Average customer rating:
- A Hunger Like No Other
- So So
- Sexy, Daring, but Something's Missing
- My first paranormal romance and ....I loved it!!
- Fabulous
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A Hunger Like No Other (The Immortals After Dark Series, Book 1)
Kresley Cole
Manufacturer: Pocket Star
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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ASIN: 1416509879 |
Book Description
Acclaimed author Kresley Cole introduces a sizzling new series with this tale of a fierce werewolf and a bewitching vampire -- unlikely soul mates whose passion will test the boundaries of life and death.
A mythic warrior who'll stop at nothing to possess her . . .
After enduring years of torture from the vampire horde, Lachlain MacRieve, leader of the Lykae Clan, is enraged to find the predestined mate he's waited millennia for is a vampire. Or partly one. This Emmaline is a small, ethereal half Valkyrie/half vampire, who somehow begins to soothe the fury burning within him.
A vampire captured by her wildest fantasy . . .
Sheltered Emmaline Troy finally sets out to uncover the truth about her deceased parents -- until a powerful Lykae claims her as his mate and forces her back to his ancestral Scottish castle. There, her fear of the Lykae -- and their notorious dark desires -- ebbs as he begins a slow, wicked seduction to sate her own dark cravings.
An all-consuming desire . . .
Yet when an ancient evil from her past resurfaces, will their desire deepen into a love that can bring a proud warrior to his knees and turn a gentle beauty into the fighter she was born to be?
Includes an excerpt from Kresley Cole's next romance novel, No Rest for the Wicked.
Download Description
"Acclaimed author Kresley Cole introduces a sizzling new series with this tale of a fierce werewolf and a bewitching vampire -- unlikely soul mates whose passion will test the boundaries of life and death. A mythic warrior who'll stop at nothing to possess her . . . After enduring years of torture from the vampire horde, Lachlain MacRieve, leader of the Lykae Clan, is enraged to find the predestined mate he's waited millennia for is a vampire. Or partly one. This Emmaline is a small, ethereal half Valkyrie/half vampire, who somehow begins to soothe the fury burning within him. A vampire captured by her wildest fantasy . . . Sheltered Emmaline Troy finally sets out to uncover the truth about her deceased parents -- until a powerful Lykae claims her as his mate and forces her back to his ancestral Scottish castle. There, her fear of the Lykae -- and their notorious dark desires -- ebbs as he begins a slow, wicked seduction to sate her own dark cravings. An all-consuming desire . . . Yet when an ancient evil from her past resurfaces, will their desire deepen into a love that can bring a proud warrior to his knees and turn a gentle beauty into the fighter she was born to be?
Customer Reviews:
A Hunger Like No Other.......2007-09-19
Although I found this book to be enjoyable, it did not require or engage my entire attention. I was able to read it at work between calls and was able to keep up with what was happening. This book to me seemed to drag at times and at other times moved along. I am not yet certain if it is going to stay in my collection or be passed on. I have not yet started the second book in the series although I will read it and have purchased the third book. It just did not reach out and grab me.
So So.......2007-09-14
I liked the start of the book but after a while it was a little fustrating. It took for ever for them to have sex. The theme was good and the charters are enjoyable. I think the charter Emma went a little overboard by playing really had to get. Took her for ever to come around. However, I still plan to read the rest of the series.
Sexy, Daring, but Something's Missing.......2007-09-01
I could hardly put this book down, especially the spicy scenes, which were written perfectly! And the plot of the book was believeable, and well-written.
But when Emmaline and Lachlain finally come together, the book immedietly goes downhill. Even when they finally have sex, the scene is too short, and not nearly as descriptive as previous scene. From there on is just plot, we don't get any more sexy situations!
And perhaps this is just me, but Emmaline's Valkyrie family were the MOST obnoxious characters I have EVER read in a book. Their logic, tactics, and personalities were grating and flat.
However, I still give the book 4 stars because all other aspects were amazing, and I definitely intend to read more in the series!!!
My first paranormal romance and ....I loved it!!.......2007-08-25
I usually read historical romances (medieval, Georgian, regency & Victorian), but the trend in romance seems to be going in the paranormal direction so I figured I'd give one a try. I was seriously afraid of what I call "rolling eyes syndrome" ; some things are just unbelievable and I was hoping that this wasn't going to be just a bad B-movie read.
I am so surprised! I love this book! It reminds of some of my fav Scottish romances, but MUCH more intense and WAY edgier/darker! The alpha male hero is totally hot Scottish highlander hunk (a real treat for this Julie Garwood fan) and the heroine is this a shy little thing who eventually turns into a kick a*s woman. There's werewolf's, vampire's, Valkyrie, witches, wraiths etc., and Cole (author) does a excellent job introducing and giving background information on each one of these. She does this so well that I became instantly engrossed in the book and simply couldn't put it down. There are tons of really cool secondary characters that each have their own unique powers and personally I can't wait for those sequels!
So if you like historical romance or contemporary for that matter, this is a great place to start checking out paranormals. As for me, I have a feeling this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
Fabulous.......2007-08-20
This is a great book. The character's are so well developed. You really feel like you know these people.
Product Description
here is the sequel to the hot bestselling a hunger like no other!in this scorching series there is passionate sex&fascinating characters!
