Night Tales: Night Shift & Night Shadow

Customer Reviews:

You're either one or the other........2007-02-19

To keep it short:
Night Shift: I didn't like Cilla at all. Her continuous nagging and obstinateness drove me up the wall. I pushed through the story running on pure stubbornness. Boyd bothered me with his terrier with a bone act. It was hard for me to like him at all dogging her.
Night Shadow: More up my alley. I liked the supernatural twist and Superman/Louis Lane touch. The court scenes were interesting and short enough not to drag the story. Deborah was interesting and knew when something was looking was looking her in the face. No denial, no useless worrying. Gage gave just a touch angst with his Survivor complex but didn't dwell so much I wanted to choke him.
If you like a touch of the abnormal, you'll probably like Night Shadow. If you like a nervous, twitchy heroine, Night Shift serves well.
Based on what I've read and the way I feel, there's a slim chance you'll thoroughly enjoy both.

A Great Addition for all Nora Roberts fans.......2007-01-06

This is a collection of short stories that all have a common theme. If you enjoy Nora Roberts, this is definetly one you will want to read. I bought my copy in an airport and it really helped over a long flight and long layover. Made the trip very enjoyable!

Excellent, fast-paced read.......2006-03-15

When I first picked this book up, I was skeptical of the second half (Night Shadow), but was more than pleasantly surprised to find out what an excellent read it was. Truly wonderful writing, wonderful story, characters, and plot!!! Great book for anyone who likes the idea of a super hero. I likened the male lead to a Batman of sorts - troubled, but doing what he feels is necessary. Great interpretation of the archetypal male hero.

So unlike Nora Roberts.......2006-02-24

I was so dissapointed in this book. The first book "Night Shift" was very good. The second half "Night Shadow" was ridiculous. A woman who falls in love with a man who transitions from a normal man to an invisible man, is just so....stupid. To say I was disspointed doesn't begin to sum it up. I couldn't even finish the book.

Exciting.......2006-02-24

This was a great page-turner. Interesting and "different" types of characters make this novel almost a must for sci-fi devotees.

Night Draws Near: Iraq's People in the Shadow of America's War

Average customer rating:

Most important book of the year!
I've been spoiled by better books
Our disaster in Iraq
everyday iraqis tell us the real story
Informed and Perceptive view of Iraq War

Night Draws Near: Iraq's People in the Shadow of America's War
Anthony Shadid
Manufacturer: Picador
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books

Iran | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books

Iraq | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

Social History | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books

Media Studies | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0312426038
Release Date: 2006-07-11

Amazon.com

Most of the accounts of the Iraq War so far have been, to use the term the war made famous, embedded in one way or another: many officially so with American troops, most others limited--by mobility, interest, or understanding--to the American experience of the conflict. In Night Draws Near, Washington Post reporter Anthony Shadid writes about a side of the war that Americans have heard little about. His beat, for which he won a Pulitzer Prize in 2004, is the territory outside the barricaded, air-conditioned Green Zone: the Iraqi streets and, more often, the apartments and houses, darkened by blackouts and shaken by explosions, where most Iraqis wait out Saddam, the invasion, and three nearly unbroken decades of war.

Shadid is Lebanese American, born in Oklahoma, and he has a fluency in Arabic and an understanding of Arab culture that give him a rare access to and a great empathy for the people whose stories he tells. Beginning in the days leading up to the American invasion and closing with an epilogue on the January 2005 elections, he talks with Iraqis from a wide range of stations, from educated Baghdad professionals who look back on the country's golden days in the 1970s to a sullen, terrified group of Iraqi policemen in the Sunni Triangle, shunned as collaborators for taking jobs with the Americans to feed their families. (Perhaps his most telling and characteristic moment is when he trails behind an American patrol, recording the often hostile Iraqi comments that the soldiers themselves can't understand.) He takes the ground view and gives his witnesses the particularity they deserve, but the various voices share an exhaustion with a country that has seen nothing but war for 30 years and a frustration with a liberator that has not fulfilled its promises of prosperity and order. It's a despairing but eye-opening account, told with an understanding of the Iraqi people--hospitable, proud, and often desperate--that, were it more common, might have led to a different outcome than the one he describes. --Tom Nissley

Questions for Anthony Shadid

Anthony Shadid won a 2004 Pulitzer Prize for his reporting on the lives of ordinary Iraqis during wartime. His new book, Night Draws Near, tells the story of the runup to the war, the invasion, and its uncertain aftermath through the Iraqi eyes. He took a few moments from a busy week reporting on the Sharm el-Sheik bombings to answer some questions about his book.

Amazon.com: Where are you now? What sort of mobility do you have when you are in Baghdad? Have you been able to get back in contact with the people you follow in the book?

Anthony Shadid: I'm in Cairo right now and heading for Beirut, where The Washington Post has its Middle East bureau. From there, I'll head back to Baghdad. Getting around that city has become the most difficult aspect of reporting there. In 2003, after the U.S. invasion, reporters had almost unlimited access. We traveled to the Syrian border, Falluja, Samarra, Mosul, all places that are extremely difficult, maybe impossible, to visit now. I do still visit the people that I wrote about in Night Draws Near. At this point, many of them have become friends. I'm reluctant to visit too often, for fear of bringing unwanted attention. But I manage to keep up with their lives and how they're doing, particularly Karima's family.

Amazon.com: You are a Lebanese American, born in Oklahoma, fluent in Arabic, and well-versed in Arab culture. What has that background allowed you to see and understand? To what extent do Iraqis whom you meet see you as American or as Arab?

Shadid: In Iraq, I think I was seen as a little of both. I was always a foreigner, but maybe a foreigner who shared a sense of history, a common background. When references to history were made, to culture and traditions, it was expected that I would understand what was being said. Sometimes it was subtle, but I think my background probably helped foster a degree of trust that's so important to reporting.

Amazon.com: What have Americans, both in Iraq and back home in the U.S., most misunderstood about Iraqis and the situation in their country?

