Book Description
Succubus (n.) An alluring, shape-shifting demon who seduces and pleasures mortal men. Pathetic (adj.) A succubus with great shoes and no social life. See: Georgina Kincaid.
When it comes to jobs in hell, being a succubus seems pretty glamorous. A girl can be anything she wants, the wardrobe is killer, and mortal men will do anything just for a touch. Granted, they often pay with their souls, but why get technical?
But Seattle succubus Georgina Kincaid's life is far less exotic. Her boss is a middle-management demon with a thing for John Cusack movies. Her immortal best friends haven't stopped teasing her about the time she shape-shifted into the Demon Goddess getup complete with whip and wings. And she can't have a decent date without sucking away part of the guy's life. At least there's her day job at a local bookstore--free books; all the white chocolate mochas she can drink; and easy access to bestselling, sexy writer, Seth Mortensen, aka He Whom She Would Give Anything to Touch but Can't.
But dreaming about Seth will have to wait. Something wicked is at work in Seattle's demon underground. And for once, all of her hot charms and drop-dead one-liners won't help because Georgina's about to discover there are some creatures out there that both heaven and hell want to deny...
"What an incredible debut novel! Succubus Blues is exciting, witty, sexy, intriguing and had me captivated from the first page." --Cheyenne McCray, author of Seduced by Magic
Customer Reviews:
Four and a Half Stars.......2007-09-16
Georgina Kincaid is a succubus, living in Seattle, working by day in a bookstore whilst at the same time trying to squeeze in her otherworldly duties. However, there are more deadly things at play in Seattle as Georgina is about to discover.
Sometimes you read the first page of a book and you just know you're in for a wonderful read. Succubus Blues takes us into the life of the working demon and makes it real. It shows how the road to hell can be paved with good intentions, and illustrates how the concepts of good and evil are ambiguous.
As it's written in the first person we are immediately drawn into Georgina's world; which is so like our own. She has her friends (Hugh the imp, Cody her vampire dancing partner) and her enemies, and she has to please her boss - Jerome the archdemon.
Georgina is a witty and self-deprecating protagonist and as we get to know her through the course of the story we become aware of her sadness as well. She is a succubus with all that entails, and although there are romantic elements to this story, I would classify it as urban fantasy rather than romance. The life of the succubus is not glamorised, and although there are sexual situations, the sex scenes when they take place are not gratuitous. Indeed given the subject matter you may have expected more.
There is a lack of strong female secondary characters but given Georgina's nature perhaps this is not surprising. And the male characters more than make up for this - Seth, the shy, reserved writer, who Georgina not so secretly hero-worships; Hugh, Peter and Cody - her friends; and the surprising double act of Jerome (the local archdemon) and Carter (the angel) who, whenever they appear, steal the scene. You really feel you're gaining an insight into the lives of these `evil' immortals, and at the end of the story it's hard to say whether any of them are intrinsically evil or good - they are all just trying to do the best they can.
Like Cool Ranch Doritos.......2007-09-12
Push off all the books stacked on your nightstand and make a nice space for Succubus Blues by Richelle Mead. Don't worry, the space won't be occupied long. This is one of those books like a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos. All of a sudden you look down and realize that you just finished off the whole dang thing in one sitting.
Georgina Kincaid sold her soul a millenia ago to spare her family. Now she's an immortal succubus and keeps her youthful glow by screwing men. The pure upright and moral souls give her a bigger fix. Although her mission is to rack up more souls for Hell, she's a likeable gal. Without giving away the whole delcious story, I'll just throw in these other factors: a demon boss who looks like John Cussak, one of God's own angels, and Georgina's favorite author who turns out to be an introverted geek...yet somehow freakin steaming hot.
Now, you'd think with a succubus as a main character, the story would be porn ala Laurel K. Hamilton. Surprisingly, there's only one significant sex scene (and significant it is!). Unlike Hamilton, Mead has whipped up a fresh new mythology based on old world legends, with likeable characters that have serious room to grow. Good news is that this is book one in a series. Book two, Succubus on Top is due out in December.
Her contemporary fantasy writing style is like Kim Harrison, Rachel Caine, Carrie Vaughn and Patricia Briggs. Good company, I'm tellin ya!
I really wanted to like this one...........2007-09-09
:::::SPOILIER ALERT:::::::
You know, after reading the first chapter, I was really looking forward to this one. It seemed witty and interesting (the life of a succubus)because I've always liked seeing the story from the other side. I like the grey area. It seems more true to real life. So that said, why the low rating?
Well, first of all, it really dragged along the first 100 pages. I mean really dragged on. Yes, I know it was meant to show Gorgina's life as ordinary, not so different from humans (asst. manager job at bookstore)and all the mundane daily riturals, well except for the succubus part. From walking to work, working at the cafe, playing with her cat, obsessing over an auther etc. But, I felt some of it could have be shortened to move the story along. It just wasn't engaging enough. I mean why else do you pick up a book.
