Book Description
Shadow Boxing is a book that can change the foundational fabric of your lives causing you to trace your attitudes actions and reactions to their root causes and to remove negative destructive patterns. Henry Malone identifies open doors that give Satan access into your life and leads you thorough a systematic strategy to close those doors. The focus of this book is upon leading people to experience the truth they say they believe.
Customer Reviews:
The Dynamic Book.......2007-02-21
This book is Dynamic this book help me help people come out of dark,dark
places, whan theres seem like theres no hope this God sent book tell so much about darkness you can see yourself comeing out of darkness in to the lightness of God I have told so many about this book. I gave review to my class on this book, I recommend it to ever one thats in a dark place
and ever one who knows the Lord. I love it because its for everybody, Its
a Blessing its a God sent. Joylena Arvie Williams
This book will set you free!.......2007-01-14
If you are born again but still unaware of the spiritual realm this book will open your eyes and set you on the path to freedom. I highly recommend it.
Awesome spiritually and Godly.......2006-10-17
This book is something everyone should read. It highlights many things all of us have been going through and how to cleanse our spirits and how to break those things in our life that we will not permit because they are not Godly they are of Satan! It teaches us how to reclaim what Jesus has already paid the price in full for each and every one of us and why we should not allow Satan to control any of our thoughts or our ancestrual things that are put upon us. Please read this book if you have things in your life that seem to keep coming back at you! Stop Satan in his tracks and find out the why's and How's of these things in your life or loved ones life! Praise God for Dr. Malones insight on this book! And praise God for anyone directed in reading it. It will change your life just as it has mine!
A troubling mix of ancient widsom, modern truths, strange myths and primitive, racist biases.......2005-08-24
"You may know the truth but still live out a lie in your daily experience, because knowing something in your mind doesn't necessarily enable you to live it. 'Knowing the truth' is not [a] mental assent to some theological doctrine but rather intimacy with the truth--Jesus Christ. Truth becomes 'at home' in you...therefore if you know the Truth of God, you will be free from lies binding you...Satan is an expert at lies, deceptions and fears, knowing the Truth will allow you to walk victoriously."
Dr. Henry Malone
SHADOW BOXING
Chapter 7: "Holding" and
Chapter 8: "The Fourteen Root Spirits"
"It is ironic yet inescapable that the greatest Christian of modern times never embraced Christianity."
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
on the Mahatma Mohandas Gandhi
The simple beauty and timeless wisdom in this fascinating and potent book SHADOW BOXING are as clear, obvious and spiritually nutritious as the convoluted collection of racist mythology, bipolar anti-Semitism and unapologetic witchcraft which accompanies it is spiritually harmful.
His listing of the "Fourteen Root Spirits" that bind a soul otherwise full of joy in the bosom of God to the devil begins with the "Spirit of Infirmity". In it he includes diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, arthritis, sinus problems and the (somewhat misogynistic) generalization "female problems." Most of these, however, have been linked to the following for decades now: 1) the booming sugar, fast food and tobacco industries and their disease-inducing products, 2) the public relations companies spawned for the express purpose of misinforming the public about the harm those products cause the body, and 3) the congressional lobbyists who see to it that no politician can get elected by pushing laws regulating their distribution for the health and welfare of the country. Yet he never once mentions the spirits of "Lying" and "Whoredoms" ("love of money"; "seduction"; "lust for position"; "placing anyone or anything [like Mammon] before God") serving as the foundation for not just much of our military empire economy, but for all of these multi-billion dollar corporations and the misery they have produced for millions of Christians around the world. Through silence, he becomes complicit with corporate sin.
Dr. Malone speaks of exorcising demons and spirits repeatedly (in, ironcially, the same way African "witch doctors" do it). Interestingly, however, while painting a 19th century missionary's picture of the Godless jungle people of Africa to make unrelated points about curses and spirits, he conveniently never mentions Apartheid; Nelson Mandela; the University of Ghana in Legon; the culturally sophisticated quasi-westernized upper Middle Class (and oil fields) of Nigeria; or the millions of African Christians--including Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Bishop Tutu--who would have serious issues with his entire Christian perspective. He supports through myth and silence a willfully ignorant, simplistic and immoral view of Africa and all of its people that is definitively unGodly.
The word "racism" appears just once in the entire book, unexplained. He does not even repeat it for the index.
The entire histories of Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Confucianism, (by default) the Enlightenment (which, via the non-Christian Founding Fathers of our nation, produced our Constitution) and all of the scientific and social innovation derived from them all--which we modern Christians both depend on and take for granted--is also flushed down the toilet as demonic for Malone with one phrase: "Eastern religions" ("Spirit of Divination", pg. 126). So embracing the heart of Gandhi (Satyagraha), for example, for how it reflects the heart of Christ (The Golden Rule) is out of the question for him.
Regarding Judaism: Malone essentially says it is right to hate the Jewish people and their religion in your heart, but wrong to express it openly in words (even though the Christ, who quoted an OT psalm while on the cross, never forsook his Jewish origins); for they are (still) the chosen people of God (compare chapter 6 to 8). And while never bothering to make any distinctions between ancient and modern Jews; Aryan/Ashkenazic, Arab and African/Falasha Jews; Israeli and European/American Jews; or the Israeli people and the Israeli military, he never bothers to explain the moral contradictions of his beliefs when they occur--sometimes in the same chapter.