Shadid: My sense is that the biggest misunderstanding was perhaps a lack of appreciation for what preceded the invasion. I think some in the United States saw Iraq as a tabula rasa, a blank slate on which a new country would be built, a democracy that would serve as an example to a region mired in stagnation and authoritarianism. But a lot of what we saw after Saddam's fall was the consequence of what Iraq had already gone though. Not only Saddam, either. There was the war with Iran, one of the longest of the 20th century. There was a decade of sanctions, whose impact I think has always been underappreciated. There was a militarization of the society that made the culture of the gun and the logic of violence dominant in many regions of Iraq. The country that the United States inherited was brutalized, and the aftermath of that decades-long experience will probably define it far more than Saddam's fall, the insurgency, and the hardship that has followed. I guess I'm struck over the past years at how much Iraqis simply yearn for an ordinary life. Little has been ordinary in that country for the past 30 years. I always had the sense in conversations, especially in Baghdad, that people felt they were spectators to a play. They watched as actors read their lines, as the drama unfolded. There's still a sense of being in the audience today.

Amazon.com: What do Iraqis most misunderstand about Americans?

Shadid: I think it's less misunderstanding and more perspective. The sense of distrust of the United States is often powerful, and it colors much of what the Americans do in Iraq. As in much of the Arab world, the United States has inherited a reputation from past decades. Support for Israel, for authoritarian Arab regimes, for Saddam himself during the war with Iran in the 1980s has made many in Iraq and elsewhere suspicious of U.S. intentions. The refrain you hear so often is that the Americans are in Iraq for their own interests, and those interests include domination of the region, Iraq's oil, furthering Israel's interests, and so on. At another level, there's the very question of the U.S. presence. To some, the United States was a liberator. To others, it was an occupier. But to nearly all, it was the strongest actor in the country. That strength automatically creates a relationship of more powerful to less powerful. With a history of colonialism and repression, there was an acute sensitivity to that. American slights were seen as disrespectful, misunderstandings were seen as arrogance, and often, they both were read as the indignity of living under a power that is both alien and foreign.

Amazon.com: Your book closes with an epilogue on the January 2005 elections. What did that moment represent from the Iraqi point of view? Have the hopes of that time persisted at all through the violence that has followed?

Shadid: What struck me most during the election was the sense people in Baghdad had of staking a claim to their own destiny. On that day, Iraqis--not their overlords, not foreigners--were the agents of change; they themselves were deciding their fate. Watching those streets that day, I realized that it was the first time since I had been in Iraq, through dictatorship, war, and occupation, that Iraqis themselves were claiming the right to make their voices heard. It spoke to the trait that I think perhaps best defines Iraq: a stubborn, sometimes breathtaking resilience that drives life forward. To be honest, I think the moment was somewhat short-lived. Since the fall of Saddam, Iraq has been locked in a cycle of moments of optimism, followed by long, depressing months of brutality and dejection. There have been turning points, and Iraqis have often greeted them with hope and optimism. Disillusionment has typically followed. Resilience persists, but not always hope, and it goes back to the idea I mentioned earlier: a sense of watching a play unfold, in which most Iraqis find themselves spectators to forces beyond their control.

Book Description

In 2003, The Washington Posts Anthony Shadid went to war in Iraq, but not as an embedded journalist. Born and raised in Oklahoma, of Lebanese descent, Shadid, a fluent Arabic speaker, has spent the last three years dividing his time between Washington, D.C., and Baghdad. The only journalist to win a Pulitzer Prize for his extraordinary coverage of Iraq, Shadid is also the only writer to describe the human story of ordinary Iraqis weathering the unexpected impact of Americas invasion and occupation. Through the moving stories of individual Iraqis, Shadid shows how Saddams downfall paved the way not just for hopes of democracy but also for the importation of jihad and the rise of a bloody insurgency. A superb reportersbook, wrote Seymour Hersh; Night Draws Near is, according to Mark Danner, essential.

Customer Reviews:

Most important book of the year!.......2007-09-14

If you only choose one book to keep yourself enlightened on what is really going on in Iraq right now, this should be it. From a perspective that makes you feel as though you have been in the author's shoes observing Baghdad for yourself during these last few years. Including all of the background information that we lack as Americans on social and religious issues in the Middle East. I am only half way through this book, but have already lost count of how many times I've had tears in my eyes because of how powerful the images are depicted through Shadid's vivid language. Order it now and read it later if you have to, but do not miss out on this incredible book!

I've been spoiled by better books.......2007-03-26

The first half of the book is boring and the second half is too detached.
And by detached I mean I couldn't quite tell what he thought of all the madness he saw. As for his account of the American presence, its a little too rosey. I suspect one doesn't win a Pulitzer by upsetting the powers that be too much. I do believe Mr. Shalid has feelings for the Iraqi people he interviewed but it hardly came across in the book. There are much better books out there about Iraq that moved me: Patrick Cockburn's "The occupation", Aaron Glantz's "How We Lost Iraq" and by far the best is Paul William Robert's "A War Against Truth". These books deserve the attention that this book has gotten.

Our disaster in Iraq.......2007-03-09

Outstanding reportage "on the ground". Shadid gives a first hand account of how the war affects ordinary people in Iraq. Makes me sad and pissed off of what we do with our foreign policy.

everyday iraqis tell us the real story.......2007-01-18

Among the proliferation of books about America's pre-emptive war in Iraq, Anthony Shadid's distinguishes itself for its singular focus. His narrative contains virtually no mention of neo-conservative ideologues or influence, liberal cant, analyses by think tank experts, disputed claims about the war's rationale, or even the main architects of the war like Rumsfeld, Cheney, Wolfowitz or Feith. Instead, he reports first hand from the Arab street about who and what really matters, letting every day Iraqi citizens tell their own stories.

