Average customer rating:
- readable on a rainy afternoon
- And If I Was Stabbed In The Eye With A Needle For Every Time This Happened...
- Better than some folks are saying IMHO
- good to a point
- I love Andie
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One Good Knight (Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms, Book 2)
Mercedes Lackey
Manufacturer: Luna
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
 Fantasy, Futuristic & Ghost | Romance | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0373802609 |
Book Description
When a dragon storms the castle, what should a (virgin) princess do?
Why, turn to her studies, of course! But nothing practical-minded Princess Andromeda of Acadia finds gives a definitive solution. The only Traditional answer, though, is soothing the marauding dragon by a virgin sacrifice. Things are going fairly smoothly with the lottery--except for the women chosen, of course--until Princess Andromeda herself is picked!
But facing down the dragon doesn't go quite as planned, and now, with the help of her Champion, Sir George, Andromeda searches for the dragon's lair. But even--especially--in the Five Hundred Kingdoms, bucking Tradition isn't easy. It takes the strongest of wills, knowledge, quick wits and a refusal to give up, no matter what happens along the way….
Download Description
Another story sparkling with wit and humor from New York Times bestselling author Mercedes Lackey.
Traditionally, marauding dragons are soothed only by a virgin sacrifice. And so the frightened people of Acadia devise a lottery system to choose the victims. Things are going fairly smoothly - except for the women chosen, of course - until practical-minded Princess Andromeda is picked. She accepts her duty, though she would prefer to defend herself. And so Andromeda faces the dragon alone.
Until a Champion arrives to save her - sort of. Sir George doesn't quite defeat the dragon, but as Andromeda finishes rescuing herself she discovers that beneath the Good Knight's well-meaning though inexperienced heroics lies a further tale.…
Still, Andromeda can't leave her seacoast country in further jeopardy from the dragon's return, and so she and…er… George join to search for the dragon's lair. But in the Five Hundred Kingdoms, bucking Tradition isn't easy. It takes the strongest of wills, knowledge, quick wits and a refusal to give up, no matter what happens along the way.
Somehow, though, none of this was taught in princess school.…
Customer Reviews:
readable on a rainy afternoon.......2007-08-21
The three stars are mainly because this author is capable of writing much better books and has, such as the Valdemar and "Arrows" series. If it had been an author I was unfamiliar with, I probably would have bumped up the rating to four stars. Make of that what you will.
Plot: Princess Adromeda "Andie" is a plain but highly intelligent princess who longs to do more for her kingdom than simply exist as a lady of leisure. Her mother and chief advisor, Solon, out of less than admirable motives decide to let her take on some serious duties. Eventually, however, she is considered too much of a risk to their underhanded schemes, putting in motion the plan to send a dragon to the kingdom, which can only be appeased by regular offerings of virgins. When Andie sets off on a quest of her own, she discovers that things are not what they seem - and with an unlikely cast of characters, becomes determined to take over the throne for herself.
I enjoyed the book, but felt that more attention could have been given to the several main characters besides Andie. The ending was abrupt, with only a few pages devoted to the actual conquest of the kingdom. As for the cover, I can only guess that the artist read the description of another female character (who is a redhead) and took that for her model.
And If I Was Stabbed In The Eye With A Needle For Every Time This Happened..........2007-06-27
I am new to Mercedes Lackey's style of writing. I am also new to the reviewing world [HI!] so this may be extremely pointless in short, there being a ridiculous amount of reviews for this book and all...But I figured I would put my two cents in.
For one? I should've figured a book titled 'One Good Knight' would be disappointing. That and I didn't pay much attention to this being a sequel to the series [sequels tend to have a bad reputation even when the characters are not related to the first one].
In this world, we get it all. Heroes, romance [subtle amount and its more focused around an actual :gasp: plotline!], dragons [Rawr...], and other magical nonsense. What I loved the most was definitely The Tradition which is [as said] based around the tradition of fairytales and is the force of it happening. An annoyance when it is mentioned too much, but then again...it is the center of the story.
