Elves Books

Authors Bruner and Ware find many parallels between the LORD OF THE RINGS and Biblical teachings. I will cite only a few examples.

God often chooses the most unlikely, lowly people (e. g. Abraham, David, Moses, the twelve apostles) to accomplish great things (pp. 51-54). And it is Frodo, the lowly Hobbit, who takes upon himself the responsibility to destroy the ring (and Sauron's evil powers behind it) the only way it can be destroyed--by being thrown into the cauldron of Mount Doom.

"Evil is not possessed, but possessing." (p. 69). Gollum (Smeagol) committed murder to acquire the ring, and then was forced to live a miserable life hiding in dark places. But God can even take evil, turn it around, and use it for His purposes. One is reminded of this when Gollum snatches the ring from Frodo in the last minute, only to fall with the ring into the cauldron of Mount Doom. Thus, the evil Gollum unwittingly becomes the agent of the destruction of the evil ring (p. 89).

I am amused at the fury directed against this innocuous book by some of the negative reviews. (Perhaps this reaction tells us more about the critics' thought processes than about those of the authors of this book). Bruner and Ware freely recognize the fact that members of all faiths have enjoyed Tolkien's works (p. x). They are not saying that the applications are unique to the Christian faith. Nor do they ever suggest that Tolkien wrote the LORD OF THE RINGS for the purpose of promoting Christian doctrines or morals as such (pp. 109-111).

This is undoubtedly a thought-provoking book.

Additional comment for reviewer of Jan. 31, 2004, from Tolkien's own words:
"The Lord of the Rings is of course a fundamentally religious and Catholic work." (Tolkien, in a letter to Robert Murray)

And in response to this book's publication: For a book to call itself "Finding God in LotR", and then to blatently ignore the inconvenient fact that Tolkien was an unabashed Catholic in a time & place where it was professionally and socially unpopular to be so, removes this book from making any claims to factual or critical authenticity, and slides it into propaganda-land.

To the reader on January 31, 2004 and to all who think like this person: J.R.R. Tolkien himself was a Christian and thus his rendition of the Lord of the Rings was a Christian work. Tolkien may not have written his work as an allegory, but he did write his work with a Christian conscience. I, as well as many others, see in these books many allusions to various themes in the Bible. I have not read this book, but am looking forward to in the future. Tolkien may not have meant his work to bear a Christian theme, but it does.

This book is horribly superficial, and the writer shows a very clear failure to understand many of the themes in LOTR. This is not finding God in LOTR, but how to use LOTR as a blunt instrument in proselytizing for evangelical christianity; emphasis on "blunt".

With all the secondary literature trying to cash in on the Tolkien phenomenon it is probably worthwile to listen to the author himself for a change. In his foreword, Tolkien writes:

"I cordially dislike allegory in all its manifestations, and always have done so since I grew old enough to detect its presence. I think that many confuse 'applicability' with 'allegory'; but the one resides in the freedom of the reader, and the other in the purposed domination of the author."

Oh, the "applicators" are at it, Professor, they sure are! After the 70s' and 80s' mystics, esoterics and new-worlders the evangelical christians have discovered Tolkien. Not out of conviction or love for it, I guess, but because there is no way around LOTR's huge success. The christians' favorite, C.S.Lewis, never quite matched it, on paper as on the screen.

So, after he found god in C.S.Lewis Bruner is out to find HIM in Tolkien. And he's not alone. Ralph Wood or Peter Kreeft just published similar "analyses". I'm waiting for their homilies on Harry Potter - but as I understand the super-christians still consider that one black magic. Much as they did with Gandalf and Sauron until lately. I guess they'll come around after Joanne K. Rowling is dead and can't defend herself against the blatant misuse of her work - as J.R.R.Tolkien.

I still was quite religious when I first read The Hobbit and the LOTR at age 14. And you know what I liked most about it? That religion was no part of it at all. I didn't take Sauron for Satan, or Frodo for Jesus, or Gollum for Judas. It speaks volumes about the intellectual poverty of modern evangelical christianism that they keep reducing every single story they like to a distilled version of the four gospels and, say, the first three or four Mosaic books.

Tolkien himself was a devout catholic - so what? Of course, there are religious undertones in his work. Illuvatar is his name for god, of course. But the Valar are angels as well as "gods"; they're even called that way, at some point. Tolkien knew full well that there are just as many heathen undertones: he knew his nordic literature. Or ecological undertones, for that matter: When will Greenpeace come up with "Finding the Kyoto Protocol in the Lord of the Rings"? Or why not preach about Tolkien's mistrust for modern parliamentary democracy? "Finding monarchy in the Lord of the Rings". See? It's not that difficult.

