Average customer rating:
- Fantastic!
- OMGOSH! Amazing!
- She is getting better and better
- For a Few Demons More
- Highly Recomended
|
For a Few Demons More (Rachel Morgan, Book 5)
Kim Harrison
Manufacturer: Eos
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 United States | Horror | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0060788380
Release Date: 2007-03-20 |
Amazon.com
With her action-packed Hollows series, featuring former bounty hunter--and mistress of the dark arts--Rachel Morgan, Kim Harrison has become one of the hottest authors in the incredibly popular genre of sexy supernaturalism. In her latest Hollows tale, For a Few Dollars More, Rachel unleashes all kinds of undead fury on the greater Cincinnati area when she tries to track down a serial killer. To catch up on the Hollows series so far, and to see the music that has inspired the stories, see below.
Follow the Hollows
Dead Witch Walking (Book 1) |
The Good, the Bad, and the Undead (Book 2) |
Every Which Way but Dead (Book 3) |
A Fistful of Charms (Book 4) |
Music Is the Muse
For Kim Harrison, music inspires her stories, and especially her characters. In her exclusive Music Is the Muse list for us, she reveals some favorite records that have provided the source, and the soul, for Rachel, Ivy, Trent, and more of her passionate and powerful characters. Among her muses:
Bleed Like Me, Garbage |
With Teeth, Nine Inch Nails |
Fallen, Evanescence |
Book Description
Despite dating one vampire and living with another, Rachel Morgan has always managed to stay just ahead of trouble . . . until now.
A fiendish serial killer stalks the Hollows, claiming victims across society, and the resulting terror ignites a vicious Inderland gang war. And while the ancient artifact Rachel is hiding may be the key to stopping the murderer, revealing it could also create a battle to the death among the numerous supernatural races that live in and around Cincinnati.
For every action has its price, and when the vampire master Piscary is set free and the demonic Algaliarept dares to walk openly under the sun, even Rachel Morgan can't hide forever.
Customer Reviews:
Fantastic!.......2007-10-02
I love this series immensely. The characters are believable and fun. Kim Harrison knows how to write a story. I've love all of her previous books and this one is no different. The plot is intense. It's the kind of book you can't put down. I love how Rachel is portrayed. I look foward to the next ones!
OMGOSH! Amazing!.......2007-09-17
Everytime I think a book cant get any better i get shocked and this book was awesome!! I love Rachel although im a HUGE fan of IVEY! she rocks. I love how this book plays out i think its the best in the series so far!
She is getting better and better.......2007-09-17
Ms Harrison is getting better with each installation. Can't wait for her next book!. The addition of a "few more demons" was brilliant and diversified the storyline nicely.
For a Few Demons More.......2007-09-05
This entire series rocks!!! Pick them up and you can't put them down. The cast of characters are memorable and believable. I had given up on urban fantasy, Laurel K Hamilton will do that to you. (that's called fair warning folks)
However Kim Harrison saved the day. I have all the Rachel Morgan books and have my calender marked as to when I can get the next one coming out. The plots MOVE.. and in unexpected ways at times. While relationships are there, Ms. Harrison doesn't let it become the whole story (thank the goddess for that!)
This books are a must read for all urban fantasy fans!!
Highly Recomended.......2007-08-23
I think this book is the best in the series so far. It seems like Kim Harrison books just get better and better. I love this series and I'm waiting feverishly for the next one. If the rest of the books in her series are any indication, then the next book will be even better than this one. I really liked this book because of the brilliant mix of humor, horror, fantasy, and characters that are so well described I feel like I know them. I've never read an author who could shock me, scare me, then make me laugh out loud so many times in the same book. Trust me, this one is worth several all-nighters.
Amazon.com
Carl Sagan muses on the current state of scientific thought, which offers him marvelous opportunities to entertain us with his own childhood experiences, the newspaper morgues, UFO stories, and the assorted flotsam and jetsam of pseudoscience. Along the way he debunks alien abduction, faith-healing, and channeling; refutes the arguments that science destroys spirituality, and provides a "baloney detection kit" for thinking through political, social, religious, and other issues.
Book Description
"A glorious book . . . A spirited defense of science . . . From the first page to the last, this book is a manifesto for clear thought."
*Los Angeles Times
"POWERFUL . . . A stirring defense of informed rationality. . . Rich in surprising information and beautiful writing."
*The Washington Post Book World
How can we make intelligent decisions about our increasingly technology-driven lives if we don't understand the difference between the myths of pseudoscience and the testable hypotheses of science? Pulitzer Prize-winning author and distinguished astronomer Carl Sagan argues that scientific thinking is critical not only to the pursuit of truth but to the very well-being of our democratic institutions.
Casting a wide net through history and culture, Sagan examines and authoritatively debunks such celebrated fallacies of the past as witchcraft, faith healing, demons, and UFOs. And yet, disturbingly, in today's so-called information age, pseudoscience is burgeoning with stories of alien abduction, channeling past lives, and communal hallucinations commanding growing attention and respect. As Sagan demonstrates with lucid eloquence, the siren song of unreason is not just a cultural wrong turn but a dangerous plunge into darkness that threatens our most basic freedoms.
"COMPELLING."
*USA Today
"A clear vision of what good science means and why it makes a difference. . . . A testimonial to the power of science and a warning of the dangers of unrestrained credulity."
*The Sciences
"PASSIONATE."
*San Francisco Examiner-Chronicle
Customer Reviews:
The Demon-Haunted World.......2007-09-29
Excellent book. Carl Sagan gives an analysis of how our lives are effected by many legends and superstitions in a respectful and considerate way.
