Chronicles: Volume One (Chronicles)

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One would not anticipate a conventional memoir from Bob Dylan--indeed, one would not have foreseen an autobiography at all from the pen of the notoriously private legend. What Chronicles: Volume 1 delivers is an odd but ultimately illuminating memoir that is as impulsive, eccentric, and inspired as Dylan's greatest music.

Eschewing chronology and skipping over most of the "highlights" that his many biographers have assigned him, Dylan drifts and rambles through his tale, amplifying a series of major and minor epiphanies. If you're interested in a behind-the-scenes look at his encounters with the Beatles, look elsewhere. Dylan describes the sensation of hearing the group's "Do You Want to Know a Secret" on the radio, but devotes far more ink to a Louisiana shopkeeper named Sun Pie, who tells him, "I think all the good in the world might already been done" and sells him a World's Greatest Grandpa bumper sticker. Dylan certainly sticks to his own agenda--a newspaper article about journeymen heavyweights Jerry Quarry and Jimmy Ellis and soul singer Joe Tex's appearance on The Tonight Show inspire heartfelt musings, and yet the 1963 assassination of John Kennedy prompts nary a word from the era's greatest protest singer.

For all the small revelations (it turns out he's been a big fan of Barry Goldwater, Mickey Rourke, and Ice-T), there are eye-opening disclosures, including his confession that a large portion of his recorded output was designed to alienate his audience and free him from the burden of being a "the voice of a generation."

Off the beaten path as it is, Chronicles is nevertheless an astonishing achievement. As revelatory in its own way as Blonde on Blonde or Highway 61 Revisited, it provides ephemeral insights into the mind one of the most significant artistic voices of the 20th century while creating a completely new set of mysteries. --Steven Stolder

Book Description

"I'd come from a long ways off and had started a long ways down. But now destiny was about to manifest itself. I felt like it was looking right at me and nobody else."

So writes Bob Dylan in Chronicles: Volume One, his remarkable book exploring critical junctures in his life and career. Through Dylan's eyes and open mind, we see Greenwich Village, circa 1961, when he first arrives in Manhattan. Dylan's New York is a magical city of possibilities -- smoky, nightlong parties; literary awakenings; transient loves and unbreakable friendships. Elegiac observations are punctuated by jabs of memories, penetrating and tough. With the book's side trips to New Orleans, Woodstock, Minnesota and points west, Chronicles: Volume One is an intimate and intensely personal recollection of extraordinary times.

By turns revealing, poetical, passionate and witty, Chronicles: Volume One is a mesmerizing window on Bob Dylan's thoughts and influences. Dylan's voice is distinctively American: generous of spirit, engaged, fanciful and rhythmic. Utilizing his unparalleled gifts of storytelling and the exquisite expressiveness that are the hallmarks of his music, Bob Dylan turns Chronicles: Volume One into a poignant reflection on life, and the people and places that helped shape the man and the art.

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" ""I'd come from a long ways off and had started a long ways down. But now destiny was about to manifest itself. I felt like it was looking right at me and nobody else."" So writes Bob Dylan in Chronicles: Volume One, his remarkable book exploring critical junctures in his life and career. Through Dylan's eyes and open mind, we see Greenwich Village, circa 1961, when he first arrives in Manhattan. Dylan's New York is a magical city of possibilities -- smoky, nightlong parties; literary awakenings; transient loves and unbreakable friendships. Elegiac observations are punctuated by jabs of memories, penetrating and tough. With the book's side trips to New Orleans, Woodstock, Minnesota and points west, Chronicles: Volume One is an intimate and intensely personal recollection of extraordinary times. By turns revealing, poetical, passionate and witty, Chronicles: Volume One is a mesmerizing window on Bob Dylan's thoughts and influences. Dylan's voice is distinctively American: generous of spirit, engaged, fanciful and rhythmic. Utilizing his unparalleled gifts of storytelling and the exquisite expressiveness that are the hallmarks of his music, Bob Dylan turns Chronicles: Volume One into a poignant reflection on life, and the people and places that helped shape the man and the art. "

Customer Reviews:

An Alternative Take on Autobiography that Works.......2007-10-11

Let me start off by saying is that I'm not a Dylan music fan; it's not that I dislike Dylan, but I've just never really listened to him. I think I own just two of his songs (Rainy Day Women and All Along the Watchtower, thanks BSG finale). So I'm not what you'd call a fan.

