The Dark River (Fourth Realm Trilogy, Book 2)

The Dark River (Fourth Realm Trilogy, Book 2)
Average customer rating:

continues the Traveler yarn well

An Amazing Follow-up to The Traveler

Edge of your seat!

Let down

Enjoyable, But Some Fundamental Inconsistencies Which Distract

The Dark River (Fourth Realm Trilogy, Book 2)
John Twelve Hawks
Manufacturer: Doubleday
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
Epic | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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The Traveler (Fourth Realm Trilogy, Book 1)

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ASIN: 0385514298
Release Date: 2007-07-10

Book Description

A frantic race to save a long-lost Traveler.
An epic battle for freedom.
Two brothers whose power puts them on a collision course . . .with each other.

In The Traveler, John Twelve Hawks introduced readers to a dangerous world inspired by the modern technology that monitors our lives. Under constant surveillance of the ‘Vast Machine,’ a sophisticated computer network run by a ruthless group, society is mostly unaware of its own imprisonment. Gabriel and Michael Corrigan, brothers who were raised “off the grid,” have recently learned they are Travelers like their long-lost father— part of a centuries-old line of prophets able to journey to different realms of consciousness and enlighten the world to resist being controlled. But power affects the brothers differently. As The Traveler ends, Gabriel hesitates under the weight of responsibility. Michael seizes the opportunity—and joins the enemy.

THE DARK RIVER opens in New York City with a stunning piece of news. Gabriel’s father, who has been missing for nearly twenty years, may still be alive and trapped somewhere in Europe. Gabriel and his Harlequin protector, Maya, immediately mobilize to escape New York and find the long-lost Traveler. Simultaneously, Michael orders the Brethren—the ruthless group that has been hunting Gabriel—into a full-scale search. Gabriel yearns to find his father to protect him; Michael aims to destroy the man whose existence threatens his newfound power. The race moves from the underground tunnels of New York and London to ruins hidden beneath Rome and Berlin, to a remote region of Africa that is rumored to harbor one of history’s greatest treasures. And as the story moves toward its chilling conclusion, Maya must decide if she will trade everything to rescue Gabriel.

A mesmerizing return to the places and people so richly portrayed in The Traveler, THE DARK RIVER is propelled by edge-of-the-seat suspense and haunted by a vision of a world where both hope and freedom are about to disappear.

Customer Reviews:

continues the Traveler yarn well.......2007-10-07

This is an enjoyable continuation of The Traveler. It has a lot of action like the first, the relationship of Gabriel and Maya turns a corner, and some characters mentioned in the first novel surface. The locations are exotic and the danger is ever-present.

By itself, I wouldn't recommend the 2nd part as a stand-alone work, but if you enjoyed the first novel in the series, then this will not disappoint. I'm anxious to see how things resolve in the last novel of trilogy.

An Amazing Follow-up to The Traveler.......2007-10-05

The Dark River picks up where The Traveler left off and it's amazing! While Maya the Harlequin recovers from her injury from The Traveler, she hides out with Hollis Wilson and Vicki Fraser where she finds herself developing distinctly non-Harlequin feelings towards her Traveler Gabriel. In one of the opening scenes, in which The Bretheren brutally attack the New Harmony community, it becomes really clear that the Bretheren are not to be messed with. I think that sets up the rest of the novel, since from then on, I was terrified of what the Bretheren might do if they caught up with Maya, Gabriel, Holis or Vicki. The stakes only get higher when information comes from off-the-grid that Gabriel's father, long thought dead, has been confirmed as alive and possibly in London. I won't give away any more, since I am not much for spoilers but the book is awesome. It's so action packed and totally ties up all the loose ends from The Traveler. I cannot wait until the next Fourth Realm book comes out!!

Edge of your seat!.......2007-10-04

Wish it were another 100 pages longer but I suppose we will have to wait for book 3.

This was very entertaining and I award 5 stars because the story flows well and does introduce some great new characters with enough twists to keep you wondering. The demise of one of the characters in particular provides a much clearer picture of the type of organization the Tabula represents. Wait and see and you really begin to see big brother.

Enjoy!

Let down.......2007-09-28

After reading The Traveller, I anxiously awaited the next book in the Fourth Realm trilogy. When I finally read Dark River, I had mixed feelings about the book. I suppose the best way to capsulize it is to say, it's the middle book. Dark River did not live up to my expectations. A whole story line was dropped from this sequel, and the atmosphere was not as captivating as Book One. Many loose ends were left at the end of this book, and as I await the final volume, I hope that when the trilogy is finished, I am a satisfied as I was at the end of Book One.

Enjoyable, But Some Fundamental Inconsistencies Which Distract.......2007-09-23

I have to say, I REALLY enjoyed The Traveler (Fourth Realm Trilogy, Book 1) and couldn't wait to get my hands on the sequel. Although I wasn't disappointed in the sequel, it did not meet my expectations.

Since I don't write spoilers, all I will say is that I fear the author {insert your best guess here} has painted himself into a corner where the third book may fall totally into implausibility and silliness. The first novel was interesting because the spirituality aspects of the novel were a mechanism to contrast the possible spiritual (and physical) prison we may be constructing for ourselves in our technological society. In my opinion, the author {insert best guess here} goes too far into the fantasy realm using inconsistent logic which distracts the reader from the larger sociological/technological implications. Once you construct an internal logic into an alternative universe, you should stick with it. Internal consistency is very important in science fiction and fantasy. Twelve Hawks re-writes some of the fundamental tenets of his universe and I think jeopardizes the novel.

