Customer Reviews:
Great Book.......2001-09-05
This is the second volume of William Morris's fantasy masterpiece. One of the very first, and still one of the best imaginary world fantasy novels.
Average customer rating:
- Stands in a Class By Itself!
- sexy death fey & a magical dystopia - two thumbs up
- A little uneven, but intriguing
- Death Fey and Siren Fey Find Love and Battle Evil Goblins
- Excellent Dark Fantasy. A Thrilling Page Turner.
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Traveler (Wildside Romance)
Melanie Jackson
Manufacturer: Love Spell
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The Selkie
ASIN: 050552533X |
Customer Reviews:
Stands in a Class By Itself!.......2007-03-10
Melanie Jackson has created a world that is the modern version of the world that the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen wrote about. The fey are real and they have their own powers (although many have recently died off for not-quite-understood reason). Goblins have been granted political asylum in the USA and have taken up residence in - and under - Detroit, Michigan, where they run a booming tourist trade and goblin fruit trafficking-ring.
Io and Jack Frost are up against a powerful and numerous foe and their story is highly entertaining.
Pros: Strong story, lots of adventure, tons of interesting ambient aspects (like 'drawing' a spell so tourist have magic in Goblin Town). Sets up an interesting world
Cons: Romance just sort of *happens* without any real foundation for "why" (which gives more time for the adventure, I suppose). Readers must really pay attention at the beginning to understand what's going on - magic properties, races, descriptions, etc. If you don't read semi-carefully, you will be very confused very quickly.
Overall, this is a nice bridge between folkloric fantasy and romance. I'm looking forward to reading more of Melanie Jackson!
sexy death fey & a magical dystopia - two thumbs up.......2006-03-30
I'm new to paranormal romance, but a book like "Traveler" is good enough to give me a taste for it. It's well-written, and glib without being lazy...it doesn't take itself too seriously, but it still works up a nice, convincingly dark atmosphere.
Melanie is an untried undercover operative; Jack Frost is a very experienced one. This sets up the dynamic between them pretty much from the first, which has Jack in a more dominant position - he's more ruthless, understands the enemy better. But over the course of the novel he grows to appreciate Io's abilities, both raw and developed, and the balance evens out...a bit.
One thing that struck me about the book is that things go a little bit too well for Jack and Io. They have obstacles to overcome, but I never really felt like they were in danger of losing. I'm not sure how I feel about this; I think it was enjoyable, actually.
And the romance was pretty sizzling. Jack Frost is a "death fey" which seems to mean that he can control the other people's bodies...make their hearts stop, or go faster, or sexually stimulate their nerves without touching them. And then sex with him seems to involve giving him total control over your whole system - at which time he may or may not decide to kill you. As far as I was concerned, this made for some pretty hot sex - Io was attracted almost against her will, terrified, and then ultimately, you know, satisfied beyond her wildest dreams. Nice!
The one thing that struck me is that Jack and Io both seemed to be *compelled* into their feelings for one another - this may or may not heightened the sense of their fatedness/connection to a reader. I thought that it made their bond that much more convincing.
A little uneven, but intriguing.......2005-12-05
(My rating is 3.5 stars.)
Traveler is the first in Melanie Jackson's Wildside Romance series, and it introduced me to an alternate reality of earth that I definitely want to learn more about. In Jackson's world, a number of species, primarily the fey and the goblins, have, with much struggle, become a part of human society.
Despite the existence of H.U.G. (Humans Under Ground), humans, on the whole, seem to have little awareness or understanding of the evil that permeates the goblin infrastructure. Luckily for humanity though, the fey, having much greater knowledge of them, and the magic to see them more clearly, understand that the goblins, trolls and gargoyles, etc. are big trouble, and are taking steps to do something about it.
Traveler plunges us directly into a goblin plot to take over, well, the world, and Jackson does a great job of describing Goblin Town, of showing us the tragic horror of human addiction to goblin fruit, and making clear the complete callousness of the goblins and their ilk to life - human, fey, and even of their own kind.
While I really liked both Jack and Io, I found the romance aspect of the story less satisfying than the setting and the adventure. The story takes place over a few short days, which contributes to the romance feeling very rushed, and although Jackson explains the almost instant connection and partnership of the two by telling us that (roughly) `the magic is urging them to fall in love and make baby feys to help save their almost extinct race', I still felt somewhat cheated out of the pleasure of watching their emotional attachment grow. I never really felt that I got to know either of them very well, and because I cared about them, and they intrigued me, I found that frustrating.
I also found the writing somewhat choppy, as if scenes had been deleted or edited, and information that would have made the story flow more smoothly had been lost. There were several instances, particularly in the early chapters, where I found myself bothered by that annoying `Huh? Did I miss something?' feeling.
I enjoyed this world, and I want to know a great deal more about the wide variety of magical people who inhabit it, and about their diverse powers and histories. Even though I had a few problems with Traveler, I enjoyed the book, recommend it to others, and look forward to reading the next books in the series. I have confidence that Melanie Jackson will, in them, answer a lot of my questions, and I can't wait to find out where her imagination is going to take me.
Recommended.
Death Fey and Siren Fey Find Love and Battle Evil Goblins.......2005-09-10
Wow! I cannot believe that I left TRAVELER by Melanie Jackson sitting on my bookshelf for months, ignored, in favor of reading other romantic paranormals. What an idiot I was! This book is a jewel among paranormal romances! It has fantastic characters, a fascinating storyline, and a creative setting. The best part is that Jackson can write - and I mean well! I cannot stop raving about this book.
The hero, Jack Frost, is sent in by the police to find out what dirty deeds the flesh-eating goblins are up to in Goblin Town. Jack happens to be a death fey, meaning he has potent death magic up his sleeve. At the same time, an underground organization called HUG is sending in Io, a siren fey, to intercept Jack and find out what he knows. Jack and Io meet, the attraction flares, and from that point on, they work together on a dangerous mission to stop an evil goblin from exterminating the human species.