Don't count on getting off during this reading session, barely enough romance to keep me hoping for my knight in shining- ...well...not exactly KNIGHT in shining armor but when you read this you will understand IF you want to waste your time.
The book is actually very well written and great up until the ending. It was missing something, it seemed hurried, and the lovey dovey crap thrown in makes me REALLY want to laugh hysterically and then hold my hand out for the real copy. Something a true good book should always have? A good ending, otherwise it makes the reader [yeah hi me] feel like they just wasted their time.
This is the summer so I am not too upset over my time gone but I definitely do not recommend this to someone who is hoping for a romantic tale, or much satisfaction when all is said and done.
-SJR
Better than some folks are saying IMHO.......2007-06-01
I've beeen a LOONG time Lackey reader started in 1980's with her very first Valdemar series Arrows. Misty is to me a interesting writer, her books are more basic on some levels than many of her counterparts and yet I find I enjoy rereading many of her books far more than some of the more complex writers.(Robert Jordan comes to mind here!)
I tend to prefer the Valdemar series, although not ALL of them mind you, and have not really enjoyed most of her tandem books with other writers.
I picked up Fairy Godmother, the first in this series, because I like writers who play with fairy tales and I enjoyed Lackey's Firebird and Black Swan also because I had heard good things about FG. I enjoyed it emensely and was happy to see there were more 500 Kingdom books.
Unlike several of the folks who complain about the lack of strong romance like in the first book I found this book a delightful read. Lackey has always had some form of romance in most of her book and where folks got the idea the the first book was full of romance I'm not sure as that romance didn't start until more than half way through it.
I like Andie, and I liked all the other characters, Misty is a bit of a sterotype writer, not in a bad way but it can make her books predictable. I did figure several things out fairly soon but it didn't remove any of the enjoyment I had in this book and I look forward to reading the third.
good to a point.......2007-05-11
I liked this book a lot, I've been reading Mercedes Lackey for YEARS ( don't really want to discuss how many) and she's always a favorite. These new stories about the 500 kingdoms are entertaining and a nice new spin on things.
My only problem was the ending. It felt like a lot of buildup for not enough fleshed out payoff. I really wanted a more full conclusion. It felt almost as if she's spent so much time on the main part of the story that she had to finish it fast to turn it in to the editors. That's probably not the case, but it felt that way.
You will be entertained, you will enjoy it - if you like her style of fantasy- but the ending might leave you a little unfulfilled.
I love Andie.......2007-02-25
No, the book is not as good as The Fairy Godmother, one of my all-time favorites. But Andie is great.
Product Description
Three of Myles Munroe's Best Selling Books in one package. A Great Buy and a Great Gift! Rediscovering the Kingdom, The Glory of Living & The Purpose & Power of Praise & Worship all in ONE package.
Customer Reviews:
Getting To A Nub.......2006-11-06
Colourful history that tends to ask more questions than provide answers. Not as successful as Maurice Collins' 1946 classic "Foreign Mud".
Deeper research is still needed into the merchant companies, their composition and practices, that participated in the opium trade world-wide: a trade that made huge fortunes for individuals and Imperial nations in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
A Total Travesty.......2006-10-21
This book represents literally the worst scholarship I have ever seen. It makes no pretense of careful, thorough, or new research into its subject, but relies almost exclusively on two secondary sources--both in English, both still in print. Its dependence on Jack Beeching's book on the same subject is so thorough that it renders this book completely superfluous. I feel like my time and money were wasted on this when I could have skipped it entirely and headed directly to the source.
In addition to its total lack of new insight into the subject, the book seems not have benefitted from editorial oversight prior to publication. In one chapter, the same quotation is used in two different contexts, citing two different sources, with no attempt at explanation. Indeed, I was surprised to find several ungrammatical sentences scattered throughout, as if an early draft had somehow made it to the presses. If this was a term paper, it would have been handed back for a rewrite. There is no excuse for something of such poor quality sitting on bookstore shelves.