That said, the novel is well-written and every bit the page-turner as the first book. The characters continue to be developed and the reader will develop real attachments to them. You won't feel like you've wasted your time reading it, even if you may roll your eyes in a few places. I hope the final novel in the series recaptures a little more of the balance between technology and fantasy which made the first book so intriguing.

The Lost Realms: Book IV of the Earth Chronicles

Average customer rating:

An interesting point about Meso American discoveries
The Lost Realms
The Lost Realms
Takes the New out of New World
The Lost Realms

The Lost Realms: Book IV of the Earth Chronicles
Zecharia Sitchin
Manufacturer: Harper
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Controversial Knowledge | Religious Studies | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

UFOs | Occult | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

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General | Reference | Subjects | Books
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The Wars of Gods and Men: Book III of the Earth Chronicles (The Earth Chronicles)
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ASIN: 0380758903

Book Description

Thousands Of Years Before the Birth
Of Christ, Giants Roamed The Earth

In the sixteenth century, Spanish conquerors came to the New World in search of El Dorado, the fabled city of gold. Instead, they encountered inexplicable phenomena that have puzzled scholars and historians ever since: massive stone edifices constructed in the Earth's most inaccessible regions ... great monuments forged with impossible skill and unknown tools ... intricate carvings describing the events and topography of half a world away.

In this, the remarkable and thoroughly researched fourth volume of THE EARTH CHRONICLES, author Zecharia Sitchin uncovers the long-hidden secrets of the lost civilizations of the pre-Columbian Americas and offers documentation of the giant gods who spawned the greatness of the Incans, Mayans, and Aztecs -- the Anunnaki -- "those who from Heaven to Earth came."

Customer Reviews:

An interesting point about Meso American discoveries.......2007-03-20

I have 3 of Sitchen's books, the best being "The 9th Planet"..."Lost Realms" takes up where The 9th Planrt left off but this time in the Americas. Both books are food for thought.

The Lost Realms.......2007-03-09

You ask it about this book and all I could say in return is Yes, Yes, Yes as He write just the way I believe. Read it!!!!

The Lost Realms.......2007-01-12

Another great book by Zachariah Sitchen, I have read all eight books of his Earth chronicles and they are all very mind boggling.

Takes the New out of New World.......2002-07-28

The Lost Realms is one of the most speculative and interesting books in Sitchin's Earth Chronicles series. The ruins and structures of Egypt and the Near East have been wondered at and studied for centuries, and there is a veritable wealth of information from Near Eastern papyri, stelae, monuments, and similar artifacts. The ruins of Mesoamerica have largely been rediscovered only in the past couple of hundred years; indeed, unknown wonders surely remain hidden by South America's dense jungles. The immensely important records and artifacts of New World societies such as the Mayan, Inca, and Aztec civilizations were for the most part lost and destroyed at the hands of greedy Spanish conquistadors, and further site degradation has resulted from the pilfering of ancient stones by recent natives of the area for use in the construction of their own buildings. Thus, the earliest history of the lower Americas remains frustratingly impossible to understand. We are left with giant edifices with significant similarities to Near Eastern constructions in size, orientation, and purpose, many of them seemingly containing very advanced structures built for unknown purposes. Even the age of the artifacts is hotly debated, with many scientists refusing to believe scientific findings point back to as early as 2000 B.C.

Sitchin's arguments fit very nicely with the history of Sumeria, Egypt, and the Near East that he laid out in his earlier books. Basically, he argues that the Americas were exploited by the gods for the production of gold and other metals such as tin, which the Andean mountains in particular hold in abundance. Metals were refined here and shipped back to the Near Eastern lands long before Columbus ever sailed the ocean blue. Sitchin believes that the Olmecs, of which very little is known besides what has been gleaned from the artifacts they left behind, particularly in the form of large stone blocks representing men of obvious African descent, did indeed come from Africa very early on--in fact, it was the Egyptian god Thoth who brought his followers here when he was displaced by Marduk. While the Olmecs mysteriously disappeared, other societies were formed by white gods and giants from across the sea. The traditions of the diverse Indian groups all shared a common mythology, including the story of a Great Flood; they also possessed amazing arts, technologies, and sciences (particularly astronomy) very similar to those of Sumeria and Egypt. The inadequacy of artifacts in the Americas necessarily hinder any scientist studying their earliest histories, but Sitchin constructs a remarkably compelling timeline in which the story of Mesoamerica fits very neatly into the history he has gleaned of the Annunaki and their relationships with mankind in its earliest days.

Even if Sitchin were dead wrong on everything he suggests, this book would still be worth reading just for the information about the amazing ancient cities and monuments built in the lower Americas that are only now emerging from their jungle tombs. The Olmecs, Toltecs, Mayans, Incas, and Aztecs are more mysterious than the Near Eastern cultures, and the suggestion that men traveled from the Old World and Africa centuries before Columbus is as compelling as it is fascinating. The illustrations in this book are sometimes rather grainy and hard to examine closely, but the images they convey, such as that of the giant stone heads left by the Olmecs, do much to enhance Sitchin's theories. This is thought-provoking, educational, stimulating material.