Customer Reviews:
No rest for the reader is more like it.....l.......2007-10-08
I just finished reading this book and I can't wait for immortals after dark series 3! I've already pre-ordered waiting in anticipation! These characters are deep, passionate with thier work and very wicked when it comes to 'winning the prize' of all prizes. Going back in time to prevent tragedy which also may have consequences. It's a spellbinding read which made me want to 'forget the real life' for awhile to learn how these characters unfolded and came together. Write faster Kresley Cole!
Still So So.......2007-09-14
Okay. Still love the characters and the love scenes are very very hot and steamy. And because of that I give a 4 star rating. But still similar to the 1st book, where the femaile character (Katja) plays a little too much hard to get. That kind of fustrates me a little. However, I still plan to read the 3rd book when it comes out.
No Rest for the Wicked.......2007-09-08
Kresley Cole is one of the best authors of immortal romance EVER!
I have read too many books to list in this genre from many best selling authors and can not remember what sets one book apart from another, except when it comes to Mrs. Cole's Dark series.
Her characters are beyond sexy and yet so vunerable it makes their need for each other so much more real. I find myself laughing out loud and caught off guard several times during her stories when one of the characters says something that makes perfect sense but is so off the wall funny, I need a minute or two to stop giggling and pick the book back up again.
To tell you the truth "No Rest for the Wicked" isn't even her best work out of the three books, but it is still so worth reading.
All of the men and women featured in her Immortals books are all very different from one another, and all very easy to relate to, yet they still remain three very different stories with different personalities, struggles passions and abilities, unlike most romance novels where the same story line and characters are recycled over and over again.
Anyway, my point is GET THIS BOOK and anything else in the Immortals After Dark Series right away. I guarantee you'll love them all!!!!!
p.s. Did I mention that the love scenes in her books are beyond hot! Beyond incredible! Beyond imaginative! Beyond wild, and beyond sweet?....Well if I didn't, then there you have it.
Great Sequal.......2007-08-30
I was pleasantry surprised by Kresley Cole's second book in the Immortals after Dark series.
Wonderfully put together, great characters, and a book I can read over and over again!
Not Bad.......2007-08-14
Not as good as the first book in this series but still a good read.
Book Description
A short, sleek novel of encounters set in Tokyo during the witching hours between midnight and dawn, and every bit as gripping as Haruki Murakami’s masterworks The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle and Kafka on the Shore.
At its center are two sisters—Eri, a fashion model slumbering her way into oblivion, and Mari, a young student soon led from solitary reading at an anonymous Denny’s toward people whose lives are radically alien to her own: a jazz trombonist who claims they’ve met before, a burly female “love hotel” manager and her maid staff, and a Chinese prostitute savagely brutalized by a businessman. These “night people” are haunted by secrets and needs that draw them together more powerfully than the differing circumstances that might keep them apart, and it soon becomes clear that Eri’s slumber—mysteriously tied to the businessman plagued by the mark of his crime—will either restore or annihilate her.
After Dark moves from mesmerizing drama to metaphysical speculation, interweaving time and space as well as memory and perspective into a seamless exploration of human agency—the interplay between self-expression and empathy, between the power of observation and the scope of compassion and love. Murakami’s trademark humor, psychological insight, and grasp of spirit and morality are here distilled with an extraordinary, harmonious mastery.
Customer Reviews:
let's be honest.......2007-10-05
Let's just be honest here and not mince words with our darling author Mr. Murakami. Yes, we all love his earlier work. Hard Boiled Wonderland, Wind Up Bird, Kafka on the Shore are deep bright wells of metaphysical insight and terror. After Dark is just terrible. It's boring, and intellectually light to say the very least. The characters are flat and the plot refuses to budge. I applaud Murakami for his bravery in breaking with his traditional style and his takes on the Japanese I novel and trying something different with his narrative structure, but that alone does not make it an interesting or well written novel, just unique in his oeuvre. Let's not let our love of his previous work cloud our reception of his current novel.
Simple and wonderful.......2007-09-12
Wonderful character studies with hints of Kafkaesque and Lynchian environments. It seems that there is a lot going on under the surface of the world these people inhabit and the different levels people exist on. It also shows beautifully the nature of the mind.
Minor work from major artist........2007-09-10
There are two great philosophical passages in this novel that- had they been attached to characters or a story with more at stake- would have been profound character moments. Instead, they're poorly hidden attempts by the author to include a tidbit of personal, casual conversation. The characters come off as slight and forgettable, and some even border on stereotype. I definitely had the impression that the author stayed outside of these characters and used trivial physical details as camouflage for an absence of real understanding. Call girls, love hotel managers, and musicians who occupy late night Tokyo all have reasons for being there, and Murakami seems to be too hypnotized by the world to investigate it fully. It's as if he wanted his readers to feel that he had kept himself clean of too much involvement.
Teases the Murakami thirst.......2007-09-04
Pure Murakami in simple, sweet and shortened form. Descriptive and mind numbing to the senses as he tackles a night in the big city from multiple perspectives. I would not start reading Murakami with this one, as it does not define his true creative ability, but it does make for a soothing read after you have already identified with the authors style through one of his modern gems such as Kafka on the Shore, or the Windup Bird Chronicle.