The amount of critical thinking necessary to uncover problems like these throughout this book is minimal. Malone, however, makes "intellectualism" and "false teaching," despite his pursuing and earning what we are led to believe is a Doctorate in Theology, more sins against God (#14: the "Spirit of Error"). Much like the corrupt Popes and Bishops who harassed the father of Protestantism Martin Luther (not to mention Galileo), Malone, it seems, plays the demon card as a pre-emptive strike whenever it suits him politically. I guess he does this in the event anyone would dare "doubt" (see #14 again), question (#14 yet again: "confusion"; "unbelief") or disagree with any aspect of his way of thinking (see #12: spirit of jealousy; "distrustfulness"; "unnatural competition"). In so doing though, he himself "blasphemes the gifts" of genius that are "of the Holy Spirit" when they, like Jesus did, come to us in untraditional, unexpected and uncontrollable ways; "attributing them to Satan." (#8: "Spirit of Antichrist.").
On pages 140 and 141 of chapter 9, Dr. Malone speaks of a woman raised in a family of Satanists. He describes how "satanic plants" would "teach children in the church in such a way that they would believe in a form of Jesus, but never in the true Jesus of the Bible...Therefore they would grow up thinking they were saved, but they were only members of a church, having never been born again." Whether or not Dr. Henry Malone meant to tarnish the wisdom in this book by putting it in a satanic context is irrelevant; that is exactly what SHADOW BOXING does. I learned so much from some of the individual points of this book (hence the three stars), but all true Christians above a seventh grade education must develop the moral courage to reconsider the actual source of his teachings.
great, practical, easy to understand.......2004-11-12
this has helped so much.
it is easy to understand.
easy to read and very easy to put it into practice.
helped me realize how we already have victory over evil, through Jesus Christ.
the victory is already ours.
Book Description
Anne Bishop's critically-acclaimed Black Jewels Trilogy is the saga of a young but still-innocent Queen more powerful than even the High Lord of Hell-and the three sworn enemies determined to win her and gain a prize that could be terrible beyond imagining...
Customer Reviews:
A Snarly Review.......2007-09-25
If I had to sum up this book in one word it would be "disappointing". Ms. Bishop creates a beautiful hierarchy of power with the Blood and drawing their power from Jewels, the delicate psychic roadways of the Winds, and an interesting take on death with the Demon Dead and Guardians. The geography of the different lands, the different races of creatures that occupied them, and the involvement of the Kindred were all wonderfully detailed and fresh. These aspects of the story are fascinating, well developed, and highly imaginative, and I truly wish the actual storyline could live up to this promise.
In contrast of the terrific world she created, Ms. Bishop's characters could not be any more two-dimensional and tiresome. For all of her attempts to write "Dark Fantasy" and to challenge traditional images of hell/darkness (with names like Saetan, Daemon, and Lucivar) she creates some pretty standard, dull heroes and villains. No one hero is capable of doing anything wrong--Jaenelle most of all. I don't think I've read a heroine this mind-numbing in a long time. For a story like this to work, there needs to be actual, palpable danger for the heroine and the heroine's world. There was no question or danger here--Jaenelle was all powerful, pure hearted, and of course could overcome the simple-minded evil Queens. Hardly scintillating material.
So far as writing skills go, I am entirely done with the word "snarl". There are other adjectives to describe guttural noises.
Even on a romance front, I was disappointed. Daemon, the only true attempt at a multidimensional character, felt like a washed-out letdown by Book 3. There was some nice tension from the first book--I enjoyed Daemon's struggle--but it led to absolutely no payoff. When Witch and he finally get it on, it's almost laughable.
In short, the whole story felt contrived. Ms. Bishop creates dark scenes (like rape or murder) with no real consequence (everyone is *really* ok), an entirely dull love story, and "danger" without there really being any threat.
Ms. Bishop is the true Sadi here--these books give the ghost of promise and tease the reader seductively...only to find the results flaccid and leaving the reader completely unfulfilled.
A (generous) two and a half-stars.
A read so fascinating that I had to go there twice... in a row--.......2007-09-23
I recently stumbled onto this particular genre. And I can't believe how lucky I am. Where have I been all my life? It's fun. It's fantastic. It's absolutely amazing to me that someone can create an entire reality like this.
Anyway. I read this particular book from cover to cover and then, for the first time in my life, I turned right back to page 1 and started over. It is that good.
Black Jewels-good read.......2007-09-13
A rich world with interesting characters and a really fresh use of magic--beyond wands and wizards.
Amazing!!!.......2007-08-31
This book is Amazing. The very first paragraph caught me and the book never let go. I am an avid reader, of all books, and anymore it has become increasingly difficult to find a book with the power to grab your attention in the first 100 pages let alone the first paragraph. I will not sum up the book for you; my only advice would be to buy the book. The best way to describe this book is "All Encompasing."
Wonderful........2007-08-27
While I cannot hope to write as graceful a review as every other person before me has, I will try to tell you what I can about this book, and why is should be part of your collection.
The book (though there are actually three combined into one lovely volume) is about a very original world. I won't delve too deep into it, because part of the fun is figuring it out as you go, getting all the tidbits and making your own dreams of it. But, this world, this is what grabbed me the most. It's not like all the other fantasy books I've read; where there's always the set 'bad guy' and the 'good guys' and oh woe is me, someone must save us all.
While that concept is present in this book, it is not drawn out and used as the only tagline. There are so many other pieces to this great piece of writing!
Beyond the world, there are the characters. The deliciously real characters who I myself end up crying for, and getting angry about. Anne Bishop really draws you in and you start to know them so well... there are so many things about them, you feel like you could walk past them on the street. They do things that you think they would do, that you know is what that character would want to do. It is all very well done, gracefully, and well-fleshed so that they are believable, likable, and in some cases, absolutely despicable.