As a result I was kinda surprised by what this book is. It's not a biography per se, it's more of a summation of the inspirations and their effects on his life. There's enough other names thrown around in this book that one could probably write a concordance, but it's obvious Dylan does this for two reasons: one, it acts as basically an ongoing acknowledgements page throughout the book, and two, it shows that Dylan is more interested in people than anything else.

Dylan has deliberately stripped out the big events from his life that have been recounted endlessly: meeting the Beatles, plugging in at Newport (although he does obliquely reference it), even the Traveling Wilburys get little mention when I'm sure there's a wealth of anecdotes he could've provided. What this leaves you with are the people and music that shaped his musical life, not the events. It's a fascinating way to approach his story, and he pulls it off well.

Stylistically it comes off as an oral history, and I believe if I read it again I'll listen to the audiobook instead

Bob Dylan Chronicles -- No Direction Home -- Never Ending Tour.......2007-10-02

I'm making way again reading Chronicles, it's my second time through. It takes the entire book to understand what makes an artist an artist, and when Columbia Records signed Bob, it had the power to make him become as the one whom we all know him as today. He follows along the tradition of folk music, and yet, within that tradition he learned so well the ways of the past that he would be accepted as an artist even before he has written the music.

Knowing the book is Dylan's autobiography, I expected to read from the perspective of, or, having a given notion that a story would be told about how the songs were written, by the manner they could be inspired. The latter meaning that finding the inspiration is the deeper more profound nature of the story as Bob does write constructively in the similar form as are his lyrics and music. The catch phrase there being the musical form and with this he tells a lingering story of meeting up with Bono who leads him on to record another record in New Orleans with Danny Lanois.

It is fair to say that even to this day most of the songs are still sung with an affliction of a dialect that captures our time as the measured space from that time the song was first inspired. The passages written throughout the storyline of the book put together a grandeur more complex understanding of just how omni-present ones life becomes to have achieved what Bob has accomplished, beginning within the moments he knew he could play guitar, so handedly playing the music he enjoyed whilst underlying his own talent allowing him to simply play along... In the course of such sanctity he reads one great book after another, as it is the same way he listens to records, and then seeks for artists following relentlessly his own spirit until finally meeting his immortal icon Woody Guthrie, bed ridden. Woody listens to Bob play and Bob stays with Woody until they each can find no end to the meaning of the words their music could have lived for himself.

On the surface the story writes about the times he grew up as a child amongst friends and family living in the iron ore range that is still the driving force of America's industrial revolution. Virtually every car made in Detroit would have been fabricated with the ore that was for a time Dylan's boyhood home and upbringing.

It is in New York though, that if you were from the area yourself or in the same way knew of any other place brought into the discussion, then pieces fit together about the goings on of the emerging cultural lives in such backgrounds as Greenwich Village. It's the most intricate detail to understand how Bob goes about learning an insightful dictation of knowledge that elapses his own will and eventual transformation of self to the impresario that lives the life his words give rise to within the lyric of their own musings.

Ones immediate impression is within the forces of living about New York City, as an artist, Dylan travels in this virtuous manner of that as a performer to such brevity and light, guided by this talent that the magnitude he reveals himself as, is that merely as a person who lived through folk music learning to sing while playing guitar. Generally speaking it's more than just a good time.

It's Alright Ma From deluxe edition Don't Look Back outtakes
- 1965

Almost Inside Dylan.......2007-09-15

This is a surpisingly readable book, told as if you were sitting chatting over a cup of coffee (or a few drinks) with the author. Dylan is amazingly down to earth and candid, and in some cases downright self-deprecating. Sometimes insecure over his position, accomplishments, and legacy, Dylan never wavers in his devotion to, and ability to achieve, his purpose: to make good music. BD comes across as human and frail in some areas, and extremely tough in many other and different ways.

