Book Description
In a sleepy, secluded Alaska town called Barrow, the sun sets and doesn't rise for over thirty consecutive days and nights. From the darkness, across the frozen wasteland, an evil will come that will bring the residents of Barrow to their knees. The only hope for the town is the Sheriff and Deputy, husband and wife who are torn between their own survival and saving the town they love.
Customer Reviews:
Great book.......2007-09-28
Very interesting and good quality book. It should make a pretty good movie. I recommend it if you like vampire stories.
30 days of terror.......2007-09-17
Excellent and simple story with a diferent approach to the vampire cliché. The art is very scary and well-done. You can't take your eyes off this reading until you finished, great material.
Terrific art, great story.......2007-09-08
Some say this is nothing new. I don't know what they are talking about.
The art is awesome - look at the images I put in.
Some panels are like dark movie stills, showing the angst and the horror to come, others are funny with a very dark and edgy humor to it, and some are as if unfinished, blurry, but mostly when there is action or something waiting to happen. That way the "unfinished" art work gives you the feeling things are about to move (or you as the reader better get moving before you're being eaten alive...)
It reminds me of the camera work on NYPD Blue when it first came out. A lot of people who didn't like it just didn't get it that there was a purpose behind both the moving camera shots and the "still" ones.
To the story, do you always need a "new" take on vampires to like it? You got a problem with cliches? I don't. A town in dark Alaska with nothing going on is attacked by a horde of vampires. That's the story in one line. I left out the details because I would be giving away too much.
The twists and turns make this a story to enjoy not once, not twice but over and again.
It is a graphic novel - the artwork and the storyline are as one. Ben Templesmith's terrific pictures and Steve Niles' tight and at times very funny dialogue make this book a great add to my - and I hope everybody's collection.
IDW is publishing the trilogy (of which his is part 1) as a HC soon. All three parts can be read seperately though. And then there's the movie scheduled for release October 30 2007
Solid story.......2007-08-06
About: Graphic novel about an Alaskan town where the sun does not rise for a month, the perfect place for a vampire frenzy (will be coming out as a movie on October 17, 2007).
Pros: Entertaining, well written little book, dark art matches tone of book well.
Cons: The sometimes blurry art style didn't appeal to me so much.
Grade: B+
I want to say it's crap .......2007-07-27
But that would be a bit too harsh. In reality it's just mediocre. The artwork is excellent (Though not for all tastes), the concept is excellent but what drags this down is the writing. The characters are all one dimensional and not terribly interesting, the story arch doesn't live up to the potential of the idea behind it, the ending is a total cop out and quite infuriating, there's a pointless side plot that comes to an abrupt end, I really can't wrap my mind around why it was included as the main story is already too short. Overall, the amateurish writing bogs down what could have been a classic horror comic.
Average customer rating:
- Great book, not for kids
- Engrossing...
- mara rules!
- One of the best books I ever read.
- Egyptian Masterpiece
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Mara, Daughter of the Nile (Puffin Story Books)
Eloise Jarvis McGraw
Manufacturer: Puffin
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Similar Items:
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The Golden Goblet (Newbery Library, Puffin)
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Tales of Ancient Egypt (Puffin Classics)
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The Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt (Landmark Books)
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Hittite Warrior (Living History Library)
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The Cat of Bubastes: A Tale of Ancient Egypt (Adventure)
ASIN: 0140319298 |
Customer Reviews:
Great book, not for kids.......2007-10-07
I ordered this book as a supplement to our Ancient Egypt unit. We read "The Golden Goblet" together, and "Mara" was recommended on the Amazon site as another good title. I read this myself on my way to Florida, and found that the situations are more adult and mature in nature. There was nothing wrong with anything that happened in the story, everything was 'clean', but I couldn't see my 9 and 12 year old listening to or reading it with interest. Highly recommended for any mature teen to adult who would like to read some good historical fiction from that time period!
Engrossing..........2007-08-04
Just enough romance to keep you hooked, completely clean. Lots of tension between right and wrong. Good character development.
mara rules!.......2007-06-05
i read this book many years ago on a summer reading list & enjoyed it so much that i own several copies that i still read. this was my first introduction to ancient egypt, pharaohs who were female, river travel on the nile,etc. it is an engrossing adventure that a tween or adult would enjoy. mara made an impression on me because of her guts & sharp mind & any book with a ballsy heroine who achieves way more than what she aimed for is okay by me.enjoy!