The plot is wonderfully twisted. There are so many strands of it that are to be pieced together, it's like a treasure hunt. And each chapter that gives you another lead, another piece... it's so lovely. And then a few things click, and you mentally go 'ooooh, that's why he did that!' And the way all the conflicts meet up in the end, how everything comes together so well; it's a piece of art.
And the romance, of course. My boyfriend stuck out his tongue and refused when he'd heard me mention that, though I know he was reading it when I slept... but it is a focal point. Enough that women will swoon, but not enough, I think, to turn men away from reading and enjoying this book.
With all the different characters, situations, and happenings in this book, there will surely be a thing for you to love and connect with, something to draw you in. If you give it a chance, I can assure you, you will not be disappointed. So... read some more reviews, think it over, and then do it, and enjoy reading about the life of the SaDiablo line, and all those who are drawn into their plight... :)
Customer Reviews:
Useless.......2007-07-04
The only reason I gave this product one star is because there's no option for no stars at all. Alchemy cannot be explained by psychology or academia. In fact, alchemy and academia, and especially psychology, are completely opposite in their aims and goals. Psychology reinforces ego while alchemy dissolves it. That is why people like this and Jung should be completely ignored; they speak from a basis of clinical, academic opinion and not actual experience obtained by realization. If you, who are reading this, remembers anything from this review then I hope you at least remember that. Save your money and spend it somewhere else on things that are more important.
Synthesis.......2006-11-16
Stanton Marlan has made a needed and deeply satisfying contribution to literature which synthesizes the obscured but major investigations into alchemy, masculine images of power and suffering, abstract and beautiful passages of negative theology. As a psychotherapist,I am profoundly grateful, excited and helped in my work with male clients. What is more basic or universal than experiences which draw on light and dark.
Unusual and mesmerizing.......2005-09-11
The Black Sun is an extraordinary examination of the alchemical stage known as the "nigredo"..the blackening or mortification, so often experienced as depression, terror, or madness. I was especially transfixed at the way in which Dr. Marlan expresses the paradoxical nature of these experiences in that the darkness itself contains a "shine" or luminescence, that is the light of nature, not that of heaven. The text is richly referenced with the writings of Dr. Jung, several case studies, and many other literary examples. This book is an eloquent validation of a domain of experience that is unavoidable, yet so often denied.
Average customer rating:
- riveting crime fiction
- Gripping Supernatural Thriller
- A good read
- Slow Start, and Okay Read (3.5 Stars)
- Intriguing
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Shadows in the Darkness (Changeling)
Elaine Cunningham
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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Shadows in the Starlight (Changeling)
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ASIN: 0765348519
Release Date: 2005-12-27 |
Book Description
Gwen "GiGi" Gelman, a ten year veteran of the Providence, Rhode Island vice squad, finds herself unemployed after being blamed for a routine bust that turned into a bloodbath. GiGi is used to being on her own, though, and with the help of a DA who owes her, she's scraped together enough capital to start her own PI business, specializing in"family problems"-in particular runaways who have disappeared into Providence's seamy underside.With a few custodian kidnapping cases under her belt, as well as a case against a Catholic school teacher/molester, GiGi is doing well for herself --until she takes on the case of a fourteen year old runaway who may or may not have been kidnapped.As GiGi investigates, she accidentally opens the door to her own mystical past. Now long-hidden family ties threaten her, and the secret of her identity unlocks a conspiracy that reveals the forces of darkness that play in the shadows....Forces that intend to be the masters of all mortal life.
Customer Reviews:
riveting crime fiction.......2007-09-09
This is paranormal suspense, but unlike most paranormal suspense, the paranormal is very much at the side through most of the story.
The story itself centers around Gwenevere GiGi Gellman - a former cop and current PI who searches for missing women. Much of the book takes up with establishing Gwen's history: why she is where she is, and what she's done in the past. While she's solving her current case, she's also revealing shadows from her own past.
Like most crime fiction, there is a fair amount of disturbing violence in this book - nothing close to, say, Patterson, but still, it's there. It's also not got the huge amount of paranormal that folks who like that genre have come to expect. But it's a good, fast read. It's a series setup, but, for the most part, stands alone quite well.
(*)>
Gripping Supernatural Thriller.......2007-09-04
Following a drug bust which goes spectacularly wrong, Gwen Gellman leaves the police force to start her own PI business, specializing in finding runaways. As she investigates her latest case, she finds it has ties to her own past. Now her real family know about her, and though Gwen is determined to find the missing girl before it's too late, her time is running out.
Shadows in the Darkness is a PI novel with an urban fantasy twist. For much of the book the plot deals with Gwen finding a missing girl, and investigating the failed drug bust which led to her leaving the police force. However, every so often we are given the hint that there is more to this than meets the eye. Alongside her normal life, Gwen is also subject to a more supernatural heritage, of which she is mostly unaware. As a reader you realise there is a metaphorical net slowly tightening around Gwen as she tries to find the runaway - the deeper she gets into the case the more it wraps around her. This is a multi-layered tale of elves, missing girls, murder and police corruption; where it seems every character has an ulterior motive and a hidden agenda.
Shadows in the Darkness is probably not for those readers who prefer a more romantic urban fantasy. Gwen deals with the ugly side of life most people prefer to ignore. One of the reviews in the front of the book refers to SITD as a supernatural Alias and that's a good summation.
Recommended for fans of Wen Spencer's Ukiah Oregon series, Kat Richardson's Greywalker, Charlaine Harris's Lily Bard and Harper Connelly series. Also for anyone who likes crime/PI novels who's interested in trying a little urban fantasy.