It is insulting to the reader that this book was ever allowed to the see the light of day. The authors ought to have their academic credentials revoked.
A fascinating and entertaining - but poorly edited - account .......2006-08-30
...of gunboat diplomacy in perhaps its most tragic and despicable grandeur. I enjoyed this book and learned a great deal about an intriguing but, by me, previously unexplored history of events. Anyone who is interested in modern Chinese history and affairs including East/West relations would, I think, greatly benefit from a study of the events covered in this book. The UK, which thanks to Wilberforce and others, had suppressed the African slave trade, squandered so much of its moral authority in trying to force a dysfunctional Imperial China into commercial relationships that would fund the UK addction to Chinese silk and tea. Virtually all the Brits could find to sell the Middle Kingdom was opium and thus the UK became a sanctimonious, hypocritical superpower insisting that China admit, on the one hand, missionaries to preach the Gospel and liberate Chinese souls and, on the other, opium merchants to ensnare Chinese addicts and their treasure. (As another reviewer noted, it is hard indeed to read of the events in this book and not be reminded of how modern addictions of cheap petroleum and drugs have had a deleterious effect on the US balance of payments, foreign policy, and world image.) However, whether this particular volume would, for the serious scholar, be the best book on this fascinating subject, I cannot say. Reading it, I was constantly struck by the conviction that this book would have benefitted enormously had it been placed in the respective hands of a well-informed critic and a good editor prior to being published. I enjoyed the authors' hip and humorous style - each chapter reminded me of an entertaining college lecture - but since I found the editing so wanting, I was less confident in how thorough, balanced, and reliable the authors actually were with the mass of information they presented.
Everything Old is New Again.......2006-04-22
War as window dressing.
Tea in China. Oil in Indonesia. Oil in the Gulf.
Opium in India. Opium in Cambodia. Opium in Afghanistan.
Trade lobbyists in London. Trade lobbyists in Washington.
Tax addicts in Parliament. Tax addicts in Congress.
Profit imperative. World domination.
Hot topics too hot for anyone with SUVs, weekend boats, wives or children to handle.
TOW explains (to me, anyway) why the mercantilists got the Islamic crazies to "start" the war:
Hypnotics for the Yellow Peril.
Oil for the equally addicted over here.
Taxes for the 'crats.
Sigh.
very well researched.......2006-01-16
This is a very good book , indicating a lot of research and studies
For the layman who has no knowledge of China's decline in the 18th and 19th centuries, this a must-read.
There are, to me, a few points of inaccuracies and incompletenss about Hong Xiuquan and his Taiping Tianguo.Hong's fall was not
solely due to Zeng Guofeng. The English mercenary General Charles Gordon was not mentioned at all. In addition, in-fighting and disunity among Hong's subordinates played a very crucial role.
None the less, the book is highly recommended
Book Description
In ancient Egypt people worshiped cats, and in India the cow is sacred. Today in America we flock to zoos in record numbers and pamper our pets. But what do we really know about animals? And what do we feel about them in spite of it? Walking a mile in their paws, feathers, or fur is harder than it seems. Here Deborah Noyes embarks on a quest for understanding struggling with science and love attempting to distance, but also bring closer, the "other" kingdom. What results is a visionary meditation on how myth, history, and culture have influenced our view of animals and shaped our lives with them. Smart and unsentimental, Noyes's wide-ranging narrative and affectionate portraits raise difficult but important questions, challenging what we think we know about our animal fellows while helping us form new perceptions and realities. We are allbird, beast, and boymade of blood, bone, and beating heart. Where do they end and we begin?
