Princess of Wands

Customer Reviews:

Great.......2007-03-09

Good work of present day good vs. evil sorcery. Better written and with more interesting characters than most in this field!

Christian Warrior Woman.......2007-02-10

Princess of Wands (2006) is the first Fantasy novel of a new series. Barbara Everette is a soccer mom, living in Algomo, Mississippi, with a husband, three kids and an SUV. She is a devout Christian, without being evangelical about it. Yet she also has lived in various nations around the world, has a Black Belt in an eclectic mix of martial arts, and carries a licensed H&K .45 automatic in her purse.

In this novel, Barbara loves her kids, but feels the need for some time away from them. She defers to her husband in everything, but has a way around direct confrontations. Mark is a couch potato, especially during the football season, and very unlikely to even notice that he is agreeing to something that he wouldn't condone if he was in his right mind. She asks for, and receives, permission to take a vacation.

Usually Barbara goes to Gulfport on these trips away from husband and kids, but this time she heads toward Louisiana. She follows her instincts away from New Orleans, which is currently plagued with a series killer called the Ripper, and heads off the freeway onto state roads. She ends up in a dark little town called Thibideau within bayou country.

The hotel is older than the nonexistent hills and doesn't even have locks on the stateroom doors. The bathroom is down the hall. There is no phone in the room or at the desk, but there is a payphone outside the Piggly Wiggly.

Barbara is warned not to go out on the streets at night, as the bull alligators wander through the town looking for mates. She spends the night in her room, with wedges holding the hall door tight against the frame. The next morning, she ventures out to continue her trek, but finds that her car won't start and no rentals are available. She is stranded in the town until a part is delivered and installed.

Detective Sergeant Kelly Lockhart of the New Orleans Police Department is working on the Ripper case. All the victims so far have been prostitutes, many of whom are professionally known to Kelly. There are no leads, but plenty of evidence. The FBI has been called in, but hasn't contributed anything to date, although they have lost a large scale found on one body.

Kelly develops a lead that takes him to Thibideau and meets Barbara. They have a mutual aversion to Chief Deputy Etienne Mondaine. The local sheriff had died a month before and Deputy Mondaine was now responsible for law enforcement within the county.

Augustus Germaine is an FBI consultant on Special Circumstances, i.e., the supernatural. He arrives in New Orleans after Kelly leaves for Thibideau. Germaine briefs Kelly's boss, Lieutenant Chimot, on their findings; there are definite indications of demonic manifestation in the Ripper murders.

In this story, Barbara and Kelly find that something supernatural has taken over the town. Chief Deputy Mondaine organizes an armed manhunt for the two of them. When his men capture Kelly and invade Barbara's hotel room, she escapes and evades the hunters and accidentally discovers Kelly's whereabouts.

The confrontations are violent and bloody, but the demon gets fried. Germaine arranges for Barbara's release from local detainment and later recruits her for a special demon-hunting group. The members of this group have a wide variety of religious convictions, but Christians are notably absent.

Her first assignment is at an SF convention. Someone has been ritually killing young women who have recently attended such conventions. In most cases, one writer -- K. Goldberg -- had also been present at these conventions. Barbara, the adept Janea and FBI agent Donahue are sent to the Virginia convention being attended by Goldberg.

This story is full of inside humor and twisted names. But some characters are probably not whom you think they are. Moreover, one of them is possessed by a demon.

This reviewer is rather appalled by Barbara's subservient attitude toward her husband. Few Christian denominations nowadays expect their women to subordinate themselves to their husbands, but there are some fundamentalist groups that have such attitudes. After all, Paul -- writer of the New Testament book of Romans from which such churches mostly get their misogynist views -- did himself appoint several women to positions -- church bishops -- with authority over both men and women.

Then I realized that this is the first volume of a series. There will be plenty of time for Barbara to develop her character. With her take charge attitude, Mark better learn to listen and make notes after Barbara fully matures in her religion.