The Lost Realms.......2002-05-23

There are many pieces of the puzzle of our existence in the universe that I had figured out, or "seen", but there were still dots that I could not connect, gaps I could not fill in. When I read this book it was like deja vu, a recollection of things stored in our genetic memory/code long forgotten through evolution, now recalled causing gasps of recollection. This book logically and scientifically filled in the gaps. It makes sense, it all fits. Sitchin's bibliography to support his research is tremendously extensive and impressive. I recommend it highly for the searching mind, and have given copies as gifts to many friends and associates.

The Traveler (Fourth Realm Trilogy, Book 1)

Average customer rating:

Fun not literature
Quick read
The Traveler by John Twelve Hawks
Hooray--more to come!
5 stars?! What are you people smoking?

The Traveler (Fourth Realm Trilogy, Book 1)
John Twelve Hawks
Manufacturer: Doubleday
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Suspense | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

Contemporary | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 038551428X
Release Date: 2005-06-28

Book Description

A world that exists in the shadows of our own.

A conflict we will never see.

One woman stands between those determined to control history and those who will risk their lives for freedom.

Maya is hiding in plain sight in London. The twenty-six-year-old has abandoned the dangerous obligations pressed upon her by her father, and chosen instead to live a normal life. But Maya comes from a long line of people who call themselves Harlequins—a fierce group of warriors willing to sacrifice their lives to protect a select few known as Travelers.

Gabriel and Michael Corrigan are brothers living in Los Angeles. Since childhood, the young men have been shaped by stories that their late father was a Traveler, one of a small band of prophets who have vastly influenced the course of history. Travelers are able to attain pure enlightenment, and have for centuries ushered change into the world. Gabriel and Michael, who may have inherited their father’s gifts, have always protected themselves by living “off the Grid”—that is, invisible to the real-life surveillance networks that monitor people in our modern society.

Summoned by her ailing father, Maya is told of the existence of the brothers. The Corrigans are in severe danger, stalked by powerful men known as the Tabula—ruthless mercenaries who have hunted Travelers for generations. This group is determined to inflict order on the world by controlling it, and they view Travelers as an intolerable threat. As Maya races to California to protect the brothers, she is reluctantly pulled back into the cold and solitary Harlequin existence. A colossal battle looms—one that will reveal not only the identities of Gabriel and Michael Corrigan but also a secret history of our time.

Moving from the back alleys of Prague to the heart of Los Angeles, from the high deserts of Arizona to a guarded research facility in New York, The Traveler explores a parallel world that exists alongside our own. John Twelve Hawks’s stunningly suspenseful debut is an international publishing sensation that marks the arrival of a major new talent.

Download Description

John Twelve Hawks lives off the grid. This is his first novel.

From the Hardcover edition.

Customer Reviews:

Fun not literature.......2007-10-04

I never saw the hype on this book. I found it by surfing Amazon. An earlier reviewer who compared it to Matrix meets Jason Bourne had it right. This is certainly not literature but it's a fast past blast of a read. The plot has already been summarized by others so I won't do it again. My addition would be that the premise is worth thinking about given the state we are in today. It's an e-ticket ride but a thoughtful one in between the mayhem.

Quick read.......2007-09-26

Quick, unchallenging, fun, entertaining read.

Does not make you think to much, if you need a fast read for a long weekend, then The Traveler will work.

Enjoy!

The Traveler by John Twelve Hawks.......2007-09-19

This book actually generated quite a bit of buzz before it was released last June and I had it recommended to me by a few people saying that it was in the vein of Stephen King, and since I'm a fan I would probably enjoy this. I managed to get an ARC through the bookstore I used to work at and then it sat on my shelf for about six months until I picked it up and decided to start reading it last week. I finished it about four days later after pretty much eating it up. I would describe it as very akin to a Michael Crichton techno-thriller with some plenty of sci-fi mixed in. After getting about a hundred pages into it I was even wondering if Crichton much just be working on this same book currently because of its similarities with his story lines, the main difference being that this was a little slower and the characters had more depth to them. After finished this book I realize that this has certain elements that Crichton would never put in his book make this an enjoyable original piece of fiction. If the Matrix trilogy had originally been made into a book trilogy and done by a good writer, it would've been something like The Traveler.

The book is set near to the present day or perhaps twenty or thirty years into the future. The world is pretty much like it is now, except for being a little more high-tech and with better gadgets. There is a group of people known as Travelers who have the unique ability of being able to leave their bodies and travel to other worlds or realms. They have existed for many thousands of years, Jesus and Mohammed are though to have been travelers. There is a group of people known as the Tabula whose job it is to eradicate these travelers by whatever means necessary. They have also been in existence for a long time. Then there is a group called the Harlequins whose job it is to project the Travelers by whatever means necessary; again they have been around for a very long time.

In the present it is thought that no travelers are in existence anymore, having been wiped out by the Tabula, while the Harlequins have been reduced to very small numbers. Our main character is the daughter of a Harlequin whose father is soon killed in the book and while she had renounced her duty as a Harlequin, due to the lack of these people remaining, she has been summoned to become a Harlequin once more, because two offspring of a traveler have been found alive in California. The traveler's gift is usually passed down through genes, though this is not certain. It is her job to find those two brothers and keep them safe. The Tabula also know of the existence of these two brothers, but their modus operandi has changed dramatically. They no longer wish to kill the Travelers, but to harness their powers. The reason being that using past Travelers they have been in contact with another race living in one of the other realms that the Travelers go to, and this race is vastly superior and more intelligent and has been sending them new inventions and technology such as creating quantum computers that can measure how Travelers pass into these other realms as well as being able to send additional matter into these realms. So they want to use the Travelers as guinea pigs to work with this new race.

