Eclipse (Twilight, Book 3)

Book Description

Readers captivated by Twilight and New Moon will eagerly devour Eclipse, the much anticipated third book in Stephenie Meyer's riveting vampire love saga. As Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob --- knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the ageless struggle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation quickly approaching, Bella has one more decision to make: life or death. But which is which?

Customer Reviews:

the only reason i'm giving 4 stars instead of 2 is jacob.......2007-10-11

eclipse is ok, not great. I was pretty disappointed edward didn't decide to leave again. edward is even more of a jerk than before. he keeps bella from seeing jacob and has to be in every part of her life. bella STILL worships the ground he walks on and i've lost all respect for her as a character. she can't take care of herself and depends on him for everything. they have an unhealthy, destructive relationship. the only thing that salvages the story is jacob. jacob the wonderful. jacob the gorgeous. he still loves her, despite stupid edward. he is clearly the better choice for several reasons:
1. he doesn't try to shield her from the world. edward doesn't tell bella something she needs to know because he thinks it will upset her. jacob realizes that bella is not a child and that sometimes you have to hear bad news.
2. jacob is so much more fun than edward. he's not a boring, stuffy old man like edward is on the inside.
3. jacob isn't stone cold all the time. he, unlike edward, is alive.
4. her family likes jacob. they hate edward (who wouldn't?)
5. there are plenty of other reasons, but this is the most important: bella wouldn't have to give up everything for jacob. she wouldn't have to give up her family, her friends, or her life in general. she could still be human with him. she could have kids, not be in danger of killing someone when they got a papercut, stay human, and be happy.
bella does love jacob, but unfortunately edward has such a hold on her she can't make the better choice. the best parts of the book involve werewolves. there's also a really great kiss between bella and jacob. if you love jacob read this book, but prepare to be disappointed.

AWSOME!!!.......2007-10-10

It was so awsome to hear someone read this book to you. I have never bought an audiobook before. I really loved it!!!

Excellent.......2007-10-10

I really have enjoyed this author. I like the whole approach of how she does her characters and the story lines really move right along. It is one of those books that you pick up and can't put down until you have gotten to the end. Then you're left waiting for the next one to come out.

Not too old to enjoy.......2007-10-09

I passed this series several times with my daughter and then decided to pick them up for myself. I really enjoyed this series and really don't want them to end. I'm looking forward to book 4 and also twilight from Edwards point of view. If Stephenie is ever feeling really generous, or her sister, she can pass that never to be seen book my way! Thanks for pulling me back into reading.

great story.......2007-10-09

I still love this series, faults and all. The characters are very intriguing and it is so refreshing to have a different perspective on the vampire/werewolf genre. The author truly found a different way of looking at something without being overly influence by previous novels and media. Yet, not so far away from our everyday thoughts to seem outlandish.

The only reason I give this four instead of five stars is because the OBSESSIVE devotion the main character feels for the vampire. To think she would die without him and cannot even function without him is insane. Although it does give an explaination for the title. Her relationship with him DOES eclipse everything small to large thing in her life. SOOOO not healthy. Just to leave on a good note, the by-play and competition between the vampire and werewolf was priceless. I loved it! and it made them seem more human than the human character.

Werewolf: War Against the Pure (Werewolf the Forsaken)

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Werewolf: War Against the Pure (Werewolf the Forsaken)
Wayne Peacock , Peter Schaefer , Ethan Skemp , and Chuck Wendig
Manufacturer: White Wolf Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1588463397

Average customer rating:

A blending of Sci-Fi and Romance that entertains
New Moon
Couldn't Even Get Through It
Who rates these books so high?
Another Rebecca York that you can't put down

New Moon (The Moon Series, Book 6)
Rebecca York
Manufacturer: Berkley Sensation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0425216020

Book Description

It's in one man's true nature to remain by the side of the woman he loves, rather than live without her in his own universe...

Landscape architect Logan Marshall is out for a jog-in his werewolf form-when a trap catches his paw. As it saps his strength, he is saved by another werewolf, who-to Logan's amazement-is female.

Female werewolves aren't supposed to exist. But Rinna is a shapeshifter from another dimension who's traveled through a portal to this world. And the trap that ensnared Logan was set by her former captor, and meant for her...

But as soon as Rinna and Logan touch, an electrifying bond forms between them. Unable to resist his desire for Rinna, in all her many forms, Logan will have to earn her trust, and travel through both dimensions to save her-and earth-from the wrath of her enemy...

Customer Reviews:

A blending of Sci-Fi and Romance that entertains.......2007-08-05

I have read all of Ms. York's series and I have enjoyed them all. As they have progressed, she brings out a little something different. The first books are relatively tame, with a simple love story that just so happens to involve werewolves who fall in love, in situations that take advantage of their unique attributes.

In this most recent book from the Moon series, Ms. York goes to a whole new world - literally. Logan Marshall is a lanscape architect and werewolf who finds himself in a dangerous and life-threatening situation. Only the help of a shapeshifter named Rinna can help him. We got a glimpse of Rinna in the previous book, Shadow of the Moon. This time, Rinna takes Logan back to her world - a parallel version of what might have, could have happened to us.

This book still manages to have its familiar elements, but it also goes in new directions. If you like books that surprise and intrigue you, this book should do it.

And the Marshall men are all hot! :)

New Moon .......2007-07-27

On a camping trip to gather plants for his landscape business, Logan Marshall is caught in a magical trap while out for a run. A run in his wolf form. Logan Marshall is a werewolf. With his strength drained Logan is unable to escape on his own. When a female werewolf comes to his rescue, Logan is both relieved and surprised. He's never seen a female werewolf before.

Rinna is a shapeshifter from a parallel universe. The trap that captured Logan was meant for her. Saving him, may mean being captured herself. But leaving him to the mercy of his captor is not an option.

From the first it is clear to Logan that Rinna could be more than his savior, she could be his lifemate.

I really have this thing for werewolves. I also am a big fan of romantic suspense. Rebecca York is a master at combining the two. New Moon is the latest page turner in the heart pounding Moon series.

Logan is so tender and compassionate that I can't imagine any other for the strong yet cautious Rinna. Logan is a hero we can all lust for! It's not just the romance that will keep you squirming on the edge of your seat, New Moon is very suspenseful. I was so torn. I couldn't wait for them to be out of danger but I didn't want the story to be over either.

I loved New Moon and I am impatient for more of Rebecca York's Moon series!

Annmarie reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

Couldn't Even Get Through It.......2007-06-11

Terrible. Couldn't even get through it. Plot had a lot of promise, and character development was good, but dialogue was lame and certain parts of the novel seemed too abrupt. SPOILER: The way Logan Marshall asked Rinna to be his lifemate seemed too abrupt and unbelievable. If Rinna was as cautious as she is portrayed, there is no way that she would have taken Logan's annoucement so well. She would have fled for sure. One plus would be the creative way York (aka Ruth Glick) describes our "modern" conveniences to Rinna. It is amazing how foreign some our everyday objects could seem to people who are not familiar with our world.

