Average customer rating:
- History continued
- Interesting 2nd book continuing a great story
- The second act of a play is always slow
- A Must.
- Illustrates Various Aspects of the Genre
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The Demon Soul (Warcraft: War of the Ancients, Book 2)
Richard A. Knaak
Manufacturer: Pocket Star
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Similar Items:
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The Sundering (Warcraft: War of the Ancients Trilogy, Book 3)
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The Well of Eternity (WarCraft: War of the Ancients, Book 1)
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ASIN: 0743471202 |
Book Description
THE BURNING LEGION HAS COME.
Led by the mighty Archimonde, scores of demonic soldiers now march across the lands of Kalimdor, leaving a trail of death and devastation in their wake. At the heart of the fiery invasion stands the mystic Well of Eternity -- once the source of the night elves' arcane power. But now the Well's energies have been defiled and twisted, for Queen Azshara and her Highborne will stop at nothing to commune with their newfound god: the fiery Lord of the Burning Legion...Sargeras.
The night elf defenders, led by the young druid, Malfurion Stormrage, and the wizard, Krasus, fight a desperate battle to hold back the Legion's terrible onslaught. Though only embers of hope remain, an ancient power has risen to aid the world in its darkest hour. The dragons -- led by the powerful Aspect, Neltharion -- have forged a weapon of incalculable power: the Dragon Soul, an artifact capable of driving the Legion from the world forever. But its use may cost far more than any could have foreseen.
The second novel in an original trilogy of magic, warfare, and heroism based on the bestselling, award-winning electronic game series from Blizzard Entertainment.
Customer Reviews:
History continued.......2007-08-09
As the second volume of the trilogy, it is an excellent continuation of the history of Warcraft and explains a lot about why things are the way they are in the game. Highly recommended
Interesting 2nd book continuing a great story.......2007-06-08
This book continues on from the earlier book, The well of eternity, i was so wrapped up in the story of the first book this was not a let down at all. I weas turning page after page so unravel the story. i can admit some sections began to repeat themselves slightly but i did indeed finsh this book within a week.
A fantastic read and continuation of the war of the ancients series.
4/5
The second act of a play is always slow.......2006-12-19
This book is a little slower than the rest. It has a lot to offer on the mythos and back story of warcraft, but it is very slow for this genre of book.
I almost didn't read the third book after reading this one. But you have to remember that this is the "second act" of a play. This is setting up the final conclusion you get in the third book.
The third book brings a lot of closure to the story, and a lot more of the lore of warcraft. I enjoyed the three as a set. If you like the warcraft books, grind your way through this to get to the third book. Afterall, not all of the lvl 1-60 is fun either is it? You do have to grind from time to time. :)
A Must........2006-06-27
Loved the whole triology... even my girlfriend who hates WOW, read these and liked them, that is a rating by itself. A must if you like the genre.
Illustrates Various Aspects of the Genre.......2006-06-08
I enjoyed this book and couldn't put it down. I loved how one can learn about how various powers work (druidic powers interaction with nature or sorcerers powers that fetch magic directly from the well) and also about powerful natural spirit forces like Cenarius or Aviana and also the Aspects (powerful dragons embodying some cosmic force like time or the earth). There are hints about how the Old Gods (H.P. Lovecraft's cuthulu like entities) somehow corrupted the Well of Eternity and also corrupted Nefarion in a complex endeavor to engineer their release.
I've found that these details can really give on a feel of the Warcraft's universe that one cannot easily get through MMORPG or pen-n-paper Warcraft d20 game.
Book Description
In January of 668 A.D., Fidelma of Cashel - sister to the king of Muman, an advocate of the Brehon law courts and a religieuse in the Celtic Church - is called to investigate the brutal murder of Abbess Faife and the mysterious disappearance of six young female religieuse accompanying her on a short pilgrimage away from her abbey. When Sister Fidelma and her husband, Brother Eadulf, arrive they find that there has been another death under mysterious circumstances, one of the senior scholars of the abbey has been bludgeoned to death. These two seemingly unrelated deaths - and the further mysteries of the trade ship lured to its doom on the rocky western shore of Ireland and the rumored figure of "The Master of Souls" wrecking havoc and raising rebellion - combine to create on the the most perplexing mysteries ever faced by the redoubtable Fidelma.
Customer Reviews:
Sister Fidelma books.......2007-01-03
As usual, Peter Tremayne pulls you into the far past and the gripping world of Sister Fidelma for another fast paced mystery. I love his work.
Good read.......2006-12-07
Tremayne is actually Peter Berresford Ellis, Celtic scholar, and this is his 16th Sister Fidelma mystery.
It is 668 AD, and Fidelma and her husband Eadulf must travel to the far west of Ireland to help solve the murder of Abbess Faife and the kidnapping of six novices. The political situation could be very unstable, as peace has recently been reached with the Ui Fidgente, the warlords of the area. Fidelma's skills as an investigator, her rank as a dalaigh, a sort of ancient legal advocate, and her knowledge as a scholar will be needed desperately.
Once they arrive at Fhearta Abbey, they discover that the scholar Cinaed has been killed--struck down in the chapel.
Was Cinaed killed for his views on marriage among the religious? His views on the trinity? Or was it something he had discovered and written about recently--all his writings are burned shortly after they arrive. Jealousy may be the cause (his wife and mistress hate each other); and other scholars resent his standing and influence, while deploring his views.
A shipwreck on the coast also figures into the story, as does gold hidden in the ruins of a rebel tower, a sly and duplicitous local warlord, and the "ghost" of a dead rebel, Uaman, who seems to be leading a nasty band of warriors. Fidelma is able to unravel the many strands of this mystery and show how all these are related, and discover who really is the "ghost" and responsible for the many deaths.
Tremayne is able to create seventh century religious life in a Celtic abbey with careful precision and lifelike characters.
Armchair Interviews says: You will truly be swept away into the past.
An easy medieval history lesson.......2006-11-22
If you're already a Sister Fidelma fan, I only need to tell you that this is another good one.
If the good sister-lawyer-noblewoman is new to you, ask yourself this: Could you be tempted by a superbly written medieval mystery that painlessly lays out the advanced culture of the Ireland of the 7th century while presenting a magnificent page-turner?