One of the best books I ever read........2007-02-09
This is probably one of my favorite books. It is adventurous and I am learning about Egypt this year. It really gets you psyched about learning about Egypt and people who lived at that time. I think Eloise should make a sequel or get the book made into a movie.
Egyptian Masterpiece.......2007-01-01
I honestly don't remember when I bought this book, was probably my sophomore or junior year of HS, but I'm a freshman in college now...and I'll still rank it amongst the best pieces of literature I've ever read.
Whether it was the playful (albeit dangerous at times) banter between her and Sheftu or the stunning descriptions of the lotus gardens this book is a masterpiece and my only criticism was that it was not longer......
Book Description
30 Days of Night, the surprise hit that revitalized horror comics and became the #1 trade paperback of the year, gets the deluxe treatment in this special limited edition collection! This oversized, slip-cased edition containing all three issues, all three scripts (with Templesmith's original sketchbook material), the never-reprinted story from Wizard Edge, the pitch book that sold the movie, a brand new short prose story by Niles (illustrated by Templesmith), and more! This book has everything the legions of 30 Days fans crave! New cover by Ben Templesmith.
Customer Reviews:
Second Most Beautiful Graphic Novel Ever.......2005-04-25
I say second because, really, can anything compete with 'Sandman'?
The illustrations are gorgeous, lush and full of movement. The story is interesting but is secondary to the artwork. If you love dark art, buy this. If you love beautiful high-quality books, buy this.
Some very orignal ideas in the script and gourgess art.......2005-02-17
THere are some very orignal ideas in the script, but most of all it has unique and beatifull art(I were almost drooling when I read it!). After reading this comic I have become a hugh fan of Ben Templesmith.
It is a bit expensive compared to other TPBs, but the quality of the paper is well worth it. (BTW the quality of all IDWs TPBS are outstanding but expensive!) I highly recommend this.
No Original Ideas anymore?.......2005-02-07
I liked this story when it was done in Vampirella by Mark Millar.
I wonder why all of the author's stories feel so familiar?
worst ending ever,completly spoiled the book.......2004-02-24
I purchased this title mainly because i like the artist.so i bought the "complete" edition thinking there would be alot more artwork and stories-as said in the discription-.but to my dissapointment there wasnt,just the script to the book which is just pointless seeming you read it throughout the story anyway and a diary from some1 in it.And thats it.the story starts off half good then is just rushed towards the end,like the writer thinks "right i've had enough of this,lets just finish it up".I suppose i can sell it on ebay when the film comes out to double the money i paid for it.
Customer Reviews:
Fun but inaccurate.......2006-08-30
As a grandmother I enjoyed reading the book to my grandchild until I came across the words "weird looking" to describe the sphinx. The sphinx is anything but "weird." I'm sure the author can think of a better description. Caught by surprise I used the word "unusual" and added that it has the face of a person but the paws of cat. Also the Bad Guy and the women in the car are dressed like Gulf Arabs. No Egyptian wears clothes like that. A good book marred by an author who didn't his homework. Young minds being impressionable, "small" things count.
Fun, if not accurate, book.......2006-04-08
My children love Tomie dePaola books. This one was no exception. The illustrations were charming and the text fun. Unfortunately, what dePaola calls a sarcophagus is actually a coffin. Thankfully, my four-year-old was not confused and just pointed out, "Someone must have made a mistake. That's a coffin."
Review.......2006-01-31
We loved this picture book. My daughter got the biggest kick out of the bird being the toothbrush.
why not 5 stars?.......2004-06-10
This is an absolutely adorable book! My kids both love it. They love the "OOOOOOOO's" and mistaking "stinks" for "sphinx." And the already mentioned "toothbrush" thing just gets my nearly-6-yo rolling. I like it, too, but I give it four out of five stars because "shut up" is in the text. I really don't want my kids hearing it, even from a known "bad guy." I replace it with "hush," but my 5-yo is reading now and he reads it to me as it is written. Just a warning for you "shut-up'-is-a-bad-word households.
Great introduction to the Nile.......2003-11-20
My 6 year old is learning about Egypt with my 4 year old trying to take in as much as he can, this book was great for both of them. My 4 year old could understand it and of course the "toothbrush" was quite silly but my 6 year old got a good chuckle from it too.