Customer Reviews:
We all loved it!.......2006-08-28
I bought this for my 15 year old daughter who is very interested in animals. Her rave reviews inspired my husband and I to read. We all love it! The manner in which Deborah Noyes intertwined myth, history, science and humanity in this book made it both educational and a page turner.
Book Description
This elegant book presents one hundred of the most beautiful historic gardens in England. The gardens range from the neoclassical paradise of Stourhead to the subtropical splendour of Tresco Abbey and the soothing calm of the White Garden at Sissinghurst, all photographed in stunning color by leading British garden photographers. Each garden is presented at its most glorious moment-- whether at twilight or midday, in autumn, or at the height of summer.
English Heritage has spent over ten years identifying and grading the fabulous wealth of parks and gardens throughout England on the basis of their historical significance, state of preservation and level of general interest. This information is compiled in the English Heritage Parks and Gardens Register, from which the respected horticultural author Patrick Taylor has selected one hundred favorites. In his lively and informative style, he reveals the historic background to each garden and discusses the modern-day plantings.
A comprehensive index, county map, and opening times for each garden offer information for the traveler. Lush, full-color photographs capture the essence of each garden for an inspiring tour of the best of a grand gardening tradition.
Customer Reviews:
Not as good as I had expected (or hoped).......2004-10-06
Is there anything nearer paradise on earth than a Capability Brown garden stretching into the distance around an English stately home? Gardening has always been a specialty of the English, and a must for the aristocracy. This book attempts to document the most memorably successful results found on country estates. Attempts, I say, because catching the essence of a garden in a photograph is not an easy task, and one at which the makers of this book do not entirely succeed, in my opinion. To be sure there are some impressively atmospheric images here; of the Mausoleum at Castle Howard for instance, or some mysteriously misty takes at Haddon Hall.
Other images however are harshly, unnaturally colored, with reds leaping of the page. Some have artificially added blue skies, most notably that of the garden at Sudeley Castle, which looks like a cheap Seventies postcard. There is a graininess to the pictures as well, and some are printed out of focus. Thicker, glossy paper would have helped. All in all not what you would expect of such a highbrow (and high price) publisher like Rizzoli. An additional disappointment is that because 100 gardens are covered, we get to see only one or two images of each of them - the book only has just over 200 pages. To enjoy a really successful garden book of this kind, I would advise you to look out for the dazzling, newly published "The Gardens at Buckingham Palace" by Brown and Sykes.
Mine and Kevin's Garden Someday.......2003-01-24
Beautiful - serene - inspirational. A home and a garden like ones in the book is my piece of Heaven on earth.
Beautifully illustrated - enough to touch and feel the warmth and glory of Nature!
Customer Reviews:
Beautiful collection..........2005-08-17
Wonderful photos of the collection. After devouring all the information as well as the photos... you just have purchase the other books from the series to complete the set! Interesting background on the collector himself, in the book's introduction. A good source of information and ideas for anyone interested in 18th and 19th century headwear.
Average customer rating:
- Satisfying high fantasy-- a real treat.
- " The One Kingdom"... a magnificent beginning of this fantasy trilogy
- A Novel with a Target Audience
- A crescendo of a fantasy - but the crescendo didn't build quickly enogh
- Decent read
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The One Kingdom (The Swans' War, Book 1)
Sean Russell
Manufacturer: HarperTorch
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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The Initiate Brother Book One
ASIN: 0380792273
Release Date: 2002-02-05 |
Book Description
The cataclysm began more than a century earlier, when the King of Ayr died before naming an heir to the throne, and damned his realm to chaos. The cold-blooded conspiracies of the Renne and the Wills—each family desirous of the prize of rule—would sunder the one kingdom, and spawn generations of hatred and discord.
Now Toren Renne, leader of his great and troubled house, dreams of peace—a valiant desire that has spawned hostility among his kinsmen, and vicious internal plots against his life. In the opposing domain, Elise Wills's desire for freedom is to be crushed, as an unwanted marriage to an ambitious and sinister lord looms large. As always, these machinations of nobles are affecting the everyday lives of the common folk—and feeding a bonfire of animosity that has now trapped an unsuspecting young Valeman Tam and two fortune-hunting friends from the North in its high, killing flames.