Cover Story.......2007-08-29
You can judge a book by its cover. Chip Kidd, who designs Murakami's book covers, captures the enigmatic, off kilter quality of his work. It takes a close look to reveal the secrets of the cover as it does to reveal the secrets of this enigmatic, hallucinatory, at times insomniac book. I found it hard to put down, impossible to forget.
Book Description
Secrets and betrayals, as the saga of Dark Angel continues!
In a chaotic world where the lines between good and evil often blur, and violent anarchy and brutal repression become commonplace, secrets can be deadly. So when Max discovers a shattering truth that Logan has kept concealed from her for years, the betrayal threatens the very essence of their trust.
Yet when Logan is kidnapped, all questions of truth and loyalty are cast aside. Max’s search will lead her to a familiar, menacing enemy—and back into the shadow of the Snake Cult, which waits for her with chilling anticipation.
But the search will also lead her into wholly unexpected territory. Locked in the fight of her life, Max will discover a captive of the cult who can provide her with the one thing that has haunted her ever since she escaped from Manticore. . . .
Download Description
In a chaotic world where the lines between good and evil often blur, and violent anarchy and brutal repression become commonplace, secrets can be deadly. So when Max discovers a shattering truth that Logan has kept concealed from her for years, the betrayal threatens the very essence of their trust.
Yet when Logan is kidnapped, all questions of truth and loyalty are cast aside. Max's search will lead her to a familiar, menacing enemy -- and back into the shadow of the Snake Cult, which waits for her with chilling anticipation.
But the search will also lead her into wholly unexpected territory. Locked in the fight of her life, Max will discover a captive of the cult who can provide her with the one thing that has haunted her ever since she escaped from Manticore...
Customer Reviews:
Super Reader.......2007-08-07
Max Guevera, mayor? Seems unlikely, but the defactor head of Terminal City is what she has become, it appears. She is also a big fan of Jonathon Swift.
Things start looking up, as the serial killer in the last episode, a shapeshifter, actually ended up taking out Logan's virus.
However, a gang then kidnaps Logan, and things go crazy.
It seems that the problem with centuries-spanning breeding cults, is, well, that they are a cult. Made up of people. With politics, power plays, etc.
The transgenics do not have this issue, and are able to use factional splits, and even Ames White, via his missing son, to cause a lot of problems for the Familiars.
Freaky prophecies about comets bringing death plagues are perhaps not too likely, either, they should keep in mind for the future.
A fun book.
Finally - Closure!.......2007-07-04
It was so nice to finally have an ending to the Dark Angel series. I was so disappointed with the cliff-hanger ending of the second season. Many questions were answered and storylines finished in this book and yet it still left things open for Max Allan Collins to continue the book series if he wants. I, for one, hope he continues writing for this series.
[Nods Head].......2007-06-15
Awesome completely awesome besides the fact it leaves you with one question. It answers everything and totally follows all that came before it. It was a great book, but I still wish another would come out.
Awesome Dark Angel Continuance.......2007-03-09
I need to win the Lottery so I can fund a continuance of this series.
Dark Angel Fans Will Like This.......2007-02-19
I don't quite understand why people are saying the ending is anti-climactic, I think he was just trying to finish out the story. If you like the show and you don't mind reading, you will like the books.
Book Description
Her breathless kiss haunts him...
Bowen MacRieve of the Lykae clan was nearly destroyed when he lost the one woman meant for him. The ruthless warrior grew even colder, never taking another to his bed -- until a smoldering encounter with his enemy, Mariketa the Awaited, reawakens his darkest desires. When sinister forces unite against her, the Highlander finds himself using all his strength and skill to keep her alive.
His slow, hot touch is irresistible...
Temporarily stripped of her powers, Mari is forced to take refuge with her sworn adversary. It's rumored that no one can tempt Bowen's hardened heart, but soon passion burns between them. Though a future together is impossible, she fears he has no intention of letting her go.
No deed is too wicked for her seduction...
If they defeat the evil that surrounds them, can Mari deny Bowen when he demands her body and soul -- or will she risk everything for her fierce protector?
Book Description
Dinner After Dark is much more than a collection of great recipes: It’s a recipe for a great party, featuring stylish cocktails, stunning interiors, creative tabletops (hint: almost no cut flowers), and even advice on music, place cards, and the art of being a gracious host and guest. This is mostly cookbook, but also part decorating, part bartending, part etiquette, and part plain old bon-vivant-ism.
The recipes are drawn from Colin Cowie’s sophisticated international palate, focusing on the exotic. The Peri-Peri dinner offers Saketinis to start, then moves on to Curried Mussels in Coconut-Milk Broth, red-hot Peri-Peri Chicken with green olives and preserved lemons, and a luscious Orange Custard Tart. The Cuba Libre cocktail party features Escabeche of Swordfish, Picadillo in a Lettuce Cup with Fresh Tomato Salsa, Plantain Chips, and Arroz con Camarones, all washed down with Mojitos and Cuba Libres. And the intriguing Bombay Soirée includes an appetizer of Stir-Fried Shrimp with Lemon and Scallions and an entrée of Chicken Curry and Peas, served with three different cooling raitas, Mango Chutney, Pappadams, and Aromatic Basmati Rice.
