History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

The Eternal Flame (The Great Tree of Avalon, Book 3)

Average customer rating:

THE ETERNAL FLAME (THE GREAT TREE OF AVALON, BOOK 3)
A Great Ending, to A Great Trilogy
Spellbinding adventure
Grand, but not a finale, I hope
Phenomenal Fantasy Adventure!

The Eternal Flame (The Great Tree of Avalon, Book 3)
T. A. Barron
Manufacturer: Philomel
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0399242139

Book Description

Avalon, the great tree world connecting the earth and the heavens, is about to be destroyed. The warlord Rhita Gawr is bent on conquest—and using an army of deathless warriors, a corrupted crystal, and a plague of arrogance and greed to succeed.

Three unlikely heroes are Avalon's only hope. Tamwyn, the wilderness guide, must travel the secret pathway to the stars. Elli, the brave young priestess, must defeat a terrible sorcerer in a realm of utter darkness. And Scree, the eagleman, must lead his winged people to do what seems impossible . . .

This spectacular final volume of T. A. Barron's bestselling trilogy combines gripping adventure with profound ideas about the powerful connections between humanity and the world.

Customer Reviews:

THE ETERNAL FLAME (THE GREAT TREE OF AVALON, BOOK 3).......2007-02-12

This is the last in a trilogy about the saving of Avalon by three of its long time defenders. Tamwyn, grandson of Merlin, must travel by a secret route to the very stars to save the true source of magic. Scree, the eagleman must lead his people to fight in the war of to save Avalon. Lastly, Elli, a brave young priestess must conquer an evil sorcerer in a realm of complete darkness, Shadowroot. Together they must overcome all the odds in order to save Avalon, especially at the final battle in Mudroot.

The story keeps you turning page after page with anticipation to discover just what will happen next to each character. Their adventures are spellbinding, gripping, and exciting and filled with vibrant descriptions of the characters, scenery and emotions. To truly appreciate the third book in this trilogy reading the first two, CHILD OF THE DARK PROPHECY (The Great Tree of Avalon, Book 1) SHADOWS ON THE STARS (The Great Tree of Avalon, Book 2) will provide a greater insight overall. Also reading T. A. Barron's MERLIN SERIES will enrich your total reading experience.

After this novel, I sincerely hope that T. A. Barron expands and writes an Arthurian series about Merlin and the rest of the earthbound characters from these novels. I'm sure this author could lend some new twists and turns to an old tradtional favorite!

A Great Ending, to A Great Trilogy.......2006-12-05

Some book series end with a disappointment, or cliffhanger. Some books end with a poorly written ending, or one that does not make sense. That, however, is not the case with this book. The Great Tree of Avalon: The Eternal Flame is a great ending to a great series. The book is the final installment of the trilogy, and follows the story of the three separate paths that each character takes in the book. It follows the original path of Tamwyn as he makes his way up to the upper branches, and stars beyond of the Great Tree. As well as following the story of Tamwyn, this book also follows the stories of Eli as she makes her way into the darkest reaches of Shadowroot, to destroy the crystal of Vagelano. On top of those two stories, this book also follows a third. The journey of Scree as he makes his way back to his native land, to band together his kinsmen for the fight for Avalon.

This book is the best in the trilogy in my opinion. It excellently wraps together all of the main storylines, as well as a few other minor storylines that are less important. There are no plot holes, as far as I can tell, and everything is perfectly wrapped together. This final chapter of the trilogy also has many more twists and turns, and unexpected surprises than the other two. Along with being a very complete novel, this book is also very well written. There are no unimportant characters. Every character in the entire book has a significant part to play. Each character also has their own personality, which other authors often fail to do. This book is also very imaginative. The names of the made-up lands, are very believable and well thought up. The entire book is extremely descriptive, and as a whole, paints a very good picture of the land of Avalon. There is not a single vague scenario in the entire book.

This is a hard book to just pick up and start reading. The reason for that is that this is the last book in a trilogy, which is a spin off of a previous five book series. It would be very advisable to read the initial Lost Years of Merlin series, before reading this trilogy. Although it is possible to pick up in the middle, it is hard, and you will more than likely find yourself lost. This book is also listed as a children's book, but it is by no means. Although this book is described to be for a younger audience, there is nothing childish about it. This book contains everything a good epic/ fantasy story should have. It has a good plot, descriptive battle scenes, a very good description of the land, and older characters. This isn't just another story of kids going off to save the world. There is much more detail to this, and for that reason, it is really readable by anyone.

Spellbinding adventure.......2006-11-29

Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for Reader Views (11/06)

Fans of the Trilogy "The Great Tree of Avalon" have been eagerly awaiting the final installment. They need wait no longer for only their imaginations could have prepared them for the newest adventure in "The Eternal Flame." Now that the conquest of Avalon "the world between all worlds" is at hand, the next step is to conquer Earth.

Eli and Nuic know the crystal must be destroyed. They head to the Lost City on their mission. Elves, humans, eaglefolk, and tree spirits must form an alliance to do battle against Rhita Gawr and his ogres, trolls, and immortal dragons. This is a battle between good and evil; it's gory, brutal, and fierce.

This book has it all -- action, adventure, and humor. Reading this book becomes an adventure in itself. You almost feel as though you are there in the midst of the action. The characters jump off the page and lead you through the battle to save earth. The cover is perfect for this book. It hints at dark secrets inside. The print is a nice size. This book is well written; however it was a little difficult to read without having read the first two books, which I intend to do. I foresee a revisit to Avalon in the future. I recommend "The Eternal Flame" to those that enjoy fantasy and science fiction.

