On-the-tape

Deborah Chester's "Crimson Claw" is a sci-fi novel with a definite historical feel to it. While the story was about the conflict between the slave races and the master race,set on a different planet in a different time, I always got the feeling I was reading about the Gladiators of the Roman Empire. This is not a negative criticism, just that the story had a very real flavor to it.

Additionally just about all her characters seem very real and that is disturbing. I found it very difficult to hate most of her bad/evil character because she gave them so much dept. And it made a lot of their motivations very understandable. Chester has a knack for getting into all her characters heads and while the story is about Ampris, it could have also been about Elrabin, Israi, or the Kaa.

Surprisingly however, two minor characters who play a big part in the book get the short shrift. Halehl, her trainer we really know nothing about. And an early antagonist Sheri, her early bunk

mate, who I kept expecting to see in the ring.

One thing that bothered me was that Ampris's team "The Blues" were supposed to be the reigning arena champions, but they cheated big time in a number of ways. Chester gave little attention to the possibility that they could or would ever get caught. At one point in the book Halehl threatens to sell Ampris, but the thought that Ampris might reveal their cheating techniques never comes up.

Another thing that is not clear is why is the Viis empire crumbling. Sure they are not fixing things, the economy is collapsing and they are a ruthless race. But why? Their motivations for allowing all this to happen boggles my mind. Perhaps it will be more explained in the last book.

Minor quibbles' thou. The book is a very quick read and completely engrossing. And after you are finished you will want more. A book kinda sorta similar to this book is McCaffrey's "Freedom Landing" trilogy. However while that book purports to be about runaway earth slaves from a master alien race, it is really a book about colonization.

lewis@qnet.com

I was reading the golden one when I thought crosses my mind. Would Elrabin meet Ampris in the arena? But as I read the second I found that untrue. My question is, in book number one it says Elrabin was sold to the Utar Dan gladitory school. How did he end up a servant for Sir Galard and the blues? That's my only question. Otherwise both books are great! I can't put them down. In Homeroom, Language Arts. You name it I read it there. Hopefully after the trilogy you will keep writing your amazing and wonderful Alien Chronicles

I have a bad habit of reading books out of order. The reason being my local library doesn't contain certain volumes. Even though, I started with this volume I felt as though I didn't miss a beat. When reading this book I felt that this world is waiting to be discovered and I have to say I'm proud to be one of the few that discovered it. Ms Chester has a unique way of drawing you in and wow, I felt like I was in entirely different universe which separated itself from anything out there. The whole infrastructure of the Viis empire and community was interesting. The Viis being superior to any race out there gave you an understanding of how Ambris felt. She felt supressed and seeking out a way for every race to feel equal. Even though she was a slave turned famous gladiator she stayed true to who she was and what she believed. No mattered what had happened to her especially when she gave birth to genetically experimented children she still believed in the greater good of things. Everything in this book shows how Debra Chester had great depth of knowledge of this universe. So now goes on my search for part one and part three.

In my opinion this has been a mixed year for historical fiction. I was extremely disappointed with The Tides of War a book I looked very forward too. I had mixed feeling about James Brady's look at the Korean War. However, I was lucky enough to read the historical gems The Peking Letter and the Emperors General. The Peking Letter was a fictional look at the Chinese Civil War and the Emperors General was a fantastic look at MacArthur and the occupation of Japan after WWII.

William Martin's Citizen Washington is a great example of a awesome work of historical fiction. I picked this book up after being inspired by the movie the Patriot to learn more about the Revolutionary War Period. And this book was a great find.

The author tells the story of George Washington through the eyes of several fictional and real figures. However the author is really telling the story of the colonial period, slavery, the French and Indian War, the Revolutionary War, and the growth of American Political Parties.

The author did a great job and this book, even though ultimately fiction really draws the reader into the time period.

Ultimately the most accurate histories are going to be non-fiction secondary sources and the actual primary sources. However, anyone reading this book will really learn alot about George Washington and his times.

