Book Description
Interpol have tried and failed to find her. Now the combined forces of Scotland Yard and MI5 must try the impossible to prevent a major international incident.
Dominic Elder carries her autograph wherever he goes. Witch is his passion, his obsession. And being retired is no bar to his willingness to restart the hunt. MI5 know that the man who wrote the Witch file is the key to catching their quarry. But the truth isn't easy to spot. And it is only when an MI5 novice and his French counterpart piece together the smallest of clues, that Witch suddenly looks vulnerable . . .
Customer Reviews:
A pretty decent book........2006-09-26
I read a couple of reviews about the book before I got it, and bought it anyway. I found the book to be quite good. I enjoyed the characters very much, and enjoyed the dynamic between the witch and her primary pursuer. The motivation for the witch is questionable, but nonetheless, the writing made this book very readable.
The ending was extremely poignant.
I recommend it for a nice, just before bedtime read.
Decent but Derivative.......2005-04-27
This is a decently written and constructed combination police procedural and thriller. The basic plot device is the discovery that a skilled solo assassin has infiltrated into Britain, probably with the intention of killing a prominent international leader at a major conference. The story follows the assassin in parallel with the efforts of security agencies to catch her. Older readers will recognize the story line from Frederick Forsythe's Day of the Jackal, published about 30 years ago. If you like Witch Hunt, you should read Forsythe's book, which is signicantly better. Even better, rent or buy a copy of the superior movie version starring Edward Fox and directed by the talented Fred Zinneman. A warning, the movie version should not be confused with a more recent and godawful Hollywood remake titled The Jackal, starring the inexcrable Bruce Willis.
This book will keep you up half the night..........2005-02-22
Others have compared it to "The Day of the Jackal" and I would have to agree. Not one of Rankin's "Edinburgh" series, this was originally written under a pseudonym (Jack Harvey) and is a Special Services thriller. It begins with a bang -- literally -- off the coast of England -- a mysterious woman is coming into the country, and she's not exactly arriving at Heathrow. Through the plodding work of people who read newspapers carefully, and keep records of odd things that happen, a couple of branches of counter-terrorism/counter-espionage units suspect that a well-known paid assassin -- known to be responsible for some political assassinations -- has entered the country. The assassin is known as the Witch -- and she's a beautiful woman who uses sexuality and an ability to change her appearance to her advantage. One of the people involved in the hunt is a recent retiree, who has a serious grudge against the Witch, and knows a lot about how she functions because he's been trying to catch her for so long. Several junior members of these agencies -- both British and French -- are part of the team that follow up on a number of clues that may or may not lead to the Witch. There's a big summit of world leaders in London in a few days, and everyone is anxious to catch the Witch before the conference.
The action moves quickly in this procedural thriller -- you realize how little the anti-terrorist forces have to work with, and how much is a matter of perceptiveness and making the most of the little you have. This is the first of a three part series, and I intend to go on and read the next two.
An Early Mainstream Thriller from Scotland's Finest........2005-02-06
Oh, the blessings of being an author with too much time on his hands. I can just picture Ian Rankin sitting in the house (farm? cottage?) he and his wife bought in rural Dordogne, having whizzed through the manuscript for yet another increasingly well-written John Rebus novel and - having left behind all other employment across the British Channel and neither inclined to carpentry nor gardening - feeling his mind growing restless, in need of occupation. Now, wouldn't you have started looking for another outlet for your creative energy had you been in his spot?
The result of the aforementioned process, which Rankin describes in the foreword to a 2000 British compilation (alas, currently [???] unavailable in the U.S.) uniting all three volumes, were a series of thrillers he wrote under the pseudonym Jack Harvey: Jack for his newborn son, Harvey for his wife's maiden name.
