Book Description
Rosemary Wells shares ten proven principles sure to help any child succeed in school and in life. These principles (Listening, Honesty, Patience, etc.) guide parents to build a home that's harmonious and supportive, fostering self-esteem and good habits in children. The message is timely and direct -- and absolutely essential for every family and every classroom.
Customer Reviews:
"Give Me a Child Who is Ready to Learn, I'll Give You a Shining Star in Return!".......2006-12-22
In "My Shining Star: Raising a Child Who is Ready to Learn," it's parents who learn what's important when it comes to raising their kids and getting them ready for school. This book features ten simple, but very important lessons that can be a cornerstone for raising kindly, well-mannered children.
The book starts right off with Rule #1 --- Respect. It says basically that when children are treated with respect, they will have self-respect and will learn to have respect for others. Another great rule is #6 --- Honesty, which says that children need to be taught to respect the truth and see justice used at home.
Never heavy-handed, but plainly put, these lessons are golden. The book of the book contains endorsements from Robert Coles (a child psychologist at Harvard University) and Jason Kamras (2005 Teacher of the Year.) But I think after you read it, one if its biggest endorsers will be you. The book is illustrated in the familiar Rosemary Wells style, using her classic rabbit characters seen in book such as "Read to Your Bunny."
A MUST read for all families.......2006-04-28
Rosemary Wells is known for her commitment to children's literacy. Her "Read to your Bunny" campaign rolled out across the country a few years ago. Wells addressed a group of librarians recently and passionately discussed the education challenges facing our schools and our nation. Young children are struggling more than ever in school. The reasons are numerous and familiar to most of us. Rather than continue to bewail the whys and wherefores of the issue, she used a brilliant analogy to explain what we need to do.
She pointed out that if a building was on fire and hundreds of people needed to be saved it would take the clear voice of a fireman, issuing simple commands to evacuate everyone to safety. (Instead of dithering about discussing why the fire started and how fires really are a problem for certain kinds of structures, the important thing is to get safely away.)
Her book "My Shining Star: Raising a Child who is Ready to Learn" was written with input from teachers and librarians all around the country. Wells lists ten virtues which parents should promote to prepare their child for the most wonderful adventure of all, education.
She addresses parents in the preface:
"All children bring to school what they learn at home.
This book is about creating a home full of harmony
and the preparation of a successful child.
You are your child's first teacher."
Her virtues include Respect, Listening, Patience, Trust, Work, Honesty, Time ("Children spell love T - I - M - E,") Reading, Writing, and Habits.
This little book is only 13 pages long and only has about 25 words (at most) per page. Wells's lovely rabbit drawings warmly illustrate each virtue. She lays out a path for raising a child who is ready for school. It seems so simple and so obvious but so many children arrive in Kindergarten ill-equipped to learn.
If you know a family with young children, present them with a copy of this tiny treasure.
This little book is going to be my gift to new parents along with Goodnight Moon and a Mother Goose book.
During her speech she also related a story about a principal she knows who works tirelessly to awaken parents to the needs of their children. He tells them to "Grow up! Pay attention! Be Responsible for your child!" I did not know that, nationally, only 26% of all parents attend their kids' Open House or Back to School nights.
The alarm has sounded and Rosemary Wells has given us ten simple steps to help children get ready to learn.
Book Description
Star Wars memorabilia and collecting will be hotter than ever with the newest movie release in May of 2005. Collectors will be wild for Warman's(r) Star Wars Field Guide, with coverage of 300 of the most popular and rare Star Wars collectibles on the market.
This handy, portable guide can easily go with collectors to flea markets, auctions, conventions and anywhere else their quest for Star Wars collectibles leads them. Featuring more than 300 full color, detailed photos and illustrations of action figures, playsets, vehicles and more, with descriptions and today's market values for each, this guide is perfect for the collector on the go.
-300 of the most popular and rare Star Wars collectibles available -Full-color, detailed photos, pricing and descriptions -Convenient portable size
Customer Reviews:
It does what it was meant to do, and it does it very well. .......2006-09-13
This is perhaps Mr. Wells' best Star Wars book yet. It's cleverly modeled after a the type of field guide used by bird watchers. It's very small (five inches tall, four inches wide, and a little over one inch thick), and contains a great SAMPLE of full-color images on high-quality semi-gloss paper. For example, there is at least one sample images -- and usually even more -- of each card type from the original Star Wars action figure line (Star Wars, Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, Power of the Force, Droids, and Ewoks). There are also sample images of most of the new carded figures from the 1990s all the way up to 2004. And that's not all... There are sample images for dozens of other items, too! Vintage examples include loose figures, 12" figures, Topps trading cards, comic books, vehicles, playsets, lunchboxes, glasses, etc.. Newer items include Lego, Hallmark ornaments, and newer trading cards, comic books, etc..