Second, Georgina seemed pretty clueless about her own world. I mean she really knew nothing about fallen angels, how the other creatures of the night could be killed...including herself. For someone as old as her, you would think she'd have plenty of time to ponder and find out answers. I mean,I knew more than her. Yes, I know this is fantasy, but it has to be made in a way thats believable for the reader.
::::::Spoiler Alert::::::::::::
Thirdly, I really stopped sympathizing for her about a third of the way through. Okay, yes she's a succubus but really that part was okay with me. But, she lolled back and forth with Seth and Roman. So torn but engulfed in either or depending on who was with her at the moment. That I could bare with, since it was an act at character growth (feeling for these men, but torn with being a succubus)but man did she drag them through the dirt. But the real killer for me was when she finally found out who the "bad guy" so to speak was, and after soul searching :) she was going to run away with him, if he chose to back down. After he pours his heart out to her, confesses everthing about his beaten life on the lamb, and decides to back down...what does she do...hang him out to dry. Then when the other boyfriend comes around (just when things start to get ugly because of her betrayal), she decides, well its actually this one I love not the other one (who's being destroyed as we speak). And she has no second thought (regret or pity) about the other, well except the fear for her own life.
It really put a bad taste in my mouth. I'm not one of those who always looks for a happy ending. But, when it come to the main character of a series, you have to at least like her or you know sympathize with her, to be interested in seeing her life unfold.
Oh well, I know this wasn't the nicest review and I'm sorry about that but, I couldn't help commenting when I'd been so terribly disappointed with it.
I know authors can take down comments if they feel its unfair. And I honestly don't feel its unfair, as well as others I've talked too. So, we shall see if she reads this....and if its gone....we'll know she deleted it.
Surprisingly delightful.......2007-09-05
It's hard to like a succubus, but Mead makes her character very enticing with Kincaid's internal conflicts. The author blends various types of fantasy with not only a compelling storyline but also with an overarching conflict that obviously will continue with sequels. Mead deftly twists her plot so readers will be carried along without intuiting the ending. I'm excited the sequel will be coming in Dec. '08. This is definitely a series to watch with its appealing characters.
Very Surprised.......2007-08-21
I resisted reading this book for quite awhile. From the cover and the title, I thought it would be filled with a lot of gratuitous sex and very little plot. I was wrong. This book was GOOD. The characters were realistic and compelling, and I can't wait until the next book comes out.
Customer Reviews:
Buy this book!!.......2007-10-03
Dante "Danny" Valentine is angry, confused, has a bad past (what bounty hunter doesn't?), obsesses about her dead lover, and deals with her problems and feelings by trying to avoid them. She's no Buffy, although she does have a run-in with some vampires. All in all, an intelligent, well-thought-out universe, a rip-roaring story, and just enough confusion about what is going on in this future history to make you work harder to understand the motivations and actions of the characters. I wish I had written it!
Dante's Dark Past.......2007-09-26
The novel is Dante's backstory served up with a serial killer murder mystery plot. The witty quips that gave the first novel panache are replaced by an atmosphere of serious angst at unspeakable deeds. Compared to the humor/action/drama balance of book one, this novel was more ordeal than enjoyment. It fills out the world of the Hegemony, but also introduces overdone supernatural elements like vampires (Nichtvren) and were(cain). An average novel, hoping later books are as good as the first.
Loved it as much as the first one!.......2007-09-05
Love Dante's character in this series. Couldn't wait to read this sequel to Working for the Devil to find out what problems arose for her this go round! I was not disappointed. If you love Dante Valentine you'll love this one. Lot's of action, suspense, tears, anguish, pain, *happiness*...it was a read on the edge of your seat kinda book. The Devil has come looking for her again. Dark and edgy.
Number 1 on My List.......2007-08-09
You can read any one of the 50 or 60 plot synopses on the reviewers page, but let me cut to the chase. This book is about grief: gut-wrenching, oh-god-make-it-stop, end-of-the-word grief.
Saintcrow's Dante Valentine is one of the most "beat-up" characters I've ever encountered in a book. She is so inundated by loss, she goes through the entire story afloat on a sea of emotional agony, most engendered by the loss she experienced in the last book (also a good read, but not as emotional), but much by the resurrected ghosts of her own past that she must deal with in this installment. Either way, Valentine's in a world of hurt, and Saintcrow's writing draws you into that pain, tosses you about on the waves, and lands you, cathartic, on surprisingly soft shore.
The story is fast-paced, the characters interesting and sympathetic, and the world enticing. This is dark urban fantasy at its best.
Fascinating!.......2007-07-28
In Lilth Saintcrow's latest Dante Valentine novel, the scene is set for about a year later, several months and Dante is still mourning over the loss of Japh. She keeps his urn that is filled with his remains and tries to keep herself busy with hunts so that she won't think about Japh. Not that she needs the money that they provide, for she is still set for life from the devil's payment from last time.