What’s remarkable about the hundred recipes is that the dishes rely on spices rather than fats, on delicious pairings instead of interminable ingredient lists. Even more remarkable is that nearly every recipe can be prepared in less than an hour, and almost none requires last-minute cooking, allowing you to be a guest at your own party.
Each party will be a fabulous one, with fun, helpful features such as: 911, entertaining emergencies and how to solve them; 411, information calls, like what a tagine is or how to trim an artichoke; OTT (Over the Top), on how to make the evening truly spectacular; and A Lighter Touch, on adapting recipes for less fat, or simply to be less heavy. All of this is presented in Colin’s inimitably stylish, irrepressibly fun voice that’s both entertaining and informed.
Each party takes place in a uniquely beautiful location, from spectacular New York City apartments to an oh-so-very L.A. Modernist house to the beach in East Hampton. The guests are smiling and glamorous and having a good time, the decors and tabletops and food are extraordinarily appealing—you want to be there. Not only will Dinner After Dark transport you, it’ll allow you to bring the party to your own home.
Customer Reviews:
Jetsetters cookbook.......2003-10-07
So you've been to France, Japan, Italy, Cuba and Russia and whatever hot international destination, or do you just want to eat and entertain like you have? This book let's you do this. Its really thorough- from making cocktails to setting the table, to making theme based dinners. The recipes are thorough too - you can have a country type garlic chicken (inexpensive) but you'll also reach for this book when you want to treat yourself to caviar (expensive). This is not the Joy of Cooking. My only complaint is some of the dishes are "heavy" and this is not a cookbook for the sake of a cookbook (some recipes are hit or miss)- there are better ones - and do take MUCH MORE THAN AN HOUR. My husband complains that its too rich. Maybe his model thin guests actually don't eat what he prepares? Also, I have his other Cookbook. Between these two, I am ready to entertain for any event. That one is more "practical" since it has non dinner recipes. If you are going to entertain to the Jet Set crowd you should get this one. For production & style & menu ideas , it lets you dream.
Spectacular as always.......2003-02-12
I was delightfully enchanted with Colin's newest book. Having read his previous publications, I was very pleased with Colin's creativity and design style. I am always pleased with the calibre of design in all his books, but I find I am always left wanting more. Everyone has a favourite, some old hat, some new and hip to contemporary fads, but Colin is timeless, creative, and mindful of your budget. He's a Creative genius and I truly enjoyed this book. It sits on my desk at work where people come by to borrow it and have a hard time returning it!
All Style.............2003-02-05
I have to be upfront and say that basically, I don't like this guy. More's the pity for me because he has style in spades. The menus are at times great, at times bs, but it is the setting in which he casts them that sets him apart.
There is much to admire in how the entire look of this book comes off. I'm in the catering business and so I recognize why it is important to light and display the dishes as he does. I also know that, at least in Philadelphia, there are maybe 4 people who can afford this stuff.
Still, it's fun to dream. I fully expect that some self-satisfied gourmand of an SUV-driven horse farm owning young republican wag will be waving this tome in front of me insisting I recreate the magic herein for $30 a head.
But I'll try my best not to blame Cowie. I still can't tell if he actually does perform these parties (note I did not say 'cater'), or whether it is all MS photo shoots. They might be real, not everyone in these photos looks that great. Or maybe they just don't stand a chance next to the food, the linens, the candles, the china, etc......
Book Description
One of the best travel writers now at work in the English language brings back the sights and sounds from a dozen different frontiers. A cryptic encounter in the perfumed darkness of Bali; a tour of a Bolivian prison, conducted by an enterprising inmate; a nightmarish taxi ride across southern Yemen, where the men with guns may be customs inspectors or revolutionaries–these are just three of the stops on Pico Iyer’s latest itinerary.
But the true subject of
Sun After Dark is the dislocations of the mind in transit. And so Iyer takes us along to meditate with Leonard Cohen and talk geopolitics with the Dalai Lama. He navigates the Magritte-like landscape of jet lag, “a place that no human had ever been until forty or so years ago.” And on every page of this poetic and provocative book, he compels us to redraw our map of the world.
Customer Reviews:
An uneven collection.......2006-09-16
The titular star In Sun After Dark comes from Albert Camus, who wrote that he was born "halfway between poverty and the sun." The quote serves as a touchstone and a frame through which to view a disparate collection of essays, the common theme of which aspires to be the search for hope in even the darkest corners of the world.
"We travel most ...when we stumble, and we stumble most when we come to a place of poverty and need...."
In this latest volume of travel reminiscences, British-born Indian Pico Iyer claims to take the reader on a walk through the dark side, essays on visits to some of the world's lost and forgotten countries, from Cambodia, to Yemen, Bolivia and Haiti. And when Iyer sticks to the theme, his writing shines.
"...luxury, for some of us, is measured by the things we can do without."
Unfortunately, it seems either Iyer or the publisher decided to pad out the book with several pieces only marginally related to the theme, and so besides a memorable Kafkaesque journey through Yemen (that will have anyone who has lived on the Arabian peninsula laughing), we also get entirely forgettable book reviews, unrelated (if interesting) visits with Leonard Cohen and the Dalai Lama, and an insightful discourse on jet lag.
"...space and time open up as soon as you take leave of the simples ways in which you define yourself."