That said, this book is NOT, nor was it designed to be, even close to 100% comprehensive with regard to images (it just gives you a sample image or two of each type of item so you will be able to identify something when you come across it). But, it DOES include fairly comprehensive lists of most items in most genres (both vintage and new), and a pretty reasonable price guide for each item it lists (I'm not a big fan of price guides, but the prices in this book are at least as good as any other I've seen).
It is not the best or most comprehensive Star Wars collectable book out there (if that's what you want, I recommend John Kellerman's Star Wars Vintage Action Figures: A Guide for Collectors). But, that book costs a lot more and you can't and wouldn't want to carry it around with you. This Star Wars Field Guide contains tons of photos and valuable information in a small, high-quality package.
great!.......2005-09-29
this is a great book i love it and its very interesting! Great information and pricing !
Handy little pricing guide!.......2005-06-12
This book is not as complete as "Tomart's Price Guide to Worldwide Star Wars Collectibles", but it is far more useful as a pure pricing guide than Beckett's "Official Price Guide to Star Wars Memorabilia". It's small (about 4" x 5") but contains over 500 pages, including 250 color photos.
The items are arranged clearly and logically into 20 categories, with brief but useful introductory paragraphs alerting you to important background about each category. A very handy pocket reference tool to carry with you when attending a trading convention, flea market, or anywhere else you're looking to buy or sell Star Wars memorabilia.
Book Description
This exciting, action-packed novel marks Jack Chalker's triumphant return to his celebrated multivolume saga: The Well World. The Sea Is Full of Stars explores an unknown interstellar civilization, stars an all-new cast of characters, and reveals fresh secrets. But of course, The Well remains . . .
After three passengers--Ming, Ari, and Angel--embark on an elite starship journey into the Realm, they unwittingly become ensnared in one man's bloodthirsty vendetta that will alter their very beings. That man is Jeremiah Wong Kincaid. He vows to destroy Josich Conqueror Hadun, the evil genius who has wreaked unspeakable havoc throughout the universe. It is an obsession that will take him to lands of demons and strange races--and into a deadly new cyberworld where humans are mere pawns of the godlike computers they have created.
But it is only after Kincaid and his unwitting fellow travelers enter Well World and discover the water hexes that he confronts the mad tyrant--and learns their universe is threatened by something far, far worse . . .
Customer Reviews:
FANTASTIC.......2005-08-05
Must read the other Well World Series by Jack Chalker to appreciate this book. I think this series is one of the greatest works in the Sci Fi field. Unfortunately, Jack Chalker has passed away so there will not be anymore books in this series. If you liked the Well World series you will enjoy this one also.
Deja Vu.......2001-02-25
An interesting variation of the same original well world series. The first book is only an introduction to the second book. The characters are well disguised remakes of his previous characters. Almost all Well World series have Drug Lords with their planet fortresses, Evil Conquerors ( and their guilt ridden proteges ), body swapping and its psychological repercussions. But then thats what we all like about the well world series. So if you are a fan, go ahead and make your day.
His Best In Years!.......2000-05-28
I have been Chalker fan since the publication of the first Well World novels, and have read every book he has ever written. That being said, I have found the recent attempts to revive the Well World to be sorely lacking. Until The Sea Is Full Of Stars, that is. I have found this to be the most enjoyable book that Chalker has written in years (I found Watchers At The Well to be less than satisfying). This book, however, seems to capture the spirit and adventure of the original novels. Which makes it all the more unfortunate that the second book does not live up to its potential
WELL WORLD!.......2000-03-20
If for no other reason, Jack Chalker deserves his place in science fiction for having invented the Well World. [Side note: I'd never write a Star Wars or Star Trek novel, but if Chalker ever asked me to write a Well World novel, he wouldn't have to ask twice.] Every Well novel has been brilliant; the last three were superior, but read much like variations on the original theme. Now he has integrated new scientific & technological knowledge into the Well mythos AND done something completely new with the concept. Besides that, virtually no one besides Chalker of whom I know has done so well in making aliens both understandable to us and at the same time so clearly not like us at all. I am awaiting the sequel.