The alternate world that Jackson creates is fantastic. Goblin City comes alive in all its ugly weirdness. Jack and Io's magic spells are also fun; in many ways, the magic itself becomes a secondary character. I love the easy dialogue between these two, as well as their relationship. You can practically see these two fall in love. And it's not fast or cheesy. Plus, this book is NOT sex scene after sex scene, interspersed with minimal (or stupid) plot, as many other romances are. No, it actually has a great plot, which keeps you reading. You WANT to know what happens next in Goblin Town.
Of course, the book is not perfect. Some reviewers complain the first chapter is confusing, which could be true. Certainly, it is almost all talk and no action, as it tries to explain the dynamics of humans, half-feys, and goblins within this alternate world. Also, I would have liked to see Jack use more of his death magic ... but that's not so much a complaint as it is curiosity.
Anyway, if you are looking for a good, engaging read, try this book. TRAVELER is one of those stories that tickle the imagination. It is also the first in a series. The next book is called OUTSIDERS (supposedly, the hero is a dragon). I can't wait to read it!
***For a similar read, try Emma Holly's erotic THE DEMON'S DAUGHTER. It is also set in an alternate world, which is sort of like Victorian England.***
Excellent Dark Fantasy. A Thrilling Page Turner........2004-08-04
This is a book I just want to gush about. Simply put, it's probably one of most enjoyable books that I've read in a while. The paranormal romance genre is cluttered mainly by vampires, werewolves, ghosts, and timetravelers. Melanie Jackson's imagination introduces readers to a world very much like our own- but where the Fey Folk and goblins walk among humans. It's very evocative of Laurell K. Hamilton's work, but without the extreme gore factor and the ridiculous bed-hopping nonsense of her later works.
Io is one of the Fey. After her mother was killed by Goblins, she hooked up with HUG or Humans Underground, a vigilante group that is violently pro-human and anti-everything supernatural. Io is sent on a mission to find out what the goblins of Goblin Town are plotting and to keep an eye on Jack Frost, a death fey who works for an unknown third-party. However, Jack suspects that HUG itself may be compromised by the Goblins, who have now replaced the world's most prominent humans with their own kind. Jack and Io must team up to take out the goblin trash.
I absolutely loved this story. It's an action packed roller coaster through a dark urban environment, my favorite kind. I found Goblin Town, with its perpetual Halloweenish landscape, to be an absolutely facinating setting.
If there is anything wrong with the story, it's that the characters really aren't that meticulously developed, but they serve their purpose as sexy, magical action heroes.
Average customer rating:
- How to get far in the world, and does it add up to anything?
- In the Beginning
- A Tale of Obligations, Magic, Deceptions & Social Mobility
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Figures of Earth (Wildside Fantasy)
James Branch Cabell
Manufacturer: Wildside Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1587152215 |
Download Description
The other saying, Manuel replied, "I cannot utter. Yet I wish I were not forced to confess this. It sounds badly. At all events, I love Niafer better than I love any other person, but I do not value Niafer's life more highly than I value my own life, and it would be nonsense to say so. No; my life is very necessary to me, and there is a geas upon me to make a figure in this world before I leave it."
Customer Reviews:
How to get far in the world, and does it add up to anything?.......2006-07-15
It just may, Cabell seems to say...
Most who know James Branch Cabell know him as the author of Jurgen. However, Cabell wrote at least a dozen novels of equally high worth, one of which is Figures of Earth, the second volume (and the first real novel) of the 18-volume Biography of Manuel.
Whereas Jurgen is markedly a man of words, Manuel, the main character of Figures of Earth, is more a man of action. The tale begins with a quest to defeat a wizard and rescue a count's daughter. By and by, the tale evolves into something magnificent and quite different, and in the meanwhile Cabell succeeds in "the staggering and almost unsuspected task of rewriting humanity's sacred books" (Burton Rascoe).
In this book you will also find Cabell's fifteen "experiments in contrapuntal prose", as Cabell himself called them. They are in essence (if not in appearance) poems that crystallize central themes of the Biography, while also functioning as dialog. They *feel* like monologs of Shakespearian power, each organized into 'stanzas', sometimes by short intervening comments of another character. They also fit the storyline perfectly, and each of them makes a number of allusions or direct references to different persons or happenings in the story. Here is one-fifth of one to give a sense of Cabell's mastery of language:
"All things are possible, Manuel, at a price."
Said Manuel:
"What price would be sufficient to re-purchase the rich spoils of Death? and whence might any bribe be fetched? For all the glowing wealth and beauty of this big round world must show as a new-minted farthing beside his treasure chests, as one slight shining unimportant coin which--even this also!--belongs to earth, but has been overlooked by him as yet. Presently this hour, and whatever is strutting through this hour, is added to the heaped crypts wherein lie all that was worthiest in the old time."
- - -
And here's a part of another one:
She turned to Manuel. She said:
"The land of Audela is my kingdom. But you embraced my penalties, you have made a human woman of me. So do I tread with wraiths, for my lost realm alone is real. Here all is but a restless contention of shadows which pass presently; here all that is visible and all the colors known to men are shadows dimming the true colors; here time and death, the darkest shadows known to men, delude you with false seemings: for all such things as men hold incontestable, because they are apparent to sight and sense, are a weariful drifting of fogs that veil the world which is no longer mine. So in this twilit world of yours do we of Audela appear to be but men and women."
"I would that such women appeared more often," said Manuel.
- - -
I should also mention that, as most Cabell novels, Figures of Earth is also funny. Not, perhaps, the kind of hilarious laughing-out-loud funny of R.A. Lafferty, but often the kind of amusing, elegant irony, sometimes subtle, sometimes not, which is one of Cabell's trademarks, and which you have to experience yourself (nobody does it like Cabell--and its effect is cumulative--although some readers may be reminded of Balzac, others of Voltaire, even though neither writer wrote in English).
The next volume in the Biography is The Silver Stallion, and is what I would read after Figures of Earth (the order in which the rest of the Biography is read doesn't matter as much).
The Wildside Press edition (paperback or hardcover) is, as always, worth the price, and infinitely superior to decades old pocket book editions (unlike those old paperbacks, the Wildside Press paperbacks, although of varying sizes, are always pretty big, there's always lots of space around the image area, the pages are of superior quality and open well, the backs simply won't wrinkle, and so on).
