Book Description
In 1100, an English knight named was entrusted with a precious religious relic—a piece of the True Cross, allegedly stained with the blood of Christ. The relic is said to curse anyone who touches with a gruesome end as soon as it leaves their possession. Several decades pass, and the Cross turns up in the possession of a dealer who is robbed and murdered en route to Glastonbury. Investigating the death, Bernard Knight’s protagonist, Crowner John, learns of the relic’s dark history. In 1269, the discovery of a decapitated monk leads Ian Morson’s academic sleuth William Falconer to uncover a link to the relic, and in 1323, Michael Jecks’ Sir Baldwin Furnshill has reason to suspect the relic’s involvement in at least five violent deaths. Finally, the relic is dispatched to London, where it falls into the hands of an unscrupulous book dealer—and where Philip Gooden’s Nick Revill will determine its ultimate fate.
Customer Reviews:
An Rough Read.......2007-08-09
This book is very uneven and at times almost painful to read. I would have appreciated the author's names being listed with each short story. If I am understanding the layout correctly, it would appear that Susanna Gregory is the author of Act Four - the story that I found most tedious. This is surprising since I generally like what she writes under her Simon Beauford pseudonym. I would not recommend to other than the most dedicated mystery medieval history fans.
Unique Work.......2007-03-20
This is the first work in historical murder mystery I have ever seen with multiple authors writing on the same theme. While not all the authors meet the level of Jecks or Knight, the work as a whole still deserves 5 stars. You may not like parts of this "meal" but you won't leave hungry for a treat in murder mystery. It starts in one time period and ends ... well buy it and read it. They don't pay me, I purchase their works when not reading academic works, etc. I am also disabled veteran who needs a break from the other materials mentioned. It was my good fortune to find Jecks and Knight and now these other friends of theirs. There are too many writing "murder mystery" and getting away with their writing and folks like these not getting the credit due them.
Good Idea, but............2006-01-29
This was a good idea, to have several writers get together and work on a common theme. It has been done before and most of the ideas came off quite well. This particular book did not quite make the grade.
The basic story is a good one. A piece of the true cross with a curse attached to it as it from hand-to-hand during different periods. A short story from each of the authors covers each period. Unfortunately, some of the authors were not that good and the story as a whole suffered because of that.
The Medieval Murderers .......2005-06-26
'The Tainted Relic' is collaboration between the 'Medieval Murderers' collective of murder mystery writers (namely Simon Beaufort, Michael Jecks, Susanna Gregory, Bernard Knight, Ian Morson, Philip Gooden). The relic in question is (allegedly) a piece of the true cross taken from Jerusalem after the Second Crusade took the city in July 1100. The Crusaders' victory is marked by indiscriminate slaughter of Jews and Moslems living in the city, and the Arab guardian of this relic curses it after finding that the Crusaders have butchered his family and are about to cut him down. The relic brings death to those who possess it, and travels through the medieval timeline in England, encountering the different characters and eras which have been used by the Medieval Murderers in their respective novels. What makes this novel particularly interesting -apart from the joint author aspect- is that you can read it as a sequence of murder mysteries, or you can read it as a horror novel. Or perhaps on a more esoteric level,as a comment on the nature of Medieval Christendom, forever corrupted by the brutality of July 1100.
Book Description
In five interlinked chronological tales (and a prologue), a brilliant cast of medieval sleuths created by Michael Jecks, Susanna Gregory, Bernard Knight, Ian Morson, Philip Gooden, and Simon Beaufort, pursues the bloody mystery of a relic powerful and cursed a fragment of the True Cross.
Customer Reviews:
another great book.......2007-10-03
These authors are doing a great job with the stories. The story flows well from one author to the next.Great Job!!
Average customer rating:
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Tainted Relic
Bernard Knight
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000JZ6YF6 |
Average customer rating:
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Tainted Relic
Bernard Knight
Manufacturer: POCKET BOOKS (SIMO)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000K7X3V6 |
Customer Reviews:
A Romp on the Dark Side for Fans of Fantasy Horror.......2000-10-21
Domains of Dread takes TSR's popular gothic horror Ravenloft setting and gives it a new soul: an evil one, naturally. Imagine a city whose sewers materialized from another dimension, a heart-eating mummy who retains her beauty, or a lithe and limber Frankenstein's monster as lord over his own land, and you'll start to get an idea of the new and improved Ravenloft.