But the closer Toren comes to achieving his great goal of uniting two enemy houses, the more treachery flowers. Nobles and mystics alike conspire to keep the realm divided, knowing that only in times of strife can their power grow.
And perhaps the source of an unending misery lies before an old king's passing, beyond the scope of history, somewhere lost in a fog of myth and magic roiling about an ancient enchanter named Wyrr—who bequeathed to his children terrible gifts that would poison their lives...and their deaths. It is a cursed past and malevolent sorcery that truly hold the land, its people, and its would-be rulers bound. And before the already savaged kingdom can become one again, all Ayr will drown in a sea of blood.
Customer Reviews:
Satisfying high fantasy-- a real treat........2006-09-30
The One Kingdom clearly has flaws. I am not giving it five stars based on its flawlessness. I am giving it five stars because I had a wonderful time reading it, and because of the skill Russell exhibited in updating the traditional high fantasy plot.
The prose is well-paced and well-crafted, if not poetic. The story and the characters work at the appropriate levels. wThe plot contains just enough of the hint of the larger story that winds through the series (presumably) and keeps the reader engaged with the diverse threads.
I have read a LOT of fantasy in my lifetime. Particularly where high fantasy is concerned I am awfully hard to impress these days. I was impressed.
The One Kingdom is a good read for fans of high fantasy: ancient feuds, mysterious destinies, malevolent and timeless powers. If that is not your cup of tea, do not drink this book.
" The One Kingdom"... a magnificent beginning of this fantasy trilogy.......2006-08-25
Simply some of the best fantasy I've read in ages!
I discovered this book almost by accident when I saw another reviewer recommending this work by Sean Russell. I must admit I'd never heard of this author or this series previously; but I'm glad I went ahead and purchased this book because it's a real gem.
This tale has all the ingredients for great fantasy, that being an interesting storyline for the mandatory good verses evil plot line, creatures and characters with special talents, love, deceit, betrayal and a liberal sprinkling of magic scattered throughout this work. The character development is adequate and by about one third way through this book you have an assortment of people you love to love and even a few you love to hate.
Fantasy has always been one of my favorite genre of books that I read for pleasure and this work contains some of the finest fantasy writing I've come across in a long time. What separates Russell from other writers in this field is the quality of the prose; there is a "polish" or a "refinement" to the storytelling that many other authors just never seem to obtain no matter how good or interesting their tale is. This work has an easy readability and when combined with its precise sense of pace, it makes this book hard to put down. To me, this novel fits comfortably into the upper echelon of fantasy books written by the likes of George Martin, "Ice and Fire" series, Steven Erikson, "The Malazan Book of the Fallen" saga, and Stephen Donaldson, "Thomas Covenant" series.
The only niggling negative would be the lack of a map; it would have been so useful to try to pinpoint locales and gauge distances.
All in all, a great story accompanied with remarkable storytelling skills and writing techniques; If you love great fantasy you'll want to read this book. Highly recommended! 5 Stars (more if I could)
A Novel with a Target Audience.......2006-07-09
Let me begin by saying that if you don't like High Fantasy in style, very melodramatic stuff, don't bother reading further and don't get the book either. If you don't like novels that are similar to other novels, also don't bother with it.
To say this is High Fantasy is such a major understatement. Its stylistically the highest High Fantasy I've ever read. It doesn't have elves and dwarves, but that's a world thing. What you do get, is very olden-style writing with very serious characters. You get tons of little stories, and songs, and metaphors, lots of metaphors. In fact, sometimes you get battling analogies, where one character thinks something looks like one thing, and the other corrects him, claiming it looks more like something else. Wow, huh? I actually gave a "no way" when I read the first one.