"Witch Hunt" marked the beginning of Jack Harvey's unfortunately way too short-lived career. It is the story of a female assassin - the title character - who is pursued by various agents of the British and French governments, as well as retired secret service man Dominic Elder, who has both a private and a professional bone to pick with her. The plot moves at Rankin's trademark fast pace, from Witch's arrival on Britain's South Coast (leaving her calling card by blowing up both boats she'd used to cross the Channel from France ... with their crews inside) to her first order of "real" business in Scotland, then to London, where Witch implements her plan's second phase and where her hunters have meanwhile formed a reluctant coalition, to France and Germany, for two rookie agents' unlicensed investigation of the assassin's past, and ultimately back to London, for Witch's final coup, amidst a major international conference no less.
As in the Rebus novels, Rankin particularly excels in the creation of his male characters; they are three-dimensional and, all in their own ways, flawed and profoundly human(e). The book's few female protagonists strike me a bit too much as variations on the same theme (superwoman with varying degrees of femininity, or what passes for such in male eyes): while justifiable in the title character - especially if, as Rankin says, she was inspired by the "Elektra: Assassin" series - overall this made it a tad difficult for me to identify with either of them. For proof that Rankin, even then, could do much better, consider DC Clarke in the Rebus novels ... or Belinda, the (anti-)hero's companion in the second Jack Harvey novel, "Bleeding Hearts." Plot-wise, I don't necessarily think the final denouement of "Witch Hunt" is a let-down per se; although I would have wished it had been developed more fully, as had the private motivations of Dominic Elder and one of the rookies, French agent Dominique (!) Herault.
Still, Rankin's first Jack Harvey thriller is a major cut above average and a great introduction to the two following novels - and overall, while I'm happy enough for Rankin's success with Inspector Rebus and wouldn't want any story featuring Edinburgh's finest (and most hard-drinking) D.I. missing from my bookcases, in a way I regret that Rankin had to shelve Jack Harvey after only three books.
Cutting to the chase........2004-12-05
In Ian Rankin's "Witch Hunt," the chase is as compelling as the outcome. "Witch" is the code name for a female terrorist who has wreaked havoc during her bloody career. She is an expensive hired assassin, and the only person who has come close to catching her is former British Intelligence Agent Dominic Elder. Elder has a huge "W" shaped scar on his back as a souvenir of his close encounter with Witch. There is fresh evidence that Witch has resurfaced and may be planning to kill a high-profile target in the near future.
Joining Elder in the hunt are two men from Special Branch named Greenleaf and Doyle. In addition, two novices, John Barclay and Dominique Herault, of British and French Intelligence respectively, are also eagerly putting their heads together to help find Witch before she strikes again.
Rankin concentrates on the personalities of his characters as much as he does on plot. Elder is bitter that Witch has eluded him in the past and he is anxious to get revenge. He is allowed back into the case partly because his former boss, Joyce Parry, still has feelings for Elder, who used to be her lover. Greenleaf and Doyle are uneasy partners who don't particularly care for one another. Barclay and Herault are both young and eager, looking for adventure and finding it in their first major investigation.
The search for Witch is complicated and time-consuming. It stretches across England, Scotland, France, and Germany. Every lead is followed up, especially since a summit is about to take place in London, with many dignitaries expected to attend. Unfortunately, Witch is so quick and clever that she always manages to stay a step ahead of her pursuers. Will they be able to run her to ground before she attempts her next assassination?
Although it is a bit long and meanders occasionally, I enjoyed "Witch Hunt." Rankin explores the intricacies of both police and intelligence work, showing that patience, persistence, and luck are all factors in a successful outcome. Witch is a fascinating uber-assassin, beautiful, changeable, brilliant, and ruthless. Rankin takes pains to humanize her, however, and we learn how she came to be one of the world's most sought-after killers. The ending is a nail-biter, filled with non-stop action and a few surprises to keep the reader off-balance. All in all, its dry humor, varied and well-drawn characters, sharp dialogue, and engrossing depiction of investigative techniques make "Witch Hunt" a winner.
