Product Description
A girl with one green eye and the other milky is sold by her drunken father into servitude to two brutish brothers from her poverty-stricken pioneer village, downriver from Lake Ontario. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Facing the specter of marriage and a lifetime of drudgery
Hannah lives in a lonely backwoods home: her mother has abandoned the family, her father spends his time treasure-hunting, in search of a better life - leaving Hannah to do all the work. When her father sells her to be a house servant, her life changes even more for the worse. Trapped by the brutal Barrow brothers and facing the specter of marriage and a lifetime of drudgery, Hannah finds her way out in form of a strange friendship in this moving story. ... Read more

Product Description
Nathan Ward’s unique ability to enter his dreams and parallel worlds has followed him into adolescence. With Nathan’s growing maturity comes a deeper understanding of his mission; he must stop an insidious and pervasive evil. Queen Nefufar’s dark power is growing. In the strange world Nathan visits, land is a distant memory, save for the rumored islands and melting ice caps. The queen’s dream of extinguishing the lungbreathers, including man, and ruling over a watery kingdom of cold-blooded creatures is in reach.

Meanwhile, in another dimension, on Earth, there are rumblings of doom. Nathan senses a shift in the atmosphere, and the wizard of the Cosmos broods over the imbalance. There is one chance for salvation: Nathan must capture the third Grail relic, a poisoned iron crown that Nefufar keeps locked beneath the ocean in a chamber of air. But how can a mere boy make his way millions of miles down into the boiling, watery depths and capture the crown from a ferocious seadragon? ... Read more

Product Description
In Butchers Harbor, two mob families fight for control of the sick city's criminal trade. The upstart Borisova syndicate—a self-styled Eastern-bloc version of the Godfather film family—has been decimating the leading Irish Lynch gang in cruel, inventive ways: from mason jars filled with hornets to exploding pimps embalmed with nitroglycerin. Now it's time for the Lynches to strike back, and family patriarch Increase Lynch believes that only his estranged albino son Whitey can do it. Friendless and isolated, Whitey spends his time selling adrenaline boosters, memory erasers, dream amplifiers, and zombie potions. Desperate to reconnect with the world, he accepts his family's offer. But how far over the line is Whitey prepared to go? Armed with a stash of potions and goofballs, he must contend with the mayhem of his family and his world, taking this mystery into darkly comic, acid-noir territory and over-the-top violence. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Kill Whitey by Ken Harvill
How to write a Book Review.

I'm a complete novice at doing this. Music reviews are easy. tell people about the songs, or the history of the album, or the artists themselves. Movie reviews. Just say if it succeeds or fails. By your own standards. But books. That's a new one on me. And I don't quite know how to review books, because they are so dependant on your patience, your tenacity, your literate levels and most importantly, your own imagination.

And my review of this book is going to be a bit biased. So I'm not sure if you want to take the word of a person who's known the author since Junior High School, and was fortunate enough to receive the initial draft of the book, pre-publication. But I figured I must tell you, the consumer, now, before you found it out later and said, that was biased.

I have to recommend this book by default. First of all, reading it, knowing the author pretty well, I found it to be extremely funny. There are very few books that give me an emotional reaction, whatsoever. I'm just not that type of reader. Music hits me more on an emotional level. But I was literally laughing out loud with some of the situations that arise in this novel, and some of the conversations had by the characters. The original title of this 'Acid Noir' novel was Pig Iron Rush, honing in on a seemingly minor incident, which becomes the main thrust of the entire story. But as said before, plot points I cannot speak about. Movies, sure. Especially if they're horrible. Books, nope. Sacred things.

The book literally had me turning pages to find out what happened next. And even if I did not know the author, I still think it would do the same. Whitey gets into some precarious situations, and it seems all are against him. How Harvill weaves in and out of the characters individuals stories, is great stuff to behold. And one thing I loved about the main character, was this sense of Pathos. You cannot help but 'feel' for Whitey, and that's one thing a book should always have you do. At least sympathise or empathise with a fictional character that gets you involved inside the book, and gets you turning those pages to make sure they make out alright in the end.

As said, this book and my review of it is biased. Just like any review of any piece of art. With that in mind, still purchase Kill Whitey, and you'll be pleasantly surprised at what a good book it is with such a 'dangerous' title.

Decent "Acid Noir" Debut
The publishers of Harvey's debut novel call it as an "acid-noir" novel, which I guess is supposed to mean a book about criminals which is somewhat surreal or goofy. That more or less works, although I'd be inclined to call it straight up "pulp fiction" with that genre's cartoonish outsize characters performing outsize acts in a generally enjoyable and titillating manner. The story is about two warring gangster families in the small New England seaside city of Butchers Harbor. On one side is the Lynch family, an old-school Irish gang helmed by a pony-tailed product of the '60s who's part groovy and part godfather. On the other size is the ex-Soviet Borisova crew, a kind of generic Russian mafia whose leader reveres The Godfather, Part II.

The story kicks off with a great goofy gangland killing that sets the tone for the whole book and establishes that the Borisovas are getting the upper hand over the Lynchs. Leading the counterattack is Lynch family scion Wyatt, a sadistic and wildly unstable psychopath whose solution to any obstacle involves killing. However, his half-brother Whitey has just arrived back to town and set up shop as a freelance drug dealer, concocting crazy tinctures, powders, and potions (dream enhancers, amnesia inducers, adrenaline accelerants) from his six years wandering the earth and learning about strange plants. He becomes the focus of the story, as his father tries to use his peculiar skills to turn the tables on the Borisovas.

While everyone else in the book is pretty straightforward and cartoony, Whitey is more uneven character. His mother is dead and he has no other family save his father and half-brother, and he apparently has no friends anywhere. He's come back because of an undefined sense that Butchers Harbor is home. Much of his motivation stems from wanting to be a part of the Lynch family, but since that means he has to get involved in killing people and ruining lives, he's constantly fighting inner conflict. Although there are some clever twists and turns, as Whitey tries to be somewhat human and ethical (within the context), it never really feels right. He's portrayed as such a gentle, nice guy that it's hard to believe he'd stay friendless very long -- and so one is constantly wondering why he doesn't just leave and set up his operation elsewhere, like Northern California. (However, one of the background elements is that the country has all kinds of strange killer viruses plaguing it, and the entire West Coast is particularly unsafe, so maybe that's why Whitey doesn't decamp for Santa Cruz or Humboldt.)

In any event, at the core of the story is a basic gangland struggle, with Whitey trying to tone it all down and get things back to a state of peaceful coexistence. There's tons of darkly comic violence, and some exquisitely gruesome scenes of murder and torture, and plenty of conniving and double-crossing. The cast of characters is pretty funny, with their various idiosyncrasies, but not perfect. Wyatt is a little too much Joe Pesci in Goodfellas, and we've seen characters like the Siberian wanna-be original gangster before. The Lynch's sexy hitwoman Macey is a little too underdeveloped considering her importance, and as noted above, Whitey never quite convinces. However, it's a pretty fun little ride, and Harvill definitely has his own enjoyable voice and style. The unresolved ending is a bit lame though, setting everything up for a sequel.