But suddenly people Dante knows from her past are dying. They are the same people that suffered with her at the horrendous Rigger Hall and the devious and evil headmaster, who was brutally murdered by some of the students one fataful night and it is these setudents involved who are being killed. Dante doesn't want to take the case at first, because than she would be forced to remember Rigger Hall and all its horrors, but eventually complies. Still having Jace live with her, together they set out and do the research required to solve the case. But things start to getr serious.
For one thing the Devil has been calling upon her asking for Japh, who is dead. Dante is furious and confused by this. Why would he call asking for Japh, when it was he who killed him? As Dante gets closer to discovering the mystery behind the murders another death close to home occurs. It is then Dante has had enough and decides that she will do this hunt alone and finish it, even if she loses her own life. But when it comes to the final battle some unexpected help comes her way.
Overall a great book. At times it did run a little slow, like the characters were going in circles, but eventually after a few pages the action does pick up. The next Dante novel is due out in Sept. Then another in Nov. And the last one in Jan. 08!
Average customer rating:
- Strong Supernatural Fiction
- Super Reader
- Catching book
- Dark and Original
- Very good paranormal adventure
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Working for the Devil (Dante Valentine, Book 1)
Lilith Saintcrow
Manufacturer: Warner Books
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Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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ASIN: 0446616702 |
Book Description
When the Devil needs a rogue demon killed, who does he call? The Player: Necromance-for-hire Dante Valentine is choosy about her jobs.Hot tempered and with nerves of steel, she can raise the dead like nobody's business. But one rainy Monday morning, everything goes straight to hell. The Score: The Devil hires Dante to eliminate a rogue demon: Vardimal Santino. In return, he will let her live. It's an offer she can't refuse. The Catch:How do you kill something that can't die?
Customer Reviews:
Strong Supernatural Fiction.......2007-09-23
The first novel in Saintcrow's Dante Valentine series is equal to any in the modern urban fantasy genre. Equal to Jim Butcher (Dresden Files) and Rachel Caine (The Hollows). Better than the rest.
Dante is a smart, competent, tough, girl with an interesting supernatural power of being a Necromance. She speaks with the dead, but as a side-job collects bounties on supernatural criminals. Her action scenes are pithy, and I especially like how Dante will think something sarcastic, and then say it, not really caring about the consequences.
Plotwise, the novel went fast. The romantic overtones influenced the plot, but remained minor points, not hijacking the pace at all. Setting was acceptable, though I thought Saintcrow better described a walk in Hell than the political landscape of her future society. I wasn't sure how large or what form of government the Hegemony was.
The characters Dante ends up running with are each memorable in their own way. Two big plusses were 1.) wasn't a single vampire in the novel, and 2.) novel is set in more than one city. I highly recommend this work if you like modern supernatural stories.
Super Reader.......2007-08-31
For a book that looks like it is supposed to be a romance type novel, it is actually pretty light on the mushy stuff, so much so that is is almost absent. More towards the early Hamilton or Harrison books, and fairly straight urban fantasy.
The main character is a Necromance. This does mean what it suggests. She is a very low rent necromancer. She carries a sword. Your average powerful wizard type doesn't need to bother.
The plot could be straight out of Hellblazer. Lucifer wants something done, the demons are trying to play each other over a mystic object and a breeding scheme for power.
She is hired to get in the middle, and ends up working with a demon partner.
Catching book.......2007-08-27
Definitely liked the book, but I have to admit it was a bit hard to read. There were many references to things I didn't understand, which was a bit boring at times since I kept on losing interest in the book. I liked Dante, her her personal development, and I definitely liked the supporting characters, but the romance she later developed with the demon was a little odd.
Overall, it was an entertaining read. Will I read the next book? Most likely.
Dark and Original.......2007-08-10
Necromancer Dante Valentine makes a deal with the devil. Dante must hunt down and kill a rogue demon. In exchange, Lucifer will let Dante live. It's not much of a choice. But when Dante realizes that the rogue demon was the one who murdered her friend years ago, she becomes all the more eager to hunt down the killer. With a lesser demon tagging along for protection, Dante will be getting into more than she bargained for.
Dante Valentine is a headstrong, independent, and powerful necromancer, able to raise the dead. When trouble comes her way, she faces it head on. And only grudgingly accepts help from others. She's a complex character who sometimes seems to have a death wish, but also feels deeply for those she cares about.
Working for the Devil is a very dark and gritty urban fantasy, with plenty of action and suspense. Danger lurks around every corner, as everyone seems to want Dante dead. Saintcrow has created a unique futuristic society blending magic and advanced technology. With more heartache than romance, the story is a cross between a crime novel and an early Anita Blake book.
I'm looking forward to the next installment, Dead Man Rising, to see what's next for Dante and to get another glimpse into Saintcrow's original world.