Book #2 Shadows in the Starlight was released Feb 2007
A good read.......2007-07-24
Not a Princess Meredith clone. This is a well written book, with a unique heroine. There are so many Laura K Hamilton wannabe's out there and Ms. Cunningham has created her own world of elves. Refreshing after my last 6 books--I get to enjoy reading again.
Slow Start, and Okay Read (3.5 Stars).......2007-06-20
I bought this book a while ago, but I just finished about a day ago. That is very unusual for me. Usually I get a book and can't put it down. But when I first picked up this book I was struggling throught the first 1/3 of the the book. I couldn't seem to get into it. Nothing seemed relevant and i didn't see where this was going. But I picked it up again a few days ago out of boredom. And while I can't say that it was the best book I've read, I think will buy the second book.
I liked the fact that she had to figure out her past herself, that someone didn't just pop out of nowhere and tell her what she was. I am also glad that the book just didn't jump right in to the whole elf aspect. You had to kind of guess who was what. And it kept the urban setting and included the people that weren't involved with elves. Everything didn't just suddenly revolve about her identity.
But the book was still confusing. Many facts and hints weren't added until toward the end of the book so the reader couldn't draw any conclusions. The reader was almost always in the dark, sometimes even moreso than the main character. Also, I couldn't follow half of the logic in this book.
Though I sort of wish I was in her place, because she keeps getting all of this cool jewelry. I would love to get free jewelry every time I got into trouble. I wonder if she wears them. But i think I'm missing their role in this. They are supposed to make the book more ominous, but the thing is she never mentions the necklaces until she gets another one. She doesn't even say if she wears them or not. And they don't play a part yet (even though this is the first book, they should give at lest a hint.)
Unfortunately, this book is a little cliche. Like the ending: they most ominously anounce that Frank's son is really an elf. i know this leaves it open for the next book, but wouldn't it have been better if would at first suspected and then discovered it in the next book. I would have also gone along with the rest of the book's flow of info (we don't find out until the last minute). It's also cliche that they are playing her. And that bad guys were bad in the typical way. They had "low-life" written all over them. (even though she adds the fact one of them is her uncle to make it more original, it doesn't play much of a part and might as well have not been said). The elves also talk in the "old" voice that you hear in the movies when they have an old vamp- that elated higher-than-you, self-important sort of speech always used. And the hand-touchng thing reads straight out of a sci-fi movie. Though what bothers most is the fact that one of them constantly appears and disappears out of nowhere. (He does it one time and forgets his car.) I guess that is supposed to be foreboding, but it is overused. And she never mentions when he finally retrieves his car. But thats not the worst, twice he emerges from the shadows. He walks out of them and says some smooth comment. I think she stole some of the scenes from a B-rated vamp movie. The only thing is, I thought this was a book about elves?
What also bothers me is that it never takes long to get anywhere. I know RI is small, but the way they make it sound, it could be smaller than my neighborhood. Maybe RI doesn't have any traffic or stop lights.
But if you can get past the cliches and jealousy from watching her get all that free jewelry, it is a good book. Not the best, but I bet it will get better. I like reading a contemporary elf book once in a while becuase it's not overdone with sorceres and the like. It is also a break from vamp-hunter books, though a couple times I wondered if the elf was really a vamp, with the walking out of the shadows bit.
Intriguing.......2007-05-03
This new series (well not really new) by Elaine Cunnighman is a fresh new start. It is really intriguing because we have this P.I. as the main character who is on case that stretches out to reveal her past. Gwen, doesn't know much at all about her parents because they died when she was a baby, but there is more to their deaths than what she is led to believe. But as she starts to uncover her past and the secrets that ulitmately lead her to solving her case, lives become at stake. Including the life of someone close to Gwen. Overall it is not that bad of a novel, there is just a lot character confusion because there are so many. Although it is not too hard to follow.
Customer Reviews:
Gothic Terror from the Old World.......2007-01-07
White Wolf's new and revised 'World of Darkness' game line has been full of creative and useful ideas, and this first book to highlight the 'World of Darkness' beyond the US is nothing short of brilliant. The authors, mostly Brits themselves, do a wonderful job mixing the nation's rich cultural heritage, folklore and myth with thematic material, mysteries and the outright bizarre.
The first chapter gives a wonderful overview of the British Isles as they exist in the World of Darkness, paying full attention to Vampires, Mages and Werewolves (though there is a strong focus on werewolves), along with other stranger things like alien big cats, the owl man of cornwall, great lake worms, fox-spirits, djinn, ghosts and tantalizing hints of the fae. Things like the blood farm and 'the other city' of Glasgow are outright brilliant, but equally interesting are cultural changes that make British Vampires, Mages and Werewolves unique from their American counterparts. Notes are given on social changes, prominent individuals, rumors and even a few Bloodlines and Legacies, like the Pakistani Brothers of Sadr-Ud-Din and the 'chav' Tanners, though none are actually written up. As I said before, many of the writters on this book are Brits themselves, and it shows. Gone are many of the stereotypes that older books sometimes suffered from.
Like I said, this book is really aimed at the Werewolf audience (though others will get use out if it too), and the second chapter highlights this. It focuses on the Uratha of the region, even goes as far as to make write-ups for each Tribe, mentioning things like how British Bone Shadows study human ghost lore and take tokens from fallen foes, or how the British Iron Masters have adapted to the cities. Several new Lodges are written up, like the Lodge of the Howling Death, who fight the Pure to the death over territory, and the Lodge of Scavengers, who are cunning urban survivors. A small number of lesser Lodges are also mentioned, but not written up, like the Lodge of the Baital, Bone Shadows who study Asian myth. There are also a number of British Totems, Fetishes and Rites given, even some cultural notes on Klaives.