Hearing how impressed this icon is and was about those who guided, formed, and helped him in his salad days is heart-warming. Sometimes you have to remind yourself that this is BOB DYLAN writing, not some second-tier also-ran.

If you expect to find the answers to all the accumulated questions about him, or revelations about his deeply private or personal matters, you will be disappointed. He refers to relationships, but does not go into any great detail. I cannot recollect if he even mentions Sara by name, but often refers to his 'wife'. His recall of important moments often include common pedestrian activities like going to the beach with the wife and kids. His chagrin at his failure to accomplish a truly private place for him and his family is charmingly naive in its hopefulness, while distressingly disturbing in its reality.

So, you're not going to get the smoking guns, or smoking guitars for that matter, but you will come away with new consideration for this American enigma that is well worth the time to read it appreciably, and finish anxious for a possible Volume Two.

One of the best books on creativity ever.......2007-07-20

And, you get a look inside the mind of a creative genius, both his philosophy and a detailed look at the steps taken to reach his goals.

"...it dawned on me that I might have to change my inner thought patterns...that I would have to start believing in possibilities that I wouldn't have allowed before, that I had been closing my creativity down to a very narrow, controllable scale...that things had become too familiar and I might have to disorientate myself."

This book is worth reading and keeping.

I am not he, Babe?.......2007-06-16

What a delightful read! This book is a terrific insight into how an artistic mind finds a way to express itself. I've always liked BD. I like him more now.

Some may object to flawed grammar in this memoir. Bob chooses his language carefully and deliberately and the result is a sort of stream-of-consciousness that speaks to the reader like his songs speak to the listener. BD reveals the incredible impact that lyrics and words had upon him.

I would have loved to hear more of his commentary on the music of the 60's and beyond and more experiences with other artists, but to see how he was impacted by Woody Guthrie and Robert Johnson was fascinating.

The Blackstone Chronicles: The Serial Thriller Complete in One Volume (Blackstone Chronicles)

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Horrible ending
Poor
Cool Book
A LITTLE SCARY, ENGAGING.
Blackstone Chronicles together at Last

The Blackstone Chronicles: The Serial Thriller Complete in One Volume (Blackstone Chronicles)
John Saul
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

ASIN: 044900192X
Release Date: 1998-02-10

Book Description

Now, for the first time, the New York Times bestselling serial thriller is complete in one terrifying volume. John Saul, the master of supernatural suspense, John Saul, brings to chilling life the small New England town of Blackstone--and the secrets and sins that lay buried there. . . .

From atop Blackstone's highest hill, the old Asylum casts its shadow over the village. Built in the 1890s to house the insane, the Asylum has stood vacant for decades. But now, the wrecker's ball is about to strike--and unleash an ominous evil. Strange gifts begin to appear on the doorsteps of Blackstone's finest citizens.

Each bears a mysterious history.

Each brings a horrifying power to harm.

Each reveals another thread in the suspensefully woven web of . . .

THE BLACKSTONE CHRONICLES

Part I--An Eye for an Eye: The Doll
Part II--Twist of Fate: The Locket
Part III--Ashes to Ashes: The Dragon's Flame
Part IV--In the Shadow of Evil: The Handkerchief
Part V--Day of Reckoning: The Stereoscope
Part VI--Asylum

Customer Reviews:

Horrible ending.......2007-06-20

The first four parts were decent to good -- a lot of good things happening. But then it quickly went down. The last part was totally stupid. I was lost. I didn't get it. Where did the story go? It's books like these that get my blood boiling for wasting my time.

Poor.......2007-04-11

I had ordered an unabridged book and received an abridged copy. Also one of the tapes was damaged.

Cool Book.......2007-01-10

It is great to have all the stories in one book. It was also easier when I used to book to play the CD ROM game.