I also enjoyed the end parts of the book where Jefferson and Hamilton tell much of the story and in doing so illustrate the differences between the Democractic-Republicans and the Federalists.

However, the biggest and most important part of this book is what a great man George Washington was. From this book you see what this man really did for our country as both a military leader and President. George Washington was not a saint, the book deals with his flaws, but he is a genuine 100% hero worthy of all the praise our history shows him.

If you want to learn about Washington and the Revolution READ THIS BOOK. If you just want to read a good book GET THIS BOOK. This book is time well spent. I look forward to reading more of the authors works.

Also, I recommend educators who teach American history on either the high school or college level use this book. Students can learn alot from it while not being bored.

This is an excellent historical novel about George Washington. The novel presents Washington through the eyes of many of the people who knew him, including his wife and his slaves as well as the other great men of the day. It is a good approach for describing a very complex man with many sides.

The book focuses primarily on Washington's life up until the time he became President. The book does cover his entire life, but his years as President are skimpy by comparison to the rest of his life. The author's interest is more on who Washington was as a man than on his public accomplishments. Focusing on his formative years provides more insight into his character.

Nevertheless, the novel demonstrates the truly great accomplishments Washington made to American history. Without Washington, we would not have won the Revolutionary War: he provided the military strategy, the determination, and the leadership needed to win. Without Washington, we would not have become a country: he provided the leadership the 13 colonies needed to come together as a union. Without Washington, we would not have become a democracy: he resisted efforts to anoint him king, and he voluntarily relinquished power--first as commanding general who won the War of Independence, and later as the nation's first President.

Washington was an admirable person, and deserves the adulation the nation gave him then and since. But of course he had his flaws, and Citizen Washington conveys them, particularly via the characters in the novel who did not idolize him. Such was Washington's force of personality, though, that even his detractors were in awe of him.

This novel is particularly valuable as an adjunct to a nonfiction account of Washington's life, the best of which is James Thomas Flexner's Washington: The Indispensable Man.

"Citizen Washington" is one of the most thought provocing historic fiction novels about GW. Martin's novels are educational and extremley entertaining. After reading "Citizen Washington" I read all of Martin's works and everyone of them is incredible. Do yourself a favor and read "Rising of the Moon". If you enjoyed "Gangs of New York" you will see that "Rising of the Moon" is the Boston version of Bostons Tammany Hall and the Irish immigrants stuggle in a new land strife with predudice and corruption. I've been waiting for a couple of years for Martin's new book "Harvard Yard" and finally its here! It's going to be a great November thanks to William Martin when "Harvard Yard" is finally released. I really wish Time Warner would do more to promote Martin's work. "Rising of the Moon" is still out of print and it was one of the best historic fiction novels I've ever read. Very few authors consistently put out great books and ALL of Martin's work is not only incredibly well researched, but well written and entertaining. Many historic fiction authors go wrong by over empasizing historic fact and making a novel feel like a text book. Martin writes so well that each chapter pulls you deeper and deeper and you can't stop until your done.

Tabitha King writes beautifully about people and relationships. While setting several of her novels in Stephen King's world, she makes her own mark. 'One on one' is one of three books about the same family. It is by far the richest read of all. The characters are full and complex..You cannot help but become involved. I hope that someday she writes the sequel, because at the end of the story I wanted to know more.

In my opinion, Tabitha King's forte is creating characters that are real enough to make you "wonder what they're doing now" years after you finish the book. They are multi-dimensional people who will make you alternately want to hug them, yell at them, cheer for them or slap them, but you always care. ONE ON ONE was the first Tabitha King novel I read, then I subsequently purchased all her books and discovered that ONE ON ONE is the third book to feature Sam and his family, and I also loved THE BOOK OF RUEBEN and PEARL. I've been a Stephen King fan for years, so now my bookshelves are filled with even more King books!