Highly recommended for Ringo fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of desperate struggles, demonic terror and Christian warriors.

-Arthur W. Jordin

Wonderful Action and entertainment!.......2006-11-10

The book was very entertaining. The character development was well done and I look forward to future series releases.

Omen meets Lives of the Saints.......2006-05-31

This is a good story - excellent in its first segment, and not as good, but still interesting in its later stages. A Christian wife and mother finds herself caught up in a fight against a diabolic manifestation. She triumphs, and becomes part of an "inter-faith" team fighting the forces of supernatural evil in the world. Not as preachy (John Ringo's recent books have been pushing the political line of right-wing republican views fairly strongly) and entertaining, but John has done better. Hopefully there will be a sequel which will be better.

Ringo's Lighter Side.......2006-05-08

I have read all of Ringo's other books and was suprised with this one. I like it though, good against evil is always a good plot. I also like his play on SciFi authors names. If you read a lot of SciFi/Fantasy you will be able to pick out the authors that he has mentioned or used as characters but with a slightly different name.

My Little Pony: The Pony Princesses with Other (Play-A-Sound)

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My Little Pony: The Pony Princesses with Other (Play-A-Sound)

Manufacturer: Publications International
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Princess Wand Bonus Book - Once Upon a Time

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Princess Wand Bonus Book - Once Upon a Time

Manufacturer: Modern Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0766624501

Disney Princess Magic Moments (Magic Wand Sound)

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Disney Princess Magic Moments (Magic Wand Sound)

Manufacturer: Pi Kids
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1412787335

Book Description

For nearly fifty years, Edgar Rice Burroughs's last Tarzan manuscript lay untouched and unfinished, locked away in a vault. It was the stuff of legend until, finally, the magnificent tale was completed with the help of award-winning author Joe R. Lansdale.

Once again the roar of Tarzan resounds through Africa as the Lord of the Jungle battles the savage creatures of the wild and helps a beautiful woman search for ancient Ur, lost city of gold. But Tarzan discovers they aren't alone in their quest. For evil follows in his path, and terror awaits him and his fierce lion Jad-bal-ja in Ur, where incredible treasures lie and horrors even more awesome hunger to destroy the mighty hero.

Customer Reviews:

better left as a fragment.......2006-01-03

First, let me say I like Lansdale's other work, and I respect his clear love for Burroughs' characters. Still, he was not the author to finish Burroughs' final Tarzan novel--if anyone was. Much as with that other pulp-era barbarian, Conan, Tarzan is at his best when handled only by his creator. For anyone else to write a Tarzan novel--even one begun by Burroughs himself--is the equivalent of invading a man's home and sleeping with his wife: It's just wrong. For the most part, the story's a by-the-numbers Tarzan novel without the sexually charged tension of Tarzan's encounters with La or Nemone or the breathtaking pace of Burroughs' midperiod Tarzan adventures. As conceived by Lansdale, Ur is a moderately interesting city, though a bit dark for a Burroughs novel. Also, Lansdale cheats us of the seemingly promised confrontation between Tarzan and the giant king of Ur, while the language Tarzan uses is out of line with Burroughs' creation. Finally, having Tarzan meekly submit to Fate and walk to Pellucidar is something the Burroughsian Ape-man would never do. Overall, while this book is a noble effort, it falls short on too many levels to be really worth the effort other than as a curiosity.

Worst Tarzan book I've ever read!.......2005-11-21

A note to real Tarzan fans: DO NOT bother reading the last Tarzan book, the missing manuscript finalized by Joe Lansdale. The book is really awful, it has totally lost the Burroughs original touch and feel. I was SOOO disappointed after reading the book that I was really furious. It was hard to recognize this Tarzan as the same person Burroughs was writing about. You have been warned!

