Wings of Fire (An Ian Rutledge Mystery)

Amazon.com

When A Test of Wills, Charles Todd's first mystery about a shell-shocked World War I veteran, came out, it was such an original and successfully executed concept that readers were torn between wanting more and wondering how he could possibly pull off a sequel. Todd does it very simply: he pushes the gimmick sideways and makes his Scotland Yard detective, Ian Rutledge, much more personally involved in the death of one of the possible murder victims than he was in the first book. While the voice of Hamish, the Scottish soldier he executed for battlefield cowardice, still growls in his mind, Inspector Rutledge also feels very deeply about Olivia Marlowe, a supposed suicide in the Cornwall town of Borcombe. He knew her as O. A. Manning, a poet whose books, especially the love poems collected in Wings of Fire, were "light and warmth and beauty intermingled with such passion that they sang in the heart as you read them. Wings of Fire had touched him in ways that few things had." Olivia's death, along with that of two members of her family, have brought Rutledge from London to investigate. But, as a sharp local clergyman tells him, "Be sure your own ghosts don't infringe on your logical mind--don't rain havoc on Borcombe in search of your own absolution."

Book Description

Inspector Ian Rutledge is quickly sent to investigate the sudden deaths of three members of the same eminent Cornwall family, but the World War I veteran soon realizes that nothing about this case is routine. Including the identity of one of the dead, a reclusive spinster unmasked as O. A. Manning, whose war poetry helped Rutledge retain his grasp on sanity in the trenches of France. Guided by the voice of Hamish, the Scot he unwillingly executed on the battlefield, Rutledge is driven to uncover the haunting truths of murder and madness rooted in a family crypt....

Customer Reviews:

Todd's second Rutledge book is a real page-turner.......2007-01-20

Charles Todd's second book in the Ian Rutledge series is a wonderfully complex immersion in an amazingly dysfunctional family. Rutledge and his ever-present "companion" Hamish slowly unravel the story of the Trevelyan family with the aid of a village full of wonderful characters. I can't wait to read "Search the Dark." A friend of mine introduced me to the first book in the series, "A Test of Wills", and now I am truly hooked. It's a treat to discover a series like this. It's been a long time. Thanks!!

Clipped "Wings...".......2007-01-11

This is the second of Charles Todd's Inspector Rutledge series, but the first one I read. Having gone back to the first, "A Test of Wills," I can honestly say that this isn't a series I'm going to continue with. Todd's ideas aren't bad, but he draws the stories out endlessly, with Rutledge interviewing and re-interviewing and re-re-interviewing suspects again and again...and not really getting anywhere. And in both books, Rutledge's irrascible Chief Inspector (himself a tired cliche) assigns him the case hoping that he'll screw up and get kicked off the force. Talk about repetitive plotting; in some ways it felt like reading the same book twice. Perhaps this series gets better in subsequent installments, but with so much else to read out there, I won't be finding out.

Excellent value.......2006-08-07

A great deal on a book I wasn't able to purchase any where else

Was It Murder?.......2006-04-30

"Wings of Fire" is one of the series of Ian Rutledge mysteries by the author Charles Todd--a mother/son American writing team, in fact, the second in the series. Set in post World War I Britain, these mysteries have as their compelling main character Ian Rutledge, a Scotland Yard inspector who is the worse for the war, but slowly mending.

In this book, Rutledge is called upon to research a brother and sister double suicide, followed shortly thereafter by a third death in the family. Rutledge travels to the Cornish coast this time, and as in the other books, he travels in the company of his dead sergeant, Hamish, who speaks his mind to Rutledge as he works through the investigation.

This mystery involves a beautiful house by the sea, and is peopled by both the gentry who have lived in that house and the inhabitants of the local village, including the vicar, the doctor and so forth. The house and its setting may remind some readers of "Rebecca", especially since the memory of the home's now dead mistress seems to permeate the proceedings, even as her portrait presides over the drawing room.