All you need to know about critical thinking.......2007-09-20
Unfortunately, this book is often considered a science book or about the scientific method. The subtitle is "Science as a Candle in the Dark." That was an unfortunate choice because, with the exception of one chapter (I won't say which)it is much farther reaching than that.
It is about how we know what we know and how and why that frequently is incorrect. It considers why we are so un-critical in our acceptance of authoritarian statements from any source - scientific, social, business or political. The book is worth it just for the description and discussion of the "Baloney Detection Kit."
Though Sagan was by training a scientist, his knowledge of history and culture makes this (as well as most of his books) a compelling, enlightening and enjoyable read.
The case for a sensible worldview.......2007-09-18
As the 20th century's greatest voice for the popularization of science and rationality, Carl Sagan performed a noble public service. In this age of nearly instant communication and information overload, we each need to develop a quick and reliable method for sorting good information from interesting but bogus anecdotes. Sagan's "baloney detection kit" offers us that very tool for avoiding credulity.
As our society becomes ever more dependent on complex technology, it seems that an ever shrinking proportion of the population has a grasp on how that technology functions or what consequences its failure might give rise to. There seems to be a widespread desire by many individuals to divorce themselves from understanding in favor of immersing themselves in comfortable fantasy. Sagan argues that such a turning away from rationality and reason could usher in a new dark age.
For those who have an interest in seeing our society continue to progress, this book is somewhat of an eye-opener. The current increase in interest in the supernatural is precisely what Sagan was warning about. His writing style is personal and narrative, with many examples from his own life. The book is an easy and engaging read that holds your interest.
Highly recommended.
Excellent book...........2007-09-06
This is a fabulous book. Sagan does a wonderful job of promoting the field of science to non-scientists.
I wonder how many young - or open minded - people have been pulled into science fields after reading it?
My highest recommendation.......2007-09-05
This book can be the antidote to so much nonsense that fills the heads of well-meaning people everywhere. Sagan makes a convincing case for reason and skepticism.
If you remember just one thing, remember that extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.
Book Description
For as long as she can remember, Natalya has fought demons. Whether Carpathian or vampire, she slays those who murder by night, and has no equal--until she is seduced by the very thing she is supposed to be fighting.
Download Description
Christine Feehan has worked magic on a legion of fans with her darkly thrilling Carpathian tales. Now she delivers the provocative story of a female vampire slayer who proves as seductive-and mysterious-as the night dwellers she stalks... For as long as she can remember, Natalya has been fighting demons: first in the form of childhood nightmares, then later, immortal creatures that kill and prey on the innocent-including her own twin brother. Whether Carpathian or vampire, she slays those who murder by night, and has no equal-until she is seduced by the very thing she considers her enemy... A Carpathian who has seen nearly everything in his endless existence, Vikirnoff doesn't think he can be surprised anymore-until he faces a woman who rivals him as a vampire hunter. A formidable and gifted warrior in her own right, Natalya has a nature that is strangely familiar-yet alien-to his own. Who is this mysterious female who fears no one-not even him? Natalya could be the key to the survival of the Carpathians, but all Vikirnoff is certain of is that she is the key to his heart and soul...
Customer Reviews:
Oversized, overpriced, overdone.......2007-09-17
First, before getting to the story line. I found the new format for this paperback very uncomfortable to hold and read, the extra weight hurt my hands after 3 chapters. As for the price? I really think that this type of format was created to increase the book prices. Was double spacing and extra weight of book worth it? NO!
As for the story line, I have enjoyed the Dark books, but have found the the whole "You are the light to my Dark" thing getting a bit boring; especially when it's repeated more than several times through out the book. How many times does the man have to say it? It seems in some of Ms Feehan's books that it said almost every chapter! ENOUGH ALREADY!
I would like to see what happens to the Carpathian race, but will wait for book to show up in my local library.
"CARPATHIANS TAKE ME AWAY !!".......2007-09-11
First of all....I LOVE THE "CARPATHIAN DARK SERIES" !! I haven't read in a few years and these books by Christine Feehan blew me away. A co-worker gave me the Dark Series to read and need I say more.....I'M HOOKED!! I love a book I can crawl inside of and not put down. These books deliver just that. I've read almost all her Carpathian Series and just purchased, Dark Possession and Dark Celebration. I can't wait to start reading them.
I looked up the "Carpathian Mountains" on the internet and it gave some beautiful pic's and information of the area. NOW, my reading is alittle more vivid with this senery in mind..breath taking.
WOW.......2007-09-03
I read this novel first although it is in the middle of an excellent series. Feehan's Dark Carpathian novels seem to be almost stand alone novels. I read this and did not feel I was missing any relevant character information that might be found in previous novels. I was very impressed with the world that Feehan created for her characters. I was also imoressed and intrigued by her vision of vampires and their creation.
I am not one for romance novel. I prefer fantasy but the storyline overshadows the romance part of the novel. I found this series to be worth the trip off my normal beaten path. I am now on the third novel in the series.
I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoys vampire novels.
#13 in the Carpathian Series.......2007-08-14
This book brings back memories for me!
This was one of the first books I read when I left westerns (yes I've read every single Louis Lamour book and no I haven't reviewed them, so don't shoot me down about it--you know who you are).
I picked this up at...um....a store....LOL and LIKED IT.
Back when I read romance, this was not even a thought (vampires, I mean). LOL Does that date me?
LOL
This was Natalya and Virnoff's story. After reading this, then getting the rest and reading them in order, I saw a few things, i.e., they stay in the same hotel room as Raven did in Book #1 (remember the claw marks on the bannister???).