A LITTLE SCARY, ENGAGING........2006-12-20

I thought this book was truly engaging. Not too many books can grab my attention, but this one did from the beginning. None of the chapters were over worded, or too explained. It had just the right recipe that makes a truly good book. 2 C. heart, 1 C. substance, 3 C. entrigue, and 4 C. Suspense. It was very good. If you are looking for the type of book with suspense and heart, this would be perfect.

Blackstone Chronicles together at Last.......2006-03-13

I'm a huge fan of John Saul's Blackstone Chronicles Saga and to have all of them in one volume is most excellent. For anyone who is a fan of this series this book is a must!

Dragons Of The Dwarven Depths: The Lost Chronicles, Volume One (Dragonlance)

Average customer rating:

A great read, better than some give it credit for.
Was the Editor on Vacation!?
Good supplement for Dragonlance Chronicles
Disappointing. . .

Dragons Of The Dwarven Depths: The Lost Chronicles, Volume One (Dragonlance)
Margaret Weis , and Tracy Hickman
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0786942614
Release Date: 2007-05-08

Book Description

Tanis Half-Elven... Flint Fireforge... Tasslehoff Burfoot... the classic Dragonlance characters are back!

Picking up where the first book of the classic Dragonlance Chronicles left off, this tale follows the Companions of the Lance on their adventures following the rescue of the refugees of Pax Tharkas. Flint and Tanis Half-Elven travel to the dwarven kingdom of Thorbardin, while the rest of the Companions confront challenges of their own.

Customer Reviews:

A great read, better than some give it credit for........2007-09-07

I judge this book not on typographical errors, nor the filler parts of the plot. But on its merit as a revisit to the world that turned me into a reader. The world which lit my imagination and the character therein. Krynn, and The Companions.

The book had plenty of character growth from the Autumn Twilight. Those who are reviewing it as having not are thinking with their metaplot knowledge in hand. Set that aside and look at the growing relationship between Caramon and Tika as well as the problems that will later plague their marriage in the Legends Trilogy, watch an evolution of the strain that is forming between Caramon and Raistlin, speaking of the Hourglass Mage, more hints into what occured in The Soulforge story as well as hints about his dual nature developed in the story. Some characters did not develop as much, flint most certainly did. Flint and the interaction with the jolly Dwarven Persona of Reorx )who was from the short stories in the book following Summer Flame whose name escapes me) was a great and enjoyable short conversation. The old dwarf learned a thing or two in the Dwarven Depths, about himself, about honor, about the god's and about the impending end of his life.

As for dialog I am still smiling about Tasslehoff's "Golden Wooly Mammoth", "No it was big, had wings, a tail, and it was a golden.....wooly mammoth".

I for one loved it. Its a gorgeous addition to the collection. And the fact that I am enjoying Highlord Skies as much leads me to smile wistfully.

If you don't mind I have a book to read.

GamerChick
*smiles*

Was the Editor on Vacation!?.......2007-08-10

The number of spelling mistakes, typos, and grammatical errors in this book is off the charts. Literally, there is a glaring mistake every other page. For a major publishing house, WoC, this is unforgivable. For two authors who have been in the business for over 20 years, this is unforgivable.

Not to mention that Weis and Hickman have lost the "essence" of each of their characters. Raistlin and the crew are just cardboard cutouts of their former selves.

It's an easy read, and it does have its moments, so if you miss the world of Krynn, I suppose you could do worse.

Good supplement for Dragonlance Chronicles.......2007-07-02

I liked this book, which told the story of what happened to between the first two books in the Dragonlance Chronicles. I had always wondered what had happened, because there seemed to be a giant gap between these books. In fact, I had at first thought that I had skipped a book by accident. Overall it was a good plot, but I didn't feel that all the characters' behaviors were consistent with the rest of the series. I would, however, recommend this book to any Dragonlance fan.

