Book Description
American agent Erin Grayson is assigned to seduce international businessman Reece Champion. But she's been set up. Reece is an agent, too--and a vampire.
Customer Reviews:
How can anyone call this romance?!.......2007-09-11
I love fantasy novels - witches, vampires, magic, other worlds, you name it. So I was intrigued with the idea of a parallel Earth/Mageverse Universe. But I was also expecting a paranormal romance story. Unfortunately, the repetitive use of locker-room descriptions of everything sexual killed any idea of romance, and also killed any possibility of enjoyment of this story for me. I have read sensual and romantic, but I didn't find any of that here.
Unlike the reviewer who stopped after 50 pages, I persevered to the end, in spite of my distaste for the coarse and vulgar language that accompanied every sexual encounter. Then I did something I thought I would never, ever do - I threw it in the trash.
Wonderful Story.......2007-08-15
This was Erin and Reece Champions story.
I thought it was well written and moved right along. Also, I've always thought this was book 1. Boy was I wrong.
I'm not going to recap the story because that has been done to death.
This author does write some INTENSE sex scenes that may not be okay for all readers. FYI
Great Author/ Great Storyline!!.......2007-08-13
I loved it!!! I read many, many, many, vampire, regular romance and paranormal books and I found the world that Angela Knight created new and exciting. Anyone looking for a new and refreshing book that is not the same old vampire romance will LOVE these books. The romance/sex is quite steamy from most of the books I have read in the past, but not out of place in the story.
I did notice there are a few reviewers who took this as an opportunity to try to convince, either the readers or themselves, I'm not sure who, that their far superior intellect had a problem with the method of changing over a latent female (although they fail to acknowledge that the hero himself was turned the same way and left with a broken heart). My advice, get over it, your reading paranormal romance for christmas sake!! If you want a thought provoking read, perhaps a change is in order.
Great worldbuilding, bad romance........2007-04-24
"Master of the Night" is a rarity: a vampire romance novel with a believable world-structure. The backstory for the vampires makes sense and seems much better thought out than others of this genre.
That's why the characterization is such a disappointment. Erin Grayson is supposed to be a government agent, but this seems to exist only as a reason to bring her and Reece Champion (god, what a name. *wince*) together. The other characters could have been intriguing, but their vulgar speech patterns and coarse vocabulary make them very unlikeable.
What kills this book for me is... the sex scenes. I *laughed* at them. Not because they were written to be funny, but because they were so over-the-top and trying so hard to be daring and avant garde they became a farce. There's one particular scene which made me groan and pitch the book aside. It really read like a teenage girl's idea of what 'frank sexuality' sounds like.
I'm not a fan of purple prose, but the language in the book is amazingly coarse, real men's locker room trash. I don't find it sexy, and I don't think women who talk like that are liberated or 'comfortable with their sexuality'. I also find it distasteful that is appears in the exposition, not just the speech and thoughts of a character.
The universe is an intriguing one, but the characters don't live up to their promise. Everyone is controlled by their glands, which becomes very tedious, especially in a plot that's supposed to be fraught with supernatural tenstions and the possibility of inter-dimensional war. I wouldn't trust half of these characters to walk a dog, much less prevent a war.
My first Angela Knight book.......2007-04-02
I liked the overall plot of this book. The only problem I had with the book was the required sex scenes in which a Vampire must turn a Latent after three obligatory sexual encounters. I could have done with less sex and more plot, but all in all it was entertaining and I will probably read the next in the series.
Book Description
In the dark of the night the Vampire rules supreme. Masters of dark necromantic acts, terrible treachery and violent combat the Vampires of the Old World make ideal antagonists for would be heroes. Within this tome is contained all manner of truth and lies about these powerful beings. Learn of their bloody origins, murderous wars and secret plans for the Old World. Packed with information about the Vampire bloodlines, their culture, necromantic powers and deadly weaknesses, this book is a must for any player hoping to hunt these masters of undead. Gm¿s too, will find dark delight in this detailed sourcebook, for contained within is information on Vampires as enemies, allies and patrons, as well as a disturbing adventure in the region of Sylvania.
Book Description
When Harriet Vane attends her Oxford reunion, known as the Gaudy, the prim academic setting is haunted by a rash of bizarre pranks: scrawled obscenities, burnt effigies, and poison-pen letters, including one that says, Ask your boyfriend with the title if he likes arsenic in his soup. Some of the notes threaten murder — and all are dreadful concoctions of a sick mind — yet in spite of their deplorable, criminal nature, the letters are perfectly worded. Soon, Harriet finds herself ensnared in a nightmare of romance and terror, with only the tiniest shreds of clues to challenge her powers of detection, and those of her paramour, Lord Peter Wimsey.
