Deceptions (Laws of the Blood, Book 4)

Book Description

Olympias has long reigned as the Enforcer of Washington, DC, but now her devoted human servant is questioning her command. With no allies, Olympias must stand-alone against those bent on her destruction-no matter the personal cost.

Customer Reviews:

An attempted coup in Washington - vampire-style.......2004-04-16

Deceptions is a wonderfully entertaining novel, in many ways the best of the first four books in Susan Sizemore's Laws of the Blood series, yet there a few aspects of the story that weaken it a little bit, in my own estimation. I actually think the author had a little too much fun writing such an obviously crowd-pleasing novel, and this led her to extend the magic of coincidence just a little too far. There is more than enough exciting action to be found in these pages to make up for any flaws, however.

Deceptions takes us to Washington, D.C., always a dangerous place. This turf belongs to Olympias, ancient vampire and exceedingly powerful Enforcer of the laws; not only does she have to keep the local population of blood-suckers at bay, she has the added task of making sure no one in the government learns about the actual existence of her kind. After centuries of exercising vast power, she has begun to slip a little, entrusting a lot of authority (not to mention work) to her slaves, especially her secretarial slave Sara. Olympias has chosen a bad time to start nodding at the wheel because Roger Bentencourt, the Companion of a local vampire, is bent on revenge and the acquisition of power without having to wait around for his eventual transformation from vampire's Companion to actual vampire. Bentencourt sets in motion a plan to turn the local nests against Olympias, culminating in what should be unthinkable - usurping her power and replacing her with one of their own (one whom Bentencourt knows he can manipulate and control). Olympias indirectly plays into the usurper's hands by ordering all of the nests out of the territory and seemingly stealing a young fledgling's chosen mate. Bentencourt is slick, gaining influence over members of Olympias' own slave nest as well as some special humans who enter the picture. Michael Falconer leads a group of Watchers (men and women who practice something akin to remote viewing), and Falconer finds himself in the middle of a vampire mess when a young vampire seeks to make him her Companion, after which point Olympias takes a very strong interest in him. The inclusion of the Watchers into the story adds a new and fresh element to events that works quite well. As if all of this isn't distraction enough for Olympias, the presence of a suicidal vampire makes things even more interesting.

There is a lot of exciting action throughout this book, and several nice touches that play well and add originality to Sizemore's vision. I just thought there were a few too many coincidences for my blood; the very source of Bentencourt's hatred for Olympias is rather laughable, and there is another highly coincidental plot point I won't mention for fear of giving something away. I also have trouble accepting the fact that a vampire Companion, no matter how smart he might be, could hide his nefarious intentions from a number of incredibly psychic vampires - that is the major sticking point for me. Characters also have an annoying habit of engaging in flirtatious dialogues in the midst of trouble with a capital T. Still, you will find some of Sizemore's most fascinating characters in Deceptions, with Olympias assuming the distinction of being my favorite character of the series up to this point. Whatever qualms I have about the story, there is no denying this is a book that can deliver loads of entertainment to the reader.

Great reading!.......2003-12-26

Let us hop on over to Washington, D.C. Hey, it is the capitol of the USA's mortals, why not for the capitol for the USA's vampires as well? Olympias has long reigned as the Enforcer of Washington, D.C. She is the one ultimately responsible for every strigoi in the country. With "the Enforcers' Enforcer" away on a long overdue vacation, Olympias has even more to deal with.

Sara, Maggie, and Gerry are Olympias's slaves. They are the ones that Olympias delegates most of the work to. Sara is the one considered to be Olympias's right hand person. And it is she that is sent to talk to Andrew, a suicidal vampire in the area wishing for Olympias to kill him. Why? Because Andrew thinks he is going insane. Andrew is convinced he is seeing ghosts.

The local vampires are upset at Olympias, who is demanding all the nests to vacate the area within a month. Rose, a local nest leader, is the most upset due to the fact that she has lived in that area longer than any other vampire. It is the only place she has ever considered to be "home". Her companion, Roger, sees potential and begins using everyone in an attempt to kill Olympias and eventually take over as leader.

Then there is Colonel Mike Falconer, who is over a government project, the Walker Project. His group are very "gifted" and walk the astral plane. And for the first time in centuries, Olympias is considering having a companion. It all adds up to trouble with a capitol T.

