Elves Books

I collect different series of books, and one set is variations on "The Night Before Christmas". Even though this isn't really about the night before Christmas, it all takes place on Christmas. The illustrations are great. I bought this book because James Rice did the illustrations. The children I shared it with loved it. I am a teacher, and since writing is so important, it was a good way to show variations on a theme. It was a good choice for my collection.

I got the Tarot deck and the book is a must to go with it. The stories involving each suit and the Major Arcana really assist with learning the cards, suits, and the deck in general. After reading the book and working with the Tarot I feel my readings are much more effective.

A wonderful collection of lesser-known Victorian fairy tales. The anthology includes well-known writers such as Lewis Carroll, Edith Nesbit, and Rudyard Kipling - as well as 19 others. Black and white illustrations are included, and add to the fun.

It's a great book to have in the spare bedroom for guests to thumb through, or even out in the living room. Pick it up - you won't be able to put it down!

A wonderful book to spur on the imagination. I just finished reading this to my 6 year old and he found it all very believable. Great illustrations. I also found it easy to read and not at all monotonous and some kids books can be.(Suess etc...)If you or your child are into fantasy books this is a must read. Introduces the origins of woodland folk, elves,guzznags,unicorns,giants, and gnomes. Enjoy!!

Paolini has done it again! Excellent story. I can't wait for the 4th book!

This book was pretty average. It is good if you have nothing else to do. The plot is a bit predectable and flat.

One of the greatest book I ever read. One of the greatest stories. I am waiting for the fourth part when the story is finished. Amazing written.

Eldest, written by Christopher Paolini, won the 2006 quill book award and followed his first book, Eragon, to the New York Times bestseller list. In Eldest, Eragon now journeys to the land of the elves, Du Weldenvarden, where he further trains to become a Dragon Rider, learning the skills of magic and swordsmanship. He knows that another encounter with Galbortorix could wipe out the Varden in one blow. He meets Arya, the beautiful daughter of the queen, and falls in love with her. Meanwhile, Eragon's cousin Roran fight a new battle in Carvahall, and becomes the unlikely leader skirmishing against the evil Ra'zac and for his beloved Katrina. Only 21 years old, Paolini has made the settings and the characters incredibly realistic and credible. This isn't just another fantasy book about dragons and knights; this is a book with a developed plot that is very believable. Eldest is a great book for all readers but especially readers who like fantasy. Due to intense descriptions of gore and bloodshed, I think that this book is best for readers fourth grade and up.

If you are into this type of ready you enjoy reading the whole series of books. I enjoy the fact that it continues on with what happens after Eragon left off.

As an avid fantasy fan, I really wanted to like this book, but because I'm such a lover of the genre, I simply can't bring myself to finish this book. I understand that LOTR is the foundation on which contemporary fantasy stands, but c'mon, this is just a blatant rip-off. Shea and Flick are Frodo and Sam, Allanon is Gandalf, the Skull Lord is Sauron, etc. etc., but without the slightest degree of character development. I can't bring myself to care about any of these wooden characaters or the bland, lifeless way in which the generic story is playing out. Don't waste your time or money on this one. Check out the Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin instead for an original story and strong character development.

Yes, a lot of the characters are similiar to the Lord of the Rings. I concede that--but I still recommend reading it. This is was an enjoyable book that I couldn't put down, and ultimately that's what matters.

The people who are giving this book 5 stars either read it when it first came out in the 1970's or are shills for the author/publisher. Five stars for this nonsense? I'm glad I got this book for free. LOL.

I read this book 20 years ago, and could not put it down!!! It's that GOOD! I loved the book "The lord of the rings", and with that said, I liked this one better. Fun from beginning to end. Forgive Terry Brooks for being brilliant!!!

The popularity of this title seems to have waned considerably since the last time I looked it up on Amazon.com. Terry Brooks' Sword of Shannara is arguably the novel most obviously derivative of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings in terms of both characters and events in the plot, but come on, guys. Three and a half stars? While I can't justify Brooks extending this series to the length it has eventually grown to (I had to stop reading after the beleaguering original seven) The Sword of Shannara is still a classic of the genre, and it deserves an appreciative nod from fantasy fans. After all, without mindless knock-offs of Tolkien, where would the mass-market world of seven-hundred-page sword-and-sorcery novels be today? Not in the hearts and minds of all of us, that's for sure. In that sense, Brooks should be seen as a bold pioneer.

All joking aside, I have fond memories of staying up late to finish this book, even though at fifteen I could easily spot the parallels between this novel and The Lord of the Rings. Two stars for originality. Five stars for entertainment value. But five stars overall because this classic does not deserve to be languishing at a caustic three and a half stars! Come on people, help me out!!!