Fantastic, a wild twisted bumpy ride of a novel!
Welcome to Butchers Harbor where no one is getting out alive, and where what ever doesn't kill you, leaves you scarred for life.
If you're feeling let down and bored by most currant pabulum that passes for pulp, rejoice and rip into KILL WHITEY.It left me breathless and gasping.Yup its that good.
Don't believe me?
Buy it and find out.
Now the only problem is waiting for Harvill to send out a fresh dose of his literary drug.I'm hooked.

Inspired, with Momentum, and Twisted
While Kill Whitey starts well, its real power is that it grows in depth and intensity as it moves from beginning to end.Its characters, especially Macey (!), draw you in and not only haunt you, but give you much to think about.And if you are looking for a predictable plotline or ending, don't buy this book.Mr. Harvill creates a believable, twisted, amazing New England setting that unfortunately, is probably not as far from reality as you'd hope...

Buy this book and buy it fast; Mr. Harvill needs people to read this book and hopefully get enough encouragement to write a sequel or series!Did I mention that he has the sexiest, hottest hit man (woman) that will leave you wanting more and more?Kudos to Mr. Harvill and whatever inspired him - I hope there is more to come!

This writer is is one sick dude!
The opening chapter of Kill Whitey, instantly ropes you in with a gruesome out-of-the ordinary gang murder. This creates a huge starting point of the book, which parades a comical cast of charachters doing wicked things. I really liked all the botanical references from different geographical locales. Whitey kind of reminds me of a wimpy version of Caine, from Kung Fu. In the respect that he has wandered and has brought back all kinds of ancient wisdom to ward off crazy crimanals. PLP forever! ... Read more

Product Description
Embark upon a quest rife with magic, wonder, and forces as dark as midnight. . . .

Parallel universes and grave danger are nothing new to Nathan Ward. During his last mission, he risked life and limb to retrieve the Grail for safekeeping. But Nathan’s adventures are just beginning. Lately his dreams have been transporting him to a desolate city whose people have fled–save for a sickly king and his daughter, Princess Nell. In their decaying hilltop castle, they live in the shadow of a terrifying curse inflicted by a sword that holds within its gleaming metal an ancient demon conjured by the universe’s most powerful wizard. It is a sword that brings death to anyone who dares to draw it from its sheath.

But the king is dying, and the legend claims that only a stranger can save him . . . and that this stranger alone is destined to awake–and defeat–the dark evil in the sword. But who among mortals and spirits could ever imagine that a boy materializing into alternate worlds still dressed in his pajamas could be the chosen one . . . the one entrusted with the long-lost plan to retrieve the Grail relics and save a dying cosmos? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A terrific trilogy...

I've read the first two books of this trilogy and thought they were wonderful.I can't wait for the third book.Hemingway uses the Arthurian theme of an aged wizard and a young boy living in the present.The boy has a heritage that he slowly discovers throughout the books.These books are on my shelf with other Arthurian themed books.It's extremely well done.

I am dreaming of another dimension...
...where something less mundane happens. Don't get me wrong... great setup in book one, characters, possible plot, etc., but I found this story a bit boring.

I find it difficult to relate to a 14 year that thinks like an adult; a super-mom who is a bit unbelieveable; and I could care less about a teenage witch using her powers to woo a potential boyfriend (I can get the drivel from the tube).

That said, the back drop is interesting and the underlying plot has potential... worth a read if you have got anything else around... Personally I would go with George Martin, Donaldson, Orson Scott Card, J.V. Jones, Fiest (some), etc.

enchanting fantasy
When Anne's husband died, she followed him into a realm beyond ours and when she returned she was pregnant.When Nathan was born, she knew her husband didn't impregnate her but a being from that other dimension did.At the age of fourteen Nathan has the ability when he is dreaming to transport himself into parallel universes and last year he brought the Grail back to his own realm and gave it for safe keeping to his honorary uncle Bartley a wizard who lived for many centuries.

The Grail was forged on the planet Eos along with the Sword and the Crown a millennium by the Grandir.The objects were sent to various worlds so they would be out of harms way and will be used at the proper time to save Eos from destruction.Nathan now dreams of a medieval world where the realm is dying due to the illness of the king and the evacuation of the people who fear the hidden spirit sword.Princess Nell and Nathan meet and both care for each other but he has a job to do to save that world and once it is finished he no longer wants to dream himself to that place because he knows he belongs in his own world.

Although the target audience for THE SWORD OF STRAW is teenagers, adult will find this enchanting fantasy very enjoyable.Nathan and his mother are matter of fact about his ability to transport himself physically to another world just as they accept magic exists.This coming of age tale focuses on many characters, all of whom seem very real and act according to their natures.There is much action in this character drawn tale and readers will be eager to read the first book in this fantastic trilogy.

Harriet Klausner

No Middle Book Let Down
Many times the middle book of a trilogy is a letdown.You need it to complete the story, but the denouement and all the concluding action is in book 3.

Not so in "The Sword Of Straw".Nathan has grown in many ways from the child of "The Greenstone Grail", but he still is this kid who ventures into other worlds, other universes, in his pyjamas.The book also is a well done look at the problems of puberty both for Nathan and his pal Hazel.Poor Hazel "falls in love" with a good looking boy at school, and is willing to deal with Lilliat, the witch/elemental from the first book, so that she can get a magic spell to act as a love potion.With expected bad results.

I thoroughly enjoyed Nathan's venturing into the universe where the second of the Grail relics is sequestered.Well written people with consistant understandable motivations interact with our boy hero.

One thing that bothers me, though.I have NO idea why the author, or perhaps her editor felt it necessary to utilize "the f-word" in her story.Yeah, it was just once, but it seems egregious and unnecessary.

Still and all, this was an excellent middle book, and I look forward very much to the conclusion of the trilogy, and anything else Ms. Hemingway might choose to put in front of us. ... Read more

Product Description
“Michael Moorcock’s work as a critic, as an editor and as a writer has made it easier for me and a whole generation of us to roam the ‘moonbeam roads’ of the literary multiverse.”—from the Foreword by Michael Chabon

Has there ever been a hero–or anti-hero–to match Elric of Melniboné, last emperor of an ancient civilization sunk into decadence and inhuman cruelty? Elric the albino, weary of life and enamored of death, bearer of the soul-devouring black sword Stormbringer, cursed to betray all he loves and to save that which he despises: In the unending battle between the forces of Law and Chaos, he is the wildest card of all.

Del Rey proudly presents the fourth in its definitive collection of stories featuring fantasy Grand Master Michael Moorcock’s greatest creation. Here is the full novel The Sailor on the Seas of Fate, the script of the DC comic Duke Elric, the new story “The Flaneur des Arcades de l’Opera,” essays by Moorcock and others, and a selection of classic artwork.