I'm a novelist myself, and began reading Stephen King at the age of ten. About seven years ago, I was browsing through the S. Kings at the library looking for something that I hadn't read fifteen times when I ran across One on One completely by accident. Because the particular S. King that I was looking for wasn't on the shelf, I decided to "broaden my horizons" and take it for a "test drive," and what a decision that was! I couldn't put it down - I read it cover to cover twice, then bought my own copy. I've since ventured into Tabby's other offerings and they're equally wonderful, but One on One will always be my favorite read - and my favorite inspiration.

I thought this was a good book, and I do think John Walsh does great things for the missing. I prefer him in person, than reading his book. It was a little too intense for me.

I've never experienced emotional reactions before when reading true crime novels. Their usually clinical approach to the case or cases, and focusing on the criminal and his crime(s), while downplaying the experience of the victims and their family, usually isn't able to produce much of an emotional response.

Then came 'No Mercy', John Walsh's book about some of the most notable cases that the Fox show 'America's Most Wanted' has helped along. Being a regular viewer of the show, as well as having read Walsh's first novel about his son's murder case, I decided to check out his second go-round. I read about the Polly Klaas kidnapping and murder, the John Emil List family murders, the horrible acts of child-killer Eddie James, the spree killings of Andrew Cunanan, and many more sub-human deeds of evil. As I read each case, I was exposed to the burdens of the crime victims. I felt, to a small degree, the very things that they did. Anger that the persons responsible had performed such heinous and senseless acts. The desperation and uncertainty when they were on the lam. The elation when they were finally captured. It was a real gut-wrenching ride, and at times I got misty over what I was perusing. But in the end, I was glad to have experienced it. Even though my own emotional responses could never come close to what the victims experienced, I had a better understanding of what it's like to be a victim. This was what John Walsh had set out to do when he co-authored 'No Mercy', and it worked beyond belief with me.

Another unique quality about 'No Mercy': it was the first true-crime novel that I've read from cover to cover more than once. The most amazing thing is that the impact of each case has not diminished with repeat viewings. I find each one to be as powerful as it was when I first read it.

Also told in the novel is a brief history of 'America's Most Wanted'. I read about Walsh's uncertainty toward his hosting the show. Then there was AMW's cancellation and resurrection in 1996, thanks to the letter-writing campaign of state & federal legislators, law enforcement officials, and citizens. As of the book's release, 'America's Most Wanted' has been credited with over 500 captures thanks to tips from viewers.

Finally, there's also the story of how two AMW cases coincidentally came together at a place called The Green Parrot Café. I wouldn't have believed it if I'd not read it myself. And you'll have to read it for yourself, 'cause I don't want to spoil it for you.

'Late

I felt that John Walsh was supberb when co-writing this book. I bought this book in order to get some/more information how the criminal mind works so that I can learn to recognize the evil creatures. I am learning from this book that you cannot recognize him/her. They often hide behind a mask.

I am a child advocate and can only admire Mr. Walsh for taking his rage and having the courage to use his unfortunate and traumatic experience to catch scum-bags. His book is easy to read (I can't put the book down once I pick it up). He makes me understand from the beginning to the end how much hard work goes in to finding these rotten-evil-dirt bags.

Thank you John Walsh for your endurance in helping us find our children and putting many of these animals where they belong (out of society). My emotions, tears, and heart goes out to these people who have suffered.

Buy this book you will not regret it!!!!!!!!

Imagine you1re living in the midst of the 19th century. You1re 19, far from friends and family, and to top it all off, your husband dies and you are two months pregnant with his child.........

Love Comes Softly is an eight book series written by Christian author Jannette Oke. I thought when my mother-in-law tried to get me to read her books, that I was in for another mushy Harlequin Romance novel, filled with people involved with three, four or five men, and definitely no sign of God in their lives. Boy, was I in for a VERY pleasant surprise. Mrs. Oke leads us through the life of a very young Marty Davis, who has just left her family in the east, to travel west with her new husband , Clem. Clem and Marty had been living out of their wagon, eating pancakes and drinking coffee EVERY day, because that1s all that Marty knew how to make. Unexpectedly, though, Clem dies, and Marty is left alone with child and no home, no money, and just what she has in her wagon.