This the setting of the book with a lot more details than I have given and features great chase scenes and amazing fights. The Harlequins are taught from when they are children how to fight with different weapons. At the same time the Tabula basically have the Internet, all technology, the government, police, etc. under their control. So their world has its similarities to that of The Matrix, as well as to Stephenson's Snow Crash and Gibson's Neuromancer; and I also saw a lot of Blade Runner in the book too. With the world in its current state, it's not surprising that a book like this has been written. The good thing is that apart from being a really great read, it is the first book in a trilogy and hopefully unlike the Matrix trilogy, it will not doom itself to an ugly death before one is half way through the second book.

Interestingly, the author John Twelve Hawks is very much a recluse who apparently has never met with his agent, has been working on the book for a long time, and has never owned nor has he ever watched any TV. So there are some thought-provoking parallels to keep in mind, along with some strange websites that have been created for the book, though it almost seems as if some of them were created before the book came out, which is just plain weird.

For more book reviews, and other writings, go to www.alexctelander.com

Hooray--more to come!.......2007-09-11

With a whetted apetite I jumped into the second book. (The second book is book one of three ).
The author has cast a wide net and brought us into a fast paced and facinating world.
I am ready to strap on my seatbelt and start Book two (3)!!!!!!!!

5 stars?! What are you people smoking?.......2007-09-07

Just finished The Traveler. I don't think I'll be reading the sequels. Very unfulfilling. Not trash, but having just graduated with a creative writing degree I have to say that it seems like the book went to print without an editor. It's rife with cliches. The phrasing is awkward at times. The similes feel forced. The action is minimal and poorly rendered (When you're doing a "spinning back-kick" steel-toed boots don't help much since you're mking contact with the sole of your foot.) The secret history aspect of the book leaves much to be desired. (The Illuminatus Trilogy blows the doors off this lightweight if you're looking for age-old conspiracies.) Honestly, there were so many instances where I wished that I could have given some feedback to this inept writer before the book went to print. I'm not saying he's terrible, but for the amount of hype that this book have been getting...let's save our genuine praise for books of more merit. There is a huge void in this genre, and I think that this book is doing so well due to a lack of competition; it is filling that void in a way that Clancy and Brown aren't really capable of. I can't think of any books published in the last year that are along the same lines. People want this kind of a story, but they want it done well, with characters that have depth and action that matches the story's ambition. For sci-fi I think I'm going to stick with Asimov, Simmons, Card, and Bradbury for a while. The Traveler was enough junk food to last me a few years. If anything, though, it is a nice example of what not to do, or at least what can be done with minimal effort. I would say that it shows promise. Maybe in a few years Mr. Twelve Hawks will have organized his philosophy and weaved it into something that sounds more like storytelling and less like preaching.

Mysteries of the Moonsea (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying, Forgotten Realms Supplement)

Average customer rating:

An excellent resource for DMs
An absolutely awesome sourcebook!
Not a core book.
Very Disapointed
Docks review

Mysteries of the Moonsea (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying, Forgotten Realms Supplement)
Thomas Reid , Sean Reynolds , Darrin Drader , and Wil Upchurch
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Dragons of Faerun (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying, Forgotten Realms Supplement)
Power of Faerun (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying, Forgotten Realms Supplement)
Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying Supplement)
Monster Manual IV (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying)
Cormyr: The Tearing of the Weave (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying, Forgotten Realms Supplement)

ASIN: 078693915X
Release Date: 2006-06-13

Book Description

Mysteries of the Moonsea™

Thomas M. Reid Sean K Reynolds
Darrin Drader Wil Upchurch

A Campaign Arc for Characters of Levels 1—18

The Moonsea–a perilous frontier ruled by tyrants and threatened by monsters. Here cities consumed by decadence and war rise and fall like the sun, and conspiracies abound. Great adventure awaits those who oppose evil, for the Moonsea is rife with it.
The Mysteries of the Moonsea accessory contains 37 loosely connected adventures that can be run individually or linked to form the basis of an entire Forgotten Realms® campaign. In addition to the adventures, this book presents maps and descriptions of the major Moonsea cities of Melvaunt, Hillsfar, Mulmaster, and Zhentil Keep, as well as statistics and descriptions for 15 important campaign villains.

For use with these Dungeons & Dragons® products
Player’s Handbook™ Dungeon Master’s Guide™ Monster Manual™
Forgotten Realms® Campaign Setting

Customer Reviews:

An excellent resource for DMs.......2007-01-22

This book is different from most of the other supplements that Wizards of the Coast has released, and I have to say that it was a very refreshing change of pace. The best way to categorize this book would be to say that it's halfway between a regional sourcebook and a campaign module.

Unlike the other regional books, it doesn't contain a random hodgepodge of information about NPCs, locations, Prestige Classes, new spells, and so on. Instead, you don't have new Prestige Classes, feats, and spells at all, which is just as well, since I think there's more than enough of all three. The book also has much narrower scope, focusing on only the four main cities in the Moonsea region and their surrounding areas. Again, this is just as well, since at least half of the material in my other regional books sit unused.

And unlike the other published modules, the adventures presented in Mysteries of the Moonsea are very loosely connected. Most are nicely self-contained, and have just enough encounters for a party to face in a single day. Each adventure presents a few possible hooks to draw the players in, and I found that it was very easy to tailor them to fit the flavor and motivations of the players closely.