Grand, but not a finale, I hope.......2006-10-26

T.A. Barron left readers with a bundle of unanswered questions at the end of book two in the Great Tree series. In the final installment He answers many of them, provides a terrific finale and leaves the door open a crack for further visits to Avalon. There are an immense and wonderful number of actions that flesh out the events in this final book. As you read, expect to be totally immersed in the action. Plan to be deeply saddened as one character dies and discomfited as another doesn't. Expect to be very surprised as Batty Lad and Hennie the Hoolah reappear and one of them turns out to be much more than they appear. Most of all, expect to enjoy a wonderful and extremely well written conclusion to the trilogy.

Phenomenal Fantasy Adventure!.......2006-10-21

Right up there with the very best of J.R.R. Tolkien, this book (and this trilogy) has everything any fantasy reader could want. I gulped this book down instantly, and now I've started a second read. There's just so much adventure, humor, and rich meaning in this book! This is T.A. Barron's best ever -- and I can't wait to see what he comes up with next. (My vote is a return to Avalon!)

Forge of the Mind Slayers: The Blade of the Flame, Book 2 (The Blade of the Flame)

Average customer rating:

great but not a great as the first
Good Characters, shaky foundation
A bit of a let down from book 1

Forge of the Mind Slayers: The Blade of the Flame, Book 2 (The Blade of the Flame)
Tim Waggoner
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0786943130
Release Date: 2007-03-13

Book Description

Living in the war-ravaged realm of Eberron, assassin-turned-priest Diran Bastiaan and his half-orc sidekick, Ghaji, make an unlikely pair. One looks like the stuff of nightmares, while the other is "a conduit through which the holy force of Good could work its will in the physical world." Together, they have traveled throughout the archipelagic Lhazaar Principalities sharing numerous wild adventures, but none were as dangerous as the one they currently face. When a gang of bloodthirsty pirates kidnaps Diran's former lover (a beautiful ex-mercenary killer named Makala), the priest of the Silver Flame and his half-breed wingman vow to get her -- and countless other abductees -- back no matter what the cost. But the seafaring raiders are no ordinary criminals; they're led by the infamous vampire Onkar, who in turn serves a being unfathomably more evil than himself….

Customer Reviews:

great but not a great as the first.......2007-06-30

there were some things that didnt need to be in there that just took up room to make the book over 300 pages but all of it was good

Good Characters, shaky foundation.......2007-04-14

Forge of the Mindlsayers by Tim Wagonner is the second of the Blade of the Flame series set in the world of Eberron. This installment picks up with the ex Assassin turned Priest of the Silver Flame Diran Bastiaan, and his half Orc companion Ghaji after they have defeated the ignominious Vampire Onkar (covered in the first book Thieves of blood). The pair are also joined by new companions Hinto, the halfling and Tresslar the aged Artificer.

The story begins with the group following Diran's calling to wipe out evil wherever they may find it. However, it is not long before they stir up the malicious interest of an ancient evil Lich. Diran and Ghaji also find themselves reacquainted with some old adversaries with whom they have some unfinished business.

The writing in this story is fairy tight. Events and places are fairly well articulated (although if I read the word "lupine" one more time I would have screamed) and his characters are fairly well fleshed out. Some may feel that the story wandered as in this series, unlike most Eberron trilogies, each story somewhat stands on its own. Second novels tend to be mere placeholders, and I found it refreshing that this novel was mostly a story unto itself.

This book also spent a fair amount of time filling in backstory on Diran and Ghaji. These stories not only embellished their characters a bit, but were also directly relevant to the ongoing story. This served character development well for Ghaji and Diran but at the expense of the additional companions (Hinto, tresslar), who remained fairly one dimensional.

The novel is paced well and the multiple antogonists was a nice touch. I also liked the inclusion of Diran's lover turned Vampire, Makala, as an interesting twist that certainly adds more to the story arc present and future. I wasn't too enthusiastic about the actual premise of the story, with the Kalashtar and the Forge. The Kalashtar character's motivations for an alliance didn't ring very true to me, and neither did the alliance of the three itself. On a side note, I am also getting a little weary of the Kalashtar, which are seemingly thrown into every eberron storyline at this point.

This was a decent novel, with its greatest strength being that it does stand alone, although there are certainly some things left for the last novel. I would have liked to see more character development for the other companions, though Diran and Ghaji are well defined, and they are worthwhile characters to follow in future novels. While the multiple plotlines were nice, they were not as ultimately compelling as they should have been.

A bit of a let down from book 1.......2007-04-02

Forge of the Mindslayers by Tim Waggoner is the second novel in the Blade of the Flame trilogy. The first book is Thieves of Blood and the third will be titled Sea of Death and is scheduled to be released in February, 2008. Fans of the characters in this book should read the short story by Mr. Waggoner in the anthology called Tales of the Last War. The short story is called The Blade of the Flame and adds more depth to some of the characters.

The plot of this novel picks up where the first novel ended. The main plot of this book is rather linear. The main plot is about the Psi Forge that is discovered and how Diran, Ghaji and Company seek to stop it from coming to life. There are also a couple sub-plots in this book as well - but they are really only hinted at so they lose any significance that they may have. It's quite obvious that Mr. Waggoner is trying to set up events and plot points for the third and final book.