Average customer rating:
|
Witch Hunt: A Novel
Ian Rankin
Manufacturer: Little, Brown and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OTNCPC |
Book Description
Ron Marz and Mike Choi have brought Witchblade to new heights! Now, see where the team supreme took off, in an epic storyline in which Witchblade-wielder Sara Pezzini must stave off the very Apocalypse, while her longtime partner lies comatose in a hospital bed!
Customer Reviews:
I enjoyed this book.......2006-07-06
While this book is a short (152 pgs) one-shot, it was easy to quickly get into the characters. They are essentially arch-types (at first) of characters many readers have seen before.
The art is very good, and fits well with the tone of the book. While this isn't the first book to take on a more realistic take of the golden age comics/characters we're familiar with, B. Clay Moore does a particularly good job here. My only gripe is that I think the plot warrants a somewhat longer book, although you do get your money's worth with this one.
Almost the same as it ever was..........2006-05-23
Here is a compact, stand-alone tale of Sara Pezzini--wielder of the Witchblade and a pair of enormous, gravity defying breasts. We join the story while our hero lies comatose in a hospital bed. We learn over time she was injured by some kind of nasty monsters and eventually we learn why.
Her old partner Jake is a constant presence in the book as is a new male lead--Detective Patrick Gleason. Gleason is sent to investigate why Sara is in the hospital. A mild love triangle ensues. It is a love of Brady Bunch ferocity. In other words, the boys get cranky and mope around but no one gets any. Meanwhile, Sara is fighting, fighting, fighting for her life and, naturally, has to save her hapless partners and the rest of the free world.
Ron Marz said he wanted to move away from the T&A and instead focus on the story. That seems fine but he seems to have missed the fact that it was ironic T&A. That makes it okay, right? His pronouncement seemed more like misplaced piety or perhaps some lingering embarrassment over his association with the series. Whatever his motivation, I couldn't really see too much difference, in that regard, between this one and any others in the series.
The art of Mike Choi is serviceable but very different in tone from Michael Turner's amazing work in the series. To give Choi credit, if I'd started with his, I wouldn't have thought twice about it. I think the difference is style more than quality.
The story definitely had a beginning and an end, and a reader unfamiliar with the series could easily step in and enjoy it. I'm trying not to give away the plot, but it includes shop-worn elements such as secret societies of priests, other dimensions, elderly, mystical Asians and a betrayal by an old friend. I am always hesitant to write reviews of comics out of fear of people knowing what a true dork I am. This book won't do anything to help me appear more enlightened, but it was a pretty fun read.
A MUST BUY!.......2006-04-24
The above reviewer obviously is talking about a completely different book or series. There is NOTHING about WWII in this book at all!
What we DO have is the best damn writing Witchblade has ever seen! The characters are written so realistically and with such a breath of fresh air it's amazing!
The artwork is great, the story is great... buy this now. You won't miss it! Those turned off Witchblade by Paul Jenkin's terrible take should pick the series back up with this!
Mediocre - Whats the point?.......2006-04-05
Super heroes are assembled for a task force to help fight WWII. Some of them get offed. The government does shady things. Things get covered up....Sounds like a bad episode of the X-Files or something....
Its all been done before in all mediums. There was nothing new with this one really. I give it two stars because I think the art was pretty good. I liked the heavy use of darker colours to set the mood, buts all this has going for it.