In these pages we meet the caretaker of a mosque who washes the body of a fourteen-year-old boy, a bookstore owner, suicide bombers, a fourteen-year-old girl who keeps a diary during the war, extremist clerics, a father who is forced to murder his son because he had served as an American informant, a mother who vomits upon identifying the mutilated corpse of her son at the morgue, parents who stuff cotton into the ears of their children at night because the bombs are so loud, and a pregnant woman who is denied admission to hospitals because they are all full. He depicts the humiliations of soldiers searching your house in the middle of the night, the terror of bomb blasts that rip open refrigerator doors, waiting in line at the Red Cross for five hours to make a three-minute phone call, and the deep resentments but also remarkable resilience of people who suffer a war they did not want and that was not necessary. For Shadid, the intensely personal thus reveals the deeply political.

Shadid, an Arab-American who grew up in Oklahoma, is a reporter for the Washington Post, fluent in Arabic, and the winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 2004 for International Reporting. His book spans the period from October 2002 (five months before the invasion) when Saddam Hussein granted a general amnesty that released tens if not hundreds of thousands of Iraqi prisoners, to January 2005 and Iraq's first free elections in four decades. He was one of only 300 or so reporters who were not embedded in the U.S. military. He organizes his book into five sections--before the war, the invasion, the aftermath, the occupation, and the insurgency.

Wrong beginnings lead to wrong ends, says an Arab proverb. Shadid laments the tragic consequences of America's simplistic (mis)understandings of a complex people, their history, and their culture. Even today much of our public discourse barely moves beyond contrasting "free democracy" and "totalitarian dictatorship." The war, as Shadid reports from the trenches, unleashed a maelstrom of unintended consequences, most of which politicians, experts and every day people did not predict and even today barely understand. Most Iraqis, he says, simply cannot conceive how the most powerful nation on earth bungled so badly. So great is their incomprehension that they resort to conspiracy theories--perhaps the Americans did not want to stop the looting or restore electricity. In two different places Shadid renders the sum and substance of his conclusions about the war: "the terrible reminder of the inevitable disparity between wars's grand aims and the reality of their execution."

Informed and Perceptive view of Iraq War.......2007-01-15

This is easily the best book I can recommend to anyone on the Iraq war. Anthony Shadid, a third generation Arab American, who speaks fluent Arabic was on the ground before the Iraq war and lived through its phases all the way to the full blown insurgency.

Shadid demonstrates an excellent understanding of the people and the culture, this understanding makes his analysis very valuable indeed. A very important point that Shadid makes is the desire of the people for justice over democracy.

Shadid's understanding of Iraqi society makes his analysis on the insurgency, its roots and its nature very convincing. The analysis of the power structure with the Shiite religious leadership and the diverging loyalties as well as the Iranian versus Arab orientation of the leadership is very well explained. It is remarkable how ill informed much of the media in the US referring to the Mahdi Army, the Sader militia, as Iranian influenced when Shadid explains clearly their roots being as populist & nationalist counter movement to the Iranian dominated Shiite religion leadership.

Through countless daily interactions with Iraqis from all classes, all sects and all political views Shedid offers tremendous insight on the factors that shaped the views of the Iraqis and how these changed over time as the country sunk deeper into a depressing war. Shedid equally well covered the American troops, their perception of their role and of the Iraqis around them.

Can't say enough about this book except I wish it becomes mandatory reading for political and military readers. Shadid's Pulitzer Prize for his reporting of the war is very well deserved!

Garrett, P.I. (Old Tin Sorrows/ Dread Brass Shadows/ Red Iron Nights)

Average customer rating:

Consolidation of the 2nd Three Garrett Books

Garrett, P.I. (Old Tin Sorrows/ Dread Brass Shadows/ Red Iron Nights)
Glen Cook
Manufacturer: SF Book Club
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Garrett Investigates (Deadly Quicksilver Lies, Petty Pewter Gods, Faded Steel Heat)
Garrett Files(Sweet Silver Blues/ Bitter Gold Hearts/ Cold Copper Tears)
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Faded Steel Heat (Garrett Files)

ASIN: 0739436082

Product Description

Omnibus edition of 3 Glen Cook novels: Old Tin Sorrows Dread Brass Shadows Red Iron Nights

Customer Reviews:

Consolidation of the 2nd Three Garrett Books.......2005-11-05

Since most of Cook's Garrett books are long out of print and very difficult to come by, you might end up having to buy this consolidation to find the individual stories. This book, "Garrett, P.I.," is the 2nd of 3 consolidations (so far). The others are "The Garrett Files" and "Garrett Investigates." This book contains the 2nd three stories in the Garrett series: "Old Tin Sorrows," "Dread Brass Shadows," and "Red Iron Nights." "The Garrett Files" contains the 1st three: "Sweet Silver Blues," "Bitter Gold Hearts," and "Cold Copper Tears." "Garrett Investigates" has the last three so far consolidated: "Deadly Quicksilver Lies," "Petty Pewter Gods," "Faded Steel Heat." The remaining two books ("Angry Lead Skies," and "Whispering Nickel Idols") still appear to be in print on their own. As was the 1st consolidation ("The Garrett Files"), this book is well bound, has good quality paper, and is well cut. As a pure average of my ratings for the three contained stories, I rate this book at a Very Good 4 stars out of 5. My individual reviews follow:

"Old Tin Sorrows:" Excellent 4th in Cook's Garrett Series. If this isn't the best of the whole Garrett series, it's right up there fighting for the slot. For all intents and purposes, there's no Dead Man in this book: it's all Garrett, with some support from Morley and a couple of appearances from Saucerhead and the Dojango triplets. It's got good pacing and keeps you scratching your head trying to figure out what's going on all the way to the end. It's also one of the darkest books in the series. Nasty stuff. But, it explains why Garrett is so fixated on his picture of Eleanor in later books. Excellent, excellent book. I rate it at 5 stars out of 5.