And then we have the main three character, this is where the similarity aspect of my warning comes in. I hate to use the word "copied" because the more you study mythology the more these archetypes pop up again and again, but let me describe them to you. Three late teenagers, Tam, who is tall but not overly muscular and has a good mind, Baore who is a bull of a man but simple minded, and Fynnol who is quick witted, very roguish, but slight of build. They are all good with bows (all forest boys seem to be), one uses a staff with a shod end, and Tam was given an ancient sword by his grandfather. Oh, and they are from a backwater place called the Vale of the Lakes. It's impossible to not compare these three to Rand, Perrin, and Mat from Wheel of Time. Impossible. Plus, Rand's stepfather happens to be named Tam. Wait...why is the twilight zone music playing?
But really, I really don't care about it. It happens all the time to varying extents. But some people get their panties in the twist over it, so if you do, stay far far away. You've been warned.
So why get the novel? Well, before I finished the series, I would have told you it was the only decent high fantasy in a high fantasy style in a long while (everything is realistically minded now). But, sadly, each novel gets collectively worse. The first is great set up, the second kind of meddles along, and then we are taken a totally different direction. By the second novel you want the battle that has been set up in the first novel and by the end of it, you get something else that just isn't as satisfying. Plus, you really hate river travel...great metaphor, bad reading after the five hundredth page of it.
Final Thought: While the first novel is a great start, I can't recommend it based on where the series goes. But if you like metaphor, you might want to give it a shot.
A crescendo of a fantasy - but the crescendo didn't build quickly enogh.......2006-02-09
I'm disappointed in this effort. Not only because of the content of the book, but also because I've recently started the third book in the trilogy, and the stakes seem to be completely different. Also, I object to those who praise his writing style. Some is good, some of it is inexcusable. I believe that he lost a broad readership because his writing and plotting was sup par.
I struggled through this book, and to be honest, I only read it because Stephen Donaldson and Robin Hobb gave it high praise. They are two authors that I believe are the finest writing fantasy fiction today. (There are others...George Martin, leading the pack.)
I didn't find the writing as prosaic as Publisher's Weekly, or other reviewers, found it to be. It is reasonably good writing, especially when held up against most of the fantasy nonsense being published today.
Russell committed two heinous sins. After describing a thing exactly as it was, he would say, "they moved "this way and that" or "to and fro". This is the laziest form of writing, and it happened far too many times.
Seriously, any editor worth their weight in pennies would have picked up on that.
What I do like about the book is that the characters were all unique (with the exception of Tam and Prince Michael - they seemed to be the same character, ethically and morally). All other characters seemed to be woven from a fresh cloak - and that was well appreciated. That is the highest praise that one could give a writer...that his characters were all different people. that they came from different backgrounds but learned to live together.
What I didn't like about it was that there was a distinct lack of urgency. He was building to a crescendo, but when the crescendo was revealed, in the third book, I nearly threw the book to the floor. I had no idea - and the author never gave me the idea - that the crescendo was legitimate. He introduced factors slowly, most of them in the second book.
The single most important part of writing a successful fantasy is letting the reader know what is at stake - immediately, or as soon as realistically possible. I didn't get the urgency until the second book, and even then, I didn't get the REAL urgency until the third book. Nor did I believe it.
Some could argue that such a presentation is a strength. I would have a hard time disagreeing with them. Allowing the reader into your world gradually is a marvelous and difficult task. That said, I sincerely believe that we should have been given more information than we were given in the first book - because Russell didn't give us enough information "step by step". The strategy of the final book is so radically different than the first book that I nearly wanted to throw it down. If it wasn't for Donaldson's recommendation on the cover, and Russell's dedication to Donaldson in The Isle of Battle, I would not have continued. I still don't know what is at stake, and if they venture into the netherworlds that I assume they will, it will make it less believable - unless Russell does something amazing (in my opinion, he did something good, but not great.) If there were hints and clues presented in this book, then they missed their target.