Stuff like that.
Wonderful book. Inspired me to read the rest!
Maybe the rest of the series is better..........2007-08-01
This was the first book I've read of the Carpathian novels; from all the hype about this series, I assume the other books must be better. Ok, I admit, there were some parts of the book which were actually decent. Natalya's sense of humor was funny sometimes, and Christine Feehan has created an incredibly complex world with potentially intriguing characters.
Unfortunately, they didn't live up to their potential. Natalya, the 'tough girl,' talks a lot about how strong she is and spends most of her time being frightened, depressed, and/or panic-stricken. Meanwhile, Vikirnof, who's known her for all of a few days, continually tries to impress Natalya's hardiness on the readers by protesting that he has never seen her this way; despite the fact that he HAS, just a few pages before hand. Even the romantic moments between the two got repetative; not much of a surprise after the first twenty pages or so of Feehan rewriting the intimate moments with same phrases and gestures over and over again. And I don't think romance could get much cornier than "She could have lit up the entire cavern with her high wattage smile." Enough said.
Even with all that, the plot was almost enjoyable. The bad guys were frightening and dangerous, there were a few interesting twists. Still not enough to make this a good book, but it helped.
Average customer rating:
- Spy for royalty
- Light, fluffy, but great fun!
- Female audience
- best rerelease!!!
- Amazing!
|
When Demons Walk
Patricia Briggs
Manufacturer: Ace
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0441005349 |
Book Description
Revisit the early career of the popular, bestselling author.
After escaping from a life of slavery in Darran, Rialla plans revenge against her former masters--only to be chosen to protect a Darran lord planning to outlaw slavery.
Download Description
Escaping from a life of slavery in Darran to the mercenary nation of Sianim, young Rialla plots revenge on her former masters and is chosen by a spymaster to protect a Darran lord who hopes to outlaw slavery.
Customer Reviews:
Spy for royalty.......2006-11-03
This is an atypical fantasy novel of spys. The heroine is working for what is technically the enemy. Shamera is a native of Southwood who is asked to spy for the occupational force. Or one faction of it. The current leader of Southwood (Lord Kerrim) is doing his best to improve the conditions for everyone, native and occupier. However, the court in general does not seem to like this idea. There are plenty of options as to who is cursing - and killing - Lord Kerrim. Of course, first Shamera must figure out there is a curse at all.
As with all of the authors books (so far) the emphasis is firmly on character, and the character drives the plot, rather than the other way around. You can watch additudes change and mutate, and conclusions are reached in a seemingly logical fashion.
The world is built from the inside out, so that if you accept the mundane, it is easy then to accept the fantastic, as it ties into what is known.
Reccomended for anyone serching for a little escapism.
Light, fluffy, but great fun!.......2006-09-22
Evil lurks in the halls of the castle, and the Reeve is finally convinced to seek someone with magical powers to find it. Sham turns out to be more then what the Reeve bargins for - masquerading as his mistress, she battles the creature (and the Reeve's mother, who seems infinitely more frightening).
Usually, I dislike overt romance in my sci-fi/fantasy, but Patricia Briggs does an excellent job with this book, making it fun, and interesting, but doesn't read like a bad Harlequin novel set in a fantasy setting.
Definitely "girly" fantasy, but guys with a hidden streak of romance in them, will fall in love with Sham as well.
Female audience.......2006-04-21
Hm, I'm a bit embarrassed. I mean here we have a book which is basically a romance, mixed with some mystery elements and set in a fantasy landscape (you can't get much lighter) and yet I liked it. I liked it so much, I gave it four stars.
The heroine is flashy and sassy, the hero well muscled and and has the famous soft spot under a crusty exterior. Their dialogues are fast paced and witty, the plot flows along nicely and never drags. The world (same as in STEAL THE DRAGON) could have had some potential if it hadn't been neglected so badly (Sham and Kerim need some place to hold their witty dialogues after all). Fortunatelly the novel was revised before being republished in Aug 05, causing a definite improvement of style and story line.
Cliche works, this novel stands prove.
best rerelease!!!.......2006-03-22
Waited forever for this book to be rereleased and oh boy was it worth the wait!
Sham is a great combination of tomboy and femme fatale when she wants to be, and her sarcastic mouth just sweetens the deal.
I think what I like the best is the possibilities inherent in the ending. We don't know exactly what will happen but there is hope for the future.
Wonderful read. Can't wait for more books by the author!
Amazing!.......2006-02-23
I love Patricia Briggs. She writes short -but vastly entertaining - reads...It is a refreshing change to see strong female leads in fantasy novels. Briggs also has a natural gift for adding just the right amounts of humor and suspense to her tales. The plot here is simple, yet engrossing. A demon has infiltrated the royal residence, and the Reeve hires a young female thief, Sham, to pose as his mistress, in order for her to investigate the strange happenings. There are plenty of twists and turns, and it culminates in a terrific book.
I am so glad that publishers have woken-up and decided to re-print her earlier works like Masques, and Steal the Dragon, as they, like When Demons Walk, are both masterpieces.
Thank you Mrs. Briggs
Relic113
Book Description
A surprising assessment of the failures and successes of modern Japan.
In Dogs and Demons, Alex Kerr chronicles the many facets of Japan's recent, and chronic, crises -- from the failure of its banks and pension funds to the decline of its once magnificent modern cinema. He is the first to give a full report on the nation's endangered environment -- its seashores lined with concrete, its roads leading to nowhere in the mountains -- as well as its "monument frenzy," the destruction of old cities such as Kyoto and construction of drab new ones, and the attendant collapse of its tourist industry. Kerr writes with humor and passion, for "passion," he says, "is part of the story. Millions of Japanese feel as heartbroken at what is going on as I do. My Japanese friends tell me, 'Please write this -- for us.'"