The characters in this book seem to be missing something. In the first book, and the short story for that matter, the characters were fantastically written and interesting adding great depth to the story. However, in this book I didn't care about them nearly as much as I did the first go around. Most of the characters seemed `flat' and just there. Some of the dialog seemed forced and unlike what the characters were like in the prior book. In this first book the characters had a few clichés, but largely Mr. Waggoner steered clear of anything major. Yet, in this one there was one cliché after another in terms of how the characters acted and what they said. There is some character development in this book, but it seems that most of the development is by secondary characters and not Diran and Ghaji.

I have two criticisms about this book. First, it almost seemed to me that Mr. Waggoner didn't have enough story to fill a book so he threw in chapters and chapters of back story on Diran and Ghaji. While a little back story is good, and expected. The adage of too much of a good thing applies here. It simply made me stop caring about the characters. Where Ghaji was an enigma in the first book - now there is almost no questions about him, thus destroying that mystery and uniqueness.

Secondly, I would have liked to know more about the sub-plots that were hinted at in this book. I fully understand hinting at story points, but there needs to be some sort of reveal later in the story too. It seemed as though the sub-plots were building up to something, only to find out at the end that we won't know until the next book. Cliffhangers are certainly a good thing, and an industry standard, but some moderation and explanation still is needed.

Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy this book. Yet, after finishing it I didn't feel the same as I did with the first book. It seemed I read a short story in the time it takes to read a novel. There is a solid story here, and one fans of Eberron should read. But, don't expect this to be as good as the first book. Hopefully, book three will finish this trilogy with a bang. All in all, it's a decent book and this is still a trilogy I would recommend.

The Phoenix Unchained: Book One of The Enduring Flame

Average customer rating:

fantastic spellbinding epic fantasy

The Phoenix Unchained: Book One of The Enduring Flame
Mercedes Lackey , and James Mallory
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0765315939
Release Date: 2007-10-16

Book Description

New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory first teamed up to write The Obsidian Trilogy, set in a wondrous world filled with magical beings, competing magic systems, and a titanic struggle between good and evil. That world proved so popular with the creators and readers alike that Lackey and Mallory have returned to it with The Phoenix Unchained, Book One of The Enduring Flame, the opening volume of a new epic fantasy trilogy.After a thousand years of peace, much Magick has faded from the world. The Elves live far from humankind. There are no High Mages, and Wild Mages are seen only rarely. Bisochim, a powerful Wild Mage, is determined to reintroduce Darkness to the world, believing that it is out of Balance. Tiercel, a young Armethalian nobleman, is convinced that High Magic is not just philosophy. He attempts a spell-and draws the unwelcome attention of Bisochim. Tiercel survives Bisochim's attack and begins trying to turn himself into a High Mage. Next in line to be Harbormaster of Armethalieh, Harrier instead finds himself regularly saving Tyr's life and meeting magickal people and creatures. To Harrier's dismay, it seems that he must become a hero. In The Phoenix Unchained, Harrier and Tiercel begin a marvelous journey to uncover their destinies. Along the way, they meet a charming female centaur, several snooty Elves, and the most powerful dragon their world has ever known.

Customer Reviews:

fantastic spellbinding epic fantasy.......2007-10-17

When the Flowering War ended, the Darkness was defeated and the land has known a millennium of peace. The elves and the rest of the other folk isolated themselves in the Northern lands. The humans multiplied along with the brownie, fauns, and centaurs, who stayed with them. Tiercel Rolfort reads a book of magic and suddenly can light fires using High Magic that he can learn unlike Wild Magic which people are blessed with instinctively knowing how to use.

There is nobody to teach Tiercel magic as Wild Magic is found only in times of need. Tiercel needs a wild mage because he is kept up nights dreaming about a demonic woman, fire and another entity. They are something evil and Tiercel finally realizes that he is seeing the future and he must journey to where this woman is. First though, he and his friend Harrier journey to find a Wild Mage hoping that one knows how to stop the visions from returning. The journey takes them into the land of the elves where both learn what fate has in store for them.

Set in the same world as the Obsidian trilogy, THE PHOENIX UNCHAINED is book one of the Enduring Flame saga and is a fantastic spellbinding epic fantasy. The heroes Tiercel and Harrier need each other as close friends will during a crisis; the latter especially watches out for the former who gets them in trouble. Their repartee and quips add a touch of humor to a very enchanting quest tale.

Harriet Klausner

Average customer rating:

Epic Quest Set in the Roman Empire
cover-to-cover
Nice book... nice reading
A rollicking rip-snorting yarn! A terrific read!
I learned a lot from this book.

Soul Flame
Barbara Wood
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0394555716
Release Date: 1987-01-12

Customer Reviews:

Epic Quest Set in the Roman Empire.......2004-05-14

The 400+ page saga of Barbara Wood's heroine, Selene, begins with a mysterious birth in the ancient city of Antioch durng the time of the first Caesars of the Roman Empire. Two fugitives, a well-to-do Roman and his in-labor wife, appear on the doorstep of the healing woman, Mera who performs a hasty midwifery minutes before Roman soldiers appear, kill the new father and haul away his wife and baby son. Unbeknownst to them, Mera, hidden in a grain container, has saved the baby daughter and at the bequest of the dying Roman, rears the child, Selene, as her own, teaching her the art of healing while keeping the Roman's ring and the key to Selene's true heritage secreted within an alabaster rose pendant.