I took this book on a recent journey to Vietnam and despite its uneven content it was a mostly rewarding companion. I suspect many readers interested in travel or in Pico Iyer should find in it something of value, if only small passages like the ones I have quoted here, and with which I end.
"One virtue of grandparents, of seasons, or deer who come down from the hills, is that they remind us that we don't know everything, and can't make the world up entirely from scratch; much of it - most of it - is beyond our reach, even beyond our reckoning."
Failed To Impress.......2006-08-26
I've read Video Night In Kathmandu and enjoyed it thoroughly. Pico Iyer is the poet of travel literature. With an admirable way with words, Iyer is indeed a writer like no other.
This collection is simply not as impressive. Some of the stories are so weak in content that I wonder if someone else wrote them. Even though Iyer's observations are sharp and his prose is a pleasure to read, it is obvious that some of the locations were not even thoroughly researched or explored. At the end of the day, the reader gets an earful of what went on in Pico Iyer's mind, with only an inkling of what happened around him.
I bought this book specifically to read about his conversations with the Dalai Lama and his insights on the issue of Tibet. Even though there is some "balance" in his views, I still find his interview to be lacking in substance. Typical of run-of-the-mill articles by Western writers, there's hardly any attempt to see things from the level of common Tibetans - the non-activists.
This book would be an excellent gift for the armchair reader who appreciates colourful prose and musings, but there is really very little information that will be useful to the explorer or reader who wants a bit more factual depth.
Iyer really captures the experience of the traveler.......2006-05-02
If you want a straightforward travelogue or love "package tour" travel, you probably haven't read Iyer's previous books and should skip this one. The later chapters dragged more than the rest of the book, hence, 4 stars. At its best, the book captures the essence of travel as experience--the unavoidable confrontations with self, as well as the opportunities to transcend the mundane, familiar kinds of existence. Iyer spends extended periods in Asia and South America, with stops in the US and Europe. He also relates the experience of going so many places and losing track of place, as well as time. He reflects on change and how our conciousness recognizes it. Like many travelers, he meets interesting people in often unlikely places. He led me to take a deeper look at the Dali Lama and to view Leonard Cohen in a different way. I'd forgotten that Cohen was not only an overrated writer/performer ("Suzanne" was one of the most covered songs of my adolescence and easily one of the most annoying), but also a self-indulgent, mindscrewing, misogynistic jerk. But he appears to have met his match in a Buddhist tecaher and a discipline that takes a deep focus on oneself to the point of getting beyond indulgent self-absorption. The Dali Lama comes across as a well-traveled soul--moving over time, as well as place and culture. Iyer understands the rootlessness, the quest for experience, and the losses that such a life imposes. For people who love adventure and appreciate the adversity of travel, it's a great book.
A Blend of 5-Star and 1-Star Selections.......2005-11-19
To say that my reactions to this book were "mixed" would be an understatement. The volume left me, at some points, half-decided to abort reading it altogether, but at others, deeply appreciative that I'd read it.
Pay more attention to the subtitle, "Flights into the Foreign" than to anything you might have read about Iyer being a travel writer in the spirit of the incomparable Jan Morris. That expectation will lead to a frustrated sense of false advertising. Iyer possesses some of Morris's gift for conveying a sense of place, and what it is like to be a stranger in a strange land, but only on occasion does Iyer choose to exercise it.
No, this book is about "flights into the foreign" in a more introspective sense, as in visiting unfamiliar states of mind. Sometimes, this occurs because Iyer has gone to an exotic land. At other times, because Iyer has interviewed someone with a unique perspective. At others, because he has read what he regards as interesting fiction. And at others, simply because Iyer finds himself somewhat out of sorts, for whatever reason.
The book gets off to a rocky start. Not only did I dislike the first two chapters (on Leonard Cohen and the Dalai Lama), I was offended by them. The chapter on Cohen is downright exasperating. It purports to be about someone who is trying to leave the mundane world behind and to find simpler, higher meaning. But in reality it's about Iyer's fascination with celebrity. The name-dropping is endless: Norman Mailer, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Joni Mitchell, Michelle Phillips. I really don't care that Leonard Cohen wasn't able to commit himself to a relationship with Rebecca de Mornay. The chapter is really all about the chic of being celebrated, but affecting not to care. It's a pose that is at least as old as Louis XIV's court, and doesn't impress any more in its modern guise.
The chapter on the Dalai Lama still engages some name-dropping, but tones it down a bit. Still, it's remarkably devoid of a sense of place. Iyer visits the Indian town in which the Dalai Lama lives, but manages to convey very little sense of the place.
On the other hand, there are magnificent selections in this book. "A Haunted House of Treasures," set in Cambodia, is almost worth the purchase price by itself. Granted, Cambodia is a can't-miss subject, as anyone who has been there can testify. But Cohen really conveys what is haunting about the place, the thing that gets into your soul and makes you determined to get back there. He captures the voices of the children, the contradictions in the cultural landscape, the crowing roosters amid the luxury hotel construction. After reading it, my first rreflex was to share it with my wife, so that she could understand the mark that my 1.5 days there left upon me.