The Love Comes Softly series then begins to take us through the struggles Marty has to overcome and Mrs. Oke guides us so beautifully, that we feel like we are right there with Marty. The eight books lead us through 40 years in Marty and her family1s lives. I enjoyed every minute of the readings. Never has a book so captured me like Mrs. Oke1s did.

I try to count my blessings every day, but after reading this group of books, I found more to be thankful for. I never stopped to realize what the generations before us went through. With Marty, I learned what is was like to bear a child with no husband and no doctor around--just a local lady that had delivered many babies. I learned what it was like to leave family behind, knowing that you will probably never see them again--or even hear from them again.

The funniest part of the series was in the very first book. Marty decides she will try to make her new husband a chicken and dumpling meal. Well........she goes to the chicken pen to try and catch one. After tearing apart then pen, she finally catches one of only two roosters (she didn1t know she was supposed to only kill the female). Once she gets him, she has no idea as to how to kill him, so she decides to tie him up and kill him--that didn1t work, and she wound up cutting off the beak of the prize rooster. When her husband, Clark comes home, he finds the pen in disarray, and sees his rooster with no beak and he comes to find out that Marty was just trying to cook him his first real meal. This part cracked me up, along with the part where she tries to fix biscuits and they turn out as hard as rocks.

You have to read the books in order. They just keep continuing with this saga. The best book in the series was book four. I can1t tell you why, for it would give the ending for the rest of the series, but it was the book that kept me the most fascinated. The hardest part about the series was the way she wrote it. She wrote it with the accents as they would have said things. It was hard at first, but I got used to it by the second book. I highly recommend her books, and am looking forward to the next series I am about to read. The new series is from the Canadian West. It involves new characters, and therefore new lives.

I would really appreciate hearing from others who have read her books--especially the Love Comes Softly series. It would be enjoyable to talk with others about Jannette Oke1s books. You can find her work at any Christian bookstore or even the library. They are expensive, between $9-13.00, but they are worth their price. I found twelve of her books at the library, though. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have. It is definitely a series I would read again and again, and I look forward to my two daughters growing up and wanting to read them as well. They are written in the same manner as the Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. ENJOY!!!!!!

I loved this series. After the first book, I couldn't wait to read the next... and the next... and so on. I devoured all 8 in less than a month. Each book chronicles the lives of various members of the Davis Family, beginning with young Marty, a recent widow, who marries Clark Davis to take care of his young daughter. They live on the plains in the 1800s, and times aren't easy, but community support helps their little town to thrive. And Marty, deep in grief over the loss of her first husband (and carrying his child!), soon finds that love can happen at the most unexpected times. Each book in this series is great. Don't be upset by the fact that the second book claims to have Missy (Clark's daughter) all grown up. That happens eventually, but there will be plenty more children to read about, along with marriages and adventures. This series is a real treat.

The book was in excellent shape and I gave it as a Christmas gift. However i would have liked to have kept it. If you have any more for that same price I would be interested in 2 more of them. Thank you. You are very prompt.
Veda

I marginally enjoyed Michelle's other books, but I what I discovered in reading this particular publication was redundancy. She does not have anything new to impart. So much was cut and paste from her previous efforts, which makes me think (dare I say) that she's in it for the money. I find it hard to consider the mating advice of someone who's never been married. Makes you wonder.

MICHELLE HAS DONE IT AGAIN. WITH HER WORDS OF WISDOM. AND HER RELATIONSHIP ADVICE WHICH IS ACCURATE I MIGHT ADD. MICHELLE BECAUSE OF YOUR BOOKS MY LIFE HAS CHANGED FOR THE BETTER I GOT SICK AND TIRED OF BEING SICK AND TIRED OF DEAD END RELATIONSHIPS AND NOT TO MENTION A DEAD END RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS. WHO HAS MENDED MY HEART IN SO MANY WAYS. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND EACH AND EVERY BOOK BY MICHELLE MCKINNEY HAMMOND. IT DOES WONDERS FOR YOUR SELF ESTEEM. AND A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD ALSO DOES WONDERS FOR YOUR SELF ESTEEM......KEEP THE BOOKS COMING MICHELLE.....

