The Witches' Companion

Book Description

"The Mayfair family is a huge imaginative refuge for me; it is living and growing in my mind all the time."
--Anne Rice
In the spellbinding tradition of her bestselling The Vampire Chronicles, the prolific Anne Rice has created the sensuous saga of the Mayfair witches. Resonant with supernatural suspense, mesmerizing eroticism, and lush detail, The Witching Hour, Lasher, and Taltos have bewitched the imaginations of readers everywhere. Now comes the definitive touchstone guide to the history and mystery of this magnificent dynasty of witches.
Just as she did with The Vampire Companion, biographer and Anne Rice authority Katherine Ramsland presents a fascinating A-to-Z encyclopedia of information, interpretation, and analysis--this time devoted to the characters and key events, places and symbols, historical and mythological themes of the Lives of the Mayfair Witches novels. Created with the full cooperation of Anne Rice, The Witches' Companion features detailed character breakdowns, from the present-day enchantress Rowan Mayfair to the lustful spirit Lasher; a complete genealogy of the Mayfair family; a chronology of events; a guide to geographical locations; the intriguing origins of the Mayfairs' extraordinary clan; revealing observations from Anne Rice herself; and much more.
Illustrated throughout with hundreds of photos, drawings, and maps, The Witches' Companion will be every Anne Rice fan's inseparable companion in traveling through the unforgettable world of the Mayfair witches and their legacy.

Customer Reviews:

For hardcore fans only who like endless detail.......2004-08-07

This struck me as a blatant attempt to make more money off Rice's previous novels. It gives no information that fans can't get from simply re-reading the novels and reads like an encyclopedia. I recommend Ramsland's excellent bio of Anne Rice, "Prism of the Night" instead.

A Vital Reference Guide to the Mayfair Trilogy.......2002-07-19

"The Witches' Companion" is a very exhaustive encyclopedia of all the terms, characters, locations, and events in the Lives of the Mayfair Witches trilogy (The Witching Hour, Lasher, and Taltos). Everything's included in this mammoth 500+-paged book: maps, illustrations and photos, a Mayfair family tree, bits of Anne Rice information, a chronology of important dates, in-depth character biographies, European and American history--the list goes on.

If you're an Anne Rice fan--and especially if you enjoyed the Mayfair trilogy--, then I highly recommend this official reference guide to her popular witch series. It's definitely worth owning, since it answers every question you've ever had about this trilogy and then some.

Also recommended: Katherine Ramsland's "The Vampire Companion".

A Must-Have for the trilogy.......2000-03-16

Unless you have an excellent photographic memory, you need this book. It straightens out and clarifies all of the family lineage, and gives you more background information on locations, people, and objects. It also gives some much needed info on the Talamasca, which is ever-present in Rice's novels. Buy this if you like reading the Mayfair trilogy.

The Mayfair Witches Chronicles.......2000-02-10

These books are excellent.Anne Rice is a very believeable writer. The insight into the lives of Lasher and the other Mayfair Witches are spellbounding,I could not put the books down. If you would like to read a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat,and very hard to stop reading at bed time,read the Mayfair Witches chronicles. There needs to be more of them!

The Mayfair Witches Chronicles.......2000-02-10

The Companions (Dragonlance: The Meetings Sextet, Vol. 6)

Average customer rating:

Good Book
I love reading about my old friends!
Not bad...but not good
Good book..yet rushed.
Pretty disappointing!

The Companions (Dragonlance: The Meetings Sextet, Vol. 6)
Tina Daniell
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

The Oath and the Measure (Dragonlance: The Meetings Sextet, Vol. 4)
Steel and Stone (Dragonlance: The Meetings Sextet, Vol. 5)
Dark Heart (Dragonlance: The Meetings Sextet, Vol. 3)
Wanderlust (Dragonlance: The Meetings Sextet, Vol. 2)
Kindred Spirits (Dragonlance: The Meetings Sextet, Vol. 1)

ASIN: 156076340X
Release Date: 1993-01-01

Book Description

Lost At Sea

Caramon, Sturm, and Tasslehoff, on an innocent ship's errand, are blown thousands of miles off course by a magic windstorm and transported to the eastern Bloodsea. Caramon and Sturm are left for dead while Tasslehoff mysteriously turns against his friends. . . .

