that I find in Tsypin the same inspiration that I discovered in the work of Antonio Gaudi... Yes, an architect even. But, what an exceptional architect! So is true of Tsypin; he's not your typical set designer. Tsypin is another fine example of a complete artist. Like Gaudi, he cannot be simply categorized under one title; he is many things to the craft of designing for the opera.

The more I encounter such unique talents, the more I realize the real value of the arts to transcend all manner of professions. Tsypin has offered opera enthusiasts a new perspective and appeal through his designs. He is aided by other highly talented artists, which collaboration comprise a tour de force that is evidenced by the fantastic productions they've put together.

I've not been fortunate enough to have attended a Tsypin production and can only imagine the impact that such an experience would have on me, seeing it all in the flesh. But one can still appreciate the exuberant creativity, focused power, and captivating scale of Tsypin's work from this publication.

So, if you're into theater then this is a no-brainer. Yet, if you love art and need a "whack on the head" to inspire you to think outside the box then get this book!

Journey Into the Void (Sovereign Stone Trilogy)

Average customer rating:

Great series, poor ending. Worth buying though.
A stunning conclusion to an epic tale
Ashes To Ashes, Dust to Dust, Portal To Portal
Might as well finish it...
A Decent End to the Sovereign Stone trilogy....

Journey Into the Void (Sovereign Stone Trilogy)
Margaret Weis , and Tracy Hickman
Manufacturer: Eos
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0061020591
Release Date: 2004-07-27

Book Description

From acclaimed New York Times bestselling fantasists Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman comes the spellbinding conclusion to the epic adventure of wonder, courage, magic, and ambition that is the breathtaking world of the Sovereign Stone.

Over two hundred years have passed since the mystical Sovereign Stone was shattered and the world of Loerem faced its most dangerous test ever—the rise of the dark lord Dagnarus. But now Dagnarus has stirred from the Void and seeks the utter conquest of all Loerem. Leading a seemingly unstoppable horde of bestial, powerful minions and a host of insidious undead, Dagnarus captures mortal kingdom after mortal kingdom, until he stands before the very gates of New Vinnengael, as traitors within the city plot to yield the crown to the undead lord.

In the darkness and turmoil that follows, all heroes must first master their own fears and weaknesses before they can take up the fight to stop Dagnarus, and the company spreads across many lands to face many perils. Mortally wounded by a Blood-knife wielded by an undead Vrykyl knight, the Baron Shadamehr lies dying, and even the many skills of his beautiful, beloved Alise may not be able to save him. Others face desperate journeys through hostile lands and difficult tests of character. And, unsuspected, a deadly Vrykyl stalks the pecwae Bashae—and his precious burden, the human portion of the Sovereign Stone—through the streets of New Vinnengael.

Yet the gods have their own plans for this imperiled land, and drawn by an unknown call, the Dominion Lords head for the Portal of the Gods, the mystical, haunted site of Dagnarus's terrible treachery two hundred years beforehand. For if all the parts of the sundered Sovereign Stone can be reunited, the Dominion Lords can stop Dagnarus's unholy plans for domination. But one piece is still missing. . . .

As the past and present converge in a desperate race to determine the future, an unlikely hero will arise. A man who will become far more than he ever dreamed possible and who holds the fate of all Loerem in his hands. And to save Loerem he must venture into a realm of utter terror and darkness . . . into the very blackness of the Void itself.

Download Description

From acclaimed New York Times bestselling fantasists Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman comes the spellbinding conclusion to the epic adventure of wonder, courage, magic, and ambition that is the breathtaking world of the Sovereign Stone. Over two hundred years have passed since the mystical Sovereign Stone was shattered and the world of Loerem faced its most dangerous test ever -- the rise of the dark lord Dagnarus. But now Dagnarus has stirred from the Void and seeks the utter conquest of all Loerem. Leading a seemingly unstoppable horde of bestial, powerful minions and a host of insidious undead, Dagnarus captures mortal kingdom after mortal kingdom, until he stands before the very gates of New Vinnengael, as traitors within the city plot to yield the crown to the undead lord.