The book does not get off to a fast paced start--indeed, it seems a bit slow in the first 100 pages. And for this reader, there is not enough conversation from Hamish in that portion or in the rest of the book. Unlike others in the series, we do not hear much of Hamish's actual words--more often Todd tells us that Hamish was grumbling or making some remark. But we don't "hear" the remark. A pity, that.

I felt that the writing was a tad uneven. I would be bogged down in a section of the book, say, about half of a chapter, and then all of the sudden the pace picked up, the storyline became more compelling, and I was eager to know more. Then, back to the slower pace and, for me, a challenge to get through it to the next, livelier portion.

Occasionally, Todd takes us to a higher plain of psychological and perhaps even theological conversation--several of the interviews Rutledge has with the vicar provide the setting for some of these. They are among the best passages in the book.

Since the work of a famous poet figures in the story, we are also treated to more than prose from Todd's hand, and the sections of verse are deftly done.

The last several chapters are quite good--both as the mystery is revealed and the creativity shown by the author in settings and dialogue. It made me go back and read the first chapter again, once I had finished the final chapter.

This is the second in remarkable series of classic whodunits. The reader will be hooked. And will wish to read all of the Rutledge mysteries, in order. A Test of Wills, Wings of Fire, Search the Dark, Legacy of the Dead, Watchers of Time, A Fearsome Doubt, A Cold Treachery, A Long Shadow. There is also a stand-alone Todd mystery called A Murder Stone, without Rutledge or Hamish. Read more about them at: www.Charlestodd.com At one point, that website indicated that a Rutledge book was going to be adapted for the Mystery series on PBS...

Todd intertwines the supporting characters from book to book, so that Rutledge's and Hamish's friends and family you meet herein will appear in subsequent books, at some times, mentioned, and other times, key to the story.

If you find this review helpful you might want to read some of my other reviews, including those on subjects ranging from biography to architecture, as well as religion and fiction.

Police procedural in Cornwall - moors and cursed gentry.......2006-03-31

This novel, set in England in the early 1920's, is a police procedural in the British tradition: thoughtful, low key, intricate, and a bit lethargic. The protagonist is a Scotland Yard Inspector and psychologically scarred WWI veteran. The central conceit of the character is that he has a voice in his head which is presumably his subconscious but takes the active voice of a Scottish soldier that the protagonist, Ian Rutledge, had to execute against his will during the war.

The setting is Cornwall, and the plot revolves around an extended family of landed gentry that has had, over the course of several decades, a disproportionate number of suicides and death tied to accidents. Our Inspector is sent down to Cornwall by his superior to investigate a double suicide and accidental death, with the aim of getting him out of the way of a murder investigation in London (and isn't this a standard police procedural cliché - get our man away on a fool's errand which he turns into a meaningful and important case). In any event, things proceed as they do in procedurals, as Rutledge uncovers with care circumstances that begin to looks more and more deliberate eventually resulting in the uncovering of our man of evil.

I enjoyed the novel - the descriptions had veracity, both emotionally and empirically. The characters were nicely drawn, and the ultimate driver of the actions of our evildoer unfolded nicely and cogently, with a strong final stage to things. That being said, the novel didn't grip me as entirely as some others of this genre have - but I find that police procedurals have a tend to grow on one as one reads through more and more of an author's library.

I also made the mistake of reading the second in the series, and not the first, which is annoying for three reasons: 1) I thought I had carefully looked and found the initial volume; 2) the subconscious Scottish voice is potentially fascinating but I didn't have the backstory on it, which is presumably in the first novel of the series; and 3) the first novel is out of print, and the folks on eBay want $40 for it, which ain't happening.

Ultimately, I will buy another book in the series, which, at least economically, is what the author and publisher want, and so is in some ways the strongest compliment.