Customer Reviews:
The Anti-Lafcadio Hearn.......2007-10-04
Alex Kerr has enjoyed a reputation and a lifestyle, apparently subsidised by the same conglomerates he criticizes, as a Japanophile interpreter. At his best, he's an informed commentator -- positioned as an insider/outsider -- evaluating the dissolution of the past in the name of progress. At his most shrll, and it happens kind of often to be honest, he comes across a Mr Jeckyl/Hyde who either lauds Japan as the temple of art, or bashes it to prove to us he's equally competent as the Devil's Advocate. . . he's seen the nitty gritty, and will give us a tabloid version of Japan's social ills. In short, he'll give a tour of the darkside.
Please don't get me totally wrong. I applaud Kerr's Tanazaki-esque praise of shadows, his environmental activism, and his defense of folk traditions, customs, and habits. I think far, far too often in academic writing, such sentiments are simply dismissed as errant nostalgia, part of the 'furosato' industry of consumerist romance. They argue that Kerr is dreaming up a Japan that never existed, and by doing so is playing into the hands of those market forces which create and erase depending tappable values for dreaminess. In short, by asserting a 'local' and 'historical', Kerr is actually saying more about the urban and the purchasable. Nostalgia has nothing to do with the past, but exploitable psychosis in the present as profit.
Anyway, I don't buy that at all. I think Kerr is an aesthete, a knowledgable lover of craft and heritage, and *that is not a crime*. Sentiment, as a defence of beauty and nature, now more than ever needs to be recognized as a legitimate way of encountering the world. It is far too easy to simply dismiss Kerr as sleepy eyed Urashimataro, eyes still moist from the watery kingdom, lamenting a fantasy confused with reality. No, Kerr is engaged with serious geopolitical issues. And Kerr deserves much praise for using environmental rhetoric to locate and appreciate real historical sites which are currently under erasure. And, much like Tanizaki, he uses architecture for his metaphor of society, traditional, and belongingess. And for that matter Lafcadio Hearn, although his output is diverse and questionable, nonetheless functioned in a role not altogether different from Kerr. When societies organise themselve for the global market bottom line, what margins and artefacts pay the price?
There is, however, a certain bravado in asserting oneself as the guardian of How Things Should Be. Kerr is far from honest about those national forces that have allowed him to enjoy the opportunity to write invectives. The all out pursuit of darksiding Japan may seem like a helpful antidote to the prevalence of idealism out there. Theese 300 pages range from serious environmental issues and social greed, to just simply everyday moaning about bad TV. Such moments do have a whiff of elitism: why cannot Japan share Kerr's abilities to preserve the True Ideals of Japan. And so, too oftenm Kerr almost seems to be endorsing a rather paradigmatic view of Japanese culture, frozen in space and time. Good little girls in wooden sandals and sailor dresses take o-nigiri to hardworking moms, who sweep sad-looking tatami with antique brooms. Is Kerr really longing for this supposedly lost Japan? Does he really mean to sound like this? You see -- I don't totally know. Like the very disagreeable book "Mishima's Sword" (Christopher Ross), Kerr tosses off so many platitudes, so speedily, it's difficult to see what his alternative version to the present really is. I hope he's not preaching a pre-industrial feudalism.
So where the book falls for me though, and this is not an empirical quibble, is Kerr's obvious adoration for his own prophet like position. I just couldn't shake the feeling I was in conversation with a person who had a messianic sense of his own opinions. What should have been a level, analytical book about real geopolitical issues, with real observable effects, too often turned into Essays of Idleness . . . for example, Kerr's rant about noise pollution on subways, while perhaps annoying upon first encounter, are hardly indicative of a society that's part nanny, and also part schoolgirl. Too often Kerr slips into the deep end of the polemic, and ends up serving up a Japanifesto that buries rather than praises. In short, this book seemed more about Kerr, and his esteemed View on Japan, rather than an analysis of a complex society in a period of intense transition. For some reason Japan, more than Korea or China, attracts this kind of self-consciously lyrical posturing.
Definitely worth looking at -- but you'll find yourself skimming more than digesting. I suspect a large part of Kerr's audience will be the disposed EFL teachers, pumped and dumped by JET programmes, who have returned home with their dreams of tea ceremonies and ninjas sadly jaded. I know that sounds harsh, but Kerr does seem to be appealing to the failed romantics out there.
And as a final aside: Abe Shinzo loved Kerr's other book, "Lost Japan", which further makes me worry to what extent one man's manifesto is another's nihonjinron nativism.
Awefully dated.......2007-05-12
In the year 2000, when America was riding high and Japan had reached a new low, this book may have had relevance. I am currently majoring in East Asian Studies, and work very hard. I have read Marius B. Jansen's Making of Modern Japan (Harvard University) among others, so I know a good book when I read it.
This is not it. The criticisms here seem very foolish, rascist, and misplaced. Kerr does nothing to refute challanges to his ideas. For example, he complains that Japan overspends on construction. Could it not be said that America overspends on the military. Now, don't get me wrong I love the United States, but the fact is that each country is unique and has its own sets of strengths and weaknesses.
In summary, Kerr is not a genious for simply attacking a country and culture over and over again. No nation is perfect, and this book is rooted in 'holier than thou' mentality which has perpetuated imperialism and war for centuries.