Who rates these books so high?.......2007-04-28

Sometimes I wonder who is writing the glowing reviews. I've read her other books, no I didn't write a review for them. The series ran out of steam two books ago.Give it up. I couldn't even finish this one. I skipped through trying to find something to enjoy in this book, it was impossible. I even skipped to the end and was even more disappointed. Borrow this one if you must read it.

Another Rebecca York that you can't put down.......2007-04-27

I've enjoyed all of Rebecca York's werewolf books. My favorite was CRIMSON MOON (the 4th in the series), which I stayed up way too late reading. My next favorite before reading NEW MOON was EDGE OF THE MOON (the 2nd book), and I like NEW MOON (this 6th title) as much as that one. Logan and Rinna are both very likeable characters, and I enjoyed hearing more about the world that Rinna comes from, after being introduced to it in the 5th book. I look forward to "seeing" Logan and Rinna again in other characters' stories. There was a scene with 2 werewolves and a hose in NEW MOON that made me laugh out loud, which is a nice bonus in a paranormal romance.

Average customer rating:

Not Free SF Reader
"Missing" book by my favorite author...
GREAT NOVELLA!
CYCLE OF THE WEREWOLF is a beautiful and well crafted story!
Cycle of the Werewolf

Cycle of the Werewolf (Signet)
Stephen King
Manufacturer: NAL Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0451822196

Customer Reviews:

Not Free SF Reader.......2007-09-03

This is a short, not particularly interesting novel told in twelve parts. It also has some illustrations by famous comic artist Bernie Wrightson.

When the killings in a small town in yes, Maine, keep mounting up, the townspeople come to the conclusion a werewolf is at work. Redneck drunk hunters aren't too useful though, and a young crippled boy has to work it all out.

"Missing" book by my favorite author..........2007-06-01

For some reason I have never read this book by King. I was working on the horror section in the bookstore in which I work and "found" this one. I have never read this one and started to wonder why. This is a very short and very fast read but it's also very good.

King is an amazing author and he's even better with his shorter stories because it's like an LSD shot of horror!!

GREAT NOVELLA!.......2006-12-29

One of the best novellas I have ever read. There were no dull moments and the story was very well written. I won't spoil anything though. If you liked this book, check out the movie "Silver Bullet" based on this story, it is excelent. I would recomend both this book and the movie to anyone who likes horror, werewolves, or Stephen King.

CYCLE OF THE WEREWOLF is a beautiful and well crafted story!.......2006-10-27

Although it's a little on the short side, CYCLE OF THE WEREWOLF happens to be one of the best werewolf novels around. In most Horror books and movies, the werewolf is usually given a bad name by corny plots or just plain bad acting. If anyone has seen THE HOWLING sequals, you know what I'm talking about. By all means, the werewolf in general (movie or otherwise) is one of the more evil and brooding mythical monsters of our time. Normally a man by day, the werewolf changes into a hulking beast by night. Stephen King's CYCLE OF THE WEREWOLF shows due respect to the myth behind the monster without making it seem corny or lame. Basically the plot is pretty simple, a werewolf is killing people in a small town over the course of one year. Each chapter is one Month in the year, thus the title "Cycle of the Werewolf." One of the best parts about Stephen King's short story is the wonderful full color pictures in the book. Not only does it help the reader imagine the siutations in the story better but it also add's a graphic novel quality to the entire book. Think of Stephen King's "Creepshow" only less comic book in nature and more like a short story with pictures to boot. Over all, this little horror story is an enjoyable way to spend an evening. It's short enough to read in under a couple of hours and is a great addition to anyones Stephen King or graphic novel collection. In the 1980's, they actually made a movie about this short story called "Silver Bullet." Considering what they had to work with (it being just a short story and all), it turned out pretty good. Still, the book is amazing and any Horror fan should really check it out! On an end note, I think this book is perfect for alot of people. You don't have to be just a Stephen King fan to enjoy this story. Horror fans, comic book fans and artists in general will enjoy "Cycle of the Werewolf" without a doubt!

Cycle of the Werewolf.......2006-10-13

"Cycle of the Werewolf" by Stephen King is a good book for someone old enough to comprehend it. It's a short and easy read. This book was short but still interesting. Personally I think it was too short and not enough to read but it was still okay. In this book you kind of know what to expect but then something you don't expect happens. This book is about a werewolf that is terrorizing a very small town in Maine. "Cycle" in the title refers to the cycle of the moon. The werewolf is cycling with the full moon. The book chapters are titled by the months of the year. The book follows the werewolf around all year on its adventures. It is a fairly exciting book and is a good book for even kids in the lower grades to read. This book is a good short book to read. Overall it is exciting but for those people who like thrills, it isn't the best. It's definitely worth your time to read it and since it's a short book, it won't take up a lot of time. I would recommend this book especially if your running out of time and need to get your reading done. It still provides enough plot and characters to write a sufficient report or presentation.

The Rage: Forsaken Players Guide (Werewolf: The Forsaken)

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Essential Player's Guide for Werewolf

The Rage: Forsaken Players Guide (Werewolf: The Forsaken)
Aaron Demski-Bowden , Jonathan McFarland , Adam Tinworth , Chuck Wendig , and Stewart Wilson
Manufacturer: White Wolf Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1588463389

Customer Reviews:

Essential Player's Guide for Werewolf.......2007-06-26

One thing that amazes me is the quality of supplements for Werewolf: the Forsaken. Pretty much everything released thus far has added depth and value to my games, and this one is no exception. Billed as the 'player's guide' for Werewolf, this book delivers exactly what it promises. The first part of the book goes into detail about each of the five Tribes of the Moon, exploring their individual culture, history, Auspice roles, and views on Renown, Harmony and Primal-Urge, as well as giving some sample story hooks. It has everything from mention of Blood Talon warriors who rode with the Mongols, to the roles assigned to Bone Shadow Irraka, to the Iron Master tradition of wearing decorations in their fur. And so much more. This is all stuff that expands upon and compliments what was written in the core book. Theres also a section on Ghost Wolves, explaining how and why Uratha choose the path, what their lives are like, and most intriguingly, options for STs to create a new 'sixth Tribe', with a few sample 'Tribes' included for good measure. Of course, as with everything else in the nWoD, this is all purely optional and STs can feel free to use or discard it as they see fit.

The next chapter is named Meat, appropriately enough, and contains just that. It's full of optional new Merits, Flaws, Gifts, Rites, Fetishes and Talens. Tooth and Claw, a new Fighting Style Merit, is introduced, and each Tribe gets a new Gift list, as well as suggestions for further Gifts (though it's recommended the ST be careful to keep things balanced). I found the Weakness and Information Gifts especially intriguing, but theres almost a dozen to choose from! Theres also examination of Harmony and, most importantly, pack structure, including new rules for using pack tactics! The final chapter, named Bones, goes into more detail on setting. A major portion of it deals with Protectorates, alliances between packs, and large scale interaction between local Uratha. This sort of stuff will doubtless be useful for Forsaken LARPs, but equally interesting was the examination of Uratha culture across the globe. Both the culture and regional problems are shown, along with several very different sample NPCs. How do the Uratha of the Middle East and North Africa view Islam? What strange cults threaten those in the Mediterranean? How much influence comes from the tribal animistic beliefs of Africa? And what are the Pure up to in Asia? All these are answered in this last section.