Back in Solace, Raistlin convinces Flint Fireforge and Tanis Half-Elven that they must make a perilous journey to Mithas, the kingdom of the minotaurs. Their task: not only to rescue their friends, but also to defeat the elusive Nightmaster.

The Companions brings the cast of the Dragonlance series together for their first adventure. Author Tina Daniell wrote the best-seller Dark Heart.

Customer Reviews:

Good Book.......2007-07-03

I liked this book better than the other Dragonlance books (not written by Weis or Hickman). I felt more like it was a Dragonlance book, then someone trying to write a Dragonlance book. The plot was pretty good, if never overly exciting. Tas, however, made it worthwhile (as always). Overall, I would recommend this book to any Dragonlance fan.

I love reading about my old friends!.......2005-07-26

Great storyline. I miss reading about the people I have come to know. Daniell brings it all back! Please write more! Thank you so much!

Not bad...but not good.......2003-10-08

First off...I am in the process of reading sixty or so dragonlance novels so click on my name for reviews of previous books....i'm reading them in order...now to this book...the Companions...This book is an ok adventure...I don't like the new species added in prequels. There are also some timeline problems with Raistlin. It is a readable book, though. I would read it if you want to see the companions in an adventure, and it's right in the middle of the books I have read. Definately better than Huma and Elven nation trilogy...Three Stars...An ok read.

Good book..yet rushed........2001-12-20

As i read this book, i was pulled into it like i am with most books. I couldnt really put it down, though it did have slow parts, and scenes that seemed to have been just cut from the final printing..maybe that is just me, but i felt that things should have been explained a lot better than they were. But it was altogether a good book, and i did enjoy reading it. The only thing that i didnt like about it, was that the climax of the book..that last 20 pages or so, seemed to go by to quickly, with major gaps in the storyline. Tina did a good job in writing the book, i would say that her only flaws were leaving out a little too much info here and there.. But i do recommend it to any dragonlance fan.

Pretty disappointing!.......2001-10-05

It's almost like 2 people wrote this: a bad writer & a good one. Parts of it are explained very well & others are told rather than explained.

Book Description

Winner of Foreward Magazine's Silver Book of the Year Award in the Science Fiction category

Finalist for the 2006 Prix Aurora Best Work in English Award

Fantastic Companions is an anthology of nineteen original short stories, chosen to illustrate the use of anthropomorphism in fantasy. Individual stories range from more traditional techniques, such as talking animals, to more unusual, such as the personification of constellations, ancient gods, and story itself. Aimed at both trade and educational markets, this diverse anthology is an amazing look at how writers deal with what makes us truly human, through the lens of imagination.

Customer Reviews:

Fun Story.......2007-06-08

I bought this book specifically because it has a story by Wen Spencer in it. The story is somewhat different from Spencer books I have read, but it is enchantingly funny and, to me, well worth buying the book to have.

Average customer rating:

Disappointed
Weirdly beautiful, strangely compelling
Yay! Search over!
"We be of one blood, ye and I"
Please read this book :)

Brother to Dragons, Companion to Owls
Jane Lindskold
Manufacturer: Avon Books (Mm)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Wolf Hunting (Wolf)
Wolf's Blood (Wolf)
Buried Pyramid
Child of a Rainless Year
The Dragon of Despair (Wolf)

ASIN: 0380775271

Customer Reviews:

Disappointed.......2007-08-05

Apparently I am in the minority of disliking this book, but here my honest review of it regardless.