PLEASE DO NOT READ! I reccomend John Dower's "Embracing Defeat" or maybe "Saving the Sun" if you want to know about corperate Japan.
Great read and very educational.......2007-03-10
I am a long time resident in Japan (over 19 years), and have always wondered about the true workings of what goes on in the government and beurocracy here. This book completely opened my eyes to the growing problems here. The Japanese continuously talk about environmentalism while paving over every single bit of nature in urban areas or filling in ocean front. It is a true situation of tatemae and honne. With the true feelings that nature is not what nature made of it, but what "we" made of it.
After reading this book I began to ask some of my Japanese friends about some of the subjects. What I found most freightening is that 100% knew about every topic I brought up, from suginoki to Dams, to Tetora, to landfills, and they all agreed that these were not only bad for the environment, but bad for the economy as well.
I also started to study some other practices like amakudari. I had no idea how endemic and system wide it has become. This is actually one amazing area that every Japanese person I have talked to didn't give me the same answer.
An important book to read........2006-11-29
This is one of the few books that take a look at Japan's dark@side. The book starts out very strong. However, it does start to weaken near the end. I felt what he wrote about the school system was a little dated and understated. Although, he did write that a whole book could be written about the problems of the schools. He is right. I have worked many years in the Japanese school system.
He goes those many facets of Japan. He points out what people would over look. I have personally experienced and witnessed a lot of what he describes in this book.
I read many books on Japan before I moved here. Japan seemed like a wonderland. The other books paint a picture of Japan being so much better than everywhere else. If you stay a week or two in a hotel in Tokyo you will have the wonderland feeling. I move here and the dream quickly vanished. Almost everything I read (in other books) was dated, residual or just not really true. If you read this book and another book, you will get a good balance.
I gave this book 5 stars because it is one of the first of its kind. It is not perfect. He does get a little personal and opinionated, that is the good part. This is a man who was and still is passionate about Japan. It breaks his heart how Japan is eating itself alive.
If you wanted a full story on Japan, you should get the book with another book on Japan (a positive book). If you are a "fan boy", you should get this book.
Been here, seen it, lived in it....leaving.......2006-07-31
Alex Kerr's book is excellent. I have lived in Japan for 16 years and am leaving now. I have asked many of the same questions he asks and heard many of the same responses. Many well-educated or well-traveled Japanese know that their government in out of control in the hands of anonymous bureaucrats.
I was particularly pleased to see his discussion of education. Having been a displaced college professor and having participated in "Mombusho" (Education Ministry) panels on English education I have seen the guts of what he describes.
His chronicle of environmental devastation at the hands of the Construction Ministry was infuriatingly accurate. Most of my personal "discoveries of natural Japan" that I experienced after just arriving in 1989 and 1990 are gone or obliterated.
Mr. Kerr spoke with a real love of Japan, the Japanese people and culture while describing and cataloguing numerous betrayals and criminal acts by a corrupt bureaucracy on autopilot.
It is the truth. It is emotional. It is a powerful book for those who have born witness to the decline of Japan. For those reviewing and saying that the author is racist or misguided and that Japan is the miracle country the US should try to be... I would highly reccommend living here for 10 years. After about 5 years the veil begins to lift and as your Japanese improves you begin to realize that there are many deep currents running beneath the surface.
Read Karl Van Wolleran's "The Enigma of Japanese Power" also.
I highly reccommend this book.
I pray that the Japanese people will find a way out from under the sway of the unelected, unsupervised bureaucrats many of whom were my students.
I actually taught a MITI guy who participated in the drafting of the "Japanese snow" ruling/incident briefly mentioned by Kerr. MITI, under pressure from Japanese ski equipment manufacturers, actually issued a restriction on the import of Rossignol ski equipment citing the danger to Japanese skiers of using equipment not designed for Japanese snow. My student claimed he objected to the whole thing but that his supervisor was desperately hoping to retire into the ski resort association....Needless to say when the French trade minister pointed out that it might be dangerous for French consumers to drive cars not designed for French asphalt the Japanese bureaucrats relented...immediately. Typical. Like George Bush coming to Tokyo demanding the opening of the Japanese rice market only to travel four days later to Australia to derisive crys of "open the US beef market" from Aussie beef growers.
Average customer rating:
- From Movie to Book
- Just amazing!
- Unfortunately, the movie was better
- I Can't Get Enough of the Vampire Hunter D Novles! :)
- charming
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Vampire Hunter D Volume 3: Demon Deathchase (Vampire Hunter D)
Hideyuki Kikuchi , and
Yoshitaka Amano
Manufacturer: Dark Horse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Vampire Hunter D Volume 2: Raiser of Gales
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Vampire Hunter D Volume 1 (Vampire Hunter D)
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Vampire Hunter D Volume 5: The Stuff Of Dreams (Vampire Hunter D)
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Vampire Hunter D Volume 6: Pilgrimage of the Sacred (Vampire Hunter D)
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Vampire Hunter D Volume 7: Mysterious Journey to the North Sea, Part One (Vampire Hunter D)
ASIN: 1595820310 |
Book Description
The third volume of the popular Japanese series comes to America in Vampire Hunter D: Demon Deathchase. The vampire hunter known only as D has been hired by a wealthy, dying man to find his daughter, who was kidnapped by the powerful vampire Lord Meierlink. Though humans speak well of Meierlink, the price on his head is too high for D to ignore and he sets out to save her before she can be turned into an undead creature of the night. In the nightmare world of 12090 A.D., finding Meierlink before he reaches the spaceport in the Clayborn States and gets off the planet will be hard enough, but D has more than just Meierlink to worry about. The dying man is taking no chances, and has also enlisted the Marcus family, a renegade clan of four brothers and a sister who don't care who they kill as long as they get paid. Beautiful illustrations by Yoshitaka Amano complement the post-apocalyptic plot, filled with chilling twists. Co-Published with Digital Manga Publishing.