I guess I wouldn't have liked much of Tolkien's politics. But he's not around anymore to be asked, of course. And considering all else I know about him, his literary work, his teaching, the few recordings we have, he was a great person. And even if he wasn't I will always love his books - long after this evangelicalism has ebbed away again.

I bought this title because an old friend, Jean Targete, illustrated the cover--and WHAT a cover! It took a few chapters to get me caught up in the story and to care about the characters, but once I did, I couldn't put it down. It's good high fantasy, minus the youngster who discovers he/she is of great magical importance, so on and so on. It involves seven levels of the world, one being under the crust where dwarves and "delvers" live, one inhabited by elves and other creatures, such as talking dogs and "druids" from this level/world who are brought over after death to live in eternity. The first character we meet is Natac, an ancient Mexican warrior who finds himself in Naeve (the Center of Everything) after his heart is cut out of his body as a sacrifice. Surprise! He's brought there to help the peaceful race of elves how to defend themselves from what turns out to be a Knight Templar, also brought over (by whom, I wonder?) and madly burning sorceress elves at the stake. OK, so it's complicated, but Douglas Niles will make you understand. I'm looking forward to finishng the trilogy.--written by Jill DeFinis, Filthy's wife :)

I did not care for Nile's style of writing. I felt like the prose was a huge distraction, and I kept "tripping" over his writing voice. It wasn't as bad as the Ill Made Mute, but just as annoying. Basically, it was not fun to read. things that usually is a staple in books I do not finish reading is noticing the writing style more than the story. I did so with this book. I will probably never read another Niles book because of it.

I have to say that this book was good, but not too good. What makes the book interesting is taking human warriors from earth and bringing them to nayve to help fight a war. Also, there are many different races to help add diversity to the book. There's even a talking dog named ulfgang! The things that I didn't like though was when belynda got raped by king christopher. Also, some of the things in the book come to quick and aren't explained as good as they should be. Also be aware of the sexuality, as it is common in the second book as well. Still, it was a good read.

In addition to other criticisms about the book, I'd like to add that the world that Niles has created really doesn't make any sense. He has slapped to together a bunch of fantasy staples such as elves, druids, dwarves, etc. without much regard to how they arrived or fit in his world. Things are exist because he wrote it -- no internal logic is necessary.

Terry Pratchett's Discworld books make much more sense -- and we're talking about a parody where that world rests on the back of a giant space-faring turtle!

I have been an avid fan of fantasy since I was young, so of course I love watching movies and reading books about this fantastic subject. I was bored of watching television in my spare time, so I decided to take a chance on Circle at Center. I'm glad I did. This book did take some time getting used to with all the moving around, and fast paced plots, but once over that hurdle, it gets quite good. I have finished the whole series, and I believe that by far it is the best series that I have read- so far... I think it was a good blend of romance, action, lust, disgust, and a little bit of comedy. Sufficed to say, it will remain on my bookshelf for all to see and inquire about.

A world run by dragons and demons - but the brightest light can best be seen in darkness. "A Holy Bloody Day: Prologue to the Unholy Fire of Blood Trilogy" is a darkly sinister and passionate fantasy of legendary proportions. Debut novelist Malachi E. Maynard hopes to make his mark on the fantasy genre in a big way, questioning the every nature of good and evil in this epic fantasy. Two demon brothers will battle a goddess who wishes to plunge the world into a dark and deadly Time of fire, having to deal with one's distracting lust with a lovely elven creature, and the decision whether they should aid the world or hasten its destruction. With influences from "The Golden Compass", "A Holy Bloody Day: Prologue to the Unholy Fire of Blood Trilogy" serves as a great introduction in what is sure to be a great series. Enthusiastically recommended for any fantasy lover and for Science Fiction/Fantasy community library collections.

Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (1/08)

"A Holy Bloody Day" is the prologue to the "Unholy Fire of Blood" trilogy. The story begins an idyllic world that was created by wishes. This world is called Zenhalen. Seven entities granted the wishes of the people. These demi-gods were watched over by three gods who are now wrecking havoc,

The book is divided into two parts. In the first part, the demon Articty is involved with helping to start the cult of the goddess of Shal. Articty has the power to kill any of the gods. Originally, he is not aware of this gift. While he is conspiring to help Shal take power, he encounters a beautiful elf named Pearl. She awakens something in him that his cohorts see as weakness. However, his interaction with her brings truth to a legend among her elven people. Pearl and Articty are forced to separate. She believes him to be dead. He leaves her with a child. This child has some special gifts that are discovered in the second part of the book when his story is told. His name is Malachi. Because of his birthright given to him by his father, he is not trusted among his mother's people. He is sent away for healings and trainings. Chaos ensues for the people close to him. He is too young to really know who to trust. Malachi has to learn to grow up quickly. He has a good heart, but when the story ends, the wrong people have taken him in. It will be interesting to read future books in the trilogy to find out how he prevails.

"A Holy Bloody Day," is a well-written fantasy novel. It incorporates fun elements taken from the fantasy world such as elves, demons, and dragons. Individuals also have to deal with the battle to be good and do what is right. I really enjoyed this aspect of the stories because it added more richness to the plot. I recommend this novel to fans of fantasy.

A Holy Bloody Day is a very well written and interesting story line which is leading into a what is shaping up to be a very good series. The story is unique in that it is about a demon that helps to destroy the world but has a change of heart at the last minute, which is when the real story begins following the demons son which is a Frost Elf with the power to be a white weredragon.

Overall I would def. recomend this book to anyone that likes the fantasy genre. This series has a very high potential to become a very engaging trilogy.

A Holy Bloody Day by Malachi E. Maynard is his first foray in the fantasy genre, but more importantly, his first time trying his hand at writing a novel. Given that, this is essentially a stand-alone novel and the reader need not bring any prior reading experience to this book.

The plot of this book is actually a couple plots tied together. The book is actually divided up into two sections. The first section focuses on a battle of demigods seeking to kill off gods to take control. The second piece of the book is about another demigod type seeking to try and right the wrongs that happened earlier. The plot of this book is actually rather linear and simplistic. In fact, one could maybe argue that the first section of the book is an overly long prologue. The plot has difficulty taking hold and making sense at time, but the reason for that I'll talk about later. When you boil everything down, I think there is a decent story here, Mr. Maynard has a solid vision and good intentions I think it was the execution of those ideas that didn't quite meet the initial vision.

The characters are a large part of why I think this book didn't quite realize the vision. I think even experienced authors face challenges when writing about gods and demigods. They, for the most part, should be used sparingly as they have tremendous power and experience. Yet, in this novel there are countless gods and demigods and I think the author loses control of the power behind tat type of character. In fact, at multiple times while reading the book I didn't feel as though I was reading about gods at all, I felt as though it was just a bunch of humans calling themselves god. A couple of times they manifested powers, but that seemed more like a whim and to help the story than an actual power that character had. I must say I was not impressed with the characters in this book, I had a very difficult time getting invested in them at all. I believe a big reason for that is there was simply too much dialog in this novel. This takes away from the descriptions that could have been offered to help the scene progress. By and large the characters were uninteresting and simply flat. There was very little character development and this contributes greatly to the flatness of the characters.

There are several criticisms I have regarding this book.

First and foremost I think this novel suffers from horrendous editing. A good editor could have helped sculpt this book into what it should have been. This seems to be a problem I have run into with the few Book Surge books I have read.

Secondly, as I mentioned above, there is simply way too much dialog. Overuse of dialog seems to be a problem with newer authors. Yet, when it occurs it bogs down the story and takes away from the flow. This also takes away from character development, because the author spends so much time with dialog there is little else occurring.

Additionally, there is very little scene description. I am a fan of the minimalist descriptions, but there still needs to be enough for the reader to be able to develop some type of visual image of the setting. That simply wasn't present in this book.

I do think Mr. Maynard had a good vision. The `bones' of this story seem to hold some promise. I believe with some time to hone his craft and work on some things, and hooking up with a good editor, he can produce some decent fantasy novels.

Overall, I think this book suffers from too many things to call it anything but a very sub par book. I simply found very little to enjoy while reading it. There is certainly potential here, but ratings are never about potential. In good conscience I can not recommend this novel to any but the most hardcore fantasy fan who can not find anything else to read. I will be curious to see if Mr. Maynard corrects any of the faults with this book in his next installment, I do wish him the best though.