This book was such a disappointment to me. At first glance - the premise of the plot seems really intriguing. A 30 year old woman named Sarah lives in a Home for mentally handicapped people. (she is autistic) However, she can communicate by repeating quotes from literature. She carries with her a two-headed toy dragon that is named Betwixt and Between. Sarah has an unusual gift - she can talk with her dragon, and is able to communicate with other inanimate objects. When budgets are cut, Sarah is more or less kicked out of the Home to wonder the streets alone. This is where the story becomes disappointing for me. Sarah is found by Abalone, a shirtless young girl with a wolfhead tattoo between her breasts - and takes her to "the jungle" to meet the "head wolf" and learn the "jungle laws." Sarah becomes a part of this underground society where Rudyard Kipling's "The Jungle Book" is the basis of how they rule.

As a reader I was not interested in the story of the "the jungle" and the people in it. I am interested in Sarah, in her gift, in her unique ability to communicate. Unfortunately, the author does not explore that very much. The book had an amazing idea but it just fell flat. I kept reading because it was compelling - however, I ended up exchanging the book for something else, cause quite frankly, I was so disappointed in it.

Perhaps you may enjoy the story of the "headwolf" and `the jungle' - I however could care less. This book didn't seem to have depth or heart to it. Just an interesting little premise that wasn't nurtured into a proper story.

Weirdly beautiful, strangely compelling.......2007-02-06

The sheer creativity of this book just blows my mind. It dances around genre, at turns resembling science fiction, fantasy, and cyberpunk, and ultimately transcends them all. The idea of a gang of streetkids - thieves, thugs and prostitutes - who draw their pride and identity from Kipling's Jungle Book is such an amazingly bizarre concept, but when encountered it seems completely natural - or at least no stranger than anything else in the world seen through our protagonist's eyes.

Sarah is, as she flatly states in the first chapter, insane. Not stupid - she's highly intelligent. But with a mild form of autism that manifests as the inability to speak in her own words. Instead, she must rely on an (impressive) array of quotes drawn primarily from classic literature (most of the ones I recognized came from Shakespeare and the Bible, but I'm sure there were others I missed.) She can communicate, with those who have the desire and the patience to listen, but her frustration with her own inability to form her own sentences and with the tendency of others, even her friends, to unconsciously underestimate her because of that, is palpable.

The book opens with Sarah's expulsion from the Home, the asylum in which she has spent her entire adult life. For the first time in her life, she's forced to interact with the completely unfamiliar real world, without anyone to take care of her or tell her what to do, equipped with one change of clothes, enough money to feed her for maybe a week, and some skill in the kind of manual labor that's been done by machines for years.

And one thing more: Betwixt and Between, a two-headed rubber dragon that speaks to Sarah, and that no one else can hear.

Sarah is found and adopted by the Pack, brought to live in the Jungle. It's not an idyllic existence, this world of graceful ritual and merciless justice, of children earning their living by prostitution, but it has a savage grandeur to it. Sarah finds a home there, under the watchful eyes of her Baloo, the thief Abalone, and of the mad, frightening, loving Head Wolf. But then word reaches her that the Home wants her back - just her.

Why can't Sarah talk? Does it have anything to do with the fact that she can hear inanimate objects talking? Why can't she remember anything but the fuzziest memories of her childhood - and why are her dragons so reluctant to discuss it with her? Why would an asylum short on funds go to such effort and expense to find one autistic woman? And how far will Sarah go to find out the answers?

And more importantly, when push comes to shove, will her newfound Pack stand with her, or will they turn on the strangest, most troublesome of their Wolves?

It's a beautiful story, beautifully written. I usually hate stories told in the present tense, but from Sarah's first-person perspective it sets an interesting mood, at once keenly observant and somewhat detached. The language of Sarah's quotes and of the Jungle Book sayings adopted by the Pack lends an otherworldly feel to the story.