The third chapter gives some more setting information for Great Britain, including notes for American players, historical games, and bringing foreign characters into the UK. Once again, there is a strong focus on the setting for Werewolf, showing different cultural variations on typical foes such as the Beshilu (the idea of the Rat God thing is horribly creepy) and the Pure (such as inbred, aristocratic Ivory Talons who hunt two-legged prey on their estates, and Fire-Touched with a different fervor from their American brethern). Theres more ST material in the fourth chapter, which includes information on prominent NPCs and antagonists in the British Isles, and other useful crunch (like a new Cruac Ritual). All in all, theres alot of good stuff to throw at players, and for developing the United Kingdom as a unique supernatural landscape. But the creepiest stuff are the unexplained and bizarre things that have no real connection to other supernaturals. Things like the Drowned Men, who may or may not be the Fomori of Irish legend, and the hints about the Fae.
Like I said before, the authors have a deep sense of what's 'British' and really draw on alot of obscure regional folklore - like the Green Children of Woolpit, alien big cats, ghost stories, and the like. They also do a good job making mention of material from other books that can be brought in - like the Bron and Melissidae from Bloodlines: the Legendary, or the Sodality of the Tor, Daksha and Pygmalian Society from Legacies: the Sublime (and Wood's signature character Lucy Sulphate even gets mentioned). I was a little disappointed we didn't get write-ups for the Tanner or the Brothers of Sadr-Ud-Din, but theres always room for me to make up my own stuff for that. The vague hints and allusions to the Fae are also a great tie in with the forthcoming Changeling game (if the ST is so inclined that is). So yeah, this is a great book, an essential for Americans planning on running a game set in the UK. Even so, Brits will still get a kick out of many of the things in this book too.
Customer Reviews:
WELL DONE AND TERRIFYING!.......2007-04-25
I never really looked at Mexico as this land of shadows and legends but once you start getting into Shadows of Mexico for the World of Darkness, you see that Mexico's history and legends are every bit as colorful, and even more cloaked in history than nations of the Middle East, the cradle of civilization. And give the writers of this wonderful hardcover supplement credit, the first chapter is a lush, fifty page plus overview of Mexico's diverse history, and its terrifying legends. As duly noted in the opening pages of chapter one's overview, Mexico's human history goes back more than 10,000 years, yet unlike Egypt or ancient Babylon, we know so little about the cavitations of the Olmecs and Toltecs who predate the Aztecs.
Besides Mexico's history, the opening chapter delves deeply into many other subjects such as it's often harsh lands, border towns, common myths, gangs and organized crime, the Policia, crime and the drug trade, ancient Mexican deities and monsters and all sorts of other weirdness. I found myself truly fascinated and incredibly impressed by the research that went into the opening chapter. This isn't mere fluff but rather meaty material you can sink your teeth into.
Chapter Two is the player's guide to Shadows of Mexico and deals with how players and player types fit into the Mexican milieu. All the standard types of characters in World of Darkness are covered including Werewolves, The Awakened, Mexican vampires, the new Prometheans, and more, making it a fit for any WOD setting. The vampire clans and types are as eclectic as I've seen in any RPG system from the savage Gangrel to the tyrannical Ventrue. There's a wide array of dark and vampiric powers that are detailed that are as terrifying and as colorful as their names, such as The Scream of the Dying Sun, and Harbinger of Fear.
Chapter Three is mainly for the Storyteller and details the lands of Mexico that range from jungles to deserts and everything in between. Throughout the book, and not just in the Storytelling chapter, there are various sample adventures hooks and sample settings provided to help get the gaming session going. Again, as with the preceding chapter, the lushness of the material is amazing. Players can go from ancient Mayan ruins to stiflingly oppressive modern Mexico City.
The final chapter highlights some of the very unique characters and powers operating in Mexico. One of the most interesting I found was the Dead Desperado, a being that is not the typical undead, but whose origins are shrouded in mystery. He, or it, lives,,,um, or un-lives, for nothing but revenge, no matter whose revenge it is.
Shadows of Mexico completely took me by surprise. I had expected little from this supplement as it seemed to be so minor in scope but I was proven very wrong. This book is richly detailed and will provide players and Storytellers plenty of great game experience.
Reviewed by Tim Janson
Book Description
This is the story of a young man caught in the whirlwind of the Holocaust, who survives a chain of events so harrowing they almost defy belief. As a boy, Joe Rosenblum watches as the Nazi overlords tighten their grip on his small Polish town. Narrowly escaping mass executions that take his own brother, Rosenblum is first sheltered by a local Gentile family, then takes refuge with Russian partisans. Once captured by the Germans, he begins a journey through three concentration camps--Majdanek, Auschwitz, and Dachau. Living by his wits, a courier for the camp underground, Rosenblum is able to help other prisoners, and even to save children "selected" for the gas chambers. Eventually he finds himself working for the infamous Dr. Mengele. In a bizarre twist of fate, the "Angel of Death" is persuaded to perform life-saving surgery on Rosenblum--perhaps making him the only Jew to be saved by the deadly doctor's skills. A remarkable man who danced on the razor's edge of history, Rosenblum did not merely survive the Holocaust, but rose above it by radiating hope and humanity--by defying the darkness.