In the Beginning.......2001-07-12
This is where it starts (maybe); the epic History of Dom Manuel of Poictesme (pronounced pwa-tem), progenitor of a clan that stretches from pre-revolutionary France to the American South and includes Kings of England and Shakespeare. Cabell was witty, erudite and scandalous,,,by far the finest, widely unknown fantasist ever produced in America. Only for those who relish dense language and wisdom that is inevitable.
A Tale of Obligations, Magic, Deceptions & Social Mobility.......2000-06-28
Manuel, a swineherd for his brother-in-law the miller, was a resident in the area ruled by Count Demetrios d'Arnaye. His girlfriend was the lovely Suskind. On her deathbed, Dorothy, his mother, told him that she wanted him to make himself a figure in the world that was a splendid and admirable young man in all respects. After her death, he spent much time at the Pool of Haranton using its marsh clay to make a figure of earth of himself. After he had an adventure with Miramon Lluagor, the wizard, which netted him a lover named Niafer who was then taken by death to the pagan paradise, he decided to seek his fortune elsewhere. He did the following: provided wisdom for King Helmas, turned the wicked King Ferdinand into a saint and ended up engaged to Alianora the Unattainable Princess, the daughter of King Berenger of Arles. The princess taught him her magic and he saved the life of a stork that became indebted to him. He relinquished Alianora to the King of England and found a way to turn Queen Freydis of Audela into a woman permanently. That queen gave life to one of his figures that ran away fom them and became Sesphra, the god of the Philistines. After Queen Freydis taught him how to invoke Misery to free Niafer from the pagan paradise, he invoked Misery and served him for 30 of Misery's days which turned out to be 30 years for Manuel. Misery returned Niafer to him and they were married. For a time, they lived with Queen Freydis on her enchanted island where the stork delivered Melicent, their first child. With the aid of Queen Freydis and Miramon Lluagor, Manuel became the Count of Poictesme which had been granted to him by King Ferdinand, but had been occupied by the Northmen. As count, he founded The Fellowship of the Silver Stallion and turned Poictesme into a prosperous place. He gave one of his stork invoices to Queen Alianora so that she could have a son. The stork added Emmerick and Dorothy to his family. After succeeding at everything, Manuel vanished and legends about him began to form.
This work is a treasure-trove of subtle parodies, satires and social criticism that are unique for their fluency and urbanity.
Book Description
The Wonderful Adventures of Nils -- which is the work of Sweden's greatest fiction writer -- was first published in Stockholm, in December, 1906. Lagerlöf wrote it after a commission from the National Teachers' Association to write a reader for the public schools. She devoted three years to Nature study and to familiarizing herself with animal and bird life; she sought out unpublished folklore and legends of the different provinces, and wove them all into her story. With no small success; the book immediately became the most popular book of the year in Scandinavia. "The great author stands as it were in the background. The prophetess is forgotten for the voices that speak through her. It is as though the book had sprung direct from the soul of the Swedish nation." -- Stockholm's Dagblad ". . . a classic. . . . A masterwork." -- Sydsvenska Dagbladet ". . . the great story-teller, the greatest, perhaps, in Scandinavian literature since the days of Hans Christian Andersen. . . . The Adventures of Nils will always be precious. . . ." -- Gefle Posten
Download Description
And over and around all these cliffs and rocks crawl entangled tendrils and weeds. Trees grow there also, but the wind's power is so great that trees have to transform themselves into clinging vines, that they may get a firm hold on the steep precipices. The oaks creep along on the ground, while their foliage hangs over them like a low ceiling; and long-limbed beeches stand in the ravines like great leaf-tents.
Customer Reviews:
Exciting and good message.......2006-04-03
This is a wonderful book--This edition has BEAUTIFUL illustrations. Nils has one harrowing adventure after another and he also changes from a selfish boy to one who treats animals and other people with care and concern. All this while also teaching the geography of Sweden--an added bonus. It does involve him being bewitched until he learns his lesson so if you have strong feelings about this sort of fantasy you wouldn't want it, but to those who are OK with fairy tale level fanstasy you should find it enchanting.
Amazing book.......2006-03-07
This is an amazing book that gives so much information on the environmental features of Sweden that adults as well as children will be fascinated by the tale.
I read it as a kid, and want to share it with my own.......2005-10-05
It's a wonderful, kind-hearted tale. I readed in Russian and am delighted to find it in English. Will pull children in as well Harry Potter did. In my opinion it's an even better book. It's kinder for one, and it celebrates nature.
A fairy tale and a description of Sweden in one.......2005-07-25
Nils is a typical troublemaker in a village in southern Sweden who pulls the tails of cats, throws rocks at geese etc. Then he finds a gnome and teases him as well, but the result is that he is shrunk to the size of a sparrow so all the creatures he was mean to can get their own. Too ashamed to show his new self to his family, he travels with the wild geese on their annual migration to Lapland.
What follows is a picaresque and description of the natural world of Sweden from the south to the north in terms of the environment, the animals and the life that they lead. The flock of geese is a matriarchy led by the experienced and assertive Akka. In his travels, Nils learns helplessness and helping others and has many adventures involving magic flutes, a castle with rats and an underwater city. He also learns respect and admiration for the animals and the natural world.
This is a children's story with some features rarely found in other books (such as the matriarchy and the focus on the natural without too much "magic" - although the animals do talk) which makes it memorable.
The Wonderful Adventures of Nils.......2000-11-11
My dad read me this book when I was just young in Swedish. He is from Sweden and wanted his children born in America to know the culture and history of his homeland. That is what this book is about. It's actually a story of the geography of Sweden from the south up to the north. Taken from the view of a young trouble maker,who shrunken, rides on the back of a wild goose you get to experience the adventure with him. A delightful, delightful book.