Yay! Search over!.......2006-12-23

I read this book when I was in middle school and have looked for it a couple of times since. It has an interesting premise, the writing is superb and the characters are interesting. All in all a beautiful read but lacking in substance. I wanted more depth on the society that Sarah finds herself in and a more thought provoking foundation to the book. This will always have a special place on my bookcase however because it was the first book I read that dealt with mental illness not as a destructive force but a trade off or just a different way of being.

"We be of one blood, ye and I".......2006-09-06

Have you ever read a book that was so good that, as soon as you finish it, you actually find yourself missing the characters as if they were real people? That's how I feel about Sarah, Betwixt and Between, and Abalone. Jane Lindskold is right up there with Roger Zelazny, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, and Robin McKinley as my favorite fantasists. Brother to Dragons, Companion to Owls is her 1994 debut novel and one which I have read over and over, much like the works of the other above-mentioned authors. Believe me, I'm so glad this book has been newly republished (thank you, Orb Books); my old copy is in tatters. The mood-setting black and white art on the cover (check out the back cover for a more detailed version) is very evocative and should, hopefully, lure in the casual reader; with respect to Rowena Morrill, Patrick Arrasmith's cover art here improves on the original Avon Books publication.

Set in the very near future, Lindskold's rookie effort tells the story of 30-year-old Sarah, an autistic girl who cannot form her own words and must thus speak by repeating literary quotes (Shakespeare, Bacon, the Bible, etc.). She is often seen conversing with her rubber dragon with two heads, whom she calls Betwixt and Between. But what people don't realize is that the dragon talks back to her. In fact, inanimate objects talk to her and tell her things.

When the mental home in which Sarah resides suffers budget cuts, she is forced out into the streets. She is found by a young hacker girl named Abalone, who takes her to her street gang, the Pack, which is run by the insane, strict yet fair Head Wolf. Adopted by the Pack, Sarah is placed under Abalone's care, who soon has Sarah helping her run automobile scams.

Everything is gravy until Abalone finds out that the Home wants Sarah back. Abalone and Sarah investigate and discover something nefarious behind the Home's surface good intentions. Before too long, Sarah and the rest of the Pack find themselves in terrifying danger, as amoral and powerful forces, somehow tied in to Sarah's enigmatic past, attempt to gain control of Sarah by any means. Sarah, with the help of the ferocious Pack and her faithful, invaluable rubber dragon, must attempt to use her powers to save herself and her friends.

The first 76 pages reads in an almost idyllic manner. Don't get me wrong, these opening pages are great reading, and things are going on, but there isn't that "oomph" that propels the story forward. Until, of course, we get to Pack member Peep's revelation to Sarah that the Home was looking for her, and then you could feel the author step on the gas pedal. From there on, the pace increases and the book becomes more action packed. But, still, Lindskold, narrating thru Sarah's voice, maintains clarity in the tale. It's wonderful story-telling.

I gotta admit: when I first read the book years ago, 75% of Sarah's quotes went over my head; I wasn't much of a Shakespeare guy. Nevertheless, the drive and magic of the book were such that my ignorance never got in the way of my enjoyment. Even though this was her first book, Lindskold already knew how to write fleshed-out characters. Sarah, Abalone, Professor Isabella and the other lesser characters (Head Wolf, Peep...) will make you care about them and draw you into their personal story arcs. Even Betwixt and Between - and, later, Athena the robot owl - seemed to be real people to me.

Not only does the book give us an insight into the world of the high-level autistic, it also unveils the fascinating infrastructure and interpersonal dynamics of the Pack, a street gang which survives by harsh rules, yet whose members are brave, protective, and steadfastly loyal. Throughout the book Pack members resolutely state their credo: "We be of one blood, ye and I." You can't ask more from friends. Brother to Dragons, Companion to Owls is one of the best first novels I've ever read, and, from this, you can tell why Jane Lindskold is considered to be one of the best fantasy writers out there.