Customer Reviews:
From Movie to Book.......2007-06-12
I first watched Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust before picking up this novel, and I am glad I did because it makes me respect this book even more! At first I thought it was going to be a hard read after reading some reviews... so I watched the movie (which I loved) so I bought the book. As is in most cases, the book trumps the movie by far. There really is much deeper story to the book than the movie. I was unable to put down this book for days. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the movie(s) and/or Vampire Tales.
Just amazing!.......2007-01-05
This is the book that the second Vampire Hunter D movie is based on. If you thought the movie was good: this is WAY better. Some of the scenes that might not have made much sense in the movie are better explained in the original story, and there are pleny of shocking elements in here (probably considered too much for the movie) to keep you turning each page. Definately worth the money!
Unfortunately, the movie was better.......2006-07-01
I bought this book from Barnes and Nobles a few weeks ago, along with the first volume of the series. I was really excited to get started on them and found the first volume, simply titled "Vampire Hunter D" a very entertaining book. After reading that, I immeadiately snatched the third book off of my bedside table, beginning to devour the words. The opening was interesting, but it didn't really capture me the way the first book did.
Well, I didn't enjoy this as much as I enjoyed the movie. The book had scenes that were WAY different from the movie. Leila actually expresses her feelings for D, Meir Link is known as Mayerling in the book, Charlotte isn't called Charlotte in the book but is an unnamed girl instead. But this book should be appreciated since it IS the original version that inspired the movie. But there were parts where I went, "Oh man, when is this chapter gonna finish?" and got sort of bored, but I just kept on reading, nonetheless. When I finished, well, I didn't feel the satisfaction I had when I read the first book. This version is somewhat creepier (not that it's bad) but boring. Some of the characters use the f-word throughout the book, which really annoys me! I mean, hello! Kids at a high level of reading could be reading this!
But don't skip this book if you're gonna watch the movie. It's still worth your time.
I Can't Get Enough of the Vampire Hunter D Novles! :).......2006-05-27
So far I love all the Vampire Hunter D Novles. It was a lot better than the movie. It was nothing like the movie. It was very different from the movie. Hopefully next time they make another Vampire Hunter D Movie (I hope they do.) I hope they follow it more closely to the book. D as a twisted, cold sense of humor. I love the book and I can't wait to read the next one.
charming.......2006-03-10
I read all three volumes now, don't ask me why, and at last I decided to "believe" the translator. I'm quite sure this is how literal translations of Japanese horror novels might look. I do doubt you'd find many published books in this style, so go for it. It's a highly entertaining read. Perhaps I have a twisted sense of humour, but sometimes I was laughing so hard that I had to put the book down, and I really have to refrain from screaming at random people "oh you countenanced carbuncle, you!"
As to the plot of volume 3 - well, no, you don't need it to enjoy "Bloodlust". The love-life inside the Marcus tank might even be a bit off-putting for sensitive minds (the Hand's unfulfilled desires are very interesting though!), and you don't really want to hear D's musings about the female soul, believe me.
I give three stars, two for the brave translator and one for another great detail about D's luggage: After learning in volume 2 that he carries a self-heating sleeping-bag, I was now delighted to see that his emergency kit expired like 500 years ago. So much for being invincible, ha!
Book Description
Retired demon hunter Kate Connor must go back to work when she spots a demon lurking in the local Wal-Mart. But she'd better not arouse suspicion. This kind of thing could really hurt her husband's political career.
Customer Reviews:
Carpe Demon doesn't make it.......2007-09-20
Carpe Demon was a very uninteresting book. There was no character development, each person in the book was bland, without any individual personality. Things happened slowly.
Carpe the Fun!.......2007-09-04
Kate Connor, suburban stay-at-home mom to two, thinks her demon hunting days are behind her. She's been retired for fifteen years and she likes her life as it is...teenaged daughter, two-year-old son, politically-minded husband, and the daily duties of a housewife. Unfortunately, the demons have come to the California town of San Diablo, and Kate's the only Hunter to be found. So much for retirement.
Kenner's plot is fairly simple and straightforward: Kate's got to find out what Head Demon Goramesh is seeking in her town and get it safely to the Vatican. Kate's got to be on her guard constantly, and her fears for her family and community are well-founded. Kenner's given us some interesting supporting characters as well, including Eddie (rescued from the nursing home!), Laura the best buddy, and Cutter, the fabulous martial arts instructor. Of course the storyline is over the top, but the twists toward the end make this a fun, quick romp as we follow Kate righteously kick demon butt.
If you're searching for serious, scary demonic possession, this book won't satisfy the bill. Kenner treats most of her plot quite lightly, and often takes Kate into housewife overdrive, keeping her bouncing between projects and actually hostessing two spur-of-the-moment cocktail dinners for her husband Stuart (I'd have killed him, personally). There were a few issues for me, including the saint-like reaction of Stuart to Kate suddenly thrusting their two-year-old into day care without his knowledge and then springing an elderly stranger from a nursing home, bringing him into their own home to live, perhaps permanently. While I can stretch my mind around these points because, after all, we're talking Demon-Hunting Housewife here, I did wish the author would keep inside the realm of possibility when dealing with humans. However, this is indeed a fast, fun read, and I'm looking forward to the other entries in the series.