Book Description
A collection of Cal McDonald short stories, written by Cal's creator, Steve Niles. When monsters, freaks and ghouls stalk L.A., it's up to hard-boiled private eye Cal McDonald to send them back where they belong. Featuring illustrations by a variety of comics luminaries.
Customer Reviews:
Great Short story collection for Cal Mcdonald fans.......2005-01-10
This collection is Awsome. all fans of the Cal Mcdonald books have to check this out. my Favorite sotry is "The Eater" because it was out right hilarious and "The Dead Dont Die" just because it was a classic Zombie story. this books stories all take place after "Guns Drugs & Monsters but before "criminal Macabre" everybody read and enjoy. good for multiple readings.
Five star collection of short stories - horror AND comedy!.......2004-11-07
If you liked zombie comedy movies like Shawn of the Dead, or horror movie parody movies like Scary Movie, you'll love this collection of Steve Nile's short stories, featuring the supernatural private investigator Cal McDonald. This is a much more accessible volume for non-comic readers than the other comic based tales of Cal McDonald -- they're just darn good reads, with the kind of dry with that Steve Niles brings to bear with this character.
Book Description
With the stunning high-seas adventure Sails on the Horizon, Jay Worrall introduced a bold new hero in the rousing tradition of Jack Aubrey: Charles Edgemont, an ambitious officer in His Britannic Majesty’s navy. Raised to the rank of captain for gallantry under fire, Edgemont proved his mettle in the bruising British victory over the Spanish fleet at the Battle of St. Vincent. Now married and in command of the twenty-eight-gun frigate Louisa, the young captain sails toward a day of destiny–for himself and for England.
The year is 1798. The war between England and revolutionary France has reached a bloody stalemate, with England in the ascendancy at sea and France unchallenged on the Continent, thanks in large part to an unorthodox twenty-eight-year-old general named Napoleon Bonaparte. But the French, secretly amassing a powerful fleet, mean to break the impasse.
When rumors of the French preparations leak, the Admiralty dispatches a squadron of seven ships–among them the Louisa–under the command of Rear Admiral Horatio Nelson to investigate. Blindsided by a storm of ferocious intensity, the ships scatter across the seas.
After the storm subsides, the damaged frigates limp back to the rendezvous point. But there is no sign of Nelson’s flagship, Vanguard, nor of two other ships of the line. Edgemont fears that the pugnacious rear admiral has pressed on with the mission.
Putting his career on the line by disobeying direct orders, Edgemont sets out in pursuit of Nelson and the French fleet on a treacherous voyage along the Tuscan coast. As tensions among the crew threaten to explode into open insubordination or worse, Edgemont makes an unexpected discovery in Naples that may seriously compromise his mission.
When the missing French fleet turns up off the shores of Egypt, conveying an army tens of thousands strong, Edgemont is suddenly thrown into a crisis of conscience. As circumstances grow dire and require heroic action, the fate of the crucial battle effectively lies in Edgemont’s hands–as does the course of history.
From the Hardcover edition.
Customer Reviews:
Texas John.......2007-03-19
Mr. Worrall is, in my mind, equal to Patrick O'Brian and even Julian Stockwin. It is refreshing to read about the good old US of A for a change.
Lose the wife please.. .......2006-12-29
The start of this book was amazing. The level of details and the authors ability to make you be there in the storm was great reading. Some wonderful comic moments between Bevin and Edgemont and others. The story flowed so well. A wonderful start to the book and I found it hard to put down and take a break. That is until Captain Edgemont found his wife in the middle of the Mediterranean.
It is inconceivable that 2 women traveling together would manage to get into the Mediterranean and eventually end up finding her husband's ship. Then, for the Captain to even allow her on board whilst being in very hostile waters. The book took a huge turn for the worse when we find Penny battering her husband (the captain) to stop firing as he is destroying a French ship. Even when Captain Edgemont comes to her rescue and saves her, she still is not happy about the fighting.
The way Edgemont handles his first officer is laughable. Getting his friend Commander Bevin to delay sailing with dispatches so he can help repair Louisa would find all of them hanged. Just when I thought things would get better with the packing off of his wife, we then have some silly action at the end with Edgemont being the one responsible for blowing up the French Flag Ship and killing 1000 sailors.