So where does that leave this book? We need to know *exactly* what is at stake, and we simply don't know what that is. Stakes need to be laid down in the first book of any genre. Dozens of interesting characters, with lives that existed prior to the writing of the book were introduced, and they were introduced well.
But what happened? Really, what happened? If this were historical fiction, I might give it a higher score, but it isn't. It is fantasy fiction, and we should be more engaged. We should also know more about the arcane properties of the world - for example, nagar and smeagh. I'm currently reading the third book, and I still don't know *exactly* what they are. I can guess, specifically with the Nagar, but I can't guess within 90% certainty. That just doesn't work.
There was considerable action, but we didn't know what that action was for. Black arrow men shot at Tam and his companions while the rode the river Wyyr, on a constant basis, but while they traversed the river, they ran into boring, archetypal fantasy characters.
Decent read.......2005-09-10
Hype, hype, hype. That's all you get from Publishers Weekly and all of the other publications that hail every new book as the next great fantasy epic. But now, a few years later, we can see that Sean Russell's cycle has not hit the best-seller lists, and that the final volume of the series only has 7 reader reviews to its credit so far here on Amazon.
The truth is that "The One Kingdom," the first in the Swans War cycle, is a decent but not great book--good enough to keep you reading, good enough to justify spending $6 for a hardcover out of the bargain bin, but not so good that you'll remember it long or be that bothered about making it a permanent part of your collection.
The premise of the story is definitely inventive. Three warring siblings from long ago consigned their lives to a magical river (the Wyrr) that keeps their spirits alive, and gives them the power to possess individuals and thus come back from the not-quite-dead to renew their all-consuming war. This occurs in an already explosive context: two great noble houses, the Renne and the Wills, are itching to destroy a tenuous peace. The naif (there is always a naif in epic fantasy) is Tam, a young man from a protected vale in the distant north who journeys down the Wyrr with two friends and finds himself in the midst of all this.
Good enough for a ripping yarn. And, if Sean Russell had written a focused book with expertly interwoven storylines and memorable characters, it might have been. Despite being praised for possessing such qualities, "The One Kingdom" is actually a sprawling, meandering narrative generally devoid of suspense. It's not until the end of the volume that the premise even becomes reasonably clear. Tam's journey down the Wyrr is drawn-out and boring, with little indication why any of the incidents along the way might be significant later. It's so drawn out that it crowds out the more interesting events among the Renne and the Wills, so much so that sometimes you struggle to remember who a character is when Russell returns to him (or her). It would work better if we knew why Tam is or will be an important figure, but there's no indication yet that he even merits being the protagonist. He just seems along for the ride.
Russell fails to take advantage of numerous opportunities for drama and tension. The leader of the House of Wills plans to marry his niece Elise off to Prince Michael of Innes in order to create a military alliance against the Renne, for example. Elise doesn't want to become a military pawn, and refuses to marry. Michael, wouldn't you know it, is an enlightened individual who feels much the same way Elise does. There's no disagreement. There's no irresistible attraction (not yet, at least) that makes it difficult for them to follow through on what they know is right. In short, while there is plenty of narrative complexity, there is little complexity of character and desire. Finally, Russell is not quite the writer that, say, George RR Martin and Robin Hobbs are. In a climactic sequence during a costume ball, for example, it's not clear what exactly happens without a second going-over.
So, "The One Kingdom" is a decent read because of the strong premise, and because of the sense that larger things are coming. But, it does feel like a rather long-winded exposition to that larger story.
By the way, the inclusion of a map would have really helped. (Yes, yes, there is a whole alternate realm that some characters journey through, but a map of the regular world would have nonetheless been greatly appreciated.)
Customer Reviews:
Kingdom of the Shining Ones.......2000-03-18
This wonderful book about Angels, by the Christian mystic Flower A. Newhouse, describes their beauty, elucidates their various orders of service and ranks, and explains their functions. Newhouse shares some of her personal encounters with these Shining Messengers. Angel illustrations add much to this volume.