Lavishly illustrated by Justin Sweet, with a Foreword by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael Chabon, Duke Elric is essential for all fans of the fantastic. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Huge Elric fan
This is just another amazing book by Michael Moorcock. I cannot think of a greater fantasy character than our beloved albino Elric of Melnibone. This book, as much as all the rest, bring a desire for me to have more of Elric. Ive read this series many times over, and continue to do the same. My only wish is that a movie can be made, with Michael Moorcock next to the director at all times of course. ... Read more

Product Description
A teen-age albino girl who is partially blind moves to Colorado and struggles with the challenges of fitting in at the local high school. Her new friends help her to accept her handicaps and point her toward a deep and satisfying relationship with God. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great Book
Great teen book - helps promote self-esteem for teens who are "differnet" :-)

A Book of Hope
Snow is a book about an albino named Stephanie. She is legally blind and constantly teased about her appearance and eyesight. When the book starts, she is also facing the extra hardship of moving to a new town and high school. There she meets one of the first people ever to accept her just the way she is. This is a great book for people who are feeling down about their appearance or who they are as a person. I would highly recommend it. ... Read more

Product Description
A desperate mother spirits away her infant son, seemingly drawn (chased, perhaps?) to the small English village of Thornyhill. She ends up on the doorstep of old Bartlemy, a curious man who has lived on the forested land for as long as anyone can remember–and who comes to believe that the child is destined for great things. . . .

While growing up under Bartlemy’s protective eye, Nathan Ward senses something else watching him, a shift of shadows in the surrounding Darkwood. Then pieces of his dreams begin to come to life. A man he saved from the ocean washes ashore on the television news. A greenish stone cup set with jewels that has haunted his visions sounds eerily like one lost by the Thorn family centuries ago–a cup that has recently made its way back into the hands of the village’s last living ancestor.

Yet when Nathan learns the chalice may have come from another world, a land with bloodstained moons and a toxic sun, he knows he is destined to play a part in something beyond his most vivid imagination. But why is the cup here, and what could it possibly want with a teenage boy and a sleepy town of villagers full of tall tales? With the help of his best friend, Hazel, Nathan must figure out why he’s been chosen–and for what purpose. Even if it means traveling deeper each night into dreams, into lands, into legends that both terrify and mesmerize him.

The Greenthorn Grail is the first novel of a thrilling new trilogy, tracing a boy’s journey–a quest rife with magic, wonder, and forces as dark as midnight.



From the Hardcover edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Metal
A stone grail filled with blood, that alone gets points for being totally metal. The fact that the rest of the book is well constructed and entertaining makes it worth a read.

A true gem
Highly enjoyable and recommended. Author also writes under the pen name Jan Siegel. First of a trilogy, but actually has an ending, which is nice. Shades of "His Dark Materials", though not anti-religious. Skillfully blends fantasy and science fiction with history and legend. An 11-year-old boy is the protagonist, but it's not written for kids. However, there is nothing inappropriate in it - no swear words or sex scenes - and older teens would definitely get into the story. One of my all-time favorite series, that I often give to older Harry Potter fans looking for something new.

Cannot be classified as a book for only adults or only teenagers
I'll leave the details of The Greenstone Grail to others here as they have already been elaborated upon. My purpose of writing a review is to note how remarkable this book is. I have been a reader for many years of various genres. Some have been disappointing and others have been very satisfying. I would put this book into the latter category.

Curiously, this story is a blend of fantasy and science fiction. However, my local library has it classified as an ordinary story. It is also listed in the adult section, while others have noted that it is more suited to teenagers. It can't be classified one way or another and that is a sign of a good story. A good story draws one in and shuts out the ordinary world. A good story makes one question the world around and look differently at the events that make up one's life.

While it is only a story, who hasn't longed to know something of the extraordinary? Our world seems bent on overwhelming reality. Reality is reality with its own set of rules, but we are primitives in modern accoutrements. Our very beings long for some of the mystical and unknowns that our early ancestors knew. If one book can bring out only a little of that, then it is a book worth reading. It has been a long time since I found a book that I felt ended too early. I look forward to the next installment.

The Geenstone Grail (Sangreal Trilogy)
This book kept my daughters and me on the edges of our seats.If you or your children enjoy Harry Potter then here is his match.We are weighting with bated breath for the next installment in the Trilogy -- What happens next??? I am sure will delight and fascinate!!!!!!!

excellent start to series
If one has to accept the fact that almost all fantasy books are now the beginning of a series (and we're just about to that point), then at least The Greenstone Grail is a compelling enough beginning to leave the reader wanting more while still resolving at least this portion of the story.Grail opens nicely with a bit of suspense and mystery as Annie Ward, carrying her infant son, is chased/herded, down a dark unfamiliar roadby things dark and barely seen.She stumbles across a haven in the form of the small home of Bartleby Goodman, whose sight clearly has some power.From there we jump to when Nathan is thirteen years old and about to embark on the adventures of the trilogy.
Half the story involves a local legend regarding the Greenstone Grail, a family legacy lost centuries ago that seemingly has returned and is about to be auctioned off.The resurfacing of the cup leads to a legal battle, some strange mystical events, an old, usually harmless witch ("grat-grandmother" to Nathan's best friend) biting off more than she could chew, and eventually a murder or two.
The other half of the story involves Nathan's emerging and improving ability to dream himself into a strange dying world where magic exists and whose inhabitants (steadily decreasing) are becoming more desperate to find someplace to move where the encroaching "virus" that has killed off most of their universe won't find them.
It doesn't take the most astute reader to figure out that eventually the two stories will have something to do with one another.Meanwhile, toss in a vengeful waterspirit, a mysterious couple who just moved into the small town, Nathan's best friend Hazel who is both repelled and compelled by her own potential Gift for magic, a dog who is more than a dog, an old-time bumblingly benign inspector, an otherworldly princess, and a host of other items and you have a book whose numerous parts mesh together wonderfully well.
The plot is both complex and nicely compelling.The coming-of-age portion of the story is handled subtly and with humor.The characters could do with a bit more edge or vividness, with the exception of Annie who comes across strongly.If Nathan seems a bit too good or too wise/eloquent for the typical 13-yr-old, the author gives us a built-in reason for this.
All in all, Greenstone Grail stands out as one of the best of the many, many offering in young adult fantasy--better written, better plotted than most.It doesn't quite achieve the quality of the Bartimeus trilogy by Stroud or the Gregor series, and falls somewhere in between the two with regard to target age (though can be enjoyed by older teens/adults), but it is a welcome addition.Highly recommmended. ... Read more

Product Description
FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. Discover more about the special challenges faced by albino animals that exist in virtually every species on Earth. Vivid photography of unusual albino animals gives this book strong appeal. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Light, but fascinating.
Kelly Milner Halls, Albino Animals (Darby Creek Publishing, 2004)

Kelly Milner Halls chimes in with a book of lovely photographs of albino animals coupled with text that shows Halls' fascination with these biological rarities. Albinism is always a subject of mystery and intrigue to the younger set (and, in no small meaure, to their parents), and Halls has given us a book that serves as a very good introduction to the topic, with just enough detail to spark the interest of kids, but not enough to bore them. If your kids have expressed this sort of fascination-- or if you still have it yourself-- this is definitely worth looking up. *** ½

The only creatures that can reflect every color in the rainbow
When I was a child I scoured the Kalamazoo Public Library for any and all books on the topic of albinism.This was in the days before the Internet, and my searches through periodical lists yielded paltry results at best.I tell you here and now that I would have killed, KILLED I say, for this book."Albino Animals" is probably the best non-fiction book on albinism currently available to youngsters.On top of that, the subject matter is just this side of fascinating.In it, we are privy to some of the rarest and most beautiful animals in the world.If you've a kid that absolutely has to read a non-fiction book on a topic of their choice, try persuading them along these lines.