Michelle McKinney Hammond is truly inspired by God! She brought up so many 'issues' I needed to address in my life. The book was bought, by a friend, for my birthday. It is the best present ever! After being a widow at 17 and three failed marriages.... I finally understand that what I was looking for in a man...can only be found when I surrender to God. No man can fulfill the need in me, only God can do that. THANK YOU MICHELLE FOR FOLLOWING YOUR CALLING! MANY HAVE BEEN BLESSED BECAUSE OF YOU!

I thought it started out slow, but stick with it ,it get's better!

I think Hickam is one of the best writers around. His books are always interesting and page-turners. I love this novel. The characters are compelling such as Dosie and Josh, and Miriam and Krebs. And I learned so much in this novel. I had no idea about this big battle off the Outer Banks during World War II. My husband bought this, just loved it, which made me a little reluctant because he talked about the battle scenes. Then I read it and knew Hickam had written a romantic adventure that women can love, too. So is it a man's novel or a woman's? Remarkably, both! It is also a great tale of the sea. I could even feel the sand between my toes, smell the salt air, imagine myself standing high above the ocean on a lighthouse. Just good adventurous romantic stuff. I'm looking forward to the next in the series. The Thurlow family rocks!

I read this wonderful book in one day! I've walked the beach, swam the waters, watched the waves and the sunsets on the Outer Banks, and Homer Hickam takes me back there with "The Keeper's Son." The irascible, independent islanders of Hickham's Killikeet are people who live on in my imagination, and that's the sign of a great writer - someone who creates characters so real you're sure they could be part of your life if only you could get inside the pages of a book. But Hickham has gone one better, he's given us a rousing tale of World War II and the courageous islanders who fought off German U-Boats that tried to cripple shipping along the eastern coast of the U.S. Sometimes a narrative gets choppy when an author jumps back and forth between two main characters' points of view, but not Hickam's. Both the sub captain and the Coast Guard ensign are men you come to respect and care about. Added to all this is a series of love stories, the love of brothers and of fathers and sons, the love of a man and a woman, the love of a community has for its own, both native and adopted. And wait, that's not all - Hickam has added a mystery that has you guessing until the very end - is the long lost son really lost or has he come home. Hickam has hinted this will be only the first in a series of books about his Killkeet Islanders and I can't wait to get back to them. This is one book (or series of books) I'll buy for myself and not just rely on the public library to supply me. In fact, I'll probably buy it for my daughter who spent a summer working for the National Park Service on Cape Lookout as a loggerhead turtle monitor. She's going to love it because it will mean going home to her too.

There are a myriad of books available today on prayer. Many of those books are shallow theologically and draw little if any from the rich heritage of the Church. Foster's volume combines a knowledge of church history's classic devotional writers with a freshness appealing to the 21st century.

Foster describes various forms of prayer, dividing them into three general categories: inward-focused prayer provides us with personal transformation, upward-focused prayer offers us intimacy with God, outward-focused prayer places us in the ministries that God would have us fill.

Don't let the title fool you. This volume is NOT just another book on what some persons may call "prayer lite." Foster presents a solid work that is grounded in the theology as well as the history of the Church. I recommend this book highly to all persons desiring a serious treatment of prayer.

There are a myriad of books on the subject of prayer. Many are guides to prayer, also called "how-to" books on prayer. Others are compilations of prayers in scripture (such as the prayers of Jesus or the prayers of David). Many Christian readers may have one or more of these on their bookshelves. However, when one reads PRAYER: FINDING THE HEART'S TRUE HOME, there is an immediately discernable difference present within it's pages. As you move through the book you can sense a depth of wisdom and intimacy with God present in author's life. The book is so profound that is is difficult to read more a few pages in one sitting. This isn't to say that all of the concepts taught within are difficult, although a few are. Rather, it is that the depth and meaningfulness of the pages are so intense that it takes the thoughful reader much time to digest, wrestle with, and assimilate the beautiful wisdom within them.

