Wolfskin by Juliet Marillier
reviewed by Regina Lynn Preciado
This is a story of loss and love, ambition and hope, suffering and redemption. And despite all that
high-falutin' stuff, it's a great read. Like her previous books (The Sevenwaters Trilogy), the novel is beautifully
written. But she has found her voice, showing a greater command of suspense and the ability to keep the story
moving forward.
Son of the Shadows by Juliet Marillier
reviewed by Victoria Strauss
Sorcha has returned home to Erin with her husband, Briton Hugh of Harrowfield. Together
they've become stewards of Sorcha's ancestral estate of Sevenwaters, with its magical forest and strong
ties to the old, druidic faith. They've been blessed with happiness, prosperity, and 3 children.
But this time of peace can't last. There's a fated relationship between Sevenwaters and the capricious
Fair Folk. And the old evil that ensnared Sorcha isn't gone, but only waiting.
Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier
reviewed by Victoria Strauss
Authors who work with fairy tales often twist or transpose them in
some way. Here, instead, she expands the fairy tale, retaining its
literal structure and all its fantastic details, but focusing her
attention on the human story within the magical frame.
It's based on the tale of the brothers transformed into wild birds, and the sister who must
sacrifice herself to save them.
All the Other Things I Really Need to Know I Learned from Watching Star Trek: The Next Generation by Dave Marinaccio
reviewed by Alexander von Thorn
If the 179 episodes of ST:TNG form the Torah of our age, then
this book is the Talmud, the commentary which elaborates on the parables and
explains their relevance to our day-to-day lives. The Next
Generation role-models are guided by principles which are at least
as relevant and helpful in the 21st century as in the 24th.
Water Logic by Laurie J. Marks
reviewed by Margo MacDonald
Water Logic, the third in the Elemental Logic series, follows the
trials and efforts of a reluctant leader, Karis, and her eccentric and
mis-matched self-made family as they try to bring peace to a land and people long stricken with war. She and her family of
friends are all blessed (or cursed, as the view might be taken) with elemental magic -- air, water, earth, fire -- each of which
has a different way of working and a different way of connecting with the world around them.
Fire Logic by Laurie Marks
reviewed by Michael M Jones
Fifteen years after the fall of the House of Lilterwess, the land of Shaftal is dying, torn apart by a vicious guerilla war between
the native Shaftali and the conquering. Without an earth-witch, without the power of the G'deon to rule and heal the land, there
seems to be no hope. The former defenders of Shaftal are scattered or slaughtered, waging a desperate war in the hills and forests
as their loved ones suffer the repercussions and reprisals.
Fire Logic by Laurie Marks
reviewed by Margo MacDonald
It is a tale of war and magic, of duty, love and betrayal, of despair encompassed by hope. The
magic in this world is inherent to the people who wield it -- it is in their blood and part of their soul -- and
though most people do not carry magic in them, every once in a while a child is born with it as part of their
DNA. There are four types, based on the four elements of water, air, earth and fire. The type of magic as well
as the personality of the wielder are determined by which element is in their blood. Earth blood means healer;
water means time and space; air means truth-seeing; and fire means prescience and passion.
The Time of Judgment by Ari Marmell, Bill Bridges and Bruce Baugh
reviewed by Michael M Jones
After twelve years, hundreds of supplements, and dozens of fiction books, White Wolf Games decided to undertake a risky and unusual proposition:
rather than update and revise their games, like they'd done twice before, they simply chose to end their popular World of Darkness series
of games altogether, by publishing supplements containing end of the world scenarios for each of their game lines. In conjunction with this,
they also released a trilogy of novels, one for each of the three major games, offering a canonical end to their universe.
The Eleventh Plague by John S. Marr and John Baldwin
reviewed by Todd Richmond
Todd really enjoyed the book with its classic elements: an old, knowledgeable
professional with a secret past; a trustworthy sidekick; an intelligent, eager young student;
a young beautiful wife; an old flame; a suspicious FBI agent who won't admit he's wrong;
and a brilliant psychopath who provides clues for the hero.
The Phantom Ship by Capt. Frederick Marryat
reviewed by Georges T. Dodds
Despite a number of preconceptions about this book and the fact that it was published
at the tail end of the Gothic period (1838-39), Georges was sort of expecting William Hope Hodgson's Sargasso Sea tales meet
the convoluted sentence structure of Ann Radcliffe. Not even close. The supernatural horror elements are minimal,
no ravenous fungus-engulfed ships drifting crewless in becalmed waters, and only rare glimpses of the lost souls aboard
the Flying Dutchman. It is far more a tragedy (in the classical sense) and a morality
tale than a horror novel.