Very good paranormal adventure.......2007-08-02
There is one thing that I find quite annoying about this book. Its not the authors fault as the Christian Theologians had messed up the titles and classification of the various critters in hell by the mid 1600s and Milton and the romantics made it worse. Among other things Lucifer means light bearer or more appropriately one who enlightens (in the Eastern sense). Lucifer was a title applied to Christ (maqybe Milton was taking a snide aside at the church).
On with the review.
The author has created an interesting world with some futuristic touches and has done a good job of it. (As a physicist I have trouble swallowing anti gravity [as gravity is a curvature of space/time caused by concentrations of mass] but hey its a fantasy).
The characters are well drawn but only two are really compelling. The plot is pretty linear with a little humor as the villains hide out. With a better plot I would have rated it considerably higher. But its still a real good read.
Average customer rating:
- Lilith: First and Final
- I was disappointed
- Slow to get going but worth the wait
- Fairly Good
- In a class by itself
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Lilith
George MacDonald
Manufacturer: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0802860613 |
Amazon.com
"Lilith is equal if not superior to the best of Poe," the great 20th-century poet W.H. Auden said of this novel, but the comparison only begins to touch on the richness, density, and wonder of this late 19th-century adult fantasy novel. First published in 1895 (inhabiting a universe with the early Yeats, George Bernard Shaw, and Oscar Wilde--not to mention Thomas Hardy), this is the story of the aptly named Mr. Vane, his magical house, and the journeys into another world into which it leads him.
Meeting up with one mystery after another, including Adam and Eve themselves, he slowly but surely explores the mystery of the human fall from grace, and of our redemption. Instructed into the ways of seeing the deeper realities of this world--seeing, in a sense, by the light of the spirit--the reader and Mr. Vane both sense that MacDonald writes from his own deep experience of radiance, from a bliss so profound that death's darkness itself is utterly eclipsed in its light. --Doug Thorpe
Book Description
After he followed the old man through the mirror, nothing in his life was ever right again. It was a special mirror, and the man he followed was a special man ?
Download Description
Lilith, by nineteenth-century Christian novelist, George MacDonald, is the chronicle of five trips taken by its narrator, Mr. Vane, into another world where, under the spell of MacDonald's extraordinary imagination, he explores the ultimate mystery of evil.
Customer Reviews:
Lilith: First and Final.......2007-08-07
The Johannesen edition of George MacDonald's Lilith is a truly valuable library addition for any literary student or MacDonald scholar. Not only is the Johannesen text hardbound in a slick, dark green cover with gold leafing for the front cover and spine, as well as the highly durable, acid-free pages within, but the fact that the Johannesen edition contains both the final, printed version of Lilith and the original, handwritten manuscript ("Lilith A") that has never before been published. Because of this, the serious MacDonald reader can now study the author's original work alongside the final version.
MacDonald was a true believer in the power of revision and loved to make his works even greater. He was said to have written the entire first version of Lilith in a single setting - completely under the inspiration of God. However, as time continued, he created multiple drafts out of his original idea before the final version was published. The "Lilith A" manuscript is, in essence, a completely different work and is about 174 pages with appropriate markings for words that MacDonald marked out, as well as the original page breaks.
Again, this is an attractive edition and is well worth the price for any literary student, not to mention the fact that the Johannesen editions of MacDonald's works are considered to be authoritative. Hopefully, this review has been helpful - happy shopping.
I was disappointed.......2007-07-02
I loved George MacDonald as a child, and looked for this book unsuccessfully for several years. When I finally found it I was excited, but when I read it I was not crazy about it. It seems very dated (and I love many other old novels) and the allegory is both too obvious and too complicated. The main character is just not engaging. Overall, I was underwhelmed.
Slow to get going but worth the wait.......2007-06-18
I don't usually give a book 7 chapters to get going but it's George MacDonald and I wanted to see it through. The book is wildly imaginative which is what I always like about his work and has some lofty themes. I would recommend it to any fantasy buff.
Fairly Good.......2006-11-24
This was a most interesting story which was entertaining but did not seem to have much meaning behind it. That or I missed it, cause most of MacDonald's stuff has depth. Like I said of Phantastes, this book is pure fairy tale, and should not be treated as a novel or more serious story.
Note that the whole concept of Adam having a first wife before Eve is very odd, but should not ruin the book. Regardless of content, the imagery is excellent, and the story itself is wierd but enjoyable. What tends to stick out most is its sureal events and places, which is precisely the details that make good fairy tales. (that and brief simplicity)
I must admit it is quite engrossing if the reader allows themselves to be drawn in, which tends to happen whether or not you want it to.
In a class by itself.......2006-11-16
This is a book unlike any other I have read. C.S. Lewis calls MacDonald his master but I couldn't figure out why until I read this book. Lilith is complex and stunning in its depth and imagery. I felt awakened after I read it.