Good Effort, But Not Quite ERB.......2004-01-20

I did not necessarily have high hopes for this book. As a pre-teen and teenager I was in love with the writing of Burroughs and Robert E. Howard, as well as their most famous characters, Tarzan and Conan, respectively. And I have had a lot of respect for the company controlling Burroughs's copyrights for not dumping a lot of Tarzan pastiches on the marketplace as has happened with Conan. But having watched hack after hack literally destroy Conan, my expectations for this book were fairly low.

Fortunately, I was somewhat surprised. While it definitely lacks Burroughs's tone in many places, it's relatively true to the original character. Lansdale appears to be a decent enough writer and I think he has a lot of respect for the Tarzan mythos. He wisely introduces one of my favorite characters into the storyline, Jad-Bal-Ja (the golden lion), but I ultimately wasn't overly impressed with what I considered the science fiction aspects of the story, e.g., the bug-like monster.

Not that Burroughs didn't frequently troll the waters of science fiction in Tarzan, it just seemed to lack a degree of originality. The downer ending was also something of an oddity. Admittedly, "Tarzan of the Apes," the one that started it all, had a downer ending, but for the most Burroughs generally wrapped up his Tarzan stories with a semblance of "everything is now right in the world." Okay, so maybe I'm being picky.

I do recommend this book. It is an entertaining read and is never boring. I guess anyone who tries to pick up where my favorite authors left off is usually going to face some negative criticism.

Boring, this one is not worth the time........2000-11-08

Same old sceanrio in a Tarzan story, spend your valuable time reading the earlier books in the series, you'll be happy you did!

Should have picked another writer to finish it.......1999-11-21

I eagerly awaited this book for about 15 years, ever since I learned that there was an unfinished Tarzan story by Burroughs, but I was quite disappointed by what was done with ERB's manuscript. Compare Lansdale's version with the synopsis of ERB's 80 page manuscript in the appendix to the Porges biography of ERB. Lansdale really butchered many elements already worked out by ERB. I understand it's very hard to match the quality of ERB's storytelling, and I don't like to overly criticize people, but it doesn't seem that Lansdale even tried to write a decent book. It reads to me like a hack job, with little regard for style or the character created by ERB. For example, would ERB have written "Keep your mind off the loincloth, dear?" I don't think so. Nor is ERB's Tarzan a braggart. His character is existential. But not so existential that he would just give up on Jane and enter Pellucidar. In the Dark Horse 4 part serial version of this book, there are so many errors as to believe that Lansdale was half asleep when he wrote this. For example, there are characters in certain scenes which are actually someplace else in Africa in a different part of the storyline. Tell me Lansdale didn't just write this book as quickly as he could. As for the reviewer who criticised ERB's supposedly dense style and praised Lansdale's stilted 3 word sentences and then said, "Well, I've read all the Tarzan, Barzoom, and Pellucidar novels at least twice, so I guess I'm well-informed also"... All I can respond to that is, if you've read Burroughs' Mars books so many times, why don't you know how to spell Barsoom? And one more thing, ERB's style is elegant, the thing which makes his stories immortal. Philip Jose Farmer should have been given the chance to finish ERB's last Tarzan novel (I'm not referring to his Tarzan pastiches A Feast Unknown and Lord of the Trees, which were meant to be humorous, not true adaptions of ERB's character). At least he understands the character better (read THE DARK HEART OF TIME for an example of this). This book gets 2 stars, not for Lansdale's efforts or lack thereof, but because of the occasional glimpse of a paragraph penned by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the Master of Adventure.

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TARZAN - The Lost Adventure
Edgar Rice (with Joe R. Lansdale) Burroughs
Manufacturer: Dark Horse Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GVS9ZG

Tarzan 2 in 1 (Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle & Tarzan and The Lost Empire)

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Two "Lost World" Tarzan Novels -- Fun to Read . . . .