I have to admit that I love fiction written by genuine historical experts who enjoy making their period come alive by fictionalizing it. The Sister Fidelma books are a great example of that.
The most recent volume is a treasure.
brilliant Sister Fidelma who done it.......2006-11-17
The Ui Fidgente and the Eoghanacht of Cashel have been at war for centuries until the battle at Cnoc Aine when the Ui Fidgente leader was killed. He was replaced by Donennach who pledged fealty to the King of Muman because he wanted peace for his people. In the territory of the Ui Fidgente, a member of the abbey Ard Fhearta was bludgeoned; at almost the same time, six religious from the abbey along with Abbess Faife are making a pilgrimage when they meet a battered sick man.
He tells them that he was the victim of wreckers who deliberately destroyed his ship on the rocks during a storm and killed his men and stole his cargo. They give him the clothes of a religious to wear and while he is changing, brigands kill the abbess and takes the religious hostage. Ui Fidgente warlord Conri asks Sister Fidelma to help figure out the mystery while her brother orders her to do so in order to cement relations with their former enemies. Fidelma is accompanied by Brother Eodulf, who wanted to stay at Cashel with their son and get ready for their binding wedding but knows that he must help her in her inquiries. When they come close to getting some answers, Sister Fidelma's life is in jeopardy.
Peter Tremayne writes some of the best historical mysteries due in part to his heroine, a woman living in an enlightened country when the rest of Europe is going through the dark ages. Her abilities as a dalaigh, an officer of the law courts, and her role as the sister of a king makes her a very powerful woman. The mystery is impossible to figure out as is the link between the death of the Venerable Cinaed and the disappearance of the six religious. Even the heroine claims this is the hardest case she ever worked on. MASTER OF SOULS is another brilliant Sister Fidelma who done it.
Harriet Klausner
Customer Reviews:
Highly recommended read from a masterful author..........2007-07-09
Luke Kauffman is tired of being treated like a kid. He's done things. He's been places. He doesn't know why his father won't treat him like the young man he's become. He needs a break and that's why he asks to go help Pastor Virgil fix up a church in Auga Rancheria. When his father reluctantly agrees, Luke begins a journey that will change his life forever.
Evil stalks the desert when Luke arrives, hovering over the mountaintop and infiltrating the casino. Luke can see the evil because he has in his possession an odd pair of goggles that allow him to see into another dimension. A dimension of good and evil, light and dark, shadows and radiance. And the goggles work only for him.
With the help of a new techie friend, Luke is able to make the goggles work even better than before, and what he sees draws him further and further into a twisted maze of evil. Does he have the courage and faith to battle the evil, or will the war be lost?
Author Bill Myers has crafted a brilliant and inspiring novel in THE SEEING. Filled with hope and faith, the storyline takes readers on a journey of spiritual adventure. The plot is fast-paced, the characters are masterfully written, and the whole premise is cleverly unique. Rearders of Chrisitan fiction will especially enjoy the strong spiritual undertones of the story and the unbending faith of the characters. THE SEEING is another highly recommended read from a masterful author.
Good story, but shallow characters and weak mechanics.......2007-05-31
In this third book of Bill Myers' "Soul Tracker" series, the main character Luke possesses a pair of goggles that allows him to see spiritual beings and activity. This not only sets him at the center of a spiritual conflict taking place near the desert Southwest community of Agua Rancheria, but it also sets him up to inflate his ego with the unique ability.
While the resolution of these conflicts (both the spiritual one and Luke's internal one) makes for a fast-paced story, the story seems at times almost too fast-paced. The action has a tendency to get in the way of character development, and this means that the characters occasionally become dangerously close to being caricatures rather than fully fleshed out individuals. It feels as though this happens not because the author doesn't have a full idea of what he wants the characters to be, but because he's so familiar with them that he hasn't taken the time to paint a full portrait of the characters for the reader.
Additionally, the spiritual warfare aspect of this book is always a difficult topic to tackle. Because there is not much Scriptural detail about the nature of spiritual warfare, authors writing about it must by necessity take great liberties with the concept to flesh it out. Unfortunately, in this case (and this, as well, seems to feel the result of a bit of a rush to get the action in), the mechanics of spiritual warfare seem to be greatly simplified, lending to an almost over-the-top feeling at times as the effects of actions lack a depth of subtlety. Most spiritual warfare aspects shown in the book emphasize the "right now" rather than readiness rooted in an ongoing spiritual relationship.
However, this is not to say that the book is all (or even mostly) bad. The action that sometimes pushes everything else to the side is still enjoyable, and enough of the characters show through that you can find yourself interested in them, if occasionally baffled as to just who they really are. The book also carries messages of the reality of spiritual warfare and a need for denominational unity (that is, reaching across denominational lines past some more superficial disagreements to come together as a unified Church in times of need).
Overall, even with the flaws it has, this is still a good read with some good points carried through the story. I waffled between a three- and four-star ranking for this and found myself wishing for a three-and-a-half; ultimately, I gave it the benefit of the doubt and gave it four.
Bill Myers Hits Another Home Run!.......2007-04-09
In this, the third of the Soul Tracker series, Bill Myers has a lot to say. He tells an entertaining story, which will keep you flipping pages until the very end. However, a deeper look at this work shows you several things more.
1. Spiritual warfare is real. I know we don't typically acknowledge much of the supernatural in our scientific, "enlightened" society. But just because I don't acknowledge the reality of electricity doesn't mean I won't get shocked if I stick my tongue in an electrical socket (kids, don't try this at home).
2. Secondary doctrinal differences which we allow to divide us will make us ineffective for God's Kingdom. Instead, let the primary doctrinal truth of "Christ is Lord" unite us as we work together for His glory.
3. Our prayers do affect the spiritual realm. We may not understand it, we may not even see it, but our prayers are effective -- and necessary.
All in all, The Seeing is an engaging, thought-provoking book. I highly recommend it.
Book Description
What if you could visit heaven and hell, traveling when and wherever you wish . . . without ever dying?
What if your teenage daughter, the joy of your life, had died a tragic death and you discovered a way to visit her?
What if there were people and beings, on both sides of the grave, who want to stop your return?