Side note: I couldn't find this in a local bookstore so I went to Amazon for it. I was gratified to find it and buy it as a real $6.99 (!) paperback. Publishers seem to be putting a lot more books into a middle stage, large $12 or so paperback. This is annoying, particularly since with the bigger discounts that hardbacks get, they are only mildly cheaper than the hardbacks. It also seems to me that Amazon makes it difficult to find the cheap paperback version of a novel, even when it is available. I hope this is not true, but I have no doubt that protocols can be written to show more expensive versions of novels first and make it difficult to find the cheaper ones. My experience is that that seems to be the case at Amazon. I hope it is happenstance.

Average customer rating:

Better than Da Vinci and more appropriate for the times
Excelent, if you have read Dale Brown's previous books.
save yourself the trouble - please read something else
Choose another book
Dear sweet God, someone please stop him!

Wings of Fire
Dale Brown
Manufacturer: Berkley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 042519065X
Release Date: 2003-06-03

Book Description

North Africa is in turmoil. The new Libyan president has had the new Egyptian president assassinated, and the latter's widow, Susan Salaam, vows revenge. She enlists the high-tech help of Air Force general Patrick McClanahan and his Night Stalkers. But the Libyans, and their scheming secret allies, hold a trump card-one with a deeply personal meaning for McClanahan-and it may be one that will leave even the Night Stalkers powerless...

Customer Reviews:

Better than Da Vinci and more appropriate for the times.......2006-08-03

Knowing that you have to read in order to write, I haven't read a Dale Brown book in awhile and reading Wings of Fire, I forgot how much I enjoy his work. Mr. Brown's writing is superb and his knowledge of military hardware and political history is endless. His command of military structure and world events that he weaves into his narration has no equal. Wings of Fire is the kind of novel that takes you into the thick of things in Egypt and Libya. Step aside Tom Clancy for no one does this type of adventure better than Dale Brown.

I find that I have to go out and get his next book to see if he brings the beautiful president of Egypt back into his story. The two things I like best about the book are the action and the settings. Mr. Brown has the uncanny ability to shape and weave a character into a plot that seamlessly holds your interest as you turn page after page. I usually find his books too short, even though the publisher would usually have him cut the pages.

Mr. Brown has written a book that is hard to put down. He also weaves current events such as the rise of Islam and the Islamic Brotherhood into his stories that help give us a better perspective on world issues.

I find books like this far more refreshing than the Da Vinci Code with its secrets and made up plots. A great read.

TS Ferguson, Author of Apocrypha

Excelent, if you have read Dale Brown's previous books........2006-07-20

For the people who have written reviews blasting character development, and technologies in the book, don't appear to have started at the beginning. This book is a part of a series that started almost 20 years ago. This is frankly one book series that you cannot pick up halfway through and expect to know all the characters. If you had trouble with the book and are open minded enough to give Dale Brown another chance, start at the beginning with "Flight of the Old Dog", and continue through the series.

save yourself the trouble - please read something else.......2005-12-27

I trusted the "professional" reviews and took a chance on this book. Boy was I disappointed. I bothered to finish it because I started it but I regret the time I spent on it. I have not read other Dale Brown books and I will probably never pick another one up. This story is not well thought out. There are unrealistic technologies in use and the plot is terribly simple. The problems and solutions the characters go through seem too much like a fairy tale. I will say it was a fast read because I was desparate to finish it so I can move on to something better.

Choose another book.......2004-07-27

I am sorry that I wasted part of my life reading this book. The plot is horribly disjointed, the characters were never thought out, and there was obviously no research done on the culture or politics of the area. It is just sad that a book featuring an eight-year-old girl with several DOCTORATES could be published and sold. I bought mine from a bargain bin at the local bookstore and threw it into the garbage. So I say again, please choose a different book.

Dear sweet God, someone please stop him!.......2004-05-29

This book is just a horrible travesty. Whats wrong with this book? Well to begin with the technology used by the good guys seem to violate the laws of physics. A battle-suit that folds up into a suitcase? An eight-year old that can design a plasma cannon? Come on, Mr. Brown at least try to make it believable.