Tarzan 2 in 1 (Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle & Tarzan and The Lost Empire)
Edgar Rice Burroughs
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0345413474
Release Date: 1997-05-28

Book Description

TARZAN, LORD OF THE JUNGLE
When slave traders and safari hunters invade Tarzan's jungle kingdom, the mighty ape-man is caught up in a perilous quest for the lost Leopard City of Nimmr, a treasure land of amazing wealth. But Tarzan's cunning enemies vow his destruction, and the fabulous metropolis in the Forbidden Valley holds its own horrors of medieval mortal combat . . .

TARZAN AND THE LOST EMPIRE
While searching for a missing scholar in the treacherous Wiramwazi Mountains, Tarzan is captured by an ancient tribe of the centuries-dead Roman Empire. In this dangerous throwback to Caesar's brutal regime, Tarzan must triumph over cruel emperors, skilled gladiators, and blood-hungry lions--or he will never taste freedom again . . .

Customer Reviews:

Two "Lost World" Tarzan Novels -- Fun to Read . . . ........1999-05-07

The only problem with pairing these two Tarzan titles is that they are too similar.

Both involve lost kingdoms, one medieval and the other Roman.

Both involve two warring cities or kingdoms at opposite ends of a valley, and the strife between them.

Both involve "gosh & golly" that enduring civilizations from the distant past still live on in Africa.

However, this is not intended as sarcasm or criticism. These are each in their way excellent stories. Tarzan, particularly in "Lost Empire" shows a lot of knowledge and research of ancient Rome.

One of Tarzan's most sympathetic roles is as the rescuer of friendless, lovely females, and he has his hands full in fulfilling this mission in each of these novels. He also becomes the defender of the downtrodden.

Descriptions are good, and in each book Burroughs sets out to create -- chapter after chapter -- living, imaginary worlds peopled with interesting characters. Of course, they are either wonderfully good, or diabolically evil, but that's typical of Burroughs.

The little money Nkima shows up again-- he's always a fun character.

Alas, Burroughs does have a bad habit of going back to formulaic plots and re-creating them. Usually the details, characters, and descriptions are interesting enough that we don't resent this rather unimaginative trait.

However, these two novels are so close in plot, I'd recommend readers buy the pair, read one, and then go back to read the second after some intervening books have been read.

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Super Reader

This time Tarzan finds a couple of lost Roman cities
Tarzan and the lost empire
Edgar Rice Burroughs
Manufacturer: Ace
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books | Classics | Comic | Contemporary | Literary
Similar Items:

Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle (Tarzan Novels, No. 11)

Tarzan's Quest (Tarzan Series #19)

Tarzan and the Leopard Men (Tarzan)

Tarzan the Magnificent: (#21) (Tarzan)

Tarzan and the Foreign Legion (Tarzan Series #22)

ASIN: B00087DKU2

Customer Reviews:

Super Reader.......2007-08-04

This adventure into a small lost civilisation of the past is a lot more fun than Lord of the Jungle. Tarzan is much more the focal character in this book, rather than a sideline character, so that helps.

Running around with his simian sidekick provides some comic relief, as he comes up against a couple of tinpot Caesars, manhandles one, overcomes in the arena, survives a siege, and topples some government.

Definitely entertaining.

"He rose from the throne and raised his hand for silence. The hum of voices ceased. "Caesar is dead, but upon someone of you must fall the
mantle of Caesar."

"Long live Tarzan! Long live the new Caesar!" cried one of the gladiators, and instantly every Sanguinarian in the room took up the cry."

Tarzan doesn't really fancy the job, so makes a suggestion that one of his martial Roman friends would fill the void nicely.

This time Tarzan finds a couple of lost Roman cities.......2003-03-01

"Tarzan and the Lost Empire" is a typical Edgar Rice Burroughs story about the Lord of the Jungle where somebody disappears and Tarzan goes off into some uncharted part of Africa to rescue them from a lost city. This basic plot describes most Tarzan novels starting with the lost Atlantis colony of Opar in "The Return of Tarzan." What makes "Tarzan and the Lost Empire" rather different from the rest is that the lost city this time around happens to be a couple of outposts from the Roman Empire, still up and running almost two thousand years later.