Classic Well-World Novel, But..........2000-03-05
This is classic Chalker at his best. If you enjoyed the original Well World series then you have to read this.
My only disappointments are that it takes the whole book to get to know the characters and to get to the Well World, and the final couple of chapters are all that's left to wind up the novel -- a bit of an anti-climax. In fact, you will have to buy the next one to find out how the story really ends as this is just an episode in a bigger plot. So, it is not really a stand alone novel at all.
Average customer rating:
- Fantastic concepts and ideas but not as strong as Marrow was
- Original Ideas
- Sequel to Marrow Leaves Issues Open Till Next Book
- Great imagination, but ultimately unsatisfying
- action-packed science fiction thriller
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The Well of Stars
Robert Reed
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Reed, Robert
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Marrow
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The Ghost Brigades
ASIN: 0765308606
Release Date: 2005-03-24 |
Book Description
In The Well of Stars, Hugo award-nominated author Robert Reed has written a stunning sequel to his acclaimed novel Marrow. The Great Ship, so vast that it contains within its depths a planet that lay undiscovered for generations, has cruised through the universe for untold billions of years. After a disastrous exploration of the planet, Marrow, the Ship's captains face an increasingly restive population aboard their mammoth vessel. And now, compounding the captains' troubles, the Ship is heading on an irreversible course straight for the Ink Well, a dark, opaque nebula. Washen and Pamir, the captains who saved Marrow from utter destruction, send Mere, whose uncanny ability to adapt to and understand other cultures makes her the only one for the job, to investigate the nebula before they plunge blindly in. While Mere is away, Pamir discovers in the Ink Well the presence of a god-like entity with powers so potentially destructive that it might destroy the ship and its millions.Faced with an entity that might prevent the Ship from ever leaving the Ink Well, the Ship's only hope now rests in the ingenuity of the vast crew . . . and with Mere, who has not contacted them since she left the Ship....With the excitement of epic science fiction adventure set against a universe full of wonders, the odyssey of the Ship and its captains will capture the hearts of science fiction readers.
Customer Reviews:
Fantastic concepts and ideas but not as strong as Marrow was.......2007-01-11
After reading Marrow a while back I was thrilled to learn that Robert Reed had actually published a sequel. I bought the book and got straight into it. As with his other books, Robert Reed is a visionary and his ideas and concepts are always mind blowing. In many ways, Robert Reed's style reminds me of books written by Alastair Reynolds with respect to the darkness, mystery and gothic aspect of some of the places.
The story in Well of Stars continues where Marrow ended and transports the reader into the fantastic Great Ship which is nine times bigger than earth and home to thousands of alien species. I think Robert Reed is known for his passion for exaggeration and his 'bigger is better' approach. As with Marrow, the book hints at something of great consequence and importance that is locked away within the centre of the ship (maybe one of the builders of the ship?). Similar to its predecessor, Well of Stars does not elaborate enough on this great mystery and does not provide any further clues. However, I would have preferred a sequel which developed this idea further into something more tangible and interesting. I also found it odd that none of the Great Ship's crew members considered investigating this great mystery, bearing in mind the purpose of the antagonist.
However, what worries me most in this book is the predictability and sterility of some the main characters, such as Pamir and Washen. These characters are not changing at all and threats to the Great Ship are handled with the usual coolness. Also, some of the characters such as Loke would have deserved a greater contribution to the story. After all, Loke's research results are substantial to the understanding of the overall plot. Having said that, Robert Reed introduces interesting characters, such as Mere whose story is fantastic and most intriguing.
Overall, the book is very good, but sometimes a wooden read with a cliff hanger at the end.
Original Ideas.......2005-08-19
This will be a short review of the book. As ususal Robert Reed does not disappoint. It's obvious that this book was not planned, i.e. that Marrow was to be a stand alone novel. Normally when an author decides to expand a story from one book to three, the writing seems weak, almost forced. The same cannot be said about this book. It's very entertaining with enough action to keep the reader interested from beginning to end. I've read almost all of Mr. Reed's books and consider myself a huge fan. What amazes me most is that he is able to describe scientfic terms/concepts almost as if it were poetry. The write is clean, crisp and flows. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed Marrow.
Sequel to Marrow Leaves Issues Open Till Next Book.......2005-07-18
MARROW was an excellent stand-alone novel that left open the possibility of a sequel. WELL OF STARS is that sequel, but it is only the second chapter of what is now planned as a trilogy. It does not stand by itself anymore that The Empire Strikes Back does, and I think that accounts for a lot of the reader dissatisfaction with the book's ending. This should probably have been made clear on the book's dust jacket, but TOR has done this with other series books as well, downplaying or disguising the fact that they are merely installments.