Please read this book :).......2004-06-05

Brother to Dragons, Companion to Owls has been my favorite book for years. I was enticed by the cover picture when I saw it, thought the plotline seemed interesting, and was blown away by the book. I've read it a good twenty times now, and refuse to lend it out--except to my fiance before we lived together, and I nagged him for days to finish it because I wanted it back to read again! It's a very comfortable read that sucks you in so you can't put it down. I wish I lived in the Jungle, and I highly recommend it to anyone who is even remotely intrigued by the blurb on the back cover... because my expectations were vastly exceeded when I actually read the book.

The Birdwatcher's Companion: Winged Wonders, Fantastic Flocks and Outstanding Ornithology (Companion)

Average customer rating:

The Birdwatcher's Companion: Winged Wonders, Fantastic Flocks and Outstanding Ornithology (Companion)
Malcolm Tait , and Olive Tayler
Manufacturer: Robson Books, Limited
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Birds | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Birdwatching | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Bedside Book of Birds: An Avian Miscellany

ASIN: 1861058330

Book Description

Ever wonder what happens to the 36,000 tennis balls used at the annual Wimbledon championships? Or what was on the menu at Henry IV's coronation? Would you like to know how to master the Japanese art of packing a rucksack? Or how to say hello in 20 different languages? The delightfully eclectic, exceedingly collectable volumes in The Companion Series are bursting with useful trivia and quirky facts to amuse and amaze. Pleasingly designed, eminently browsable, downright addictive.

The Bram Stoker bedside companion: stories of fantasy and horror;

Average customer rating:

The Bram Stoker bedside companion: stories of fantasy and horror;
Bram Stoker
Manufacturer: Gollancz
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Average customer rating:

Good book if you are a first time fantasy reader
Don't expect much from Companion
Interesting and fun Book for everyone
Excellent, the first fantasy book I've read...
Fun Fantasy for anyone

Dragon Companion
Don Callander
Manufacturer: Ace Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Dragon Tempest (Callander's Dragon)
Dragon Rescue
Aquamancer
Pyromancer
Marbleheart

ASIN: 0441001157

Download Description

Human Seeks Employment. Former Librarian with Dragonriding Skills. Thomas Whitehead, a mild mannered librarian from Iowa becomes magically transported to the magical kingdom of Carolna. Tom soon discoveres his new home has knights and castles, magic, and talking dragons. Tom has a chance meeting with the dragon, Retruance Constable, who finds him interesting enough to "adopt" him as his Dragon Companion. Tom's life becomes even more complicated when he must take part in driving invaders out of the castle, rescuing a fair princess, and capturing a traitor to the king. Not exactly in a normal librarian's job description...

Customer Reviews:

Good book if you are a first time fantasy reader.......2006-11-26

Reviewed by Kornelia Longoria for Reader Views (11/06)

Thomas Whitehead is just a regular, down-to-earth librarian, living an ordinary life in Iowa. One day, he suddenly finds himself in a magical world of dragons, dwarves and knights. At first confused, Tom quickly adapts himself to new circumstances and quickly becomes the Dragon Companion, which is a very honorable title in this strange new world. He also soon proves that the title is very well deserved. Going from one adventure to another, Tom soon becomes very comfortable among his new friends but also becomes more and more involved in exciting but sometimes dangerous escapades.

In his first book in the Companion Series, the author introduces us to the world of talking dragons and exciting adventures. Magic is an everyday thing and dragons become your best friends. The language of the book is quite simple but very descriptive and vivid, and the readers can easily assimilate themselves with the story. The main characters are very likable. The only complaint that I might have is that the adventures could have been a little more dramatic, with more danger elements. I would love to see more evil characters and the way Tom and his friends deal with them. It looked like Thomas did everything too easily, like it was his everyday job back in the normal world in Iowa.