All in all, this is an excellent book. The sections on Tribe and global culture are excellent for adding some new dimension to characters, while the information on setting is useful for any large scale game. And, needless to say, the new mechanics are invaluable as well. Especially the stuff about packs. And, like I said, pretty much everything published so far has been a great resource. I find much of the information from this book going hand in hand with other resources, like Shadows of the UK and Lodges: the Splintered, adding more regional detail and variation to the setting. Whether you want to run a game in the wastes of the Sahara, or the slums of Rio, or the good old U-S-of-A, you'll find this book incredingly useful. I strongly recommend this as a resource for both players and STs.

Average customer rating:

Leader of the pack
Probably the BEST of White Wolf's rpg's!
On a scale from 1 to 4...
disappointed
It took me a while, but I'm ready to accept this for what it is

Werewolf: the Forsaken
White Wolf
Manufacturer: White Wolf Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1588463249

Book Description

Full Moon Rising
The world is in shadow. To one side stretches the forest, to the other the city. Your claws are stained with blood. Your senses whisper of prey that runs before you, and of predators who stalk even the likes of you. You hear the howls of your brothers and sisters. Luna rises. Your blood boils. It is time to hunt.

Wolves at the Door
Werewolf: The Forsaken -- the game of bestial violence and supernatural terror -- is the second core setting sourcebook intended for use with White Wolf's new Storytelling System(tm). Werewolves are creatures of original sin, tainted by ancestral crimes and driven to hunt by the shame of being abandoned. This book details what it is to be Forsaken, one of the Tribes of the Moon. Create your own werewolf pack and seek redemption or give in to your savage nature. Hardcover. For use with the World of Darkness Rulebook.

Customer Reviews:

Leader of the pack.......2007-07-20

Some of you may have read my review of Requiem. If not, then allow me to retread some of it in order to preface this review.

When the Original World of Darkness ended, White Wolf promised something new to those who had been longtime fans and players of its games. They released Requiem first, but it wasn't until Forsaken hit the shelves that the promise was really fulfilled.

Werewolf: The Apocalypse was about a dying race's futile fight. Geopolitics and ecological concerns injected themes that were off topic for the subject matter.

Forsaken lacks these flaws.

The mechanics, though sometimes convoluted, are strong. They serve the themes of the game in unique and interesting ways.

The presentation is complete, and conveys the primal nature of the werewolf. The mythology feels old, as if told from the beginning of time. The individual psychologies of the various factions are understandable, compelling, and complex.

The setting itself focuses on a much more tightly constrained level than its predecessor. Instead of a large region, the pack is intended to take charge of a small territory, dealing with the brutal threats of other packs, while at the same time hunting in the spirit world... both because it is their nature, and because it is their responsibility.

Nothing save a few minor terms from Apocalypse are reused, although some concepts see resurgence (the spectrum of forms is nearly the same, and the five auspices are similar to their old counterparts.... though care was taken to make the new renditions distinct from the older versions). There are small nods to the old game, but generally speaking the themes, cosmology, and setting are all new.

Though the Breeds of Apocalypse have been Excised (all werewolves descend from human lineages), the society and psychology of the Forsaken are remarkably lupine, and the game takes care to emphasize that fact. A legal code is counterpointed with a morality trait (a first for a Werewolf game) that allows the characters to find an animal ethic in acts that would be monsterous to a normal human. Make no mistake, Werewolves are savage beasts, not shape shifting world savers.

As with Requiem, this game lacks a metaplot. The world is for the storyteller to develop... but discussion of past events, and history goes far to make the setting feel as though it were genuinely alive.

I daresay there's more wolf in the core rulebook of Forsaken than there was in the entire revised edition of Apocalypse... and in a game called 'Werewolf', that's a good thing.

Probably the BEST of White Wolf's rpg's!.......2007-07-04

I got this along with World of Darkness, Mage and Vampire. My group has decided to "graduate" from Dungeons and Dragons to World of Darkness because its much more sophisticated. In this game you play modern day werewolves who hunt evil spirits and keep a balance with nature. It mixes well with all the other 3 core games and you can easily do crossovers. This game is about modern day horror, not furry power rangers.

The illustrations are incredible, White Wolf really produces amazing work. I cannot rate this game high enough. If you are bored with D&D or other munchkin games like Magic the gathering or even substandard imitations like WitchCraft from Eden Studios, then THIS game is for YOU.

On a scale from 1 to 4..........2007-02-19

This white wolf product is a perfect 5 in my opinion. I love the animism and Father Wold legend far better than the Wyrm from the old werewolf. But, I think that most people, this is assumed. I'm writing because I've read every other white wolf core rule book to date, and I rank them as such:

1) Vampire. Always has been their best work, they put a lot of thought into it and I think its awesome. Unfortunately, the way that the game fluff works, no coterie of neonate vampire is destined to last a long time. For the game to work more than a few months, make sure that all the player's characters want to be in the same covenant. I plan on running a game where all the players start with 20-30 experience and are all the higher-ups in the same covenant. That way they work together for a common goal (to take over the city from the bottom up), instead of at each other's throats in order to gain status in their individual organizations.

2) Werewolf. As stated above, the fluff was vastly improved over the old edition. And I love the whole pack mentality reinforced time and time again in the book. I like how the players form a pack and protect a territory and shape it to their needs, then take on more as they grow more powerful. Only problem is I'm having trouble thinking of ways for players to get tother.

3) Mage. This is honestly the worst new game white wold has produced, and it kills me a little inside because it was my favorite in the old world of darkness. Back in the old system a neonate mage was nothing short of a demi-god among the ants of humanity. Now they're basically human with a few minor powers. The sheer number of experience points necessary to do anything you want to do is rediculous. If I'm ever playing mage again, I will demand we start with at least 20 experience points, otherwise there is no reason for the cabal to do anything and just refer to the council to take care of your problems since chances are you're not powerful enough to take care of anything supernatural anyway.

4) Promethean. There's only one reason that promethean is ranked below mage. It is completely and entirely unplayable in any way shape and form. With the way that torment works, prometheans eventually begin to hat even the presence of each other. Which means even if the PCs form a bonded throng, they part ways after not too long. So the majority of a promethean's life is spent in 'down time' so the GM doesn't have to run for each player individual life. Which defeats the purpose of the game entirely! I love the horror aspect, how everything, even nature itself, rejects these abominations. Unfortunately, that means they can't hang out together or form a party. Which defeats the purpose of it being an RPG. If you only have one friend and time to kill, this is a fantasic game. On the other hand, I have definatly thought about making a promethean a villian in any of the previously mentioned games above. That is a fantastic reason the grab this book.

disappointed.......2006-11-13

As a current user of old WoD I find fewer and fewer places to use the system. A lot of people have embraced the new order and so I bought this book to continue my shifter role playing. While the new system simplifies some combat and scenarios, I hate it. Hate it hate it hate it. Mostly because I can't play using just this book! It's a core book for crying out loud. But the section that should cover skills/abilities/etc has far too many paragraphs ending in "Please see World of Darkness, pg XX". Why did I bother buying the shifter book when all I need is the other core book (which appears to be 35 pages long). I will just look harder for the old WoD and wait until White Wolf comes out with a better, less 'squeeze the players for everything they got' game.