Too Neat and Tidy.......2007-08-24
The book did remind a lot of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, season one. The heroine resembles Buffy with blonde hair, California living, and the occasional witty quip. It has lots of pages about her kids and normal household responsibilities, ending up more about being a Soccer Mom than being a Demon Hunter.
I'm not a soccer Mom, I'm a guy who likes reading supernatural fantasy and horror. This novel was in the SF/Fantasy section at Borders, and I'm unsure it belongs there. It is a mixture of urban fantasy (demons in modern California) and chick lit (the life of a Soccer Mom). It felt a lot like toned down paranormal romance, since the heroine is married.
Characterization is ditzy, since it's written from the perspective of a main character a lot like Buffy, a ditzy blonde herself. The handling of the supernatural badness is too pat. Kate fits the demony stuff into her busy schedule, and it never interrupts what she is doing to such an extent she had to drop everything. Kate never gets in trouble disposing of dead demon corpses, and never gets wounded in combat despite being retired and out of shape. A major plot point is her husband doesn't know she's a former demon hunter, and I can't help thinking if she really loved him she tell him the truth. Ironically, the author writes how worried Kate is about her family being targeted, yet she doesn't tell them why she suddenly wants them to be careful. Retired, mature Buffy would own up, and actually tell the truth to help protect her family. She'd also start to carry hidden weapons once danger materialized... hello Kate?
I give it three stars... it is a fluffy book and I thought too hard about the plot.
Funny, awesome book.......2007-08-19
Loved this book. I'm not normally a paranormal reader. You couldn't make me read about vampires or demons or whatever... but I like funny and a friend recommended this one. I really enjoyed it. Liked the brisk dialogue and engaging characters.
Originally Posted on Romance Junkies in 2005.......2007-05-14
There is nothing better than a romantic comedy that incorporates the paranormal, and Julie Kenner has penned a jackpot winner with CARPE DEMON. At times laugh-out-loud funny, once I started reading this book I couldn't put it down until I finished the last page-and then I wished it wasn't the end.
Kate Connor, on the surface, appears to be a pretty normal suburban mom. Mother to fourteen-year-old Alison and two-year-old Timmy, wife of Stuart, an assistant county attorney, and all-around chauffeur, nanny, housekeeper, and family pep squad rolled into one. It wasn't always that way, though. Kate was once a Level Four Demon Hunter, although no one knows it. It's the secret of secrets, and for the most part, Kate's pretty happy keeping it that way. Until one day, while shopping with the kids at the local Wal-Mart in San Diablo , California , she spots a demon.
Immediately, all sorts of questions are raised. Why would a demon willingly come to San Diablo? And, in fact, was it a demon at all? And does it have anything at all to do with her?
Sadly, Kate realizes way too soon that she's going to be forced out of demon-hunting retirement. Incorporeal demon Goramesh has come to California with one goal in mind, and it's up to Kate to figure out what he wants, find it before he does, rescue it, and send Goramesh back where he belongs.
Sounds easy, right? Not really, especially when you can't tell anyone what you're doing, including your husband, best friend, or children. Balancing home life has always been tricky enough, but now that there are murderous demons following her around, dodging her every step, life has become even more complicated.
I've heard that some readers have compared this story to a sort of Buffy the Vampire Slayer read, but I didn't get that feeling at all. What I read was a hilarious story of a stay-at-home-mom whose past comes back to bite her on the butt, with the risks being even higher than ever. For anyone who has ever been bored with their life, or has secrets from the past that they just wish would stay there, this book is for you.
Not to mention that it's just an all-around enjoyable story from a very talented author. Pick up a copy of CARPE DEMON today-you won't be disappointed.
Book Description
Craig Thompson was born in 1975 and grew up in a small farming community in Wisconsin. His debut graphic novel Good-Bye, Chunky Rice won the 1999 Harvey Award for "Best New Talent,"and his sophomore effort, the 500-page Blankets, will be released in summer 2003 by Top Shelf Productions.
Customer Reviews:
blank journal.......2007-02-04
As the other reviewers say, I was surprised to see that this is just a blank journal. I had thought it would showcase some of the author's journal, with drawings and comments. So I was pretty disappointed.
However, DO buy his books, especially "Blankets" and "Carnet du Voyage". They're amazing.
Please Read!.......2007-01-05
NOTE that this is only a Craig Thompson- designed journal, not a graphic novel by him. I failed to do my research on this, and was confused when, upon opening my my Amazon order, I saw blank pages.
However, all things besides it's a nice journal to own, especially if you are a fan of Craig Thompson. The pages inside are arranged so that when the journal is open, one page is without lines, for sketching, and one is with lines, for drawing. While the paper binding isn't so durable, this is more of a collector's item than anything I suspect.
not what i thought.......2006-11-10
i didnt realize this was a *journal* when i bought it... i have read craig thompson's other stuff, and liked it all immensely. it all has a biographical slant, so i thought this was a journal in that sense, but instead it is just a nicely packaged notebook/diary thingy. i'm kind of disappointed about that. unfortunately, can't return it because i took the sticker off alrady--maybe i will just give it to my little sister.
Book Description
Valdar, heir to the throne of Dhulon, was in the fabled city-state of Schaerisa to pay his kingdom's respects to the recently deceased co-emperor. But then he ran into his old mentor, the sorcerer Nyrthim-who was supposed to be dead. The sorcerer's death had been faked so that he could be free to investigate tales that demons, once banished, were returning to the world. And unfortunately, the tales understated the danger. Once demons ranging from deadly imps to evil demigods had ruled the world. They had been cast out and confined to the nether world only with powerful sorcery, using spells long lost. Now someone is trying to summon the most powerful-and unspeakably dangerous-of these accursed creatures back to the world of men, hoping to conquer it through them. And unless Valdar and his companions at arms can thwart the plan, creatures evil beyond all human conception will return to rule the world. And this time, nothing will drive them back into the darkness. Instead darkness will rule the world forever . . .