These are the questions facing novelist David Kauffman. As a single parent he is devastated when his young daughter meets an untimely death. Desperate to contact her, he meets Gita Patekar, a beautiful and committed Christian with a scarred and shame-ridden past. She works for “Life After Life”—an organization dedicated to tracking and recording the experiences of the soul once it leaves the body.
Despite Gita’s warnings that God is opposed to contacting the dead, David uses the organization’s computer to try to find his daughter. In the process they discover Gita’s organization has some very deep and dark secrets. A suspense-filled game of cat and mouse begins—both on earth and beyond the grave—as the couple work together, fall in love, and struggle to expose the truth . . . until they come face to face with the ultimate Love and Truth.
Customer Reviews:
Good, but Myers has done better.......2007-09-17
Bill Myers has been a solid Christian writer for quite a few years, and I really enjoyed his "Blood of Heaven" - "Threshold" - "Fire of Heaven" trilogy. I thought what he did with those was exceptional, and a little edgy in places for Christian writing. So I must admit my expectations coming into this book were a little high.
It definitely had a plot that moved forward and pulled you along. I was intrigued from the moment I started reading and wondered exactly where he was going with certain characters. And I'll also admit that he surprised me a little with the ending for a specific character, though it was a good surprise and I'm rather proud of him for taking it.
But on the other hand, I will say some of the characterizations felt a little forced. I've been reading books by Silverberg, Heinlen, and McDevitt lately, and they do such an incredible job with creating characters and then revealing them through the narrative. I felt like Myers had some really well-done characters in this book, but that in some places he was forcing the revelation of that character rather than letting it play out through the narrative and let the reader discover it as the story progressed.
Do I recommend it? Yeah. But tentatively. It's a decent book, but there are better written ones out there - some by Myers himself! I wouldn't hold this forward as an example of a well-written Christian book, though.
A thriller of a story with a powerful message.......2006-11-06
If it's possible to write a fast-paced, gripping thriller with the message of a Sunday morning sermon, Bill Myers has done it . . . with flair. Soul Tracker explores death and life after death . . . and how our choices in the here and now affect both. As usual, Myers' writing is solid and consistent. He is a prolific writer and knows how to tell a story. I recommend this book, especially as a gift to those seeking answers about the afterlife.
page-turner!.......2006-11-05
I read this book in 2 days, and immediately purchased the sequel. Great entertainment, with enough morality to make you think (just a little!). The science is engrossing and there are enough surprises and suspenseful moments to keep you reading this straight through! This is a great book for a quiet weekend.
An Enlightening Christian Fiction.......2006-09-12
I loved this book. This author writes about the sensitive Christian stuff, but necessary all the same. I love all his books. Not the average Christian Fiction.
Bill Myers has done it again!.......2006-03-16
I really enjoyed reading this book. After reading so many excellent books by Bill Myers I was hesitant about starting another series. This book exceeded my expectations! I highly recommend it! It is really goof reading!
Amazon.com
When an author as successful as Rankin has been with his tough and idiomatic Scottish thrillers, a problem sets in after several books: how to keep the formula fresh.
Rankin has delivered a powerful series of books featuring his beleaguered Detective Inspector John Rebus, and while never less than gripping, a certain tiredness seemed to be setting in. Thankfully, Dead Souls is a resounding return to form, with a plot as enjoyably labyrinthine as any Rankin enthusiast could wish for, and pithy dialogue that fairly leaps off the page. Stalking the streets of Edinburgh on the trail of a poisoner, Rebus hits upon a freed pedophile and his subsequent outing of the man leaves him with very mixed feelings. But another problem develops for Rebus: a convicted murderer has him in his sights for some lethal games. And the tabloid press lionizing of Rebus won't help him in this situation.
As always, Rankin is perfectly ready to tackle contentious issues--precisely the thing that gives his books their powerful sense of veracity. And Rebus, no longer in danger of having a soap opera-like accumulation of personal problems, seems as fresh and well-observed a character as in those first exhilarating books. Rankin has caught his form again, with even more assurance. --Barry Forshaw, Amazon.co.uk
Book Description
Weary, wary, hard-drinking Detective John Rebus returns in author Ian Rankin's internationally acclaimed, award-winning series. As complex and unpredictable as the brooding mists that envelop his Edinburgh beat, Rebus is ever resourceful and determined-but this time, vulnerable and challenged as never before, with complications in his personal life, and events that shake him to the depths of his being... A colleague's suicide. Pedophiles. A missing child. A serial killer. You never know your luck, muses Rebus. Driven by instinct and experience, he searches for connections, against official skepticism. But at night, unsoothed by whiskey, Rebus faces his ghosts-and the prospect of his daughter's possibly permanent paralysis. Soldiering through dank, desperate slums and the tony flats of the Scottish chic, Rebus uncovers a chain of crime, deceit, and hidden sins-knowing it's himself he's really trying to save. . .
Customer Reviews:
Rebus and Rankin in top form........2007-04-01
Dead Souls in number 11 in the Rebus series and for me it is one of the best.
The plot has even more than usual going with 4 or 5 stories running concurrently with the main one. What makes this even more special is that all the plots are really interesting and don't feel like a distraction.
One thing for fans of DS Siobhan Clark to note is that she barely appears in this book.
I have only visited Scotland once and didn't stay very long but reading Rankin always makes feel like I am familiar with the streets of Edinburgh and talk with a broad Scottish accent.
I'm off now to re-read the whole series!
Moderate.......2006-06-23
The formula of mixing several ongoing cases with the personal lives of those who detect them removes detective fiction from the starchy abstractions of a Christie or Hammett, but often leaves the reader thrashing through mountains of detail in order to get to the final approach for landing in which the vital clues all come out of the closet in order. It is the pursuit of renewal of the motivation to be police officers and to do what is just in a usually unjust world that drives this book, and as such character drama, it is massively effective. While the mystery hobbles itself by introducing madmen and conspiratorial indolent rich in the last quarter of the book, and while it is somewhat easy to spot the intended progress of the novel, it makes for a good read for those who like "comfy" personality-based mystery writing.
For Inspector Rebus, Problems are Coming in Clumps.......2006-05-28
In this 11th episode of the Rebus chronicles, John's life is becoming ever more complicated. His daughter is recovering from her accident/hit-and-run but is wheelchair bound, and old friend has committed suicide, and he still grieves the loss of another. Now he is up against a pedophile, a released murderer and a missing person case.