Author Kelly Milner Halls begins with a brief explanation of the reasons behind albinism.She breaks down the complicated genetics between dominant and recessive genes and gives a thorough yet interesting explanation of what it means to lack pigment.Then we're off!The book is divided between the different kinds of animals in the world today.There are reptiles, sea mammals, land mammals (both large and small), fish, birds, and an enticing chapter simply called, "The Rarest of the Rare".Flip through some pages and you'll see sights to astonish and amaze.Who knew that albino butterflies, carrying shades of the palest softest pinks, could be so lovely?What about peacocks with feathers of a brilliant and entirely pure white?Here you can view remarkable white spiky hedgehogs and incredibly lovely and stylish white Bengal cats.Best of all are the stories Halls tells.Whether you're learning about the life of Snowflake the white gorilla or how Mulali the albino kangaroo made a friend, the tales told here are as variegated as the creatures they speak of.There's even a large section on various towns in America that have spent years cultivating themselves as homes to white squirrels.

In the back of the book Halls makes sure to offer information on NOAH, the National Organization for Albinism (for people) as well as an impressively in-depth glossary of terms and Bibliography.The Bibliography is so extensive that it catalogues the interviews performed by the author, the articles researched, books read, and websites cited.This is information I would have killed for as a kid.Best of all, your average child reader will find the text just as interesting as the drop-dead-gorgeous-photographs.You'll come away from this book with a sense that people everywhere find albino animals in the wild to be beautiful and worth keeping from harm.

I can't praise this book enough.For fabulous factual information and pages of tales that anyone would find exciting, "Albino Animals" is, like its namesakes, truly one-of-a-kind.

Booklist excerpt...
The wild facts and eye-popping visuals will encourage children to learn more about the underlying basic science ... surprisingly substantive picture book for older reader.May 2004.

With captivating color photography
Kelly Milner Halls' Albino Animals is an informed and informative picture book about albinism - the hereditary trait that causes a complete lack of pigmentation in mammals which usually resulting in an entirely white color with bright red eyes. Captivating color photography of albino mammals, birds, reptiles, insects, and even a person, enhance this fascinating and straightforwardly scientific presentation which is especially recommended for young readers. ... Read more

Product Description
Learning the truth of her mythic past was only the beginning, for young Percy Parker’s destiny is to defend both the world and her true love from the gathering undead minions of Darkness. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

I only read it b/c I had read the first book
These books are just strange.I only read this book b/c I had read the first one, but honestly, I read them both so slow - they never gripped me - couldn't quite understand parts of it.

Awesome writer
From page one to the end, Leanna holds your attention. You will love her characters and the richness of her places...

Unique & Fascinating
The Darkly Luminous Fight for Persephone Parkerpicks up exactly where the previous installment concluded- with our daring members of The Guard finally finding peace in their seventh member- Persephone. The story was fascinating, beautifully entertaining and even better than the first! I suggest reading the first novel before beginning this one, you don't want to miss out.

This magical story propelled me into the emotional sacrifices Persephone and The Guard are forced to make so that their dearly fragile prophecy can continue to be protected. Now Percy finds herself with something she has never had- a family of wonderfully unique people who make her "special traits" seem not so unusual- The Guard. And after saving the Guard during a disastrously dangerous battle against Darkness, Percy finds herself starting a new life she never could have imagined possible. But the extraordinary life she has always dreamed of may not last quite as long as she would have liked.And unfortunately she finds herself wrapped up in yet another battle with Darkness.The fate of the mortal world rests on her ability to travel to the Whisper World and face Darkness herself. Can she conquer death for good this time, or will Darkness take The Guard and Persephone once and for all?

I thoroughly enjoyed this story! I was concerned that the "magic" would fade but it was just as fascinating in the second novel as it was in the first. One thing that I absolutely adored was that the plot took me to more personal places with The Guard. I felt like I could connect better with them because the story told more about their past and individual lives.Hieber writes with such beautiful detail and the romantic subplots are enough to keep the story sensitive without taking away from the terrific battles. Now I am extremely excited to get my hands on the third installment of Percy Parker - The Perilous Prophecy Of Guard And Goddess! I highly recommend this series for those that love historical romance, the paranormal and steampunk!

Wonderful sequel to the Strangely Beautiful series
Leanna Renee Hieber continues her strangely beautiful and strangely enjoyable series with The Darkly Luminous Fight for Persephone Parker. After surviving her awakening, Percy embraces her mythic fate and tries to figure out how to deal with her newest enemy, Darkness, while balancing her romance with Alexei. Though Darkness offers some conflict, the focus in the first half or so of the novel is on Percy's marriage to Alexei, but the transition into the heavier part of the novel is an action-packed, exciting thrill ride that was a fun and quick read.

Darkly Luminous, however, is far heavier on the romance than Strangely Beautiful. Now that Percy has Alexei, Hieber takes full advantage of the relationship and spins overly flowery and far too numerous sex scenes that take up too much space in the novel. Frankly, I got sick of reading the same scenes over and over again, and wondered why the heck the plot wasn't advancing.

While there are a few flaws, Darkly Luminous is a satisfying and enjoyable sequel to Strangely Beautiful, though I still enjoyed the first book more. Fans of the first novel will enjoy it, as well as fans of paranormal romance.

fine second "chapter" for the Ms. Parker series
this is the second persphonie parker books and wraps up her stay and love with the central character. it is very much a high gothic/victorian type tale with ghosts, magic, love, some sex and character rivalries. i really can't see further developement of these 7 characters as a group, but maybe spin offs of the characters might be interesting. a fun summer read. ... Read more

Product Description
Elric of Melniboné. Traitor. Savior. Lover. Thief. Last king of a fallen empire whose cruelty was surpassed only by its beauty. Sustained by drugs and the vampiric powers of his black sword, Stormbringer, haunted by visions of a tragic past and a doomed future, Elric wanders the world in quest of oblivion. But the great lords of Law and Chaos have other plans for this tormented adventurer.
This volume is the third of Del Rey’s definitive collections featuring the tales of Elric and other aspects of Michael Moorcock’s Eternal Champion, along with essays, a selection of classic artwork, and new material never seen in book form.