Disappointing. . ........2007-06-10

Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman's Dragons of Autumn Twilight was the first "true" fantasy novel I ever read. This was the book that made me fall in love with the genre, and I never looked back! Much like the first girl you kiss, these two authors have always held a special place in my heart. Even though they haven't written anything that really capture the imagination since the conclusion of The Deathgate Cycle in 1994, I always give them the benefit of the doubt and purchase their new books/series. Sadly, since then Weis and Hickman (together, solo, or with other collaborators) have produced works of average quality at best.:-(

Their last Dragonlance offering, The War of Souls trilogy, was a far cry from their popular Dragonlance Chronicles and Legends. This new series, The Lost Chronicles, will explore some of the storylines that were not part of the narrative of the original main sequence. Hence, it boded well for fans eager to see Weis and Hickman recapture their erstwhile excellence. After all, they were going back to their old stomping grounds, the world of Krynn, during the War of the Lance.

Honestly, I was pretty excited myself! For fans of the original series, this opportunity to go back in time and once again follow the adventures of the Companions is quite a kick. Characters such as Tanis, Raistlin Majere, Sturm Brightblade, Laurana, and Tasslehoff Burrfoot have all left an indelible mark in the fantasy genre.

The predominant problem with Dragons of the Dwarven Depths lies in the fact that there's nowhere near enough material to make a full-length novel. At best, this should have been a novella. Personally, I believe it would have worked best as a short story such as the ones Weis and Hickman came up with for the Tales trilogy.

There is so much "filler" in this book. . . I couldn't quite believe it. There are unnecessary portions filling us in on the back story. Given the fact that one needs to have read the original Dragonlance Chronicles, these parts of the narrative are totally obsolete. Add to that the inordinate amount of time spent journeying and I estimate that a good 50% of the novel could be excised without readers losing much of the story.

The second shortcoming of this book lies in the selection of the plotline that would serve as its backdrop. The search for the Hammer of Kharas was not part of the original saga, and there's a good reason why it was only alluded to in Dragons of Winter Night. It was only part of the Dragonlance roleplaying modules because the storyline wasn't that interesting to begin with. As I mentioned, not enough material. . .

Nevertheless, the narrative flows well enough, though the writing is a bit clunky at times. Although it's fun to be reunited with the characters we have grown to love, the fact that nothing really happens throughout the novel makes it hard to maintain our level of interest. I'm afraid that even Tass can't save this one.

My hopes for the forthcoming Dragons of the Highlord Skies are somewhat higher, what with the search of the dragon orb storyline and the presence of Lord Soth. I mean, come on! This one has to be good!

Hence, as fun as it is to go back in time and return to the events that marked the beginning of the War of the Lance, Dragons of the Dwarven Depths is a disappointing effort.

Raechel's Eyes, Volume One: The Strange But True Case of an Apparent Alien-Human Hybrid (Star Kids Chronicles)

Average customer rating:

A Courageous Disclosure
Significant Ground-Breaking Work

Raechel's Eyes, Volume One: The Strange But True Case of an Apparent Alien-Human Hybrid (Star Kids Chronicles)
Helen Littrell , and Jean Bilodeaux
Manufacturer: Granite Publishing, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1930724039

Book Description

This is Marisaâ€™s true story, told by her mother Helen. Marisa was blind, and in order to help with her college expenses, she shared her apartment with the mysterious Raechel. Marisa became concerned when it appeared that Raechel had no past. Marisa had to confront her fears and face the consequences alone. In doing so she was exposed to an alien world existing behind the looking glass. This fantastic story, even its startling conclusion, reads like science fiction, but itâ€™s true. It answers the two important questions of why aliens have not landed on the White House lawn and why they havenâ€™t taken over the Earth.

Customer Reviews:

A Courageous Disclosure.......2005-01-22

Read this book for its content not its literary merit. It is what it purports to be - a personal account of an extraordinary experience and encounter with a person who did not originate on this planet. This is not a 'jump on the sensation bandwagon' book but a personal truth bravely told for the sake of Truth itself, much of which is suppressed by those who feel they can appropriate rights of power over the rest of us. If you think that reality is as you have been taught and is only what you can see and touch, then buy this 'easy read' and be prepared to change your mind. Book 2 explains a lot more.