With Edgemont now on his way back to England, you just know the first part of the 3rd book will see more of his wife. I just hope the author leaves her behind early in the book.
Disappointing.......2006-09-10
I found this sequel to be quite disappointing. In fact it turned Charles Edgemont into a henpecked husband who allowed his wife to become "The Captain." I have nothing against strong women, but one who travels such a great distance in time of war just so she can conceive is ludicrous. I read these type of stories for the action at sea and this book let me down.Also I found the introduction of Aubrey and Hornblower (plus his own family name) to be disingenous. And why not Richard Bolitho while he was at it? Maybe he's being saved for another sequel. Stick to the war, Mr. Worrall, and let Penny be strong at home where she can do some good, including the mill and her other improvements. It seemed to me that for an avowed Quaker, she certainly seemed to demonstrate a great deal of pride.
Hope for the Genre.......2006-08-11
If you have discovered Patrick O'Brien, you have probably devoured the twenty or so Aubrey/Maturin volumes followed in prompt succession by the Hornblower novels of Forester. If you have not, then even Mr. Worrall will forgive your putting his book down while you promptly have the literary experience of a lifetime--they are that good. Indeed, young Aubrey makes a cameo in this book. Unfortunately, because the bar has been set so high, the efforts of other authors to create works in this genre often fail to measure up.
Three cheers, then, for Mr. Worrall who has convincingly demonstrated in this second book of his Charles Edgemont series that he has the potential to stand with the best. This second work focuses a bit more upon the characters and a bit less on the action, which though it seems to disturb other reviewers is actually quite necessary. Without engaging and fully-developed characters, the action is merely an historical recital. Too many books of the genre rely entirely upon the author's encyclopedic knowledge of nautical arcana while forgetting that the reader has to be invested in the story.
Mr. Worrall succeeds because his characters are moral and good yet complex enough to remain interesting. He is also unafraid to introduce the reader to the great Admiral Nelson to a degree curiously avoided by other authors. Though the surprise appearance of Mrs. Edgemont was somewhat contrived, the marriage of our protagonist makes for a narrative free from the cheesy romance-novel type of story that traps many other works of this genre.
I have very, very high hopes for this series and highly recommend both of the volumes completed to date.
Sophomore Slump.......2006-07-19
I looked forward to this sequel to Worrall's first book, but found that he "majored in the minors" and lost me mid-way through. The author placed too much emphasis on Capt. Edgemont's Quaker-pacifist wife, going so far as to have her as a passenger on a combat ship during time of war. The implausibility of that device irked me, and the inevitable conflicts (Quaker wife-Warrior Husband) aboard ship grew tiresome and crowded out the development of a solid story line. I'm still in for a third installment--more story, more action, less husband-wife quibbling, please.
Book Description
A thrilling account of the greatest geographical expedition of our time-the first-ever complete descent of the Nile River.
Over the past century, many explorers have attempted to run the magnificent Nile, but none succeeded. At least a dozen men died trying, and since 1964, three explorers have been shot, two have drowned, and another simply disappeared.
In April 2004, the renowned adventurer Pasquale Scaturro made history when he completed his epic journey down the Nile in 114 days, traveling 3,250 miles by kayak, from its source in Ethiopia to the shores of Alexandria, where it flows into the Mediterranean Sea. He ran the great river in the face of such obstacles as deadly crocodiles and hippos, arrests by Ethiopian and Egyptian militia, gunfire from Sudanese bandits, extreme temperatures, violent sandstorms, and exposure to malaria.
He details his historical quest here, with critically acclaimed coauthor Richard Bangs, in a breathtaking tale that features a beautiful collection of photographs. MacGillivray Freeman Films is releasing an IMAX movie in conjunction with the book.
Customer Reviews:
Flawed but fascinating.......2007-01-20
Richard Bangs' "Mystery of the Nile" takes the reader on a wild journey from the source of the Blue Nile in Ethiopia to the Mediterranean Sea. The story has all the elements of a great off-the-beaten-path adventure. You'll hear about Class VI rapids, obstinate government officials, ornery hippos, breathtaking scenary, and even the creepy intrusion of a tapeworm. The main problem with the book is that Bangs didn't actually make the journey. Rather, he relied on the journal entries and personal conversations with Pasquale Scaturro, an American outdoorsman who was the leader of this expedition.