I just finished the book and thought it was great. I've read the other reviews and am surprised that there are so many negative ones. I am not a "fantasy" genre reader in general so I really can't say if this book is a "copy" of others like people claim. Just reading the book as is, with nothing to compare it to, I really liked it. I thought the writing was way up there in skill and clarity. Compared to many, many other authors writing that I've read CP's writing totally trumps them. Some examples of who I mean would be writers like Stephen King, Nora Roberts, Stephenie Meyer, and Jodi Piccoult- which are the people whose stuff I've read a lot of lately. As for the Star Wars comparisons- I've seen Star Wars about 20 times, and I don't see the connection. All I can think is that the 2nd and 3rd books which I've not read as yet, might be why people say that, but Eragon really has nothing in common with Star Wars that I can see. The plot moves along, it's totally cool all the people Eragon meets, and I was consistently delighted with the story and all the characters that popped up. I thougth it was awesome.

I am writing this as I wait with little anticipation for the final book of the inheritance. I agree with some of the other reviews that this book is just too similar to many of the other dragon/middle earth type fantasies. On the other hand, if you like that kind of thing, that isn't much of a deterrent.

My biggest issue has been that while the first book was good enough and easy to plow through, the second one was a little drier and the third was an endless dragging on of every mundane detail. It does include the full saga of a revolution which of course entails more than a one-battle victory, but Paolini might as well tell you everytime Eragon sneezes or picks dirt from his fingernails in between. You can't fault him for leaving anything out, but I found myself glazing over, waiting for the plot to pick up again. In addition, the writing itself is not challenging, but then I believe its only intended as entertainment. I don't think that there are too many characters or places to follow (especially with a map insert to follow for fun), but I do feel that most of the characters are underdeveloped. Unfortunately, Eragon is the worst. Three books in and I am still waiting for a personality to emerge. On the converse, I suppose it is a device well recognized in anime illustration, where the main character is a nondescript as possible to encourage the reader/viewer to relate. I just wish he was more of an inspiration, role model or hero.

All that being said, the first book is not bad. The plot is interesting enough and I don't know too many young readers who could read it and not imagine what it would be like to be that special kid selected by destiny to be a great dragon rider. If this is your genre, go ahead, pick this book up, but do so in a paperback. I'm afraid this one falls a bit short of becoming a timeless classic.

One of the greatest book I ever read. One of the greatest stories. I am waiting for the fourth part when the story is finished. Amazing written.

This book is really great. I liked this book because when you start reading it you get sucked into it. Brom and Eragon travel through the treacherous lands of King Galbatorix trying to get to Fathen Dur, the home of the dwarfs.

This book is full of suspense and has a bunch of exciting and frightening parts. Eragon has such bad luck it feels as if it's happening to you. This book is probably the best book I have ever read.

The lack of originality dominates so much that it's hard to review without dwelling on that point, but since other reviewers have pretty well covered it, I'll just say I concur and try to move on.

Beyond that, I was just looking for an accessible, decent fantasy book, and read this because a friend recommended the series. I must say I'm disappointed. Even ignoring the rip-off factor, it was still disappointing. I don't think the author played to the stregnth of the story very well. This is a Dragon book, right? But for large portions of the book the dragon is little more than a pack animal that occasionally acts like a teenage girl, it just doesn't seem to make sense. The dialogue between the dragon and the boy is almost painfully cheesy and really underwhelms. This is definitely more of a teen or pre-teen kind of fantasy.

That's not to say there are no positives. The Brom and Murdaugh characters are reasonably interesting, and managed to get me through it. After a tedious middle, it does pick up towards the end, but it's kind of too little, too late. I will say that the author has at least left himself a strong enough base that if he decides to get away from the Star Wars plot he could do something decent with it. After all, he is young and could be expected to improve as he gets older.

Anyway, I'm not planning on reading part 2, though my friend may talk me into it. I really hope it gets better.

I've loved James Herbert since I read The Magic Cottage many years ago. He has a wonderful way of blending the everyday world with the supernatural in a way that's seamless and utterly believable, and I appreciate his ability to explore very different subjects and rarely repeat himself - no doubt a difficult task for a fairly prolific writer. In this story, he delves into the world of the Faerie, which, ironically, has never been one of my more pressing interests. He brings it out so naturally, though, that I found myself just going with it.