This expanded version of Ravenloft contains a much wider geography of the Demiplane of Dread, and for the first time includes the option for playing characters who are Ravenloft natives. Included is a chronology that sets all previous Ravenloft publications, whether novels, adventures, or accessories, into context as the history of the current campaign book. Earlier Ravenloft material is also tied in, item-by-item, to each description of a land, realm, island, or kingdom (called domains) and the lord of each region. Enough background is presented so that an inventive dungeon master can proceed from the material given, while those interested in the novels and available adventures may single out which products they may be interested in buying.
Domains introduces four new character classes (avenger, anchorite, gypsy, and arcanist) as well as one new race, the half-Vistani. All changes and effects pertaining to spells, items, and character traits in Ravenloft settings are included, along with special rules applying only to Ravenloft. New sections explain the rewritten fear, horror, and madness checks for characters. However, dungeon masters will find that some of the other Ravenloft products, particularly the Monstrous Compendiums, are necessary in order to use this campaign book.
The emphasis is, of course, on creepy: many of the characters and situations in Domains will be familiar from classical horror literature, with different names of course. Vampires and lycanthropes abound; Dr. Jekyll's spiritual brother is here; and Dr. Frankenstein, as Victor Mordenheim, seems to have acquired an unwanted empathic link with his creation. Other classic characters with a delicious horror twist appear here, such as a domain lord called "Pinocchio" who led his wooden brothers and sisters on a murderous rampage.
A "nice" romp on the dark side for fans of horror and things of the night.
--Sharon Daugherty for Skirmisher Online Gaming Magazine
Ravenloft DMs - your sanity is saved!.......2000-04-20
If you are a Ravenloft DM, this book will make your life MUCHeasier. Everything you'll need for quick reference in your game ishere and INDEXED (Yes, they finally made it easy to find what youneed!) I love this book and it's made my life much easier. Watch for the "Fear, Horror, Maddness check" sections - they've made them a bit separated for each class so that can muck you up a bit the first go-round, but it's TONS better than those 50 odd books from separate box sets. If you were considering buying all of those "accessories" forget it - this book covers nearly everything you could even need. Players do not really need any books for Ravenloft, and if your DM has this one you can borrow it for the rare times you may need it.
A great resource book.......2000-03-26
I collect Ravenloft stuff so I already had the first two boxed sets ("The Red Box & The Black Box") when I bought this book. DOD goes in to more detail on the various domains and offers a nice selection of player classes and races. The drawbaks that I have include the interior art and the repeating of some material from other sources. The interior art of earlier Ravenloft products is a bit more in tune with the Gothic setting than the art in DOD. I wish the would have included a nice map with the book. Overall, this is a great book for anyone looking to get into Ravenloft for the first time.
Dreadfully Groovy.......1999-12-30
I have always been interested in the Ravenloft campaign settings, but never much felt like buying each individual module just to have a good view of the Core. I picked up this book a couple of days ago and have not put it down since. This is a must buy for any D&D people who want to run a Ravenloft game, or even just for DM's who need ideas to add a touch of horror to their own games.
The Greatest Tool For a Gothic Horror Campaign.......1999-10-08
Though this book does restate a lot of what has already been set down in many boxed sets and modules, it is an invaluable guide, at the very least for condensation's sake. I'm a compendium person, myself, so I appreciate the value of an "all-in-one" source for the Demiplane of Dread. With an even half-experienced, half-talented DM, this, and some office supplies is all you need to run a long-lasting, fully enjoyable campaign. I strongly recommend purchasing one, along with some mechanical pencils, and a case of Jolt Cola. (Having had recent experience, this is the second best solution to a long evening of thunderstorms, power outages, and insomnia.)
Average customer rating:
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Domain of the Golden Dragon
Paul Downhour
Manufacturer: PublishAmerica
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Historical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 141371577X |
Average customer rating:
- No wait here!
- message from the author
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Dragon Domain
Theresa Chaze
Manufacturer: Pagefree Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Magic & Wizards | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:
-
Awakening the Dragon
ASIN: 1589614631 |
Customer Reviews:
No wait here!.......2006-08-01
Theresa Chaze has done what we all wish most authors would do: have part two (and three) of the Dragon Clan Triology already available!
No waiting and hoping here! What a treat! All three boooks are available and readers can go from the first to the last with the same incredible author as she continues to weave her tale of real life majick, adversity and yes--Dragon majick!
In book two we meet Celeste, Cheyenne and Jane--all possessing dragon power. We learn of how Celeste finds a young Cheyenne abandoned in the desert and how she took her in and raised her as her own. Years later, they befriend the successful Jane and a circle is complete.
Yet, disaster and tragedy loom in the form of an over zealous congregation that will stop at nothing to rid the "devils" from their midst and Dominic, the man from the past whose evil darkness is just as, if not more, threatening.