***** Excellent! Very well executed! (Pardon the pun.) Book 4 is even better than the last, and that is definitely saying something. I hope to see these main and secondary characters again in future books. With all that I am seeing, this is shaping up to be series that fans will want to keep reading about for years! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

For those of us who like this kind of thing . . ........2003-05-14

For those of us who like this kind of thing, this is the kind of thing we like, to steal a quote. Don't be put off by the comic book covers on this series. I mean, who needs 6 knives? Even vamps only have 2 hands, and you need one to hold the girl/guy. And, if you are going to wear torso body armor, shouldn't it cover the whole torso? And the said body armor is hard to sneak around American streets in. Most authors have no input into cover art, so I don't blame Susan Sizemore.

Enjoy the stories, each book is getting better. Number 5, tentatively titled "Heros" is due out in September 2003, according to the author's website.

One of the Stronger Books in this Series.......2003-02-14

I thought that this book had a more cohesive feeling than the last one. It felt less like a three volume novel was shoe horned into a rather thin mass market paperback. It also helps if the reader has some knowledge of Alexander the Great.

Sizemore tries to keep her vampires true to their own code of behavior. What would be moral and rational in a human would be suicidal in a vampire. Well, actually there is a suicidal vampire in this book as well.

I liked Olympias the Enforcer. She reminds me of strong women I know who have put a lid on their personal lives because of some bad experience and channel their energy into work.

Having the viewpoint move from character to character doesn't really bother me and all of the strands came together rather nicely.

This is one of the better entries in this series.

Boring, Can't Compare to LKH.......2003-02-07

This is my intro to this author and series. I've previously read all of LKH's books. In comparison to the AB series, this is quite tepid. Olympias never gets into serious trouble. Anita is almost always in danger of getting dead. The violence in the AB serious is much more viceral and real than Sizemore's. Love scenes were handled in an unimaginative, unerotic manner. The scenes of the slaves in action were especially boring. Read this book if only you absolutely have to have your fix in this genre and can't wait for the next offering from Hamilton.

Average customer rating:

So how good was this book?

Good, Non-traditional (and non-cliche!) Fantasy

an absolutely superb tale, to be read again and again

The height of imagination

A stylish fantasy that rings true
Lords Of Rainbow
Vera Nazarian
Manufacturer: Betancourt & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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Dreams Of The Compass Rose

Poison Study

Melusine

ASIN: 1930997884

Book Description

An epic fantasy about a monochrome world without color, an eccentric warrior woman, a decadent glorious city, and the ultimate struggle against the coming of darkness both external and inside the human heart.

Customer Reviews:

So how good was this book?.......2007-07-21

After reading "Lords of Rainbow" half-way, I went online and bought all of Vera Nazarian'sother books: "Dreams of the Compass Rose" and "Salts of Air." When I got to the end of the book, I ordered it in hardcover.

Which is to say, I kinda sorta liked it. Fantasy, traditional enough that you can enjoy it for the quest story, yet so lyrical and beautifully written, it could well be the best (certainly the most lovely) book I've ever read.

The main character is a woman who wears men's clothings, fights well with a sword, and is generally capable. But she's far from a cardboard cliche. She thinks and talks like a real person, with suprising humor, intelligence, warmth, and self-awareness. She's not beautiful and not smug. She's actually ugly and quite insecure about that, and it's so achingly believable and relatable.

The books deserves the highest praise for its exceptional writing, deft world-building and story-telling, and incredible ability to relate the poignancy of relationships and emotions.

Good, Non-traditional (and non-cliche!) Fantasy.......2006-06-02

Let me start by saying Nazarian is very, very good at worldbuilding. It's something I've seen in her other work, too. One of the great things about her writing is that it shows us these worlds.

In this case, it's a world without color, a world transformed to shades of gray and silver. As a writer, I was curious to see how Nazarian would describe this place with such a limited palate, but she did an excellent job. I was half-expecting this to be the literary version of black-and-white TV, where everything's about the same, just filtered. Instead, this was a rich, lushly described world, one which seemed more real, thanks to its color-challenged palate.

The story itself was strong, following a warrior woman named Ranhe Ylir as she and her companions work to overthrow a siege on the city from the forces of (literal) darkness. Ranhe was a great character. She's got the traditional stoic, loner outlook, but she's much more developed and complex than the average fantasy hero. (I could hear Nazarian's voice speaking through Ranhe when she talked about her vegetarian habits, but that's just because I've seen her write about such things before.)