The villians are just cliched jokes, but to be fair most of the good guys are too. Besides being cliched the good guys also seem to be clinically insane.

And to top it all off the plot is just a mangled mess. In the real world attacking a foreign country with a heavy bomber and killing dozens of their soldiers would mean war. But in Dale Brown's world you just give them some money and all is forgiven.
Why, oh, why does Dale Brown keep writing?

Wings of Fire: An Autobiography of APJ Abdul Kalam

Average customer rating:

A good book to gain a perspective on the evolution of India into a technological power
Great inspiring book
Pure Inspiration
Autobiography of a true scientist, and an extraordinary manager
Inspiring

Wings of Fire: An Autobiography of APJ Abdul Kalam
Arun Tiwari , and Abul Kalam
Manufacturer: Sangam Books Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 8173711461

Customer Reviews:

A good book to gain a perspective on the evolution of India into a technological power.......2007-07-30

This book sums up how APJ Abdul Kalam went through various stages
in his life starting from his childhood in Rameswaram to the stage prior to
his ascent to Rashtrapathi Bhavan in Delhi.
It depicts various projects he was associated with in the areas of aeronautics,
space research and defence development like Hovercraft Nandi, RATO, SLV and
Missile program and both the agonizing moments and the ecstatic moments
he went through in that process.

It conveys the message how a person's patriotic commitment to the development of
indigenous technology motivates a person to spend long hours and sustain hurdles,
despite being perturbed by the deaths of close family members one by one.

It proves the point that how motivating mentors/managers/leaders like
Dr.Vikram Sarabhai and Dr.Brahm Prakash can mold a young engineer like APJ
into a highly accomplished technocrat and make him bounce back to action
with a redoubled enthusiasm after heart-breaking personal and career setbacks.

It talks about how APJ was an effective project manager who projected his team
members more to the higher hierarchy than himself.

It mentions his elder sister's love toward him who mortgaged her gold ornaments
to pay for his admission to Madras Institute of Technology(MIT) which is so
typical for any middle-class Indian.

The following consoling words by Swami Sivananda to APJ after he fails in his
first job interview in Indian Air Force are notable:
" Accept your destiny and go ahead with your life. You are not destined to become
an Air Force pilot. What you are destined to become is not revealed now
but it is predetermined. Forget this failure, as it was essential
to lead you to your destined path. Search instead, for the true purpose of
your existence. Become one with yourself, my son !
Surrender yourself to the wish of God"

Those words proved right as his life progressed.

Credit goes to Arun Tiwari who asked APJ about his memoirs
and helped him in coming out with this book.

This is a book worth gifting to any child or youth ( 12 and above ) to make them
gain a good perspective on the evolution of India into a technological power.

Great inspiring book.......2007-03-23

One of the best autobiograpy I have read so far. No Indian has contributed more than Dr. Abdul Kalam in making the India a self-reliant nation and nuclear power.

I would recommend atleast every Indian to read this autobiography and be proud of him.

Pure Inspiration.......2007-01-04

I picked up a book in Dhaka recently entitled, "Wings of Fire' by Abdul Kalam. It is a fascinating book which unfortunately I didn't see in the UK.

It is about the biography of Abdul Kalam, who headed the Indian Space, Missile and Nuclear Programme, thus transforming India from a dependent nation to a technology superpower. He talks about the hardships he encountered and how he overcame them. He also draws valubale lessons from his father and his mentors as well as a deep faith in God, that enabled him to carry out his work and build up a home grown space and missile programme.

It has a lot of good suggestions on goal-setting, teamwork, managerial techniques, creating visions and dealing with set-backs. It is a lesson for all Muslims and anyone from the third world. The book is both readable and inspirational.