Customer Reviews:
Superlative all the way!.......2007-09-17
Lord Peter Wimsey is the urbane, civilized, gourmand, bon vivant sleuth created by Dorothy L. Sayers in the 30s. Yet the Gaudy is not totally about him. It is more Harriet Vane's book. Peter comes in later and as they say saves the day.
What a stupendous achievement! Twice the length of most detective stories of its day, this book boasts of no murder and keeps the interest in the book unflagging till the end. How did Ms. Sayers manage it? Simply by her wonderful writing skill, her command of the English language (next to none-puts Christie to shame)and her characters. Long before the women's lib movement, this spunky character braved public opinion, police scrutiny and nearly the hangman's noose, without losing her inflappable belief in herself. True, it reflected the author's own life but a character that Gloria Steinem would have revered.
Oxford, Shrewsbury College, Sayers' own alma mater, come to life like no one city and institution in the entire history of mystery fiction. Yes, Harriet is the heroine but Oxford is the crown prince. That is what distinguishes this book. It is more realized as a novel not just a detective story. Sadly, though the quality of writing remains the same, the next and last Wimsey novel with Harriet: Busman's Honeymoon, is overwritten and meandering. But that shows that Ms. Sayers was human, too.
The narration is typically British which adds to the enjoyment of this wonderful book.
A Dithering Mess.......2007-09-10
If you have enjoyed other Peter Winsey mysteries, you will be disappointed. The "crime" is a poison pen writer at (Harriet's alma mater, as if she is not competent to investigate anything more serious)
Manners and language of another age form an intrusive barrier to following the germ of plot through many vagaries - a most unsatisfying foray, yet testament to the waning influence of the English upper class system, despite the author's clear snobbery regarding lower class persons and tiresome pontificating about the 'role of women' . Having enjoyed other Sayers works, this one is a big null set.
The pleasure of the English language.......2007-05-08
It seems slow at first (compared with modern mysteries that seem start with a theft, murder or other violent action), but the use of the English language was so refreshing from today's norm that I continue to listen...and very glad that I did. Today's readers will probable find the character traits and social situations unrealistic -- no one argues so politely or maintains the same level of social manners in modern settings. If written by a more recent author it would probable be a psychological thriller with a romantic interest between the two main characters. As it is, the story line is lighter, the mystery is engaging and kept me guessing (all the clues are not provided until the end), yes there is a romantic interest between the two characters. I gave it 4 stars to be conservative but I'll revisit this story again, so it has my personal 5 star - it has my long term keeper rating.
Sayers at her best! And Ian Carmichael!.......2007-01-05
Gaudy Night is Sayers at her academic best. The more you read it, the more you get from it. The characters are delightful, and there is romance as well as detection. All this is brought to life by the expert narration of Ian Carmicheal. A treasure!
An Oxford reunion and ghostly murder.......2006-04-19
Dorothy L. Sayers' GAUDY NIGHT benefits from Ian Carmichael's pointed production: his BBC background lending accent and tension to the story of an Oxford reunion which involves mystery writer Harriet in a case of ghostly murder. Tension evolves quickly as murder turns to mayhem in this thriller.
Product Description
Enjoy this powerful new translation of Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching woven into a teaching novel set in ancient China. In the midst of war between barbarians and China's feudal states, Lao Tzu travels to a turbulent border city. At the prince's invitation, the sage spends nine colorful nights with the prince, scholars, traders, courtiers and monks, explaining the secrets of the Tao's power. In this one of a kind book, Waysun Liao breaks the secret code of the Tao Te Ching, conveying the oral tradition of lineage Tao masters regarding the "Power of Tao." Learn these life-changing teachings of mysticism as you travel along with Lao Tzu in this engaging adventure story. Over 20 diagrams and illustrations from the author provide insight into the history of Lao Tzu's time, and how to apply the truths of the Tao Te Ching in meditation and daily life.
Customer Reviews:
taoist teachings.......2007-08-09
This is an excellent book by a practising Daoist who clearly knows his subject. It is an easy read cast in fictional form, but embeds much deep spiritual teaching and demands frequent re-reading and much thought, followed by putting the teaching into practice. All you need is in this book. For prefernce buy the 'study edition'
Very well done book.......2006-08-28
Laotzu stops in the city of Western Peace for 9 days and offers 9 night of teachings with 9 questions per night allowed for the local ruler. The teachings are on the power of Tao. Between teaching sessions, Laotzu encounters various people and teaches in a less formal manner.