A Holy Bloody Day by Malachi E. Maynard offers an original story featuring an unusual assortment of gods, demi-gods, demons, elfs etc. The story is presented in two parts. The first part revolves around a power struggle among the gods. The second part is more a coming of age story for an anointed redeemer. I found the original nature of the characters as well as the plot interesting. There are also some scenes in the novel that captured my imagination (there is a great scene where Articty fights several viper dragons).

Unfortunately, the novel is hobbled by some structural and editing issues that impeded my appreciation of the story. On the structural side, in the first section the narrative voice shifts randomly the effect of which is a very disjointed prose that is hard to follow. Throughout the novel the author relies heavily on dialogue to advance the story, which results in dialogue that feels stilted and overly explanatory. The heavy reliance on dialogue also impairs the character development. Actions occur, and relationships or emotions are stated, but there is never any view into the character's mind to reveal how the character feels which makes it difficult to emotionally engage with the characters. The editing issues are pervasive with numerous instances of usage errors, missing words, agreement issues, etc. These minor shortcomings interfered with my enjoyment of the story and render the text tedious particularly in the first section.

The novel is extremely plot and action focused with rough sketches of characters, extensive dialogue, and only a few vivid scene details. I wondered as I read it if perhaps the story might not lend itself more to a graphic novel where the emotions of characters and the scene descriptions are depicted in the images and not reflected in the text.

The second section is better written and more engaging and left me curious to see what the next installment brings. In its current state, however, this is not a novel I am comfortable recommending. I hope the author has the opportunity to rework the text and bring life to the engaging story hinted at in the novel.

it was sorta confusing though. it goes off the story when it talks about the crash, then in book 10-shards it has book 9's ending as its own beginning.

Nothing has been the same since Wendi stopped drawing and this book proves it. It lacks the depth Elfquest used to be known for. If you want to remain true to yourself, leave this book behind and stick to Wendi's work.

You'd be disappointed by the art work which is not comparable to Wendy's superior own work. The characters lack physical uniqueness as compared to the previous 7 books. However, the stories are worth reading and enjoyable.

This book is in a sense the successor to the "Hidden Years" collection. That book collected the first five issues of the series of that name; this one includes the next five - but rearranged to form a complete narrative.

Only the last story, the highly-regarded "issue 9.5", was actually drawn by Wendy Pini herself. The other segments were among the first EQ issues drawn by the Pinis' apprentices and, while competent, are not really in Wendy's league. Fortunately, the full-color presentation is very lavish and more than compensates. Indeed, though three of the five issues in "Challenge" are duplicated in "Shards" (volume 10), it remains worthwhile to check out this volume, since the reproductions of the three pieces (8, 9 and 9.5) look glorious in color, very poor in black and white (to the point that, for example, important detail in no.9 "The Enemy's Face" is lost).

That said, the real glory of "Challenge" is the storytelling, much of it among the best in the series. Though Rayek is the main character of this book, there is a fascinating digression in the form of the two-part story "How Shall I Keep from Singing?", about the arrival of the High Ones, ancestors of all the elves. All the stories herein display the penetrating views of character that have made the EQ stories loved - and this study of Rayek, the most controversial character of all, is fertile ground for storytelling.

The Romans have destroyed Britannia and are moving fast to take down Queen Boudica and her band of followers. Sulwen, a druidess who barely survived the attack on Britannia knows what the Romans are capable of but she will do everything in her powers to stop the Romans once and for all. With the help of a shape-shifter, named Arch Druid Rhys; Sulwen and Rhys will be in for the battle of their lives. But what Sulwen didn't expect was for Rhys to stir up feels inside herself for him. As Rhys, Sulwen and Queen Boudica's two daughters travel to Eryri, they will have to tread carefully as the Romans are approaching quickly. There in Eryri, Rhys can rally up an army to fight the Romans but will he get there in time or will it be too late for Britannia and its people?


Druid Quest by Cornelia Amiri is the first book I have read by this author. After reading Druid Quest I find myself saying why I haven't read any of this author's books before. Well you don't have to worry as I will be checking out Ms. Amiri's other books. I thought that the storyline moved very effortless and was easy to follow along with what was happening. Also enjoyed the characters in Druid Quest. Sulwen is a very strong, driven druidess, which I think is a good thing and something that Sulwen has to be in order to fight the Romans. Rhys has this quality about him that you find yourself drawn to him but you don't really know why till after you get to know him better. So as far as fantasy books with a Celtic twist go I recommend reading Druid Quest as you will find yourself falling in love with Cornelia Amiri and her books.