Book Description
All Mariamne Niege wants to do is finish her thesis and get a job. Unfortunately, her life isn't that simple. She's a Guardian now, and her visions of the future have grown so intense she is literally blind to the world while in their grip. Not to mention that her Watcher, Hanson, is sleeping on her couch and scaring her roommates when he's not shepherding her through the visions and calming her progressively worsening nightmares. Then the earthquakes start, warning of an even bigger disaster approaching—a disaster that could level her beloved city and claim both hers and her best friend's lives. A disaster that her visions say could be triggered by Hanson.
Hanson has his own problems. He joined the Watchers to atone for a life of lies, but it seems the only way he can protect Mari is to use some of his less than honest talents. She is the only witch who can ease the agony of being a Watcher, and the only woman in the world he wants. But the distance between them grows daily, and the entire city is uneasy as the earthquakes start. Then Mari's house is broken into and her roommates slaughtered by the Dark. In order to save Mari from the evil that hunts her, he's going to have to become more of what frightens her. It's a hell of a choice, and one he isn't sure he can make...
Customer Reviews:
action a light drizzle; sappiness a storm [no spoilers].......2007-09-04
The sexual tension between Mari the water witch and Hanson the Watcher of "Storm Watcher" dominates the second novel in "The Watcher Series". Over a year has passed for the two of them yet every other page has Mari and Hanson thinking of touching each other, being near each other, smelling each other, and more, splitting the plots effectiveness. Extra words and some misspellings also detract from the flow.
As with the previous book, there is little substance behind the history of Circle Lightfall, a Lightbringer's enemies, or the characters. Mari encounters vicious monsters but outside of its name and the immediate threat, nothing further is clarified whether how such creatures are conjured or what specific Dark powers are available. The fights receive a fleeting account by cutting to the next chapter as the battle begins.
The series is pro-pagan; therefore those of a highly inflexible religious background or intolerant attitude towards religion might want to avoid the selection.
Thank you.
Not a very "spicy" read.......2007-03-24
Good story line, however the book could be hotter in the love department. I huuried to finish the book not because it provided excellent reading, but because I wanted the experience to be over quickly.
Not a bad read if that's all you have on your bookshelf!!!
#2 in the series.......2007-02-09
I really enjoyed Dark Watcher, which is why I bought Storm Watcher. This second book in the series delves a little deeper into the characters. Unfortunately, I had started reading this one about a month ago and had to put it aside for a time. I picked it up recently and haven't finished reading it, but it was easy getting back into the story. I'm looking forward to finishing this one and moving on the next in the series.
great read.......2006-09-05
This is the only book I have read in the series and it is not even the first, yet, I felt completely comfortable reading it. The book is short and covers a society that was new, but the author explained the basics in complete, concise voice so that the action was not put on hold.
The characters were likable and the hero sounded very sexy.
The herione was intelligent and strong, yet unsure of herself--very normal. I do plan to read more from this series.
Which witch?.......2006-05-19
Second in Saintcrow's Watcher series, this story features one of the witches who works in an occult shop. Mariamne is a water witch - her powers come from, use, and share water. But being a witch isn't her goal in life - she simply wants to finish her degree at the university and get a job in her field! But the untimely arrival of Hanson, her Watcher, disrupts her life and her studies. To Mari's dismay, Hanson's arrival also saved her life because her visions are so forceful that she's been blinded to reality at times, almost walking into traffic. Hanson moves into Mari's house to protect her, sleeping on the couch, which her fellow housemates find distinctly uncomfortable. But when earthquakes (or worse!) threaten Mari's city and friends, Mari sits up and takes notice of her gifts and her Watcher - trying to use both to save her life and the lives of those around her. I am enjoying the Watcher series, although I still have to put WORKING FOR THE DEVIL at the top of her list of works.
Book Description
In this first collection of her essays and short writings, Judith Plaskow, one of the founders of feminist theology and the founder of Jewish feminist theology, documents her personal and scholarly evolution. From her early days as a graduate student at Yale to her present work on sexual ethics, the essays in this volume trace Plaskow's work in feminist theology, Jewish feminist theology, and sexuality. Covering all of her major essays, including "The Coming of Lilith" and her pioneering work on anti-Judaism in Christian feminism, this book also includes several previously unpublished essays. Intelligently arranged and edited with the help of Donna Berman, this collection is indispensable for religious studies students, fans of Plaskow_s work, and those pursuing a Jewish education.
Book Description
The Lightbringer
Theodora Morgan knows she's a little strange. Her talent for healing has set her apart, marked her as different all her life—a life spent moving from town to town when too much notice is taken of her abilities. Unfortunately, her talent for healing has brought her to the attention of the Crusade—and the Dark. The Crusade wants her dead because she's psychic, the Dark wants to feed on her talent—and then there's Dante. Tall and grim and armed with black-bladed knives, guns and a sword, he says he's here to protect her. But what if Theo needs protection from him?