The book is a pretty smooth read, and the idea to cast teachings of Tao Te Ching into a fictional story is a brillian one. Evening teaching chapters are a bit dense - the teachings themselves are full of symbolism and mystery, typical for taoism. The in between chapters often offer some explanation of the teachings in a more approachable way.
The book is very well done. One may enjoy it just for the story and pick up some Taoist principles along the way. In a way the book itself is very Taoist - it tells you that our usual way of learing hardly applies to Tao, and it offers a different kind of a learning vehicle. Some say that no direct writing on Tao is erally possible, so this also offers a more indirect way. Do not expect that after reading the book you will decypher all of the taoist mysteries. You may, however, gain a much better intuitive appreciation of what Tao is all about.
The dimensional translation brought to life.......2005-12-04
Philosophers, scholars and other intellectuals have tried countless times to translate Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching. There are so many translations and commentaries. However all of these other translations provide a linear comprehension of the Tao Te Ching. Linear meaning the knowledge derived is thought to be of ideological value. Reason being that all these philosophers, scholars and other intellectuals are not Masters of the Tao and hence they conject based on their inadequate level of realization. Hence providing the linear, incorrect and "missing the point" translation.
Master Liao, being a Grandmaster of the Tao has given the dimensional and applicable translation of the Tao Te Ching. I'm a Taiji Gong practitioner and through my own meditative experiences I can understand and apply the Tao Te Ching as translated by Master Waysun Liao.
If I may paraphrase to help others understand the Tao and the Te is analogous to "part and parcel of the whole" - Te being part and Tao being the whole. This dimensional aspect, that interaction of the Te and the Tao is what Master Liao elaborates on in Nine Nights with the Taoist Master.
I highly recommend this book for anyone studying the Tao. I hope this book becomes widely known as a great translation for the Tao Te Ching because its standard is higher then intellectual.
Nine Nights Study Edition - a Resource for Your Meditation.......2005-11-29
Nine Nights with the Taoist Master, Deluxe Study Edition
The Deluxe Study Edition includes all 24 chapters of "Nine Nights" and adds an additional 110 pages of appendices and an "afterward". These additions are a fascinating addition to Master Waysun Liao's story of Lao Tzu's visit to a border town in China before wandering across the Western mountains toward India. During the visit he reveals the secrets of living in the Tao. Portions of these secrets eventually become the text of the Tao Te Ching.
The importance of this story is that it lends context to the enigmatic text of the Tao Te Ching. Without this context, the interpretation of this classic will vary widely. With the context of a story, there is a cohesive vision of the eighty-one chapters of the Tao Te Ching which explain how man may live in harmony with the world and the world unseen.
The"Afterword" is a conversation with Master Liao about interpreting the Tao Te Ching, religion, and the practice of Taichi today. He expresses a view that is insightful and controversial.
Appendix 1 is a direct, character by character translation of the latest scrolls unearthed in 1973. These scrolls are felt to be the earliest record of the Tao Te Ching. This translation is keyed, line by line to references in the story. Thus a student of the enigmatic version of the Tao Te Ching can refer back to the contextual meaning given within Master Liao's story. It truly gives the poetry an enriched meaning.
Appendix 2 is the original text, IN CHINESE, of the scrolls. This should be invaluable should an able scholar wish to understand the basis of Master Liao's translation.
The third Appendix is a jewel of a glossary of 23 key terms used by Lao Tzu. Not only is the meaning of each term explained, but suggestions are made on how to incorporate the concepts into the reader's meditative practice. For example Master Liao explains how to use breathing techniques to reunite the mind and body. Appendix 3 will inspire many productive meditation sessions, sessions that hopefully will lead the meditator to experience the power of the Tao.
The Deluxe Study Edition is definitely worth the additional money. With the study edition, the Tao Te Ching goes way beyond puzzling poetry; it becomes instead a resource for your practice, a practice that can guide you towards a life in harmony with the Tao.
Wow....Lao Tzu comes alive..........2005-11-17
I'm surprised nobody ever thought of this great idea.....create a fictional rendition of Lao Tzu's dissemination of the Tao Te Ching. Movies and books have been written about Siddhartha's journey to Buddhahood, about Jesus Christ, about the Dalai Lama, but never about the patriarch of Taoist thought...at least not in English. Absolutely brilliant idea.....