Overall, I think that this book strikes the perfect balance between being a generic regional book that puts most of the work on the DM, and a published module that railroads players.

An absolutely awesome sourcebook!.......2007-01-03

As a long time follower of Zhentil Keep, the Zhentarim, and Lord Bane, I'm sure my opinion is -most- biased. But I have to say that this is one of the best sourcebooks I've read to date. As stated below, yes, this is nore a core book. However, that doesn't at all make it useless.

As a player myself, I like to read up on the NPCs and lore of the Realms, and this is an amazing book for that. Covering the entire Moonsea region, this book delves into key aspects of the north, south, east, and west regions of the Moonsea. It provides maps of the cities, though not to large amounts of detail, and offers up new NPCs; in Zhentil Keep, it gives you the Slave Master of the city, an Erinyes working eagerly under Fzoul Chembryl's guidance, and the dottering old Evil head of the mage's society.

All in all? A worthwhile read!

Not a core book........2006-10-29

Please, do not buy this book if you are looking for a core book. Do not make the same mistake I made.
This is a good book if you are looking for an adventure book. But that is it. Do not spect a lot of descriptions, you will get mostly adventures, not very detailed ones but a lot of them.
I just gave one single star to this book because it is totally mislabled.

Very Disapointed.......2006-09-01

I believe many in the people bought this book expecting another regional sourcebook such as shining south, Unaproachable East etc.

Instead its a collection of thinly flushed out adventures. THe book as a adventure source book is fine, the real issue is that most people wanted a Regional Sourcebook on the Moonsea.

I hope they continue making the Regional Sourcebooks, and seperate these adventure collections into a different area.

Docks review.......2006-08-13

This was a good book, however, I recommend dragon's of faerun and the power of Faerun.

In Matto's Realm: A Sergeant Studer Mystery (Sergeant Studer Mystery S.)

Average customer rating:

Typically unconventional ending
dark period piece police procedural

In Matto's Realm: A Sergeant Studer Mystery (Sergeant Studer Mystery S.)
Friedrich Glauser
Manufacturer: Bitter Lemon Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Thumbprint
Fever (A Sergeant Studer Mystery)
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The Snowman
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ASIN: 1904738060

Book Description

"Despairing plot about the reality of madness and life, leavened with strong doses of bittersweet irony. The idiosyncratic investigation and its laconic detective haven't aged one iota."-Guardian

A child-murderer escapes from a Swiss insane asylum. The stakes get higher when Detective Sergeant Studer discovers the director's body, neck broken, in the boiler room of the madhouse. The intuitive Studer is drawn into the workings of an institution that darkly mirrors the world outside. Even he cannot escape the pull of the no man's land between reason and madness where Matto, the spirit of insanity, reigns.

Addicted to morphine, Friedrich Glauser spent much of his life in psychiatric wards and prison. He began writing mystery novels while an asylum inmate in 1935.

Customer Reviews:

Typically unconventional ending.......2007-04-18

Like Fever and Thumbprint, the conclusion of this book was sort of unconventional for a detective story but somehow this one was more satisfying. Wonderfully consistent and concise tone of storytelling.

dark period piece police procedural .......2006-01-18

In the late 1920s in Bern, Dr. Ernst Laduner specifically asks to see Detective Sergeant Jakob Studer as they met in Vienna though the cop does not remember the psychiatrist. Laduner informs Studer that a patient Peter Pieterlen, a child murderer, escaped from the Randlingen Psychiatric Clinic; Studer concludes the psychiatrist is performing a classic CYA especially since another patient director Ulrich Borstli vanished.

Studer questions those on duty when Borstli allegedly disappeared and Pieterlen escaped from the asylum. As he continues his investigation in the boiler room, he discovers the murdered corpse of Borstli, whose neck is broken. While his superior and the psychiatrist claim that the murdering maniac Pieterlen killed Borstli before fleeing the crime scene, Studer thinks otherwise. The psychological theories brought forth to accuse the missing patient as the killer makes him wonder if someone is hiding the homicide behind psychological theory that sounds more like mumbo jumbo.

IN MATTO'S REALM is a dark period piece police procedural that grips the audience from the moment Studer enters the clinic and never lets go as the sleuth realizes those inside reflect those outside. The strong story line is cast-driven as the audience obtains a deep look at a 1920s German mental asylum accompanied by the prevalent psychological theories of the day. The who-done-it is shrewdly developed so that readers receive a fine detective story used to provide a look at a psychiatric clinic by an insider as author Friedrich Glauser spent time in psychiatric wards where he began his writing career.

Harriet Klausner

The Dungeon of Death: A Dungeon Crawl Adventure (Advanced Dungeons and Dragons: Forgotten Realms)

Average customer rating:

Excellent classic dungeon crawl adventure!
Good mid-level adventure against DEMONS...
A classic dungeon adventure

The Dungeon of Death: A Dungeon Crawl Adventure (Advanced Dungeons and Dragons: Forgotten Realms)
Jason Carl
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Action & Adventure | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0786916222
Release Date: 2000-05-01

Book Description

A deadly dungeon crawl set in the heart of one of the most dangerous and mysterious locales in the Forgotten Realms(r) setting. For the first time, D&D(r) players will have access to one of the most mysterious locales from the First Edition Forgotten Realms campaign setting. The Dungeon of Death features an elaborate array of tricks, traps, and monsters-sure to challenge any party. The adventure is for mid-level (5th-9th) characters, which are in high demand by loyal D&D players.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent classic dungeon crawl adventure!.......2000-07-21

This is truely an excellent adventure, in the classic AD&D style dungeon crawl format. Deep and involved it provides extensive backround and good ways to use this dungeon in your campaign. It will take some skilled PCs to get through this adventure, as many traps and a curse lay in thier way. This will try the skills of even some of the best gamers around. If you get this module, be careful not to take it easy on your players because they will complain a lot about some of the nasty little quirks of this module. A must have for all the worlds devious DMs.