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The Pagan King by Edison Marshall
reviewed by Georges T. Dodds
If you thought recent films like First Knight and particularly A Knight's Tale were a joke in terms
of historical or cultural accuracy, or you are tired of the standard Christianized Arthurian romance of an idealized
Camelot, then this is the book for you. Narrated by Arthur himself, he is first a rustic farmboy,
discovers through Merlin's help his true identity as the legitimate heir to Vortigern's throne, and goes on to lead
his Cambrian troops to the conquest of Britain. Gone are the standard characters of Lancelot, Kay, Gawain and others; the
Holy Grail is absent; and Mordred is recast as Arthur's rakish and conniving half-brother.
Cloudbearer's Shadow by Ann Marston
reviewed by Todd Richmond
Cloudbearer's Shadow, the first book of a new trilogy,
is a continuation of the Rune Blade trilogy. The story follows Gareth, son of Brennen ap Keylan
ap Kian, exiled Prince of the Royal House of Skai.
It's a typical tale of magic, intrigue and destiny -- with some Celtic flavouring.
The Summoner by Gail Z. Martin
reviewed by Victoria Strauss
Prince Martris Drayke, second son of the king of Margolan, has always had an affinity for magic. Among other skills, he's able
to see the ghosts of the dead. His talent has been cultivated by his grandmother, the famed sorceress and Summoner Bava K'aa;
but Bava K'aa is years dead, and since her passing there has been no one to teach him.
Inside Straight edited by George R.R. Martin
reviewed by Nathan Brazil
In the plus column, Inside Straight introduces three or four credible new characters, there's a smattering of informative
continuity with the established Wild Cards canon, and new blood in the pool of writing talent. In the minus
column, most older characters and their chronology appear to have been consigned to history, except for cheesy cameo
roles.
Windhaven by George R.R. Martin & Lisa Tuttle
reviewed by Wayne MacLaurin
Flight... for eons man has longed to fly. From the Greek myths of Daedalus
to the sketches of Leonardo Da Vinci to the triumphs of the Wright
brothers, our literature and culture has been filled with tales of man
conquering the skies. Here is a tale of a world of small islands, vicious
storms and dangerous oceans, a world peopled by the descendants of a crashed
colony starship. The inhabitants scavenged the solar sails of the starship
to create metal wings that enable people to fly (the light gravity and dense
atmosphere help, too).
The Automatic Detective by A. Lee Martinez
reviewed by Michael M Jones
Mack Megaton isn't your average joe on the street. He's actually a reprogrammed robot built for destruction and world
domination who, upon gaining free will, gave up his creator's megalomanical ways and has gone straight, earning his
citizenship one day at a time as an honest taxi driver in Empire City, where weird science reigns supreme. He's not hero
material, that's for sure. Heck, he barely understands people, and he can't even tie a bow tie. His therapist thinks he
needs to work on his manual coordination, as well as getting out to interact with people more often. But hey, it's hard
for a seven foot tall ex-doomsday machine to get comfortable with people, you know?
Understanding Middle Earth by Michael Martinez
reviewed by Nathan Brazil
Over the last few years, Middle-Earth has gained millions of new fans around the world, thanks to Peter Jackson's epic
movie trilogy. For some the journey of discovery has only just begun, due to the one thing which all who dip into the works
of J.R.R. Tolkien have in common; that moment of realisation where the depth and breadth of Middle-Earth is perceived. It's a world
so large that it has spawned a small industry of other writers, seeking to define or defile its wonders.
Pangaea by Lisa Mason
reviewed by Charlene Brusso
Despite dropping a lot of information and world-building
on the unwary reader, the author does it skillfully,
chaining through the points-of-view of a group of characters
whose lives will become connected by the most dangerous of
threads: rebellion against the all-powerful Imperium.
Cyberweb by Lisa Mason
reviewed by Thomas Myer
Thomas wasn't thrilled with this novel. To him, it is a bouillabaisse of overeager "Big
Brother" machinations, needlessly desperate characters, and, strangely enough, in a fluid
technological society, a class system as rigid and defined as a stained glass window.
Mad Kestrel by Misty Massey
reviewed by Michael M Jones
Kestrel is a rarity: a woman aboard a pirate ship. Moreover, she's the quartermaster, answering only to her captain, a dashing
fellow by the name of Artemus Binns, who's the closest thing she has ever had to a father figure. She works twice as hard as
any man to command the proper measure of respect, but the effort's paid off, granting her power and authority, and the
freedom she can only find at sea. For only surrounded by water, where magic is ineffective, is she safe.
The Lady of the Flowers by Sophie Masson
reviewed by Lisa DuMond
The author has that kind of enveloping touch that draws the reader in
without pause, to a welcoming response, even a homecoming.
Marie de France, heroine of the first of the trilogy, The Knight by the Pool,
must travel to far away Wales to release her knight from an enchantment that he may not survive.
The Knight by the Pool by Sophie Masson
reviewed by Lisa DuMond
Mysterious, historical figures. Court intrigue. Magic,
both good and evil. Fantastical characters. Knights and Ladies. And, the creation of a
quest that will bring fact together with fiction to form an adventure that
just possibly could have happened.
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