Hasan Ali Imam

Autobiography of a true scientist, and an extraordinary manager.......2006-11-12

I am halfway through reading the Urdu translation of this book (and just ordered the English version so I could read it in author's own words). As a part-time PhD student at a leading U.S. university who have recently experienced the unexplainable satisfaction one can achieve by doing research, and manager of a large technology team, I can testify by heart that Dr. Kalam shared his deep, and true experiences with his readers.

You will learn that merit is the most powerful thing in the world. If combined with optimism, and strong believe in God (or whatever you believe in), a nobody from a minority can uncover his or her full potential and break all barriers, even in a narrow-minded society like India.

You will learn that human mind can do wonders. And that one should not take anything for granted.

You will learn that leadership is all about trust, and about allowing your people to work freely and to achieve goals their way. You will understand that one does not become an extraordinary manager by being "hard" or by micro-managing his or her team.

You will also read various words of wisdom that only a true scientist (who have "been there"....) can share. And (hopefully) understand why one should not lose heart because of failures.

You will learn interesting facts about the relationship between research and development, and how they strengthen each other. You will also learn the difference between ideal and rational decisions (for an example, see the last paragraph of part 7).

To summarize, its an autobiography of an extraordinary achiever, and a must read for anyone who would like more reasons on believe on himself or herself, or to become a great manager.

Inspiring.......2006-08-22

This is an inspiring text that tells that if one has the passion combined with values in life, however difficult situation may be that person will be successful. Also the book throws light on what it takes for a successful team work.

Average customer rating:

thin Brown
Stretched
This is Dale Brown...but just
What happened to the real dale Brown?
Something(s) to be desired

Wings of Fire
Dale Brown
Manufacturer: Putnam Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0399148604
Release Date: 2002-07-01

Amazon.com

Former Air Force General Patrick McClanahan and his Night Stalkers are a freelance commando team that operates outside the American government--way outside--for reasons that author Dale Brown never makes entirely clear. Hired by a petroleum cartel to protect its interests in the Middle East, the team is testing new weapons developed by Sky Masters, McClanahan's private company, in the skies over Libya. Defending themselves against Libyan missiles, they get involved in a conflagration sparked by the new Libyan leader, who's convinced a radical Muslim faction to assassinate the pro-Western president of Egypt and help him take over the country's oil fields in return for his promise to unite all of Arab North Africa under theocratic fundamentalist rule. But his plans are foiled by the American-born widow of the slain president, with the timely assistance of McClanahan, the Night Stalkers, and their laser ray guns, plasma bombs, exoskeleton battle armor, and other weapons that Brown, an acknowledged master of the techno-thriller, describes in painstaking detail. The cumbersome plot and convoluted relationships among the central characters don't make much sense, and the action is so far over the top that it's barely believable, but that won't matter to Brown's enthusiastic readers, who've made his previous 13 books best sellers. --Jane Adams

Book Description

Dale Brown has written thirteen consecutive bestselling novels, but nothing that compares with the drama of Wings of Fire. Ostracized by the government, the military, even his own family, Air Force general Patrick McClanahan is near the end of his rope. And it's about to get worse.

North Africa is in turmoil. The new Libyan president has assassinated the new Egyptian president, and the latter's widow, Makta Salaam, vows revenge. Enlisting McClanahan's high-tech help, she survives an assassination attempt, takes over the Egyptian government, seduces and then kills the Libyan president, and all but proclaims herself queen of Arab North Africa. It's when she invades the Gaza Strip and proclaims it part of her empire that she goes too far. Both Syria and Israel go on alert, and it is only through the intervention of his fellow Night Stalkers that McClanahan wrests himself from under her spell. But is it too late? Salaam still has a few tricks up her sleeve, and she has saved the deadliest for last. . . .

Filled with meticulous authenticity and exceptional storytelling, Wings of Fire is Dale Brown at his best.