Amazon.com
Geraldine Brooks's Year of Wonders describes the 17th-century plague that is carried from London to a small Derbyshire village by an itinerant tailor. As villagers begin, one by one, to die, the rest face a choice: do they flee their village in hope of outrunning the plague or do they stay? The lord of the manor and his family pack up and leave. The rector, Michael Mompellion, argues forcefully that the villagers should stay put, isolate themselves from neighboring towns and villages, and prevent the contagion from spreading. His oratory wins the day and the village turns in on itself. Cocooned from the outside world and ravaged by the disease, its inhabitants struggle to retain their humanity in the face of the disaster. The narrator, the young widow Anna Frith, is one of the few who succeeds. With Mompellion and his wife, Elinor, she tends to the dying and battles to prevent her fellow villagers from descending into drink, violence, and superstition. All is complicated by the intense, inexpressible feelings she develops for both the rector and his wife. Year of Wonders sometimes seems anachronistic as historical fiction; Anna and Mompellion occasionally appear to be modern sensibilities unaccountably transferred to 17th-century Derbyshire. However, there is no mistaking the power of Brooks's imagination or the skill with which she constructs her story of ordinary people struggling to cope with extraordinary circumstances. --Nick Rennison, Amazon.co.uk
Book Description
When an infected bolt of cloth carries plague from London to an isolated village, a housemaid named Anna Frith emerges as an unlikely heroine and healer. Through Anna's eyes we follow the story of the fateful year of 1666, as she and her fellow villagers confront the spread of disease and superstition. As death reaches into every household and villagers turn from prayers to murderous witch-hunting, Anna must find the strength to confront the disintegration of her community and the lure of illicit love. As she struggles to survive and grow, a year of catastrophe becomes instead annus mirabilis, a "year of wonders."
Inspired by the true story of Eyam, a village in the rugged hill country of England, Year of Wonders is a richly detailed evocation of a singular moment in history. Written with stunning emotional intelligence and introducing "an inspiring heroine" (The Wall Street Journal), Brooks blends love and learning, loss and renewal into a spellbinding and unforgettable read.
"The novel glitters . . . A deep imaginative engagement with how people are changed by catastrophe." (The New Yorker)
"Year of Wonders is a vividly imagined and strangely consoling tale of hope in a time of despair." (O, The Oprah Magazine)
"Brooks proves a gifted storyteller as she subtly reveals how ignorance, hatred and mistrust can be as deadly as any virus. . . . Year of Wonders is itself a wonder." (People )
Customer Reviews:
Predictable.......2007-09-01
Year of Wonders was ok. It was incredibly predictable. I would call it very light historical fiction. Parts of it were good, but I was left wondering more about the real Plague Village servant instead of this trumped up fluffy character, Anna, who just happens to "blossom" into this superwoman heroine. Oh, please. For example, this woman was illiterate and within a few years she's reading and writing English and then understanding Latin in addition to holding two jobs, housework, managing a flock of sheep and raising two babies?!? Maybe they didn't need sleep back then or had more than 24 hours in a day. Oh wait...let's not forget nursing the plague victims. And don't get me started on the ending..... I won't spoil it, but it felt like it was the ending to a completely different novel with completely different characters. In conclusion, this is a good book to bring on vacation - an easy read with little substance.
Book of Wonders.......2007-08-31
I really enjoyed this book although when I read the Epilogue, I was in fact disappointed to learn that the author took liberties with the Pastor and his role in the book. It intrigued me enough to go back and learn more about the Plague. Worth the read - pretty quick and easy
Year of Wonders.......2007-08-28
`Year of Wonders' is a complete waste of time. The plot is unnecessarily tragic, completely unrealistic, and totally ridiculous. Don't read this book, you won't regret it.
Year of Wonders.......2007-08-27
This is a beautifully written, compassionate novel of the 1666 plague in a small English village. The story centers around the life of a housemaid, Anna Frith, and how she and her village inhabitants responded and met the challenge of this horrific event. It is a story of courage and hope without undue sentimentality. Attention to historical detail, authentic characters, and a dramatic plot make this a very worthwhile read.