Good mid-level adventure against DEMONS..........2000-06-20

I just finished running this adventure and I have to say that my players and I were both pretty satisfied. The traps were good, especially the "Indiana Jones"-style staircase to nowhere with the 8ft iron ball...it had a very good trigger and gave the characters a chance to do something rather than just stop a flying arrow with their face or fall...My lead character missed a dexterity check I made him roll, and tripped. The other three characters had to then make a Dex check with a +4 to the roll to leap over him...they all made it! Luckily for them he was a dwarf! Anyway, the idea of the Shadow Curse was good, except that I changed it to subtract one HIT POINT per hour from character max, rather than subtracting one from the character's prime requisite attribute. That was a bad choice for two reasons: 1) the characters would never have completed this dungeon in 18 hours or less, and certainly would be in no shape to fight the nabassu Tanar'ri at the end if they had come close and 2) I would rather not take adventure time by changing the characters attributes every game hour! Imagine the adjusting it would do to THACO charts and things of that nature. Just too much character adjustment for me. Subtracting a max hit point every hour seemed to work out well, though. By the end, my characters were struggling at just over half their normal hit points, which I believe proved to be a much more realistic and convenient expression of the Curse. But, all properly run modules by good DMs are never run completely as the author intended, because AD&D will always be the consumate "house-rules" game. I recommend the adventure. One of the better ones put out lately.

A classic dungeon adventure.......2000-05-05

You might not want to tell your players the name of this dungeon first--it seems to make them very nervous. The traps in particular are very well-done, and I thought the curse on the complex is a great idea to make things more difficult for the players. This should be a lot of fun to play without being too deadly for the players.

Cities of Mystery (AD&D Roleplaying, Forgotten Realms Accessory, Fr8)

Average customer rating:

Collection of 3-D cutouts for AD&D; get it for the cityguide

Cities of Mystery (AD&D Roleplaying, Forgotten Realms Accessory, Fr8)
Jean Rabe
Manufacturer: TSR Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Entertainment | Boxed Sets | Formats | Books

Science Fiction & Fantasy | Boxed Sets | Formats | Books
ASIN: 0880387440

Customer Reviews:

Collection of 3-D cutouts for AD&D; get it for the cityguide.......2000-05-02

This is the hardest module to find complete in the FR series. Why? Well, it's a boxed set; and, once you get the pieces out of the box (cut-up buildings and maps), they never go back in! It's almost impossible to find as a complete set. The module includes 12 different street layout patterns, and 33 buildings - you can create an entire town or city block in a single night! Also includes the outstanding 64-page city guide, with invaluable information for random encounters (useful in any campaign). Not just for the Forgotten Realms - this set is ideal if you play with miniatures in the game, or with BattleSystem!

Murder in Cormyr (Forgotten Realms Mystery Hardcover)

Average customer rating:

Archie? Wolf? Dragons?
Poor Mystery, Terrible Fantasy, and A Great Let Down!
Who Commited the "Murder in Cormyr"
Aimed too high and missed
Murder of Cormyr

Murder in Cormyr (Forgotten Realms Mystery Hardcover)
Chet Williamson
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

MURDER IN HALRUAA (Forgotten Realms Fantasy Adventure)
The Glass Prison (Forgotten Realms)
The Shadow Stone (Forgotten Realms)
Realms of the Arcane (Forgotten Realms)
COUNCIL OF BLADES (Forgotten Realms, the Nobles Series , No 5)

ASIN: 0786904860

Customer Reviews:

Archie? Wolf? Dragons?.......2004-12-04

Murder in Cormyr remains one of my favorite Forgotten Realms novels. For those unfamiliar with the brand, the Forgotten Realms novels take place in a world familiar to D&D gamers the world over. The novels range in quality from enjoyably good to excruciatingly bad. MURDER IN CORMYR is one of the former.

MURDER IN CORMYR is told from the first person perspective. A young man tries to steal from a "retired" War Wizard. Once caught, the youth becomes the Wizard's Boy Friday. Wizard and assistant become embroiled in an investigation which weaves fantasy and detective elements together in a pleasant way.

The authors have clearly patterned Wizard and Assistant upon Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin, the Detective Odd Couple made famous in Rex Stout's novels. While the writing does not rise to the level of great literature, it is enjoyable. The novel was either nominated for or won an Edgar award. If you're looking for an enjoyable read, this is a fun book.