Significant Ground-Breaking Work.......2004-12-08

This book will blow your socks off. It is the true story of the author's now deceased blind daughter Merisa, whose college roommate Raechel was apparently an alien-human hybrid under government protection as part of a Humanization Project. This is the first book that deals so directly with the issue of whether aliens are cross-breeding with humans. It seems that they are. Not to be missed!

Dragon's Blood: The Pit Dragon Chronicles, Volume One (Pit Dragon Chronicles)

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Dragon's Blood ... A Must Read!
Dragon's Blood
Thy Beauty
Dragon's Blood
Avoid. Avoid. AVOID!

Dragon's Blood: The Pit Dragon Chronicles, Volume One (Pit Dragon Chronicles)
Jane Yolen
Manufacturer: Magic Carpet Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0152051260

Book Description

Dragons are trained to fight to the death, and two determined teens help free them in this spellbinding saga.

Training a dragon to be a fighting champion is the only way to freedom for fifteen-year-old Jakkin.

Customer Reviews:

Dragon's Blood ... A Must Read!.......2007-03-26

"I will fill my own bag" was a quote made several times by the main character, Jakkin Stewart. His "bag" was a pouch he kept hanging around his neck (like all the slaves) and it contained gold coins. Fifteen-year old Jakkin Stewart is a bond servant in Master Sarkkhan's dragon barns. Jakkin decided his only hope to earn his freedom is to steal a dragon to secretly train as a fighter. In the end--Jakkin did earn his freedom.

The author,Jane Yolen, was born in New York City on February 11, 1939 and raised in California, New York, and Connecticut. Her father was a teacher in history. She received her bachelor's degree from Smith College in 1960 and a master's degree in education from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 1976. She has three children: Heidi Stemple, Adam Stemple, and Jason Stemple she also has several grandchildren. She was married to a computer scientist David Stemple from 1962 until his death from cancer on March 22, 2006.

The emotional impact the book had on me was it kept me in suspense throughout each chapter. If you enjoy stories about dragon adventures, this is a must read for you. It was full of action and suspense.

Dragon's Blood.......2007-01-22

Jakkin is a fifteen year old bonder (essentially a slave) whose father was a dragon trainer who was killed by a savage dragon in the wilderness when he was only a child. Jakkin's only hope for freedom is raising a prize dragon and gathering enough money to buy his independence. After a recent hatching, Jakkin steals an uncounted dragon from her mother and takes her to the desert and trains her into a pit fighter from a small oasis in the hills.
This book is extremely well written. It has intense description throughout the entire book. Yolen shows great imagination in every sentence and she used the dragons to a great extent to increase the entertainment taken from the book.
In her description of the planet Austar IV, Yolen left nothing out. How she explained the history of the place was superb.When Jakkin first took the dragon after hatching, she described how he snuck her out into the hills with great detail, down to the removal of his footprints from the shifting sands. Her description of characters is just as vivid, she describes Likkarn down to his blister weed stained eyes.
When you read Dragon's Blood, you can tell how imaginative Yolen truly is. How she had told how humans first came to inhabit the planet was obviously only her own. Her development of characters was great, even her dialogue was deep.
When Yolen chose to write a book revolving around dragons, she made a good choice. She has obviously done her research on the subject. She uses every bit of her knowledge to create a lifelike environment (or, at least as lifelike as dragons can be). The entire pit fighting dragons create an atmosphere that brings the book together, but it also throws you off for the next books.
This is an overall great book, and although this book was written for children, I think it is more suited for adult or young agult readers. Yolen's writing style is great, and I think almost anyone would enjoy her and her writing.