Bangs can be forgiven for his vivid descriptions of scenes never seen. Poetic license, and all for the better. Where Bangs' dialogue grates is in his treatment of Scaturro's sidekick, Gordon Brown. Brown is raked over the coals for his irrational decisions and emotional tirades. Only at the end of the book does Bangs try to reconcile things by chalking up Brown's behavior to his cancer survivorship. There's no evidence that Bangs ever interviewed Brown following the adventure, nor attempted to come to terms with his side of the story.
Like watching a big-budget Hollywood movie, if you can ignore nit-picky things like gaping holes in consistency and reality, you'll certainly enjoy the experience all the more. There's a lot to like about "Mystery of the Nile", particularly if you're in it for the perils of the journey, not the personalities of those involved.
Mystery of the Nile: The Epic Story of the First Descent of the World's Deadliest River .......2007-01-09
I bought this movie for my girlfriend after we'd been to the IMAX about three or four times to see it. Since then, we've probably seen it another nine or ten times. It really is a fascinating and exciting story about an expedition down the Nile.
This is a great movie for anyone interested in nature and adventrure!
Better than the IMAX production.......2006-06-01
I loved the IMAX film production of Mystery of the Nile, and decided to pick up the book that accompanied it after wanting to know more about it. The editor, Richard Bangs, pieces together personal recollections of the actual "adventure team" leader, Pasquale Scaturro, with his own personal anecdotes (though he was never actually part of the expedition) into an engaging story.
This expedition down the Nile River, from it's source at the White Nile to its ocean connection in Cairo, Egypt, is the first successful of its kind. The novel traces the hardships the teams faces while on the river, and off. In addition, it gives a good basic idea on the cultures and natural environments surrounding the Nile, but nothing very detailed. There were parts, however, that I found less than relative to the actual journey, which included blurbs on past adrenaline-exploits of Scaturro's to the point of slightly excessive, but interesting in its own accord. It has been over a year since I have read this book, and regret that I cannot summarize it in a more complete manner, but if you are looking for an easy, attractive novel to sit on the porch and read, give it a shot.
We need another version of this trip.......2006-03-07
Pasquale Scaturro and Gordon Brown make the first "source to sea" expedition down the Nile. It is a splendid adventure that would make a great story. Unfortunately, the author spends nearly a third of the pages interjecting musings from himself (he wasn't there) and boring the reader with sideline stories that that have little if any connection with the current expedition. Just as the reader gets swept up in the adventure, the author interupts the scene with some left field factoid and destroys any sense of cadence. It's almost as bad as being in the grip of a televised Olympic event and having it interrupted by an inane story about the father of one of the athletes.
The author, Richard Bangs, wasn't on the trip but writes an almost first person narrative based on interviews with Scaturro and assorted other people. Inexplicably, he doesn't interview Gordon Brown who comprised a full 50% of the expedition. Instead he castigates Brown at every turn for being moody, violent, "silent for days", self-absorbed, etc., etc. At no point does the author offer any explanation why Brown might be behaving the way he does. The reader is left wondering why and a simple over-the-phone interview of Brown would have answered these questions.
In the final chapters Bangs decides (again, without talking to Brown) that Brown's anti-social behavior is linked to a brain cancer that has long-since been cured. Not only is it a convenient way for Bangs to avoid doing his homework and writing a definitive documentary; it's a blatantly cheap shot at Brown and any other person who has been challenged with a handicap - temporary or not.
This is a wonderful adventure that deserves an honest, accurate, and well rounded accounting by a first rate author who isn't afraid to dig for details and doesn't have some personal axe to grind.
Gripping adventure!.......2005-10-12
This book tells the amazing, almost unbelievable, story of two adventurers who navigate a hostile and souless river--through crocodiles, bandits, hippos, blinding sand storms, malaria, voracious insects, civil wars. In addition to the gripping and compelling adventure, the history of the Nile and the surrounding regions is explored, the politics of Africa are discussed (including the impact of US involvement), and the impact of poverty and big business on the environment is explored. For those who are fans of Everest adventures, their are lots of comments regarding past attempts on the summit. Don't miss the IMAX movie, either. It is amazing. For Christians, I must warn that this book contains strong humanist themes--"There they discover a mirror in which they see their own faces, and learn that the savior they sought was within themselves"--which are disquieting. However, I loved this book--it painted pictures in my mind that will remain forever.