Good research but..........2007-08-11
I'm not a fan of historicals as they often veer into silly romance and the reader is generally stuck with the narrator/protagonist's point of view, which is usually that of an ill-used girl (servant) who is savvy beyond her years, education, and background as to not be very credible as a character. I prefer factual accounts of history (if well written), but this novel was recommended by a friend and I persevered to the end--which gave the impression of being "tagged on". The novel itself was an unrelenting series of shock, horror, and death (to be expected in a novel about the plague, but some of the gory details seemed unnecessary). At the point where Anna and Elinor go down the mine to save the child's stake and the protagonist says something like, "Of course, we had no skill or knowledge in the ways of mining," I said to myself: well, yeah! Apart from the death of her babies, I managed to stay dry-eyed throughout as I never felt totally drawn into the story. What I enjoyed most were the references to the way people lived back then, but this aspect could have been gleaned from a textbook.
Book Description
Spellbound by the Faerie Queen, the woman known as Seeker has abducted human children for her mistress's pleasure for nearly an eternity, unable to free herself from her servitude and reclaim her own humanity.
Seeker's latest prey is a Merlin. Named after the legendary wizard of Camelot, Merlins are not simply those who wield magic, they are magic. Now, with rival mages also vying for the favor of this being of limitless magic to tip the balance of power, Seeker must persuade the Merlin to join her cause-or else risk losing something even more precious to her than the fate of humankind.
Customer Reviews:
You'll love it or hate it........2007-09-21
Elizabeth Bear, Blood and Iron (Roc, 2006)
Oh, Bear, you've done it again. And once again, I came along helpless for the ride.
I talk a lot about how, at times, a whole lot of wrong things come together and make something wonderfully right. My classic example of this is the band Better than Ezra, whose stuff contains everything one can possibly do wrong in crafting a pop song, and yet "One More Murder" and "In the Blood" and "A Lifetime" and a host of others are perfect little pieces of popcraft. I get that same feeling a lot when I read Elizabeth Bear's stuff. There are rules to this writing gig, you know. (If I'm letting out trade secrets, stuff it; I was never a novelist anyway.) There are about as many books of little silly things as there are volumes in the... erm, wherever they keep lawbooks about this stuff... about the importation of lettuce. (For those of you outside the U.S. who want a good laugh, the last time I stumbled across that statistic, there were 13,500 pages of laws relating to the importation of lettuce. That was a few years ago, so the number has likely doubled by now.) But then there's that holy, scroll-like document that all novelists must bow and pray to five times a day that has a title like STUFF YOU ARE NEVER, NEVER, EVER SUPPOSED TO DO IN A NOVEL, FOR EDITORS, PUBLISHERS, AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC WILL LAUGH AT YOU UNTIL THEIR SIDES BLEED. And, you know, I think in every single piece of Bear's writing I've read, she takes a rugbeater and whacks that document hard enough that one of those strictures falls to the ground, stunned just long enough for her to crush it with a (very fashionable, mind you) boot.
Now, after all that buildup, I'm not going to tell you which one she beats the tar out of in this book, because you will encounter it yourself if you read this book (on page 275 in the Roc trade paper edition), and you will either love it or you will hate it. I talked to Bear about this briefly, and I got the feeling that most people hate it. Well, bub, I am not most people. I am all for rule-breaking, as long as you provide ample evidence elsewhere in your body of work that you know the rule exists, so we readers have evidence that you are breaking the rule because you're conscious of it and you're saying "stuff it" to the rules. (Because, unlike me, you ARE a novelist.) Suffice to say I have never seen this rule broken in this particular way, in this particular place, in a professionally-published novel before. So there's a bit of culture shock involved. But if you ken what the Bear is cookin', you may end up getting as much of a kick out of it as I did.
Not that there's anything really conventional about Blood and Iron, which posits a world in which modern-day human society and Faerie live side by side in alternate planes of existence. There are paths between the two, but most humans have long forgotten that Faerie exists. Those who haven't, in general, want to make sure that Faerie and Earth never come into constant contact again. They're called the Prometheus Club, and while we don't get too much information on the higher-ups, we get the feeling that they are not terribly nice individuals. We do get to know one very well, though. His name is Matthew Szczgielniak (and forgive me, Bear, for mangling the spelling). He and his brethren (and sistren) aren't fond or Faerie because, in this world, all the stuff you've heard is true, including that whole baby-changeling thing.