Customer Reviews:
The Demons Return.......2006-03-14
In a land very much like our own Bronze Age, a young noble is thrust into a world-spanning plot. Demons, which most people think are merely creatures of legend, have begun to return to the capitol of the old Empire. The young noble and companions must return to their homelands on the fringes of the empire and warn the High King.
But demons are not their only problem. Religious and political factions are on the move while the current Emperor is attempting to restore full control over the Old Empire. Plots and counterplots abound and secrets are revealed. Just when it looks like things can't get worse, more revelations make it so. Finally, armies gather to decide the fate of the world.
This was much more of an intrigue and politics novel then it was about fighting demons (although that is at the heart of things). Plenty of action rounds out the intrigue and plotting. There is even a reference to our own world at one point. While the book has a good conclusion, there are some openings for further adventures. If there is a sequel I will certainly pick it up.
Say, Aren't You ..........2005-07-22
An earlier reviewer already noted that one of the characters is clearly supposed to be an analogue for Belisarius. The entire novel is basically a take on an idea developed by Kenneth Hite in one of his "Suppressed Transmissions" columns, collected (if memory serves) in the first volume -- what if Justinian of Byzantium (as portrayed by Procopius) went to war with King Arthur? The author then does that one better by having the central protagonist be a thinly-disguised analogue for Hal Foster's Prince Valiant!
While certainly amusing in segments, it's just too derivative to be taken seriously. And the concept of the relationship between extradimensional "demons" and mortal religion was used to much better effect in Gemmell's "Winter Warriors".
Some great scenes, some shortcomings . . . ........2004-12-28
I have great respect for Steve White after having recently enjoyed the novels IN DEATH GROUND and THE SHIVA OPTION which he co-authored with David Weber. I expected much from this book, but I was somewhat disappointed. DEMON'S GATE has some great scenes that kept me reading, but to my mind the book also has some serious shortcomings. And some of the problems Steve White created for himself.
The names drove me crazy. White creates dozens of odd names. They have too many verbs, or in some cases, too many consonants, and are unpronounceable. What is worse, many of the names are confusingly similar. For example, two brothers are named Khaaradh and Khaavorn. I kept leafing back to the previous chapter, trying to straighten out which was which. I will quote one sentence which can suggest to you how very awkward these names become: "Lanoraak, Khaaradh, and Akhraworn were immediately on their feet besides Khaavorn, bellowing their support for him." I could NOT keep these characters straight.
For another example, two of the most central evil characters in the book, a high priestess and the demon emperor, have highly similar names of about 10 letters and -- again -- I found it almost impossible to keep them straight. The place names are just as bad. This slew of clumsy names is just continual -- the chapters are salted with them. I can't remember having so much struggle just to keep straight who was who. Or where they were! This was completely unnecessary, in my opinion.
The demons were great! Steve White not only sprinkled the book with demons, but he created several orders of demons with different powers and appearance. The scenes where the characters battled the demons were very well executed and were real page-turners. These parts of the book show White at his best. Some of the magic users -- high priests and sorcerors -- were also excellently rendered. The female mages were both drop-dead beautiful and also very frightening.
Some scenes in the book appeared to violate common sense. A good example -- Late in the evening before the great battle, the king gets this "brilliant idea" to defeat the demons. He asks one of his officers if the men can find some digging tools. A few hours later, demons the size of elephants are falling into ENORMOUS hidden pits that have been cleverly covered over with branches and leaves. In other words, soldiers with a few scrounged up shovels -- in a few hours and within sight of the enemy -- have excavated enough dirt to practically dig another Holland Tunnel. I mean, this borders on "nuts." As though a writer would describe how a bunch of janitors have rebuilt the World Trade Center overnight.
A mixed bag. A few great scenes, a few memorable wicked characters, and . . . I have to say it . . . some major shortcomings.
Good, but not great.......2004-06-18
Now that one of the co-emperors has died, Valdor and Khaavorn are on their way to the imperial city of Schaerisa to offer the High King's condolences to the now lone emperor, Tarhynda. However, on arrival, they find themselves waylaid and brought before Valdor's old mentor, the sorcerer Nyrthim. Once, the world had been tormented by demons of great power and evil, and now someone is trying to bring those days back. Someone in the emperor's household is dealing with demons, and it is up to Valdor and Khaavorn to find out who it is. Also, with the empire's armies on the march, things are getting downright dangerous.
Overall, I found this to be a pretty good book. The setting of the story is ostensibly a bronze-age world, but everything in the story seems to point to the sixth century A.D., when the Eastern Roman Empire was seeking to reconquer the lost west. (I could not read "General Vaelsaru" without hearing "General Belisarius.") Overall, I found this to be a good story, with lots of terrifying demons and adventure, but something didn't quite click. The story is good, even very good, but it's just not great.
So, if you are looking for a good fantasy story, filled with warriors and demons and marching armies, then this book is for you.
A wonderful fantasy adventure........2004-05-31
Long ago, the world was ruled by demons. Evil walked the earth and there was much pain and destruction. Using dark magic, the sorcerers drove out the demons and shut the gate behind them. Now, an old evil has risen and threatens to open the gate once again. If it does, the gate will never again be shut and demons will rule the world forever.
Original, interesting and exciting are the words I would use. Highly recommended.
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