Thom Kindred has returned to his childhood home of Castle Bracken to heal from a devastating, early-age stroke. Bracken really is a true castle, a relic of the distant past, and Thom grew up in a small cottage on the property - the cottage having been occupied by his mother, who served as a tutor to the children of Bracken's owners. When the story begins, Thom's mother is long dead - of suicide, or so Thom was led to believe those many years ago - but the glimpses we get of her through his memories are intriguing. She seems mystical, lovely and ethereal, and I don't know about others who read this book, but I would have loved to know more about her and to have another 200 pages or so reserved just for an exploration into Thom's childhood and growing up with this mysterious woman of the woods.

Then, of course, there are the woods themselves, which we soon learn are unlike any other. It doesn't take long before we find Thom plunged into a mystery both beautiful and terrifying, and the woods come alive with all the creatures we hear about in fairy tales as children - the original fairy tales that were both dark and light, alternately fascinating and frightening. He falls in love with Jennet, a faerie creature who slowly re-awakens his long-suppressed memories of life as a child in this otherworld, and also reveals to him the truth about his mother. When he learns that the fate of the magical world he inhabited as a child and has re-discovered as an adult is in terrible, immediate jeopardy, he realizes that, ready or not, he's about to be caught in the middle of a torturous battle between the past and the present, and what is seen and unseen.

I have only two complaints, and they're relatively minor. The first is in reference to one of the villains of the story, a witch whom he specifically identifies as Wiccan. It's not an accurate depiction of the religion of Wicca or its practitioners, nor is there any adequate explanation, even briefly, of the word itself and the numerous ways it's used. It's a somewhat broad and hotly debated topic anyway and probably why he left all that out, but I still think it's confusing and more than a little misleading to anyone who is not familiar with Wicca either as a religion or as a word.

My other complaint may sound a little weird, but it has to do with his depiction of Jennet, the faerie with whom Thom falls in love. It's a very sexual relationship, which is fine and I have no issue with that. It's the description of her as (and I apologize in advance if this is a little TMI or inappropriate!) 'hairless' and small-breasted, and essentially very child-like. I realize I'm not articulating this very well, since obviously "small-breasted" in no way translates as "child-like". It's just the depiction of Jennet in general as more of a 13-year old...at least, that's the image I get in my head. I'm uncomfortable with a grown man expressing such lust for a girl who comes across almost pre-pubescent. I should make clear, of course, that Jennet's character is NOT a child. It just gives me an itsty bitsy bit of the creeps. At any rate, it's a small thing because the other sexual attraction he feels, towards the witch of the tale, is very much the opposite. I don't know if there's any significance to the fact that the "woman" of the story is the evil witch, while the child-like female is ultimately the heroine and an object of true love, but I'm sure that in any case Herbert wouldn't appreciate my Freudian analysis of his sexual predilections. LOL

All in all, despite the flaws, it was a good, satisfying story and a nice addition to anyone's collection of supernatural, dark fantasy and other similar tales of the genre.

I really enjoyed this book...a fairytale that's definitely for adults. I enjoyed the dreamlike descriptions just as much as the shockingly graphic parts. An interesting story which intrigued and absorbed me.
If you enjoyed stories about forests and woodland folk as a child and now like horror...this is the book for you!!

One of the best books about horror fiction is Stephen King's Danse Macabre. Besides giving a good overview of the genre, King also provides introductions to various authors. One such author is James Herbert, who I started enjoying shortly after reading King's description of him. While not the big name that King, Koontz or Barker is (at least in the United States), Herbert is a consistently entertaining author.

Once (as in "Once upon a time", not the Spanish version of eleven) is Herbert's dark version of a fairy tale. Thom Kindred is a man in his twenties who, despite good health, is victimized by a stroke that has left half his body weakened. He goes back to his old home at the Bracken estate to recuperate. As a child, he lived there with his mother at a small home in the woods called Little Bracken. The main house continues to be owned by the father of his childhood friend, Hugo Bleeth.

One of his first discoveries when moving back into Little Bracken is that he has a housekeeper named Nell Quick. Nell is seductively beautiful and seems to be attracted to Thom, but she also seems to have some hidden agenda. A walk in the woods shows him strange sights, but he really begins to realize something is wrong when he is attacked by a monstrous succubus while sleeping; only the timely intervention of Little Bracken's guardian elf, Rigwit, saves Thom.

Thom finds that he has unwittingly become a key player in a battle between supernatural forces of good and evil, and that Nell is his adversary. She is something of a witch and for her to meet her objectives, Thom must be controlled. This will place Thom in increasingly fantastic situations, but he fortunately has allies among the fairy people, with whom he has a special link.

At the front of Once is this description: "A Scary Tale of Faerfolkis & Evildoers, of Lovers & Erotic Passion, of Horror & Belief. Written Only for Adults by James Herbert." This is an apt enough description as there is more than a little sex mixed in with all the creepy situations. It was decades ago that Stephen King praised him, but even now, Herbert continues to entertain. Once is a great read.