The Watcher
Dante is a Watcher, sworn by Circle Lightfall to protect the Lightbringers. His next assignment? Watch over Theo. She doesn't know she's a Lightbringer, she doesn't know she's surrounded by enemies—and she doesn't know she's been marked for death by a bunch of fanatics. Perfect. He can't protect her if she doesn't trust him, but how can she possibly trust a man scarred by murder and warfare—a man who smells like the same Darkness Theo has been running from all her life?
Customer Reviews:
A highly entertaining read & mildly entertaning.......2007-09-30
Lilith Saintcrow's slightly older series, by 3 years, starts out with a hit that's mildly entertaining. Don't get me wrong on saying it was all bad, it wasn't. It was pretty good, only it felt stuck. The characters didn't go anywhere really. The perspective was back and forth between the two main characters; Theo and Dante. Dante must protect Theo, a witch and a lightbringer from the Crusades, a nasty group with nasty and unearthly members, set on killing Theo. But Dante has some kind of darkness in him that he's worried will frighten Theo, but give him the strength to fight the Crusades. There are a few secrets that involve Theo's destiny. Dante is involved with one of them. Another comes at the end, when Theo and her witch friends are set on protecting their city from the Crusades. But the protection spell comes with a price; one of them must die, leaving the other three to protect the city. Theo will have to a choice to make and she will have to live with it, even if it costs her her life.
watching the series [no spoilers].......2007-09-04
"Dark Watcher" launches "The Watcher Series" with fantasy/romance elements during modern times in a city near Seattle. The story is fast-paced, not big on detailed environmental descriptions, and focuses on character interaction and thought. The book reads like a television series pilot where potentially interesting individuals are quickly established and leave much of the history and many issues unresolved for later development.
Theodora Morgan performs a different sort of magick because she is an independent green witch. Since she's not affiliated with an organization, as a Watcher Dante's mission is to protect her for prospective recruitment into Circle Lightfall. He's one of the best in the business but around her the professional Dante turn into an infatuated softy and their relations becomes rather hokey.
Other than a short moment during the final battle, all multi-opponent fights are depicted in passing. One-on-one fights fetch passable acknowledgment. Still the riddles about Dante's mysterious past, Circle Lightfall, and the Watchers among others are hopefully addressed in future novels.
The series is pro-pagan; therefore those of a highly inflexible religious background or intolerant attitude towards religion might want to avoid the selection.
Thank you.
A bit of a let-down.......2007-06-29
When I first started reading "Dark Watcher", I thought it had potential. The plot seemed like a good idea: witches being hunted down by the bad guys and protected by slightly less bad guys, who happen to be hunks. Okay, not bad. But then it went downhill and became mediocre. Dante seemed like he could have been a very interesting character if his "dark" background had been been covered in more detail. Supposedly, he's this great warrior but when he meets Theo, he turns to mush? I mean, come on! If I had read him say "Theo, if you want me" one more time, I was going to scream! The other Watcher, Hanson, was almost as bad and his witch wasn't even that interesting.
This book could have been so much better, but it was too short. The story and the characters were not flushed out enough. All Dante and Theo seemed to do was banter amongst themselves and get attacked by a variety of different creatures. The other two witches, Elise and Mari, didn;t interest me enough to want to buy the other books in the series.
Disappointing.......2007-01-10
Having read a novela by this author, I was prepared to enjoy this book. Well, it was not to be. Amateurish, turgid, virtually plotless -- it was quite disappointing. I'll save my money and time from now on, where this author is concerned.
Good read but...............2006-08-10
Liked the characters, story, and plot. My only complaint is a lack of love scenes and some steamy romance. Chemistry between the watcher and witch was kinda clinical. Doesn't have to be torrid but would be nice to see some sparks.
Average customer rating:
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The George McDonald Treasury: Princess and the Goblin, Princess and Curdie, Light Princess, Phantastes, Giant's Heart, At the Back of the North Wind, Golden Key, and Lilith
George, McDonald
Manufacturer: Kahley House Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General | Mythology | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0978891430 |
Book Description
This enchanted collection brings together eight of George McDonald's most well known fantasies into one delightful volume. The George McDonald Treasury includes The Princess and the Goblin, The Princess and Curdie, The Light Princess, Phantastes, The Giant's Heart, At the Back of the North Wind, The Golden Key, and Lilith. MacDonald's classic works have inspired deep admiration in such notables as J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, G. K. Chesterton, Elizabeth Yates, and Lewis Carroll. C. S. Lewis wrote, "I have never concealed the fact that I regarded him as my master; indeed I fancy I have never written a book in which I did not quote from him." One day while in a train station, he picked up a copy of Phantastes and began to read. "A few hours later," said Lewis, "I knew I had crossed a great frontier." G. K. Chesterton cited The Princess and the Goblin as a book that had "made a difference to my whole existence." Madeleine L'Engle wrote, "Surely George MacDonald is the grandfather of us all-all of us who struggle to come to terms with truth through imagination." If you loved J. R. R. Tolkien's Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, you will love the works of his hero and model - George McDonald.