But there are other outstanding pieces as well. "Nightwalking," Iyer's rumination on jetlag, is brilliant, and I've never read another travel piece quite like it. It seems a natural subject for travel literature, but in my reading only Iyer has really captured the out-of-body, out-of-normal-behavior sensation of the jetlagged traveler.
Two other outstanding pieces are "The Khareef" and the immediately following piece on La Paz, Bolivia.
This book is a mixed bag. Don't buy it if you are expecting a beautiful collection of travel pieces. Only buy it if you're willing to indulge Iyer's various fascinations, even when they turn superficial and tedious. If you dislike one piece, hang on: there may be a truly beautiful one around the corner.
Brilliant.......2004-10-22
I loved every page of this book.
I think people looking for a run-of-the-mill "travel memoir" will of course be disappointed. However, that isn't the kind of book this purports to be. It's typical Iyer... a little travel, a little philsophy, a little retrospection, a little self-indulgence. It will take you to various places you may never get to visit, remind you of places you have visited, and take you on a wonderful journey through your own thoughts and beliefs.
Book Description
THE POWERS OF NIGHT
Nocturnal Energies differ from those of Daylight and Witches have long known how to take advantage of Lunar Powers and the spiritual entities that prefer the darkness for particular magical operations.
This innovative book explores special techniques for working with the Night Powers and the subtle effects of dark symbols to:
Cast a Nocturnal Magick Circle Invoke the Dark Gods and Goddesses Skry the Night Open the Gates to the Underworld Cast Spells through the Dark Ether Explore the symbolic realm of shadow, illusion, and the mysteries of the Unknown
You will learn to find your Inner Quiet, Read Minds through the Ether, Dream for Change, Create and Use Thought Forms, Alter Reality through simple Spells and Rites, and use the powers of Magnetism and Suggestion. And you will Explore the Mysteries of Death and to Speak with the Dead.
The Dark balances the Light. Do not fear it but equally embrace it.
Customer Reviews:
GREAT book for beginners.......2007-10-08
this is a really good book for beginners teaches you how to make your own spell and all of the sorts.in the beginning he gives his own veiws on the dark side and allow anyone who's competent to understand it better...
A Gothic Silver RavenWolf.......2006-11-10
This book is a laugh and not much else. This guy is the uberpale, black-eyeliner-wearing, black-hair-dying version of Silver RavenWolf: cheesy, full of himself and completely useless.
Aside from that, the idea of nocturnal witchcraft is highly impractical. Yes, a lot of us are night people and work better at night. But this guy is practically suggesting a WORSHIP of the night, like some sort of Wiccan vampire or something.
Don't waste your money or time on this book. You have better things to do at night, like REAL witchcraft, or even sleep!
Enlightening.......2006-05-29
Although most people have a misconception of witchcraft, it is only because they hate and fear what they do not understand. This book explains everything very well, and is easy to relate to if you are more of a "night" person that feels more empowered by the night. I related to this book so well because he makes references about his life habits and interests that seemed to be similar to my own.
Pseudo-religionism.......2006-02-11
I knocked this book from someone that ordered it, but got to the store after me :-). I made the mistake to buy the book by the sound of its title. And author. I fell for it this time..... It is not the first Konstantinos text I buy and must say, this one helped me make up my mind. It seems highly obvious that the author is abusing the commercial value of the "black arts" to get to the spectrum of rebellious teenagers that would "sell their soul" just to make a statement at large. Well well, if that aren't following the routes of the christian church we so dire to critisize.... The practical aspects are not well thought through and I suspect, just as unknown to the author as to the guys that made the front page. Practise is either made as difficult as possible, or serves as an example of the inability of the author to explain some basic concepts. It does show that the author is jack of all trades, but master of none. I would advise readers that are seriously interested in the topic to acquire the texts of Frater U.D., which I find much more fascinating, as well as educational. I would therefore advise this text for any pseudo-black-art-wannabe with little interest in the occult.
Quality Work.......2005-08-31
with all the flower and crystal type new age books on the market claiming to "know" the truth about magick it is nice to see a book that takes a realistic look at an often misunderstood faith. now this is not to say that nocturnal magick is more or less than any other legitimate forms of goddess/god worship merely this book is a perfectly written overview of one aspect of the religion. Konstantinos is an excellent writer who manages to get into the history and logistical aspects of night time magick without it reading like a shopping list or sounding like a 101 course. a perfect book for those who wish to learn something not extracted from ignorant 30-second soundbytes on the evening news, a must read and highly recommended.
Book Description
In twelve chapters corresponding to the twelve hours of night, Christopher Dewdney illuminates night's central themes, including sunsets, nocturnal animals, bedtime stories, festivals of the night, fireworks, astronomy, nightclubs, sleep and dreams, the graveyard shift, the art of darkness, and endless nights. With infections curiosity, a lyrical, intimate tone, and an eye for nighttime beauties both natural and man-made, he paints a captivating portrait of our hours in darkness.
Customer Reviews:
Magic Journey from Dusk to Dawn.......2006-02-17
This highly unusual examination of the phases of night will ensure that never again will you be oblivious of them. The author begins with the three stages of twilight---civil twilight, nautical twilight, and astronomical twilight, and ends with first light, the beginning of dawn.
In between he takes you through all the phases humans have assigned to the hours: dinner hour, children's bedtime, fireworks festivals, ghost- walking hours. Then there are the natural ones, such as the hour the nocturnal animals come out, stages of sleep, the best times for astronomical observations.