This is the first book I've read by James Herbert, and it was ok. I think it could have been spookier, and the sex bits were a bit too graphic for my tastes. Kind of like watching one of those SciFi channel orginal movies. If you're in the mood for the premise or a fan of the author, you'll prolly enjoy it.

As if a story that combines gothic mystery and fantasy elements like elves, witches, pixies, and fairies wasn't unusual enough, how about a story that combines gothic mystery, fantasy elements, and extremely graphic sex (involving the pixies, witches, and fairies, no less)? If you think you would like, or can at least tolerate, all three of those elements, you'll probably have a good enough time reading this engaging little story about a human man discovering the fantasy world all around him.

A few things in the book went on a bit too long, including an attack by a jarful of ever-multiplying spiders (it was a clever and scary sequence, but several pages longer than it needed to be) and some of the erotic scenes (though if a scene has to go on a bit too long, it might as well be a sex scene). Overall, however, the interesting mix of genres and the alternating moods of the narrative (the story is in turn mysterious, playful, scary, sexy, fantastic, and suspenseful) makes "Once..." a diverting reading experience.

(Note: This review was written by my wife, Laura...)

Elves and faeries and other "imaginary" creatures don't only exist in tales and books, according to Ted Andrews. It is possible to open ourselves up to their world if we quiet our minds enough and let go of our preconceived ideas. This concise and easy-read will take you on a journey through this magical realm with the use of visualizations, stories, personal anecdotes and ancient wisdom.

If you've ever been curious about the edges of reality in terms of how far out they really extend then this book is for you. If you're a lover of unicorns, mermaids, faeries, gnomes and other delightful creatures then reading this book will help enlighten you about who they are, what they do, and how you might be able to connect with them.

This is for the serious seeker who is ready to embark on a journey that will leave them questioning reality to an immense degree. If you're ready to have your world turned upside down then take Ted Andrews' hand and let him lead you into the enchanted realm.

Puh-leeze. Do yourself a favour and do NOT waste your money on such tripe. The Fay are NOT our obedient servants, nor our any of our other aetheric friends and there is no point trying to describe them as they are masters of the aetheric and astral. And why is there this insistence of pigeon-holing every being imaginable? It cannot be done properly, nor should it be attempted in this manner.

I agree that the author is out of his depth here. This is a book that should never have been written.

You want to meet a 'faerie'? Close your eyes, relax and say hello. If they're interested, they'll come.

This book is written awkwardly. Ted Andrew makes an attempt to mix modern style faery communication with the older shamanic approach. It just doesn't work. Though the content is good, very well researched and accurate, this book offers very little information on faeries. It is not too good for reference. For reference on faeries, try Edain's Witch's guide to faery folk. This book is more about how to connect with the faeries, yet the guided meditations are not very effective. Half the book is on meditations and it gets a little boring.

I was used to Ted Andrews writing in a style that was methodical, approachable, accurate, and mystical. Unfortunately, I do not think he is well acquainted with this subject, and I don't think he is comfortable with working with the Fey. I hold nothing against him--the rest of the works I have read which he authored are very well done. However, I would not recommend his foray into the Faery realms. I believe he needs to do some more work if he truly wants to improve this work. I would encourage him to take some time, meditate, learn, and put out a revised edition of this book at some time in the future.

I enjoyed every page of this book. It is certainly one of the most informative books on the faerie realm I have ever read, packed not only with facts about each kind of elemental but also exercises to help the reader easily make contact with faeries. And I admit I cried off and on throughout this book as well. I dearly love all faeries and elementals, and it is easy to see the author has a heart for them too. If you feel the same, you will find this to be a very special book. One I highly recommend, since it has enriched my life in many ways.

This is a fun and entertaining read. It is not one of Lackey's more serious novels; rather, it is a rip-rollicking adventure story. I enjoyed it highly and had trouble putting it down. The dialogue is very good and at times hilarious. If you have read the Obsidian Trilogy be forewarned that this series is not nearly as intense. One of the things I liked about this story is the introspection and the character's musings on why they are on this quest and the right and wrong of violence. Too often in these stories the main character is all too willing to pick up a sword and start swinging with no regard for the consequences or the effects.
I highly recommend this book (and the first book in the Enduring Flame series) and am looking forward to the third installment.

Using Characters and scenes from previous adventures, This stoy continues in the same marvelous fashion as those from before.. well worth your time. Please continue to give us more to enjoy.

a great continuation of a great series 2 series as it follows the earlier trilogy by the same authors, but a thousand years later.