Rachel still stands among yet apart from them as we learn how the clans of Dragons mingle as more battles threaten hoped for tranquility and a place to call home in this continuing thriller of hatred, character development and majick.
A must read from this wonderful author!
Cate Cavanagh, author catecavanagh.net
message from the author.......2006-06-16
Theresa Chaze announces the release of the first two novels of her Dragon Clan series. In the style of Marion Zimmer Bradley and Mercedes Lackey, Theresa Chaze brings a new magic to fantasy fiction. Intertwining real magic with modern day life, she promotes her belief that all people can live together in peace as long as differences are respected and tolerance is paramount. In addition, her free ebook Sisters, Mothers, Daughters can be downloaded from her site at [...]. She is on the staff of Mystic Witch and has be been published in various ezines and magazines. She has been interviewed locally and on the national radio show, Dragon Page
To read excerpt her novels, Awakening the Dragon and Dragon Domain, please click on the links below. To download her free ebook, Sisters Mothers Daughters, and to receive her newsletter, go to her site at [...]
Product Description
The September 2004 issue of Dragon Magazine for Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 Edition includes an article updating the seven deadly sins as clerical domains with suggested deities for Greyhawk, Eberron, and Forgotten Realms.
Customer Reviews:
There is no better dragon-based book out there!!!.......1999-04-29
An emotional masterpiece that deals with the extinction of all the Faerie Folk and most importantly, the Dragons. This is a tale of survival and friendship. No other book can justify the beauty and nobility of the dragons.
A must for every dragon lover!.......1998-06-08
This is a very good book and a must for every dragon lover.The book moves along very well with a very good and interesting plot.The story is about a group of dragons trying to not become extinct while a nother group of bad dragons try to kill them.Plus there is a interesting part between the local towns people and the dragons.You can't put this book down once you start and the book has a few interesting surprises.
Book Description
FOR EVERYONE WHO STRUGGLES TO READ!
Clear, practical, science-based information and advice for successful results
One in five American children has trouble reading. But they are not stupid or lazy. In
Overcoming Dyslexia, Dr. Sally Shaywitz, codirector of the Yale Center for the Study of Learning and Attention and a leader in the new research into how the brain works, offers the latest information about reading problems and proven, practical techniques that, along with hard work and the right help, can enable anyone to overcome them. Here are the tools that parents and teachers need to help the dyslexic child, age by age, grade by grade, step by step.
--What dyslexia is and why some intelligent, gifted people read slowly and painfully
--How to identify dyslexia in preschoolers, schoolchildren, young adults, and adults
--How to find the best school and how to work productively with your child’s teacher
--Exercises to help children use the parts of the brain that control reading
--A 20-minute nightly home program to enhance reading
--The 150 most common problem words–a list that can give your child a head start
--Ways to raise and preserve a child’s self-esteem aqnd reveal his strengths
--Stories of successful men and women who are dyslexic
Customer Reviews:
Great resource for handling every aspect of dyslexia.......2007-10-05
This book is a wonderful way to learn what dyslexia is scientifically, the symptoms associated with it, and how to handle the disability. It is very straight forward, gives realistic suggestions and links to wonderful websites. Above all, it stresses the positive aspects of dyslexia and all a person with dyslexia CAN accomplish; which is everything! With this book I now consider myself an expert on the subject.
The book for people with Dyslexia.......2007-10-05
This is the best book for anyone that does not know about Dyslexia. Our son has been diagnosed with Dyslexia and we have given copies of this book out to all of his teachers every year. Just last year, his teacher said that after 20 years of teaching she didn't know of any children with Dyslexia in her class but after reading the book she can pick out at least 4.
Must-Have Resource.......2007-10-03
Dr. Shaywitz provides so much information that you won't want to just check this one out from the library--you'll want it for your bookshelf. It will be a well-used resource for many years!
Overcoming dyslexia requires a structured program..........2007-09-30
...because, as the author asserts, dyslexia does not remit spontaneously. That is, once you have it, it is yours, more or less, for life.
This assertion holds true only if dyslexic children do not receive a structured reading-phonics program, such as the one offered by Kumon centers across North America. (BTW, Kumon instructors never refer to "learning disability" or "dyslexia," but instead, to "struggling readers.") This program is one of daily practice for about 20 minutes, and has embedded the three components of successful anti-dyslexia programs: practice, sight vocabulary, and phonics/phonemic awareness.
Curiously, Dr. Shaywitz mentions U. of Oregon DIEBELS programs, but is not acquainted with Kumon, which has an equally broad reach across the country.