Poor Mystery, Terrible Fantasy, and A Great Let Down!.......2004-06-03

Unfortunately, both Murder in Cormyr as well as Murder in Halruaa are a major disappointment indeed! Badly written, by what seems to be inexperienced people who not only to have had no previous work or any serious contact with Fantasy (not even to mention the specifics of the Forgotten Realms Campaign World), but writing books-ANY books- in general! Myself, a mystery enthusiast of Arthur Conan Doyle's and Agatha Christie's work and a Fantasy/Dungeons and Dragons "Fanatic" have no alternative, but to write this negative review in an effort to warn the potential reader of what they are in for. Both these authors should at least have read a Forgotten Realms novel before attempting to write one, and what?s more if they did not want to or did not have the ability to write this type of book, they should not even have attempt it. However, since they did, how and why were these books allowed to hit the printing press and then the stores? They discredit themselves (the authors), they discredit TSR, but most importantly they discredit the readers/fans of the Forgotten Realms, especially those who thought that combining Fantasy and Mystery would be a great idea, like myself. From the weak plot, to the bad writing, to the ridiculous choice of names for the characters, to the jokes that fall flat, to the great lack of knowledge regarding Toril, the books fail miserably!
It is very unfortunate that the Murder Series came to an end before the writing of Murder in Ravens Bluff and WotC should reconsider their decision now that years have gone by and maybe resurrect the project, but considering the poor work included in these books I can at least understand why they did so back then. In conclusion, it is with great sadness that I only give two stars to these books since almost all the Forgotten Realms novels that have been written have been more than wonderful-what with RA Salvatore, Elaine Cunningham, Ed Greenwood etc. The books could have been fantastic if the right people or the necessary care had been given during the writing of the stories. A shame really! My advice, read them only after you're done reading all the other Forgotten Realms books and you are still in need of more Toril related material; at least you'll get a slight hint/taste of Faerun.

Who Commited the "Murder in Cormyr".......2003-09-25

This is a book that combines mystery and fantasy to form a tale that will keep you glued to the book until the very last page. Jasper, slop boy and main character, gets chased by evil spirits, meets hydras, and even the vengeful ghost of a legendary bandit. Jasper becomes indebted to a wizard, and helps him figure out who beheaded the blacksmith's assistant and the king's envoy. This isn't all the book has in store though, but I shall tell you no more on this topic. I gave this book 5 stars because it was a mystery, a personal favorite of mine. Also even after all is said and done, there's still an extra surprise. I recommend this book to anyone above age twelve because this book is a bit too challenging for younger kids. Can you figure out who did it when you read the Murder in Cormyr

Aimed too high and missed.......2002-09-02

Setting up a murder mystery in a fantasy setting is asking for trouble - it could be done, but it is very difficult and Chet Williamson just didn't make the grade in "Murder in Cormyr".

The main problem with a murder mystery in a magic rich world like the Forgotten Realms is that magic opens up too many possibilities. A temporary clone spell could create the perfect alibi for any criminal. Victims can be resurrected. Culprits can teleport from practically anywhere and to practically anywhere.

Of course, the presence of magic, or technology, does not on its own exclude a murder mystery. Isaac Asimov did it in his one of his Spacer novel "The Robots of Dawn". The Realms Anthologies have some good short stories which could be termed as murder mysteries.

As Agatha Christie's Poirot once commented, a study in crime is a study of characters. An entertaining murder mystery is not marred by technology or magic making the impossible possible, but by interaction of characters.

Chet Williamson appeared to be aware of this formula. However, he fumbled rather badly in his delivery.

The narrator was one Jasper of Ghars, a slop-boy of halfling-human ancestry, apprenticed to retired Cormyrean war-wizard Benelaius after a failed attempt to raid the latter's home.

The scene was Ghars, a hardly noticable village on the Cormyrean side of the border with Sembia, soon to host the annual meeting of Grand Council of Cormyr's Merchants' Guild.

Somewhere in the story was a legendary headless ghost of a brigand leader who was supposed to guard his hidden loot in inhospitable marshlands.

It began with the discovery of the murder of an impersonator of the ghost. Then Grodoveth, King Azoun's envoy-at-large within the kingdom, was found dead.

Chet Williamson painted a colourful picture of a normally idyllic village beset by misfortunes on the eve of trying to make a name for itself hosting a merchants' conference. The characters involved were diverse from money-grubbing barkeepers to lovely daughter of the local tycoon.

Jasper found himself assisting his portly master in the investigation. Theirs was a contrast of methods, Jasper trying to emulate a fictional detective who employed deductive reasoning and logic to solve his crimes, and Benelaius apparently just sitting back and unhurriedly gathering his information mostly through others. Mystery fans should recognise the caricature of Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot, or rather more aptly, Arthur Hastings and Hercule Poirot.

Unfortunately, though Chet Williamson gave a lot of attention on character interaction, he failed to negate the possibilities played by magic. There were clues around to be sure, but they were not significantly crucial enough, and were open to alternative explanations.

Fortunately for Chet, his endings did tied up these loose ends, though leaving mystery fans not quite satisfied.

Murder of Cormyr.......2000-08-29

Great for the pre-teen reader. A lot too predictable. Spoon feeding of clues and plot. Read it if you have nothing better to do.