As Selene grows into a lovely young woman, Mera's training brings to fruition a competent compassionate healer with a special gift for the medical arts and a curiosity to discover and gather the medical lores and practices of many cultures both familiar and foreign. Her natural inquisitiveness is piqued during a freak accident in the Antioch streets: a donkey driver, hit by the legs of a kicking animal, lies with a head wound in the street. When Selene compels a Greek doctor, Andreas, to treat the wound, she falls helplessly in love with him and together they decide to pool their learning and dedicate their lives to promoting the ancient art of healing while simultaneously alieviating the suffering of the sick. But as such stories usually go, fate intervenes and Selene and Andreas are separated by misunderstanding fueled by outside factors. And as Selene attempts to be reunited with her beloved and find out the secret of her ancestry, she undergoes trials and tribulations that promote her understanding of herself and the human condition.

As with many of her other novels, Barbara Wood uses her own medical knowledge to augment an already interesting story of a young girls advent into womanhood and her quest for self identity. An ample sprinkling of word derivations, herb lore and little known facts about the Roman Empire and its customs which have have germinated into today's traditions, keeps the reader turning the pages intent on discovery Selene's next path and garnering enough information about the ancient world to win the next Trivial Pursuit match.

Many of the turns the novel takes regarding Selene's medical development are predictable. Selene's singlemindedness does not endow her character with much motivation other than to create a clean hospital environment for her future patients. In fact, much of the character motivation is merely brushed upon, relying on a few paragraphs of information to provide emotional background for characters about which I would have prefered drawing conclusions based on actions rather than narration.

The quest for Selene's parentage however is not only predictable---not in terms of whom her parents turn out to be---but in the convenient way the author presents the denouement to this aspect of the novel and Selene's rather immature reaction. Even Selene, as dedicated to her vocation as she was, could not have been this naive as a grown woman. More disappointing was Selene's "reunion" with her twin brother--a rushed scene that sadly takes place within the last 20 pages of a novel that could have afforded at least 100 pages on this very important secondary plot idea. Most horrendous was the incompete tale of Selene's daughter, who leaves Rome to find her own heritage and to whose end, the reader is left without a clue.

The pace of the story hurtles like a snowball gathering momentum downhill. At first, it is just right, but as the novel nears its end, the revelations and happenstances fly by like scenery observed from the window of a high-speed train.

That being said, I still award the story 4 stars for its immense ability to entertain on a very readable level. The reader is never bogged down with excrutiating detail, however I will admit to skipping passages of the character's self-musing simply because I had already gotten the point and didn't need to read every nuance of Selene's painstaking thought development. Recommended to anyone who wants to be entertained by a master storyteller.

cover-to-cover.......2003-04-18

I have fallen away from reading over the past several years, and I picked up a copy of this book in a bin at the supermarket... and sitting down to read it had no idea what to expect. I read the entire book in one sitting, cover to cover in one evening... because I couldn't stand to put it down. It was fantastic... a perfect combination of storytelling and education...

Nice book... nice reading.......2003-01-03

As almost all of her books, Barbara takes you to the past and makes you to live there, this is a good book but it has some things that I think are not true, for example it says that Cleopatra was white as milk and in every book of Cleopatra that I have read says that Cleopatra was almost brown, and some other things that in some books are different.
The 2 love stories of Selene are different and I don't know if it could be as easy to forget as Andreas did, but is a book and you read to have fun.

You will be inside the story all the time and you will love Selene for what she does for the people.

A rollicking rip-snorting yarn! A terrific read!.......2002-02-15

There is never a dull moment in "Soul Flame," the story of Selene, adopted daughter of a healer woman who herself becomes a healer and dedicates herself to furthering the healing arts. Selene is also dedicated to unravelling the mystery of her true identity and discovering her destiny. At sixteen, she falls in love with the handsome Greek physician Andreas but... well that would be telling. This book ranges across many of the key locations of early civilization, and Ms. Wood's prodigious research serves the reader well. In addition to lore on early medicine and herbal cures we are treated to glimpses of exotic early cultures. Leanly written, densely plotted and full of fascinating characters, "Soul Flame" never disappoints. If you are like me, you will be hungering for a sequel when you reach the last page. Let's get this book back into print, and -- Ms. Wood, are you listening? -- let's get started on the sequel. A terrific read!

I learned a lot from this book........2001-05-13

I never thought I would enjoy learning so much about herbal medicine. I never knew the Egyptians were the first to have a surgery for cataracts and diabetes or that Hecates Cure, used in small doses in tea, was used in the reduction of fever. I never knew that the upper classes had lead poisoning from the pipes where they got their water, which made it difficult to bear children. I liked the historical tie linking Selene and her brother Pindar to the Emperor Claudius and his family through Caesar and Cleopatra's son Cesarion, her father. Being a healer woman made it easier for her in captivity. It surprised me that the Grand Vizier let Selene and Wulf escape when he had planned to make her his wife. The scene where Selene and Wulf had made love was tastefully done too. I would definitely read this book again. Ms Wood really knows her stuff.