"Dread Brass Shadows:" Very Good 5th in Cook's Garrett Series. Unlike the previous book, this one has a lot more Dead Man in it. Unfortunately, as a counterbalance, the pacing is a bit uneven (nothing horrible, just noticeable). This book also introduces Winger. Alas, Cook's portrayal of her is inconsistent. From scene to scene, she varies from competent to incompetent at specific tasks. For instance, in one scene, she's not all that good at hand-to-hand combat. Yet, in another scene, she defeats someone whom Garrett would be afraid to tackle. Ditto for her tracking ability: at one point, she's essentially blind to what's going on around her. At another, she's picking out people Garrett misses. It's a shame, since she plays such a large part in the book (basically replacing Morley and Saucerhead). Given that, I rate the book at a Very Good 4 stars out of 5.

"Red Iron Nights:" Very Good 6th in Cook's Garrett Series. It's a good book, but the pacing could use some work. Also, Cook introduces several minor plot elements and does very little with them until the end. One of them, having to do with Morley, he doesn't do anything with (like explain it) at all. Regarding recurring motifs in the series, in this book, Cook introduces Chodo's daughter and the Parrot. His introduction of the Parrot is disappointing considering its prevalance in later books (if you don't know to watch for it, you'd miss it entirely). But, still, overall, a very good book. I rate it at 4 stars out of 5.

Night Tales: Night Shift/ Night Shadow/ Nightshade/ Night Smoke

Average customer rating:

an absolute pleasure to read
4 very early Nora tales that are outstanding
Four Fabulous Stories!
Fabulous book!
Not up to her usual standards.

Night Tales: Night Shift/ Night Shadow/ Nightshade/ Night Smoke
Nora Roberts
Manufacturer: Silhouette
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

United States | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Romance | Subjects | Books

General | Contemporary | Romance | Subjects | Books
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Customer Reviews:

an absolute pleasure to read.......2007-01-15

with four distinct books all revolving around the "night" theme, nora roberts once again captures the beauty of love

in "Night Shift", you're thrust into the world of DJs and radio stations, a world most people know nothing about. Throughout the entire story, your rooting for Boyd to win over Cilla's heart and capture the person who is plotting against her.

in "Night Shadow", you see that Cilla's sister's story is just as incredible as her own, maybe better. It was amusing to see how Ms. Roberts fared dipping into the "superhero" element with Nemesis. This story has sort of a spiderman romance about it, which makes it all the more enjoyable

"Nightshade" deals with the story of Boyd's partner, Althea. She is one tough lady, but Colt Nightshade manages to romance her in time. The crime they're both investigating makes the story suspensful and interesting to follow.

"Night Smoke" certainly lives up to its name. Boyd's sister butts heads with arson investigator Ryan Piasecki. Through some dangerous moments, I assure you the ending, is indeed happily ever after.

The best part about reading all four of these is that you get to see how characters in the earlier stories develop with their marriages and children.

I urge everyone to read not only these stories, but the other two "Night Tales" books Ms. Roberts has produced in "Night Tales: Night Sheild and Night Moves", but stunning.

Once again I applaud Ms. Roberts with her astonishing series, "Night Tales"

4 very early Nora tales that are outstanding.......2004-10-07

Some of Nora Robert's Early works, the "Night" tales are hard to find. You find them in secondary bookstores used - maybe - and for very high prices. Here you have all four tales (four complete Silhouette novels) in one volume - Night Shift, Night Shadow, Nightshade and Night Smoke. They are some of the best of her early works and it's great to get them all under one cover.

Night Shift has Detective Boyd Fletcher assigned to protect Cilla O'Roarke. She is a nighttime talk Disc Jockey at a local Denver radio station whose life has been threatened. Cilla is a tough cookie, but even she knows she needs Boyd's help. While being her bodyguard, Boyd falls for her, which jeopardizes his objectivity he needs to catch the psycho. But he cannot deny the attraction.

Night Shadow is Cilla's sister's story. Deborah O'Roarke. Deborah is an assistant DA, and she gets into danger because of the case she's involved in. Gage and his alter ego Nemisis (think Daredevil with sight) see it as their duty to protect the gusty DA. The Fantasy element in this is outstanding and I love the strong leads.

Nightshade is the story of Boyd's ex-partner, Althea Grayson (we met her as she helped Boyd protect Cilla in Night Shift). She is an early Eve Dallas (...In Death Series - the "role" model for Eve?) a very independent lass, who is a by the book cop. Sexy Colt Nightshade is a Private Investigator who disdains rules, unless he makes them up. They are both strong willed detectives with their own methods, and naturally clash - on the streets and in bed - as they are forced to work together to stalk a killer.

Night Smoke sees Natalie Fletcher, Boyd's sister clash with arson investigator, Ryan Piasecki. When several of the buildings Natalie owns has fires, she and Ryan clash, soon they are proving where there is smoke, there is in deed fire!

Four early Robert's tales guaranteed to delight her fans.

Four Fabulous Stories!.......2002-11-12

After being sooo disappointed in "Full House" I had to read something to renew my faith and Nora Roberts did the trick. What an entertaining book and each story stands alone but is connected.

Each story has a great hero and heroine, pretty good mysteries and great romance. One is sort of a fantasy and that one needs you to believe. The others are full out good reads. Thanks you, Nora. I will re-read this whole book again and again.

Fabulous book!.......2002-10-25

Everyone who is at all a fan of romance or romantic suspense knows how popular Nora Roberts is. Her books sell for a reason. I think this series is Nora at her best. All 4 of the books are filled with the strong characters, sexual tension, and suspenseful moments that make her such a good writer. I also like having all the related books published together in one package.
Another thing that makes this series unique to me is how each of the books has a common element: the night, but still manages to be fundamentally different too. The first, Night Shift, is pretty standard romantic suspense, but it is also well written. Night Shadow is more fantasy with some supernatural elements thrown in. Night Shade, the third and my favorite of the series, has the most fleshed out characters in my opinion. The clash between the two main characters is what makes this story work. Night Smoke, the last of the stories, is more a classic case of rich girl meets working class boy. Nora adds suspense and good dialogue to raise it above the average romance. Be warned though. The subject matter IS a little dark in these novels. They are grittier than standard romance novels. If you are looking for light fluff, you might want to try some of her other novels. But if you are looking for good romantic suspense, you can't go wrong here.