It took me a while, but I'm ready to accept this for what it is.......2006-07-19

The book is very well-written. The art is excellent. And the game? Well. I'm going to reluctantly admit: It may just be an improvement on its predecessor, Werewolf: the Apocalypse.

I completely blew off the new World of Darkness at first. I finally bought this book 6 months ago (long after its release)), skimmed it once, then threw it aside. I had my game of choice already, and this wouldn't replace it.

Was I wrong? I think so. Here's why:

- Streamlined tribe system makes characters of every Forsaken tribe (the main ones for players) playable together, which wasn't the case under the original.

- Game systems are superior. Renown, caerns vs. loci, Gifts (and their systems), etc. -- they're just designed better, a clear example of learning from the mistakes of W:tA.

- Auspices are better delineated, particularly the gibbous and new moons.
- The creation legend is better.
- The antagonists are less cartoon caricatures. The "bad guy" werewolves are huge improvements upon the W:tA version.
- The personal horror that is a werewolf has been better infused into this game.
- The system of Lodges gives limitless opportunity to expand upon the tribes in much the same way that W:tA's myriad of tribes did from the outset.

What's it missing?

The sense of purpose for the Werewolf. Probably other things too, that I'll find in the course of playing this.

But that said, I'm excited to try it, whereas before I wouldn't even give it a chance. It's a superior effort from White Wolf. The major drawback is WW didn't promote it right, and most experienced players, like me, were predisposed against it from the get-go.

The Beast of Bray Road: Tailing Wisconsin's Werewolf

Average customer rating:

Beware the moon!
Over the River and Through the Woods...(p.s. but don't take Bray Road)
Real Wolf-men? What Beasts Lurk along Bray Road?
A History Lesson In Lycanthropy
Very entertaining!

The Beast of Bray Road: Tailing Wisconsin's Werewolf
Linda S. Godfrey
Manufacturer: Prairie Oak Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | New Age | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1879483912

Book Description

In the early 1990s, the small town of Elkhorn, Wisconsin, made national headlines with reports of strange, hairy, wolf-headed creatures that sometimes walked upright and seemed not afraid of man stalking the cornfields just outside of town. The canid sensation was soon dubbed "Beast of Bray Road," after the location of the first reported sightings.

Nobody has ever been able to prove whether the beast is a flesh-and-blood werewolf or will-o'-the-wisp, demon dog, or noble animal. But the author gives the reader plenty to chew on. Drag these stories into the safest recesses of your private den. Then make up your own mind, if you do so at all, only after the marrow has been extracted and well digested.

Customer Reviews:

Beware the moon!.......2007-03-18

Man this was a good book. I couldn't put it down. It took me two days to read it and that's only because I have four children and a full time job! There isn't enough that I can say about this book, it's that good! This is such an entertaining read, the only complaint I have was that it was to entertaining in that I finished it to fast! I was wanting more! This book definetly got me thinking about weird things that I have heard about, now I'm wanting to go to Wisconsin and check out the Elkhorn area! I have nothing but good things to say about this book. I don't like to go into detail about every chapter or describe what I think the author is trying to get across. I just tell if I liked it or not, and I loved it! I went out and immediatly bought her new book "Hunting the american werewolf". I'll let you know about that one next!

Over the River and Through the Woods...(p.s. but don't take Bray Road).......2006-12-26

An interesting book on the cryptoid beast of rural Wisconsin's Bray Road.This excellent book makes you wonder about these elusive ancient creatures ,surviving out in the wilderness for generations.When you have various witnesses ,who do not know of each other,and seeing the same strange creature,you have to believe that something is out-there.Many people have already posted great insightful reviews into the book here.It's a pop-cultural look into the subject of the beast of Bray Road.Linda Godfrey is a convincing raconteur and a worthy reporter,not a dry academic from the field of science. With human sprawl,heading into the virgin landscape,we may find the answers to the cryptozoalogical mysteries of the natural world.So, remember to count your chickens.

Real Wolf-men? What Beasts Lurk along Bray Road?.......2006-10-18

When I first heard of the Beast of Bray Road I wondered what the heck this thing could be that people were seeing around Walworth, Jefferson and Racine Counties in Wisconsin. In the early to mid 1990's people reported sighting a strange man-like creature with the head of a wolf in the vicinity of Bray Road, near Elkhorn.

These sightings mingled with reports of Bigfoot too, making it possible that they could be misidentifications of the more legendary beast. But witnesses were convinced of what they had seen (a creature with a longer snout and dog-like head) so the mystery remains: does a wolf-man inhabit the wilderness and fields of rural Wisconsin? Or does another, more popular, unknown creature lurk in the woods with a more baboon-like head than your average Sasquatch?

If you're interested in learning about the beast and how the whole story started, the perfect place to begin is "The Beast of Bray Road" by Linda S. Godfrey, who has penned other titles about her home state, and is a journalist for a small Wisconsin newspaper. A follow-up book, which will include more details and newer sighting reports, is in the works.

Godfrey begins with the earliest reports, detailing how the story came to her and how she wrote the first piece for her newspaper. She soon became the spotlight reporter for the Beast of Bray Road and was the "go to" person for anyone seeking information on the mystery.

She writes with humor, but maintains all due respect for the witnesses and an open mind to the subject matter as well. A very open mind is what is required for the study of lycanthropy as it applies to the potential existence of a real life werewolf. The idea of a werewolf prowling the countryside seems rather far fetched, but Godfrey explores this angle through the legends and lore of various cultures including the shape-shifting tales of early Native Americans.

Throughout her book she touches on many possible explanations for the Beast of Bray Road, keeping the reader in the "what if" frame of mind the whole way, no matter how fantastic the suggestion may be. As I mentioned earlier, this is the book to read if you'd like a primer on the Beast of Bray Road and a clue to what's going on in Wisconsin. Looking forward to the next one.

A History Lesson In Lycanthropy.......2006-10-15

Not the volumes of Bray Road sightings I expected, but a good study on were-creatures and shape-shifters. Covers the strange phenomenon from most every continent, from ancient past to the present. Much of which is probably more supernatural evil than anything else.

Very entertaining!.......2006-02-03

I happened upon this book by accident while searching for a different cryptozoo book and curiousity killed the cat. Cryptozoo books are great when you get home in the evening, put the brain in neutral, and see where your imagination takes you. Linda is nearly perfect in this book. Her book is well organized and has an overall continual flow to the story (unlike some of her cohorts who just fill paragraph after paragraph with sighting data and make no attempt to link the data). I think Linda could've partitioned a little more of the book for sightings but overall it's a really good, quick read. I love the cover artwork by Easley. His work also appears on many beloved fantasy novels. The cover artwork is very fitting. The artist presents "just enough" of the creature so that his perception of the creature doesn't greatly influence your own idea of what this creature(s) may likely be. Likewise, Linda presents the data and although she does lean toward certain explanations, she doesn't pin an explanation to the creature. I am personally neutral on the question of this actual existence of this creature(s) but I will definitely buy Linda's follow-up just to see if she can take me farther down Bray Road.