Which brings us to our main character, Seeker, formerly known as Elaine Andraste, formerly human, now a hunter in the court of Faerie. Her quarry, in this book, is a Merlin-- a human, for all intents and purposes, made of magic (for you Forgotten Realms geeks, think "capable of altering the weave"). Both the Seelie and Unseelie courts of Faerie, as well as the Prometheans, are very interested in swaying the Merlin to their side of the uneasy truce that exists between all three, for the presence of a Merlin can disrupt the balance that has existed between the sides for centuries.
All of this is just scratching the surface of this deep, rich novel, which abounds in subplots, trickery, strategizing, bloodshed, mayhem, historical and mythical figures, and all the other things that make a fantasy novel with a military flavor such a good read. Oh, and there's a dragon, for there must always be a dragon. But there's not usually a battle in Times Square.
Wonderful book, this. If you like your fantasy novels with a twist, Blood and Iron is definitely one to check out. ****
Stolen by Faeries!!!.......2007-05-27
Drawing on centuries of folklore and ballads about the cruel and inhuman Sidhe, Elizabeth Bear puts it all on the table: The Ballad of Tam Lin, about a woman rescuing her true love from the clutches of the Faerie Queen; Arthurian Legend, where Arthur is taken off to Avalon and his sister, Morgan Le Fay is the Queen of Air and Darkness, Ancient Dragons that lie at the root of the world (so to speak), Water sprites that exist to lure the unwitting into death by drowning-- Plus Urban Fantasy, with Man against Nature, the dangers of the dark alleys--as hazardous as the intrigues of the Sidhe and the Unseelie Court, Madness, Revenge... and back to Arthur with a mortal Merlin. And even a dash of the Eternal Hero and the sacrifice of Kings. Oh, and werewolves.
Somehow Bear manages to juggle it all and add suspense and action, with a huge cast of characters, well-drawn and never quite two-dimensional, despite the limited attention paid to each. The tale is wound around Elaine Adraste, who has been stolen away by the diminishing race of Faeries due to her heritage of Faerie blood, and is bound to the Queen as her Seeker--the one who steals away human children. Not only spells and geas bind her, but also her own child, also kept by the Queen. And the theme extends to Elaine's mother, powerful leader of the ancient Prometheus Club, who will do anything to destroy Faerie, including sacrifice her own child.
Few people can adequately capture the cruel and alien beauty of the Faery Court in a manner that compels as well as repels, but Elizabeth Bear is one. This is a complex, epic tale that is sure to appeal to anyone remotely interested in any of the many elements involved.
Grim Faerie Tales of War and Sacrifice.......2007-05-22
For whatever reason, New York city tends to to be a favored backdrop for those writing urban fantasies involving faerie in some form. That's what originally drew me to this tale, since I have a penchant for collecting fantasy that takes place in my home setting. And I have a soft spot for contemporary fantasy with fae characters in general. Elizabeth Bear has gone about creating an epic tale that is out of legend and myth of old, from the tales of Camelot to the ballad of Tam Linn.
The Seeker was once a mortal woman, now bound to serve the Queen of Faerie and charged bringing her the half-blood children from the human world. Seeker chafes against the bonds that hold her, but has no choice when the Queen lays a new geas upon her: to seek out the new Merlin--a being who is magic-- and seduce him into service for the realm of Faerie. But Seeker will have competition in her race to win the prize. Set against Faerie are the human mages of the Prometheus club. If they can convince the Merlin to join their side against the Fae, all of Faerie may be doomed. On the brink of war, this epic story's protagonists and antagonists must make their choices and ultimately watch the story play itself out.