There were places where the story was a bit slow for my taste. I don't know whether this is a reflection of the story itself, or of my own short attention span. At times, Nazarian breaks out of the story to address the reader directly and take us on a tour of her world, and those sections didn't really work for me. Much as I admire and enjoy the worldbuilding, I prefer it to be in the context of action and the characters.

Overall though, I enjoyed the book, and would certainly recommend it. It breaks away from traditional fantasy tropes and cliches, which is always nice. The characters and relationships drew me in (though it took me a few pages to remember which one was Elasirr and which was Elasand). Personally, I don't know that I'd be up for taking a concept like a colorless world and turning it into such a richly developed novel, but Nazarian pulled it off. I'll have to go back and read more closely to figure out how she did that.

an absolutely superb tale, to be read again and again.......2005-05-01

Lords of Rainbow has invaded my dreams. It was suspenseful, emotionally gripping, beautiful, original, pervaded with lush, idiosyncratic sensuality, and challenged by a conceptual quirk of world that at first I thought wouldn't really work, but the story proved me wrong. The romance is both more satisfying than any book I can remember for a long long time, and wonderfully strange. As a political intrigue, the story is fresh, believable, and lightly satirical, but it is the emotions that Lord of Rainbow brought forth, and the feeling of being there, and wanting the characters to . . . and not to . . . that made me get quite cranky when my reading was interrupted for tasks like work, eating . . . Sometimes I was so taken up in wanting to advise and to change events I anticipated (and you can't anticipate anything in this book) that I found I was sitting tensed as a spring.

In addition to being a touching and complex love story, the themes in Lords of Rainbow as a whole are powerful. The society and politics are portrayed in depth but with a light and assured touch, as were the characters' individual portrayals. Indeed, I was surprised by the level of subtlety in the telling, and pleased. This writer writes respecting a reader's brains.

I found a very emotional involvement, too, especially with the warrior woman, Ranheas, who often made me want to yell at her. This book could have been another (yawn) improbable female warrior tale, very 90s. But this is nothing like that. I also enjoyed the sense of humour running through the book, often with a bittersweet flavour to it, so that I found myself interspersing quiet smiles with some loud goose-honks. The final denouement was totally perfect. I could hardly breathe. And there is one speech in this book that alone is perhaps the most gloriously quirky, yet romantic that I've ever read.

As for the concepts of colour and Rainbow, I was suspicious at first because I thought I'd find myself disappointed, but I was wrong. Very much so.

So as I reached the great buildup towards the climax, I experienced a conflict of reluctance and greed to consume and be consumed. Reluctance, because I didn't want to reach the end, of course, conflicted with extreme need to know and to once again be in the world of Lords of Rainbow. Even in the crucial parts, I never knew how it would end at all. There was never an inevitability, except that I knew even before the end, that I'd want to keep Lords of Rainbow for my small read-again-and-again collection.

The city lives with me, and the forest and the White Roads Inn. I can smell those onions roasting now, and hear the sizzle of the eggs . . .

The height of imagination.......2004-07-14

In Lords of Rainbow Vera Nazarian takes a difficult concept and renders it beautifully. In a world without color, she captures how color affects our perception and character. I was especially struck by the richness of character and description as well as its being a damn good read.

I recommend this for all thinking readers.

A stylish fantasy that rings true.......2004-06-16

This stylish fantasy has an intriguing premise: what if there were a world without color? But it takes more than a great idea to make a great novel; it takes fully-realized characters, rich imagery, a world with depth to explore, and, most of all, insight into what we as humans are and what we can be. LORDS OF RAINBOW fulfills its promises and is, quite simply, a great read.

Average customer rating:

I'm Ready For My Rainbow
Meditations on the struggle and the answers

I'm Ready for My Rainbow, Lord
Joy Morgan Davis
Manufacturer: Fleming H Revell Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Inspirational & Religious | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Gifts | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0800771672

Customer Reviews:

I'm Ready For My Rainbow.......2001-03-09

I'm Ready For My Rainbow is a collection of thought provoking, heart warming poetry. The reader is ispired and uplifted for having spent time with this small volume. It is a book worth reading many times over.