Not up to her usual standards........2002-07-12

This is a set of four stories about the same family. Night Shift is about Boyd Fletcher and a lovely DJ who is having stalker problems, it is probably my favorite of the four. In Night Shadow Boyd's sister-in-law Deborah O'Roarke is falling in love with a man who has an amazing secret. Nightshade is about Boyd's partner Thea . Night Smoke is the story about Boyd's sister Natalie Fletcher, arson and the sexy fireman who helps find the arsonist.

As is typical with Nora Roberts series, each story can stand on it's own. However, I like the fact that you can revisit old characters and catch up on their lives through Nora Roberts other books. There is a follow up to these four stories about Boyd's daugther and a private investegator. It is a great story and out of the five stories, my favorite.

I typically rate Nora Roberts stories with fives. However, this one has a four. I found this a little bit too 'off the wall' for my tastes. The idea that some man can become invisible at will was just to wild. I think that the connection being made in other reviews between books written by Nora Roberts under the name JD Robb is correct. These books have another world/futeristic type feel to them. The cities are darker, more evil, particularly in Night Shadow. The JD Robb books are some that I do not enjoy and I'm dissapointed to see that leaking over into the Nora Roberts romance books.

Book Description

Dear Reader:

Night Shadow, the second book in the Night Trilogy, originally came out in the summer of 1989. I haven't rewritten it, just cleaned it up and wrapped it in a very nice new cover.

Knight Winthrop, Viscount Castlerosse, first appeared in Night Fire. He is the quintessential Regency bachelor who plans to marry and impregnate his wife just before he croaks, and thus his heir will be raised without the vagaries of his sire.

Yes, Knight is a very happy camper, what with him being the center of the universe. Then the unthinkable happens. A woman shows up on his doorstep claiming to be the widow of his murdered cousin, Tristan Winthrop. As if that isn't bad enough, with her are his cousin's three children. If that still isn't enough they are destitute and have nowhere to go. To top it all off, Ugly Arnold is hard on her heels.

What is Knight supposed to do now? Why, he takes them in and bids his former life goodbye. You'll laugh until your belly aches at the antics of Laura Beth, Sam, and Theo. You'll enjoy how the very clever, creative Lord Castlerosse deals with this new species. But how will he deal with his cousin's widow Lily?

Download Description

Dear Reader:

Night Shadow, the second book in the Night Trilogy, originally came out in the summer of 1989. I haven't rewritten it, just cleaned it up and wrapped it in a very nice new cover.

Customer Reviews:

Love Coulter but at times this was not 5 stars!.......2004-12-16

I really find Knight just an amazing character. You could start to tell in Night Fire that he had great potential. His attitude about love, romance, children - so many strong feelings about things - he just thought he would marry at 40 and then have an heir and leave the child rearing to his wife and continue remotely from afar being and absentee father and husband. Wow - did his life change at 27 when his dead cousins wife, Lily appears at his door destitute and with his 3 children. Lily was such an intriguing, beautiful woman and those children just totally set his life in an unsettled state. I don't know which captivated Knight more - the children or Lily!! I guess the only reason I did not give this 5 stars would be - too much children. I realize they were important to the story but I just don't enjoy that much chilren - prefer more intense love story. and that might be another one of my complaints Knight thinks eventually that Lily is a loose woman - although he wants to wed her even though he believes this. I am not exactly sure why he felt this way. For many reasons though I would recommend this book the second in the series!!

Enjoyable.......2002-12-06

Since Catherine Coulter has been delivering many disappointments, I picked up some of her earlier writing at a used book sale. I enjoyed this novel. The kids were cute, the story was well-paced and interesting, and the mystery was intriguing. As usual, Coulter delivers with steamy love-making.

That Knight Winthrop is one charming guy!.......2002-06-27

This was DEFINITELY the best of the trilogy. NightFire was too emotionally draining and NightStorm was too abrupt or something!

Anyway, I enjoyed Knight's character. He's charming, easy going, light hearted and funny. A confirmed bachelor, no one can believe it when he takes in Lily and her three children.

Lily tells Knight that she is the widow of his cousin who was recently killed in Brussels and that she is the mother to Laura Beth and step-mother to Theo and Sam. Of course, Lily has not told Knight the complete truth and is terrified that he, unused to children, will lose patience and throw them all out into the street. She is surprised to find him tolerant of the children's antics (the scene with Laura Beth in Knight's study drawing is hysterical!) and he is surprised to find himself not only enjoying the children, but also incredibly attracted to Lily. Of course what neither of them knows is that Knight's cousin was murdered and that somewhere among Lily and the children's things are hidden jewels that two criminals are looking for thus endangering Lily and the children. So there's the mystery of the jewels to be solved, and the relationship of Lily and Knight to be resolved with lots of fun along the way.

This was a nice, sweet story and Knight and Lily make a cute couple. An enjoyable read!

My favorite in the trilogy!!.......2001-08-07

Knight Winthrop, the confirmed bachelor and cynic of marriage, is thrown off balance with the beautiful Lily and her ex-fiance's children. I loved this book for the humor and love shared between the children and adults especially. It is the most exciting and enticing book of the trilogy. But, forewarning don't expect this in Night Storm...it's horrible. Three cheers for Night Shadow, though.

Read this book!.......2001-05-02

Theo, Sam and Laura Beth's antics made me roar with laughter and with every page I read I fell in love with Knight. I especially love the scene with Laura Beth and her debacle with the ink on Knight's desk. I have several of Ms. Coulter's books and have enjoyed all of them immensely. I always find myself reading them over and over. I have started buying up her earlier novels and plan to own them all. If you haven't read this book please do! You won't be disappointed!