Even taking into account the fact that Well of Stars is not supposed to clear everything up, I found it an unsatisfying read. Human (or alien or AI) characterization has never been Reed's strong point. What made Marrow a success were the worlds of Marrow and the Great Ship. It was sense-of-wonder sf with a vengeance.
That sense of wonder is lacking in this sequel. Readers do become somewhat more familiar with the Great Ship, but that cannot carry a novel for 300+ pages. Marrow itself is talked about, but the world is not actually on stage. The new world to be explored here is one external to the ship, a nebula called the Inkwell. The Inkwell and its inhabitants are somewhat intriguing, but not nearly to the extent that Marrow was in the prior book.
The Great Ship is headed into the Inkwell, and returning characters Pamir and Washen mount a scouting program to determine the true nature of the nebula. Other returning characters from Marrow include Washen's son Locke, whose interest is in unraveling the origin and purpose of the Great Ship and its cargo. This was to me the most interesting part of the whole novel, but Locke's conclusions occupy only a couple of pages total.
During the course of Marrow, some of Reed's better characters such as Diu, Miocene, and Till were lost. Characters new to Well of Stars are not nearly as compelling as the lost ones. The most important new character is a human with a strange (even by Great Ship standards) past named Mere. The character of Mere kind of undercuts that of Washen as her strength is what Washen's was in Marrow: sizing up new species. This is an important ability in Well of Stars, as the Inkwell is inhabited by an enigmatic collection of species.
Readers who like definitive endings would probably do best for themselves by waiting until book 3 comes out and reading Well of Stars and it together. Reed was four or five years between Marrow and Well of Stars, and if it takes another four or five years to get us to the story's end, I know I won't remember WOS then nearly as well as I remember Marrow four years after reading it. There's just not much about WOS that sticks with you, unlike with Marrow.
BTW, although I dislike book reviews that comment on other people's reviews instead of the book, I feel it is necessary to set the record straight regarding some very misleading and inaccurate statements made within one review. Readers of Marrow will recall that Mere was not the "hero" of the Marrow incident; in fact she did not appear in that book at all. The Inkwell is a nebula, not a black hole. Many other statements within the review in question are distortions of what is really going on; I don't want to get too specific because of the spoiler factor. Just don't let that very misleading review affect your decision as to whether to read this book or not; I do not believe its author actually read the book.
Great imagination, but ultimately unsatisfying.......2005-06-13
This book is filled with creative ideas. And not just neat-sounding names tossed around, but well-thought, plausible, yet extraordinary things. The Great Ship and many of its components, for example, the mechanics of immortal human life, and the contents of the Dark Nebula. At its best, this book thrives on Big Things--it reminded me of the first half of Vernor Vinge's _Fire upon the Deep_ . I'm not sure the obvious comparison with Brin or Niven is warranted, though. because I had some problems with the book.
1) The characters all had depth, but never seemed to change during the course of the book. Maybe that was a deliberate choice when dealing with characters 1000's of years old--is there any change after your 10000th birthday? It's an interesting philosophical question, and a plausible answer, but unfortunately, it makes the book less satsifying. BTW, the earlier reviews are right about how strangely detached the characters are--their world and 10000-year existence are about to end and none of them seem particularly upset about it.
2) The ending is profoundly disappointing. Without spoiling it, let me just say that the ship goes into a Dark Nebula and faces a Threat. I expected something standard--the Threat is dangerous, almost does them all in, but somehow they beat it. Then the author adds in a second strand--maybe the good guys can convince the Threat not to kill them in a creative way (the book's dust jacket mentions this plot)--and I thought, sure, sounds good. The characters work hard at both of these strategies and book is going along well. But them, suddenly, we learn that actually neither of these are right--in the last 25-50 pages a new and badder Threat^2 suddenly appears, and a new Deus ex Machina appears and deals with the threat^2 without any intervention by the characters. The reader is left wondering "Huh? Why did I read the first 280 pages?" This leads to the next point...
3) My point #2 is somewhat overstated. There _are_ clues to point to the emergence of both Threat^2 and the Deus ex Machina. But the author's style is something like "Then, Mere suddenly understood the real threat. -cut jump to a totally different topic so the reader is left wondering "Huh? What did she understand?-" My PhD isn't in physics or psychology, but I don't think I'm much dumber than the average reader, and frankly, while the author may think he foreshadows events satisfactorily with this style, he doesn't.