Gorgeously illustrated by Steve Ellis, and featuring a foreword by Holly Black, The Sleeping Sorceress is a must-have for all lovers of fantasy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

pleased consumer
Very easy to deal with, fast shipping better than going to the book stores and (trying) to find it. ... Read more

Product Description
The albino beauty who has come to study at Victorian London’s Athens Academy will learn not only to deal with the ghosts that she can see, but her own part in the puzzling prophecy that threatens the known world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (61)

Strangely Beautiful
What a unique and interesting story! I don't read that many fantasy books, so this was a big departure for me. I liked it, but things that were new and interesting to me might be common in the genre. I'm just not familiar enough with it to say for certain.

I really liked getting to see so many different points of view. The main focus of the story was Alexia and his fated love, but we got to see a lot of the rest of his group of six. The dynamic between them seemed really genuine. They laughed together and had issues with each other, and they all liked to mock Alexi for his brooding ways. That was also a negative in their favor, but it still seemed real.

I loved the mythological focus. I am a total sucker for Greek mythology, and I love seeing new incorporations of it. I really like the way it was brought into play here. We slowly learned bits and pieces of what actually occurred to the goddess and her lover. I like that things weren't info dumped, but I do have to confess to shaking my book in frustration a few times because I didn't know what was going on.

I wavered between liking and disliking Percy throughout the book. I liked how real she felt. Her completely understandable insecurities dominated her life and made her timid and shy. She practically cringed whenever she was spoken to sharply. While I did appreciate how well her personality fit in relation to how people reacted to her, I also had a hard time feeling satisfied with her as a lead. She felt true to her age, actually she felt younger, and that really made the age difference more pronounced. I just had a hard time with how needy she was all the time. I was especially mad at her forgive and forget attitude at the end after someone cut their ties.

The style of this book took a little bit to get used to. Everyone was extremely emotive. It felt rather melodramatic and flowery most of the time. Every time I turned around someone was bursting into tears. I have never seen so many people cry so often. It was a small thing, but it made me roll my eyes every time I saw it.

In the beginning of the book I really liked the members of the group of six. Well, I always had a problem with Rebecca, I found her extremely selfish and hateful. But I liked the rest of them! Until they decided that they knew better than their leader and took steps to make sure they got their way. I was pleased that Alexi was cold to them, but I wish he hadn't have been such an idiot and went along with their plan at all.

While I liked the mythology and the idea of it, the group of friends irritated me to no end! I spent a large majority of the book wishing I could reach through the pages and strangle someone! I plan to read the second book shortly, but those people better stop being douches!

Good read, question the genre
I believe I question whether this book belongs to the genre of Fantasy - or Romance.As a Romance story, I was swept away by many of the elements and fully empathizing with Percy Parker while cheering on the hero.As a Fantasy book, I was left with many questions as to the world, the believability of it and not quite buying the ending.These I will discuss in my own, typical idiom.:)

The Setting -- is Victorian England in the age of Jack the Ripper.The setting is very Gothic Romance, very proper society of intelligent, forward thinking people.The primary story takes place at Athens Academy, a school that teaches to both male and female students.It is this oddity that brings the very strange Percy Parker to attend, despite her own strange set of gifts.You see, Hell as we have previously thought about it in layers, actually co-exists with us, sort of beside our own world and a unique set of people have the ability to see the spirits that inhabit this world.

My one, big complaint about the Setting of the world, and this is a world building aspect - is the religion.Yes, the book reflects how Victorian England was Anglican and Catholic, but I was never clear on how the various mythologies and beliefs and spritual aspects coexisted.How the characters could ascribe to one branch of faith, battle another, and explain it all.

The Characters -- for the most part were nicely done.There is an inner circle of six who have almost grown up knowing one another.You get a feel for most of them, but I thought that the various love triangles between them could have been expounded on more.There was so much fodder for drama that wasn't touched on at all.Alexi Rychman, the leader of the six is very well characterized as a type of dark, brooding hero who carries his duty as Christ carried the cross.I got Alexi, I understood him, and through most of the book I thought he was the best done character.Our heroine, Percy Parker, was a unique character.She has grown up with the stigma of being a type of albino, and that she has a peculiar set of abilities.However, the one thing that irritated me about her was that she giggled at everything.I understand that she is a ninteen year old character, so I think the giggling fits, but at times I questioned if giggling at what was going on would be her real reaction.I thought that some of her characteristic shyness was lost at the end when I thought it would affect how she interacted with the six.

The Plot -- was a combination of mythology, religion, and historical instance of Jack the Ripper.I found this story to be a wonderful love story.Alexi accepts Percy for all of her oddities and sees her for what she is besides her odd appearance; that is a beautiful story in and of it's self.Add to it the dangerous things they face down, and this book is a wonderful, enchanting read.There is a smooth, continuous building to the climax - which we know is coming and you have a pretty good idea of how it will happen from the beginning, but it is wonderfully told through the eyes of Percy that you're drawn into the story.My one complaint is that the ending felt too, neatly tied up.And I didn't exactly believe the passionate exchange at the very end - because wasn't she almost on her death bed?

The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Ms. Percy Parker is a book I would whole heartedly suggest; especially if you dig something told in the old, gothic styles and settings with a paranormal twist.Yes, I came down hard on the ending and the world building, but the book is enchanting and I hear that a Broadway musical is in the works.

Beautiful tale?Um, I Disagree Strongly.
Confused, full of WAY too many adjectives, choppy plotting, wimpy heroine who is simply too stupid to live, interesting hero who needs to meet a worthy heroine, mishmash of various religious belief systems, and secondary characters who are neither well-developed or mesh well with the rest of the story.I can't believe I wasted several hours on this mess.I ended up just skimming the end so I could see how the author would turn Ms. Spineless Albino into the savior of the book and the worthy mate of Alexi, the hero.Needless to say, she kept the noodle spine.I cannot recommend this book to anyone.There are much better books out there in this genre and you should read every one of them, along with anything else available, before you read this lump of chopped up cellulose.Blech.

Thirsty for More!
Absolutely engrossing tale. I could not put it down. Easily devoured and beautifully written. I am longing for more!

nice story
I liked this story; it was strangely beautiful and was nicely written.Not 5 star but enjoyable just the same.The story had an unusual pretext but I think the idea was not given justice.This did not stop me from buying the sequel ... Read more

Product Description
Cordelia Lu Hankins is half Caucasian, half Chinese--and all albino. She has grown up isolated from the world, with her distant father and a giant stepmother named Babe (after Paul Bunyan's blue ox) in a remote lumber town in the Pacific Northwest. But in the summer of 1918, she meets Squirl. Squirl is charming, easygoing, and good looking, and Cordy falls desperately in love with him. One day they meet on the mountain and Cordy receives her first kiss, as well
as a wild ride down a log flume that gets Squirl fired.