I quite enjoyed the book and I'm very curious what kind of adventures Don Callander offers in the second and third book of the series. I think "Dragon Companion" would be a great book to offer to someone who has never read any fantasy books so they can familiarize themselves with the genre.

Don't expect much from Companion.......2000-03-31

"Dragon Companion" is a very low-thought fantasy novel. This book would be great for a young child interested in starting in fantasy. The plot is straightforward and simple, but lacks depth. Perhaps the most important question (why the companion got into a new world) is never answered. The companion solves these "problems" using simple logic. Don't expect much tension or page turning suspense. Instead, pass this book on to children in order to increase their reading aptitude.

Interesting and fun Book for everyone.......1999-06-10

Callander used a creative but not too complicated style of writing to keep the reader interested, whether they're an adult or a kid. All in all, a great book to get into and hard to put down!

Excellent, the first fantasy book I've read..........1998-09-04

Callander used a creative style of writing and made it interesting. It was a fun book to read and I enjoyed it.

Fun Fantasy for anyone.......1998-07-22

Dragon Companion is a typical fantasy novel/fairy tale, complete with magic, castles, princesses and dragons, and one ordinary guy who gets tossed into this world where humans are considered to be myths. Callander takes many overused elements and puts a fresh spin on them, making this novel incredibly fun to read. If you have some free time, this book is a good bet for some inexpensive entertainment.

FANTASTIC UNIVERSE - Volume 10, number 4 - October 1958: Symposium of the Gorgon; Operation Disaster; Let the Dream Die; Survival in Space; Shadow of the Sword; Search for Life; Lap of the Primitive; Flying Saucer of the Seas; Companion; Shapes in the Sky

Average customer rating:

FANTASTIC UNIVERSE - Volume 10, number 4 - October 1958: Symposium of the Gorgon; Operation Disaster; Let the Dream Die; Survival in Space; Shadow of the Sword; Search for Life; Lap of the Primitive; Flying Saucer of the Seas; Companion; Shapes in the Sky
Hans Stefan (editor) (Clark Ashton Smith; Lee Chaytor; Stanley Mullen; Lester del Rey; Wynne N. Whiteford; Clyde Hostetter; William F. Nolan; Stephen Bond; John Ashton) Santesson
Manufacturer: King Size Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000I7G07W

Average customer rating:

The Tolkien Companion
Far from "Complete"
Worthless!!!
Remarkably Unreliable
A great book

The Tolkien Companion

Manufacturer: Avon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0380009013

Book Description

Between 1932 and 1953, Professor John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, of Oxford, England, translated four volumes compiled by the renowned Hobbits Bilbo and Frodo Baggins, written during the Third Age of Middle Earth, far longer ago than the Celtic, Germanic and Icelandic manuscripts Professor Tolkien was used to deciphering. The result was
The Hobbit, and readers have never been
the same since.
In 1954, seventeen years after The Hobbit first appeared, its sequel, The Lord of the Rings was published, and it became the centerpiece of Tolkien's work. The Ring Epic covers approximately ten thousand years, and contains a vast amount of information as well as a huge variety of words and names which Tolkien translated from the Elvish and Mannish tongues. THE TOLKIEN COMPANION is an impressive endeavor to guide one through the world of Middle Earth, compiling every fact, name, word, and date from all the works into one comprehensive and accessible volume.
Here, in one source, is the High History of the Elven peoples. The origins of Morgoth the Enemy is clarified, as is his Fall, and the subsequent rise to power of Sauron the Great, Lord of the Rings. The heroic epic of how the Free Peoples--Elves, Men, Ents, Dwarves, and Hobbits--survived against the Peril of the Ancient World is meticulously detailed. And a guide to the various Elvish writing systems, together with explanatory maps, charts, even genealogical tables, bring the remarkable genius of Tolkien and the unforgettable world and wonder of Middle Earth to life with focus and accuracy. Presented in alphabetical order for quick and easy reference, THE TOLKIEN COMPANION is an indispensable accompaniment for anyone who embarks on the reading journey of a lifetime.