It's 61 A.D. in Britannia, and the druidess Sulwen has just witnessed the massacre of her people at the hands of the Romans. She receives a message from the goddess Andraste to seek out Queen Boudica and join her in battle against the Romans. Thus begins this druid's quest.

I was dying to delve into this tale; a mythical and adventurous romance involving the ancient Celts is tailor-made for my reading pleasure. Unfortunately, what I read left me a tad disappointed and more than a little bored.

Sulwen embarks on this journey alone at first, picking up a few warriors from surrounding tribes along the way. Once she reaches Queen Boudica, she is reunited with her lover, the archdruid Rhys. At this point he joins the quest to battle the Romans, and when the two aren't making love they are bickering like children. It was awful. More time was spent arguing about strategy and the misinterpretation of the goddess' voice than the actual battle or relationships.

There are no definitive characters in this book. Yes, there are many characters, but they all could be interchangeable, except for their names; no one has a personality. They are merely names having conversations. I never got a feel or a sense of the people who occupy these pages. It's hard to read a story, or get excited about their journey, when you don't care a thing about the people in it.

One of the most distracting features of this story was that almost every character's dialogue is too frequently accompanied by italicized "thoughts," lending a choppy feel to an already struggling narrative.

Several times I thought about giving up the quest and setting it aside, but I persevered, hoping at some point this story would transform into what the wonderful idea behind it promised. I'm sorry to say it didn't happen. When I finally finished it this morning, all I felt was relief.

Cherise Everhard, August 2008

I tried and tried to finish these awful stories but they dragged on and on-
Was there ever an END ? If you want to read a good Fairy/Elf story check out the author Jodie Forrest.....

This is Sylvia Townsend Warner at her best - a lean, spare, evocative collection of fairy tales, but for adults, not children. These fairies are tough, cold, selfish beings, yet all the more glamorous and fascinating for that. Seeing them struggle with everyday problems, made all the more difficult sometimes for being fairies, dealing with age, death, birth, and all-too human conditions makes for an involving narrative. The Kingdom of Broceliande that Warner creates is an enduring creation - this book has been a font of inspiration for many authors, and you can trace the development of Warner's style throughout the stories. Never condescending, always brilliant, this collection is a taut narrative of different characters living in the same world as we do, but with a twist. Sometimes dispassionate, sometimes all too human in their reactions to disaster, stress, love, death, anger, Warner's fairies are not for the faint at heart, or those imagining pink and gold gossamer beings to be found at the bottom of the garden. They pack a punch - worth reading at any age. I discovered these in grade school, and am still reading them in my forties. A must-read for any fan of speculative literature, or for any Warner devotee. They translate the human experience in quite a unique way, and I cannot recommend them enough.

Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for ReviewYourBook.com, 3/08
Sabin was about to kill her when the mysterious man appeared and saved her life. Libby lived in fear that the evil monster would return. Many, many years before, Merlin had placed all of his power in a stone. He knew that technology and magic should never be combined. Merlin divided the world making two. "One world was for humans and their science and the other for Fae and their magic." Libby was protecting the Merlin Stone and Sabin was determined to retrieve it. Sabin called his mother from the grave to help him. Libby is not in this fight alone; she has the help of Alex, Zorovin, and Sierra.
There are many myths concerning Blue Moons. Cindy Lynn Speer cleverly plays on the myths in her book, Blue Moon. Speer uses a complex plot to tell this story of good versus evil. This is not a quick or easy read. I took notes to assist me in keeping up with the characters.

Born of Elven Blood was an okay book, but I wouldn't recommend purchasing it. Alot of it seemed rather cliched, and the writing style just wasn't that compelling. The characters and the world of Faery are likeable enough, but rather dull compared to all the other great fantasy books out there! To sum it all up, if you are looking for a great novel that will keep you hooked and last more than an hour, read something else.

This fairy tale version of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, is one of the most well known versions of the story of Snow White. It tells the tale of the timeless classic of an abandon child and her transformation into a woman. The story has many symbolic images that pertain to the lessons being taught in the text. This story is both entertaining to read, and teaches a lesson to its readers. The Disney film of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is said to be based from the text of this story. However, when reading closely you will find although the morals remain the same, parts of the plot have changed. Like all Grimm's fairy tales, I think this is a great book for a child, as well as an adult to read.

This was one of my favorite books as a very young child (age 3-4) and I had my mother read it to me frequently. I loved the colorful pictures, yet my mother soon tired of the dull story. However, I remember the story as being exciting and imaginative.