Book Description
"In The Wood Beyond the World, a sea voyage separates the more fantastic realms from the hero Walter's mundane home town, though the land of the Wood sends visions even there--of the land's witchy Mistress, her enslaved Maid, and a hideous, savagely energetic dwarf servitor. . . . Walter defies all advice and reason, abandons his fellows, and sets off through mountains and wastes to the Wood where he can meet the mysterious three . . . the stage is set for triangular games of love and power." -- David Langford
Download Description
But on the fifth morrow the ground rose but little, and at last, when he had been going wearily a long while, and now, hard on noontide, his thirst grieved him sorely, he came on a spring welling out from under a high rock, the water wherefrom trickled feebly away. So eager was he to drink, that at first he heeded nought else; but when his thirst was fully quenched his eyes caught sight of the stream which flowed from the well, and he gave a shout, for lo! it was running south.
Customer Reviews:
Beyond the world.......2006-11-14
The multitalented William Morris is reknowned for many things, but in literary circles he's known for having created the first real fantasy stories, even before Dunsany and Tolkien. Though heavy on prose and light on plot, "The Wood Beyond The World" is an intriguing look at the baby steps of the fantasy genre.
After a disastrous marriage to an unfaithful wife, Walter sails away on a ship, but catches a glimpse of a beautiful queenly woman, a misshapen dwarf, and a lovely young slave girl. When he arrives in a distant land, he encounters all three in a beautiful house in the Wood Beyond The World, where the sexy, manipulative Lady is currently living with a cold-hearted prince.
Walter stays there as a guest, and falls in love with the beautiful Maid, despite her mistress's jealousy. But the Lady has taken a liking to him, and despite his love for the Maid, Walter is drawn in by the Lady's magical charm. And breaking free of the jealous sorceress could be fatal for himself and the Maid -- even if they escape, they still have to deal with the savage wilderness of the Wood Beyond the World.
"The Wood Beyond the World" has the distinction of being the first fantasy-quest novel, although it hasn't had nearly the effect on fiction that J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis have had. However, it is an interesting read, especially when one considers that Morris had no mold to work with -- he thought it all up himself.
Morris chose to write in a very formal style, with plenty of phrases like "then waxed Walter wood-wroth," whatever that means. It's not a light read, and it gives the story the feeling of a half-forgotten myth rather than a straightforward fairy tale. And despite its formality, the book has plenty of exquisitely described moments, such as Walter eavesdropping on the Lady and her boytoy.
Unfortunately, Morris loses his grip on the plot in the last fourth of the book: the Lady and her evil dwarf are dealt with way too quickly. Boom, they're gone. The primitive Bear tribe is an intriguing idea that Morris brings up, and then drops. And the last chapters of the book feel contrived, as if Morris were trying to think up a happy enough ending. And he also seems to forget that Walter is already married, albeit unhappily.
"The Wood Beyond the World" suffers from a rather weak last quarter, but it's an intriguing and often beautiful read. And if nothing else, a literary milestone.
Weird "world".......2006-08-28
The multitalented William Morris is reknowned for many things, but in literary circles he's known for having created the first real fantasy stories, even before Dunsany and Tolkien. Though heavy on prose and light on plot, "The Wood Beyond The World" is an intriguing look at the baby steps of the fantasy genre.
After a disastrous marriage to an unfaithful wife, Walter sails away on a ship, but catches a glimpse of a beautiful queenly woman, a misshapen dwarf, and a lovely young slave girl. When he arrives in a distant land, he encounters all three in a beautiful house in the Wood Beyond The World, where the sexy, manipulative Lady is currently living with a cold-hearted prince.
Walter stays there as a guest, and falls in love with the beautiful Maid, despite her mistress's jealousy. But the Lady has taken a liking to him, and despite his love for the Maid, Walter is drawn in by the Lady's magical charm. And breaking free of the jealous sorceress could be fatal for himself and the Maid -- even if they escape, they still have to deal with the savage wilderness of the Wood Beyond the World.
"The Wood Beyond the World" has the distinction of being the first fantasy-quest novel, although it hasn't had nearly the effect on fiction that J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis have had. However, it is an interesting read, especially when one considers that Morris had no mold to work with -- he thought it all up himself.
Morris chose to write in a very formal style, with plenty of phrases like "then waxed Walter wood-wroth," whatever that means. It's not a light read, and it gives the story the feeling of a minor myth rather than a straightforward fairy tale. And despite its formality, the book has plenty of exquisitely described moments, such as Walter eavesdropping on the Lady and her boytoy.
Unfortunately, Morris loses his grip on the plot iuickly. Boom, they're gone. The primitive Bear tribe is an intriguing idea that Morris brings up, and then drops. And the last chapters of the book feel contrived, as if n the last fourth of the book: the Lady and her evil dwarf are dealt with way too qMorris were trying to think up a happy enough ending. And he also seems to forget that Walter is already married, albeit unhappily.
"The Wood Beyond the World" suffers from a rather weak last quarter, but it's an intriguing and often beautiful read. And if nothing else, a literary milestone.
A literary Waterhouse painting. .......2006-04-14
"The Wood Beyond the World" is many things but let me discuss what it is not. It is not a work of modern fantasy - that is, it does not have a high-paced plot full of swords and sorcery, peopled with rogues, wizards, goblins and elves. There is no attempt at the epic here. The story takes place with a limited cast of characters and only a modicum of natural magic. The lack of sword-play and the slow plot build-up may bore those accustomed to more "riveting" modern tales although patience is rewarded for the more persistent.
The book is also, most definitely, not a fairy tale for children. The hero, Walter, leaves his first wife for unfaithfulness and fares forth on a sea voyage, during the course of which he stumbles onto the wood beyond the world. Here he encounters difficulties of a romantic nature when he falls in love with the maidservant of the Mistress of the Wood. How Walter and the maid escape the Mistress' wiles is subsequently described in fairly adult terms, the Mistress doing her best to seduce the innocent Walter. While C. S. Lewis may have received inspiration for the Narnia series from this book (the Mistress seems an archetype of the White Witch and has Walter slay a Lion at one point) Morris addresses themes of purity and temptation with considerably more directness.