The disappointing thing is that if he had just dropped both Threat^2 and the DeM, it would have been a really enjoyable book--my point about characters aside, the book is wonderfully imagined and (until the last 50 pages) the action moves along at an exciting pace. But the ending left me feeling so let down that it spoiled the experience for me. I might go to the library to read his other books, but not right away.
action-packed science fiction thriller .......2005-03-30
After the near disaster at Marrow (see MARROW), The Great Ship continues its journey into space. Inside the millions perhaps even billions of near immortals go about there tedious everyday life regardless of the vessel's path. How else can one live when riding a space ship that contains whole planets inside on a trek that seems forever. The recent calamity has agitated the populace.
The Master Captain is worried not just about the morale of the millions on board; that is a normal concern for her as boredom and post trauma reaction can prove mutinously dangerous. Of immediate concern however are the Polyponds and a seemingly Black Hole that is in their way. She assigns Submaster Captains Washen and Pamir to deal with the Polyponds, gigantic water beings that are attacking the Great Ship. The hero of the Marrow incident Mere investigates the Black Hole. Pamir learns a God-like essence, the Ink Well, perhaps devil might be more descriptive, threatens to "imprison" everyone on board the Great Ship for eternity inside the black hole.
The sequel to the exciting MARROW, THE WELL OF STARS is an action-packed science fiction thriller that never slows down as the crew battle three enemies, the Ink Well, the Polyponds, and internal ennui. The story line is fast-paced, but with the Star Trek like crisis to confront, the key cast members seem unemotionally detached to the predicaments. Especially strange is that the population is allegedly edgy and tired of perhaps living forever yet an eternity within the Ink Well has to exacerbate all that is eating at everyone, but no one seems agitated. Still Robert Reed will have readers pondering living for eternity.
Harriet Klausner
Book Description
The force will be with all collectors who own this comprehensive guide to one of today's hottest collecting fields.
Star Wars fans will find more than 600 photos and more than 2,000 listings of collectible items related to the popular movie series from 1976 through 2001, including Episode 1: The Phantom Menace. Features photos, up-to-date pricing, and accurate descriptions for more than 40 categories such as action figures, books, clothing, food collectibles, games, trading cards, vehicles, wall art, statues, comics, coins, and more!
Star Wars is hotter than ever and this updated and revised edition of the best-selling collector's guide is the ultimate resource for fans.
Author Stuart W. Wells III is a well-known authority on Star Wars collectibles. He is also the author of Star Wars Collector's Pocket Companion.
• More than 2,000 listings of the hottest Star Wars collectibles, including up-to-date pricing, accurate descriptions, and more than 600 photographs to aid in identification
• Features more than 40 collecting categories
• All-new section covering Episode 1: The Phantom Menace
Customer Reviews:
An essential guide for dealers & collectors.......2002-09-07
Now in a completely and authoritatively updated second edition, A Universe Of Star Wars Collectibles: Identification And Price Guide continues to be the premier reference for fans and collectors. Featured are exhaustive price lists, color photographs of collector's items on almost every page, the straight scoop on figure package variations and a "user friendly" index for quick and easy reference. A superb guide for the dedicated Star Wars collector or Star Wars merchandise seller, A Universe Of Star Wars Collectibles is an essential guide for dealers, collectors, and anyone wanting to look up the value of a Star Wars related item in the possession of themselves, friends or family.
Average customer rating:
- Excellent stand alone novel
- In a Word, Lousy
- A solid and powerful piece of fantasy storytelliing
- Movie Time
- Very well written, but...