He is out to get the pedophile and leaks his name and place to the press; a deed he will regret very soon. This is just one proof that John is getting out of hand and loosing his usually strong sense of honor. He also can't figure out why his old colleague would choose to take his life.
Cary Oakes is an inveterate liar and murderer. He has just been deported from the US, after serving fifteen years for murder. During his penal time, he has taken courses in lock-picking, car theft and mugging; with a masters in hiding in plain sight. All of Edinburgh is up in arms about his arrival and John's old nemisis, newspaper man Jim Stevens, is out to make a bundle telling Oakes story. Oakes has come back to settle a long-time grudge, but doesn't mind making a few recreational killings along the way.
The misper (missing person) is the son of a old friend from his hometown in the Fife. They almost married, but he went into the army and she stayed at home with a mutual schoolmate. She's asked John to look for her son. All of the old feelings and emotions come bubbling back to the surface.
Is she still attracted to John, does he still have feelings for her. John is in a quandry about all this plus his feelings for his job, for Patience, for his daughters health, the death of his good friend (in the last book) and mentor; and his drinking could become a problem again.
Rankin just keeps getting better, and his feeling for the foibles and strength of Rebus' character gets stronger with each book.
Pretty good!.......2006-03-05
I have heard a lot of positive feedback on the Inspector Rebus series by Ian Rankin but haven't tried one until now. This book was so well-written and complex that it has made me go out and buy everything else of Rankin's that I can find (and there is a fair amount out there).
Rebus is an Inspector in Edinburgh who is aging (50's?) and has numerous issues in his life - be it the girlfriend, the ex-wife, the wheelchair bound dauhgter, his lapses in professional judgement etc. In this book, he comes across a pedophile that may not be as reformed as one would like, a missing son of an old-time flame and a recently released killer from the US returning to Scotland with murderous ambitions.
The book went quickly and I enjoyed it a lot. Although as an earlier reviewer stated, Rankin does keep a large number of sub-plots in progress which can make the reading a little more difficult as you find yourself trying to remember which character belongs in which sub-plot.
Recommended.
Rebus is torturing himself and making his bosses mad..........2003-09-05
Rebus is one of the best cop protagonists out in the market today. He is a very complex person, who is no longer sure of himself or of the job he is supposed to be doing as a detective inspector in Edinburgh. His family is broken up, his daughter injured in an `accident' that was intended for him, his relationship with his new significant other is on the rocks, and his relationship with his bosses is in the toilet. Probably from his rather unorthodox methods. Rebus is not afraid to mingle with the morally-challenged underside of Edinburgh... he makes his own rules up as he goes, and that particular trait of his tends to get him in trouble.
In this book, Rebus has way too many strings to hold onto. A young man has gone missing who just happens to be the son of one of Rebus' old flames. The U.S. is ever-so-nicely sending home a known serial murderer, who continues to wreck as much havoc as possible in Scotland. Rebus also gets involved in another case concerning a pedophile (I hate reading books on that particular topic!), and the embarrassment leads to bad press for the cops.
Rankin is a good writer. Trouble is he puts way too many off-shoot plots in his books. It makes it very difficult to keep track of these guys and the plots. I do like Rankin's ability to characterize. His characters come across as real people, with real problems, and this is one of the traits I look for in books.
Karen Sadler
Book Description
DEAD SOULS - A call from an old friend brings back memories and more than a little guilt for DI John Rebus. An old schoolfriend's son has gone missing, the ghost of Jack Morton is inhabiting Rebus' dreams, a part-time poisoner is terrorising the local zoo and a freed paedophile rouses the vigilantes. SET IN DARKNESS - Two unusual incidents in one day seem unconnected, until a third body - that of a prospective member of the Scottish Parliament - is found at Queensbury House. Inspector Rebus investigates, and uncovers old secrets that suggest Scotland's second attempt at devolution will be just as dirty. THE FALLS - A student has gone missing in Edinburgh - completely out of character. There's almost nothing to go on but Detective Inspector John Rebus gets an unmistakable gut feeling that there's more to this than just another runaway high on unaccustomed freedom. Two leads emerge: a carved wooden doll in a toy coffin, found in the student's home village, and an Internet role-playing game. The ancient and the modern, brought together by uncomfortable circumstance . . .
Customer Reviews:
Twisted minds and the dark secrets of Edinburgh's other side........2005-11-07
He had wanted to update Robert Louis Stevenson's "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" for modern times, Ian Rankin writes about his first Inspector Rebus novel, "Knots and Crosses" in the introduction to this 1999 compilation, which contains the first three installments of the series. Oblivious to the mere existence of such a thing as the mystery genre - or so Rankin says - he was stunned to soon hear his book described first and foremost as a crime novel. But eventually this characterization prompted him to have a closer look at the work of other mystery writers, and he found that the form suited his purposes just fine; that in fact he "could say everything [he] wanted to say about the world, and still give readers a pacy, gripping narrative."
Bearing in mind the original duality of Jekyll and Hyde, however, Rankin's tales are not dominated by a contrast painted in black and white. While the villains Inspector Rebus faces are certainly every bit as evil as Stevenson's Mr. Hyde, Rebus himself is far from a clean-slated "good guy:" Divorced, cynical, hard-drinking and a former member of the SAS, he is a brother in spirit to every noir detective from Dashiell Hammett's Sam Spade and Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe to Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch, James Ellroy's squad of crooked cops and Peter Robinson's Alan Banks. Nor is Rebus's Edinburgh the touristy town of Calton Hill, castle and Summer Festival (although the series has meanwhile sparked real-life guided tours to its most famous locations, too) - as befitting a true detective of his ilk, Rankin's antihero moves primarily in the city's dark and dirty underbelly, which is populated by society's losers and where those who have "made it," those with money in their pockets, only show up if they have shady deals to conduct as well.