I have read all the other reviews, and I just had to add my opinion. I love these characters. Tiercel and Harrier are complete enigmas to me! Tiercel is on a journey to save himself (from his nightmares) and then he's told he's going to save the whole world! At which point, he doesn't shrink back, or scare off, he steps up. For someone so young, I find that truely amazing. And if Lackey and Mallory didn't spend so much time inside his head, showing you that he's conflicted, I would think this kid had a death wish. Instead they take the time to give the character depth.

Harrier is the ultimate friend. How many friends do you have that would actually risk their lives for you, over and over? Harrier's entire mission as far as he's concerned is to keep Tiercel safe. Thats a huge responsibility for someone his age, and he shoulders it with grace. Sure, he's irritated a good deal of the time. Tiercel doesn't make it easy for him.

Ancaladar is a calming presence for both the boys, and he proves to be helpful in a great deal of ways. He's full of wisdom the boys can use, but he's careful not to give out too much and accidentally change the course the boys are on. With him around, Harrier doesn't worried about Tiercel as much and can actually focus on the task the Wild Magic has given him, namely becoming a Knight-Mage. Again, Lackey and Mallory spend a lot of time in Harrier's head. Harrier has a lot on him plate. On the one hand, he wants to protect Tiercel, and on the other, he has this new path of his own. He's extremely conflicted and not sure if he can manage both at the same time, or even if he wants to try.

I think this book is extremely well written, its a fantastic follow-up, and I am anxiously awaiting the final book in the series.

The Phoenix Endangered (2008) is the second fantasy novel in The Enduring Flame series, following The Phoenix Unchained. In the previous volume, Tiercel Rolfort became the first High Mage since the Great Flowering. Harrier Gillian went with him to find a Wildmage to soothe or, at least, explain his terrible dreams of the Lake of Fire. After many adventures, Harrier found himself being chosen by the Wild Magic as the first Knight-Mage since Kellen the Poor Orphan Boy.

In this novel, Harrier is rather irritated with Kareta. Since she had brought him the three books of Wild Magic, the unicorn had not stopped nagging him about reading them and about practicing the spells. Kareta is surely beautiful, but she is just so pushy. Harrier just doesn't really see himself as a Wildmage, much less as a Knight-Mage.

Tiercel is happy in the bond with Ancaladar Star-Crowned and it does help with his magic. Ancaladar is so powerful that Tiercel can do just about any magic by drawing upon the dragon's resources. Ancaladar is also mentoring him in his studies. Their only problem is the shortage of time. It takes decades of training to become a master mage and they probably only have a year or two.

They are leaving the Elven Lands and will be crossing Pelashia's Veil in a few sennights. They stocked up on supplies and equipment in Karahelanderialigor and will pick up more supplies at Blackrowan Farm. After that they must find villages and towns to restock their supplies.

In this story, they cross the Veil and the very next night Tiercel has another vision of the woman at the Lake of Fire. He wakes up everyone else with his shouts. Then Harrier finally starts reading his magic books. Of course, he doesn't admit that to Kareta.

Kareta points out that Harrier also needs to practice his weapon skills. Harrier rebuts her argument by stating that he lacks any weapon skills. So she declares that he needs to use his magic to find an instructor.

Then they find a mostly dead warrior in the barrenlands. Since Tiercel has no healing spells, Harrier attempts to heal the man without anyone else to share the Mageprice. After two days sleep, he wakes up and learns that the man is healed. Still, he doesn't want to do that again without several others agreeing to take some of the price.

The wounded man sleeps even longer that Harrier does. When he awakes, they learn that he is a Telchi, a warrior from the Selken Isles. It seems that the Wild Magic has provided Harrier with an arms instructor.

Since healing the Telchi, Harrier can no longer deny that he is a Wildmage. He starts trying to perform the simpler spells in his books, but makes little progress at first, But they discover that Harrier's magic makes Tiercel feel weak. So Tiercel stays away from the wagon whenever Harrier is practicing his spells.

This tale takes Tiercel and Harrier into the Madiran. The Telchi guides them to his home city of Tarnatha'Iteru in the border lands outside the true desert. They meet the Consul and then follow the Telchi to his home. The next day, Tiercel starts searching records for the location of the Lake of Fire.

This story bridges the adventures of the first volume with the forthcoming conclusion in the next volume. Very little excitement occurs until the closing chapters. Still, the characters provide enough interest to keep the plot moving. Enjoy!

Recommended for Lackey & Mallory fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of serious magic, unusual cultures, and a touch of humor. Anyone who has not read novels in this sequence should start with The Outstretched Shadow.

-Arthur W. Jordin