The person who needs to be rescued in this 12th Tarzan novel is Erich von Harben, the son of a German medical missionary who is one of the Ape Man's old friends. Tarzan tracks Erich to a lost valley where he discovers the Roman outposts. Castra Sanguinarius is ruled by Sublatus, the cruel Emperor of the West, while Castrum Mare is ruled by the tyrant Validus Augustus, the Emperor of the East. Of course Tarzan ends up in the arena of Castra Sanguinarius fighting for his life, while young Erich faces a similar fate in the arena of Castrum Mare. the ape-man was seeking to rescue him. This is standard ERB fare but the idea that all Roman outposts set up despotic emperors is laying it on a bit thick. Still, there are a few noble Romans running around for Tarzan to bond with during this adventure.

Burroughs did write a few historical adventures along with those set on exotic worlds or lost lands, so it would have been interesting to see him do a tale set in Ancient Rome, but this was as close as he got. As always with these pot-boilers, the principle is that the less of them you have read the more likely you are to be impressed by this one (and visa versa).

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Tarzan The Lost Adventure
Edgar Rice and Joe Lansdale Burroughs
Manufacturer: Milwaukie, OR Dark Horse 1995.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000H5CBLO

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Tarzan the Lost Adventure #2 (Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan, 1)

Manufacturer: Dark Horse Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Comic
ASIN: B000C2JCKK

Product Description

February, 1995. Cover by Arthur Suydam. Book two of four.

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Tarzan the Lost Adventure #4 (Volume 1)
Edgar Rice Burroughs
Manufacturer: Dark Horse Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Comic
ASIN: B000KB08OC

Product Description

Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan the Lost Adventure #4. April 1995.

Tarzan Volume Six: Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle & Tarzan and the Lost Empire

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Tarzan Volume Six: Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle & Tarzan and the Lost Empire
Edgar, Rice Burroughs
Manufacturer: Leonaur Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1846772982

Book Description

Join Lord Greystoke-who is also the famous 'Ape-man'-in the aptly named 'Tarzan,Lord of the Jungle'-his 11th adventure-cruel slave traders have invaded Tarzan's jungle. In the meantime Tarzan must travel deep into unknown lands in search of a lost American. Soon both he and the slavers find themselves drawn to a hidden world still occupied by the Knights Templar who continue their Holy Crusades. Tarzan finds himself involved in this medieval life complete with jousting and combat with sword and shield. But the slavers too are coming closer. In the 12th Tarzan adventure 'Tarzan and the Lost Empire', Tarzan stumbles onto another vestige of times past in the form of the two remaining outposts of the ancient Roman Empire secreted in a hidden valley. Tarzan battles cruelty and plots to kill him against a race to save an innocent man from death in the arena. Edgar Rice Burroughs delivers once again classic adventure in the form of his most famous character, in a Leonaur series that will be a delight for both enthusiasts and new converts alike.

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Tarzan: The Lost Adventure, Book One
EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS
Manufacturer: DARK HORSE COMICS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000N2I73M

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Tarzan: The Lost Adventure, Book Two
EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS
Manufacturer: DARK HORSE COMICS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000N2D098

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Tagging Along to the Future

A First Rate Sci Fi Tale

Not Free SF Reader

Classic Space Opera - Superb Plot, Dialogue, Imagination

A unique take on a classic theme

Pushing Ice
Alastair Reynolds
Manufacturer: Ace Hardcover
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Glasshouse

Old Man's War

ASIN: B000NA1XV2

Book Description

2057. Bella Lind and the crew of her nuclear-powered ship, the Rockhopper, push ice. They mine comets. But nothing can prepare them for the surprises in store when Janus, one of Saturn's ice moons, spins out of control.