Vegas Bites: A Werewolf Romance Anthology (Noire Allure)

Average customer rating:

Werewolves - a new look?
Enlightening Anthology
3 out of 4 ain't bad
Werewolves on the Strip
(RAW Rating: 4.5) - What you see is not what you get!

Vegas Bites: A Werewolf Romance Anthology (Noire Allure)
L. A. Banks , J. M. Jeffries , Seressia Glass , and Natalie Dunbar
Manufacturer: Parker Publishing, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1600430015

Customer Reviews:

Werewolves - a new look?.......2007-09-08

Oh, Boy! What a superb collection starting with LA Banks' Heat right through to Natalie Dunbar's Out of the Dark. I just had to order this book, being a dedicated reader and addicted fan of LA Banks' Vampire Huntress books, and after hearing a lot of good reports from other readers. I was not disappointed in any way and the fact that the individual stories were connected (through both characters and the central location) added rather than detracted from my reading enjoyment. This does not feel as if you are reading four short stories by four different authors, yes you will notice a change in the writing but the continuity is there and you feel as if you are reading a single work of fiction. An excellent read that I would be happy to recommend to anyone who likes supernatural/romance reading material.

Enlightening Anthology.......2007-01-02

I am a HUGE L.A. Banks fan (VHL Series) & selected the book based on the premise that it was going to be enjoyable. It did not disappoint. The four stories although they stood alone did have recurring characters that first appeared in L.A.'s story, which is the first story. The only story that seemed to need more information was the last one. I would love to see a book series based on all of these characters..perhaps each one discussing the lives of the main characters within the author's stories.

3 out of 4 ain't bad.......2006-11-11

As a huge fan of L.A. Banks' VHL series, and having enjoyed her werewolf story from Dark Dreams II, I was looking forward to her story. And I have enjoyed the J.M. Jeffries stories I've read before. However I don't think I've ever read anything by Seressia Glass or Natalie Dunbar before. As for the stories, I liked them all, but had some reservations about the last one. They all took place revolving around the hotel and the Temple wolf clan, but the 4th story involved a cousin or something and just seemed a little off from the other stories. The way they are connected, I guess I expected the last story to be about Malcolm, the future clan leader of the Temple clan. In L.A. Banks' story, it seems she alluded to Malcolm having a mate, but the others made it seem like he didn't. That was a little confusing. But I loved the premise and the set up has the potential for a continuing series given the size of the clans. They just have to work on the consistancies more. Overall, an enjoyable group of stories. And quite a few steamy parts. Without a doubt L.A. Bank's story would be my favorite, but I admit to being biased. I would recomend reading the book. Give it a try.

Werewolves on the Strip.......2006-11-10

The next time you take a stroll along the Vegas Strip, you might want to look closely at who passes you by. If they seem extra hairy, have extra long canine teeth or send shivers through you, you might be looking at a werewolf. By day, they are as normal as you and I, but on a full moon night or in the midst of a brawl they can shift into a dangerous and scary creature. The four female authors of this anthology provide a story surrounding the French Quarter Hotel and Casino big poker tournament in this novel, Vegas Bites.

L.A. Banks, known for her vampire series mixes werewolves and vampires in her story, Heat. Bounty hunter, Butch Maverick, returns to Vegas to investigate rumblings that someone was out to rob the hotel and steal the tournament booty. Butch has to solicit the help of Laurel, the hotel's security boss. Butch and Laurel have a past they thought they were over, but with a full moon and her being in heat, they can not resist the temptation to mate again and perhaps rekindle their relationship. Together they fight off a rogue werewolf band to save the hotel's fortune.

J.M. Jeffries picks up the story as she introduces more members of the Warwick family in her story, The Hunger Within. An Omega werewolf, Solange Warwick is contemplating leaving the family when her parents retire and move from Vegas to Alaska. With her omega status, she needs the protection of her parents. The another rogue werewolf is after the Warwick family fortune and Special Agent Jarred Maitland is on hand to stave off the burglary. In the midst of his work, he falls hard for the beautiful Solange, and helps her move up in the ranks of the Warwick family.

Seressia Glass wrote my favorite story in the anthology, Double Down. Simone is the entertainer director of the French Quarter Hotel and Casino. She has booked magician Kadim for the hotel and now the Mystery Channel wants to do an expose on him. But, Kadim is not cooperating. He is a private person and refuses to be shown on film. Simone decides to take matters in her own hands and heads to his hideaway home; what she does not know is that it is all for her. Kadim is full of secrets. He can shift into a werewolf, but is not a werewolf. He is in love with Simone and his biggest secrets can keeps him enslaved to an unwanted master. Can Kadim and Simone find love?

In Natalie Dunbar's story, Out of the Dark, the werewolves are on a rampage in a small town outside of Vegas. They have killed many of the town's residents, but after viciously attacking Kellie Monroe they allow her to live, but the doctor almost kills her when she has a violent reaction to the vaccine to prevent her from becoming a werewolf. Her case intrigues Preternatural Police officer Garen Roy. He has two mysteries to solve. Why was Kellie not killed and if she is not a werewolf, then what is she.

This book offers a little for both the romance and sci-fi reader. For the romance reader, this anthology provides four romantic stories between male and females. For the reader who enjoys sci-fi, they will like the ideal of werewolves working and living as humans until they are attacked. I say if you are looking for a little something different in your usual boy meets girl romance, then this might be the book for you..

Jeanette
APOOO BookClub

(RAW Rating: 4.5) - What you see is not what you get!.......2006-10-29

VEGAS BITES is an eclectic mix of werewolves 'Weres',
vampires 'Vamps', 'Humans', and 'Others'. The action is sequestered
within four separate stories surrounding the French Quarter Hotel
and Casino, in Las Vegas. It is owned by 'Weres' who are hosting a
twenty million dollar tournament.

HEAT by Leslie Esdaile: The owners of the French Quarter are
retiring and a rival 'Were' pack is positioning themselves for a
hostile takeover. Police officer Butch Maverick is in Vegas to
help Laurel, the casino's chief of security, abort the takeover.
Laurel and Butch have a tangled history; she is the only 'Were' to
ever tame the wolf in him, but he messed up. Laurel wants to keep
things between them strictly business. But when Butch steps through
the casino doors, he can smell Laurel's perfume and he feels the
heat.

THE HUNGER WITHIN by J.M. Jeffries: Solange Warwick, the personal
assistant for the casino's owners, was adopted by them after she was
bitten, over a century ago. Because of her unrequited love for
their son she plans to leave the casino. She is further stressed
when she learns that the casino will be robbed, and also when she
meets Jared, an undercover FBI agent working for the enemy. Jared
is 'Human' and therefore off limits. First they must save the casino
and then Solange must decide what a century old werewolf can do with a
thirty something human?

DOUBLE DOWN by Seressia Glass: Simone Masters, daughter to the
casino owners, has the distinction of being born a werewolf and as
such has additional powers. Another 'Were' was killed and Simone
feels responsible, so it has been five years since she has run the
plains as a wolf. As head of entertainment, she tries to compensate
by booking superb acts for the casino. The current act, a human
magician, has been asked to be a guest on The Mystery Channel. This
would bring major publicity to the casino; but he refuses. Simone's
attempts to get to the bottom of his refusal, reveals he is
not 'Human'. The revelation could be the death or quite possilby the
life of her.