Customer Reviews:
Remarkable Man, Amazing Story.......2005-03-26
Defy The Darkness is the story of the author's (Joe Rosenblum) life before, during, and after World War II. After the Germans invaded Poland, he was, due to his Aryan looks, able to survive by working on the farm of a Polish family who were very kind to him. As a result, he was able to bring food to his own family which helped to prolong their lives. Rosenblum was a very remarkable man. He took his father's place on various slave labor details, he spent time with Russian partisans, and he survived around eighteen months in Birkenau at a time when the average person might have survived eighteen minutes. He had wits; he had strength of character, and, as with most camp survivors he had, as odd as this may sound, luck on his side. The two most indelible images in the book; the gauntlet that the prisoners were continually forced to run at Majdanek, and the prisoners at Birkenau stuffing whole frogs in their mouths due to their incredible hunger. This is a story that had to be told and a book that must be read.
Unforgetable Account of Horror, Suffering and Bravery.......2004-08-29
This book is fantastic. Joe Rosenblum's story is inspiring. I have shared this book with many people and every one of them found the book intriguing. Mr. Rosenblum went through hell and emerged a hero and a very decent man. Very well written with co-author Mr. Kohn.
Heartwrenching Acts of Bravery & Wit.......2003-12-29
This book was a page turner that I could not put down. It went straight to my heart and I wondered if I could do the same things to survive. Joe's thoughts and actions were absolutely amazing, thinking about my 14 yr old nephew the whole time. Unimaginable acts of bravery and the things he has to overcome just to stay alive. Giving kindness to anyone he could even though it could mean death in an instant. Watching and telling his stories of death all around him and of his family. The work he had to endure, the pain, and the hopes to keep him going.
This book is an excellent read and really opens your eyes to his life and the lives around him.
Remember Before It's Too Late.......2001-09-30
There is no shortage of writing about the Holocaust, fortunately, because nothing so evil should ever be forgotten. In addition to the dry historical accounts, we have many novels, military assessments and first-person accounts.
What Joe Rosenblum gives us is a closeup look at his hometown of Miedzyrzec, Poland, as it is swallowed up by the Nazis, the effects on its mostly Jewish population and the terrible events that upend and destroy his family. Equally important, he tells us how he survived his hellacious odyssey through Nazi death camps, his techniques for survival and the pure luck that kept him from destruction.
I found the writing a little choppy and some of the material was a bit repetitious. The book sometimes read more like an interview with someone eager to spill out the details before it's too late. So what? This is not literature, this is humanity, set down on paper so that we'll all remember and, if we're lucky, have just a little of the courage of this survivor.
Truth be told.......2001-07-26
This book is one of the best suvivor accounts I have read. The authot lets you into his life and lets you see things through his eyes. Once you are in - it's hard to leave. The author has such an amazing memory of his life that the pages beg to be read. I happen to have been fortunate enough to meet Mr. Rosenblum and hear him tell his story to my students. Truly an amazing man. I highly reccomend this book for it's truth, honesty and heroism.
Book Description
Book Review by New York Times Best Selling Author Ellen Tanner Marsh Shadow Fields By D. F. Whipple What happens when you wake up from the American Dream to find that you are actually living in an American nightmare? Can reality ever be as good as all you had hoped for? In D. F. Whipple's wild original debut, Shadow Fields, we're about to find out. Jack Maguire has it all: charm, power and enough money made on Wall Street to live like a king. But things are definitely not what they seem. His wife Jennifer, for instance, is so plagued by her past that she soon sinks into the brink of madness. His daughter Anne is depressed and suicidal. And Jack's favorite anodyne, work, just isn't doing the job for him all of a sudden. How can Jack live when the only dreams he has now are broken ones? As satirical as Thomas Wolfe's Bonfire of the Vanities and as inventive as Nabokov, Whipple has great fun poking holes into Wall Street sacred cows. His prose is diamond-hard and shining with meaning, and his characters are so alive and rich, you'll swear you know them personally. But Whipple is after more important things than creating mere satire. This is a tough reexamination of lives in the balance, careers on the make or break, and the casual way in which we sell our souls to achieve what we only think we want. Blistering, funny and deeply moving, this cautionary tale tells us to be careful for what we wish for, because getting it may not make us happy. At least not as happy as this richly satirical novel does.
Download Description
Control. Jack wanted it back. It was ripped away long ago. So this life of Wall Street-a realm where reality and myth intertwined-had taken its toll. On his body. On his soul. After December, he felt besieged, and it was all random and meaningless, and Jack knew he was falling into the abyss.
Jack Maguire has it all: money, power, charm, and the ability to overcome any challenge. Until today. Suddenly Maguire, the CEO of Taylor Drake and one of the most powerful businessmen in America, finds himself helpless-desperate for bearings. Working ninety hours a week is no help; in fact, the harder he works, the deeper he sinks. His wife, Jennifer, has grown distant. Anne, his teenaged daughter, is depressed. And worst of all, a tragedy struck on Christmas Eve. After years of camaraderie and laughter, Jack now suffers alone-a winner overwhelmed with loss. Wry, heartfelt, and deeply poetic, Shadow Fields explores the nature of opposites-life and death, success and failure, hope and fear-but ultimately asks whether these are opposites at all. Indeed, Jack Maguire cries out for an answer, and in the process, he speaks for everyone.
Customer Reviews:
Shadow Fields.......2007-05-29
From the moment I opened this book, I knew I would want to know everything there is to know about Jack's life. I felt every pain and victory with him. The writing is truly glorious. Thank you D.F. Whipple!
Stephanie D.