In actual reading, the story is about Lao Tzu spending nine nights with an ancient Chinese prince. On each night Lao Tzu speaks to the prince and his guest and answers questions about life, spiritual truth, etc... On each of the nine nights, Lao Tzu offers, within his answers and conversation, nine teachings of what we now know as the Tao Te Ching (9 nights times 9 teachings equals 81 chapters of the original Tao Te Ching). The actual Tao Te Ching translation is italicized and indexed line for line so it jumps out of the novel's text. The Tao Te Ching translation can also be found in its entirety at the back of the book.
The book contains 24 chapters plus appendices, so there is much more. What happens between each of the nine evening discussions is the adventure story.There are insightful interactions between many colorful characters which provide parables and illustrations of the very lessons Lao Tzu is trying to teach.
While the storyline is easy and holds a few twists and surprises, the teaching sections are quite packed full of keys for inner alchemy, cosmology, and mystic philosophy. The teaching sections are not a quick read and are somewhat challenging to follow, in that Liao is offering a new perspective on Lao Tzu. He is claiming that the Tao Te Ching is actually a guidebook on mysticism and uses the story to explain heretofore unconsidered applications of Lao Tzu's words.
The cosmology of Taoism in this book is somewhat different than that of other commentaries on the Tao Te Ching. Liao's "power of Tao," a concept that he refers to over and over again, is actually the power of an ultimate God that can be accessed and palpably felt through correct meditation and life orientation. His convictions are set forth quite forcefully in the deluxe edition's preface and "afterword" interview. He translates the word "Tao" as the ultimate and orginal creative force of the universe, and "Te" as a piece of that same force contained within each person. Thusly, he offers the title "Tao Te Ching" as meaning the book that will show how to connect the infinite power inside oneself with the infinite power of the universe.
Whether or not you can digest the entirety of his message, the book holds something for everyone who is interested in eastern religious thought, Taoism, Taichi, meditation, or who just likes a good Chinese martial arts/mystical master kind of story
Average customer rating:
- Strange and Lovely
- Dark and Magical...
- Strong prose and a richly imagined world
- One of the all time best books I've ever read!
- Time for a reprint
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Night's Master
Tanith Lee
Manufacturer: DAW
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0879974141 |
Customer Reviews:
Strange and Lovely.......2005-02-24
Night's Master reads like a twisted fairy tale for adults. Lee's writing is very elegant and compelling. The world of the demons is wonderfully imagined, and full of vivid, dreamlike imagery. It's affecting and thought-provoking, and I was able to totally immerse myself in Lee's world. This is a wonderful escape from reality, far beyond the typical sword-and-sorcery shenanigans.
Dark and Magical..........2001-09-14
...and you have the strange feeling that you are reading something that is a dream, and yet it is so magical and fairytalish, but in a dark and twisted way.
In this book we meet the Prince of Demons, Azhrarn, who plots and schemes to his own dark ends. He is an evil, selfish antagonist, and yet Sivesh, his adopted son is the 'good guy', falls prey to his evilness and in the end...
The book is written like a myth, with strange and wonderful things like silver collars woven of tears, and demon horses that ride the night...
Enjoy it!
Strong prose and a richly imagined world.......2001-04-30
Fantasy, ultimately, depends on description to carry it. The more alien the landscapes and psychologies an author wishes to describe, the more she must rely on her style and vocabulary to carry it off.
-Night's Master- kicks off the Flat Earth series, about a richly imagined, glittering, world of cruel and proud daemons. What ultimately carries off the story of Azhrarn is Tanith Lee's strong prose style. You can tell that she must have been the victim of a classical education.
One of the all time best books I've ever read!.......2000-05-14
Night's Master was my first introduction to Tanith Lee nearly ten years ago and ever since I have been addicted to her work. Her writing is beautiful and seductive filled with lush imagery and descriptions that will have you longing to enter the pages of her novels. This is not your typical "fantasy" novel. It is powerful and moving and unlike anything else I have ever read. Of all of Tanith Lee's books, I would recommend the Flat Earth series and The Silver Metal Lover as the best. They never fail to transport me to another world, and really isn't that the great joy of reading novels?
Time for a reprint.......2000-04-10
This title have now been out of stock for at least two years running. That is too long.
The flat earth books are Tanith Lee's best. Spiritual and physical, romantic and thought provoking.
My copies are falling apart from all the times they have been borrowed and all the times I have re-read them myself.
So REPRINT!
Please.
Customer Reviews:
Very good reference for arabian games........2002-11-13
The book is a very good reference for historical facts and characters. It describes the medieval arabian culture and society very well. However, it is not a book for present Arabia, only for the periods before 1.300 a.C.