The Shadow and Night (The Lamb Among the Stars)

Average customer rating:

Do You Really Want This Book?
They individually determine right from wrong, and choose good or evil
Amazing story.
Excellent story
good book

The Shadow and Night (The Lamb Among the Stars)
Chris Walley
Manufacturer: Tyndale House Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Science Fiction & Fantasy | Fiction | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

The Dark Foundations (The Lamb among the Stars)
Power of the Night (The Lamb Among the Stars)
Shadow at Evening (The Lamb Among the Stars, Book 1)
Return of the Guardian-King (Legends of the Guardian-King)
Father of Dragons (Binding of the Blade)

ASIN: 1414313276

Book Description

In the spirit of C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lamb among the Stars series weaves the worlds of science and the spirit, technology and supernatural into something unique and haunting. On the faraway planet of Farholme, humans live in peace under the gentle rule of the Assembly. War and evil are ancient history. But suddenly, almost imperceptibly, things begin to change. Slowly a handful of men and women begin to realize that evil has returned and it must be fought.

Customer Reviews:

Do You Really Want This Book?.......2007-08-04

If you started reading the series, don't buy this book!! It is just as excellent as the first two books, because it IS the first two books! This is a combo of "Shadow at Evening" and "Power in the Night"-- sure wish something somewhere had informed me of this. Now I have a spare "loaner" book.

They individually determine right from wrong, and choose good or evil.......2007-06-06

Book two of Chris Walley's dynamic Stars Wars action-drama It is the year 13851, in a "made world" on the edge of the Assembly, Farholme, where forester Merral Stefan D'Avanos first recognizes that something is amiss in his idyllic homeland. As a frequenter of the wilds, Merral does a fair bit of traveling in and around the country, so he's familiar with nature and its inhabitants.

While visiting relatives, he and his uncle dream unsettling thoughts, his cousin then sees a cockroach-type creature behind their home, and other undercurrents of unrest subtly reveal themselves. A slight attitude shift here, an angry response there, a measure of truth bending --- this is all unheard of in this new world where good and evil never co-exist.

Merral is called upon to investigate his cousin's strange sighting along with a sentinel from Ancient Earth, Vero, who has been summoned by Farholme's resident guardian sentinel. Not used to any type of inner struggle between good and evil, Merral soon finds himself experiencing unfamiliar thoughts and emotions, and is more troubled by these internal debates than any outward foe.

After a brief excursion to investigate the surrounding areas, Merral and Vero discover to their great dismay an infestation of apelike creatures as well as the cockroach type --- each one is aggressively out to kill them. The two are rescued after a battle-weary night, and Farholme, along with the Assembly, must ready themselves for further attacks.

Meetings are called, decisions are made and teams are formed, placing Merral and Vero front and center of the onslaught. Together, they join with two sisters --- one a biologist, the other a pilot --- to develop strategies to preserve their planet. Space travel, a sabotaged gate entry and information leakage all serve to threaten the team's proposed plans of defense. Soon, it becomes clear through spiritual revelation and ever-escalating circumstances that Merral and company are faced with a fight for their lives.

After much deliberation, Merral leads a crew to the enemy's space vessel hoping to offer peace. Merral watches as these slim hopes are destroyed and then forges ahead in attack. What he finds inside the ship is devastating to him, though he is helped by an angelic guide. Merral soon realizes that his most formidable enemies are not those with whom he engages in hand-to-hand combat. Rather, this enemy is seeking to destroy him and his fellow Farholme inhabitants from the inside out --- making each man or woman their own worst enemy.

At the close of THE SHADOW AND NIGHT, Merral now understands that everything he's known and lived for, everything his race has stood for, may now hang in the balance as they individually determine right from wrong, and choose good or evil.

--- Reviewed by Michele Howe

Amazing story........2007-03-05

I enjoy reading Sci-Fi. Usually I'll pick up a Star Wars novel, and finish reading it in a few sittings. I was at the bookstore one day, and this seemed to jump off the shelf, so I bought it. It began somewhat slow, and I had to force myself through the beginning. However, as the plot began to thicken, I was drawn into the story, and the characters. Chris Walley has a unique way of writing that forces you to care for the characters, as if you knew them personally.

Along with the characters, Walley brings in a unique viewpoint on the Christian Faith, which I found most engaging. It forced me to look at my own life, and think "Is this right?"

This book, and its sequel, are honestly 2 of the greatest books I have read in the many years I have been alive. And I have read a good lot of books.

Whether you are a religious person such as myself, just a fan of sci-fi, or a little of both, this book will keep your mind going long after you finish.

Now all we need is the final in the series. I, for one, cannot wait.

Excellent story.......2007-02-23

When I watch the news I sometimes wonder what it would be like to live in a world where evil didn't exist. What if we didn't need an army, or police, or weapons? Where no one lied, everyone could be trusted, and envy was unheard of? Well, that's the way it was in Farholme, a Made World, copied from Ancient earth, until Merral Stefan D'Avanos saw what he thought was a meteor streaking against the night sky. Suddenly, the peaceful world of Farholme began to change.

At first he barely noticed the changes. There were just hints that something was wrong; a deception, a vision, a show of fear. Then Vero, a Sentinel from Ancient Earth showed up to check out what was going on. As Vero and Merral began the investigation, they became embroiled in a desperate battle agains the powers of evil. At first they didn't understand what was happening to Farholme, but both men believed in God and they were willing to follow wherever He led them.

Chris Walley has created a world so vivid it seems almost real. This is a fascinating story of the battle between good and evil with a different twist. Full of action and suspense and engaging characters, it pulled me into the story from page one.

good book.......2007-02-18

The third book in the series. excellent sci-fi tale of good and evil.