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Lords of the Sky (Star Wars (Random House Paperback))
Angus Wells
Manufacturer: Spectra
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Wells, Angus
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Dark Magic (The Godwars, Book 2)
ASIN: 0553572660
Release Date: 1995-10-06 |
Book Description
Angus Wells carved a place for himself on the shelves of hundreds of thousands of fantasy readers. Now, with Lords Of The Sky, it is clear that he has saved his most sweeping and imaginative tale for an epic more powerful than anything he has written before. For centuries, the Dhar have had to face the Ahn, fierce warriors who would lay claim to Dharbek, the land they call their ancestral home. Now, in fantastic airships powered by magic, the Ahn have begun their greatest campaign yet. In preparation for the coming onslaught, Storymen like Daviot travel the land collecting tales and sharing the history it's their responsibility to safeguard. But Daviot's travels show him the dark side of Dharbek, and inspire him to be a catalyst for change, to overcome doubt and fear, and pursue the one dream that has eluded Dharbek. Using his special gifts for storytelling and world-building, Angus Wells reaches new heights with a story as ambitious as it is broad in scope. Lords Of The Sky has all the action, adventure and magic a fantasy-lover could desire, and tackles social change, prejudice, the value of genuine friendship and the power of enduring love.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent stand alone novel.......2004-08-06
When I started this book I didn't think I was going to like it. It wasn't bad or anything but it was moving at a slow pace early on and I was itching to read some other authors books that I had on my shelf. I am glad I didn't put this one down. It is told almost entirely in first person and while that sometimes doesn't work, I feel this book wouldn't have worked if it wasn't told that way. It is also a stand alone fantasy novel and that originally turned me off as well as I have often found fantasy novels work best in a series form where we truly get to know the world we are reading and the characters.
But this one was wonderfully descriptive and had suprising depth. I truly liked the characters and the idea of the main hero of the storyteller not being a warrior, wizard or a Knight but a Storyteller was intriguing. The storytellers are known in the book as a Rememberer or a Mnemonikos, and it is a prestigious rank as they can never forget anything. I found it original and not boring in the least as there was plenty of action to go around.
Again this book does start off a bit slow in the sense that you don't really feel any attachment or interest in the main characters until about 60-100 pages in. Or maybe it was just me. But either way, once I got into the book I could not put it down. I recommend this book highly.
In a Word, Lousy.......2003-04-25
As a rule, whenever the main character's horse has more personality than the main character, you know you have problems. There isn't anything that is glaringly wrong with "Lords of the Sky", but there isn't much that's right with it either. The story is one that any fantasy fan must know by heart. We start with a young boy named Daviot who lives in a quaint seaside village and knows that his people are threatened by sinister invaders known as the "Sky Lords". Daviot soon learns that he has great magical powers, and leaves to be tutored in a foreign city, falls in love with a beautiful woman, makes friends and allies, and learns 'surprising' facts about the history of his people. Will he and his band of friends be able to unlock the necessary secrets in time to save his homeland from destruction? I won't give away the ending. Angus Wells, on the other hand, isn't so conscientious. He drops blatantly obvious clues almost from the start of the book, so any discerning reader will find it easy to predict not only how the book will end, but also exactly where the heroes will go and what they will do at almost every step along the way.
The writing is generally weak, with too much repetition and emphasis on mannerisms rather than character development. The main character often feels his throat being clogged several times on the same page, and people's faces turn red more times than I can count. There are many occasions where characters spout dialogue for several pages on end without any attempt to make it sound like real human interaction. Description is nothing special, and the concluding sequences don't come close to having the narrative power that they should have. Wells makes the distracting choice of telling some of the story in the first person, but unnecessarily shifting to other viewpoints whenever he grows tired of his main character.
It is to the author's misfortune that I picked up this work shortly after finishing Robin Hobb's Farseer Trilogy, a series of books with a similar plot but vastly superior implementation. Hobb masterfully blended elements of courtly intrigue into her story, but the few mentions of political manipulations in "Lords of the Sky" feel tacked-on. Hobb gave her cast of characters a variety of original and frightening magical talents, but Wells' wizards are limited to old standbys like enhanced memory and shooting bolts of fire. Most importantly, Hobb actually went into the minds of her characters while Wells is content to stick with stock characters and clichés. I wouldn't deem "Lords of the Sky" to be the worst book I've ever read, but we're undergoing a golden age of high fantasy right now, and there's no reason for fans of the genre to content themselves with mediocre work like this.