Meditations on the struggle and the answers.......1998-09-15

Excellent Christian poetry. Joy speaks of heart issues that we, especially women, deal with. She doesn't stop with identifying the areas of struggle, but completes the circle by leading us to Christ where the answers are. Makes a great gift especially high school age and up.

Average customer rating:

Lord of Hades (Rainbow Romance)
Vanessa Clarke
Manufacturer: Robert Hale Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Romance | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0709044461

A rainbow in the dark: A story of God's great faithfulness : the story of Tom and Betty Young reaching Indians in Brazil for the Lord

Average customer rating:

A rainbow in the dark: A story of God's great faithfulness : the story of Tom and Betty Young reaching Indians in Brazil for the Lord
Joyce Babb
Manufacturer: Brentwood Christian Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

The rainbow over Calvary: Meditations on the seven words spoken by Our Lord on the cross

Average customer rating:

The rainbow over Calvary: Meditations on the seven words spoken by Our Lord on the cross
William Gustave Polack
Manufacturer: Augsburg
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0007FY4Z0

Sash trouble at cathedral: ministers withhold Communion from those wearing a rainbow.(NATION): An article from: National Catholic Reporter

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Sash trouble at cathedral: ministers withhold Communion from those wearing a rainbow.(NATION): An article from: National Catholic Reporter
Kris Berggren
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Civil Rights | Nonfiction | Gay & Lesbian | Subjects | Books

Philosophy | Nonfiction | Gay & Lesbian | Subjects | Books

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from National Catholic Reporter, published by Thomson Gale on July 14, 2006. The length of the article is 796 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Sash trouble at cathedral: ministers withhold Communion from those wearing a rainbow.(NATION)
Author: Kris Berggren
Publication: National Catholic Reporter (Magazine/Journal)
Date: July 14, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 42 Issue: 34 Page: 11(1)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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Lord Corn-Wallis (The rainbow classics)
T. J Stevenson
Manufacturer: s.n.]
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B00089TWW0

Book Description

Unlocks the secrets of one of the most powerful of Chinese healing arts

Developed over millennia in China, qigong (literally, life force + mastery, or refinement) is a set of techniques used to increase your vitality, longevity, and sexual potency as well as achieve and maintain optimal health and inner peace. In the groundbreaking The Healing Promise of Qi, Dr. Roger Jahnke, internationally respected doctor of Chinese medicine and author of the bestselling The Healer Within, clearly and simply explains the concepts of qigong in practical terms.

With the help of 125 superbly rendered illustrations, he describes a multitude of simple qigong tools, practices, and techniques for accessing and utilizing the incredible power of qi. Rather than focus on a particular form of qigong, Dr. Jahnke presents concise, easy-to-follow techniques from among the more than 25 traditional and modern forms that he has mastered and taught to thousands of people across the United States and Canada.

Customer Reviews:

A Seminal Work.......2007-07-08

After a number of readings, it is clear that this book is both broad and deep. It is very accessible for those just beginning their investigations into Qi, energy and personal cultivation. AND it is among the most penetrating books for those who seek deeper knowledge of wellbeing, energetics and even the eternal nature. There is fact (health, healing, physiology and quantum), theory (Chinese Medicine, Chinese philosophy, Daoism, Buddhism), inspiration (the most profound medicine is within, the eternal radiant spirit can be revealed), story (tales of a probably fictional mountain monastery and probably real Qi masters the author has met and studied with). There is also a profound vision for the potential of the human species as the cultivation of our deeper nature is more widely pursued.

As both a doctor of Chinese medicine and a long time teacher of Qigong and Tai Chi, the author has experience, authority and very alluring language. The book is easy and fun to read. It could be opened anywhere. One endorsement, from the author of Manifesto For A New Medicine, James Gordon MD says "I look forward to referring to -- and using -- this book for years to come." And Joan Borysenko, author of many books on the Mind/Body revolution calls it "A gem that you will treasure for the rest of your life." Deepak Chopra calls Dr Jahnke, "a wise teacher and healer" and his Qigong "simple yet profound".

Nowhere have we seen (and this is mentioned in a number of the Amazon reviews) such a clear map of the territory of Qigong, Tai Chi and the cultivation of personal power and virtue.

I have also appreciated, very much, Dr Jahnke's first book, The Healer Within The Healer Within: Using Traditional Chinese Techniques To Release Your Body's Own Medicine *Movement *Massage *Meditation *Breathing.