Determined to follow Squirl, Cordy runs away and begins an exciting adventure that takes her to the sideshows of Seattle's Luna Park, where her unusual looks bring her fame. But her journey also brings tragedy in this fast-paced coming-of-age novel with a remarkable, original heroine.
Amazon.com Review
While most teens feel like a "freak" at some point duringtheir adolescence, author Randall Beth Platt has taken that emotion tothe extreme and created a character whose strangeness isn't just afeeling, but a physical fact. Fourteen-year-old Cordelia wears herfreakiness all over her face--she's a half-Caucasian, half-Chinesealbino. "I used to wonder if it was because my mother was yellow withblack hair, and my father was white with red hair, that I came outalbino--without any color at all..." It is 1918, and Cordy's familylives in an isolated logging camp in the Pacific Northwest where mostof the lumberjacks are used to her odd coloring. But when handsomeSquirl joins the crew, he is fascinated by Cordy, and she by him. WhenSquirl is fired and leaves for Seattle, Cordy, completely smitten,runs away to join him. Once there, she learns that her appearance canturn a profit, and, after much cajoling by Squirl, joins"Dr. Ridenour's Carnival of Mystic Delights." But even as she enjoysfame and fortune, Cordy is troubled by Squirl's waning affection, andlearns a shocking secret about her family that could change her lifeforever.

The Likes of Me is a truly original teenage angststory. Cordelia's unusual exterior only emphasizes her adolescentinsecurity, making her the perfect sympathetic heroine for mostteenaged girls. Platt's fresh take on a young girl's coming of agewill leave teen readers with the knowledge that being different isnothing to be ashamed of, and that it can even be a source of greatpersonal pride. (Ages 12 to 15) --Jennifer Hubert ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

The Likes of Me
This was an excellent book and I suggest it to anyone who likes adventure. it is about a girl named Cordy who meets this boy named Squirl. She falls deeply and love with him and will do just about anything for him. That all changes one day in Luna Park. I never thought the end would turn out like that.

The Likes of me
this book was awesome! I couldn't put it down. One thing led to the next, and the end was surprising. I loved it.

An Excelent choice for a reader
the book was the best book i have read in months, it kept me wanting to read more, and not put it down!!!!! for anyone who has a thing for reading books about unique people, i STRONGLY recomend this book!

A great book
In this book Cordy, a unique half chinese, half caucasian, albino girl falls in love with Squirl a mischevios seventeen year old who is working as a logger at her father's mill.When Squirl gets fired, Cordy is determined to follow him, so she runs away to Seattle to live with Squirl and his wealthy sister at Luna park. It is a moving story, that ends in tragedy, but is overall a very good book.

Pretty good book
I think that "the likes of me" is an interesting book, but I think that the end is a total let down.Overall it is a very unique story. ... Read more

Product Description
With Hitler on the march, Count Ulric von Bek has been imprisoned by the Nazis until he agrees to relinquish the black sword he inherited from his family. Half dead, he is rescued from Sachsen-hausen concentration camp by a mysterious Englishman and a lovely young woman named Oona. Journeying with them to a strange underground world, he meets a figure known to him only in dreamsElric of Melnibon, the wandering Prince of Ruins. Somehow the same person, yet separate, their very beings fuse spectacularly. Now the never-ending struggle between Law and Chaos must be fought in both their universes. Michael Moorcocks multi-book Elric saga comprises one of the most intricate and beloved series in all fantasy. The original novel, Elric of Melnibon (1972), has sold hundreds of thousands of copies. Numerous follow-up novels are available in mass market, trade paperback, and omnibus hardcover editions, but there has been no new Elric novel since The Revenge of the Rose (Ace Books, 1991). Michael Moorcocks more than 80 worksincluding the Nebula Award-winning novella Behold the Manhave also won the Guardian Fiction Prize, the World Fantasy Award, and the British Fantasy Award, among others. Moorcock was also the editor of New Worlds magazine, one of the seminal publications of the New Wave of science fiction writing. This is the first of three Elric novels that Moorcock will be writing for Aspect, with the following two appearing in 2002 and 2003.Amazon.com Review
In the elaborate fictional cosmos Michael Moorcock has created, Elric and the various vonBeks are all aspects of the Eternal Champion who fights forthe Balance, preventing both Law and Chaos from dominating the universe andtrapping it in either barren sterility or pointless fecundity. Elric, thealbino sorcerer and last prince of the inhuman empire of Melnibone, was thecreation of Moorcock's adventurous pot-boiling inventive youth, just as thevonBek family featured in the heroic fantasies of his more thoughtfulmiddle-life.

In The Dreamthief's Daughter, he brings together Elric and UlricvonBek, last scion of the family, and we finally learn the sin for whichthe perpetual villain Gaynor the Damned was doomed: Nazi occultists are searching for the Grail and the Black Sword and must be prevented from attaining them. Ulric seeks allies wherever he can find them, including Oona, who wanders through dream realities and with whom he falls in love. This is fast-movingphantasmagorical stuff with ambiguously virtuous heroes and baddies whose villainy and charm is total. Moorcock's immensely powerfulvisual imagination and sense of the innate drama of crucial scenes makethis a breathtaking read. --Roz Kaveney, Amazon.co.uk ... Read more

Customer Reviews (31)

Super Reader
The Dreamthief's daughter is a sort of parallel Elric story of sorts. However, it is based around Von Bek. This time, Count Ulrich Von Bek of nazi Germany.

Von Bek has a sword called Ravenbrand, which, in another life, is Elric's Stormbringer. The nazis are aware of its power, and the resistance brings it to Von Bek's attention, beginning a conflict between Von Bek and his nazi relative, with appearances by Elric and other versions and parts of the Eternal Champion saga.

Another battle for the multiverse begins.

Once upon a time, Moorcock was a decent Sword & Sorcery writer
ONCE UPON A TIME, Moorcock, a FANTASY writer (despite his pretentions) who created a character called Elric (his claim to fame), wrote some pretty entertaining stories about an albino prince (which was more or less a sensitive, middle-class man's reaction to Robert E. Howard's great macho superhero, Conan). Unfortunately, like many other authors,the fame went straight to his head and he became a pompous intellectual type whose years have since been devoted to leftist soapboxing and tearing apart some of the great writers of fantasy fiction. Spare us, Mike, and go back to what you were best at: writing enjoyable escapist fiction. Your political views are completely molded from a life spent living the soft, pampered lifestyle of a middle-class Englishman and I'd rather not be subjected to your myopic philosophies and political opinions while reading an Elric book. Actually, wait a minute. As a matter of fact, I guess I don't have to be subjected to your blather at all. Indeed, I shall never read another one of your silly books again after slogging through this one (the last straw, it was) -- at least anything older than your original Elric series.

PS: Funny that as much as you hate Howard and Tolkien they'll always be remembered more than you.