A solid and powerful piece of fantasy storytelliing.......2002-05-21
Recently the fantasy bug, that comes and goes, has bitten me again. Not wanting to make the commitment to a series, I picked up Lords of the Sky. All in all I was very pleased. As has been stated by nearly every other reviewer, Lords of the Sky, by Angus Wells, is very well written. That is to say the writing style flows well, is colorful, poetic and romantic. The characters - Daviot the Storyteller, Rwan the Mage, Urt the "changed" servant turned leader and Tezdal, the warrior (male, female, male, male, respectively) - are immediately appealing, interesting and identifiable. The reader gets to know them quickly and intimately. Things are explained well and not just taken as is. You feel for these people and their rich chronicles. It has every aspect and characteristic of a great fantasy epic except for one key element; It's only one book. A long book (650 pages), but one book. If one is going to spend so many, many pages establishing characters and histories - in an engaging and exciting way, mind you - than one should spend at least a decent amount of time bringing all of these pieces to closure. At the end of the book there is a lot of telling about what happens and a less amount of showing what happens. Wells spends the last 15% of the book closing the first 85%, and it ended up being a little, just a little, rushed. Still, all questions are answered. No loose ends. It has all the potential of a Stephen Donaldson or a Robert Jordan series. In defense of Angus Wells, he did mention in his closing notes that the book was originally longer and that his editor had him chop it up a good amount. Perhaps she should have let him keep it the length he wanted to write it. Also there was a jolting change of point-of-view segue right in the middle of the book. We read through the main character's eyes - Daviot - when suddenly the storyline changes. We need to know this new information, yes, but Wells completely stops one to start the other. There are no back and forth chapters, which I myself prefer. There is 300 pages of this POV, then there is about 100 pages of that POV. Fortunately the storylines converge perfectly. Finally the main characters, at the end of the book - characters we've grown to care for - go through a major, and rather de-humanizing change. In all the best books characters do change, but it's along the lines of "something lost, something gained." In Lords of the Sky, the characters, at the end, gain much, but they loose much more; they lose what drew us to them for the first 500 or so pages. With all this said, I still HIGHLY recommend this book. It's intense, deep, powerful and resonant of excellent storytelling.
Movie Time.......2002-01-01
Lords of the Sky is one of the best books I've ever read. It's what made me fall in love with fantasy books and I honestly think it's time to make this book into a movie so everybody may enjoy this wonderful story.
Very well written, but..........2001-03-16
The book is very great, and invokes all sorts of emotions. This is one of those books where the romance is pretty decent ( in a fantasy type of way of course). Surely beats the romance from his Exiles Saga where the girl Flysse is too stubborn in her ways, and the gentleman Arcole becomes all meek! Matter of fact, this book was very well paced compared to Exiles. Made you keep reading, and I didn't think there was really any too slow parts, and this is probably one of the very few books in teh fantasy genre that is well written in the 1st person.
You can read from other reviews what this book is about so I am not really going to comment on that. Very well written and all, the only thing that could've worked out better is the actual "behavior" of the characters and the things they do. I.E. The fact that the authority figure from each race would meekly submit after so many centuries of fixed hatred and opinions is pushing a little. But even more than that, the concept of means and end is little backwards.
The author seems to think that peace can be won from total destruction of concentration of power that oppose them, not to mention innocent slaughtered for this same peace. I understand fantasy is beyond this world, but since they're about humans, the author should at least follow the same value system we have present in our current world. Learn from our own history to know that what he is proposing won't work (i.e. Germany after the end of World War I).
But this disagreement is just on an opinion, and not on the quality of writing.
Average customer rating:
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Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
Rosemary Wells
Manufacturer: Scholastic Press
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ASIN: 0439878861 |
Book Description
This familiar children's song will get the youngest children turning pages and remembering the words. What better way to set your child on the road
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The Alien Voices Presents: The Time Machine (Alien Voices)
H.G. Wells
Manufacturer: Audioworks
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ASIN: 0671575538 |
Book Description
In this fully dramatized version of H.G. Wells' classic, The Time Machine, Leonard Nimoy, John de Lancie, and cast members from Star Trek® feature films and all four series take you on an incredible journey.
When a time traveler seeks a better world 802,000 years into the future, his optimism is shaken when he discovers that the human race has turned upon itself in a primal display of horror.
Featuring virtuoso performances from the entire cast, riveting sound effects and original music, Alien Voices' production of The Time Machine is an adventure in sound.
Download Description
When the Time Traveler courageously stepped out of his machine for the first time, he found himself in the year 802,700--and everything had changed. H.G. Wells's famous novel of one man's astonishing journey beyond the conventional limits of the imagination is regarded as one of the great masterpieces in the literature of science fiction.
Customer Reviews:
Book.......2007-09-22
This is a strong book that always keeps yo guessing and on the edge of your seat. I think that this author writes some nice pieces of written masterpiece! I will be buying more!
Classic.......2007-09-21
A short read, but definitely fits in the realm of classic sci-fi. This is nothing like the newer movie remake of Time machine.
Review of The Time Machine.......2007-09-04
The Time Machine, by H.G. Wells, was first published in 1895. It remains a piece of classic literature because it is well written and because many feel that its message about society is still relevant today. H.G. Wells uses formal diction throughout the book, and much of the language used is typical of English literature in the late 19th century. The Time Traveler develops a Time Machine which he uses to travel into the future, to the year 802,701 A.D. While there, the Time Traveler learns about the society of the future, and the reasons for the distinct separation of classes.