OUT OF THE DARK by Natalie Dunbar: Kellie Monroe, home to bury her
grandmother, is attacked and bitten by a 'Were'. Kellie's DNA is
more than human, and an antidote to prevent her from being turned
almost kills her. Attempts to kidnap her puts her in the custody of
Garen Roy, who is working with the Las Vegas Preternatural Police.
Kellie learns her grandmother was not 'Were', 'Vamp', or 'Human'.
But there is an amulet her grandmother left to her, which holds the
key to all of the mystery, gives Kellie a power she could never have
imagined, and offers hope to a smitten Garen Roy.

Hot, tantalizing, out-of-this world describes this collaboration of
nocturnal musings. VEGAS BITES will leave you wondering and watching,
especially the eyes of people you meet. Kudos to the authors for
taking readers to the outer-limits in a well told and highly erotic
way.

Reviewed by aNN of The RAWSISTAZ(tm) Reviewers

Average customer rating:

THE PURE VS. THE FORSAKEN!
Worth the wait

The Pure (Werewolf)
Aaron Demski-Bowden , James Kiley , Matthew McFarland , and Chuck Wendig
Manufacturer: White Wolf Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1588463362

Customer Reviews:

THE PURE VS. THE FORSAKEN!.......2007-06-04

The Pure is a 192 page hardcover supplement for World of Darkness: The Forsaken, presenting the werewolf antagonists known as The Pure. As with most of the Whitewolf supplements the detail presented is staggering, and perhaps even a bit overwhelming at times. The book begins with a compelling narrative into the history of The Pure, of Father Wolf's betrayal by Mother Moon, and her creation of the Forsaken and of the Forsaken nearly driving the Pure into extinction. It is this preamble that sets up the Pure as a sympathetic antagonist, fighting to reclaim what they had, and growing in power.

The complicated society of the Pure is explored along with the various clans. Their mating habits, various rites of passage and "becoming", oaths, secrets, and much more are explored in exhaustive detail.

The second chapter deals entirely with the three tribes of the Pure, The Fire-Touched, The Ivory Claws, and the Predator Kings. In each tribe you'll find info about that tribes goals and mindset, tribal abilities, recruitment, combat and infiltration tactics, societal interaction, sample Pure characters, and Pure character types or classes for lack of a better term.

The third chapter will be the most important to players as it deals with the rules of creation for Pure characters. Abilities are referred to as "Pure Gifts", and include a wide array of attack and defensive combat skills. In addition to these gifts are a host of ceremonial rites which can serve to increase abilities or grant other powers.

The final chapter is for the Storyteller and includes everything they need to know about developing and running a campaign with the Pure. These include about a dozen or so very detailed story hooks which can easily be dropped into any existing story. The last thirty pages or so makes up a scenario that can be played out in the Pure domain of Santa Fe, New Mexico. This features points of interest, territories, ongoing conflicts and story hooks, and close to twenty, fully detailed notable characters of the region. This all makes for a nice starting point for a game with the Pure.

As with most White Wolf books, you'll really need to spend a good deal of time familiarizing yourself with the contents and there's a lot to absorb. That's also part of the fun though as well because the books are always so well written and The Pure is no exception. A solid edition to the World of Darkness.

Reviewed by Tim Janson

Worth the wait.......2007-01-18

The long awaited guide to one of the primary antagonists of the Werewolf game, this book gets you inside the mind and culture of the Pure. The book explains their take on the myths of the Uratha and how they help to establish and maintain the culture of hate in which they live. The book does an excellent job of allowing them to be understood without making them sympathetic and without dispelling the fearful mystique which surrounds them. Highly recommended to anyone who is going to use the Pure extensively in their campaign. It will allow you to add depth and character to what could easily be a two-dimensional villian and should be much more.

Average customer rating:

Great book, both fun and informative
Red Meat for Monster Lovers
The Best of Linda S. Godfrey's Mystery Books yet+
Do we dare to talk about the "others" among us?
Fascinating topic but credibility and style issues render this book a disappointment

Hunting the American Werewolf
Linda S. Godfrey
Manufacturer: Trails Media Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1931599661

Book Description

He's out there… a malevolent beast with the head of a wolf—walking upright like a man! Don't believe it? How do you explain dozens of verified sightings throughout Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, and nationwide? In this fascinating book, best-selling author and award-winning journalist Linda Godfrey continues the hunt she began in The Beast of Bray Road. With only her investigative mind and her wry sense of humor, she takes on weird creatures too bizarre to be real—and too well documented to be mere fairy-tales.

Customer Reviews:

Great book, both fun and informative.......2007-06-17

This book is even better than the first. I love Ms. Godfrey's style of writing as a reporter and not as a scholar. She grabs our attention and tells a super story based upon the data she is able to collect from witnesses. The first time that I heard about this creature being something more than a late night movie monster was after I returned from New Orleans. I bought a book down in the Quarter called "Journey into Darkness... Ghosts and Vampires of New Orleans" by Katherine Smith C.1998 by De Simonin Publications of New Orleans. In the chapter "Loup Garou-Legacy of the Wolf" Ms. Smith relates a personal experience that is exactly like ones in this book. She too spotted something bipedal, grey, and large standing the middle of a dark and lonely road. It could have been a Manwolf, it could have been Bigfoot (aka Skunk Ape in Lousiana). Unfortunately, she doesn't give us anymore details especially about the legs or face. I was thrilled to find out that this short piece I had read was not the only or end of the story.

Ms. Godfrey.... please get us fans book three that you alluded to !

I'm certainly on the lookout whenever I travel the lonely highways at night.

Red Meat for Monster Lovers.......2007-03-07

There's something for everyone in forteanism and for me it's monsters. Whether they're furry, finned, floating in a jar, leathery winged, shape shifting, undead, or sucking a goat, monsters are the embodiment of everything bizarre and wonderful. If you feel the same way, you will love Linda Godfrey's Hunting the American Werewolf.

The book concentrates on encounters with "Manwolfs" and "Dogmen", shaggy, wolf-headed creatures that walk more or less upright, have canine back legs, and give off an evil aura and aroma to match. ("My Dogman has no nose." "How does he smell?" "Terrible.") Godfrey began writing about werewolves as a reporter covering a series of sightings that took place in 1989-90 on or near an uninteresting stretch of blacktop called Bray Road in South-east Wisconsin. She gave the creature a memorable nickname (see below) was contacted by other witnesses and discovered comparable reports from Wisconsin and neighboring states going back to the 1930s. In 2003, Godfrey published her first crypto book, The Beast of Bray Road (a title later appropriated for a godawful movie featuring a godawful werewolf costume.) Beast inspired more and more people to tell their stories and these appear in Hunting the American Werewolf. The follow-up, however, contains creatures that make the original creature seem positively housebroken.