Customer Reviews:

Tagging Along to the Future.......2007-09-28

Pushing Ice (2005) is a standalone SF novel. In the far future, eighteen millennia from now, some descendents of the Terran species were trying to establish a suitable memorial for their political organization. Some suggested a fountain or other public work. Chromis Pasqueflower Bowerbird proposed sending messages to the Benefactor, wherever she might be, by scattering artifacts to all possible locations.

In this novel, Bella Lind is Captain and manager of the Rockhopper, a comet chaser owned by Deepshaft Corporation. She has called a special meeting of her top staff to discuss a new assignment from corporate headquarters. The United Economic Entities has requested that the company send the ship to chase Janus.

The former moon of Saturn has left orbit and is accelerating out of the system, Its trajectory indicates that it is heading toward Spica. Synthetic aperture images suggest the presence of a very large Structure in that system.

Rockhopper is the only vessel capable to intersecting with the former moon. At the most, it would only have enough fuel to follow the moon for five days before decelerating and returning to the inner planets. The UEE is convinced that this effort could pay off big in new scientific paradigms.

Svetlana Bardeghian is head of the engineering staff on the Rockhopper. She becomes suspicious about the fuel supply after noticing a glitch in the monitoring equipment. She checks the onboard message buffers and finds a discrepancy. Apparently Deepshaft is manipulating the data and lying to the Rockhopper crew about the available fuel.

Svetlana takes this information to her boss, but Bella insists on checking back with headquarters. Naturally, the suits suggest that Svetlana has gone loopy and ask that the buffer data be rechecked. When that data confirms the earlier corporate statements, Bella puts Svetlana under house arrest.

Then Janus changes its propulsive mode once it is far enough from the Solar System. Now it is using some sort of frameshift drive and dragging Rockhopper along in its slipstream. They are going to Spica unless they decelerate out of its frame.

In this story, Bella begins to believe Svetlana and decides to tag along with Janus rather than risking the return attempt. Craig Schrope -- the new second in command -- leads a mutiny against Bella in order to return the ship to its owners. Then another crewmember turns the tables on the mutineers and restores Bella as commander.

Janus is actually a large machine camouflaged as an ice moon. During its flight, the ice melts or falls away from the bow surface, exposing large machines, lava rivers and other inexplicable artifacts. The crew members land the Rockhopper in an excavated cradle on the ice at the stern and build a hamlet around it.

Traveling at almost the speed of light, Janus will take about thirteen shipboard years to reach the Structure at Spica. Yet the moon doesn't decelerate when they get close. Instead, it builds a shell completely around the moon.

Shortly after they should have reached the Structure, seismic sensors record a shock toward the stern of the moon. Afterward, alien things appear to many of the crew in the vicinity of the seismic event. Several searches of the area are made, but nothing is found until a lander overflies the area.

A circular piece is discovered on the ice within a shallow crater. The thing seems to be inert. Searching the shell above the crater, they find a hole to the outside. Apparently someone, or something, has cut their way into the shell.

This story tells of the factions on Janus and their efforts to survive. Some of the machinery is adapted to generate power, but strange things happen to people within the machinery. Although they make themselves comfortable, tension becomes a way of life.

After the aliens arrive, the Rockhopper crew begins to learn more about their surroundings. The Fountainheads are not the only aliens within the Structure. Then Bella touches an ancient artifact and the image of Chromis Pasqueflower Bowerbird appears before her as a hallucination. Her worldview has to undergo another change.

The tale is enthralling most of the time, but the emotional reactions of the crew can drive the reader to distraction. Several times I had to put down the book and do other activities for a while. It was well worth the reading, but it was aggravating at times.

Recommended for Reynolds fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of the far future, alien cultures, and human politics.