He does this in a poetic and engaging way, for this is no dry recitation of facts. Each hour has its own delights, and he exults in celebrating them and saluting them.
My only caveat is that his 'hours' are based on a northern European/American rhythm of the day. For them, "It is 11 pm and a great many people are asleep"---but in Spain they are just sitting down to dinner! It helps to remember the great variety of human behaviors in just about everything.
Read this book and fall in love with night!
Not a favourite.......2006-01-29
Last night I "finished"
Acquainted with the Night: Excursions through the world after dark by Christopher Dewdney. I invoke the double quotation marks because I skimmed an awful lot of this book. That said, it did contain a great number of very interesting passages; I was greatly interested in the nocturnal animals, the stages of sleep, some of the astronomy etc. Much of the book is taken up by two-plus pages of waxing lyrical, that borders on purple, about the upcoming topic at the start of every chapter, and some of the most interesting fodder is reduced to what amounts to the listing of facts with little exposition. In these cases, we are being told many things we really already new. The section on mythology and others read like filler, and had a tenuous link to the topic at best anyway. Another problem was that the author intruded a little too much with very subjective (and, one might argue, ill thought out) comments. e.g. on the subject of famous insomniacs, the author comments on Marilyn Monroe:
Her pharmeceutical toolkit included Sulfathallidine, Librium, and the phenobarbital Nembutal. In the last year of her life it was thought she was taking up to twenty Nembutals a day. Although some acquaintances thought her death was suicide, the consensus was that it was brought about by an accidental overdose in combination with alcohol. In a sense, insomnia killed Marilyn Monroe.
I guess, in the sense that a guy with an itchy nose decides to scratch it with a chainsaw - you could say an itch killed the man. Hyperbole becomes nobody, least of all a non-fiction writer.
There are strange comments like this throughout the book. I'd say if you're interested in one area in particular, find a book on those subjects instead of this jack of all trades that barely gives enough time to any of the issues.
Enjoyable but..........2005-03-28
Ok, I did like this book. There were times, many times however, I wished it would drop the poetics and pick up the pace. There are many interesting FACTS in this book sprinkled through philosophy and poetics. Some of the potics just aren't that interesting to me. I'd say buy the paperback. It's a good decent book but not library worthy...read it and pass it on.
Chris
Gorgeous writing; inelligent and full of poetry........2004-06-20
As a night owl and poetry-lover, I was intrigued by the title alone. Dewdney's writing is gorgeous: at turns it's funny, poignant, and illuminating. It's easy to tell the writer is a poet. At the same time, it's full of fascinating trivia and pieces of knowledge, covering history, physics, literature, astronomy, psychology, and philosophy.
Amazon.com
A race of aliens once lived on the future Earth colony called Harmony, leaving behind them the ruins of a vast, beautiful, and mysterious culture that is still protected by the psychic illusion traps and eerie ghosts that they created. Lydia Smith is an archaeologist who can resonate and dissolve the illusions, and those talents, combined with her lack of finances and questionable professional reputation, make her the obvious hire for Emmett London, who is trying to track down a lost antique and the nephew who stole it. Lydia's first consulting job quickly turns dangerous, however, as corpses, ghosts, and illusion traps start popping up--not to mention the rather unprofessional electricity between her and her first client.
In After Dark, author Jayne Ann Krentz, writing as Jayne Castle, describes a world that delightfully intertwines futuristic ideas like green-glowing marble, psychic amber, and six-legged pets with earthly characters like penny-pinching bosses, absentee landlords, and mafia wives trying to turn into high-society dames. The writing can feel a bit clunky: "The paranormal ability to resonate with amber and use it to focus psychic energy had begun to appear in the human population shortly after the colonists came through the curtain to settle the planet of Harmony," and the final chapters suffer from a similar lack of finesse in the tying up of loose ends, but Krentz's world is fantastical and fascinating, one that will keep you reading and your imagination soaring.--Nancy R.E. O'Brien
Customer Reviews:
A good read.......2007-04-13
I've had this book a number of years and I often find myself re-reading it and enjoying it each time. It's a standalone book that works well on its own although there is a follow up, After Glow, which follows the same hero and heroine and is also great fun.
I believe this was the first of Jayne Castle/Jayne Ann Krentz/Amanda Quick's paranormal romances and when initially published it didn't do very well; however, after the market for these novels grew it became more popular and, I think, deservedly so.
Jayne Castle's strengths aren't particularly in fantasy worldbuilding (her worlds always seem to be pretty much like Earth but with one or two differences, rather than a more thought-provoking option). In this book, set on the planet of Harmony which has been stranded on its own since The Curtain, a kind of wormhole to Earth, closed, the people have spent 200 years living isolated and have discovered some strange abilities in some of them. It appears that everyone has a certain level of psychic ability - probably not psychic as we think of the word, but in fact an ability to operate some machinery, unlock doors etc with a burst of energy focused through amber. However, some people have far higher levels of this energy which goes in two directions - some become 'Ghost Hunters' and are able to manipulate the clouds of energy and use them as weapons or to dissolve them when they are found, and others become 'trap tanglers' who are able to dissolve the strange traps of psychic energy in the underground catacombs that can knock the unwary out, sometimes permanents. Ghost Hunters and Trap Tanglers have a kind of symbiotic working relationship but they also experience a lot of antagonism and professional jealousy.