A gem--read it!.......2007-05-28
If you have ever heard someone describe seeing Springsteen at the Stone Pony *before* Greetings from Asbury Park, or saw LeBron play basketball in high school, you can get a sense for how I feel having read D.F. Whipple's Shadow Fields. The book is beautifully written, not just engaging but engrossing. That it comes without the hype of a major publishing house makes it even more delicious.
Shadow Fields tells the story of Jack Maguire, a man on the fast track who gets to the top and wonders what he has sacrificed and whether he should change course. But this is a fresh take on this not uncommon story.
I'm no literary critic, so I can't delve too deeply here, but the highlights of the book for me were the characters and their conversations, which are vivid and oh-so-real; the examination of the marriage, which will have anyone in a relationship doing some soul-searching; and the fact that I did not want to put this book down.
The book also passes my other tests: I will give it to friends confidently; and I will read it again myself to delve deeper into some of the important themes.
Look--I'm rooting for Whipple, in part because he is not backed (yet) by the big publishers. I just ordered Snooker Glen, his second novel, although I wonder if an author who scores big with his first novel can possibly nail the second as well.
And I recommend this book highly. You will enjoy reading it, and it will get you thinking. And someday, we'll all boast about how early we were aboard Whipple's career.
Shadow Fields.......2007-01-27
Who can recall that vivid, altering moment when the confluence of events converge to define one's life course? The trajectory is announced, crystallized...defined. When is that second when the whispered voice of encouragement and self affirmation adjusts to an audible volume, undismissable with its intent? It morphs into a propellant for self confidence...self belief...an embracing escort to the next test. It becomes the impenetrable fiber woven for the vicissitudes of life...not dismissable! D.F. Whipple conducts those pivotal Doylestown scenes with a musical mastery...balancing the "turn of the phrase" with the staccato of anticipation and a sensitive , controlled tempo, until the accelerando vibrates towards its ultimate , exuberant release. I felt present for Jack Macguire's defining moment on those Doylestown Shadow Fields, realizing at once the transforming message of self insight and self affirmation. An invaluable read for life students, who approach the raised bar...no matter what the goal....n'importe! A Shadow Field is there for us all.
A Great Read.......2007-01-10
Shadow Fields is a great read!! Jack is a captivating character with struggles that are well storied by D.F. Whipple. The flow of the story was excellent and the writing superb. No part of the story was left unfinished and I was left with a seamless vision of the characters portrayed. I'd highly recommend buying the other book by D.F. Whipple, Snooker Glen.
Shadow Fields.......2006-08-09
D.F. Whipple's poetic development of a young man in total control of his environment, effortlessly setting and achieving his goals, is eloquent and beautifully constructed. Jack Maquire's fast-paced life and meteroric rise in the most demanding pressure cooker, Wall Street, contrasts sharply with his almost melancholy awareness of 'the true meaning to love and life.' While his inner struggle for Balance ensues, his values and beliefs are shaken to the point of collapse.
Wonderful insight from Mr. Whipple; I loved all the switch-backs; a great read!
Customer Reviews:
Sex, Sex, Sex. Doesn't it get tired after a while?.......1999-09-21
I've recently read the shadow warrior series and the last legion. I've come to one conclusion. Sex get's to be a tired plot point. EVERY single book of Chris Bunch's i've read has at least one sex scene in it. Ok i'm good for a sex scene or two, but come on! Are the characters fighting their way around the galaxy or sleeping their way around it? It's no wonder humans are on so many worlds in these books, they procreate like rabbits! I give it 3 out of 5 stars. I liked the violence, the plot, and the characters, but there is just too much sex to be believable in this series.
Better than any book about Diana, unless there are photos........1997-12-21
Bunch, even without Cole, writes a good fast-paced story with a man's man hero. Too bad that this particular story must have been written by someone else. It suffers from the everything-comes-together-all-at-once ending combined with the alien weapon that only the human can use syndrome. I will still purchase the next book that he writes but he is on probation. P.S. why did he bother to help the galaxy? He doesn't seem at all connected to any humanitarian feelings by the end of the book
Lame Ending to the Shadow Warrior Series.......1997-11-25
"The Darkness of God" is the limp ending to Shadow Warrior trilogy.
In "Darkness" Joshua Wolfe wraps up the three long-term plot lines of the trilogy: The Chitra, the Space Eater, and the sociopath shipping magnate.
The Shadow Warrior series is pulp sf. Buying into the series meant accepting a formula Space Opera: Space-ninja Joshua Wolfe gambles, fights, and fornicates his way across the galaxy. "Wind After Time" and "Hunt the Heavens" held true to this formula, and were actually pretty good space battle, ray blaster, and bodice-ripper sf.
"Darkness" was a disappointment. I can only imagine Bunch had a three book contract, and either ran out of story by the end of the second book or had too much to put in the third. This final book picks up where the second book left-off. It then mindlessly recycles the plot of the first book in the series, with the names changed. Finally, it wraps-up the series in the last 50 pages. If I'd known the series was going to end that abruptly and unsatisfactorily, I'd never have started it.
"The Darkness of God" is the lame ending to a Space Opera that had potential. I don't recommend starting the series knowing this is how it ends.
Customer Reviews:
More Info.......2006-11-27
Overall this book was an okay read. I would have preferred to read more about Josh Gibson and his personal/family life. This book provided more information on box scores and Negro League history than on Josh Gibson. There was information on him that I had never read about or even heard about for that matter which was Great! Not to say the information about box scores and Negro League history are not important. I think I could have gotten that information from the author's other book he wrote about the history of the Negro Leagues. I would have liked to read more about Josh Gibson personally such as what happened to his twin daughter,what happened to the other women in his life, did he have any more children or is any of his memorabilia in the hall of fame are just a few questions that I would have liked to read about.