These are seminal works in the emerging new Quantum world of energy, empowerment and self-reliance. Qigong, it appears, is an accessible portal to our maximum potential and a method to access our deepest power -- simply yet profoundly.

One of the best books out there- now my standard textbook for students........2007-06-14

Roger Jahnke would never refer to himself as a master, but i respect, appreciate, and *believe* in his sincerity and commitment to the art enough to refer to him as such. i honestly can't say enough about this book. it's the simplest and clearest book i've ever read on the subject (and i have read more than 2 dozen), yet its content is thorough and comprehensive to the point that i now use this as my standard textbook for my qigong students.

he put into 1 book what it took me years to gather and distill from numerous teachers and books, and he did a better job of integrating it all into a useable (and changeable) framework.

what puts this book over the top for me is his beautiful, almost lyrical, storytelling ability. it really makes the book a pleasurable read, especially in the middle section of the book devoted to the 10 phases of Qi cultivation.

reading this book gave me faith in the power and development of qigong right here in this country. i trully believe that one no longer has to travel to china in order to learn and experience the greatest depths of this internal art. it's here now!

i've never met Master Jahnke, but i certainly hope to someday. and even if i never do get the opportunity to meet him, i will always consider him one of my best teachers.

Beautifully written and informative.......2007-04-22

A beautifully written panorama of the history and contemporary state of qi.
This book is also eminently practical and inspiring.
The author cites past masters of qi and documents meetings with contemporary masters that he has met.
An excellent read and a must for all those who study/practice tai chi and qigong, or those who are thinking of studying the subject.
Recommended!

just don't understand.......2007-02-10

maybe i am missing something, i believe this to be a bloated-book, could have been more concise. bought it based on other reviews.

A brief comment.......2005-12-18

This is a very good, well written, and detailed introduction to qi gong. The different aspects of the art are presented, including relating it to western medical theory. The author writes with very little ego and the art is presented fairly and objectively. Overall a fine intro to the subject and well deserving of the five star ratings people are giving it.

Average customer rating:

Wonderful book

Harry Caray's Chicken Vesuvio

Holy Cow!

The Harry Caray's Restaurant Cookbook: The Official Home Plate of the Chicago Cubs
Jane Stern , and Michael Stern
Manufacturer: Thomas Nelson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Midwest | U.S. Regional | Regional & International | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1401600956

Book Description

Harry Caray's Restaurant, "the best steakhouse in Chicago"* with "the quintessential Chicago bar"**, is named for the late, renowned baseball announcer and has been designated the Official Home Plate of the Chicago Cubs. The bar is 60'6", the exact distance from the pitcher's mound to home plate, and the restaurant houses 1,500 pieces of baseball memorabilia, including photographs, vintage newspapers, a Sammy Sosa autographed bat, and items from Stan Musial, Ernie Banks, Hank Aaron, Ted Williams, and others. Harry Caray's is just north of the Loop in one of Chicago's most architecturally significant buildings.

The Harry Caray's Restaurant Cookbook is a visit to Chicago and the restaurant that serves "the best Chicken Vesuvio in the city"***. More than 150 recipes include "potent pasta, holy-cow steaks, and chicken fit for the Chairman of the Board." **** The stories, sidebars, and pictures bring back memories of baseball and Chicago. This important addition to the RoadfoodTM Cookbook series is sure to be a favorite with people in Chicagoland and throughout the country.

"When you only have time to visit one restaurant in Chicago, it's got to be Harry Caray's" - David M. Lissner, Dining Chicago.

* Chicago Tribune

** Jay Leno

*** Chicago Tribune and ABC

**** Chicago Sun Times

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful book.......2007-05-14

Even better than the recipes are the stories of Chicago, the cubs and Harry Caray.

Harry Caray's Chicken Vesuvio.......2005-11-07

I made this recipe for a dinner party and everyone loved it, but my husband and i thought the chicken was dry. I uesd boneless skinless chicken breasts. Has anyone else had this problem and does anyone have an answer for it? I will be making it again this week for a party. Thank you.

Holy Cow!.......2004-05-05

Great Chicago cookbook. Everything Chicago stands for in the form of great Italian recipes, great steak recommendations and the chicken Vesuvio can not be beat.

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