Book Description
A powerful but little known work, this volume contains three mystical texts. 'Al-tadbirat,' the largest, is a fascinating treatise on the divine design and management of the world, and the central role the human model plays in the creative and governing process. The other two are 'kitab kunh ma la budda minhu lil-murid' (or, "What the Seeker Needs"), a brief guide for those want to follow the Sufi path, and 'kitab al-ahadiyyah' (or, "The One Alone"), an esoteric essay on transcendental unity.
Customer Reviews:
Pure nonduality.......2005-06-02
I bought this book for the 20 page section entitled The One Alone, which is very nondual. I also read the 18 page Translator's Introduction, which tells about the life of Ibn 'Arabi. These two sections alone make the book an important addition to a library of nonduality books. The bulk of the volume, a book of wisdom on governing oneself, I have only so far scanned and therefore have not included any other mention of it in this review.
Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi lived from 1165 to 1240. He "has become one of the most important expounders of Sufi wisdom." "Ibn 'Arabi all his life felt the pain of not being understood. Yet the breadth and depth of his wisdom, insight, vision, and knowledge was and is awesome to whomever catches a glimpse of it. Many of his expressions of divine mysteries have never been improved upon. Many important affairs, which he foretold centuries ago, have taken place and continue to take place."
This introduction is brief, a distillate of the life of Ibn 'Arabi. It covers his life from birth to death, describes his physical appearance, reveals extreme controversy surrounding Ibn 'Arabi, demonstrates his wisdom, tells about a meeting with an adolescent Rumi, and more. Throughout this distillate is communicated the author/translator's love and understanding of Ibn 'Arabi, the person and his works; clearly, it must be the case, otherwise how could Ibn 'Arabi's words set forth in this book cut so cleanly?
The One Alone is a work of pure nonduality. To demonstrate that, here are a few quotations, a few fragments which do not do justice to this entire work:
"Therefore, if you know yourself without being, not trying to become nothing, you will know your Lord. If you think that to know Allah depends on your ridding yourself of yourself, then you are guilty of attributing partners to Him -- the only unforgivable sin -- because you are claiming that there is another existence besides Him, the All-Existent: that there is a you and a He."
"You presume others to be other than Allah. There is nothing other than He, but you do not know this. While you are looking at Him you do not recognize Him. When the secret opens to you, you will know that you are none other than He."
"...do not think that you need to become nothing, that you need to annihilate yourself in Him. If you thought so, then you would be His veil, while a veil over Allah is other than He. How could you be a veil that hides Him? What hides Him is His being the One Alone."
"When the secret of a single atom out of all the atoms from which the elements are made becomes known, the secrets of the whole universe visible and invisible will be revealed. Then you will not see anything but Allah either in this world and in the Hereafter."
"Thus when you know yourself, your self and selfishness will leave you, and you will know that there is nothing in existence but Allah."
"...the meaning of 'The eyes cannot see Him...' is that there is no existence other than His. The Truth can only be conceived of by Itself, which has no other identity except the Truth: Allah sees Himself by Himself and by none other than Himself. His Essence sees His Essence."
Anyone who loves nondual expression will value this book and might choose to set it on a shelf alongside other books expressing the nonduality of the other major religions.
Jerry Katz
One: Essential Writings on Nonduality
Divine Governance of the Human Kingdom, Including What the.......2000-03-01
May Allah Grant Him Peace. This book gives all of insight to the "power" that leaders in an Islamic society have. He goes over the rights, regulations, rules, limits and most importantly, desieses of the heart from many rulers, not only confined to the Islamic world, but all "rulers" in general.
He quotes only from the Quran and Sunnah, and gives his blessed insight to devine rule, based on Fiqh, and Shariah.
A wonderful text.
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