Customer Reviews:

thin Brown.......2004-02-16

In "Wings", Dale Brown's perrenial hero Pat Mclanahan returns to action in Libya. "Wings" follows a virtual series of books starring Mclanahan and his crew of go-anywhere, do-anything-it-takes air warriors. In his last book "Warrior Class", Mclanahan had been involuntarily retired from the air force due to his efforts to nab a power-mad international criminal named Pavel Kazakov. In league with the Russians, Kazakov tried to engineer a war in the Balkans to enhance the profitability of his petroleum, money-laundering and narcotics enterprises. In protective custody in "Wings" Kazakov is nevertheless on a new venture - this one involving a power-mad Libyan who traces his lineage to the pre-Quaddafi regime that ruled Libya. Nobody really believes that Jadalla Zuwayy is really the true king of Libya, but he is treated as if they did - especially the pilots, soldiers and generals who stand poised to invade oil-rich Egypt on his orders. Susan Harris, a beautiful American married to the soon-assassinated Egyptian president, tries every trick she can hold off crazed Zuwayy (Egypt's forces greatly out-strip those of Libya, but the latter possesses a huge supply of neutron bombs that can make everybody losers). The only hope is McLanahan and his crew. Armed with futuristic weapons designed and built by the Skymasters corporation, and assigned clandestinely by a covert organization known as "Nightcrawlers" (and headed by former president Kevin Martindale), Mclanahan goes into battle with next-generation stealth bombers and combat suits likely inspired by Sigourney Weaver's power-loaded from "Aliens". Unfortunately, bad luck strikes - and some of the Nightcrawlers fall prisoner during an ill-fated hunt in Libya for WMD. Trouble is compounded when the survivors find themselves in Egypt, where loyalties are divided. Back in the USA, the Thorn administration struggles with how to respond to the growing unrest in North Africa and with how it will deal with the McLanahan. (The Nightcrawlers may take Uncle Sam's best interest to heart, but they don't take his orders - and they face criminal prosecution for their unauthorized activities; Thorn himself typiefies the opposite of previous administrations - he pulls out all but a shell of US forces from overseas stations, and refuses to commit them anywhere unless foreign leaders can get their own populations to accept their presence). Meanwhile, the Skymasters company struggles to perfect a powerful laser-weapon that can be carried in a refitted B-52 bomber. Their latest secret weapon however proves to be a nine year old girl who knows a thing or two about plasma lasers and parallel universes.

A Dale Brown novel is a lot like one of those family get-togethers: you go to these things about once a year, and with some subtle variations, each one is pretty much like the one you survived the year before. We've still got power-mad dogs, craven US politicians, tons of high-tech and some big battles. Although the storyline spills directly from "Warrior Class", "Wings" has fewer than its share of references to older Brown novels. The villains are as unconvincing as ever (idiots who believe their own lies) and speak in the least plausible dialog. The technology seems compelling, but if you really wanted to learn about plasma lasers, would you really make a bee-line for the nearest Dale Brown tome? For the rest of us, Brown's technobabble may remind us that we studied so hard in high-school because we never wanted to hear that kind of droning again. Despite its title, "Wings" may have the least emphasis on what actually happens inside a fighting warplane than any other Brown novel. Instead, Brown concentrates his emphasis on the "Tin Man" battle armor - motorized exo-skeletons that turn individual soldiers into walking tanks. It's an idea that comes at the expense of his interest in military aviation that probably attracted Brown fans to novels like "Flight of the Old Dog" and "Day of the Cheetah", but the new technology is far too exotic to substantiate his story. Instead, "Wings" is thin and unsatisfying.