Customer Reviews:

Great series, poor ending. Worth buying though........2005-11-15

Poor ending, though the series was excellent... I'd say that it would be normal to be disappointed by the ending. The entire story build up to that very point and it wasn't as earth shaking as the authors would have you guess. However I did think the adventure there was actually worth the price of getting the entire series!

A stunning conclusion to an epic tale.......2005-08-19

This book is the third and final instalment of the Sovereign Stone Trilogy capping another wonderfully created world by Weis and Hickman. Wies and Hickman have a knack for bringing home the story at the end of trilogies. I've read some authors where the third book is the worst in the series. Not the case here. This book finishes up the story in grand fashion and I can honestly say that I wouldn't have ended the story any other way.

This world is unlike their Dragonlance books in that they have complete control over what happens and it's noticably a little darker than their other works.

The story during the Sovereign Stone Trilogy moves along at a break neck pace. There are multiple twists along the way. I thinkt he thing I like best about this trilogy is that the 'villian' starts off as a good guy for the most part, but with misguided ideals. He doesn't really know he's being evil he thinks he's doing what's best.

Overall, if you are a fan of Weis and Hickman's Dragonlance Chronicles of Death Gate cycle you should give these books a chance. The world if fresh and different from most that is out there today.

If you're ready for a new journey, jump aboard and get ready for a fun enjoyable ride.

Ashes To Ashes, Dust to Dust, Portal To Portal.......2005-05-19

The conclusion to the Sovereign Stone Trilogy, the predicatively-named Journey Into The Void, follows the path of the sundered stone through Loerem and back to the portal of the gods.
Book three focuses on the abominations called taan and their subservience to the lord of the void Dagnarus and that race's interaction with humans, elves, orken and dwarves. As the level of violence ratchets up, Dagnarus' ambition of ruling the world draws nearer. For 200 years he has plotted the moment when he would fulfill his ambition and walk in the footsteps of his long-departed father King Tamaros. His moment seems assured. Much like its two predecessors, however, Journey Into The Void relies too heavily on simplistic coincidences and twists of fate to be fully convincing. The ending, in particular, seems rudimentary and anti-climatic, although Dagnarus' musings about being a just ruler who will bring prosperity to his subjects are an intriguing contradiction to the linear fable of good versus evil. In the end, the irony is not enough to erase an inadequate ending. A partial redress is left to new and complex characters like Captain Of The Captains, Alise or Baron Shadamehr, but sadly they are stifled in these environs. That will have to do however.
Every rose has its thorns. In this case, the thorns manage to overwhelm the story.

Might as well finish it..........2005-02-14

The most positive excuse I can give for reading this book, is if you've already read the first two, it's not too painful to just go ahead and finish this one too.

That being said, this book read like it was writting to fulfil a contract, with no particular insight or imagination going into the telling of the story. The actual climax was such a letdown as to be almost insulting.

The overall story seems to center around a great cruel joke that the gods play on the people of this world. Giving them a "gift" that they state up front will throw the races into war and chaos. Then three books go by trying to get the stone put back together so the gods will take the damn thing back. Gee, thanks gods.

There was also a very odd juxtaposition of the typical fantasy races. I know it's not written in stone or anything, but the deliberate trashing of traditional racial attributes was very distracting. i.e. Orcs, are an intelligent, if superstitious, seagoing race. Elves are a petty and warlike people. Dwarves are a fanatical horse riding culture. If you're going to mix things up that much, why even start with the same race names. Just make up new ones, it would work far better.

If you didn't start this trilogy, trust me...skip it. If you've already read the first book, stop there, it stands alone anyway. If you read the second, you might as well finish it.

A Decent End to the Sovereign Stone trilogy...........2005-01-04

I am a huge fan of Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. But this Soveriegn Stone Trilogy has been at best a so-so fantasy story. Book 1 was more of a prequel, Book 2 seemed to get lost in itself, and Book 3 finally puts it all to rest. This is not their best work. But it did remain interesting throughout. The ending is a bit of a letdown and it seems that any chance of some intense action is dispelled quickly. I would not really recommend this trilogy to a friend when there are simply better fantasy stories to focus on out there. So only read if you read the first two. Then put it on the shelf to gather some dust.

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