Our heroine is Lydia Smith, a Trap Tangler who has lost her job since a bad experience six months ago (known as her 'Lost Weekend') when she was found in the catacombs after being caught in an illusion trap; most people think that she's lost the plot and is likely to have a breakdown. She's hired by Emmett London, a man who turns out to be a Ghost Hunter, to look for a family heirloom which has gone missing. Unfortunately in searching for the heirloom they find themselves stumbling over bodies and realise there's a lot more to the case than initially thought.
Jayne Castle writes the relationship between Emmett and Lydia very well. Their hunter/tangler disagreements are fun as we see the prejudice that they both hold against the other - and yet at the same time they are attracted to each other. However the romance is definitely a lesser part of the book than the plot and the plot is a good one - it's an interesting tale with twists and turns and some great side characters. There are flaws in this book, of course, including one or two unlikely plot areas, but it's still an enjoyable read. The sequel, "After Glow", looks more into Lydia's Lost Weekend and is equally good.
A good read.......2007-04-13
I've had this book a number of years and I often find myself re-reading it and enjoying it each time. It's a standalone book that works well on its own although there is a follow up, After Glow, which follows the same hero and heroine and is also great fun.
I believe this was the first of Jayne Castle/Jayne Ann Krentz/Amanda Quick's paranormal romances and when initially published it didn't do very well; however, after the market for these novels grew it became more popular and, I think, deservedly so.
Jayne Castle's strengths aren't particularly in fantasy worldbuilding (her worlds always seem to be pretty much like Earth but with one or two differences, rather than a more thought-provoking option). In this book, set on the planet of Harmony which has been stranded on its own since The Curtain, a kind of wormhole to Earth, closed, the people have spent 200 years living isolated and have discovered some strange abilities in some of them. It appears that everyone has a certain level of psychic ability - probably not psychic as we think of the word, but in fact an ability to operate some machinery, unlock doors etc with a burst of energy focused through amber. However, some people have far higher levels of this energy which goes in two directions - some become 'Ghost Hunters' and are able to manipulate the clouds of energy and use them as weapons or to dissolve them when they are found, and others become 'trap tanglers' who are able to dissolve the strange traps of psychic energy in the underground catacombs that can knock the unwary out, sometimes permanents. Ghost Hunters and Trap Tanglers have a kind of symbiotic working relationship but they also experience a lot of antagonism and professional jealousy.
Our heroine is Lydia Smith, a Trap Tangler who has lost her job since a bad experience six months ago (known as her 'Lost Weekend') when she was found in the catacombs after being caught in an illusion trap; most people think that she's lost the plot and is likely to have a breakdown. She's hired by Emmett London, a man who turns out to be a Ghost Hunter, to look for a family heirloom which has gone missing. Unfortunately in searching for the heirloom they find themselves stumbling over bodies and realise there's a lot more to the case than initially thought.
Jayne Castle writes the relationship between Emmett and Lydia very well. Their hunter/tangler disagreements are fun as we see the prejudice that they both hold against the other - and yet at the same time they are attracted to each other. However the romance is definitely a lesser part of the book than the plot and the plot is a good one - it's an interesting tale with twists and turns and some great side characters. There are flaws in this book, of course, including one or two unlikely plot areas, but it's still an enjoyable read. The sequel, "After Glow", looks more into Lydia's Lost Weekend and is equally good.
Another would-be fantasy that's not, really.......2006-05-11
This is another love fluke set in a sci-fi enviroment for the sake of thrill. It would've been better, maybe, if it would've kept to the normal decor...
Humans colonized an alien leftover planet, then were cut off from earth. They managed to survive and develop a sixth sense.
Most of them are ghost-hunters or "tanglers", able to spring psychic traps left in the alien ruins.
Lydia Smith is a tangler who has to find an ancient heirloom of Emmet London's. She's ready for a love affair and he's the right guy , in the right place. Love affair unfolds. Some things happen. Emmet is searching for a missing nephew. Lydia stumbles upon him. Then everything ends happily.
Stupid book, stupid plot.
Not recommended.
Go Dust Bunnies.......2006-02-18
This was a great book and I love the next one After Glow just as much. I couldnt put the book down and stayed up all night reading it. One of the main characters has a dust bunny as a pet (Fuzz) and he rocks.One thing they remember from old Earth is plastic pumpkins, they go all out for that holiday, there is a good giggle behind that idea. All in all it was a great book with wonderful dialoge and characters. Defintly a buy and read agian book, I would also read After Glow, this is the book right after After Dark.
Delightful futuristic romance!.......2005-09-10
Welcome to the world of harmony. Our heroine, Lydia, is a para archaeologist. She doesn't care much for the sexy, macho ghosthunters who are needed for excavations underground. Our hero, Emmet, isn't just one of JAKs usual alpha males, he is also a powerful ghost hunter. Need I say more than that this is a HOT romance? While the mystery (murder, stolen artefact etc)and basic romance is typical JAK formula, the world of Harmony is wonderfully original and the caracters truly come alive. You don't just read this book, you experience it!
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