Stretched.......2003-05-20

Unhappily, the writer here, who is very good with technical
details and predictions of future weaponry, takes it a bit too
far.
In this story of the new US warrior class, mainly consisting of
former US military now operating for a private company, the
heroes take on a ruthless, vicious dictator of a new Libya,
and they engage in some serious warfare in that part of the world.
While making war against the new Libya, they encounter various
heroes and villains in Egypt as well, and that adds a depth of
story that is usually engaging and informative.
But the writer stretches our imagination a little too much
in this one. Among his new characters is a 9-yr-old girl
who helps, happily, design fearsome new weapons, and whose
genius with computer technology, as well as the highest forms
of physics, goes beyond genius, and that character seems more
science-fiction than anything else. So it is difficult to relate to that character and her contributions to the story.
In addition, one of the leading characters is an American woman
who becomes the President of Egypt, then the leader of a neo-
Muslim fanatical organization intent on pushing Westerners out
of the Arab world. She is also former US military and a non-Muslim, who converts for the purpose of leading this pan-Arab
colition, so the stretch here is also a little too much to accept as part of the story.
There is just too much of a "science-fiction" feel to this story
to really be a good novel.

And, as usual, coupled with that tugging on our imagination,
the writer inundates us with military jargon, so it is a bit
difficult to follow.
Tough going for most readers.

This is Dale Brown...but just.......2003-03-27

Dale Brown has written another entry in the adventures of Patrick "Muck" MacLachan. This time they are fighting the Libyans with background assistance from Pavel Kazarov, the villian from the previous book.

On the positive side, Brown is excellent in describing the action, especially in the air. However, once he lands on the ground and starts in with dialogue, he is in trouble. Foreigners sound like Americans, with American slang and cadence, as opposed to how they really talk.

There are also plot points that are so big, you could fly a B-52 through them. Characters seem to appear in various locations like magic, without reliance on reality. Also, Brown kills off a number of recurring characters for no reason and without remorse.

Brown is capable of writing better than he does here. I hope his next effort is better.

What happened to the real dale Brown?.......2003-03-01

My suggestion would be for the author (whoever they are) to read flight of the old dog and then this book. I think they would agree their literary ability is no where near the true Dale Brown.

There is nothing redeeming in this novel. The story is implausible, the charactors inconsistant, shallow, ridiculous ect.

If this is the direction "Dale Brown" is going I don't think many fans will be going along.

Something(s) to be desired.......2002-11-03

I have read all of Dale Brown's novels and feel that he has always had a complete mastery of the technological realm of the techno-thriller genre.

Having just completed his latest book, Wings of Fire, I am sorry to say that the authors same mastery does not extend to telling a clear, complete story. I was deeply disappointed.

The plot development was disjointed, the characters had little depth and the premise was not refective of the current geo-political realities. As well, Mr. Brown needs to find another publisher who does a better job editing. The novel read more like a 3rd draft than a polished, finished product.

I can truly state, for the very first time that this was a novel I was anxious to be finished reading.

Book Description

She was born without caste or position in Arukan, a country that prized both. Then a chance encounter led her to a better life. But it also brought her to danger and destiny. Because Kevla Bai-sha's fevered dreams -- looming threats to their land and visions of dragons that had once watched over her people -- held the promise of truth.

Now Arukan -- shadowed by mountains and myths -- might be overcome by eternal darkness. Kevla, together with Jashemi-kha-Tahmu, rebel prince of the ruling household, would defy all law, all tradition, to embark on a daring quest for the half-forgotten elementals that will save the world.

And so Kevla must sacrifice everything…only to be reborn in dragon's flames….

Customer Reviews:

Very inconsistent book.......2006-11-08

The texture on this book is good, the culture presented is a refreshing change from pseudo celitc/medieval cultures of most fantasy. The set-up for the plot is OK, but murky and it gets murkier as the novel goes on. Characters appear at random toward the end that have nothing to do with the earlier story or it's resolution, and seem only inserted to be hooks for the next book in the series. Some of them are interesting, but they seem displaced. The plot jumps about, characters act completely differently at the end than in the first half. Having plot twists is great, having random blind 90* to 180* plot turns does not play fair with the reader.

I also found the incest between the two main characters distasteful and un-necessary. The plot point it triggers, one of the main character's understanding of her true identity, would have worked just as well without the incest.