In a similar fashion to Michael Connelly's first Harry Bosch novel "The Black Echo," where Bosch is forced to revisit the experiences he made as a Vietnam "tunnel rat," in "Knots and Crosses" Rebus must uncover long-buried memories of his SAS past. For hunting a serial killer whom the tabloids quickly dub "The Edinburgh Strangler," and whose headline-gathering murders at first seem totally unrelated, Rebus eventually makes the connection between those crimes and a series of anonymous letters he receives, and realizes that it is he himself who is the killer's true target, and that the murderer's crimes are based on such a cruel scheme - and executed with such inhuman skill and precision - that only one particular man's thoroughly disturbed mind can have come up with them. And at the same time, Rebus is trying to work out his difficult relationship with his brother Michael, whose life is so different from his own - financially successful and ostensibly happily married and squeaky clean throughout, Michael seems to be on the sunny side of life in every respect labeled a failure in Rebus's own life story - but he soon discovers that even Michael has secrets he is trying hard to keep from coming to light.
The title of Rankin's second Rebus novel, "Hide and Seek," is an even more overt play on Robert Louis Stevenson's famous dual character(s) than the mere juxtaposition of cop and killer. This time, Rebus is on the hunt for the killer of a junkie whose half-naked body is found in a run-down, deserted building in the Pilmuir housing estates - the worst part of town, notwithstanding a nearby construction project involving high-priced luxury condominiums - positioned crucifixion-style and near a drawing possibly hinting at Satanic rituals. And Rebus's only witness seems to be the young woman who had been living with the dead man for the last three months and heard him yell "Hide!" before pushing her out of the door, telling her: "They've murdered me;" but who is now more than just a little reluctant to cooperate, taking refuge, instead, behind an almost unbreakable rebel-against-society-facade, complete with peroxide hair, stud earrings and Attitude with a capital "A."
"Tooth and Nail" finally (originally titled "Wolfman," for the alias that police have given the subject of their hunt) takes Rebus to London, where he is to assist metro CID with the case of another serial killer, this one named for the bite marks he leaves on his victims' bodies. Not overly enthusiastic about his mission to the capital (and thus mirroring once more the feelings of Rankin himself, who did not much like living there, either, and "brought Rebus to London so he could suffer, too"), Rebus soon alienates his metro counterpart by his constant unwillingness to follow protocol, although the two men get along reasonably well on a personal level. Eventually, Rebus so seriously jeopardizes his and - by extension - Edinburgh CID's reputation with the Met that he is about to be recalled home, when he finally makes the crucial connection that unmasks the killer, just in time to save the young psychologist who has offered her help with the case and who is his latest love interest. (As befits a good noir detective, Rebus has a new flame in every book, not without incurring fresh scars from each separation, however.)
While this series had a terrific start already in its first three novels, published between 1987 and 1992, Rebus's character - and Rankin's writing - has evolved significantly over time. Thus, it is probably wise to read it in the order of publication. Contrary to the novels he wrote under the pseudonym Jack Harvey, however, and which he views much more critically in hindsight, Ian Rankin overall still seems to be happy with his early Rebus books, commenting: "I can't read them without thinking back to my own early years, my apprenticeship as a crime writer. Read and enjoy." I have nothing to add to that ...
Book Description
Where Colorado's border pushes against New Mexico, autumn is short. Rancher and tribal investigator Charlie Moon has fat cattle and a prowling cougar that demand his attention. He doesn't have the time to investigate the assault that killed hard-drinking limo driver, Billy Smoke, and put his boss, a U.S. Senator, in a wheelchair. But Moon has an obligation to the People, the Southern Utes, to look into the murder of one of their own. The FBI couldn't solve the case. Now Moon can walk the same paths and get to the same place. Or he can listen to his acid-tongued Aunt Daisy, a tribal shaman as well as a thorn in Moon's side. She insists a distraught red-haired girl is looking for Charlie. It may be about Billy Smoke's murder. Or-since this involves Aunt Daisy-the girl may be looking for a justice of her own.
Customer Reviews:
More than I bargained for.......2007-03-07
I hadn't been keeping up with the series for a while, but when I read Dead Soul I decided to return to the Charlie Moon books. Not only is this mystery dotted with gems of humor that made me laugh out loud, the ending is so unexpected that I was pleased by my total surprise. Doss is marvelous in his depiction of Charlie Moon's point of view, one full of earthy experience, mischief, wanting, and testosterone. Plus, the setting and vehicles are also contributing characters. My only nitpick is that I want to see more of Scott Paris.
Doss writes another winner in his Shaman series.......2006-06-14
Another in James D. Doss' Shaman series which began with The Shaman Sings in the mid 1990s. The series started off good and just keeps getting better. Doss marries a wry writing style with well-drawn characters, a clever story line and a fine understated humour. His setting is southern Colorado, a land of ranchers, wide spaces and capable country people both matukach (white) and Ute Native Americans.
The Shaman of the series, wise old Ute Daisy Perika, doesn't feature to the extent that she has in other books in the series but her contribution via dreams and premonitions is subtle and true. Her character is the stuff the series is built on. She is abrasive and annoying, and takes pleasure in being so, yet the writer has made her irascible while likeable and she is the character the reader will remember long after the rest are forgotten.
The story's central character is Charlie Moon, nephew of Daisy Perika and a Ute rancher and sometime policeman for his tribe. Charlie's major trouble in life is a mountain cat terrorising his ranch workers and cattle, until he is asked to find out who injured a U.S. Senator and at the same time killed Billy Smoke, the Senator's driver. The Senator, who runs the neighbouring ranch, has his own agenda and Charlie finds himself also involved in investigating a leak of damaging government information from the Senator's ranch.
Charlie finds himself often on the tricky side of guns and dangerous animals (both human and not). It makes for a rollicking and thoroughly enjoyable read.
No sex but some violence.
little contrived, but good read.......2005-02-28
i really like James D Doss, and Dead Soul is no exception. yes, the premise is a little contrived: from a red-headed girl who needs to talk to Charlie Moon, a Senator who has a problem that only Charlie can solve, investigating the murder of a tribal member, a motorcycle gang out to do Charlie in, and a possible new love. it all sounds ridiculous written here, but it works. it's not Shakespeare, but it's not supposed to be. try it; you'll like it.
For Us Living Here in the Middle World.......2004-10-13
I've been reading Doss's "Shaman" series since it first appeared in paperback, and it just keeps getting better and better. "Dead Soul" is the best of the series. As a stand-alone work, it is excellent.