Thy Beauty .......2006-12-15

Dragon's Blood is written by Jane Yolen. The book takes place in the future on a planet called Austar IV. Jakkin, the main character, is a bonder which is basically a slave who tries to fill his bag with gold and become a master by filling their bag. Jakkin has friends and is well supplied with food and a bed. But that's not all that Jakkin wants. His dream is to have his own dragon. He knows the dragons that he takes care of by heart but those dragons are not his. Then one day he steals a hurt Hatchling and tries to train it. Life goes on and Jakkin's dragon gets older and bigger and is almost ready for the pits, a place where dragons play a fighting game. But what Jakkin was most worried about was keeping his dragon out of sight. Can Jakkin keep his dragon out of sight or will somebody find his dragon and do something bad to it?
I think Jane Yolen wrote this book because she wanted to tell everybody that big secrets are sometimes hard to keep away from people and sometimes you just have to give them away so you can live with out being worried all the time.

I think this book is filled with friends, enemies and secrets. It is one of the most suspenseful books I've ever read. If you like dragons and secrets [that are extremely big] this is the book for you!

Dragon's Blood.......2006-07-25

Jakkin is really into dragon's so he decides to steal one for himself. He realizes that raising a dragon is a lot harder than he thought. But he sticks to it and his dragon becomes great, to him anyways. He takes him to the pits where he meets the last person he wanted to meet at the time. Jane Yolen's Dragon's Blood would be great for teenager readers of either gender that are interested in fantasy books. I read this book because I thought the cover looked interesting. I know you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but I'm glad I did with this one!

Jakkin is a slave boy that works on a dragon farm. He loves dragons and wants one of his own. He decides to steal one from his master, Master Sarkkhan. He takes the hatchling into the desert to an oasis. Every night, before Dark After, he goes to the oasis and feeds his little hatchling. As the dragon grows, Jakkin starts to teach him about being a fighter. His friend, Akki, is the only one that knows about his dragon. She brings him books about training dragons and Jakkin teachs what he learns from them to his dragon. Akki helps him more and more and the other boys start teasing him about her. The dragon is soon bigger than Jakkin himself. The dragon is starting to become the rich red color that only the greatest fighters have and the color that Jakkin had been hoping it would be. A year goes by and the dragon is now bigger than the other dragons its age. Jakkin really want shis dragon to go to the pits and Akki surprises him with a registration form. Akki gets one of her friends to take Jakkin and his dragon to the pits.

Jakkin is just like any other of the bonder boys on the outside, but on the inside he is so much different. He actually loves the dragons and cares for them not just because he as to, but because he likes to. He is shy towards the girls, but acts normal around everyone else.

The setting is on the planet of Austar IV. Master Sarkkhan's farm is in the middle of the desert. The way they dress makes me think of Africa. It is mostly desert around them, but there are some mountains in the distance. There are some trees, which is unusual for the desert.

The theme of the story was that the dragons were in the center of everything. When Blood Brother was killed by Likkarn, everyone was sad and Master Sarkkhan was mad at Likkarn because he could have just stunned the best cock dragon he owned instead of killing him. Through out the whole book, Jakkin goes out every chance he can to visit his dragon and his life revolves around the dragon. Jakkin grew up with the dragons. His father used to train dragons, but was killed when he was trying to train a feral, wild, dragon. Then Jakkin went into slavery at Master Sarkkhan's farm and has worked with dragons ever since.

The story is told by a narrator, but is focused mainly on Jakkin's life. It is an adventure and fantasy story. Jane Yolen uses lots of description in this book. Every little thing is described in great detail. There is lots of dialogue in this book, but what the characters talk about is always interesting. The setting to this story is very important. If there as in oasis in the desert that no one knew about, then Jakkin wouldn't have had a place to raise his dragon.

I don't think Dragon's Blood had any weakness really. I would have liked Akki to stay with Jakkin, but when she went away, it made the story more interesting. Other than that, I think the book was fine the way it was.

I enjoy the book very much. It was very interesting. Jakkin was a great main character and really feel like I got to know him. I would certainly recommend this book. I can't wait to read the rest of the books in the Pit Dragon Chronicles!