Well-written and fascinating.......2006-09-09

Just in case anyone reading my reviews thought I was a big grump who hates books, here's a good one.

I became familiar with Christie Golden when she did tie-in novels for Star Trek: Voyager, so when I saw that she had written something that was not a TV tie-in, I bought it. The plot built solidly on the standard "magical elementals" gem and expanded upon it with the "best three out of five" element. Well thought out and well executed.

It did not take long for me to care for the characters, and the complex relationship between Jashemi and Kevla was beautiful to behold. Golden does a brilliant turn bringing the two half-siblings together and then executing an explanation that made their ill-fated, incestuous romance something to be pitied not reviled.

There were still a few moments of headsmacking stupidity ("Why are the hero and heroine overlooking their one helpful ally?") and a large proportion of terms that needed defining, but the good far outweighed the bad.

This is a case in which a Luna did not read like a stereotypical bad romance novel, and I for one hope Luna continues putting out gems like this one.

I LOVE THIS SERIES.......2006-06-02

I actually got this book and thought "hmm, probably not going to like it". Then, by chance, I was called up to go way (army stuff) and this being the only book I hadn't read in my house, I decided to take it with me. Well, let me tell you I couldn't put this book down! Once I started I just had to keep reading. The use of a mythical world and the nations within it that don't know anything about each other and the mystery that a dark shadow is playing a best of 5 game with the fate of this world, is very riveting. I just had to know what was going on, would Kevla triumph?!?! Such a good book that I IMMEDIATELY bought the second installment.

Imaginative.......2006-03-25

This is an excellent book. The world(s) are unique and very interesting. The story evokes so many emotions on so many levels.

showed some promise.......2005-11-12

This was a 2.5 stars for me. The novel began well enough but started going downhill at midway and didn't come back up. That was disappointing because it showed a lot of promise. The main character, Kevla, was not well developed. I liked some of the secondary characters better because they seemed more interesting. I think the author had problems keeping the momentum up in the plot. Kevla's life was supposed to be a struggle growing up but it really wasn't. She was supposed to have a hard time winning for the good side (I won't go into detail) but that wasn't a difficult mission either. It was all too neatly tied up in the end. I won't be reading the next novel but I haven't written off this author either.

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Fire Trucks (Wheels, Wings, and Water)
Heather Miller , and Lola M. Schaefer
Manufacturer: Heinemann
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1403436207

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Ft-on Wings of Fire
FRANCES PATTON STATHAM
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Fire and Wings: Dragon Tales from East and West

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Fire and Wings Dragon tales from the east and west

Fire and Wings: Dragon Tales from East and West

Manufacturer: Cricket Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0812626648

Book Description

Newbery Award winner Jane Yolen's enchanting preface "Dragons: An Unnatural History" introduces this collection of 15 dragon stories from England, Western and Eastern Europe, Korea, Japan, and China. Ferocious fire-breathing dragons face off with clever princesses and courageous village girls in a riddle match. But the last dragon in the world is a kind, gentle beast who sheds tears of joy when a princess calls him "dragon dear." Ferocious or kind, wise or wicked, these mythical creatures transport readers to the far corners of the world.

Customer Reviews:

Fire and Wings Dragon tales from the east and west.......2004-11-01

i love this book! it's deninayly a good reader for teens and perteens who love Dragons! my favirte two storys in it are 'The Dragon At The Well' and 'Black Dragon Princess' those are just my favs. there a lot more to choose from. but if you like dragon stories this book is for you.

Airwar (2vols): Outraged Skies, Wings of Fire, Terror from the Sky, and Flying Fortress

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Airwar (2vols): Outraged Skies, Wings of Fire, Terror from the Sky, and Flying Fortress
Edward Jablonski
Manufacturer: DOUBLEDAY & COMPANY, INC.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OL6M84

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Airwar - Outraged Skies - Wings of Fire
Edward Jablonski
Manufacturer: Doubleday & Company, Inc., New York
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000H3SH8W

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