It is also not a typical Victorian novel, dealing with social mores, societal injustice or unrequited love. Rather it is an attempt to create a myth. Walter's entanglement with the Mistress of the wood and his eventual escape play out as a battle between seduction and guile on the one hand, and innocence and honesty on the other. The issue of trust and betrayal is of fundamental importance.
"The Wood Beyond the World" is, however, a splendid little tale, told in a romantic style and written in a pseudo-archaic english (a little practice with a King James Bible might be in order if you are rusty). The plot is full of tension and the descriptions of the Wood, the characters and the rustic scenery are all exquisitely painted. Morris was a founding member of the Pre-Raphaelite brotherhood and perhaps the best way to think of this story is as the literary equivalent of a Waterhouse painting - brooding, mysterious and enchanted.
This book seems like a George MacDonald novel written by Howard Pyle.......2006-01-02
How can you go wrong with a title like The Wood Beyond the World? I think it was C. S. Lewis who said that no book could live up to the titles which Morris gave to his books (this and The Well at the World's End), and he is correct. Morris does, however, come close, and delivers an excellent fantasy book, which is even more excellent considering that he had to come up with it on his own. He had no previous fantasy writers to base his ideas upon, for he, in writing this book, became the one from whom others drew their ideas. I came to read this book through C. S. Lewis influence. I was reading one of his books of letters, and in one he mentioned that he was reading this book, and he thought very highly of it. I also read somewhere else that this book greatly influenced Lewis' Narnian Chronicles, and when reading this book I could see what Lewis drew upon for some of his ideas. For example, he probably got the "Sons of Adam" and "Daughters of Eve" bit from this book, as well as the "wood between the worlds" in his The Magician's Nephew.
I think that this book is best described as a cross between George Macdonald and Howard Pyle, for the fantasy and magic seems similar to Macdonald, but the archaic writing style is extremely similar to Pyle's. Since I love both MacDonald and Pyle's works, I was very pleased to find an author who writes like both of them. I am hoping to find a copy of The Well Beyond the World soon so I can read that as well.
One last thing: the edition I have is a reprint of the original novel printed by Morris at his Kelmscott press, and has fancy letters and print, and it greatly adds to the magic of the story. I would hightly recommend finding this version if at all possible.
Into the "Wood".......2005-06-10
The multitalented William Morris is reknowned for many things, but in literary circles he's known for having created the first real fantasy stories, even before Dunsany and Tolkien. Though heavy on prose and light on plot, "The Wood Beyond The World" is an intriguing look at the baby steps of the fantasy genre.
After a disastrous marriage to an unfaithful wife, Walter sails away on a ship, but catches a glimpse of a beautiful queenly woman, a misshapen dwarf, and a lovely young slave girl. When he arrives in a distant land, he encounters all three in a beautiful house in the Wood Beyond The World, where the sexy, manipulative Lady is currently living with a cold-hearted prince.
Walter stays there as a guest, and falls in love with the beautiful Maid, despite her mistress's jealousy. But the Lady has taken a liking to him, and despite his love for the Maid, Walter is drawn in by the Lady's magical charm. And breaking free of the jealous sorceress could be fatal for himself and the Maid -- even if they escape, they still have to deal with the savage wilderness of the Wood Beyond the World.
"The Wood Beyond the World" has the distinction of being the first fantasy-quest novel, although it hasn't had nearly the effect on fiction that J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis have had. However, it is an interesting read, especially when one considers that Morris had no mold to work with -- he thought it all up himself.
Morris chose to write in a very formal style, with plenty of phrases like "then waxed Walter wood-wroth," whatever that means. It's not a light read, and it gives the story the feeling of a minor myth rather than a straightforward fairy tale. And despite its formality, the book has plenty of exquisitely described moments, such as Walter eavesdropping on the Lady and her boytoy.
Unfortunately, Morris loses his grip on the plot in the last fourth of the book: the Lady and her evil dwarf are dealt with way too quickly. Boom, they're gone. The primitive Bear tribe is an intriguing idea that Morris brings up, and then drops. And the last chapters of the book feel contrived, as if Morris were trying to think up a happy enough ending. And he also seems to forget that Walter is already married, albeit unhappily.
"The Wood Beyond the World" suffers from a rather weak last quarter, but it's an intriguing and often beautiful read. And if nothing else, a literary milestone.
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Secret Agent X: The Fear Merchants (Wildside Pulp Classics)
Brant House
Manufacturer: Wildside Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0809557525 |
Book Description
Ripped from the pages of the March 1936 issue of Secret Agent "X" magazine, here is The Fear Merchants, a thrilling pulp novel! Includes the great original magazine art. Flame demons swept across the city. And in their scorching wake came a new horror. The firemen fighting the vast inferno suddenly toppled from their ladders, their shrieks piercing the blazing roar. For when the firefighters struck the pavement they were distorted, bloated husks... Secret Agent "X" was at that fire. But his manhunt was bloacked by a barrier of the bloated dead.
Download Description
The tale of Allan Quatermain's second wife, Stella, is also a classic fantasy African adventure, complete with magic and ghosts, plus Haggard's trademark gripping narrative style. Part of the Wildside Fantasy Classics series. For more information, see the publisher's web site at www.wildsidepress.com.
Average customer rating:
- Good Addition to the Series
- The Master
- KEEP THEM COMING
- excellent romantic fantasy
- The Lutin Menace is back!
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The Master (Wildside Romance)
Melanie Jackson
Manufacturer: Love Spell
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Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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ASIN: 0505526433 |
Customer Reviews:
Good Addition to the Series.......2005-10-03
I have read all of Melanie Jackson's Wildside series books and she has built an interesting world with equally interesting characters. The newest, The Master, is no exception.
The book delves more into the world of the Goblins and the Fae. More specifically, this book deals with the Hobgoblins and their leader Qasim. In previous books he was painted as the bad guy, but in the book you see a softer side and you as the reader learn the Hobgoblins are not the danger that was believed.
I think the strongest thing about this book is the characterization. The main characters Nick and Zee were well-portrayed. Their were times when things were awkward between them, which added believability to the story. The setting was on target and the Christmas theme was incorporated well into the book.