Average customer rating:

I tried to like it
Great Fantasy Reading!
Fourth Book, a bit weaker than the previous
A solid take on fantasy with a twist
From Fire to Embers

Child of Flame (Crown of Stars, Book 4)
Kate Elliott
Manufacturer: DAW
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0756400147
Release Date: 2001-11-07

Book Description

The fourth volume in Kate Elliott's Crown of Stars series, Child of Flame takes us far beyond the borders of Wendar and Varre...as Alain is drawn into the heart of an ancient conflict between humankind and their dread enemy, the Cursed Ones; Liath faces her most difficult trial in a land of exile; and Sanglant struggles to warn Henry about a dark conspiracy of sorcerers.

"High fantasy...entirely captivating."(Publishers Weekly, starred review)

Customer Reviews:

I tried to like it.......2007-05-05

There is nothing worse than starting a series only to find halfway through it that you do not like it. It is even worse when you loved the first few books. I always find myself hoping that either the author had a temporary setback or that I am wrong in thinking the series is not living up to its promise. So, one can do one of two things: 1) give it up as a loss and try to purge the existence of the series from your mind (nothing worse than not knowing the conclusion!) or 2) grit your teeth and buy the next book. Sometimes my optimism rewards me with a satisfying conclusion to a series while other times, I kick myself for not listening to my misgivings. From my rating, you can conclude I am kicking myself.
Why didn't I like it? The author started giving more of a dissertation on the whole religion system (which I only tolerated in the first place) and class system rather than moving the plot along. Oh, people are doing things... but mostly the doing involves thinking inanities or speaking banalities. Also, the author focuses a lot on what appeared to be secondary characters in the first few books, but who are given more importance at this juncture (inducing a lot of head-scratching by this reader). Of course, there may be some future reason for their development but I was so bored reading those sections because the characters were barely interesting. I think it's time for me to give this series up as a loss.

Great Fantasy Reading!.......2006-11-02

Elliott is a great storyteller. She shows the heart-wrenching tale as seen through the eyes of many types of characters, from peasants to kings to elves.

Fourth Book, a bit weaker than the previous.......2006-08-01

Lost and alone in an unknown country, Alain struggles to survive as he is unwittingly drawn into an ancient conflict between humankind and their old enemy, the Cursed Ones. Separated from her husband and child, Liath must undergo her greatest test in a land of exile. Only here can she hope to discover the truth of her parentage and learn the extent of her remarkable powers. Mourning the loss of his wife, the [...] prince Sanglant seeks his father, King Henry, to warm him about the conspiracy of powerful sorcerers who wish to destroy the Aoi, the Lost Ones, once and for all - no matter how much destruction their magic will unleash. But King Henry's gaze is fixed on the throne of Aosta and the imperial crown left vacant for two generations. As a Quman army, sweeping in from the eastern steppes, ravages the Wendish countryside, Henry marches south, ignoring the pleas of his beleaguered subjects. The great cataclysm, foretold in the stars, is approaching.

It has been quite a while since I read a series and thought "damn, it's over!" at the end. The author has built a vast number of interesting characters but, despite the number, one is able to know and relate to each. Each of the characters has their own remarkable flaws and imperfections, and you actaully have opportunities to sympathize with each throughout the series (even the remarkably "evil" ones you think you would never agree with). Unlike the Robert Jordan WoT series which seems to go on and on and on without resolution, Elliot has squeezed a sweeping epic into a (mere) 7 books, and I found myself disappointed when I finished the last of the third book. Fortunately, there are enough open issues, unanswered questions and unresolved conflicts in the end that Elliot could forseeably write another series to "fill in the blanks". I, for one, sincerely hope to see more from this author in the very near future.

A solid take on fantasy with a twist.......2004-06-18

Kate Elliot's ability to intertwine several story lines makes this a good read. As with the other books in this series, she follows several interweaving story lines in different times to present a believable world. The only problems I have with this book are
1) One of the main characters in the book keeps doing stupid things. Certainly heroes (or heroines in this case) can be humanized, but I still prefer that they be intelligent, especially in classic fantasy. The choice between power and family is a great theme, however.
2) She stresses the lack of sophistication of medieval society. This is a somewhat biased vie. There where certainly uneducated folks, but at the same time it was not hard for many kings to field armies in the thousands.

Certainly a good read, I liked it a lot more then the Jaran series.

From Fire to Embers.......2003-09-30

I ordered this book when it first came out, then sat it on the shelf for three years while I delved into other books in my to-be-read pile. So when I did finally haul this down and began reading, I found I had great difficulty remembering all that had gone before in the prior three volumes. Elliott does not help very much in this regard, as the opening section of the book begins with a totally new situation in a much earlier time-frame (about 13,000 years earlier), and takes one of the major characters of the first three books and transports him into this era. When she does return to the time and place of King Henry and Wendar, she still does not provide any summary of earlier actions but picks up the action from where she left off in The Burning Stone. So for a quite some time, I found myself very confused and lost.

But as I read a little further, I found my memory of her characters, Sanglant, Liath, Hanna, Anne, Hugh, Stronghand, Alain and several others, coming back to me, which says quite a bit about these character's vividness and uniqueness. It is in fact just such strong characterization that is Elliot's strong suit in this saga, which she continues to display with the new character of Adica, vibrant and personable, in this volume, along with continued development of all her former people.