A sports bio like no other.............2004-02-05
Josh Gibson was known as "the black Babe Ruth." In his day, he towered over the other batting talent in the negro leagues like a colossus. Legend has it that he hit more than 800 homeruns including the longest one out of Yankee stadium ever recorded. Because of the color barrier, he never made it to "the bigs" and died just three months before Jackie Robinson broke through. Sadly, he remains a footnote in sports history known mostly to true baseball afficianados. However, thanks to this book by Mark Ribowsky, he will never be forgotten and will always be accessible to those interested enough to read it. Like the jazz musician Charlie Parker, he was a womanizing drug abuser who died in his mid-thirties. Both men died long before their immense talent ever had the chance to fade away. They also represented two of America's greatest inventions --- baseball and jazz with incredible style and poise. Interesting details here about Josh's time in the South American leagues fill in gaps in his career record. Poignant insight is also presented about the loss of his first wife which set the stage for his depression, self-abuse and eventual downfall. No less an authority than baseball's greatest hitter Ted Williams used his 1966 Baseball Hall of Fame induction speech to praise both Gibson and his pitching counterpart Satchel Paige lobbying for them to be inducted into the hall which they both eventually were. Details, annecdotes and great insights into a great player abound in this book. The writing here by Ribowsky is definitely worthy of his subject.
Josh, the question still remains.......2002-08-23
I read in anticipation to learn why a strong and powerful man such as Josh Gibson would die at the young age of 36. Yes, there were references to his drinking and drug use. There was mention about him possibly having a brain tumor. That's where the book missed the point. If it was a brain tumor, the author simply skated the issue by saying that the record keeping in the 40's left something to be desired. Certainly there were people to interview who were affiliated with the hospital where he stayed and was diagnosed. I think a stronger case for or against a brain tumor should have been made by the author instead of glossing over the matter. Way too much detail of the balls and strikes of games was given. Who cares about that stuff? I wanted to know about Josh the man and got some of that, but not nearly enough. Page after page was filled with box score details that were meaningless for the most part. If he truly had "many women", who were these people and did any other than Hattie and Grace play a major role in his life? Lots of questions and few answers from the author. Sorry!
A Great history of a great black baseball legend.......2000-08-20
It's easy to see why this writer also wrote a book about Satchel Paige. Their careers are so intertwined, he already had the research. And, in fact, you could almost call this a history of the Negro Baseball League.
The negatives to the book are that it early reads somewhat like a rehash of newspaper articles. The author was forced into this because the two primary sources were the weekly black newspapers and "embellished" word of mouth. The set-up is a little long on the history of the two Pittsburgh teams that Josh played for but since this rivalry was so intertwined with Josh's history, it was almost necessary.
The positives are that this is a classic "tragic hero". Humble beginnings and tragedy, develops into a tremendous player, personal flaws erode his skills, and then he has a young, controversial death. When you overlay that with the rumors and embellishment of his accomplishments, it's easy to see how the legend has grown. The author did a good job of balancing legend with documentable evidence helping the reader draw a conclusion on the stories that may be overstated exaggerations.
This is a great story and a very good read I enjoyed. Obviously, Josh Gibson and Satch Paige paved the way for Jackie Robinson and have their place in baseball history. I STRONGLY encourage you to watch "The Soul of the Game" on HBO which takes the history of Paige, Gibson and Robinson and overlays the facts into a reconstruction. It was one of the best movies I have ever watched and never fails to draw you emotionally into the story. This book and it's careful research, allowed me to realize virtually every scene in the movie was drawn from some fact and not an overstatement.
Powerful!!!.......1998-12-04
Mark Ribowsky has researched his material and subject very well. A very powerful but sad message comes from this book. Josh Gibson had tremendous and unlimited power and potential. As a victim of a racist America of that time, we will never truly know just how great he could have been. A sad epitaph exists for all Negro League Stars...Statistics are terribly lacking and wrought with inconsistencies. More often than not we are left to the colorful imaginations of those that were witness to this era. No question, they were all highly talented. No question, they were robbed and we were robbed. Josh Gibson is about as poignent a subject as anyone. Such a shame! Thank you, Mark. Thank you for at least allowing us to have a glimpse at what it was like for Josh and many others of a bygone era. It was not an easy time for them. Josh was the one that was hardest hit by the climate. The truth is known, it is ugly, but it is known.
Books:
- Shadow Boxing: The Dynamic 2-5-14 Strategy to Defeat the Darkness Within
- Shadows in the Starlight (Changeling)
- Shadows of the Empire (Star Wars)
- Slaying the Dragon: The History of Addiction Treatment and Recovery in America
- Slaying the Dragon: The History of Addiction Treatment and Recovery in America
- Slaying the Dragon: The History of Addiction Treatment and Recovery in America
- Solitary Witch: The Ultimate Book of Shadows for the New Generation
- That Rabbit Belongs to Emily Brown
- The Black Jewels: Trilogy: Daughter of the Blood / Heir to the Shadows / Queen of the Darkness
- The Blood Books, Vol. 3 (Blood Debt / Blood Bank)
Books Index
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Portals To Cleansing
How to Minister Freedom: Helping Others Break the Bonds of Sexual Brokenness, Emotional Woundedness, Demonic Oppression and Occult Bondage
Freedom From The Religious Spirit
Discerning of Spirits
Shame: Identity Thief