The premise of this story is an interesting one, certainly this is a grand scale sort of epic fantasy, rather than the more intimate urban fantasy I'm used to. I was originally going to rate this only three stars, but to be fair it likely deserves at least three and half to four stars. I've not read Ms. Bear's work prior to this book, so I can't say if this story is indicative of her usual style, but I tend to like books that are more directly about character and less grand epic. I won't hold preference against a book, so I'll rate it four stars on the grounds that I do think there is some good writing and an intriguing story here--it just wasn't quite my cup of tea. This is an especially tragic and grim story with many bittersweet, dramatic and poignant moments. The story takes itself very seriously and explores themes of sacrifice and the prices paid for victory. I found that the lack of humor in this story made it bleaker than I particularly enjoyed, although given the storyline, it may be what the author intended. I prefer more humor--and humanity--in my reading as a rule, and I think it may have helped bring out the characters a bit more.
The main characters of this story felt too much like set pieces in the game--it was hard to like any of them or really identify with any of them. Even Matthew, the human mage, seems to keep a textual distance from the readers. I kept wanting to know more about these protagonists and their lives. Most of the novel is bound up in describing events and the patterns of myth that color those events. But I kept wishing to care more about the Seeker and her struggle to choose her path. And while the POV shift from third to first person for Seeker was clearly done to accentuate the transformation of the character, the abrupt shift was hard to adjust to at first.
Only some of this epic story takes place in New York City, but the story is a fascinating revisit of the tale of Tam Linn, weaving in Arthurian legends to create something that profoundly echoes the old myths in a modern setting. There is a lot of blood and violence in this tale, but the author never uses it gratuitously--one of the points of this book is that Faerie tales are full of blood and violence, the sanitized versions for children to day are a pale imitation of those originals. It's a challenging plot line, as the author is crafting a book where no one side is in the right and all sides are fighting for survival. It's more than a little bleak, and there are enough characters and twists for the story to become confusing.
Nevertheless, this was a decent read--kept me reading straight through to the end without wanting to put it down. If you're a reader who likes contemporary fantasy with an epic feel and a sober storyline this might be just the story for you. If you prefer something light hearted or more character driven, you might find this a bit weighty and dark for your tastes. If you're looking for more urban fae fantasy to read, you might try War for the Oaks by Emma Bull or try Son of Darkness by Josepha Sherman.
Happy Reading! ^_^ Shanshad
Tam Lin revisited.......2007-04-12
Another work drawing on the myths of Faerie and on the ballad of Tam Lin, this book is chock-full of texts and subtexts on everything from love and betrayal, to the nature of subservience and pain (and let's not forget revenge!). I liked the writing style, more descriptive than in Bear's Jenny Casey books, but very fitting for such a work. I love the way so many different legends and mythologies are drawn in -- the Arthurian cycle, the Welsh mythos, werewolves, both pre-Christian and post-Christian Faerie legends, and numerous ballads.
This is not a light and happy book, and one of the themes seems to be that everything valuable in life requires a sacrifice, and therefore there are no unequivocally happy endings. I had some difficulties with differentiating some of the characters at first, but I think this may be attributable to the fact that I wasn't able to read in big gulps, but only in little bits and pieces here and there. The character development was, for the most part, excellent, although the main character's motivation was unclear to me in several places. As the book progressed, her actions and feelings (and sometimes lack of such!) became more understandable, but I still didn't always quite get it. I understood Matthew and his overseer's motivation much better. And although I understood the need for the POV shift, it was exceptionally jarring at first.
All in all, a very enjoyable read, and I look forward to the next ones!
Dark and confusing, but still worth the read.......2007-01-22
If you like strong dark urban fantasy in the same vein as Neil Gaiman's work, give this book a read. Bear's writing is strongly compelling for the most part, although this book can occasionally be a slog.
Elaine Andraste is the Seeker for the Daone Sidhe Court and it's Queen, Medb. Her mission is to go to the Iron World and procure children for Her Majesty's amusement. Her own son, Ian, is the current plaything and no doubt insurance for his Mother's best behavior.