What is not so good is the seemingly interminable plot line of the war for succession of the Wendar realm, with King Henry out to solidify his claim to the title of Emperor, Sanglant off fighting the latest invaders of the realm, and Hugh and Anne busily scheming to prevent any possible reconciliation with the Aoi. Liath is off on her own personal journey of self-discovery, with very little interaction with the other plot threads, though there are some revelations about her history near the end that promise some fireworks in later books of this set. It seems to take forever for Elliott to present the origins of the war between the Aoi and humans and how the current situation developed, although these points once presented finally start to give her world a logical, consistent framework. At the same time, some of the mystery and magic of these works is lost with this explanation. The story arc with Adica and Alain is the best thread in this work, fresh, original, and with its details of daily living and technological level well thought out, but once again I felt this story was stretched out too long, with too many incidents that have little relevance to main story.

Also missing is the cross-cultural viewpoints on religion and the reasons for living that added so much depth to the earlier works, these items seeming to now be taken for granted and with nothing new added by this volume.

At over 900 pages, and with so little real action, this book was in obvious need of some severe pruning. As it is, it is an overlong bridge book in which the fire and excitement of the first three has died down to embers, which hopefully can be re-ignited in the next book.

--- Reviewed by Patrick Shepherd (hyperpat)

Average customer rating:

Forgotten hero from religious history

Beautifully concise and fascinating

A remarkable history lesson of the distant past

Medicine and religion

Please Read This Book To Know What Could Happen Again

Out of the Flames: The Remarkable Story of a Fearless Scholar, a Fatal Heresy, and One of the Rarest Books in the World
Lawrence Goldstone , and Nancy Goldstone
Manufacturer: Broadway
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Friar and the Cipher: Roger Bacon and the Unsolved Mystery of the Most Unusual Manuscript in the World

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Candide (Dover Thrift Editions)

The Voynich Manuscript: The Unsolved Riddle of an Extraordinary Book Which has Defied Interpretation for Centuries

ASIN: 0767908376
Release Date: 2003-09-02

Book Description

Michael Servetus is one of those hidden figureheads of history who is remembered not for his name, but for the revolutionary deeds that stand in his place. Both a scientist and a freethinking theologian, Servetus is credited with the discovery of pulmonary circulation in the human body as well as the authorship of a polemical masterpiece that cost him his life. The Chrisitianismi Restituto, a heretical work of biblical scholarship, written in 1553, aimed to refute the orthodox Christianity that Servetus' old colleague, John Calvin, supported. After the book spread through the ranks of Protestant hierarchy, Servetus was tried and agonizingly burned at the stake, the last known copy of the Restitutio chained to his leg.

Servetus's execution is significant because it marked a turning point in the quest for freedom of expression, due largely to the development of the printing press and the proliferation of books in Renaissance Europe. Three copies of the Restitutio managed to survive the burning, despite every effort on the part of his enemies to destroy them. As a result, the book became almost a surrogate for its author, going into hiding and relying on covert distribution until it could be read freely, centuries later. Out of the Flames tracks the history of this special work, examining Servetus's life and times and the politics of the first information during the sixteenth century. Lawrence and Nancy Goldstone follow the clandestine journey of the three copies through the subsequent centuries and explore its author's legacy and influence over the thinkers that shared his spirit and genius, such as Leibniz, Voltaire, Rousseau, Jefferson, Clarence Dorrow, and William Osler.

Out of the Flames is an extraordinary story providing testament to the power of ideas, the enduring legacy of books, and the triumph of individual courage.

From the Hardcover edition.

Customer Reviews:

Forgotten hero from religious history.......2007-08-15

Scholarly work. Yet humorous passages that had me laughing out loud. Excellent writing that brings the period (1400s-1500s plus) into vivid, current relevance. Shows John Calvin for what he really was: hypocritical, cruel. Shows the almost forgotten Michael Servetus as the hero he was and is. If we hadn't forgotten so much history, we wouldn't be repeating so much of it today--some trying to turn back the clock on religious liberty--and we would be much better off today!

Beautifully concise and fascinating.......2007-05-20

I was only slightly familiar with the account of Michael Servetus' fatal disagreement with John Calvin during the early Reformation until recently. This short, but thoroughly entertaining and informative, book is written so very well, that I feel compelled to praise it. One discovers much more than a very intelligent "heretic"; we come to understand the man's motivations, his inquisitive and earnest efforts to educate men about what he saw as erroneous theology, and the personal enmity of John Calvin towards him.

Where the book excels is in the area of tracing out the paths of these two arch rivals as they increase in knowledge, but not always in good graces or wisdom. What really drives these men and how their lives are interwined with the advances made in book publishing, is contrasted with the previous disemmination of knowledge and the iron grip the Roman church had on it until this time. The barbarity of intolerance and the political incest between the Roman church and governments of this age are amazingly foreign to our way of thinking, but really did happen. A very good argument for "separation of State and Church"!

A great story that may change the way you see the Reformation movement and Calvinism as well as the Roman Catholic church. Highly recommended for it's historical value and thoroughly interesting story.

A remarkable history lesson of the distant past.......2007-01-04

I found this to be an interesting "historical" novel and learned much from it. The significant historical importance of the printing press at the time in regard to religions. Michael Servatas' contribution to science as well as to liberal, progressive religion is significant and how his writings have survived through the years is fascinating.
The style of writing was unimpressive as far as I'm concerned but the facts I learned more than made up for it.