A Must Read for Parents, Educators and Rdg Teachers! .......2007-09-27
This was an amazing book. There IS hope if you or someone you know is dyslexic! This is an encouraging book that empowers you to take charge and help your child,student, yourself... become a stronger reader!
Dispells many myths about dyslexia and what it is.
Focuses on strategies and curriculum based on strong research.
Describes how the brain works when it comes to language... and how brain scans have shown "improvement" in areas of the brain (left lobes) that have been activated after effective reading strategies and programs have been implemented.
It is filled with lots and lots of specific, practical ideas, resources and information about how readers learn to read and how we can help children (and adults) who have difficulty reading. Although the title refers to dyslexia, it is a great book if you want to understand how the reading process works and what you can do as a parent/teacher/caregiver to help your child overcome dyslexia,to solidify your child's reading skills if they don't have dyslexia, or to get them off to a great start reading in the early years. There are also specific descriptions of which signs to look for EARLY ON to detect any reading difficulties or dyslexia and address them then.
I used many of the ideas in the text with my own daughter who is learning to read... and also with a few students I've worked with who struggle with reading. I was surprised to find that many of the descriptions in the book, of the kinds of errors that children with reading difficulties or dyslexia make, exactly described some of the things I was seeing with the children I worked with.
This is a book I borrowed from the library first, then knew, without a doubt, I had to buy and have for a reference again and again!
Book Description
The two popular volumes of Baking with Stevia I and Baking with Stevia II have been combined in this all-inclusive cookbook on preparing everything from desserts and baked goods to salads and shakes. Stevia is the perfect sweetner for anyone wanting to limit their intake of simple carbohydrates and calories, or would like to reduce their addiction to sugar..
Customer Reviews:
Best stevia cookbook...so far.......2006-08-11
I have been using stevia as my SOLE sugar replacement for just about a year now with the aid of several cookbooks to keep me going. I find it hard to use many recipes that ask for non-nutritive sweeteners because they usually happen to be low-carb, high-protein/fat, and animal products abound. My first breath of fresh air to this dilema was this book. It uses whole grain flours and provides many purely vegetarian (vegan) alternative recipes.
I have one issue with the book that leads to two problems, but I cannot seem to find a stevia cookbook that has risen above it yet. The author seems to be using a low quality of stevia, and chooses to remedy this with higher amounts of fat and calories to compensate. This is unfortunate because stevia's sweetness and bitterness varies with the brand and I have found that much of the optional fats and sugars in the recipes are unnecessary with a higher quality. However, this is easily remedied, and can be helpful when cooking for less adapted palates. (By the way, I am not a low-fat proponent by any means, so when I say this, I really do mean unnecessary)
Just as an FYI, some of my favorite brands of stevia (with regards to both price and taste) are KAL's brand of pure organic stevia extract, and NOW foods conventional stevia extract, in that order. KAL's seems to be a little bit stronger and less bitter than NOW's brand, but NOW's will definitely do the job.
My preferred cookbooks for stevia at the moment actually have little to do with stevia. They are the all fruit-sweetened dessert cookbooks on the market, either for toddlers or health-nut adults, that rely on fruit juice concentrates and fruit purees to sweeten desserts. I use these because the concentrate is easily replaced with an equal amount of water (or juice for flavor) and less concentrated purees (dates for apricots or applesauce), which can then be sweetened up the wazoo with stevia, or that is, to taste. The older, naturally sweetened hippie dessert books also come in handy, and I have foud that in baked goods, one cup of liquid sweetener (i.e. maple syrup etc...) can be readily replaced with equal parts applesauce and milk or water to make a cup, with a bit extra leavening agent to compensate the fruit's acidity. Also, if a recipe uses white flour and sugar, a direct replacement of whole grain flour and simply omitting the sugar works worderfully. The whole grain requires more liquid than the refined, so it works well by compensating for the omission of the dry sweeteners.
So if your looking for a bit of an intro to stevia, this will do the job, provided you look into a better tasting stevia than the ones recommended in the book (Sweet leaf and wisdom herbs brands, OK in tea...I guess I am spoiled). However, if you are looking into expanding your repotoire, I would recommend converting recipes from your older "naturally" sweetened recipes, I beleive you might be a bit more pleased.
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- Tried & True All Season Grilling & BBQ: Top 200 Recipes
- Winter of the Wolf Moon: A Mystery (An Alex McKnight Novel)
- Winterkill (Joe Pickett Novels)
- A Fine And Bitter Snow (A Kate Shugak Novel)
- A Grave Talent
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