Her next assignment---a Merlin, and the first female one to occur. But, Dr. Caren Bierce is no plaything. She's got competing offers with the Prometheus Society, a group of mages wanting to stop Faery in its track as well as the other Faery Court.
The characters are well-realized and the story is interesting. I genuinely empathize with Elaine for the most part. The pacing is somewhat slow and the plot is somewhat convoluted, but still all and all I would recommend it if urban fantasy is your thing.
Book Description
Anxiety in children decreases their intellectual, emotional, and social development, as well as physical health. Author Paul Foxman believes there are three interacting ingredients that contribute to anxiety in children — biological sensitivity, personality, and stress overload. The Worried Child shows that anxiety is preventable — or can be minimized — by raising children’s self-confidence, increasing social and self-control skills, and teaching them how to play, relax, and communicate their feelings and needs. Written for parents and teachers and anyone dealing with children, the guide covers the importance of adequate rest, sleep, and exercise and provides detailed lists, charts, skill exercises, sample dialogues, and case studies. It also presents extensive information on the various types and symptoms of anxiety disorders. Advice for educators, health care professionals, childcare workers, and psychotherapists is included along with a chapter and tutorial written specifically for children.
Customer Reviews:
Over-Hyped Book.......2007-05-09
I was not impressed by this book that was recommended to me by several mental health professionals, including the social worker at my daughter's school. I wanted to understand anxiety disorders better and I was underwhelmed by what this book had to offer and had a hard time making connections with the material. I would recommend "Freeing Your Child From Anxiety" over this book. I felt I walked away from that book with actual tools to put into practice to help deal with her anxiety better. I felt this book talked about the disorder but didn't really give me anything I could take back and use with her.
A comprehensive book on childhood/adolescent anxiety.......2004-02-29
In this book Paul Foxman, Ph.D., an expert in anxiety disorders
and treatment, has written a very comprehensive understanding of
childhood and adolescent anxiety and what can be done to help.
His approach is wholistic, taking into account genetic predisposition and temperament, personality traits, and the
environment, and explaining how these factors interact in the
anxious/worried child. The book demonstrates how the treatment
also includes focusing on these variables. Dr. Foxman goes one
step further and discusses the unique challenges of parenting in our time, including some of his own experiences as a parent.
A multitude of useful resources are cited at the end. I most
highly recommend this book to parents, pediatricians, and mental health providers.
Book Description
Shanghai has long been considered a gateway to the world, and so it's no surprise that its cuisine, with a distinctive blend of Asian and European influences, is beloved among foodies far and wide. In this impressive collection of more than 50 sophisticated yet easy-to-prepare dishes, Shanghai native and culinary expert Richard Wong shares his family recipes that have been updated for the modern table. This amazing cookbook satisfies savory, sweet, or spicy cravings with inspiring recipes like Shanghai Slow-Cooked Chicken, Sweet Soy Sauced Broccolini, and Spicy Shrimp Chow Mein. Included is a section on stocking a Shanghai pantry with all the essentials for preparing quick, flavorful meals. And with a chapter dedicated to making robust sauces tailored to complement any dish, Modern Asian Flavors is the ultimate passport for a delicious adventure.
Customer Reviews:
Mouth-watering.......2006-04-28
"Modern Asian Flavors: A Taste of Shanghai" is a delightful journey through author's, Richard Wong, heritage and upbringing. The recipes are simple and sophisticated, and like the back cover of the book declares, "bursting with flavor".
Wong's recipes are easy-to-follow and show a more modern approach to Asian cuisine. The photographs are gorgeous making each dish look mouth-watering.
Chapters included in this book are: Shanghainese Sauces; Cocktails & Appetizers; Soups & Salads; Poultry & Meat; Fish & Shellfish; Vegetables, Rice and Noodles; and Desserts. Some of the tasty recipes you can find in here are: Ginger-tini, Hot and Sour Soup, Skewered Sesame Chicken, and Peach Wonton Crisps.
This is a wonderful book!
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