There's a protean ape-wolf monstrosity, an "Anubis headed skinwalker", packs of fiendish canines, and a wolfish phantom standing guard over a "witch's" cottage (a teen hi-jinks adventure that seems bound to achieve urban legend status). My personal favorite is the mini-Manwolf that could have escaped from Hanna-Barbera Studios. The witness recalls that:

"For a split second, I remember thinking it was a racoon, but I quickly noticed that the knees on the hind legs were bent inward and it was running on the hind two feet with the front `arms' held out in front of its body (author's italics)

The creature was maybe three and a half feet standing, had...slicked back dark hair, a snout like a black Lab, only more narrow eyes that seemed to glow...and was fast. Man was it fast"

This incident, like most of the others, took place in Wisconsin, Michigan or Illinois. The books becomes national when looking at historical accounts, folklore and the confessions of a young man with a problem ("What's it like to be a werewolf? It stinks."). Lizard men, lake monsters and flying things are not neglected and neither is speculation.

Godfrey is not afraid to speculate and offers her thoughts and those of others, without endorsing a specific interpretation of monster experiences. Even the most extraordinary ideas (you'll know the one I mean when you read it) are explained with neither a smirk nor a wink. The author began writing about monsters as a newspaper reporter and does not editorialize.

This journalistic background is evident in other ways. She visits the scenes, talks to witnesses and writes in an informal, idiomatic style, which is characteristic of the book as a whole. This is not an elegantly arranged disquisition with the contents buffed to a high polish; rather Hunting the American Werewolf contains bales of fresh unfamiliar material, numerous drawings (by the author) and bold speculation and these are what make it a great monster book.

Finally, I should mention that the author and I are friends. I contributed to the book because I admire what she's doing.

The Best of Linda S. Godfrey's Mystery Books yet+ .......2007-01-17

This is much better than her ,'Beast of Bray Road',first book.I felt she was more relaxed as an authoress and just yarning an interesting cozy tome on 'Were-Wolves'.She even timidly touches upon the 'Neo-pagan' subjects.I wished she would open up more and express her latent feelings on being critical towards the cryptozoological skeptics.I guess her family comes from frigid New England,where she might be thrown on the heretic pyre.She writes like she's not one of those 'tree-huggers',yet why then was she writing this wonderful book? She presents a wealth of regional information and a keen understanding of werewolves in historical literature.Her name 'Godfrey' could be a variation of 'Goddess-Freya',the High priestess of the Forest?So, she can't be afraid of the 'Big Bad Wolf',right?
She would make a wonderful Wiccan priestess.Yet,she probably cringes when she hears the words ,'Crone' and 'White Witch'.She needs pagan-therapy,along with George Norre. And i can't wait for her next book.Read this Book !!

Do we dare to talk about the "others" among us?.......2007-01-12

I enjoyed this book a great deal...It dares talk about taboo and hidden subjects that are mostly ignored and ridicule by the mainstream media. It exposes events that are indeed taking place all around us frequently and must not be ignored...we are not the masters of our world.

Fascinating topic but credibility and style issues render this book a disappointment.......2006-12-15

I recently attended a talk given by the author on her latest book and while I found her a bit sporadic in her organization, she seemed somewhat thorough and credible in her presentation on the bipedal canine sightings phenomenon in Wisconsin and elsewhere. I have been interested (although with a rational touch of skepticism) in various topics in parapsychology and cryptozoology for several decades, Ms. Godfrey's book seemed interesting and accordingly, I purchased an autographed copy of Hunting the American Werewolf. It's a fascinating topic to be sure, but by the end of the book I was rather disappointed with Ms. Godfrey's efforts.

First, a summary. Starting primarily in the 1980's and early 1990's, there was a rash of sightings in southeastern Wisconsin approximately halfway between Madison and Racine of a wolf-like creature that could run on all fours yet could also stand and walk or run upright, reaching an estimated 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 feet in height. Several years ago Linda Godfrey, a local small town newspaper reporter, published a book that received some degree of national attention about this creature, The Beast of Bray Road. In the ensuing years, Ms. Godfrey was contacted by numerous individuals to report their sightings of a similar creature both in Wisconsin, in neighboring states such as Michigan and Illinois and elsewhere including Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania and Georgia. Altogether she has recorded something apparently in the vicinity of a hundred or so sightings of this bipedal canine creature, which she refers to as a man-wolf, the bulk of which occurred in Wisconsin. In this book she also reports on a variety of other cryptozoological sightings in Wisconsin, including a number of bigfoot/sasquatch sightings, the sighting of winged and lizard-like humanoids, big cats and a history of sightings of a stockier creature that gives the appearance of being a bear-wolf hybrid or prehistoric ancestor of the wolf.

Pros

Ms. Godfrey has taken some reasonable efforts to investigate the phenomenon and does try to get the sort of information from eyewitnesses that establish credibility. To that extent, she tells the details of a number of sightings from seemingly normal and believable people, such as a Navy veteran, farmers, college students and housewives, and where the witness is willing, discloses his or her name. She also discusses in some degree of detail the settings for each of the sightings and ties them in to the presence of some form of nearby water and wilderness, either marshes, forest or both. She does mention the proximity of most of the Wisconsin sightings to the Kettle Moraine State Forest and although southern, particularly south-eastern Wisconsin is fairly well-populated (and thus not the sort of area one imagines would support an population of large, previously undiscovered predators), that state forest does indeed contain very substantial amounts of wetlands that are seldom ever visited that might provide refuge for a wolf-sized predator.

Ms. Godfrey also discusses the anatomical issues involved for canids to walk on their hind legs and I appreciated that section of the book for its attempt to shine some scientific light on the subject. The conclusion she reaches based on the works of zoologists is that the typical canine legs and hip joints are not favorably constructed for walking bipedally. Indeed, as many of you may recall from having seen something of the sort on TV on the Animal Planet channel or when Leno or Letterman have dog trainers as guests, those dogs who have been trained to walk on their hind legs do so rather stiffly and it is extremely difficult to imagine that an animal that has been trained that way who is startled at the roadside by the headlights of an oncoming vehicle would rise off the ground and stride away, rather than scamper away on all fours.

Perhaps the strongest evidence supporting the genuine nature of these sightings deals with the anatomical details of the creature or creatures, which Ms. Godfrey discusses. A human dressed up in a costume to perpetrate a hoax would have legs that, regardless of the composition of the costume, look thick, trunk-like and decidedly human. In contrast, the majority of the eyewitnesses report seeing distinctively canine-like hind legs with a backward bend and narrowing toward the ankles that is simply not possible for a person to duplicate realistically by wearing any sort of costume. This fact has me convinced that there is indeed something living in southeastern Wisconsin, whether it is some sort of wolf, coyote, dog or hybrid mix with less than fully-functionally front legs or an actual cryptozoological specimen distinct from any currently known species.

To her credit, the author does disclose to us that at the time of the initial sightings back in the 1980's, a local farmer on Bray Road was experiencing problems with romantically-inclined teenage couples "parking" near his farm at night, so to teach them a lesson, he dressed up in gorilla costume to scare them. She does mention that this farmer admitted to having donned this costume a limited number of times and stopped wearing it within a brief period, long before the rash of sightings slowed down, so it would appear that from both a chronological and a quantitative standpoint, this practical joker was not the basis of most of the sightings. She also discusses the fact that some of the sightings of mysterious non-bipedal creatures could readily be explained by non-canine creatures, namely a big cat of some sort, such as a cougar that migrated far from the assumed boundaries of its natural habitat, or a non-native big cat that escaped from or was released from a private menagerie. The latter possibility is not that extreme considering the minimal regulations most states have for wild predator ownership combined with the relatively inexpensive acquisition costs (tiger and lion cubs can be purchased for less than the cost of good hunting dog - around $400).