Customer Reviews:

The Tolkien Companion.......2005-01-21

'The Tolkien Companion' is a brilliant guide to 'The Hobbit', 'The Lord of the Rings', and 'The Silmarillion'. It tells of many peoples, places, and things throughout Middle-earth and the Undying Lands. Anything I do not understand in author J.R.R. Tolkien's world is uniquely explained from this must-own book tribute. I highly recommend you buy 'The Tolkien Companion'!

Far from "Complete".......2004-11-24

With a universe as complex and nuanced as Tolkien's Middle-Earth, a guide is invaluable. Unfortunately, J.E.A. Taylor's "Complete Tolkien Companion" is far from invaluable. With barely any details and seriously unbalanced data, Taylor's book is all right as a second or third choice, but a flop as a serious guide.

From A ("Accursed Years") to Z ("Zirak-Zigil"), this book covers people, places, battles, objects and events from all throughout Middle-Earth's history. Taylor includes information from Tolkien's famous "Hobbit" and "Lord of the Rings," as well as the Silmarillion, "Unfinished Tales," and some other books. (Unfortunately, he doesn't include all of the history books)

Is "The Complete Tolkien Companion" worthless as an encyclopedia? No, not at all -- it's useful for some quick glances, and Taylor has a pleasant if clumsy style. But as a serious source, it fails. It doesn't have enough information, and what it does have is unbalanced and weirdly conveyed.

One of the most annoying things is that while Tyler will tell some stuff about various characters, events, and items. But in most entries, he doesn't specify which books they appeared in, what pages, or much else. Where is "Khuzdul" revealed to be a secret language? He doesn't tell you. And his handling of the information is clumsy: readers are told that Arwen Evenstar shares the "Doom of Luthien." What does Luthien have to do with her descendent becoming a mortal? Taylor doesn't say.

What's more, Taylor demonstrates a weird tendency to act like the events of Tolkien's books are a 10,000-year-old history. He claims in his preciously-worded foreword that he's going to stop, but he doesn't -- a tendency that crosses the line from fervently geeky to unsettling. What is more, he has a tendency to interject his own opinions into the text: he spends a long time explaining how misunderstood Galadriel is, for example.

To very casual fans, "The Complete Tolkien Companion" might have some worth. But for those seeking more information about Tolkien's Middle-Earth, this is an unworthy choice, in the shadow of Robert Foster's accomplished "Complete Guide to Middle-Earth."

Worthless!!!.......2003-12-19

Do not waste your money on any version of JE Taylors Tolkien books. He hides his "references" at the back of the book instead of professionally citing them on the page for the entry you are reading. If you are a Tolkien purist you will find many fictional made up details in this book. Instead buy the book that Christopher Tolkien himself cites...
Robert Foster's Complete Guide to Middle Earth. This book is VERY accurate for your Hobbit,LOTR, Simarillion reference needs.

If you need a cross-reference for the 12 volumes of the History of Middle Earth buy Christopher Tolkiens Index to the History of Middle Earth. You can buy that at Amazon UK.

Remarkably Unreliable.......2002-07-04

Author J.E.A. Tyler's goal in this book is unclear. As a book to read for fun, it's not bad: it is mostly written in a flowery historical style somewhat similar to Tolkien's own histories. However, as a source of information on Tolkien's Middle-earth, it is downright bad; almost every Tolkien "expert" I've seen agrees on that.

Tyler's book has two real problems. First, he does a very poor job of distinguishing between facts from Tolkien's writings and his own extrapolations. Second, his research itself is rather poor, as can be seen even from the sample pages provided here. A classic example is the entry for "Adan, Edain": his translation "Father-of-Man" is wrong ("Edain" literally means "The Second People"), his discussion of the Three Houses says nothing of the Haladin (who in any case did not have "much to do with Dwarves"), and many of his other statements in the entry are incorrect or misleading as well.