Customer Reviews:
Great stories, but..........2007-05-09
...the Phantastes story does not have the original quotes that preceded each chapter's events. I found the quotes and passages added to the understanding of the events, but they are omitted here.
Book Description
The black-ops government agency called Sigma broke Justin Delgado, trained his psionic talent, and turned him into a killer named Agent Breaker. Then he escaped, joining an underground resistance movement of psions determined to use their talents to bring Sigma down. Competent, cold, and cruelly efficient, he's the best operative the Society has, a legend among the psions who fight a shadow war against an enemy that owns the courts, the press, and the police. Feared even by his own teammates, hunted by the government, and too damaged to feel anything but clinical rage, he is utterly alone—until he meets Rowan.
When Rowan Price stumbles across his team in an abandoned house, Delgado is assigned to make contact, bring her in, and keep her alive—because Rowan is one of the most powerful psychics the resistance has ever encountered, possessed of a talent that can heal shattered minds and broken bodies, or incite riots and revolution. If the government gets its hands on her, she could very well mean the downfall of the resistance itself. Because nobody, not even Rowan, is quite sure how far her talents extend, or powerful she could eventually become… and twenty-four hours after she meets Delgado, her life is shattered and she's on the run. If Sigma can't take her freedom, they'll settle for her life. She is simply too powerful to be left alone.
The Society will welcome her, if she can stay alive long enough to join them. Unfortunately, there's a traitor buried in the ranks of the resistance, ready to betray everything the Society has worked so hard to achieve. If the Society goes down, Rowan is at risk. And God alone knows what Delgado will do to keep her safe, because Rowan is fast becoming the only thing in the world he cares about.
Customer Reviews:
Super Reader.......2007-08-31
A young woman is more than a bit different. In fact, she has psionic abilities. This makes her of interest to two groups, the government Sigma agency, and a group of underground psionicists called The Society, that want to prevent such people being used as government tools for spook operations, etc.
Of course, the society is set up like a covert agency themselves, out of necessity.
The young woman is powerful, hence all the interest. Throw in the usual bloke that helps her out she will like, and a not too bad leave you wanting to find out what is going on ending and this book is ok.
Paranormal.......2007-05-12
I like Lilith Saintcrows writing style and her books have plenty of
action. Sometimes the quilt trip of the two main characters got irritating
but overall it was a good book.
Once you start to read this book, you can't stop!.......2007-01-15
Fast paced book. Good charactor development. I just was going to 'look' at it before I went to sleep. I didn't put it down until the finished in the wee hours. Purchased sequal the next day.
Pretty Good.......2006-12-22
Fast read with a good concept. Make sure you buy the second one at the same time as the first. Characters were good. It is *sort of* a romance novel, except that it is written from the perspecitive (mostly) of the male protagonist. This point of view was a nice change from the norm. I'm buying the sequel so I give it up a thumbs up.
keeps you on edge.......2006-06-25
Rowan Price is a nurse in a mental health hospital. She has a remarkable ability to calm the most agitated patients. And she'll do anything to hide her 'special' ability from the outside world. On her way home from work one night, she runs into some people in an abandoned house, and starts a chain of events that starts tumbling like dominoes. Justin Delgado was one of the people investigating the 'haunted' house. When he sees Rowan Price, he knows, immediately, how special she is. He saves her from an abduction in the grocery store parking lot, and once again from a home invasion. Rowan goes with Justin in a state of shock, part of it that she can't believe there are other people like her in the world, people who belong to The Society. The Society works against a government agency called Sigma. Sigma recruits (or kidnaps) people with psionic talents and trains them to use their abilities - not always for the best. Justin knows this, from experience, as he was trained by Sigma to kill with his talents, but he was able to escape. Rowan has the strongest psi talent anyone has ever seen, and she begins to wonder which side is the good side. Just when Rowan begins to trust Justin and The Society, their stronghold is overtaken by Sigma operatives... Pretty good novel, followed by HUNTER, HEALER, which I haven't read yet. Lots of suspense, not cozy.