The Master also lets you know what has been happening with the other Fae characters we have come to know from other books in the series. My only complaint was that the ending was a little rushed and everything was tied up so quickly. I really think Ms. Jackson needed another 40 or so pages to better end the story with.
I would recommend for potential readers to NOT start off with The Master. Their is a lot of backstory in this book that might leave the reader confused. If possible start with the first in the series- Traveler.
All in all, the book was a 4 stars. Good job, Ms. Jackson!
The Master.......2005-09-05
Dr. Nicholas Anthony isn't quite as bad as Ebeneezer Scrooge, but he's seen enough stupidity, commercialism, and pain intensified by Christmas to be rather apathetic towards the holidays. Then, he finds himself in an abandoned cabin with Zee, a lovely woman who is half fey, half goblin, and her two young siblings over Christmas. She awakens feelings in Nick he didn't know he had, drawing him into her quest to stop Quasim from sacrificing countless numbers of children to darkness. Nick also learns that he has fey blood himself. Over the hours they spend together, Nick and Zee discover each other's worlds, each awed by the newness. They are joined by the heroes and heroines of previous Lutin books for a battle filled with danger and surprises.
***** The early scenes describing some of the whacky Christmas emergencies that Nick encounters are laugh out loud funny. Many of us can identify with Nick's tiredness of the Christmas hype, and the way he finds his way to the true heart of the season brings joy and hope. This book has one of the most uplifting endings of any novel this year at least. *****
Reviewed by Amanda Killgore, Freelance Reviewer.
KEEP THEM COMING.......2005-08-29
If you haven't read the other books in this series, I suggest you read them before you read MASTER. At least read STILL LIFE first. All of them are wonderful. This one is excellent.
Zee Finvarra is part human part goblin and part fey. She is running away with her half brother and sister. They are half goblin and half human. Their goblin mother has bonded with a full goblin who hates humans and that includes Zee and her siblings. She is desperate and hopes Jack Frost and the other feys will accept her and her family.
Nicholas Anthony is an E R Doctor. He has no use for Christmas and very little for fantasy. When he finds Zee and the children he can't believe they are part lutin. But the beauty of Zee's face captures his imagination. She is very beautiful and her devotion to the children is wonderful.
Qasim, the hobgoblin, is trying to find a way to save the rest of the hobgoblins and release them from their tortured existance. If he can get the humans and goblins to go to war, maybe he can force the release of his brethern. So he begins to kidnap children to be sacraficed on New Years. Surely this will force the humans to wipe out the goblins.
Zee, Nick and the rest of the feys must make a desperate attempt to stop the slaughter.
As with her other books we are snatched into an alternate world full of life, death, love and magic. I loved it. I can't wait for the next one. WILDSIDE FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!
excellent romantic fantasy .......2005-08-26
Qasim the hobgoblin has come up with an ingenious plan to free his peers. All he needs is several hundred human children to die. To attract the kids to him, this Pied Piper intends to pose as Santa at the mall.
At about the same time that Qasim begins implementation of his brilliant strategy, hybrid (human, Fey, and Goblin) Zee Finvarra flees with her two younger siblings from her Goblin kin. She recognizes the disguised Qasim and knows he cannot be up to anything good. However, a nasty ice storm created by her relatives pursuing her detains her from warning anyone. Dr. Nicholas Anthony is also caught by the sudden storm. He ends up sharing a cabin with the stranded Zee. Though a non-believer, he willingly risks his life to keep the Finvarra siblings safe from creatures that just cannot exist as a confrontation between good and evil is about to occur on a Nevada desert.
No one does romantic fantasy better than Melanie Jackson does (see TRAVELER, DOMINION, and THE COURIER). Her latest thriller is another winner as readers will root for the lead couple to defeat the vile villain (as nasty a malevolence as fans will find) and make it with one another. Especially interesting is the metamorphosis of Nicholas from non-believer to doubter to convert as he learns there are plenty of mysteries under the heavens including his own bloodline. Ms. Jackson is at her masterful best with this exciting tale.
Harriet Klausner
The Lutin Menace is back!.......2005-08-24
Okay, buckle up, Paranormal Addicts - it's about to get bumpy! Melanie Jackson is at it again. She and her herd of Goblins...umm...Lutins are up to their no-good tricks once more, in the fifth in the series of Goblin...umm... Lutin books. The Goblins have just about ruined every major city in the US - (I'm waiting for Melanie's Goblin...umm...Lutin horde to go ruin the Kentucky Derby! Ah, Melanie you have to! You really have to! Of course, the Lutins in the Infield at Derby might go unnoticed! hehehe). So instead of ruining another city, the Goblins turn their attention to wrecking something hallowed - Christmas. What next? The World Series. Apple Pie? Some might argue the retailers don't need any help with ruining Christmas, but Qasim, the ill-tempered Hobgoblin from her previous books, has now set his sites on wrecking Yuletide with a devilishly Lutin plot. He shall dress in a Sanity Claus outfit (Whoops, got a little Chico Marx tossed in there!)...Santa Claus outfit and go around sacrificing children in a ceremony designed to set the Lutins free from bondage.
As usual, Melanie has conjured up special denizens of the Fae to do battle with the evil Lutin Empire. This time the part-human lovers are Dr. Nicholas Anthony and Zee Finvarra. Zee is a half-human, half-Goblin on the lam with her younger siblings. They're hiding from their wicked Goblin stepfather, sheltering in an abandoned cabin in the Nevada desert. Nick, a sexy Pixie-human half-breed, is trying to make it home for the Hols when a sudden ice storm causes him to detour to the cabin where Zee and her family are staying.
Will Nick and Zee rescue Santa from all the Bad PR? Will the Goblins see Christmas decorations out in Wal-Mart in July? Will Chico Marx's ghost reveal that Harpo was really a half-Goblin? These and other earthshaking questions are fully answered by Jackson.
X-Men mutants have nothing on Jackson's Lutin Empire! The Wildside Tales are stand alone, but for full Lutin enjoyment, you need to really read them all - Traveler, Outsiders, The Courier, Still Life, and now, The Master (in that order). This is a very original, fresh romance series. Jackson has carved her own niche in the paranormal field.