Immediately upon arriving in the future, the Time Traveler meets the Eloi, a beautiful, graceful, child-like race. The Time Traveler befriends one of the Eloi after saving her from drowning in the river. Her name is Weena, and the Time Traveler learns about the Eloi from her companionship. The Eloi are a peaceful people, but also weak and stupid. The Eloi live a very leisurely lifestyle, eating strictly fruits. There are no houses in the year 802,701 A.D., and there seems to be no private ownership. The Eloi live, eat, and play as a group. There does not appear to have any form of government, and the Eloi seem to live in a perfected socialist society.
The Time Traveler soon realizes, however, that the Eloi are not the sole inhabitants of the earth in the future, after he returns to find his Time Machine stolen. A separate and very different race, the Morlocks, live below the ground. The Time Traveler describes these subterranean creatures as pale white, clammy, and apelike. The Morlocks have become so accustomed to the darkness underground that they avoid all light. The Time Traveler presumes that it is the Morlocks who have stolen his time Machine and hidden it in the base of a great statue.
It is not until the Time Traveler ventures below ground to search for his Time Machine that he realizes that the Morlocks are cannibalistic, relying on the weaker Eloi for food. The Time Traveler then begins to understand society in the future. The Eloi were once the aristocrats, and the Morlocks the working class. The aristocracy continued to buy the land above ground until the industry was forced below ground. The workers moved below ground with the industry, and the aristocrats stayed above ground, pursuing pleasure and relying on the workers underground for their goods and labor. Gradually, the laborers underground grew to detest the sun and their skin became bleached white, while the aristocrats became so comfortable and so unaccustomed to necessity or hardship that their size, strength, and intelligence waned. Thus, the Morlocks met all of the Eloi's needs so that they would have food. In essence, the Morlocks fattened up the Eloi in much the same way that we fatten up pigs for the slaughter. This society is not at all socialistic, like the Time Traveler first believed, but rather, the deep separation of classes has been caused by capitalism.
I would not recommend The Time Machine to one of my peers, simply because I do not agree with the underlying social message of the book. I do not believe that capitalism would ever produce a separation of classes as great as the one described in The Time Machine. History has shown that when the ruling class abuses its power and harms the working class, the working class will rebel and overthrow the ruling class. I did enjoy the book's story, however, and it is an easy read.
Free SF Reader.......2007-09-03
It will come as no surprise that the protagonist in this story, the
traveller, invents a time machine and uses it to venture into the
future.
The society that he ends up in seems amazing for a brief time, then
he realises that all is not as it seems. There is a large underclass
that is terribly exploited to produce all this for the eloi, as they
are called.
The underclass are named Morlocks, and it is here that the Time Traveler's sympathies reside.
Good to read before bedtime.......2007-09-01
I enjoyed watching the 1960 version of the movie as a child. I thought that if I read the book, that it would enhance my movie watching experience. Boy, was I wrong!
This book was a slow tedious read. I kept waiting for something interesting to happen. Anything. It never did. All I wanted was for the book to end. Reading it was like dying a slow agonizing death. I forced myself to read the first seventy pages, then I could not stand it any more.
The characters were uninteresting and had no personality whatsoever. The plot was way too basic and uneventful. Even the descriptions of the locations were bland.
This book is good to read before bedtime. It will put you right to sleep.
Book Description
The sequel to STAR LIGHT, STAR BRIGHT and the completion of Jenny's search for truth.
Out of her dark childhood memories, her fascination with the spirit world and her conversion to Mormonism, Jenny has been slowly but surely groping toward spiritual light and truth. Her young husband Mark has gone through his own sometimes painful spiritual journey and has discovered the true way of faith. His consistent witness brings Jenny to the ultimate choice: spiritual bondage or bowing her knee at the feet of the only true "Morning Star."
Historical fiction in the best sense accurate setting, powerful characters and compelling truth.
Customer Reviews:
Accurate, historical fiction on the origins of Mormons.......2007-07-05
If you want to get an eye opening look at the origins of the Mormons, then this book is for you. It seems fair and balanced, and sometimes I mentally asked the author, "Whose side are you on, anyways?!" It isn't exactly riveting material, but I did keep going back to it till I was done; however, the quality of research shows on every page. It's worth the read.
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