The book does a good job in the "fantasy" side, introducing elements of Thousand and One Nights, such as monsters and races (complete sheets of the legendary Djinns, Rocs, Persian Dragons and such). The Magic and Magic Itens section is average. It's not as "fantastic" (or "sparky", or "flashy") as al-Qadim, but in the end it's an advantage (there, the Great Caliph is served by hundreds of Djinns!)
The book could have more details about the dangers and facts of living in the desert, handling camels, cooking and surviving, just like GURPS Imperial Rome, which details the life in the court. Also, it could modify more things in magic, just like GURPS Celtic Myths, to improve the interference of "destiny and fate" and the arabian flavor.
In the end, it's a great book! Worths very well the money paid for it.
Average customer rating:
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Bushbaby Night
Jeremy Grimsdell , and
Judith Masters
Manufacturer: Jacana Media
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Animals | Children's Books | Subjects | Books | Alligators & Crocodiles | Apes & Monkeys | Bears | Birds | Bugs & Spiders | Cats | Dinosaurs | Dogs | Ducks & Other Waterfowl | Elephants | Farm Animals | Fish | Foxes & Wolves | Frogs & Toads | General | Horses | Lions, Tigers & Leopards | Mammals | Marine Life | Mice, Hamsters, Guinea Pigs & Squirrels | Pets | Pigs | Rabbits | Reptiles & Amphibians | Turtles | Whales | Zoos
Environmental Science | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
Conservation | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
General | Conservation | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
Environmental Science | Earth Sciences | Professional Science | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1770090568 |
Book Description
This educational picture book for children depicts the daily life and habits of the bushbaby—a nocturnal primate whose habitat is rapidly disappearing. Emerging at dusk, the little bushbaby explores the bush, feeds and grooms himself, and listens for his father's call, which protects him from the hunting owls and genets. As dawn approaches, he retreats back to the hidden nest that he shares with his family.
Average customer rating:
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Kiplings Science Fiction - Science Fiction & Fantasy stories by a master storyteller including, 'As Easy as A,B.C' & 'With the Night Mail'
Rudyard Kipling
Manufacturer: Leonaur Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Kipling, Rudyard | Classics | British | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books | Anthologies | British | Canadian | General | United States
Kipling, Rudyard | ( K ) | Authors, A-Z | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books | Alternate History | Anthologies | Arthurian | Contemporary | Epic | General | Historical | History & Criticism | Magic & Wizards | Series
Anthologies | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Short Stories | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1846771285 |
Book Description
Kipling's Science Fiction. From one of the greatest storytellers of all time - a collection of fantastic tales of things that might have been. In the late 19th and early 20th century, before science fiction and fantasy was pushed into a ghetto, the most literary and respected authors would write fantastic tales without a thought for labels and genres. Rudyard Kipling was no exception! This collection contains a selection of Kipling stories that push and cross the boundaries of the mundane, everyday world. Included are "With the Night Mail" and its sequel "As Easy as ABC", two renowned dystopian tales that have strongly influenced the vision of other writers. Kipling's SF is an essential book that demonstrates a profoundly different aspect of this master storyteller.
Books:
- Mastering the Trade (McGraw-Hill Trader's Edge)
- Midnight in Death (In Death)
- Mulch Ado About Nothing (Jane Jeffry Mystery Series #12)
- Naked in Death (In Death, Book 1)
- Old Man's Cave (Bone, Book 6)
- Other Voices, Other Rooms
- Outlaws of the Marsh (Chinese Classics 4-Volume Boxed Set) [BOX SET]
- Presumed Guilty: What the Jury Never Knew About Laci Peterson's Murder and Why Scott Peterson Should Not Be on Death Row
- QuickTime Toolkit Volume Two: Advanced Movie Playback and Media Types (QuickTime Developer Series)
- Ralph Compton Trail to Cottonwood Falls (Ralph Compton Western Series)
Books Index
Books Home
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- Where's My Hero
- Membrane Fusion Technique, Part A, Volume 220
- Quantum Field Theory: A Modern Perspective
- Thank You for Arguing: What Aristotle, Lincoln, and Homer Simpson Can Teach Us About the Art of Pers
- United States V. George W. Bush et al.
- The Weimaraner: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet
- Skyscrapers: Form & Function
- Qajar Portraits: Figure Paintings from Nineteenth Century Persia
- Solanaceae Biology and Systematics
Master of the Moon (Mageverse, Book 3)
Master of Wolves (Mageverse, Book 5)
Master of Swords (Mageverse, Book 7)
Jane's Warlord (Berkley Sensation)
Master of Dragons (Mageverse, Book 8)