From a Moorcock Fan: Mike's Abysmal Worst EVER
Nevermind patron demons of Law and Chaos, this book clearly proves that Michael Moorcock's muse has abandoned him completely, transmuting our yarn spinner into a sermonizer. How many more Elric stories must we endure in which he's whisked away to another dimension? (At least this time we haven't been slapped with the usual automatic amnesia for the albino at the finish.) All in all, this book is the Wizard of Oz hung with multiverse musings. And war is bad musings.
If Elric is Moorcock's best character, vonBek has become his worst. A navel-gazer of the first division with a propensity for inaction, vonBek narrates most of the story to the reader's detriment.
Boring, boring, boring.
If you want to maintain your respect and affection for Moorcock, just pretend this one was never written.

Elric defeats Hitler
Once upon a time their was an author named Michael Moorcock, and he wrote short fantasy novels, and they were good. Then he got famous, stopped writing novels and became a philosopher, thinking many deep thoughts such as "war is dumb because people should be nice to each other because was is stupid"

In 2001, he decided to write a new novel. As with his previous novels, the main character is an albino with a soul stealing sword. Unlike his previous novels, it is really long (460 pages), no good people get hurt (despite three major battles), there's little action, tons of dialog (all of it variations on "why can't we all get along"), Elric cries alot and everyone lives happily ever after, right down to a beautiful wedding and five happy children.

The plot is simple. Chaos and Law fight across the multiverse but that war will soon end because the entire multiverse is going to be destroyed. Everything hinges on a single day in 1940 when Hitler's luftwaffe bomb England. In order to save all existence, Elric teleports to Germany, summons some dragons and leads them into battle against the Luftwaffe. In the meantime, Hitler, with the help of one of Satan's devils, uses the Holy Grail to summon Arioch

i learned many things in this book. First, all Germans are sweet, peace-loving people who wouldn't hurt a fly. Only Hitler was bad. Second, Hitler was a tiny, scared, incompetent little child who couldn't conqueor a playground much less Europe. Every win he had was due to pure luck. Third, Hess asked Elric if he could join his side. Fourth, many British people thought Elric was actually king Aurthur. Fifth, Stormbringer, the sword with a will of its own, is a noble sword that refuses to hurt innocent people. Sixth, Arioch likes to write poems about farting.

Although the book is long and covers three major battles, there is very little action. That's because roughly 400 of the 460 pages are dedicated to the main character saying over and over "Hitler is bad, WW2 wasn't Germany's fault, Britian sure is a great country, let's all be nice". He doesn't describe how Hitler is bad, he simply asserts it over and over. Some action happens, but it is over in a few pages, followed by dozens of pages of "don't people understand that war never solves anything?". The book is extremely light on descriptions and very heavy on monologues. For example, a demon who once served Satan but left when "Satan proved insufficiently committed to the cause of evil" (pg 386) is about to sacrifice Elric's daughter when Elric bursts in, Stormbringer covered in Nazi blood. So the demon, being only human (apparently demons are human), shoots Elric with a .38 caliber pistol. Elric then pretty much dies but snaps out of it thanks to the Holy Grail. That whole sequence is described in probably 5 paragraphs. The rest is spent thinking about how war is bad.

Once upon a time, Moorcock wrote interesting books. Now it appears he has contracted syphillis and gone insane.

Brilliant development
I was amazed by this book.Somehow Mr Moorcock has managed to create another Elric book which comes close to having the power of what is indisputably the best of the series, Stormbringer.Unlike the previous reviewer, I found it fresh and exciting and a deepening and broadening of the Elric mythos.While the 'underground' sequences are slower than the rest of the book, I felt that this was deliberate, recreating the kind of 'classic' effect you find in writers like E.R.Eddison or even the great Professor Tolkien who is Mr Moorcock's only equal.Other reviewers have described the plot very thoroughly and anything I added would be a spoiler.But I would recommend this novel one hundred percent.Not only has Mr Moorcock lost none of his old magic, he has added to and made deeper what has gone before.Highly recommended to new and old Moorcock fans! ... Read more

Product Description
“Moorcock’s writing is intricate, fabulous, and mellifluous. Reading his words I was, and am, reminded of music. His novels are symphonic experiences. They dance and cry and bleed and make promises that can live only in the moment of their utterance.”
–from the Foreword by Walter Mosley, New York Times bestselling author of Blonde Faith and Devil in a Blue Dress

Elric of Melniboné. The name is like a magic spell, conjuring up the image of an albino champion and his cursed, vampiric sword, Stormbringer. Elric, the last emperor of a cruel and decadent race, rogue and adventurer, hero and murderer, lover and traitor, is mystery and paradox personified–a timeless testament to the creative achievement of Michael Moorcock, the most significant fantasy writer since Tolkien.

Now comes the second in this definitive series of Elric volumes. Gorgeously illustrated by acclaimed artist Michael Wm. Kaluta and including a new Introduction by Michael Moorcock, this collection features, along with Elric, such renowned characters as Erekosë, Rackhir the Red Archer, and Count Renark von Bek. Readers will delight in adventures that include “To Rescue Tanelorn . . .,” “Master of Chaos,” “The Singing Citadel,” “The Black Blade’s Song,” and the novella version of “The Eternal Champion.”

Elric: To Rescue Tanelorn is essential reading for every fantasy fan and provides indelible proof–if any was needed–of the genius of Michael Moorcock.

“The most significant UK author of sword and sorcery, a form he has both borrowed from and transformed.”
–The Encyclopedia of Fantasy ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Elric returns
Huge fan of Elric and Micheal Moorcocks multiverse. I hope this translates well to the movie that is expected to come. ... Read more

Product Description
Peter West is amazingly well-adjusted for somebody in his position: he was castrated at the age of eight in the Summer of Loveand raised by the "normal" member of a family of eccentrics and circus people.In this tranche de vie opus a castrato singer in the late Twentieth Centiury that takes the reader from a bohemian commune in 1960s California to the early days of the Internet, in a tome that took six years of his life to complete, singer, painter, and writer Ruadhan J McElroy addresses the concepts of identity and masculinity in a series of vignettes wherein it is one's conduct rather than one's apparent anatomy that determines one's sense of self, and without question. ... Read more

Product Description
Against all odds, one brave girl dons a warriors mantle to defend her homeland. In a medieval German town called Naudars, albino children hold a revered and protected status. But when Naudars is attacked by its enemies, all able-bodied men rise to defend their home. Dorothea is one of the albino children, and she has always wanted to see the world beyond her cloistered existence. Now shes prepared to defy the odds and tradition and enlist in the military. Like Joan of Arc, Dorothea must deal with the prejudices of those who are scandalized by the very existence of a young woman warrior. This spirited, sword-wielding girl is going to have to defend herself from charges of witchcraft at the same time shes defending the land she loves. This volume also features a special color section! ... Read more

Product Description
“The stories here are the raw heart of Michael Moorcock. They are the spells that first drew me and all the numerous admirers of his work with whom I am acquainted into Moorcock’s luminous and captivating web.”
–from the Foreword by Alan Moore, creator of V for Vendetta

When Michael Moorcock began chronicling the adventures of the albino sorcerer Elric, last king of decadent Melniboné, and his sentient vampiric sword, Stormbringer, he set out to create a new kind of fantasy adventure, one that broke with tradition and reflected a more up-to-date sophistication of theme and style. The result was a bold and unique hero–weak in body, subtle in mind, dependent on drugs for the vitality to sustain himself–with great crimes behind him and a greater destiny ahead: a rock-and-roll antihero who would channel all the violent excesses of the sixties into one enduring archetype.