A far better reference for information on Tolkien's world is Robert Foster's _Complete Guide to Middle-earth_. It's not as fun to read, but it's very reliable and includes page references to the source material. Better still, read Tolkien's own books, such as _Unfinished Tales_.

A great book.......2002-05-06

...I am a really big Lord of the Rings fan. I have read all the books! And the Tokien companion just caught my eye. Well I bought it and this book is like a dictonary of the whole Lord of the rings. It is great, it has almost everything, all except a few elvish words, which are hard to get. But other than that it is a great book!

Average customer rating:

Hobbit History
Interesting reference work
Wonderful for the real Tolkien Fan

Tolkien Companion (Picador Books)
J.E.A. Tyler
Manufacturer: Macmillan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

English (All) | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 033025801X

Customer Reviews:

Hobbit History.......2005-02-22

Hobbit History

The New Tolkien Companion, by J.E.A. Tyler, Avon Books, 1980

Of all the thousands of readers who have immensely enjoyed J.R.R. Tolkien's "Hobbit" and "Lord of the Rings", it is surprising that very few indeed realize that this unparalleled work is not a work of fiction. Even though Tolkien himself admitted (in his Prologue to the Ring) that this was "historical narrative", the result of his lifetime of work in the translation of various documents of Middle Earth, dating back to the end of the Third Age, there still remained widespread skepticism.

The long awaited publication of "The Silmarillion" should have permanently laid to rest all question of the authenticity of the documents involved. This much more ancient volume provided considerable insight into the background and history of the "Ring" and "The Hobbit". Yet, human nature being what it is, skepticism is still rife, and many still attribute this recounting of the First Age of Middle Earth to fantasy and invention, little realizing that the task Tolkien undertook in the translations from the ancient tongues life no time at all for invention or fictionalizing. Indeed, the very nature of the tale in all its fantastic complexities should be evidence enough that no mere mortal could have invented or imagined such a series of events.

Hopefully, "The New Tolkien Companion" will finally and for all time abolish this obviously nonsensical and iconoclastic attitude.

The task of J.E.A. Tyler was monumental in itself. No sooner has his "Tolkien Companion" been finished and printed, providing an encyclopedic compilation of data, places, races, people and events, than the publication of "The Silmarillion" rendered it practically obsolete! Thus, "The NEW Tolkien Companion" became a necessity. His new work takes the reader through some 10,000 years of Hobbit history and origins, providing a complete listing of foreign words, Elvish writings, maps, charts, and myriad cross-references.

A gigantic undertaking, to be sure, but the genius of Tolkien demands no less. And no reader who has traveled through this ancient land should be without this companion.

N. Kent Goldsmith

Interesting reference work.......2002-06-21

Back when I first fell in love with the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings about 20 years ago, I ran out and bought everything vaguely connected with Tolkien at every bookstore I could find. This was one of those books (If Amazon were around back then I would never have left the house, except to raise more money for Tolkien paraphernalia). I bought this about the same time that I bought the Guide to Middle Earth. This book is less of a reference work (the Guide has book and page numbers for virtually all of its entries) and more of a short exposition on many of the characters,in the nature of Fowler's quirky but much loved Modern English Usage. I sometimes found the tone of the entries to be a little "out there"-I think Tyler tried to write the companion in the same sort of "this is history I'm recounting" approach that Tolkien took with his various forwards and appendices, but doesn't pull it off so well. Tolkien plays the part of the professor who stumbled across the Red Book of Westmarch without hint of irony; Tyler sometimes sounds like someone who's had too much to drink (a common occurrence) at a meeting of his local chapter of the Society for Creative Anachronism.

Wonderful for the real Tolkien Fan.......1999-08-22

It is an extensive dictionary/encyclopida of Tolkien's works. I found it very interesting.

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