CONS

So we have a fascinating subject, a seemingly knowledgeable and thorough investigator and a number of apparently credible eyewitnesses to this phenomenon, so what could possibly be wrong with this book? Unfortunately, the answer to that question is "many things." There are a multitude of problems with this book from both a stylistic and substantive standpoint.

First and foremost, Ms. Godfrey has chosen to eschew the style of a serious, objective reporter of these phenomena and instead proceeds with an extremely informal, chatty and loquacious writing style that will appeal to some people but quickly grows altogether tiresome for someone whose primary goal is the acquisition of knowledge and information. Ms. Godfrey simply sounds like a cat person of the ushy-gushy, cutesy-wootsy sort that most of us have encountered - the sort who has named her cat Mr. ___kins (insert Fluffy, Whisker, Snuggle, etc...), coos in baby talk to her little precious friends and feeds them at the table from her dinner plate. How does this impact the reading of her book? First, she adopts pet names for these animals, continually referring to this bipedal wolf or other similar cryptozoological phenomenon as "Furries," discussing both "big Furries" and "little Furries." She also tells the tale of two teenagers who were chased on a bike path through a marshy area by a small bipedal canine animal that she describes as trying playfully to "mix it up" with the boys. She christened this creature the "Half Pint Trail Mixer." It is a good thing the animal wasn't jumping around, or she might have instead named it the "Mighty Mini Cutie Pie Bouncer." She also cannot refrain from incessant canine puns, which tend to be about as bad as puns can be.

The second stylistic problem I had with the book was her constant references to other portions of the book. Occasionally it may be necessary to refer to a previously mentioned account or inform the reader that a more full treatment of the topic will ensue, but it seemed like Ms. Godfrey was doing this every several pages and it became tiresome and caused her tellings of the various sightings to be disjointed. Although she does tend to keep the sightings in roughly chronological order, it really did not seem that way while reading the book and the author leaves readers with the impression they are being whisked away on many tangents without a clear central direction in sight.

Ms. Godfrey repeatedly weakens the substance of her book by reporting on a number of so-called sightings that range from the unlikely to the preposterous. One of the weakest inclusions in this book is the account by a self-confessed lycanthrope who claims he needs to be chained in his basement or he will hurt his significant other when assumes wolf form. Quite frankly I am rather amazed that Ms. Godfrey decided to publish such drivel from this attention-seeking individual , as there is nothing except a bit of detail from a supposed werewolf's perspective (but nothing one cannot obtain from reading an Ann Rice novel and watching 20 minutes of Werewolves in London or Van Helsing) to lend even a shred of credibility to the story. This so-called werewolf is a crackpot, plain and simple and the fact that Ms. Godfrey included this account with little more than mildly questioning the man's veracity really calls into question her own standards and beliefs. Ditto with the story of the devout spiritualist wiccan who spotted the beast a few feet away in his bathroom and watched it vanish into thin air - even if this person actually believes this story, one certainly wonders what substances he was imbibing or ingesting to heighten his "spiritual awareness."

Equally puzzling is the inclusion of the account at the opening of the book of the grad student who claims to have witnessed a lycanthropic transformation just blocks from the Wisconsin state capital in downtown Madison. I really have to ask why, given (a) it was very late at night; (b) the fellow was being dumped by the woman he loved; and (c) in fact, she had just locked him out, Ms. Godfrey thought the likely explanation for what he claims he saw was a genuine phenomenon rather than confusion from post traumatic stress disorder, severe depression or some other psychological condition akin to a nervous breakdown. She also includes an account of how some so-called spiritualist claims to have verified that the beasts are spirit creatures and claims to have contacted the chief of the spirit man-wolves and learned they do not intend harm toward mankind. I hope Ms. Godfrey did not participate in any psychic exercises that involved this medium guessing her social security number or bank account numbers, or the medium's fee won't be the only cash she has lost.

Many of these more dubious accounts seem to have been included as filler material, to beef up the page count to sufficiently respectable numbers to satisfy a publisher's minimum page number requirements. Ms. Godfrey also accomplishes this by following up many of the accounts of sightings with a pseudo-analysis of what the witness saw. She relates the sighting of what appeared to be a bipedal wolf and then will spend several paragraphs comparing this particular sighting with a variety of dissimilar sightings e.g. - "It could be a bigfoot, except ..... this creature had a long pointy nose and bigfoot sightings report a short, apelike nose.... so, it does not appear to be a bigfoot." She then brilliantly concludes that the described creature does not fit any of the characteristics of the variety of other dissimilar cryptids she discussed (which was obvious from her initial description without the need to pretend to analyze the creature) and states that it is yet another case of a man-wolf sighting.

The author seems to feel the most probable source of these sightings is that it is some sort of Native American spirit creature or creatures and she engages in a significant discussion of this possibility. One of key items of "evidence" to support this theory is that the fact that a number of these sightings occurred near several of the Native American effigy mounds that are prevalent across southern Wisconsin. A number of the effigy mounds are shaped like animals and some arguably could be considered to be shaped like wolves or "water spirits." However, a significant flaw with this theory is the fact that there are plenty of effigy mounds in other parts of Wisconsin that are nowhere near any man-wolf sightings. Indeed, just across the Mississippi River into northern Iowa, there are over two hundred effigy mounds within reasonably close proximity to Effigy Mounds National Monument, yet there apparently are no reported sightings of man-wolves in Iowa.

The main problem that results from Ms. Godfrey's treatment of this subject matter is that rather than shine light upon a very unexpected phenomenon and present a believable case for the existence of some sort of previously unknown entity, she has inadvertently trivialized the reports of those who were brave or naive enough to step forward, ignore potential ridicule and admit seeing one of these creatures. Clearly all that goes bump in the night is not real - for instance, proof of the existence of the Loch Ness Monster has been recently shown to be either the work of hoaxsters (e.g. the Surgeon's Photo) or misidentification of natural items in the lake such as a school of sturgeon. Those who undertake serious scientific study of unexplained phenomenon are often dismissed out-of-hand as quacks and charlatans. For instance, although a professor at Idaho State University is attempting to employ a rigorous scientific study of bigfoot, his colleagues are mockingly inquiring whether he will be studying Santa Claus next and are petitioning to have his tenure revoked. While Ms. Godfrey may claim that she's merely attempting to be even-handed in her discussion of various sorts of sightings and theories behind them, her failure to use sensible discretion to filter out the oddballs and the implausible significantly weakens this study from any perspective other than one that is purely for the purpose of entertainment. Ultimately, the most important issue in any study of the paranormal, including cryptozoology, is credibility and the author's failure to take this into consideration renders her book only slightly more useful as a reference work than a volume of fairy tails.

In the end, I feel that Ms. Godfrey's personality that she exuded so strongly throughout the book impacted its credibility, both from a stylistic and from a substantive perspective. Perhaps if she had taken a more serious attitude toward her subject matter, I could have taken her book a bit more seriously.

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