A highly recommended and deeply challenging help and inspiration.

I am an avid reader; but, this is the only book I have ever felt so strongly about that I wanted to express my opinion in a review. I realize that a person's reaction to any book says as much about the reader as it does the book. But I cannot imagine anyone who is genuinely interested in the topic of prayer not feeling satisfied that they got a great exchange for their time and money in this book. It helped me tremendously.

This book by David Morrell is a winner! It combines all of the best ingredients of a spy thriller, a mystery, a love story and a police procedural. Morrell successfully combines several disparate characters to create an interesting mix of people who all contribute valuable pieces to the story and all of these different personalities are a piece of the pie that makes this book so enjoyable.

Fans of Morrell's other well wrought and devised plots and characters will like the "good folks" they meet within the pages of this novel. The author's usual adeptness and pacing and creating tension are well honed in this novel as well. This is one of those thrillers that grabs the reader from the beginning and holds his/her attention right through the final denouement. Hardly a page goes by that the tension is raised to an almost fever pitch and then, in the interest of keeping the story flowing, is released somewhat. The good guys may get off the hook for the moment, but the respite is only temporary. The evil they face may retreat, but rest assured, it will return.

This is a really great book for the reader who is snow-bound or on the beach. A great rainy day, housebound read, DO NOT start it late at night unless you plan on taking the next day off. With "Extreme Denial," Morrell proves once again that he is a master of this genre (really a combination of several) and at the top of his form. New readers of Morrell will also find this book a great introduction to this author and after reading this story, I am sure you'll want to hunt down and read all of the installments in his extensive backlist ...P> I recommend this book to all fans of thrillers and mysteries. Give it a look; you won't regret it.

Paul Connors

I remember reading this book a while back and really getting carried away with all the non-stop action. The story was totally compelling. I loved it. David Morrell is one of the best authors out there when it comes to non-stop action. Especially with all his older books. The ones of today are lacking. Try this book, especially if you're in to action and a little romance. You won't be disappointed.

Well written, fast paced, and a GREAT plot. If they make a movie out of it, look out...it'll be a classic

I was in a library one day just looking for a book to read. I came accross a small booked squished between works of great literature and upon feeling sorry for the little book I rescued it from being suffocated. The cover caught my eye as it looked like an old ghost story type book so I brought it home to give it a try and forgot all about it. Two days before it was due to go home the library I was feeling very bored so I picked up the book and cautiously turned the first page half expecting dust worms to fall out, as it had been in the library for about twenty years. Dust mites didn't fall out of it, but what did, was one of the best written and imaginative stories I have ever read and shall intend to read again when I get it from ebay. Now I am not a housewife or a pensioner. I am a modern 18 year old working class girl, but I can still enjoy the great reads of the world and appreciate the imagination and work that went into this book. If you wish to discuss this book with me, please email me at Louise_hob@hotmail.com. One day I am going to be a film maker and I might make it into a motion picture - someday!

This is a wonderful story, told by a masterful writer. The mystery of the forest, and the question of wether you can dream up a perfect relationship, is what makes this book good. One of my favorite characters was Maximillian's old nanny! Isn't she sweet! This book takes you through the whole spectrum of human emotions. It is a must read for anyone who likes Victoria Holt!

This book is a real love, adventure, and mystery story. I have loved this book sense I first read it and I read it at least once a year. If you're one of the people who are picky about what to read and you have many different tastes this is a book that you can read and love.
It has a wonderful plot and a well written one to, it's set in Prussia and in England. It's really hard to explain this book when there are so many things going on (although when it's going on you don't get confused like other books of this time) Murder, Passion, True love, and many rememberable people that you'll fall in love with over and over again. From England, to her mother's home land, to the arms of a hansome Prince not wanting to be known.
It's a beautiful book and I would say that if you read this you'll be very pleased. Hope you like it!