I love the joking, sly, tongue-in-cheek diaglogs Charlie Moon has with the other characters. I can see myself carrying one a similar one with him, since I have do have dialogs like that often. I love Doss's unexpected (and non-PC) observations of life - the human carnivores eating the animal cracker herbivores; the poisonous look of junk food, followed by how good it tastes; how close we here in the Middle World actually are to the those other worlds, above and below and just other.
But especially, I love how Doss can get inside a person's head, to examine how faith, hope and belief continue to call to us, no matter how grounded we think we are in this, the workaday Middle World -- and that hearts that truly believe are the same, no matter how different the outer trappings of their belief systems may appear.
And all this with wonderful descriptions of the land of the Southern Utes -- both is this world and the other -- and with a murder mystery that, like one of Charlie Moon's dialogs, talks to us on one level, but leads us along to something completely different.
I will remember the feeling of this book long after I have forgotten the details of the mystery.
Are you kidding me?.......2004-07-11
I finally gave up reading this joke around page 200. Doss is an amateur writer who breaks all the conventions of good writing, not for effect but out of incompetence. He is melodramatic and has dialogue that is absolutely unnatural and unconvincing. Doss has accomplished one thing with his writing--he has made it possible to feel pain while reading. Who else can describe two men eating animal crackers as: "...when the animal cookies had been decimated by the pair of voracious carnivores"? Please.
Average customer rating:
- I wish my kitchen had this much soul...
- "Soul Kitchen" delivers the goods
- not good.
- Yum - YUM !!
- Well, the clock says it's time to close now...
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Soul Kitchen: A Novel
Poppy Z. Brite
Manufacturer: Three Rivers Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Prime: A Novel
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Liquor: A Novel
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D*U*C*K
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The Value of X
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The Devil You Know
ASIN: 0307237656
Release Date: 2006-07-25 |
Book Description
If you can't stand the heat...Get the hell out of New Orleans!
Liquor has become one of the hottest restaurants in town, thanks in part to chefs Rickey and G-man’s wildly creative, booze-laced food. At the tail end of a busy Mardi Gras, Milford Goodman walks into their kitchen—he’s spent the last ten years in Angola Prison for murdering his boss, a wealthy New Orleans restaurateur, but has recently been exonerated on new evidence and released. Rickey remembers him as an ingenious chef and hires him on the spot.
When a pill-pushing doctor and a Carnival scion talk Rickey into consulting at the restaurant they’re opening in one of the city’s “floating casinos,” Rickey recommends Milford for the head chef position and stays on to supervise. But soon Rickey finds himself medicating a kitchen injury with the doctor’s wares, and G-man grows tired of holding down the fort at Liquor alone. As the new restaurant moves toward its opening, Rickey learns that Milford’s past is inextricably linked with one of the project’s backers, a man whose intentions begin to seem more and more sinister.
Full of the flavor of one of America’s greatest cities, Soul Kitchen is a sharp commentary on race relations in pre-Katrina New Orleans and a fast ride through the dark side of haute cuisine.
Customer Reviews:
I wish my kitchen had this much soul..........2007-09-09
I have to admit. I'm new to Poppy. Having filled my teenage mind back in high school with the likes of King, Rice, and Koontz, I was hesitant to start at the beginning of Brite's collection back in the day when she was writing horror. Like Poppy, I'm past that and prefer something these days with a little more substance. Having come across her Live Journal, I soon learned that her story of John Rickey and Gary "G-man" Stubbs was the direction to take. I started with Soul Kitchen, and right from the start I was not disappointed.
I've visited New Orleans only twice in my life. Mardi Gras, 1995, and that story is a book in itself that many wayward (and stupid) tourists have experienced. I was reluctant to ever give New Orleans a good name while reliving my tale over dinner or at a local bar with friends. How unfair! I went back to New Orleans two years after that during the non-tourist season and was ashamed at all the eccentric and brilliant eateries and places I'd missed out on before. NOLA soon earned the place dear to my heart that it so much deserved like all the other Southern spots I adore.
Since that was ten years ago and the face of New Orleans has changed quite a bit since then, I cherished the taste and flare that Poppy Z treats us to deep in the food culture that brings New Orleans close to our heart (and our stomachs). The adventures of her two Chefs (who are also lovers) deep in the restaurant business definitely offers a lot more than any TV soap opera could provide. I couldn't get enough! The politics and mayhem that surround the kitchen, and the city itself, kept the pages turning.
Brite finished Soul Kitchen on the eve of Katrina, while also suffering from severe back pain. After finishing the last page of this book, my heart was right there with her. I immediately went back to 2005 and read entries into her journal. I wanted to know if what I was feeling was the same. She writes..."I get hung up on silly little things like whether I should write out the menu for the story's climactic dinner or just come up with the courses as I go along. (If it was Rickey and G-man cooking, I'd certainly make up the menu in advance... This scene needs to be really funny, and I just don't feel funny. I feel sore and mad and cotton-headed. I twist in my chair and hear the painkillers calling my name."
Each time a writer finishes a piece of work so brilliant and so personal, I believe a piece of them dies a little. They lose a part of themselves that's been kept bottled up inside, expelling the pain onto paper but twisting it into the words their readers embrace. Brite's recipe is no different. Luckily, she has cooked up several more endearing books in this series.
I'll definitely be having second helpings!
"Soul Kitchen" delivers the goods.......2007-09-09
Reading "Soul Kitchen," the third book in Poppy Z. Brite's series about chefs John Rickey and Gary "G-Man" Stubbs, is a little like having old friends over for a potluck. You know that having them over is going to be a treat, but you're not sure what they're going to bring. This time, the dish is a hefty serving of New Orleans racial and social politics dished up with a garnish of conjugal discord.
The initial scene, an argument that segues into a murder, lays the groundwork for the novel's chosen crime: the murder of a white restaurant owner by her black head chef, a man named Milford Goodman. From there it jumps ahead, with Rickey and G-man still running their restaurant, Liquor, after 3 years of success. A series of events, among them Rickey suffering a back injury that aggravates his already fierce temper, leads to one of Liquor's chefs quitting and Milford--an old friend of Rickey's, and newly released from jail--being hired to take his place. And Milford does more than take his place; he's a culinary genius who can recreate any dish he's tasted once.