Avoid. Avoid. AVOID!.......2006-06-09

I think Jane Yolen made a serious misstep in writing this book. She aimed it for kids, but the world she created would have been perfectly suited for something more adult.

Austar IV is an ugly place filled with criminals set on doing ugly things to themselves and the dragons that they fight in arenas. Most of the descriptions the author paints for us makes you want to wince. Weeds that smoke and burn, hot desert with freezing nights cold enough to kill, dragon scales and tongues that cut and scrape, blood that eats though human flesh like acid.

The character names are annoying to say the least. Jakkin and Akki and any number others characters with multiple K's in their name. It isn't explained until near the end the reason why this is the case, and by the time it came down to it, I had a headache.

Again, I think this would have been a lot better as an adult book because then the author could have elaborated on her dusty dirty world and the sad people that inhabit it. Instead we are given half references to prostitutes and drug addiction that could have been put into a decent plot, but was just left hanging there.

The ending was pretty bad as well. The man Jakkin looks up too pretty much ties up all of the loose ends in the plot with a grandiose explanation. He reminded me of a James Bond villain, explaining his motives right at the end so that the viewer doesn't miss anything. Basically, the end was for a kid's book while the entire plot up until that point was good for adults.

This book was a disappointment after seeing so many good reviews.

The Backroad Chronicles: Adventure & History in British Columbia Volume One

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The Backroad Chronicles: Adventure & History in British Columbia Volume One
Riel Marquardt
Manufacturer: Trafford Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Canada | Travel | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1412059038

Book Description

The Backroad Chronicles are a selection of adventures from the author's personal trip log as he, his partner Karen, and canine companion Keera, explore some of the most remote and rugged backroads in all of British Columbia. Join Riel as he pilots their trusty four-wheel drive over trails ranging from modern gravel logging roads to traversing century-old mountain passes with the aid of chainsaws, winches and a measure of good luck.

Along the journeys meet the wildlife: the mating eagle pair, the mighty grizzly, the mysterious Great Gray and many more.

Relax in wilderness hot springs and visit the fading relics of rustic settlements and visit ghost towns where people still live. Travel on the first road built into the interior of BC, over a century and a half old now, hidden and long forgotten.

Learn of the pioneers of yesteryear that built this province and meet the pioneers of today, often living far from modern amenities.

The Backroad Chronicles are about nature's quiet places, deep alpine lakes and secluded waterfalls, geological marvels and thousand year old giant cedars. Pay your respects at the remote mountain top plane wreck and learn of the sacred lake nearby.

Included are backroad travel safety tips, sketch maps and a glossary for off-road and historical terms. The Backroad Chronicles will appeal to the outdoors lover, history buff and off-road enthusiast. Come share in the world beyond British Columbia's blacktop highways and experience the road less traveled.

Adventures: The Chronicles of Lucifer Jones Volume One - 1922-1926 (The Chronicles of Lucifer Jones, One)

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Adventures: The Chronicles of Lucifer Jones Volume One - 1922-1926 (The Chronicles of Lucifer Jones, One)
Mike Resnick
Manufacturer: The Wildside Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000P0ZZSC

Product Description

This book has been published in a special limited hardcover edition of 300 numbered and 26 lettered copies all signed by the author.

Araminta Station - Volume One of the Cadwal Chronicles

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Araminta Station - Volume One of the Cadwal Chronicles
Jack Vance
Manufacturer: Tom Doherty Associates
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HKHP6A

The Ascending Man Chronicles: Volume One

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The Ascending Man Chronicles: Volume One
Frank Stone
Manufacturer: Trafford Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

All Amazon Upgrade | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

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ASIN: 1412057876
Release Date: 2006-07-06

Product Description

While on a top-secret mission to a distant world, corporate troubleshooter Bart Resdon must face the possibility that his charmed existence may not be what he believes it is.

The Asimov Chronicles: Fifty Years of Isaac Asimov (Volume One)

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The Asimov Chronicles: Fifty Years of Isaac Asimov (Volume One)
Isaac Asimov
Manufacturer: Ace Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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

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