Medicine and religion.......2006-09-06

A superb book. It opened a whole cast of historical people who deserve mention, especially Miguel Serveto, and tensions orbiting the Reformation. Once again, we have history unleashed.
This is an erudite and beautifully written book. The Goldstones give you wonderful glimpses in a world being overtaken by technology, that once unleashed there, is no going back. The printing presses cannot be denied, slipping out of people's control. This is the paradigm faced by all political and religious leaders who never seem able to integrate into their minds, the force of a sea change. Also it is seems the people of modern Protestantism (especially Geneva) still seem little embarrassed by being bamboozled by Calvin.

Please Read This Book To Know What Could Happen Again.......2006-03-24

Don't you think it can't happen again.

Human nature has not changed all that much since Servetus' 1500's and the way this current American Sadministration is headed, what with it's nefarious Faith-Based inititives, it's not at all inconcieveable to be that far off.

As depicted in "Out of the Flames," we Americans might just be headed for another Right-Wing Religious Fundalmentalist Inquisition real soon lead by John Calvinbush himself.

Through the Flames (Left Behind: The Kids #3)

Average customer rating:

Do not pass by the left behind!
Christian propaganda? Yeah Right!
Series for adults now rewritten for teens
A truly unique series!
read please!

Through the Flames (Left Behind: The Kids #3)
Jerry B. Jenkins , and Tim F. LaHaye
Manufacturer: Tyndale House Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0842321950

Amazon.com

Starting just a few days after Jesus Christ snatched the faithful to heaven in The Vanishings (the first book in the Left Behind: The Kids series), Through the Flames opens with our four teen heroes shacked up in Judd's abandoned house. Judd, Vicki, and Lionel are still trying to convince Ryan that he should accept Christ if he knows what's good for him--Judd even makes Ryan go to church and Bible study as a condition of living with them. ("As long as you live under my roof, you follow my rules....") But even bigger problems are brewing. The four must stay on the lookout for the Antichrist, whom their Bible mentor Bruce says will trigger seven years of tribulation once he signs a pact with Israel. And Lionel has to investigate the mysterious circumstances of his drug-addled uncle's supposed death.

The Evangelical Christian science fiction series Left Behind: The Kids is a youth-oriented story line based on Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye's bestselling Left Behind. (Ages 9 to 12) --Paul Hughes

Book Description

This series is based on the best-selling adult Left Behind series. Readers will see the Rapture and Tribulation through the eyes of four kids who have been left behind.

Customer Reviews:

Do not pass by the left behind!.......2007-05-19

The left behind by Jerry B. Jenkins is not a very fun book and it is not all the exciting that I wouldn't recommend for anyone to read but if you want to that is your choice. First it started out about this guy named Mr. Tompson went on a vacation by himself and then when he was on there and he met this guy named Rayford and he found out that he was a Preacher but now Mr. Tompson doesn't know weather to believe if he is a good guy or a bad guy because he has been caught causing some trouble. Rayford has a sister the he doesn't like that much and she didn't tell him that she was going to cut all of her hair off to look like a guy. Rayford has a soon to be wife and her name is Vicki and she went t visit him but she doesn't know that he is cheating on her!
The two main characters are Mr. Tompson and this one girl named Missy that Mr. Tompson is cheating on with his wife. Mr. Tompson is described as a of showoff, sometimes hyper but in the spare time he likes to cause trouble but when he doesn't cause some bad trouble he Preaches. I don't really get him at all but I can tell you that he has some mood swings and I mean that he has some strange mood swings. When he does get into trouble he sucks up to the cops. He is usually a very brave person and people know him as a "major nerd that causes trouble" and sometimes he can be a scardy cat. Now the second main character is Missy. Ok so Missy is going out with Mr. Tompson and she knows that he has a soon to be wife which is her best friend and personally I think that is seriously messed up. She has long blonde hair and the people in the book said that she dresses nerdy. What I don't see is why Mr. Tompson is cheating on his soon to be wife and she is rich and she dresses pretty well. I think that he must be like really mental or something. Missy is a stuck up brat but in at other hand she is smart and intelligent, but what I don't really like about her is that when she does something wrong she blames it on other people. I will describe her as a stuck up snot!
Well I think that you should read this book about a 25% and I think that you shouldn't read it about a 75% so if you do or not it's your choice!

Christian propaganda? Yeah Right!.......2005-02-28

Mark Moore has it wrong. This book may be Christian, but it is not propaganda. It tells about something that I (and many other people) believe will happen.
Mark says that it is "ludicrous" to believe that the world would be in chaos if all the Christians disappeared. Give me a break! Let's see millions of people from around the world disappear at the same time and without warning and not have chaos. Again, give me a break!
I think that Mark's accusations are ludicrous. "An evil religion prepetuated by zealous idiots"?!? Yeah right! Christians are as normal as anyone else.
In the Bible, the book of Revelation takes only "20 pages" because it gives enough detail to understand what is going to happen, yet doen not put the situation into into the personal experiences of a few people. The Left Behind series are much longer becuase they do describe the happenings in the personal experiences of different people.

As for the quality of the book, I really enjoyed this book, as well as the others in the series. The kids series is not as good as the adult series, yet it is still really good. Read and enjoy.

Series for adults now rewritten for teens.......2004-12-26

I have always enjoyed the adult series of Left Behind books. The kids books are just as good. The kids interact with the characters from the adult series, experience the same events, etc. However, since the main characters are teens, these books can appeal to younger readers. So far, the stories haven't had the ups and downs that the adult series has had. The adult series has books that are a lot more boring than others. The kids series seems to be good in every book. These are not for really young kids, but would be appropriate for young teens. I enjoy them and I am an adult.