-Arthur W. Jordin

A First Rate Sci Fi Tale.......2007-09-18

When I saw "Pushing Ice" in the bargain bin, I almost passed it up. I was not an Alistair Reynolds fan; the only novel I'd read had left me unimpressed. Still, for a few bucks, I gave it a shot. Am I ever glad that I did! "Pushing Ice" is a first-rate piece of science fiction, and I am now officially on the Reynolds bandwagon.

The story follows the crew of the Rockhopper, a late 21st century comet-mining ship. On a routine mission, they are ordered to abandon operations and set a course to rendezvous with Janus, a moon of Saturn that has mysteriously broken orbit and begun accelerating toward the star Spica. The crew struggle against time and betrayal to reach the fleeing moon, now revealed to be an alien artifact of immense size and power. When the ship gets caught in Janus' spacetime wake, they face a life-or-death choice: do they make a desperate attempt to return home, or are they stuck riding Janus on its interstellar voyage? The rest of the book follows the group as they live through the consequences of their decision.

"Pushing Ice" has a bit of everything for the sci fi fan. There is a near-future spacecraft with a plucky, likable crew. There is political intrigue and a fight to survive against the odds. There is an archaeological mystery to solve; and a bevy of cool, well-developed alien cultures. The characters have personality and depth, and the world is portrayed in enough detail to give it a gritty, lived-in feel.

Though the plot seems a bit hokey at first, Reynolds makes it plausible by focusing on the concerns of the ship's crew. We follow events through the eyes of Bella and Svetlana, two headstrong women who wrestle for leadership of the group. The book is as much about their tortured relationship as it is about aliens and space travel. This provides the story with a human framework that makes the weird happenings on Janus somehow more believable.

There were times where the action lulled, but overall, "Pushing Ice" is a balanced, well-crafted tale. The ending left many questions unanswered, and the world is rich enough for several sequels. I look forward to reading more.

Not Free SF Reader.......2007-09-03

Apart from a reasonably length prologue, there is far more of the straight new future action-spaceship in trouble type book here. However, given that this is Reynolds writing, you know it won't stay like that. He then diverts a little into Greg Bear's Eon, to a degree, but, of course, the situation is probably even nastier. Excellent work again. Reynolds is still an author I will be happy enough to pay the outrageous prices books have got to these days, to own. With a growing body of work he has not let me down once.

Classic Space Opera - Superb Plot, Dialogue, Imagination.......2007-08-13

PUSHING ICE is a near-perfect science fiction space opera. Notice the operative words "near-perfect". My only complaints (small) are the title (mundane), the reference to contemporary themes, music & films (a common problem in sci-fi literature)and the sometimes confusing description of movement within structures (..."turning right down the gray encarpment was a low shiny mound veering outward, one arm leading to a low rampthat beneath a 3 km high dome with radiating swirls of paths that circled behind the second pathway.....") Alastair Reynolds has found his niche with this type of book and that is fortunate. There are not many tales this long that can hold your interest and retain suspense. Once again, the genius is the backflash (a common but commonly misused practice). In this case, the novel opens at a meeting of a Galactic Congress 18,000 years in the future. One politicians wants to honor the "Benefactor", an almoast mythical woman who somehow gave birth to a jump in technological progress. In fact they have her DNA and have recorded her voice which is played to the hushed gathering..."I'm Bella Lind...and you're watching CNN." I was hooked.

The story has been told and retold but Reynods is, if nothing else, a master storyteller and in his hands the saga becomes a new creature. A mining ship is ordered to follow Janus, a moon of Saturn that has suddenly departed from its orbit. Of course it is an alien vessel bound for a distant enormous tube-like structure (several solar systems could fit inside) that is divided into sections. The real story, as in all Reynold's novels, resides in the human relationships. Here, it is the story of two strong women - Bella, the captain and Svetlana, head engineer. Along the way there is a mutiny, end of friendship, murder, and First Contact.