Just remember, the Goblins will get you if you don't watch out... and buy Jackson's enchanting tales.
Average customer rating:
- Adventure & Coming of Age
- Worth every penny. A definite buy!
- heinlein rejuvenated
- Wildside
- Nice Read
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Wildside
Steven Gould
Manufacturer: Tor Teen
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Blind Waves
ASIN: 0765342464 |
Amazon.com
A suspenseful example of an emerging subgenre, the homage to Heinlein's young adult fiction, this novel will satisfy readers of all ages. Eighteen-year-old Charlie Newell has inherited a ranch from Uncle Max, who is missing, presumed dead. Hidden behind a pile of old hay in the barn is a tunnel that doesn't lead to the airstrip but to a pristine, uninhabited parallel Texas stocked with extinct megafauna. Charlie recruits four friends to help him exploit the wild side of his ranch, but the project becomes wilder than they expect, and they find themselves in danger not from saber-toothed tigers, but from their fellow Americans.
Book Description
VOYA "Outstanding Books of the Year" selectionAn American Library Association "Best Books" selectionForget the lottery.Teenager Charlie Newell has just discovered something that will make him and his friends billionaires. What if a world existed in which no humans ever evolved? No cities. No pollution. No laws. A fantastic world filled with unimaginable riches in which everythingeverythingwas yours just for the taking?Charlie has found that world. And he plans to use it to make him and his friends rich.There is a problem: How do you keep something this big a secret?
Customer Reviews:
Adventure & Coming of Age.......2007-07-03
Yet another book by Gould that delivers! He's one of my favorite authors. It's exhilerating to join the main character as he discovers a link to another world, and really comes into his own as an independent young adult and entrepreneur. All four main characters bring a very realistic human element to the story, and at times I found myself even more interested in their interactions than the "business" at hand. But perhaps that's just me... "Wildside" is a great adventure story, sure to make you wish YOU had your own link to an alternate universe! Since you don't (am I wrong?), the book is the next best thing.
Worth every penny. A definite buy!.......2005-11-09
This book will make you think "what would I do if I had that portal?" Story itself is nice and tight, characters are well constructed and imaginative author strikes gold with this book.
This would be a great read for your vacation. Worth its money on hardback or paperback. Pick it up!
heinlein rejuvenated.......2005-10-17
Those who have read Heinlein's "juveniles" will recogonize the format immediately. Take a group of old-teen-young-adults, drop them into a very dangerous situation where they have absolutely no support system from the mainstream adult world, and let them solve their problems (technical and otherwise) through intelligence and bold action. Then reunite them with their parents so that both parents and kids recognize that the kids have "come of age" and are now successfully independent adults.
However, the book is not just an imitation. Nor is it an homage. It seems to me a reinterpretation of the same themes and concepts Heinlein used to write about, but updated for the turn of the century rather than the 1950s.
The book was well written and kept me reading it late into the night, but a couple parts of it seemed to be just a little too "angsty". Fortunately the author pulled back from that just in time to keep it from bogging down the story. The book is squarely targeted at teens, but is enjoyable for adults as well.
Wildside.......2005-09-20
The author places young people in a unique situation with complications that make them look at their world and their values. They must make decisions that could affect their world as they know it as well as their amazing discovery. Clever and well written.
Nice Read.......2004-10-20
It feels good to just sit down and read a nice simple story without having to wrap your brain around complex ideas or situations. Wildside is a nice simple story, but it is not childish or mundane. Gould builds the story around the characters, and does a good job of weaving a believable story about a doorway to another reality. Gould is a much better writer than I am, so enough with the review, read Wildside and enjoy it for yourself.
Book Description
DEATH IN SAN FRANCISCO . . . Suddenly from across the hall came a cry, sharp, uncanny, terrible. I ran out in the direction from which it had come and stood on the threshold of the Drew dining room. A table was set with gleaming silver and white linen, and in its center stood a cake, on which fifty absurd pink candles flickered bravely. There appeared to be no one in the room. On the other side of the table a French window stood open to the fog, and I went around to investigate. I had taken perhaps a dozen steps when I stopped, appalled. Old Drew was lying on the carpet, and one yellow lean hand, always so adept at reaching out and seizing, held a corner of the white tablecloth. There was a dark stain on the left side of his dress coat; and when I pulled the coat back, I saw on the otherwise spotless linen underneath a great red circle that grew and grew. He was quite dead. I stood erect, and for a dazed uncertain moment I stared about the room. Beside me, on the table, fifty yellow points of flame trembled like human things terrified at what they had seen.
Download Description
Earl Derr Biggers (1884-1933) is best remembered as the creator of Chinese detective Charlie Chan, whose long-running series of exploits (portrayed in the movies first by Warner Oland and later Sidney Toler) made him a world-famous character from the 1930s to the 1950s. At the height of the series, Charlie Chan was nearly on par with Sherlock Holmes . . . and he spawned such Oriental detective imitators as Mr. Moto and Mr. Wong. Biggers had always been interested in mystery fiction, but his interest in Hawaii clearly stems from a 1919 vacation in Honolulu. While there, he read a newspaper article on a Chinese detective named Chang Apana. Apana would become the model for Charlie Chan in Biggersâ?? 1925 novel, House Without a Key, and there quickly followed five more Charlie Chan novels. Fifty Candlesâ??published just two years after that 1919 vacationâ?? shows how Hawaii, China, and murder had already begun to come together in Biggerâ??s imagination. The story starts in a courthouse in Honolulu, moves to China, then to fog-shrouded San Francisco. Many of the elements used in the Charlie Chan series are present: Chinese characters (both sinister and sympathetic), the Honolulu legal system, a shrewd detective (in this case, the lawyer Mark Drew rather than a policemen), and a baffling murder complete with red herrings and plenty of suspects. Though Fifty Candles is a murder mystery, it is also a romance, with the romantic elements at times in the forefront. Mostly, though, it is a book that will delight Biggersâ?? many fans as they trace the origins of Charlie Chan.