Now, with a major film in development, here is the first volume of a dazzling collection of stories containing the seminal appearances of Elric and lavishly illustrated by award-winning artist John Picacio–plus essays, letters, maps, and other material. Adventures include “The Dreaming City,” “While the Gods Laugh,” “Kings in Darkness,” “Dead God’s Homecoming,” “Black Sword’s Brothers,” and “Sad Giant’s Shield.”

An indispensable addition to any fantasy collection, Elric: The Stealer of Souls is an unmatched introduction to a brilliant writer and his most famous–or infamous–creation.

“The most significant UK author of sword and sorcery, a form he has both borrowed from and transformed.”
–The Encyclopedia of Fantasy ... Read more

Customer Reviews (20)

Formative Fantasy
Some of my earliest reads were Elric stories, and they have helped shape the Sword and Sorcery, and thus the entire Fantasy genre. If you want to know why people play dark elves in MMOs, anti-heroes, this is the stuff to read. R. A. Salvatore's work is what people generally think of when the think "dark elf hero" but this is from a dark era before his work. Elric is much more like a level 100 shadowknight in the game of your choice than anything Salvatore ever wrote. You will see, in fact, that Elric even looks like the undead hero in Warcraft III, and this is no accident.

That said, the stories aren't perfect. They are, after all, written in a wild frenzy by a half-mad Englishman (my opinion). But there is a story here, if you stick through it all, that can't be gotten anywhere else. I'm forever in his debt for the experience.

-B. V. Larson

Last Prince of a Warrior Race
Elric is amazing.Both the writing and the character himself are superb.Highly recommended.

Is this book three of a series?
I feel like I walked in on the middle of something when I was reading this book - like there was a lot of missing background or something.There was a lot of repetitive nonsense too concerning the use of magic/power etc - I felt like a lot of adjectives were being recycled.But you know.... the writing wasn't bad at all, and I did keep reading.

Reviews from Brizmus Blogs Books
Reading through this book was like trudging through the muck-filled, mist-covered, at times deadly Swamps of Sadness; it was difficult and long to get through and sometimes made me forget my purpose in reading it.
Which is weird, because it was non-stop mega action packed and was also actually really well written.
The first half of the book was separated into short stories that introduce us to Elric, his life, and his friends. And while they were interesting, they were also predictable and seemed to serve very little purpose. They were hard to get through, but for no fault of their own. I think my biggest issue was that they were short, and there was therefore so much that should have happened that couldn't - because there's just not enough time in a short story.
The second half of the book was four somewhat longer interlinked stories that, put together, could almost form a book. Yay!
Moorcock's easy use of adjectives and fluttery language creates vivid, believable, and sometimes devestating images of a dying world and its potential savior, Elric the albino emperor of a dead race of sorcerers. Elric's character is a tortured one, torn between Chaos and the Gods of his people, and the Lords of Law and what fate has planned for him.
Unfortunately, for all his verbosity, I don't feel that Moorcock developed Elric as a believable character; it was almost as if Moorcock himself did not understand what Elric must suffer (and the true power that Stormbringer, his sword, held over him) and therefore couldn't write it into the book. Because of this, up until almost the very end, it was hard to cheer for Elric. It was hard to understand that he really might be the good guy in all of this. Elric is THE anti-hero of anti-heros. . .I guess I should probably just say that he is one of the more extreme anti-heroes that I have ever come across.
Still, in the last four stories, Elric and his sword and his world and his quests and his dilemmas captured my attention and made me glad that I trudged through until the end.

Hard to get into for a non-fan
I almost gave up on this book at the very beginning.The whole first part of the book is taken up by writings about the origin of the hero and how the stories situate within the sci-fi/fantasy of the time, etc.Being completely unfamiliar with Elric, this material was of next to no use to me.I am sure devoted Elric/Moorcock fans would be happy to have such background material... but seeing as the book is a Kindle freebie, I'm thinking that they're trying to attract a newer audience.A newer audience (like myself) is likely to be turned off when they open the book on their Kindle to a wealth of introductory material with no meaning to them.It probably would have been a better idea to start the book at the first story and let the new reader try the essays and historical commentary afterwards.Thankfully, there is a nice clickable Table of Contents.So on to the stories...

Honestly, I found it hard to get engaged with the stories.I think it may be a stylistic preference for me.A lot of the narrative is "tell" instead of "show," and I prefer it the other way around.The mythology and world are interesting but could stand to be fleshed out better.I would have loved to learn more about the nations whose denizens seem to pop in and out of the story without really sticking.The plots do have a decent bit of action, but sometimes events seem a little abrupt.I had trouble sticking with the first few stories, but I found myself more engaged as the stories progressed.By the end, I was invested in finding out what would happen, and the narrative seemed to flow with more ease.

Overall, the stories are a mixed bag in regards to quality, though there is definite improvement in the Stormbringer section, which is pretty much the last half.The other material commenting on Elric is probably valuable to fans but doesn't really do much for new readers. ... Read more

Product Description
Beth is an albino, half blind, and given to looking at the world out of the corner of her eye. Her neighbours in the Derbyshire town of Blackmoor have always thought she was 'touched', and when a series of bizarre happenings shake the very foundations of the village, they are confirmed in their opinion that Beth is an ill omen. The neighbours say that Beth eats dirt from the flowerbeds, and that smoke rises from her lawn. By the end of the year, she is dead. A decade later her son, Vincent, treated like a bad omen by his father George is living in a pleasant suburb miles from Blackmoor. There the bird-watching teenager stumbles towards the buried secrets of his mother's life and death in the abandoned village.It's the story of a community that fell apart, a young woman whose face didn't fit, and a past that refuses to go away. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

`Most of the time, the drugs coated her like a cormorant in an oil slick.'
The story opens as Vincent Cartwright enters his teenage years.Vincent leads his awkward, bullied life, not far from the site of Blackmoor, a former Derbyshire pit village that no longer exists.The life and death of his mother Beth in that same village has always been a dark secret about which Vincent's farther George does not speak.
What happened in Blackmoor?What happened to the village, to its community and to Beth Cartwright?As Vincent grows older, he becomes more curious about the past and seeks to find out the truth behind his mother's life and death in this mysterious, abandoned mining village.

This book moves between the present - where Vincent and his father George struggle to deal with life a decade after Beth's death, and the past and the events leading to Beth's death.This is a moving story about a young woman who was different and the causes and consequences of not belonging.This is also a story of a teenager seeking for answers.

I found the writing in this debut novel wonderful, and I look forward to reading more of Mr Hogan's work.This novel won the Desmond Elliott Prize for debut novelists in 2009.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith
... Read more