Book Description
Elise Nicholson isn't your ordinary witch. For one thing, she can light candles with a look, and plays a mean guitar. Unfortunately, being able to call fire out of the air isn't the most useful skill around. To top it off, she's a Guardian of the City, and the other Guardians-her two best friends-have no time for her. They're too busy with their Watchers, the grim black-coated warriors sworn to protect Elise and her friends from the Dark. Lonely and terrified because she isn't certain she can control her intensified "gifts," Elise is fast running out of options and patience. Then the Trifero lands in her lap, and everything just gets worse. Remy is known as the Hunter, snatching Talismans away from the Dark and struggling with the constant agony of being a Watcher. Then he get assigned to stand guard over a smart mouth fire witch who not only hates Watchers but has just found the Trifero, a Talisman capable of blowing the city sky-high. If the Dark catch Elise, she'll be broken, turned into a magickal weapon and sold to the highest bidder. Not only does Remy have to get to her first and keep the Dark away from her, but he also must convince Elise that he means her no harm-and that's the easy part of the job. If he pulls this one off, he just might redeem himself the way every Watcher aches to do. But if he fails, both he and Elise might be better off dead. . .
Customer Reviews:
series fires up too late [no spoilers].......2007-09-04
"The Watcher Series" continues three months later in "Fire Watcher" with Elise and new Watcher Remy, whose growls rattle windows and walls often, as the focal characters. The usual desire to touch and taste the other while staring and thinking "I don't deserve him/her" pervades the novel. It is obvious the series will not contain deep character growth but spontaneous action towards undeveloped and vague antagonists.
Remy the Hunter faces off against the Brotherhood, a Dark organization dedicated to business and profit, in an attempt to prevent them from capturing fire witch Elise and a Talisman called the Trifero. What compels the Brotherhood's intentions is not revealed. Long overdue fight scenes transpire with wild magick and sufficient melee action.
The series is pro-pagan; therefore those of a highly inflexible religious background or intolerant attitude towards religion might want to avoid the selection.
Thank you.
fire watcher.......2007-03-12
watcher series, fans of lilith saintcrows watcher series will love the story of the firewitch/gaurdian and her watcher.the blend of witchcraft, paranormal creatures, good evil will hook ya and keep you in suspense to se what happens next in the series.
Good series.......2007-01-04
This a very interesting series from a very good author. I am looking forward to her next book.
not as good as 1 & 2.......2006-06-21
Third in Saintcrow's "Watcher" series, we get the story of Elise, the fire witch. Elise, to date, has been without a Watcher, and she doesn't understand her friends' relationships with their watchers. She is suspicious of anyone who tries to get close to her friends, and she really does not want to trust the Watchers, despite seeing them in action, protecting the witches from the evil that is encroaching the city of which they have become Guardians. Elise has a temper, which she lets get the better of her, many times, and she doesn't use her common sense when she is trying to protect her friends, despite the trials from her friends' experiences. Remy, her Watcher, is a Cajun, and his easy-going temperment is the perfect foil to Elise's jump first attitude. When Elise comes into possession of the "trifero" which multiplies her power infinitely, things heat up in the city of the Guardians, and Remy has his hands full. I liked the first two stories better - it seemed to me that Elise didn't learn squat from the first two and ended up hurting her friends more because of it.
Dark Fantasy Romance.......2006-06-20
In this third installment of her "Guardian Witches" series Lilith Saintcrow brings us the story of the Fire Witch, Elise, and her Watcher, Remy. This series just gets better and better as we learn more about the Dark and the Brotherhood.
Elise has always had a firey temper, to go with the fire power she has as a fire witch. She has also been very cautious of the Watchers. Now a Watcher has arrived unexpectedly, and this time it is her Watcher. Although attracted to Remy she is still not sure of his loyalties. Elise was brought up the hard way and finds trusting a hard thing to do. Theo and Mari are the only family she has since Suzanne's death. Elise finds it hard to admit she is jealous of the time and attention Mari and Theo give to their Watchers. Maybe having her own Watcher will help her to understand.
Remy is a Cajun, he has been to the jaws of hell and was saved by Circle Lightfall, when they made him a Watcher. He has never really watched a witch, as long as he has been a Watcher, he has searched for and found many powerful items and icons for the Circle. He is known as the "Hunter", now he has a witch to look out for and as fate would have it , she is his witch. The witch who takes away his pain and replaces it with pleasure. But how can he earn her trust, when he believes himself to be unloveable and unworthy.
This time the Brotherhood is determined to possess Elise, especially since she has come into possession of the TRIFERO. A mystical ornament that will magnify her powers. Fire witches are very rare. When they cannot reach Elise herself they kidnap her band, and now only heaven knows what they must face to save them. Against all advice Elise goes her own way, and Remy must find a way to not only save her from the Dark but from herself as well. I loved it.
Books:
- Sundown Towns: A Hidden Dimension of American Racism
- Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos
- The Bridesmaid Guide: Etiquette, Parties and Being Fabulous
- The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order
- The Fires of Heaven (The Wheel of Time, Book 5)
- The Funkmasters-the Great James Brown Rhythm Sections
- The Gentle Subversive: Rachel Carson, Silent Spring, and the Rise of the Environmental Movement (New Narratives in American History)
- The God of Animals: A Novel
- The Hand of Chaos: A Death Gate Novel, Volume 5 (Death Gate Cycle (Paperback))
- The Heritage of Shannara
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