Book Description
Steve Niles, the acknowledged master of horror comics, turns his sights on the Frankenstein story in this terrifying tale, illustrated by new sensation Chee. College student Victor works to reverse death, not knowing what a can of worms he's opening up. But he'll find out...
Customer Reviews:
good.......2007-09-04
not bad.. quite greusome... a different take on frankenstien. all in all i was a little pissed i paid cover price for it when i coulda gotten it here for alot less
Introduces young adult readers to a literary classic.......2004-11-07
Getting young adult readers to pick up a literary classic like Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" is a hard call these days. Give them a book like Steve Nile's "Wake the Dead" and you won't get it back off them.
Steve Niles modernizes the tale, and the artwork in this graphic novel is suprerb. It brings to life all the horrific and gory details of assembling a human body from evicerated car crash victims. Though the concept isn't new (it wasn't even in Mary Shelley's day, with the concept of a golem pre-dating her work) it does bring the story to life for a modern audience.
Rehash.......2004-11-01
This is little more than a transplantation of the original Frankenstein to a modern setting. It moves way too fast; no time is spent on narrative or character development. It really adds nothing to Mary Shelley's work, and is deeply lacking in comparison.
I am becoming a fan of Steve Niles. "30 Days of Night" and his adaptation of "I Am Legend" were inspired; this is a big step backwards for him.
The art is competent, but it adopts the convention that human flesh is apparently a soft clay that shreds at the slightest trauma. Teeth have a very hard time staying in place, as they also seem eager to pop out. The art nearly made me nauseous; I suppose some people will take that as an endorsement.
I recently heard someone say that body without soul does not equal life. This story reanimates the body of Shelley's classic novel, but it possesses none of its soul.
Book Description
When the living, decapitated head of Cal McDonald's old buddy shows up on his doorstep, it launches the monster hunting private eye out of his familiar surroundings and into the nightmarish underworld of Los Angeles. There, Cal must face a savage pair of bestial killers and a bloodthirsty vampire as he strives to help his unfortunate friend. Little does he know that he's stepping into the grips of a demonic deal. Hard-boiled detective tales in the tradition of Chandler and Hammett take a wicked spin in the hands of Steve Niles who in Guns, Drugs, and Monsters adds ghosts, ghouls, and a nasty hangover to the classic genre.
Customer Reviews:
This is Big.......2005-11-29
Author Steve Niles used to live in the D.C. area and then moved to L.A. Like author, like character. Cal McDonald experiences a wake up call after battling a crazed killer and the possibility of a new case drives him to relocate to Los Angeles. His ghoul friend Mo'Lock is not around so Cal sets off on his own to visit the home of another monster hunter.
The City of Angels also seems to be the city of monsters as Cal has to deal with all sorts of unusual activity while waiting for his West-Coast counterpart. But if werewolves and vampires aren't enough, Cal finds out that a predicted and feared Day of Monsters might actually be about to happen. Most of the world does not know about the strange things that also inhabit our world but they are about to get a dose of reality if Cal can not figure out what is going on and put a stop to it right away.
This is a short book made shorter by having a number of adventures. It is a little more disjointed than the first novel but it reads better. The action and pacing are fast. While Cal complains about not getting a chance to take a breath the reader may feel the same way as the action races along. Fast, furious, and a lot of fun. Check it out.
The Best in the Cal Mcdonald Series!.......2005-01-10
Loaded with clever plot twists, witty dialogue and awesome monster on monster battles this is sure to please
This is the best in the Cal McDonald series. It had some great action sequences, some truly funny and well-worded dialogue, an interesting plot and great characters including our old friends Cal and his partner Mo' Lock as well as Sam Burnett a fellow monster hunter and old friend of Cal's, who spends most of the story as an understandably PO'd animated severed head who spends most of his time screaming obscenities, and a new love interest of Cal's a women who runs a Magazine called Speculator (mentioned once or twice in Savage Membrane) from her apartment. For villains we have a big boss Vampire named Dave, a werewolf duo and a satanic teenager.
Like Savage Membrane this is a great quick read. The short chapters hold your interest and make it easy to read the whole thing in one sitting.