Naturally, talent like Milford's doesn't go unnoticed. Rickey's doctor, a man named Lamotte who gives Rickey a seemingly endless supply of Vicodin, convinces him to join a business venture: a restaurant on a gambling riverboat called Soul Kitchen, which will offer "home cooking" from a variety of cuisines. While Rickey manages to do Milford yet another favor and have him hired as the chef, there's just one problem: Clancy Fairbairn, the new restaurant's bankroller with a dark reputation, is the man who Milford believes murdered his former employer. And Fairbairn has every reason to make sure Milford keeps quiet.
Suffice to say there's more to the story than the suspense. Brite gets in a solid dig at the homophobic atmosphere in New Orleans in a conflict between Milford and his sister; nor does she neglect the racism that pervades the city's class structure, which is taken as a matter of bitter fact by the staff of Liquor. And there's the food, not just that prepared by Liquor and Soul Kitchen, but also by Polonius, an upscale eatery run by a Dutch chef whose creations get more ludicrous and less appetizing with every mentioned course. (The fish sandwich gelee is a concept that one wishes had no basis in reality.) And lastly, Rickey's back injury and subsequent Vicodin addiction leave G-man vulnerable to the advances of a new staff member at Liquor. It may sound like a mess rather than a plot; however, like most stews, "Soul Kitchen"'s story is a lot more appetizing when it's consumed.
The ending of "Soul Kitchen" is bittersweet, as Rickey ends up swallowing his last Vicodin and quite a bit of his pride. But it's true to the characters, and wraps up with a fond look at Rickey and G-man. I would love to see another novel in this series; while the description of the food drives me to try to recreate it, my enjoyment of the characters is what keeps me coming back to these books.
not good........2007-08-21
ok i realize im the lone detractor out of 30 reviews, but ill be the bad guy... this book was bad. i live in new orleans and im a foodie, so i thought id get a kick out of it, but the writing was just too poor.
in the first few pages i thought it was going to be a trashy mystery novel, and i was cool w/ that. but then the author dropped the mystery angle. okay....so its a not a mystery novel, but its still trashy. whats she going for?
dialog -- atrocious. do you realize that Rickey never once calls G-Man, his life partner, by his name? its always "Hey, dude." "Yeah, dude?" "Dude!" between them. holy Bill & Ted! is that believable? is this how lovers talk? same w/ all the other char interactions..just stylized garbage (villain Lamotte to wait staff, redemption-man Milford to his boss, Chef Jaap to everyone, etc..)
characters -- completely flat to me, utterly void of depth. at the end i could care less about them or their set up problems because it was all fake, just couldnt believe they were real people. giving Rickey a chip on his shoulder isnt depth. Chef Jaap is the worst of the cutout characters, as his interactions are the most non-believable of any..no pro chef would talk to peers (and reputable ones at that) the way he did at the end. completely one-dimensional villain.
lastly...thru her characters & narrative voice, the author trashes molecular gastronomy. to any one who's never sampled it, MG sure sounds terrible. yet in the "Acknowledgments", she goes on to say basically, "Oh, even tho my MG descriptions are reminiscent of one of the best restaurants in Chicago and my narrative calls it crap, real MG is good!" uh, yeah. thanks for puttin in the good word there, appreciate it..
anyway. this extended short-story is a hack. but hey, its local.
Yum - YUM !!.......2007-03-24
Where do I start ?--- I first read "Exquisite Corpse" and thought:"Holy SHIA!- This one can write!-"But would I want to meet her on a dark night?" Read "The Value of X" and the next two Rickey and G-Man in one swell foop[!]and now I was hooked. She can write - and then some - and boy would I like to meet her now! The restaurant background has remained compulsively interesting through all three books and they are the best written and moving novels about a happy marriage that I have ever read - Claudia and David, eat your heart out! And then there's the suspense!! Will Rickey swallow his pride and get their indispensible Dessert Chef back into the fold? Will G-Man be unfaithful?[please God- no NO!]Will Rickey be able to bin the prescription drugs? Will they buy the fishing camp-ground? [Rickey!Rickey- Katrina's coming!!!] Can I wait for the next installment? Yes but impatiently. Finally: the book ends with an hilarious "Meshugga Cuisine" meal----and a stifled sob [from me]- just kidding! If you haven't read it already, try to start with "Value of X" but of course it's not essential to do so. Oh - and Poppy- I'm really not one of those fans who think they should be able to tell you what to write about, but -- I hope you get VERY Political in the next one -or the one after that -or the one after THAT. Love from Sussex!
Well, the clock says it's time to close now..........2007-01-24
It was the best of times it was the worst of times...for Chefs John Rickey, Gary Stubbs and the rest of the Liquor restaurant crew. As much as I love the deliciously entertaining earlier installments of Poppy Z. Brite's New Orlean's based foodie/murder mystery novels, I think SOUL KITCHEN is her finest effort in this series to date. More sinister in tone than even Liquor or Prime, SOUL KITCHEN's plate is full of rich, meaty, soul-twisting complexities that might go underappreciated if not allowed to dissolve slowly on the tongue. The personal integrity of each character is put to the test by a class/race/love war that rings from every page with eerily disturbing topical resonance. Some folks have criticized Brite for grafting too many flashbacks into SOUL KITCHEN'S narrative. However, since I have a memory more like a gerbil's than an elephant's, I found the flashbacks more useful than distracting. Wonderful book. Highly recommended.
Book Description
Alive and well despite the widely published accounts of her death, diva Irene Adler and her dashing husband Godfrey Norton are taking coffee with their friend Nell Huxleigh in a Parisian sidewalk café when a stranger dressed in Oriental garb falls at their feet. It is not Irene’s beauty that has felled him, but a dose of poison—and even more surprisingly, the friends learn as he recovers that he is an Englishman! The mysterious young man informs them that he is seeking a Dr. Watson who tended his wounds at the disastrous battle of Maiwand, a man whose life he says is now in mortal danger.
The hunt is on and their search will lead them to a command performance for the Empress of all the Russias and to Sarah Bernhardt, into a channel steamer and at last to the doorstep of 221 Baker Street, where they will discover deadly secrets both past and present.