Twilight Illusions: Wings in The Night ( Silhouette Shadows #47)

Average customer rating:

Great book
If you can find this book, read it

Twilight Illusions: Wings in The Night ( Silhouette Shadows #47)
Maggie Shayne
Manufacturer: Silhouette
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Romance | Subjects | Books

General | Contemporary | Romance | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Twilight Begins (Twilight Series Books 1 & 2)
Twilight Phantasies (Silhouette Shadows) (Silhouette Intrigue) (Shadows (Silhouette))
Twilight Hunger (Twilight Series Book 7)
Embrace The Twilight (Twilight Series Book 8)
$Two By Twilight: Run From Twilight\Twilight Vows (Twilight Series Book 9)$ Two By Twilight: Run From Twilight\Twilight Vows (Twilight Series Book 9)

ASIN: 037327047X

Customer Reviews:

Great book.......2000-02-22

While I still believe the second in the series "Twilight Memories" is my favorite, this book stands up well with the rest of the Wings of the Night series. The explanations of the legends of Gilgamesh was fascinating and returning the characters from the previous books was inspired as well. The hero is outstanding. The heroine isn't my favorite but the rest of the book makes up for any fault to be found in her.

If you can find this book, read it.......1999-07-09

I loved this book. You really start to care about the charactors and what happens to them. Get it!

Night of Long Shadows: The Inquisitives, Book 2 (The Inquisitives)

Average customer rating:

Noir, Pulp and Humor come together perfectly!
Pleasant Change of Pace
Good Entry
Uninspired, boring, and pretty lame.
Muder mystery meets Eberron, great results

Night of Long Shadows: The Inquisitives, Book 2 (The Inquisitives)
Paul Crilley
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Epic | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

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

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Bound By Iron: Inquisitives, Book 1 (Inquisitives)
Legacy Of Wolves: The Inquisitives, Book 3 (The Inquisitives)
Forge of the Mind Slayers: The Blade of the Flame, Book 2 (The Blade of the Flame)
The Left Hand of Death: The Lanternlight Files, Book 1 (The Lanternlight Files)
Flight of the Dying Sun: Heirs of Ash, Book 2 (Heirs of Ash)

ASIN: 0786942703
Release Date: 2007-05-08

Book Description

Explore the dark under-belly of Khorvaire with Eberron's version of the private detective - The Inquisitives!

Nights of the Long Shadow: the three nights of the year when the darkest powers of the world gain strength and rise to prey upon the unwary. When one of Sharn's most famed Inquisitives is hired to investigate a brutal murder at Morgrave University, his brilliance may be his damnation, as he uncovers a trail of blood leading from the deediest neighborhoods of the City of Towers to the highest reaches of power.

Customer Reviews:

Noir, Pulp and Humor come together perfectly!.......2007-07-07

The Night of Long Shadows is a fantasy novel, replete with elves, dwarves, half-elves, hobgoblins and Eberron-specific creatures such as Warforged and Shifters. It is also a noir mystery in the finest tradition of Dashiell Hammett, with (literally) backstabbing damsels, a famed Inquisitive and his trusty, if cynical sidekick, and an anti-hero who seems happier in the dark alleys, handing out black eyes and broken jaws at the whim of his employer, a halfling named Tiel (who reminds me of Joe Pesci's character in Goodfellas, without the cuss words!).

Thus, do the plans of dwarves and half-elves go astray, when Wren, a famed half-elf inquisitive (re: detective) is called to the brutal murder of a professor at Margrave University. The only witness is Torin, Wren's dwarf sidekick, who places Cutter at the scene of the crime.

Cutter is a human bruiser with a dragon tattoo and twin blades taken from the leader of a band of elves who had enslaved him for three years. His primary goal is to save up enough money to run off with his girlfriend Rowan and begin a new life, away from the nastiness of Teil Boromar, the leader of a crime syndicate trying to advance to the literal top of Sharn, City of Towers. These three are the story's main characters.

Wren and Torin are to Eberron as Holmes and Watson are to London, England. They are constantly bickering and are rightly accused of acting like an old married couple (Torin's wife supposedly hates Wren, who seems positively terrified of her). The humor doesn't get in the way of their abilities, and Wren shows himself to be intelligent and carefully observant. Torin keeps Wren in line.

Mr. Crilley expertly balances the humor with Wren's professionalism, Torin's stoicism and Cutter's dark need for vengeance and destruction. Make no mistake, this isn't a book for kids under 10. There is a LOT of blood and guts spilled. Torture, while occurring off stage, leads to messy results and a powerful, emotional message is told as we see our characters face death and attempt to overcome it, or at least move beyond.
This is, at its heart, a dark story of redemption...and it is a very good one.

The mystery takes the characters from the seediest underbelly of Sharn to its highest towers, with a shadowy warforged intent on destroying any "softskins" that he happens upon. Prison breaks, leaps from burning towers and the sky literally falling are just some of the obstacles that Wren, Torin and Cutter must face in order to discover what's happening.
At no point does the author telegraph what's coming, making the mystery a real-time event, just as it is to the characters. We learn as they do.

What keeps this book from being a full five star novel is one major quibble I have, which some people might not agree with, but for me, is something my mind couldn't get past:

There are characters that appear out of nowhere and, in the course of one or two chapters, either disappear, never to be seen again, or die. In one case, the "convenient" characters have a long past with our heroes, but serve little purpose other than to assist our heroes with one goal...the final outcome of this sequence bugged me a little, but no to such a detriment as to make me dislike the story. It just seemed too convenient to me that they should be there for just this one event...and then be gone. I WANTED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THEM!! And that, also, is a mark of an excellent writer, that such short-lived characters should engender such a reaction.

Aside from this one issue, the rest of the novel is nothing but a fun, frightening romp into the land of black-and-white noir (a la The Maltese Falcon) and pulp fiction (Indiana Jones, the most recent and obvious incarnation).

The story (and the mystery itself) is solid, the characters are emotionally fulfilling and interesting. Mr. Crilley's writing is smooth and easy to read (minus a glaring computer glich that repeated an entire paragraph - it's good to know that neither writer nor editor are to blame...these things happen from time to time...but it was still a noticeable speedbump in the flow of the story). He knows how to write good action sequences and how to tell a complicated mystery without making it seem complicated.

Best of all, he has created two iconic characters, Wren and Torin. Let me just say that the final sentence of the novel absolutely made the entire book emotionally satsifying for me.

I enjoyed The Night of Long Shadows, but Mr. Crilley ended the story in the best possible way, and realizing how it could have ended, makes it that much better.