Overall this book has allot of clever twists and turns allot of over the top and interesting characters allot of cool action sequences allot of smart witty dialogue and last but not least allot of crazy monsters. Sure to please fans of cal McDonald, fans of monsters and fans of noir.
The day of the monsters is at hand. << Stephanie G.......2004-11-09
Steve Niles wrote a hard core novel that I just couldn't put down for anything. Guns, Drugs and Monsters is full of creativity, energy, wit and charm in every chapter. I found myself savoring every page of this book, often turning away to laugh and collect myself after being stunned by the incredible energy of the prose. This book was filled with nothing but "hardcore super stuff."
Not once I could of put the book down, it got my attention and held it in. (Guns, Drugs and monsters, A Cal McDonald mystery.) Cal McDonald has made a career helping and hunting the dark creatures that haunt the world and has made as many friends as he has enemies. to some he is friend and protector. but to most- those who prey on innocent humans lives- Cal is a sworn enemy.
I recommend you read this book because once you have a taste of Steve Niles style, you never want to get it out of your system.
Great Satire and a Good Installment in an Excellent Seires.......2004-03-08
Though Niles does not write great literature, he does write a great satire. This book is filled with hilarious characters, weird monsters, and some great plot twists. Cal McDonald is a lovable anti-hero who is not afraid of getting himself arrested, maimed, or even transformed into various unholy beings. The book is fun and a great read, especially is you have read Dashal Hammet or Raymond Chandler. If You enjoy this book, I also recommend "Savage Membrane" (the first Cal McDonald book), "Dial M for Monster" (a collection of Cal McDonald short stories), "Criminal Macabre" (Cal McDonald's first graphic novel, illustrated by Ben Templesmith), and "Love Me Tenderloin" (The new Cal McDonald comic currently on issue #1). I hope you all enjoy this wonderful adventure in the supernatural underworld of Los Angeles.
One of the most enjoyable books I've ever read.......2003-04-05
Guns, Drugs, and Monsters isn't going to place among this century's "great" novels--it just doesn't aim for a mainstream audience. What the book does have, however, is more creativity, wit, and charm in one chapter than most books have in their entirety. Steve Niles has one of the most high-energy and witty writing styles I've ever encountered. I found myself savoring every page of this book, often turning away to laugh and collect myself after being stunned by the incredible energy of the prose. The creative turns of phrase, and the sheer quantity of fun ideas make this book something special. It's as if Steve Niles just decided to compile a book full of nothing but the "good stuff."
This may sound like hyperbole, and not everyone may have my reaction to it, but just trust that Guns, Drugs, and Monsters reads like nothing else you've encountered. I had already picked up the trade paperback of 30 Days of Night, also by Steve Niles, but have yet to read it. Now that I've read Guns, Drugs, and Monsters, not only am I positive that 30 Days of Night will live up to its hype, but I fully intend to check out as many Niles creations as I can find.
I am now a full-fledged Steve Niles fan, and sincerely hope that this second entry into the adventures of Cal McDonald will not be the last (at least I still have the first book to enjoy, Savage Membrane).
Product Description
There is so much in store on this incredible journey enormous statues and temples, the legendary Sphinx, tombs and mummies, and of course the Great Pyramids. With seven exciting destinations, a god or goddess on each page, and informative notes at the end, you will be an Egypt expert in no time!
Customer Reviews:
Fun book and great for learning about the Nile and ancient Egypt.......2007-07-06
I bought this book as a gift because I was so impressed with how much fun the book is and how educational the book manages to be at the same time. I have recently come back from a trip to Egypt and I took a cruise down the Nile River. This book although superficial in details(clearly because of the age range) does cover the key points of the trip from Aswan up the Nile River as well as plenty of background material on Ancient Egyptian history in the back. I have always felt it is critical that kids are exposed to history and cultures through their reading and this book does that well. On top of being educational it is very colorful and very much a fun book.
Books:
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- A Savage War of Peace: Algeria 1954-1962 (New York Review Books Classics)
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- Archaeology: Discovering Our Past
- Black Diamond
- Bud, Not Buddy (Newbery Medal Winner, 2000)
- Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi/400D Digital Field Guide
- Castle: Medieval Days and Knights (A Sabuda & Reinhart Pop-up Book)
- Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed
Books Index
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