Customer Reviews:
Reissue of Irene At Large.......2007-07-13
I loved this book, but just wanted to warn you that this is a reissue of the book "Irene At Large" with a different title. I bought it under both titles before I realized it was the same book.
Fun mysteries.......2007-01-20
I really liked this series of books. Sherlock Holmes has always annoyed me a bit, and I like the idea of a woman outwitting him. Irene Alder is a strong heroine and is easy to like. Penelope Huxleigh, the narrator, is not as easy to sympathize with, but she can be funny. The mysteries are interesting, exciting, and, for the most part, believable.
Average customer rating:
- Fantastic but grim
- Great from the first chapeter.
- Finally, a viewpoint we can relate to.
- Great for fans of Chuck Pahalniuk
- General thoughts on Matt Ruff
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Set This House in Order: A Romance of Souls
Matt Ruff
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 006095485X
Release Date: 2004-01-20 |
Book Description
Andy Gage was born in 1965 and murdered not long after by his stepfather. . . . It was no ordinary murder. Though the torture and abuse that killed him were real, Andy Gage's death wasn't. Only his soul actually died, and when it died, it broke in pieces. Then the pieces became souls in their own right, coinheritors of Andy Gage's life. . . .
While Andy deals with the outside world, more than a hundred other souls share an imaginary house inside Andy's head, struggling to maintain an orderly coexistence: Aaron, the father figure; Adam, the mischievous teenager; Jake, the frightened little boy; Aunt Sam, the artist; Seferis, the defender; and Gideon, who wants to get rid of Andy and the others and run things on his own.
Andy's new coworker, Penny Driver, is also a multiple personality, a fact that Penny is only partially aware of. When several of Penny's other souls ask Andy for help, Andy reluctantly agrees, setting in motion a chain of events that threatens to destroy the stability of the house. Now Andy and Penny must work together to uncover a terrible secret that Andy has been keeping . . . from himself.
Customer Reviews:
Fantastic but grim.......2007-06-20
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was sad, which made it difficult to read at times, but I liked it quite a bit. Also the local color of Seattle (I used to live there) was quite fun to reminisce through. While in Sewer, Gas, and Electric, Ruff made me laugh constantly, I was on the verge of tears a few times in this one. I don't believe people can actually have multiple personalities. Psychiatrists are divided on this, although I'm not a psychiatrist. But I still think it's a fascinating thing to read about in a novel. Although this book isn't fantasy, Matt Ruff is a fantasy writer, and I think it takes one to pull this idea off as well as he does in Set This House in Order.
Great from the first chapeter........2007-06-10
This is one of the few five stars I've given. I loved this book from the get-go. It is the character development, not plot that rules this novel. You can't help but love the main characters -- two MPD victims whose myriad of personalities all have relationships with each other. Fascinating, enjoying, and just plain good!
Finally, a viewpoint we can relate to........2007-05-23
Don't get me wrong - as a novel, this isn't the best book I've ever read. It's clear to me, at least, that Ruff's main purpose here is not to spin us through plot twists but to give us a portrayal of how life can be for a multiple. In fact, the sudden plot turn near the end feels somewhat contrived, as if he wrote it at the last minute out of a sudden fear that the main characters' lives and the interplay between them wasn't interesting enough.
Plot and craft weaknesses aside, though, this is one of the best books I've ever read about multiplicity. I can't possibly express how tiresome it is to read story after story of how "harrowing" and "horrifying" it is to be multiple, what a dreadful condition it is, what a nightmare all multiples' lives must certainly be, since we are, after all, "shattered," "broken," "destroyed" - pick an Adjective of Dread and I can guarantee our lives have been labeled with it. If we aren't written as cringing, manipulative victims of a terrible past, then we're murderers and serial killers With A Difference - and protests to the contrary go largely unheard in the vast, craggy face of the "conventional wisdom" that permeates the genre.
So hooray for Matt Ruff, who did extensive interviews and research among actual multiples who don't fit the stereotype pushed down society's throat - people who actually like being the way they are, regardless of how they got there.
So, what it comes down to is this: as fiction, the book's a decent read, unnecessary plot excitement aside. As a decently accurate alternative to the rest of the multiplicity-related schlock out there, it's one of the most progressive and refreshing books on the subject - fiction or nonfiction - that I've ever had the fortune to find.
Great for fans of Chuck Pahalniuk.......2007-03-26
Ruff seems to have that same twisted veiw of the world with the added bonus of being a better writer. This follows the intersecting lives of two people with DID (disassociative identity disorder), otherwise known as multiple personality disorder. Every other section is written from the others (and their other personality's) point of view. If you have the option, I would suggest reading the first one or two chapters at a book store to guage whether or not you would be truly interested. Personaly, I was hooked after the first two paragraphs. This after having sat on my book shelf for more than a year--I'm glad I finally picked it up.
One warning, I read Ruff's Sewer, Gas and Electric trilogy and loved them--if you have read them also, know that Set This House in Order is not similar in the least.
One of the best books I've read this year.
General thoughts on Matt Ruff.......2007-03-11
I can't add much to the other reviews, other than to say Matt Ruff is my favorite fiction writer. The term genius is bandied about far too often these days, but Matt Ruff is definitely a genius when it comes to writing.
Buy and read all of his works, tell your friends about him, someone so devoted to the craft deserves your support.
His prose is beautiful, but it is his vivid imagination in developing such fascinating stories that sets him apart.
Books:
- The Egoscue Method of Health Through Motion: Revolutionary Program That Lets You Rediscover the Body's Power to Rejuvenate It
- The Films in My Life
- The Fred Factor: How passion in your work and life can turn the ordinary into the extraordinary
- The House of the Vestals: The Investigations of Gordianus the Finder (Novels of Ancient Rome)
- The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre
- The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography (Oprah's Book Club)
- The Message of a Master
- The Motley Fool Investment Guide for Teens: 8 Steps to Having More Money Than Your Parents Ever Dreamed Of (Motley Fool)
- The Phenomenon of Life: The Nature of Order, Book 1 An Essay of the Art of Building and the Nature of the Universe (The Nature of Order, Book 1)
- The Pragmatic Programmer: From Journeyman to Master
Books Index
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