Highly recommended for fans of mystery, fantasy and good writing.

Pleasant Change of Pace.......2007-06-28

While this book is as action-packed as others in it's genre, it also has a quality that's missing from most WotC novels. The mystery presented in Night of the Long Shadows is deep enough to not be obvious (at least obvious to me) and the characters are all likeable and endearing. I was reminded of the interplay between Bruenor Battlehammer and Regis at some points. As an avid gamer I had my doubts about Eberron but books like these are helping to bring me around. I hope I get to read more of Paul's work in the future!

Good Entry.......2007-06-27

I've only started reading Eberron books with "The Inquisitives" Series, and this was a very enjoyable read for me. I'm not really familiar with D&D, so a few elements had me asking around for clarification, but overall, I loved the pacing, the dialogue, and the action. While the dialogue flowed perfectly, I could have used a bit more description when it came to scenery, objects, and characters.

There were some laugh-out-loud moments, and I would love to see a series of books featuring Wren and Torin.

Looking forward to the rest of The Inquisitives books, and more from Paul Crilley as well.

Uninspired, boring, and pretty lame........2007-06-21

I've been reading TSR/Wizards of the Coast books for about 20 years and I've just about read them all. This one falls toward the bottom of the list. Right down there with the Volo. Any book that starts off with a fighter character with a name like "Cutter" automatically puts me off, but I decided to ignore that and chalk it up as a possible lapse in judgement. After about a hundred pages I actually had to put this one down...and I haven't done that in years. I'll usually just slog through stuff just to maintain knowledge of how the author works to flush out the setting of Eberron or Forgotten Realms. The fight scenes were silly. I felt like I was reading a Batman tv script without the "BASH!", "SLAM!", and "KERBAM!". Many of these books are predictable, as in you know the good guy/protagonist character will win out, but this one was silly. Don't waste your time with this one. There are plenty of better Wizards books to read. Mr. Crilley, please go read some of Bob Salvatore's books to get a better idea of how fight scenes should be put together.

Muder mystery meets Eberron, great results.......2007-05-27

Night of the Long Shadows by Paul Crilley is the second book in a series of stand alone novels set in the Eberron world. The series it titled The Inquisitives, the first book is Bound By Iron: Inquisitives, Book 1 (Inquisitives) by Edward Bolme, the third book is Legacy Of Wolves: The Inquisitives, Book 3 (Eberron Novel: The Inquisitives)by Marshheila Rockwell scheduled for release in June, 2007 and the fourth book is The Darkwood Mask by Jeff LaSala, to date this novel has no release date. If the first two books, Bound by Iron and Night of the Long Shadows, are any indication of the two forthcoming novels in this series, then I have nothing but high expectations for this series as a whole.

Before I get into this review, I would be remiss if I didn't suggest that people read a story in the anthology called Tales of the Last War. The short story in the book by Mr. Crilley titled Death before Dawn features at least one character that is found in this book. Reader do not need to read this story of course, but having read it before this full length novel adds a certain familiarity with one of the characters as well as a little more understanding of a couple things.

The plot of this book, at least on the surface, seems rather straight forward. It almost reads like, Sherlock Holmes meets Eberron. It starts off as a tale of an Inquisitive trying to solve a murder, however, this novel quickly becomes anything but another murder mystery. The plot found in this novel is actually several smaller plots wound together with a much larger plot in the background. However, the large plot does not truly reveal itself until the novel is all but over, which makes it that much more interesting. Mr. Crilley has a knack for writing plot twists into his stories, as evident from this novel and the short story mentioned earlier. I would talk more about the subplots of this story, but really don't want to spoil anything for anyone. Suffice to say that Mr. Crilley has obviously taken great pains to incorporate several plot elements that even the most observant of readers may miss. As a reader of many fantasy novels, I appreciate the extra effort that appears to have been put into the plotting of this story.

The characters in this book at as well thought out and constructed as the plot lines. There are many characters in this book that will be memorable for one reason or another. Characters such as Wren, Torin, and Cutter to name a few. The majority of characters in this book are not the typical one dimensional, cliché ridden characters found in other fantasy books. Mr. Crilley's characters have a way of feeling an old pair of shoes. Even though they are new characters, they still feel like I have read about them several times before. It took very little time for me to be interested in the characters individually and as a whole. Being this interested in the characters, and having a solid plot, made for an enjoyable read that flew by. It's evident that Mr. Crilley put considerable time into the creation of these characters, that effort was not lost on me.

Some things I really enjoyed about this novel are the ease at which Mr. Crilley's prose flows. I often found myself starting a page only to realize that forty-five minutes had passed. There were very few, if any, `dull' points in this novel. The pace was almost nonstop. The banter between Torin and Wren made for some truly enjoyable moments in what is largely a dark story. I particularly enjoyed the character Cutter. From the first introduction of him, to the last sentence about him he continues to grow and expand. I can easily see more being written about him, and several of the other characters.

Some minor, very minor, criticisms about this novel. I would have liked to have known a little more about the warforged involved in the story. I think I would maybe have liked to see the pace of the book slowed down a little at times. Don't take that sentence the wrong way though, the pace worked well, but there were times when I think a little slow down may have benefited the feel and buildup of the overall story. Also, the character of Kayla just didn't work for me. When she was in the story the parts seemed a little strained and didn't have the normal flow. This could very well be something personal with me though.

Overall, I really enjoyed this novel. It's an excellent addition to the Eberron world. This book, and the other in this series, are very good novels for people just starting to read about Eberron. One does not need to know about Eberron to truly enjoy either book. This is certainly a book I will be recommending to people in the future.

Darkness and daylight: Or, Lights and shadows of New York life ; a pictorial record of personal experiences by day and night in the great metropolis

Average customer rating:

Darkness and daylight: Or, Lights and shadows of New York life ; a pictorial record of personal experiences by day and night in the great metropolis
Helen Campbell
Manufacturer: Hartford Pub. Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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