A truly unique series!.......2003-10-12

We last left off with Judd, Vicki, Lionel, and Ryan trying to cope with the loss of their families in the Rapture of the church.
Lionel's Uncle Andre has taken over his house with a gang of his as well. To prove his bravery, Ryan goes off in search of information for Lionel, and still undecided. What will Ryan's choice be?
Andre gets into some trouble, and Lionel must again face another loss. The four go out in search of Leroy, a member of Andre's gang/murderer. With the help of Sergant Thomas Fogarty, Judd sets up with a sting, and waits for Leroy to "get his."
This book was great, and the series is wonderful! I encourage people to go out and buy this series!

read please!.......2003-05-10

Its a great book! read it! have fun and let ur imagination take u somewhere!
READ < this book!

Deflagration and Detonation Flame Arresters (Ccps Concept Book)

Average customer rating:

Deflagration and Detonation Flame Arresters (Ccps Concept Book)
Stanley S. Grossel
Manufacturer: Wiley-AIChE
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0816907919

Book Description

Designed for chemical engineers and other technical personnel involved in the design, operation, and maintenance of facilities and equipment where deflagration and detonation flame arresters (DDFAs) may be required, this book fosters effective application and operation of DDFAs through treatment of their principles of operation, selection, installation, and maintenance methods. This reference covers a broad range of issues concerning DDAs, including:

An overview of deflagration and detonation prevention and protection practices
An overview of combustion and flame propagation and how DDAs halt propagation
Deflagration and detonation flame arrester technology
Installation in process systems
Regulations, codes, and standards
Illustrative examples, calculations, and guidelines for DDA selection
Appendices, including a glossary, a flame arrester specification sheet for vendor quotation, and a listing of flame arrester manufacturers.

The Black Stallion and Flame (Black Stallion)

Average customer rating:

The Black and Flame
The Black Stallion and Flame
An odd book
The Black Stallion
VERY GOOD BOOK

The Black Stallion and Flame (Black Stallion)
Walter Farley
Manufacturer: Yearling
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0679820205
Release Date: 2003-05-27

Book Description

While flying to a race, Alec Ramsay and the Black’s plane crash-lands in the stormy Caribbean. Chance brings the Black to the hidden island home of the giant red stallion, Flame. Such a small island can only support one alpha male. But before the two can fight–a fight that can only result in the death of one–a new danger appears. Together, can the stallions defeat the deadly foe which threatens the lives of the entire herd of wild horses?

Customer Reviews:

The Black and Flame .......2006-06-27

In this book we get the first meeting of Walter Farley's two most famous Horses the Black Stallion (The Black) and the Island Stallion (Flame). During a bad storm the plane, Alec, The Black and Henry are on, crashes. The Black and some mares and their foals, get separated from the human survivors. The Black and his small band, end up finding Azul Island, where Flame is King of his herd. While Henry and Alec eventual get rescued and taken to another island. However they refuse to leave with out looking for the Black. The Black enjoys his found freedom, but two powerful stallions can never coexist for long

The chapters alternated between Alec and Henry's POV , and The Blacks, which is quite interesting to see Walter write from the Horses prospective, something I don't think he ever did before, nor again as far as I know.

We also have a rapid Vampire Bat that stirs up trouble for both the humans and the horses.

The Black Stallion and Flame.......2005-03-25

The story is about a black stallion and a red stallion trying to
survive on a island. On the plane the black stallion crashed on the island. The island has the red stallion named Flame that has a herd. On the island the black stallion fights the red
stallion. Who will win the fight for both the herd and for life? One will die and one may live.

An odd book.......2005-03-09

I have no idea where Walter Farley got the idea for this book. It was definitely one of his stranger ones! The Black ends up shipwrecked on Azul Island, the home of Flame. This is exciting enough to me, but Walter Farley throws in a rabid vampire bat for some reason! To make things even odder, the bat keeps dive-bombing and attacking horses in the herd which somehow ends up with Flame and The Black working together. It is quite unrealistic. I am not saying the two stallions should have killed each others; whatever Walter Farley likes to say about "killer wild stallions", 95% of fights between stallions don't result in serious injuries, let alone death. Stallions want to win, not murder each other. However, I don't think the two of them would have teamed up to face the "horrible menace" of the rabid bat. Also, bats do not display rabies. It has been proven that they can carry it with apparently no ill effects, so to have a foaming-at-the-mouth, "insane" bat attacking full grown horses is ludicrous! Vampire bats don't attack anything; they sneak up on SLEEPING animals, make a tiny cut, and lap up the blood without even waking the victim due to special chemicals in their mouths. So in all, a rather disappointing book in my opinion. I love The Black and Flame, but this was not one of the better books involving them.

The Black Stallion.......2005-01-25

The Black Stallion and Flame is an awesome book! It is about a boy who gets in a plane accident and loses his horse The Black. The Black helps other mares gets saftly to an island. Later in the story it talks about how The Black finds Flame and they help eachother. The boy finally finds his horse. I recommend this book!

VERY GOOD BOOK.......2003-02-16

I happen to disagree w/ the person that said that the book was horrible. I loved this book so much. Everytime I read it, I'm on the edge of my seat wondering if everything is going to turn out ok, even though I know what is going to happen. I have probably read the book 7-8 times since I found it in a box that my mom used to have. I have read about half the books and I love them all. I would definitly recommend this book to anyone that loves horses!

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