MURDER IN HALRUAA (Forgotten Realms Fantasy Adventure)

Average customer rating:

Poor Mystery, Terrible Fantasy, and A Great Let Down!
One of the best books ever
wrong description

MURDER IN HALRUAA (Forgotten Realms Fantasy Adventure)
Richard Meyers
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Murder in Cormyr
DIAMOND (Double Diamond Triangle Saga , No 9)
The Glass Prison (Forgotten Realms)
UNEASY ALLIANCES (Double Diamond Triangle Saga, No 7)
COUNCIL OF BLADES (Forgotten Realms, the Nobles Series , No 5)

ASIN: 0786905212
Release Date: 1996-10-29

Customer Reviews:

Poor Mystery, Terrible Fantasy, and A Great Let Down!.......2004-06-03

Unfortunately, both Murder in Cormyr as well as Murder in Halruaa are a major disappointment indeed! Badly written, by what seems to be inexperienced people who not only to have had no previous work or any serious contact with Fantasy (not even to mention the specifics of the Forgotten Realms Campaign World), but writing books-ANY books- in general! Myself, a mystery enthusiast of Arthur Conan Doyle?s and Agatha Christie's work and a Fantasy/Dungeons and Dragons "Fanatic" have no alternative, but to write this negative review in an effort to warn the potential reader of what they are in for. Both these authors should at least have read a Forgotten Realms novel before attempting to write one, and what's more if they did not want to or did not have the ability to write this type of book, they should not even have attempt it. However, since they did, how and why were these books allowed to hit the printing press and then the stores? They discredit themselves (the authors), they discredit TSR, but most importantly they discredit the readers/fans of the Forgotten Realms, especially those who thought that combining Fantasy and Mystery would be a great idea, like myself. From the weak plot, to the bad writing, to the ridiculous choice of names for the characters, to the jokes that fall flat, to the great lack of knowledge regarding Toril, the books fail miserably!
It is very unfortunate that the Murder Series came to an end before the writing of Murder in Ravens Bluff and WotC should reconsider their decision now that years have gone by and maybe resurrect the project, but considering the poor work included in these books I can at least understand why they did so back then. In conclusion, it is with great sadness that I only give two stars to these books since almost all the Forgotten Realms novels that have been written have been more than wonderful-what with RA Salvatore, Elaine Cunningham, Ed Greenwood etc. The books could have been fantastic if the right people or the necessary care had been given during the writing of the stories. A shame really! My advice, read them only after you're done reading all the other Forgotten Realms books and you are still in need of more Toril related material; at least you'll get a slight hint/taste of Faerun.

One of the best books ever.......2000-04-01

This book rules. I read it in about two days, I just couldn't put it down. From mystery to humor its one of the best books in the Forgotten Realms series...too bad WoTC canned the whole mystery series when they bought TSR. I really wish Mureder in Ravens Bluff would have been published since this book and its predessesor Murder in Cormyr were so good. READ IT

wrong description.......2000-02-20

I havn't actually finished this book yet. Do NOT base anything on the above description since it is completely wrong. The main Character is Pryce Covington and HE has ben mistaken for Darlington blade. Just thought any other readers should know this. The entire description is wrong and i'm not even going to coment on them. The five stars is because I'm on page 60 now and so far it has captivated my attention.

Average customer rating:

Worse than Atlanta Nights
The Outer Realm
You WILL NOT believe your eyes!
You WILL NOT believe your eyes!
great novel

The Outer Realm
Brett Blumfield
Manufacturer: Trafford Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1553950852
Release Date: 2006-07-06

Book Description

In Silver Oak, an ongoing supernatural mystery continues to unfold. Ben Johnson and Jim Clark are about to become the next victims. "This novel is dedicated to Mr. Piers Anthony for his support and kindness." - Brett Blumfield

Customer Reviews:

Worse than Atlanta Nights.......2007-04-02

I did not buy this book. Someone asked me to read it. Couldn't get past the first page. Dreadful, cliche' ridden, nonsensical writing.

As you might know, Atlanta Nights was a prank book, deliberatly written to be awful. This is worse. Maybe it gets its horror rating for its blatant butchery of the English language.

The Outer Realm.......2003-04-26

Being a fan of horror novels, I found myself reading a lot of Stephen King, but when I read The Outer Realm, it held my concentration, and as Brett Blumfield stated on more than one occasion, Chapter 11 is one scary chapter. I think that Brett should write a sequel to this book, but he has stated that there will be no sequel written by him. Being a truck driver, I just haven't had much time to sit down and read a book, so I have the first copy of The Outer Realm on audio, thanks to Brett himself. He took his time out of writing his next book to record The Outer Realm onto cassette for me, while I go down on the interstate and pull my loads, and I kick back and listen to the words that haunted Brett while he wrote this book. Those words gave me a scare as well. My thanks and blessings go out to him.

You WILL NOT believe your eyes!.......2003-03-24

I have read The Outer Realm, which I really got into right from the start. Once I picked the book up, it was very difficult to put down. My interest was kept so well, that I couldn't put it down until I got to the next chapter. I love how the author is with a multi-plot storyline. He went from one situation of the plot to another and back again, keeping the story moving along at a constantly interesting pace. I ended up reading it in two and a half days. Now that I'm done with it, I can't wait until his next book comes out! I enjoyed the book very much, and I'm very much into that type of mystery, and he made me feel this fictional scenario believable - to the point where I don't know whether it's real or not. I'm proud to say that I enjoyed the book very much. All of my friends and relatives want to borrow the book, since they are also excited about reading it, but I'm afraid if I loan the book out, I won't get it back. I've opted to keep it myself, because I don't want to lose it. I'm having them buy a copy themselves. They are very anxious to get this book, and I recommend it to everybody! Buy this book - you will NOT be sorry!

Diane A.

You WILL NOT believe your eyes!.......2003-03-24

Diane A.

great novel.......2003-03-11

great new novel. very belivable characters and interetsing plot. coudl'nt stop til got to the end. didn't expcet ending it had either... i recoomend it to everyone :) .

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