Customer Reviews:
Honor and Loyalty.......2007-09-02
Mr. Winthrop tells a compelling story of a double murder during a birthday party for his arch enemy, Henry Drew. Winthrop and Drew worked together in a mining expedition in China. Drew promised Winthrop a share in the profits, but when the money started raking in, he refused to honor his word. The two chanced upon each other on a trip back to the United States through the beautiful Mary Will, Carlotta Drew's companion and Winthrop's sweetheart. At a birthday party thrown by Henry Drew, murder turns the guests against each other and accusations fly, but the culprit's identity is far from obvious.
This book is slow going at first. There is a lot of backstory about a court trial and a Chinaman named Chang See; it is somewhat confusing and dry. However, the story soon picks up with the memoirs of the narrater, Mr. Winthrop. It's an interesting mystery, especially for fans of short and sweet ones like this.
Old-fashioned Mystery and Romance.......2007-01-05
This almost ninety year old mystery from Earl Derr Biggers was the most fun gift I received this past Christmas. Fans of Biggers' Charlie Chan series will find much to love in this light mystery touched with romance.
Just as in Biggers' first Charlie Chan mystery, "The House Without a Key," that romantic link between the Hawaii of a different era and the city of San Francisco is explored and holds the key to the mystery. Not lost either are the cultural and class differences brought about by those migrating from China through the romantic ports of Hawaii and on to San Francisco.
Young Winthrop is smitten with Mary Wills and longs to marry her. His pursuit of her will lead him to a party in the home of a former employer whose shady dealings with Winthrop himself point to him as the killer when he is found murdered. When his attorney son arrives to help police sort out the mess it is discovered that Mary Wills has been protecting her ardant admirer by removing from the scene the weapon which would implicate him.
Young Winthrop's only thoughts, of course, are of surprise and joy that Mary would risk all to save him! Yes it's that kind of old-fashioned romantic charm that make this somewhat short book such a fun read. The solution will involve love once again, but not that of Winthrop and Mary Wills.
Biggers always wrote his mysteries with a romantic eye, knowing that love was usually behind most men's actions, right or wrong. He had the ability to create an atmosphere of nostalgia for a Hawaii and a San Francisco already beginning to change even as he wrote during the 1920's and early 1930's. It is a fun walk through the fog-shrouded San Francisco of another time. A fine book for an evening or two under warm covers when you want to read a light mystery with the glow of innocent romance.
Classism, Romance, and Murder.......2002-06-04
Fifty Candles - Earl Derr Biggers
Henry Drew was a ruthless capitalist who abused everybody in his life to further his own goals. He was surrounded by people who, although under his control, disliked him. During a mysterious birthday party where the cake has fifty candles one of these abused people hated him enough to kill him. As the story unfolds, romance blossoms between a young engineer and a young woman Henry Drew hired as a companion for his wife.
For fans of Derr's Charley Chan novels, Mr. Drew has a Chinese servant, Hung Chin-Chung, who is the subject of much stereotyping by the white characters. "Who done it?" and "Will the boy get the girl?" are the two themes that drive the action. The setting is the classism of the United States in the early 20th century. While it does not rise to the literary level of The Great Gatsby, another novel of this time covering similar class issues, this is an enjoyable work that is fun to read.
Lost In The Fog?.......1999-05-22
Who was the man, cloaked in fog, who escaped Henry Drew's garden? Was it the murderer? Why throw a huge party, when there's no reason to celebrate? And what does any of this have to do with a man deported to China fifty years before? Another Biggers classic that will leave you guessing until the very last page!
Average customer rating:
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The Ivory Child (Wildside Fantasy)
H. Rider Haggard
Manufacturer: Wildside Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Contemporary
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ASIN: 1587154323 |
Book Description
"It is enough to say that when Allan Quatermain, in the opening sentence of his narrative, speaks of this as 'one of the strangest of all the adventures which have befallen m in the course of a life, that so far can scarcely be called tame or humdrum,' he is well within the mark . . . handled in Sir Rider Haggard's best manner." --The Spectator, London
Download Description
Look here, Mr. Quatermain, you were always a bit of a sportsman, and I'll make you an offer. If I kill more birds than you do to-day, you shall promise to hold your tongue about my affairs in South Africa; and if you kill more than I do, you shall still hold your tongue, but I will pay you that £250 and interest for six years.
Customer Reviews:
A RIPPING GOOD YARN!.......2001-06-04
This is another of the 14 Allan Quatermain tales from the pen of that great adventure fantasist, H. Rider Haggard. This novel is a direct continuation of "Allan and the Holy Flower," and it does help to have read the previous book. Also referenced are other Quatermain novels such as "Marie," "Child of Storm" and "Allan's Wife," and while a knowledge of these earlier books will make for a richer experience, "Ivory Child" can certainly be read on its own. In this one, Quatermain goes on a quest to find his buddy's kidnapped wife (in that respect, it is similar to "Holy Flower"), but also gets involved in a lost tribe's civil war. Thrown into the mix are a gigantic and evil elephant god, a monster snake guardian (the possible inspiration for all those snake gods in Robert E. Howard's Conan tales), several great battle scenes, psychic visions, drug use, a hailstorm, Egyptology, a shooting competition, a sandstorm, etc. Haggard throws quite a bit into this one to ensure a good time. And for fans of Hans, Quatermain's heroic and amusing Hottentot sidekick, this one provides quite a little tearjerker ending. It's all wonderfully pulpy and quite amusing; a ripping good yarn, as they used to say. So seek this one out on Amazon it'll reward your efforts!
Books:
- The World of Kong: A Natural History of Skull Island (King Kong)
- To Catch a Predator: Protecting Your Kids from Online Enemies Already in Your Home
- Universe w/Student CD & Starry Night CD: featuring Starry Night Backyard 4.0/Deep Space Explorer
- Voices from Legendary Times: We Are a Bridge Between Past and Future
- Washington's Crossing (Pivotal Moments in American History)
- When God Writes Your Love Story
- A Darkening Stain
- A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
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Books Index
Books Home
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- International Valuation Standards, 2003