Each First Contact story approaches the idea from a different point of view and this is no exception. Like CONTACT, the galaxy is rife with intelligent life but the mystery is why they have not colonized the entire galaxy by now. Throwing a monkey wrench into the action is the politician mentioned in the prologue. She has pushed for the idea of sending an object back in time as a gift for the benefactor. Of course one is discovered and used....but that's enough - read the book.

A+ for dialogue, characterization (particularly the minor ones that in many books appear and vanish), originality, story and resolution. Many times when male authors attempt a heroine, the result is not satisfactory but in this case, the author attempted not only one but two major heroines and the effort seemed flawless. Great Book.

A unique take on a classic theme.......2007-08-13

I really enjoyed this book with the exception that the story was slightly disjointed at times. There are sudden jumps in the story and one in particular in which a large chunk of plot seems to suddenly go missing. Aside from these short comings, however, The science & plot work well together. The characters are reasonably complex & the universe captivating.

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Pushing Ice
Alastair Reynolds
Manufacturer: Ace Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000UHP1GQ

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Pushing Ice
Alastair Reynolds
Manufacturer: Easton Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound
ASIN: B000KWDVVI

Product Description

Signed by author. Brand new! LEATHER BOUND book accented in 22kt gold!

Book Description

Descubra a Betty Crocker—¡con su primer libro de cocina bilingüe!

Usted encontrará 125 recetas favoritas de todos los tiempos, en espa¿ol y en inglés, con grandes ideas para las comidas diarias. Pollo Frito al Horno, Macarrones con Queso o Pastel de Manzana—ahora es fácil preparar platillos como éstos en su propia cocina. En cada paso le guiarán instrucciones claras y sencillas y consejos oportunos, y 46 fotos a color condimentarán el libro con imágenes tentadoras de los platillos terminados. Pronto, estas recetas se convertirán en las favoritas de su familia.

Durante generaciones, las familias han recurrido a Betty Crocker para encontrar recetas confiables que son deliciosas y fáciles de preparar. Por lo tanto, si está buscando una fuente de información donde encuentre una y otra vez platillos deliciosos que le encantarán a su familia, ha venido al lugar correcto—¡Cocina Betty Crocker!

Para más grandiosas ideas visite BettyCrocker.com

Discover Betty Crocker—with her first bilingual cookbook!

You'll find 125 all-time American favorite recipes in both Spanish and English, with great ideas for everyday meals. Oven-Fried Chicken, Macaroni and Cheese or Apple Pie—now it's easy to make dishes like these in your own kitchen. Clear, easy-to-follow directions and helpful tips will guide you through every step, and 46 color photos spice up the book with a tempting peek at the finished dishes. Soon these recipes will become your family's favorites.

For generations, families have turned to Betty Crocker for trusted recipes that are delicious and simple to make. So if you are looking for a cookbook to turn to again and again for recipes your family will love, you've come to the right place—Cocina Betty Crocker!

For more great ideas visit Betty Crocker.com

Customer Reviews:

Nada que ver con la misma version en ingles.......2006-12-17

Esta version en ambos idiomas es muy pobre, le faltan muchas recetas y fotografias en comparacion con el original en ingles y hasta tiene partes que se les olvido traducir. Muy limitado

good basic recipes.......2006-11-10

This version of the BC cookbook is limited to the most basic recipes. Not appropriate for accomplished cooks. Nice as gift for Spanish speaking individual who wants to learn very basic American cooking style.

Cocina Betty Crocker.......2005-11-20

Just got this book for my grand daughter-in-law. Looked through it and it looks just great.I think she will love it!
Gramma in California

superchefblog wonders: what does this cookbook portend?.......2005-09-12

Recipe-wise, a Betty Crocker cookbook delivers a very standard, reliable book -- but superchefblog wonders: who was the book's intended audience, what does that targeted audience mean, and what does the cookbook overall portend?

To read more, visit: http://www.superchefblog.com/2005/09/cocina-betty-crocker-portent.html

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